University of Louisville Top Questions

With the knowledge I have attained from college, I would have a lot to tell myself. One common misconception that many people have about college is that it?s okay to miss class because you don?t get in trouble for it. This is no reason to skip class! Even missing one lecture could put you at a severe disadvantage. You?re paying for every class, so why would you purposely miss one? I would also tell myself to make sure I give it my all and get ready to do a LOT of studying. Studying is essential to surviving college. Even if the homework is not collected, DO IT! It is almost impossible to learn from the lectures sometimes. The homework is the teacher in college. I would also make sure to tell myself that the freshman 15 is just a myth; I?m not going to lie, I was pretty worried about that. One last thing: I would tell myself that college isn?t as hard as I think it is. College is just like high school with a little more responsibility. I would assure myself that my degree wasn?t as far away as it seems.

If I could go back to 1995 and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have not married my high school sweetheart at the beginning of the school year, focused more on my studies ? in particular earning good grades. It seems so simple now, but at 17 I really thought I had the world figured out and didn?t need to worry about how my grades or lack of motivation would affect me because I had all the time in the world to figure it out. Little did I know how much my stubbornness would hold me back and how many years it would take to recover from all of the poor choices I made. I am 32 years old now, with a job I love in advertising - but I am still working toward my bachelor's degree while the younger people around me get ahead. Had I listened to the guidance I was offered back then by teachers, grandparents and even friends, I think I'd be ahead of the game now instead of struggling to keep up with it.

I would tell myself to get involved in more extracurricular activities. Scholarships that are not based on financial aid are usually based on leadership as much as academic merit. Paying for school is a huge part of the transition from high school to college, and it makes everything less stressful if you can find a way to pay for it through scholarships. I would tell myself that college is a chance to be whoever you want to be, hopefully your true self, whereas in highschool you were whoever everyone else wanted you to be. There are so many different kinds of people in college that there is much more acceptance of individuality than there was in high school. I would advise my high school self to take at least a few smaller classes in college because it is important to get to know a few proffessors personally so that they can act as references and write letters of recommendation down the road when you are looking for a job or scholarship. Lastly, I would say enjoy learning. Learn about what you are interested in because there is not point studying for a career that you will not enjoy.

I could not wait to graduate high school, I thought college would hold so many more opportunities, that high school did not offer. I now realize that high school was fun, I loved each and every day of it, and it is really disappointing to think of how much I wanted it to be over with. College has thrown many difficult obstacles at me that I would have never dreamed of during high school, I wish someone would have told me not to set my expectations so high and expect everything to go so smooth, because this would have allowed me to avoid many let-downs. No matter how hard I try to make things easy, sometimes it just can't happen, so overall the biggest thing I wish I could have prepared myself for was the patients that are required to bare through college and be successful. Great things don't happen over night, you have to let them take place, and it has taken me a long time to understand this, and realize the adjustments I needed to make. Just enjoy the moment, don't pray for it to pass.

I would tell myself to relax about college applications, and apply to as many schools as possible to give myself options. I would remind myself to choose a college based on what I want to gain from the experience, not to escape a rough senior year. Instead of deciding to go 5 hours away from home, I would remind myself how family-oriented I am and go somewhere closer. I would tell myself "Don't stress about leaving, you have an amazing support system. You're smart, talented, and can accomplish anything you want to." I would recommend getting a single dorm for myself, because the roommate experience was not the bonding experience I thought it would be. I would also tell myself to study hard, but enjoy these next years of school because they fly by extremely fast. I would tell myself to be outgoing, go to campus events, and put myself out in a world where I don't always feel comfortable or as if I belong. I would tell myself to enjoy this crazy college experience, because they've made me a stronger, smarter, improved version of myself.

No one can turn back the hands of time no matter how hard they try. However, they can heed the advice of those who go before them to prevent mistakes that will lead to regret. Now that I am in college, I wish that I could give my old high school senior self some words of wisdom. I would tell myself the importance of personal resposibility and time management and save myself unneeded stress In college, there is no motivator but yourself. No one is waking you up in the morning to make sure that you get up and no one will care if you skip class. This is because the only one that will suffer from making the wrong decision is yourself. College will force you to become personally responsible or fail. Ultimately it is your choice. College also brings on an underestimated challenge of learning how to manage your time. You choose your own schedual which means learning to decide class time, juggle it with work, pencil in some homework, and throw socilizing into the mix. It is important to learn time managing skills before college to reduce stress. A planner has proved extremely helpful in this

The advice I would give to myself, or any other high school senior, would be to take ALL of my classes seriously. By this I mean doing all of my homework and learning EVERYTHING I can. I would also advise myself to take more core content classes instead of easy classes. Through having the more challenging classes in high school, I feel that I would be better prepared for the content in college classes. I am happy that I was and still am very exceptive of other people and their cultures, because there are so many different people and cultures around me now. So basically I would change the classes that I decided to take and the effort that I put forth in those classes.

My best advice for high school students about to plunge into the world of college is; If I was still in high school, I will search for college scholarships. Especially if I came from a very low income family. I would also treat my time spent applying for scholarships like it was a second part-time job.I would also learn Keeping things organized . I would keep a folder with copies of transcripts, award letters, recommendation letters, acceptance letters, etc., all the information that scholarships typically request. I will also keep all the applications on the other side, each page paper-clipped together with an addressed envelope, in order of their deadline date. I will keep this folder with me everyday and work on the applications in my spare time. Because of my dedication to the scholarship applications, I will have all the money I need to pay for college. I will not have to worry about my finances at all. Students should apply for every scholarship that they are eligible for, don't even take time to think whether or not you have a chance to win. You won't have a chance if you don't apply.

Enjoy the experience as much as possible, but stay focused on your grades. Poor grades are expensive and will haunt you for the rest of your college career. Take college serious.

Dear Corinne, Senior year has been a stressful time for you. In addition to passing those pesky AP tests and preparing for prom, you are worried about college. Will it be hard? Will it be easy to make friends? I am here to tell you to stop stressing so much. College is so much better than you are expecting. Be prepared to read a lot more than you do now. In addition, you will have to study more. Overall though, there is no need to stress as much as you are. The people you meet in college will be interesting, friendly, and exciting. The one piece of advice I would give to you is to start saving your money now. College expenses sure add up, and it is hard to find the money to pay for everything. Books are the worst. I would reccommend buying and selling back all of your book online. You will save a lot of money, which will be helpful when it comes to all other fees. Good luck with senior year, and get ready for the best four years of your life. Sincerely, Corinne