The University of Alabama Top Questions

Knowing what I know now about college, there are a few changes that I would advise myself to make. My first year of college was a rough year, for I saw my grades become sub-par allowing my GPA to not meet certain standards I held myself to. I lost my drive, my concern for my grades, and my focus of what the future had in store for me. Nor did I have a regimented study habit, this causing me to fail on tests and quizzes. This pattern continued into my sophomore year. This is when I realized I would not achieve my goals in life if I continued in this pattern. I determined to change my mind-set toward my college education, and to work hard at learning the school material. I now have straight A’s in all the classes I have taken this past year. I am preparing for this upcoming fall semester; transferring to Oklahoma State University from Ozarks Technical Community College where I currently attend. The advice I would give myself as a senior is this; do not give up, study hard, and do not give up on your dream of becoming a landscape contractor.

If I could go back in time and speak to myself I would encourage me to follow my own heart. To major in something I loved and not what my parents insisted on me majoring in. I tell me to start my education at a community college to save my mother money on student loans, then transfer to a four year institution. I would surely encourage me to STAY FOCUSED!! No matter what happens stay focused and complete my degree the first time. I would make sure to tell myself to be carefule of who I associated with and surround myself with intellectual people as I was at that time. The main point I would have to instill in me is the importance of a college degree seventeen years later. I would make sure to let myself know that I am smart enough to finish college and to never doubt myself. I would tell myself to seek counseling when feeling overwhelmed and deal with my anxiety issues head on.

Dear my high school self, remember when you couldn’t wait to leave your house and finally have freedom? Well, it isn’t that great. Save every penny you get now, because once you get to college you might not even have enough quarters to do laundry. Being in college, when I find quarters on the ground it almost feels as good as Christmas morning. Don't take those southern home cooked meals for granted, because in college you will have to choose between the usual cardboard pizza, or whatever “fancy” entrée the dining halls have that day (and by fancy, it’s usually a processed fried chicken sandwich, yumm). As for the parties, they get old after the first month. Every party is filled with the exact same events, only different people and locations. I’ve gotten to the point where I would rather do homework then go to a party. Sad, right? Don't procrastinate with your homework! Teachers are so lenient in high school. Once you get to college, they treat you like adults. Maybe it’s because we are? Who knows. Enjoy senior year! Sincerely, the big bad freshman you thought I would be.

Dear Catherine, There are a lot of aspects of your life that are about to change and I want to make sure that you, at 17, are prepared. You see, this version of yourself is now 21. You have had a lot of experiences and are defintely a little wiser. I know you are scared to leave home and meet new people, but starting all over again isn't that scary, its actually liberating, so make the absolute most of it. I know you can by shy, but now is not the time to wait for opportunities to approach you, you have to create them for yourself. Another thing, by the time you graduate in 2014, the job market will be feircly competitive. . I'll tell you that your 21 year old self is extremely involved and in all of the ways you would hope. . You are learning more than you ever imagined but it comes with a price. Don't let yourself forget that no matter how caught up you may get in your involvement, you are at school to study and get good grades. . I may be wiser now, but I am still learning new things everyday.

I would have told myself to take a year off to work and save money for college. College is expensive, and I will be surprised at how much food costs at stores here compared to home. Cooking my own home cooked meals will be hard if I do have time to cook, and Ramen noodles will be my staple diet because I will always out of money or close to it. It'll be hard to get on campus housing and those rates will rise at some point; finding affordable apartments is even worse than finding on campus ones because most place charge by location even though they are not worth that much. I will have to learn how to budget and to keep a scheulde in order to be at least moderately successfull in college.

I would research all financial aid opportunities. Student loans are a great, last minute way of financing higher education but after college it is extremely expensive to pay back! Knowing what I know now, I am not sure that I would have taken out additional private loans, or at least made wiser decisions about interest rates and promissory notes. I am now left with the burden of trying to pay back student loans without the career that I had studied for in college, and with the way the job market is, my only hope is to go back to school and get my masters degree. I would have also been more active in other student organizations and internships, where possible. All of these activities look fantastic on job resumes!

Dear Jenae, First off, take a deep breath because everything will work out, not in the way you want, but it will work out to be just fine. There is so much ahead of you that will be exciting, scarry, and stressful, but you'll get through it. Make sure you apply early (and p.s. you'll decide on going to UA-so don't worry about visiting WVU). Also, don't forget about scholarships, there are tons out there, you just have to sit down and look for them, you'll recieve some, but you going to need A LOT more! Out of state tuition is like murder! When it comes time for housing application, make sure you get it done early, though living in Parham is pretty great! So, on second thought, don't worry about it. When packing, just remember it's small space to be moving into. The few days before you leave, don't forget to do Alcohol Edu. Take a deep breath-everything will be fine, make sure you get everything figured out before you leave. One last thought, have fun, get your work done, excercise alot, and meet new people. Roll Tide!!

The advice that I would give myself would be to take the ACT more seriously and score high on it so that I can get a scholarship to attend any school of my choosing rather than just pay. I would also tell myself that I will need a great work ethic because college is not cheap and I have to be able to help my parents with tuition.

I was homeschooled so I would recommend to myself to work harder to learn the best ways to be more structured and organized. I would also recommend that I should learn the best tips and tricks to learn how to study the right way. I would push to learn to apply for scholarships and grants. I would teach myself how to balance my time more effectivly and I would tell myself what are the best places to use for study and what are the worst. I would show myself how to manage my time and get the most use out of it. I would also give the best advice anyone could ever give. Do not let anything distract you from your goal in life and do not let anyone tell you what you can and can not do. These are the best words and actions I can use to make the transition from an homeschooled High School student to a brand new college student. Also make sure you get a lot of rest and relaxation included into your busy lifestyle. Do not over work yourself. That concludes my advice and tasitional efforts to make life easyier to handle.

Be ready for CHANGE. It is not high school anymore; mom and dad aren't there looking over your shoulder every day. You need to take charge of your own succes in college or you will not do well. Be prepared for class. Pay attention and ask questions. Meet the professor and talk to him/her. They want to get to know you and they want you to succeed. If you have the right attitude, have a real interest in the class and work hard you will get good grades. And the professors will notice, which will lead to more opportuniities when you become an upper classman. Many colleges can provide you with an excellent education. The most importan factor is you. You will get out of it what you put into it. Socially, it is important to understand that you will not know everybody anymore like high school was. You need to work at building new friendships. Don't be shy and don't be quiet. If nobody is willing to start the conversation then friendships don't begin. Join clubs or intramural sports or anything that interests you. Get out of your room and get involved!

I would tell myself to be who you want to be and not let anything or anyone hold you back.

I know you’re excited to begin college. It’s okay to be scared. The transition will not be easy, but you will adapt and grow. The summer program will give you the foundation to excel academically. You will spend four weeks with stress and sleep deprivation, but it will prepare you. You will study better and manage your time properly. You will need a planner! Schedule time to talk to family and friends from home. After a few months you will get home sick. Don’t worry though, the clubs you join will ease the homesickness and you will feel at home. Remember to put yourself first. It will seem unfair to choose between ones you love and your future, but if someone really loves you then they will understand your future comes first. Forget about the boyfriend, he’s only a distraction and selfish. Be positive, go to office hours and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you feel life getting out of control. College life will be quite the experience, so enjoy every moment. Don’t worry about it all changing because the moment you graduate high school nothing will stay the same.

Diandra, you are extremely smart, and definitely friendly; this advice, coming from yourself, needs to be indoctrined and used as soon as taken in. Your social life needs to be minimized. Focus on you first. Having fun and wanting people to be your friends is what you do, but you put others first, when you've completely overlooked your own situation until after ta situation evolves! Take the monkey off your back and put you before everyone. That isn't selfish, it will mold you into a magnet attracting people like you, not reaching out to people that aren't like-minded, and most especially, not focused on school and success. Finishing work isn't a problem, but mostlt your social life that hinders the 4.0 scholar that you know you can be, and that you are! Besides that, dont burden yourself with the stressors of money. It will come when it can! When you stress over it, you will lose yourself and do anything to get it. You will sacrafice time for studies, for a way to live comfortably. Don't sacrafice school, which you work hard at, for something that will come with that same glory!

If I could back in time a talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition I would definately advise myself to further my eductaion. In high school I was not serious about my education at all. I done what I had to in order to graduate. I have been out of school now for 18 years . I have worked many jobs, sometimes two or three just to make ends meet. I would love to have the oppertunity to go back and do it all agan. I would definatley go to college and further my education as soon as I graduated from high school. My life would have been so different and I would not have to struggle to raise my two childern. I recently attended my first semester of colege at Somerset Community College and it was not easy at first, but I have had many new experiences and it has been wonderful. I am very proud to say that I have completed the first semester with a 4.0 Grade piont average. I look back now and think, I could have done so much better then.

I would sit myself down and tell her.. Do Not take time off after graduation, go directly into a college setting. You do not need time to find yourself, there will be plenty of time for that later. You do not need to rest or relax there is plenty of time for that when you are dead. Get an education, learn a trade. Not only will you become a stellar member of socitey but you will make a difference in the world. You don't want to be a 40 year old server do you??? Because if you follow the current path that you are on that is exactly what will happen. If you want to have things and do things in your future you MUST have a degree. I am tellin you tis because I love you. Love the future Me.

I had it made, a senior in high school with nothing to worry about. I studied when I felt like it. Couldn't wait for graduation. I applied to go to a university, I got accepted. My mom was constantly reminding me of the day when I would leave home and go off to college. She would tell me how different life was going to be. I always thought of her as old fashion. Graduation came, I was so excited. I marched acrossed the stage and got my diploma, finished in the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my class. The summer passed quickly. I was packed and ready to go. My mom drove me to the university. As I was getting settled into my room, for the first time I realized that this was reality. Nobody to wake me up for class, not even to tell me to eat. I began to get depressed. Knowing what I know today about college life, If I could do it all over again, I would attend a junior college first, to have that experience of college life. I would spend more time reading and studying. Lastly, I would listen more to my Mom's advice.

To my younger self: Karissa, stop worrying about how people portray you to be physically. As you age and mature, you will find true friends to be attracted to you because of your mental and spiritual self. Physical beauty is only important in high school. In college, you will find friends based on common interests, intelligence, and personality. Do not look at parties as a way to further your popularity and appearance. In college, popularity does not exist. The college campus is filled with thousands of students that could not care less about how "popular" you were in high school. Instead of focusing on the petty things in life, move forward in your education. The things you learn are with you life long. The physical traits you work so hard for only exist for a matter of time. P.s. the things you learn in class that you swore you would never use again-- you do. Sincerely, Your older self

Please slow down and take a breath. You do not have to do everything and involve yourself in every extracurricular activity. It will not matter. Quality over quantity is something you should remember. Focus on preparing for the ACT and getting that score up to a range so that your parents do not have to pay for your tuition fully. Explore different career options now, you do not have to make a decision but you will benefit by narrowing down what you like and don't like.

I would tell myself to have push myself harder when it came to my grades and getting involved in organizations. Even just applying to schools, I realized how much highschool involvement mattered. While I had good grades, I don't think I pushed myself to my fullest potential and I regret that more than anything. My parents would always tell me this but I think learning that on my own is really what opened my eyes. I have gotten myself involved in college and I will never make that mistake again. I also would tell myself to be completely open minded in college, which I think I did a pretty good job of. Be open to new ideas and don't autmoatically judge something because it could be the perfect thing for me. Becoming involved is a good way to meet new people and find your place in college and I think this has greatly helped me with the transition.

I think every freshman should realize what they are here for, an education. The downfall of many students is that they come here and party their grades away. Yes, the social scene and night life is fun every once in a while, but academics should always come first. If you come here with this mindset, you will do just fine.