The University of Alabama Top Questions

The only thing I could tell myself to help is that studying is so important!

I would tell myself to put myself out there more. I was shy my first year and even beyond that. This year, as a junior, I have made a concious effort to not be so self-concious. Moving far away from home from the Midwest to the South is a big step. It is important to be aware that things will not be as easy as they were in high school.

Given the opportunity to go back and talk to myself, I would say to not try to do everything on your own. You want to act like an adult and believe that don't need anybody's help, but you're going to learn that you do and when this happens, you need to be the adult you think you are and own up. Stop being petty (because you know you are) and realize that the adults in your life are just trying to help you succeed. You need to not only listen, but take their advice seriously. Accepting help doesn not show weakness, but is a sign that you are growing up and shows that you are becoming a responsible adult.

To do what you want and to not let others determine your future.

Advice I would give to myself as a high school senior: Put school before any and everything. No matter how much time you may think it will take up, or away from your social life take every opportunity and advantage that is given to you to be involved in your school. Don't care what people think about you. You're not there to please everyone, you're there to get your education to help better your future and career. Keep your grades up all year, do everything you can to keep your GPA as high as possible. Don't try and take the easy way out of everything because in the long run it can only hurt you. Stay involved, and join any clubs that you are eligible for.

The advice that I would give myself is to be more in tune of your surroundings than ever before and also study more everyday.

I would tell myself to learn better study techniques so that I would be more prepared for my freshman year of college.

First and foremost, I would tell myself to not worry about choosing a major. I changed my major twice after moving away to college, which I now know is completely normal. Although I do believe I had better time management skills then most due to my busy schedule in high school, I would tell myself to make sure I allow time for relaxation. Life gets pretty hectic once college begins. You're constantly balancing classes, homework, your social life, and campus clubs and activities; it's important to give your body the relaxation it needs to get through all of this stuff. Alongside relaxing, I would also remind myself to make time for the things I enjoy. I really slacked on my blog my freshman year, which was my outlet for how I was feeling. It's so incredibly crucial to keep doing what you enjoy, and that applies to every area in college: your clubs, classes, majors, minors, what have you. College is supposed to be fun and yes, it will get stressful, but only as much as you allow it to.

If i could journey back in time and have the opportunity to talk with myself as a highschool senior, I would explain to myself that I need to focus more on school and put more effort into making the best grades possible. I would explain to learn the discipline of balancing my school work and social life better. As a freshman at the University of Alabama, I have learned that school comes before social and the this teaches the responsibility of putting a future job first and all social activites come after this is mastered.

If I could go back in time, I'd tell my high school senior self that college is a great opportunity to advance in life’s endeavors. I'd say that paying for a proper education in Engineering is a hassle without extra money. I would say I should apply for scholarships because it will allow me to establish myself, educate the black community, and create technology that’ll prolong the life of Earth. I would convice myself that I will be able to acquire necessary programs and research tools that’ll ultimately allow me to continue to pay for my education. I'd say follow your passion so you can someday build a company that will donate money to inner cities through events, teach young black children how to program and understand technology, and represent young educated black men. Jalen, get yourself together so that you can make your dent in the universe. So you can own a company that not only would create jobs, but would create intelligence enhancing technology and convert almost everything into a solar powered format. Get yourself together so you can change the world Jalen.