University of Kansas Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have a couple tips to share. Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would advise to trust my first instincts. College life is full of decisions. Some are as easy as what to wear to class, but other decisions get more complicated. Do I skip this class because I am not prepared for the lesson? Do I go out to a social event when I have a test the next morning? The most valuable information I have learned throughout my college career is to trust your first instincts. Yes, skipping class and sleeping in sounds like a perfectly fine idea once in a while, but it can start a slippery slope. I have always trusted my first instincts to do the right thing and my college habits are better because of it.

I would tell myself to not be shy. It took me four years of high school to open myself up and accept myself, and when I got to college I closed back up again. I missed some valuable opportunities to create friends my freshman year. In college, there are no longer cliques and everyone accepts you for you. DON'T BE AFRAID! Open up and make the friends, and memories, of a lifetime.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be bold and get involved in activities. I would encourage myself not to worry about what others think of me, but to be courageous and be myself.

While it does take a lot of work, college is not as bad as some people make it out to be. Reading and going to class will make or break you, so stay on top of that. In fact, I can't emphasize that enough. Have fun, but get things done. College is not about partying, but keep in mind that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So enjoy yourself at the university. Do what you want, but do what you need to too.

Join a club or group of some kind. Don't wait to figure out what you want to for the rest of your life because you may never know just try things out and find something fun that may be interesting because even if you don't think that you are that interested in it - try it anyway. You can always stop going and you may make some friends along the way. Study hard, even for the "stupid" required classes that have nothing to do with your major or anything that interests you, because if you don't want to learn it now you won't want to learn it later either. Don't listen to people that tell you that you are dumb or that you won't make it in college and give it your best shot. Always try your hardest. Always give your best effort. And of course always have fun.

I wish that I could go back and reassure myself that I was making the right choice in going to a community college rather than a four year university right off. I would tell myself that not every person may be your friend, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't always be friendly. The discoveries that were coming my way would have been a lot easier to handle with the knowledge that I have now, four years later, and I wish that as a senior I would have known that everything has a way of working out. But even if I were able to go back and tell myself all of these vital things and more, I can't deny the possibility that I might not have listened then.

I would let everyone know that even your Freshman year in high is very important. Have balance in your life. Stay active in your school.

When I first saw this question, I thought to myself: "What would I change first?" While I mentally prepared a pretty extensive list of all the mistakes I've made, all the things I could have tried harder at and all of my minor and monumental failures, I realized something. While the insecurities I experienced in high school and the ensuing years were at the very least detrimental to my success socially, professionally and academically, I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for all the consequential bumps and bruises. So as much as I would like to go back and tell myself not to worry about what they think, not to go to that party or to really study for that test, I really can't and wouldn't even if I had the chance. So, to my previous self: "Chelsea, just keep doing what you're doing. It hurts now but you'll survive and you'll love yourself for it."

Chill out. The application process is stressful but it's not worth it. Tackle the applications one at a time and don't stress too much about the schools you find after the deadline. If you didn't know about them before the application deadline then they probably wouldn't have made the final cut anyway. Take a deep breath, and relax. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to and engineering will prove to be a much better match than linguistics. Just go with it and don't let your friends or the parents influence your decision because that conversation is definitely not worth the fight that will follow. Don't stress, just go with the flow and everything will be fine.

During my senior year in high school, I applied to multiple schools, but struggled when it came time to make a decision. It wasn't until the summer following graduation that I decided on a college, but it was done without putting much thought into it. Because of that, I didn't enjoy the college experience there, and eventually transferred after one year. If given a chance to go back to my senior year of high school, I would advise myself to put serious consideration into where I want to go to college. I would tell myself to think about what I want to study in college and to also do some research on these interests from the schools I seek interest in. I would also tell myself to take my personality into consideration as well, because it affects whether you want to attend that school or not. Overall, you want to be happy with your decision. Finally, I would advise myself to plan the college decision process out as soon as possible so that I could best prepare for my senior year and make my final year in high school less stressful.