University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

In high school, you dropped out because you got pregnant. While it is true that getting your GED when you were 17 years old and 8 months pregnant was a wise decision, you could've done so much more. In the future, when opportunity knocks, answer the door. Take it seriously. Your life will become a crazy, chaotic adventure when your husband joins the Army someday, so for right now, help yourself. Get your education and never let anyone hold you back, because some will try. Remember, your entire life your teachers told you that you were smart enough to do anything with your life. While you cannot go back, life doesn't rewind....what you can do is keep in mind that dreams don't die unless we kill them, so never give yours up. Often, the dreams of our youth seem wonderfully fascinating. Sometimes they tell us what we should be eventually. Other times, they fade. A small part of you will think it's sad, but in your heart you will feel it...your dreams did not perish or rot or fly away...your dreams just evolved in a way suited to a lifetime and your family.

I would tell myself to have applied myself more, and to plan out where i wanted to go and what i wanted to do a bit better.

"You are worth it and you are good enough!" That is what I would say to my 17 year old self. I had a tough time being confident in highschool. Even though I was an Honor Student and three sport Varsity athlete for my highschool I still felt like I could do more and it wasn't enough. It wasn't only until last year when I develped an eating disorder here at the University of Nevada Reno is when I started to put myself first and Love me for me. Being a track athlete at Nevada image and body weight is everything, and I buckled under the pressure and have been struggling with Bulimia Nervosa ever since. I want to tell me Senior self that you are perfect just the way you are! Do not let anyone tell you or make you feel any less wonderful than how God made you. Let things go, and be mindful of who you are and who you want to become. You are going to face struggles in your life but they are only going to make you stronger. Stop beating yourself up. Enjoy who you are. I love you!

I would warn my high school self that there is going to be alot of homework. I would tell myself "go clean our room and clear off our desk we are going to need that space for all the homework we will be getting. Apply to alot more scholarships because you are going to need them because i am low on cash now without them." I hope he would heed my warning for it would put us ahead of the game.

If I could go back to being a senior in high school, knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would spend more time saving money and studying. Looking back on my senior year, I never realized how expenisve college really is, especially when you are not elligible for financial aid. I never really took the time to consider that my weak savings from working at Round Table Pizza for almost two years was not going to cover twenty-two grand a year in college tuition. If I could share some knowledge with my past self, I would say put more money into savings. Also, looking back I wish I would have pushed my overall 3.6 GPA higher by studying more because then I might have attained more opportunities for scholarships. With all the competition to get into college today I would tell my past self to take more time on my tests, and take more notes during class in an attempt to prepare myself for the onslaught of college work.

Hi Linda... It's me, Linda. Wow, you have changed a lot in thirty-four years; I hardly recognize you! I remember the shy, fearful person you were the day you graduated form Reno High School in June of 1978. What were you so afraid of? I suppose being out in the big, wide world was rather daunting to someone who wasn't even seventeen years old yet. But haven't you learned so much since you embarked upon adulthood? Yes, I have learned that life is a series of little choices which, once made, can never be undone. I have learned that, though some foolish choices were made, it was never too late to make a 180 degree correction and create a better future. I have learned that studying is the most difficult thing I hav ever had to do, but that getting the kudos and accolades is amazingly gratifying. I can do absolutley anything I decide to do! Perhaps most of all I have learned that being educated is still not as valuable as being a wise Mom, a faithful wife, and a loyal friend. The bravest choice to be made daily is to be a good person.

As a high school senior one thing that I wish I knew was to take advantage of every resource offered to me in high school. A lot of high schools have college and career counselors available to students that are there to primarily aid students in the transition after high school. As a senior I was always so focused on what I had to do and when I had to do it I never took the time to slow down and ask people for help. I really wish that I had taken of advantage of my high schools college counselor. I would tell high school seniors to talk to their college counselors about scholarships, and college applications. High school provides many oppertunlities to obtain scholarships and as a senior I wish that I had gone after more of these scholarships. I believe that if I had taken more time to speak with my counselor I would've been able to find and apply for more shcolarships making my freshmen year of college a lot less stressful.

I would tell myself that I should not take out any loans if necessary fill out as many scholarships as possible. I would also tell myself just to go straight to Southern New Hampshire University and not waste my time with Hesser College. I would also tell myself that I should wait to start a family until after and that I should do online courses.

I would tell myself to stay there becuase the real life is a lot harder than most kids that age think. But in reality I would tell myself that college might seem overrated or to much money but can be done with hard work and dedication. I would tell myself what I used to think of college as a high school student and what I think of it now. I would encourage my self to attend college for the better income for my family and me but more importanly for my family to show them that I can do what I put my mind to. The best advice would be to study, work hard, get a part time job, and apply for many scholarships becuase they will help out tremedously and to just beleive in yourself and anything can be accomplished.

One thing I would say to myself as a high school senior is :to be successful you need to be patient. I understand that you have big dreams, but rushing into them will not get you anywhere. Take your time in school, and the outcome of your goal would be greater. If you take your time, you will learn and expereince more than by rushing into your goals. There will be times when you want to give up, and other times will want to quit college. That is normal, and remember that everyone is going through that. Other times you will fail, and that is part of life too. If you can get yourself back up, and work even harder than you have before you will reach your dream. So take your time, it may not seem it is worth if now, but it will be later in the future.

Because you are choosing to go to a junior college prior to a University my main advice is keep focused. Not attending class is a poor choice and giving up halfway through the semester is not good. Strive to do your best and not to give up. Don't mess around and get involved with the wrong group. It is best to follow your heart but don't put your studies on the back burner because of your new boyfriend. By doing this you will end up staying at the junior college for three years and it will put you back. A suprising thing though that you won't see coming is you will end up going out of state to school, University of Nevada, Reno. Once you transfer it will be your first insinct to miss home because you will have nephews, but these are the times to be selfish and to embrace your adulthood. You will learn the most you've ever learned about yourself being on your own. Know you will always have your family to fall back on . Remember its okay to make mistakes that is what growing up is all about. You can do it.

Finally, after 37 years, I have an opportunity to cross the finish line, a chance to complete my Bachelor’s degree in nursing! If I could talk to myself when I was 18 years old again, I would say “don’t give up, keep plugging away at your dream. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.” I have put my school on the back burner so many times over the years, either because of my work in different nursing positions; or with my career in the National Guard and most recently through my journey of breast cancer over the past year. In Nursing, I stair stepped up from a candy striper, to Nurse’s Aide, to Licensed Practical Nurse and then becoming a Registered Nurse. I realize now, the importance of each of these steps to help cultivate the person I am today. I have grown to appreciate meaning of my education and the ups and downs of my life, each coming together like light through a prism to help me see the beauty of each of our own unique life’s path. I might have missed this if I had finished school in my earlier years.

Dear self , Please take high school serious. Don't be afraid to fully be youself. So what if you get called a dork or geek for attaining good grades, go for it. Be the best you can be. Cease every moment you have to succeed and get actively involved in school. High school is preparing you for the real world and college. It's not a joke. Complete your assignments in a timely fashion and turn them in on time and or early. Utilize your time wisely. When you use your time wisely and productively, you are drawing one step closer to your destiny and towards success. Please don't procrastinate or neglect to do your assignments or study for tests, quizzes, or finals. Procrastination is your greatest weakness in school. Be punctual for class. It shows how much you care for school, your level of maturity, and how adamant you are about school. The way you act in high school and the negative habits you carry with you in high school will follow you into the real world and college. It will inhibit your growth. Put your priorities first and you will come out on top. Sincerely, Victoria Brown

GO ALL THE WAY! I am currently a RN. I graduated from a community college in 2008. I am now going back to school to obtain my MSN. My advise to myself as a high school senior if I could go back in time would be to GO ALL THE WAY. I would really stress the importance of going as far as you can in school the first go around instead of going back later in life. It's so much easier to be successful in school before you have a career, a mortgage, childeren, ect. Yes, a faster 2 year degree may be appealing but it can only take you so far up the ladder!

I'd tell myself that life is about to change drastically, and that you need to prepare for deadlines, scholarships, and entering the real world. In the real world, you aren't entitled to anything, and there is no room for proccrastination. I would tell myself that I need to accept the fact that upon entering the real world you have no set of skills to distingush yourself from other people, so thats why you need to go to college. Education is the key to success.

As I am approaching my junior year of college, I can look back on the past two years and recognize how much I have grown. As a senior in high school, I imagined college to be the same story as high school. I figured I would go to class, get good grades, and make a few friends along the way that I would simply leave behind after four years as I did in high school. I had a negative attitude about the University of Nevada and could not imagine myself becoming one of the greatest advocates for it. If I could give my high school senior self one piece of advice, it would be to stay positive. Though life is not perfect, the most important thing to do is make the best of what lies in front of you. By making the best of this University experience, I have made friends that will last a lifetime, and have had experiences I will never forget. If I would have had a more positive attitude during my senior year of high school, I would have spent my year being excited, rather than stressed about going to college.

My biggest piece of advice to myself would have to be this: don't compromise on what you want to do and what you love. During your college career, you will reach a point where you will think that what you're pursuing might not be the most "practical" choice. You'll begin to doubt what you want to do and what you've ever wanted to be. Don't give in to that doubt; do not change your major to one that brings in the biggest paycheck, or one that will satisfy someone else's desires. The only thing you really have that makes you you is your own personal dreams and goals set by youself and yourself only. Your experience through college should be a journey into a new life, becoming the person you said you'd be when you made that commitment to yourself and first stepped foot on the campus. If you look back while working a job you hate, stuck in a life that wasn't inteded for you, then college will be nothing more to you in memory than the demolished railroad bridge that led to this trainwreck, and that's a terrible shame.

The advice that I would give to myself during senior year is that to be more proactive about asking questions about financial aid. I unfortunately had some trouble with my FAFSA application process and I had to start at my community college instead. Even though I had a great experience at TMCC my first years I would have easily been able to afford UNR if my FAFSA was taking care of on time. I feel that my path starting off had some curves financially and I have worked hard to persevere thru all obstacles. I know that asking questions gets you places and those answers can make a difference student need to not be shy about their education. It takes a lot of courage to be your first in your family in college and I am proud that I am able to help my sibling, family and friends thru the process. I take education seriously now knowing that I must be involved in my education to receive the best grades and at times the best answers.

I would tell myself to save money, I havent even started my first semester and i'm already a thousdand dollars in debt. I would have a plan set up, save money and not let my mother boss me into giving her my paychecks from my first job. Looking back, If I had this knoledge like I do now it would save me some stress and worry.

I would tell myself to not apply for the first time as Undecided for a major. I fell in love with Anthropology in my senior year, so I would tell myself to stick with it. My first semester in college was a complete waste of money and credits: I didn't start off on the right track and now I'm trying to make up for it because I was undecided. I would also tell myself to go easy on the food, because the Freshman 15 is almost impossible to avoid, given all the food that's offered on campus.