daniel
I'd say to my higschool self; Attend every class, every lecture. Also forget about others opinons on yourself, everyone in college is there to learn not to judge. Another thing would be, time management is very important, focus more on homework and studying, than work or partying. Answers to tests and quizzes are not spoon fed to you like they were in highschool.
Kristine
The very first thing I would tell myself is to calm down, because it’s not the end of the world that you didn’t get into your dream college right away. Take this opportunity to save and fill out scholarships so as to later afford the school you want. Also, there are benefits to staying in Nebraska. You will get to better plan your life and how to achieve your goals. The biggest thing that came out of staying in Nebraska is that your best friend in the whole world will need you in a couple years and if you moved away she would be in poor house. Consider the blessings you have and how you can help her out because she will need it within two years. My last piece of advice is when life gets rough in college sit back, relax, watch a movie or a Friends episode because it will work out. You’re smart, creative and can work through any project put on your shoulders. P.S. Summer of 2014 will be a great summer to be in school!
Jennifer
Dear Jenny,
As an older version of you, I have greater knowledge and life experience. I'd like to offer you this bit of advice. Don't be afraid to take chances. Go to the more expensive out of state school that's located in the city you've always dreamed of living in. It's much easier to move as a college student, than to wait until you have a family. And please chose a major wisely and stick to it. This will save you lots of heartache, time and money over the long run. Last, but not least, make sure to form lasting connections during your college career. Those connections just may prove to be more important than your grade point average. Best wishes to you.
Love,
Jennifer (your older self)
Kelsey
If I could go back to my senior year, I would advise myself to follow the exact same path I chose. I have no regrets from attending the university that I did. I made numerous amounts of friends, was given leadership positions, and was taught the value of volunteering. I made the most of my college experience and still have great connections through the university. The one piece of advice I would give myself would be to take out less loans and apply for more scholarships. As a freshman you underestimate the toll of student loans, but as a senior, student loans are one of the top things that are constantly on my mind. I appreciate my college education and am forever thankful for everyone who helped me along my journey.
Phillemon
My advice is everthing is easy if you work hard from now on. Otherwise, it's not good to feel high heat when you reach to college. Plan now and you will be fruitfull throughout your college life.
Jordan
My advice to myself is this: You are doing the best you can with everything. In college everything becomes much easier. You still need to keep looking for scholarships because everything is very expensive. You also need to have more fun. Try and hang out with your friends more. Your new roomates will be nice and you need to talk to them more! My biggest advice to you is that you need to relax and enjoy yourself. Relax and enjoy your last year of highschool. You deserve to enjoy it.
Caitlin
I would tell my high school self as a senior is to get more motivated and try hard with grades. I was super involved in school with extra ciricular like dance team, speech, choir, drama and cheerleading and didn't focus on schoolwork. School was hard for me to focus on and I really wish I would have tried harder to get better grades. At the time I didn't care but looking back now I wish I did.
BreAnna
If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to take appyling for scholarships for college more seriously because I have to constanly worry about how I am going to pay for school year after year. Even though I applied for some scholarships as a high school senior, I did not apply for enough to avoid a financial burden that I am dealing with now. I ended up getting 4 out of the 14 that I applied for, however I still had to take out a loan which was my worst fear. That is the most important thing I would advise myself because I realized that federal loans are temporary financial aid, that will have to eventually be paid back once you graduate college. It gets even more difficult to search for financial aid once you are in college so applying for as much as you can while in high school is very imperative. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to develop the best study method that works because it will come in handy when studying for exams. I found notecards to be very helpful.
Meredith
Don't worry so much about "the college experience". Worry even less about being popular. Nobody in college cares about who you used to be, or your awkward phases. They're all incredibly friendly - even the professors, who are actually doing something they love, instead of the teachers in high school who got stuck there. Everyone in college wants you to succeed. It isn't like Legally Blonde or Animal House unless you want it to be. Make sure you read everything all the way through - financial aid, scholarship applications, the guidelines for your general requirements. College is a money-making operation, but you can have it without squeezing yourself dry. Most of all, have fun. It's not about drinking every weekend or studying for six hours a night. Find a happy medium and balance yourself out. That will make your college experience better than any tired old cliche.
Quinn
I would take college seriously from the start and apply early since the bulk of scholarships are onyl offered to first-time freshman students. I would double up on classes while my parents were paying all my expenses since the coursework is ridiculously easy and someone without a job can easily take twice a full-time academic load. would finish my degree as quickly as possible.
Crystal
If it were possible that I could somehow talk to my high school senior self that would be really awesome and helpful. This would be really helpful because I could give myself many tips and ensure that I actually carry them out. Tips such as apply, apply, apply, and apply for scholarships because in the world today money is getting harder and harder to obtain as well as to keep, so it would been helpful if I could've at least applied for a few scholarships. Also to get myself to actually apply for scholarships, I would explain to myself that my parents who are helping me to pay for school also have three other children that they have to make sure goes to college. Another tip I could give to myself would be to explore as many as colleges as I can and to research various careers and majors so I could have a better picture of what I want to do and be in my life.
Alexander
My advice would be to get involved with as many clubs or organizations as you possibly can. Often when going to college, it's a totally new environment from what you're used to. So having a familiar face or two around campus can be very relieving and reassuring at times when you're lost finding a building, or looking for somewhere to sit at lunch. And being able to find the right balance between clubs, and academics. Tests are at a completely different level in college, so I wish I had taken my professor's words more seriously n preparing for most exams.
Katherine
I would tell myself to save money now so I wouldn't have to work so hard later. I would tell my high school self that there will be hard things to deal with but to remember that life goes on and that everything will be alright. I would tell myself not to take life too seriously and try to have fun. I would stress the imprtance of the "little things." There will be love and loss in the future but you'll be stronger because of it. I would tell my high school self to never push away friends because you're too busy. Enjoy every minute of everyday...
Jamel
The difference between the 20 year old Jamel and the 18 year old Jamel is maturity. I didnt take college seriously and that is why i didnt apply for scholarships and didnt take the neccessary procedures to get school paid for. I dropped out of sports, my GPA dipped my senior year and i was not focused on what was important. I was focused on girls, drugs, and trying to be popular.
So if i had to give myself advise, it would be a phrase. "What Would Jesus Do". Jesus wants every man woman and child to have joy and happiness in their life. Not only does he want that but he wants long term joy. All of those things i named before was short term joy and that is why i feel that i am a better person now that i have my head on straight. It was a long road even getting to high school and i would feel that some of the things that i had to go through he would need to go through to become a man. And that is what the 20 year old Jamel is today. A young, spiritual, intelligent young man.
Michael
I would take my education my seriously. I made the mistake of not picking a degree and took classes that ended up being unnecessary. This wasted time and money and I ended up at college an extra year. Also, I would plan ahead on finances.
Alyssa
I would tell myself to NOT take it easy my senior year in high school! It might seem like the year to relax, but getting used to relaxing was a huge problem for me when I got to college. The stakes are much higher than in high school (even though I attended a nationally ranked school for ACT scores), much more work is required in college and I had to learn that the hard way. I would also tell myself to not get carried away with the newfound freedom of living on my own on campus. Just because you aren't "required" to go to class, doesn't mean you are not required to go to class....that is a must. I would also remind myself to stay focused on school and not get distracted by my social life and everything going on around me, because school is always top priority. I would remind myself of that over and over again!
Lauren
My senior year of high school was amazing. I had so much fun with my beloved friends throughout the year. However, there are some things I wish I could re-do if I had the chance. For example, I applied to a lot of colleges. This created a lot of unnecessary stress. It's kind of ironic that I ended up going to community college. I would tell myself to be mindful of where I would apply. I would minimalize the colleges I applied to and make sure each college I apply to is realistic budget, academic, and geographical wise. I would ensure I visited a lot of colleges and apply to colleges with a great variety of academic and extracurricular programs. I would remind myself that even though going to college with my friends sounds fun, I have to do what is best for me and my interests. I would motivate myself to get all the tasks done as soon as possible while applying to college. And finally, I would tell myself to not sweat the small stuff, to take every day as it comes and to cherish every moment because someday soon, it will all be over
Mary
Stick with the path you are choosing, going to a community college and transferring credits over to a four year is a smart, easy transition and is helpful when it comes to the money. Take your time and explore all your ideal majors, you're young and the major you choose will be the career path you choose for your life. Yes, you can always go back to school if the one you choose ends up not being right but, you're young now so explore, think, figure things out. You have one life, and you should find a passion, not a job. If it ends up taking 5 years until you graduate instead of 4, that's okay. Work hard, study hard, but live your life and have fun too.
Heather
If I could talk to my 18 year old self, I would tell me to be focused on my studies more so then work. The transition between high school and college was very rough because I insisted on living on my own. I would tell myself to stay at home with mom, save 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of all of my income in a savings account, and enjoy the time with my family because as an adult in the working field, I have had to give up a lot of family events. I would tell myself to enjoy every second of every class because it's knowledge for my future. I wish I had been more focused on my classes because work doesn't end until you are 70+ now.
Kristen
If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would advise myself to look at more colleges. The university I go to I like, but I'm sure there are a lot of other universities that I could have gone to that I would have liked and even loved. When I was a junior and senior, I was only looking at colleges based on the major I was interested in at the time, which I'm not even interested in anymore. Looking and picking a college is a lot of work, but the more work you put into it, the better the chance you will find that one special college that is perfect for you. I dont believe the college I chose is perfect for me, I should have thought more about the type of environment and the people I wanted to surround myself with and not just base it on what majors the college had or people that I would know if I went to a certain college. Again, I do like the college I chose, however, I believe there is a better college out there that would better suit me and what I like.