University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

I was homeless and taking care of myself by the time I graduated so I would go back in time and tell myself this: "You will go through a lot of heartache and a lot of trials but do not let them get you down or stop you from following your dreams. You will feel like giving up, but don't! You will feel like there is no one out there that can help you but there is! Seek help! Do not go it alone! There are places and people out there that can help you keep a roof over your head and keep food in your belly. Find the help you will need, it is out there. You can and will be able to follow your dreams. I am only telling you so that you do not start too late in life like I had to. You feel like giving up but DO NOT GIVE UP! You will prove to yourself and others that you are not a failure; that you are a very intelligent and indendant woman."

Hi, Gabby. I'm sorry to be so abrupt, but you won't complete senior year right unless you listen to my advice. Make more of an effort to look for scholarships, because if you don't, you're guaranteeing yourself more stress in the future. You've done a good job of that so far, but I need to give you a push. Also, when you get there, use moderation in everything. In the future, you don't go to many parties, and you don't lose control, but you lose sight of grades for a little while. And, even though the semester ended with good academic standing, it was stressful the last few weeks. Make use of the libraries early on, because they definitely saved me during finals week. Also, call your parents every week when you're there. They miss you terribly, and you should really make an effort to show that you miss them, too. Don't be as selfish as I was with that. But, otherwise, you survived your first semester decently, but there will always be room for improvement, in the both of us. Work hard, like always. Love, Gabby.

There is far too much I could tell my past self in order to aptly prepare me for my first semester of college. I would have liked to tell myself to get on board with a club or group immediately after getting onto campus. My goals lie in studying abroad in Japan, and have since I was in high school. If I had joined Japanese club, then I would be in a much better position now to study in a country I still know little about. I've also been held back by my work and monetary responsibilities during my early college career. I would have advised myself not to focus so much on working, and focus everything it took to succeed in school, so that later in life, I won't still be working full time at Starbucks. However, most importantly, I'd warn myself that the end of high school is the end of having my life set before me. My schedule, transportation, and my books and tuition would all be my responsibility. I'd tell myself that, in college, there is no guarantee that everything will fall into place, like it does in high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be so incredibly nervous and worried about college life. I would tell myself that the trasition is not terrifying and nerve-racking like I assumed it would be. I would let myself know that making friends instantly would be easy and that I do not need to worry about being homesick. I would tell myself that the classes are not as difficult as I thought they would be as long as I keep up with the school work and the due dates. I would let myself know that receiving a high GPA is possible if I keep everything well organized and if I planned out days to study and get my homework finished. In order to save money, I would tell myself to not buy expensive books for my classes until I knew for sure that I needed them. Lastly and most importantly, I would let myself know that it is okay to not be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure of what career path I want to take and to not rush into anything.

When asking myself this question a few things come to mind. Some are more serious than others but I would have really appreciated if, future Travis, would have sat me down and shared his knowledge. This advice would have saved me a lot of time, effort, struggle, and maybe most important a whole lot of money. First, don’t waste our money on a laptop. There are several reasons for this but the most important is the cost/benefit. You will spend two thousand dollars on a great machine, good for you. However, what no one tells you will need to buy a lot of expensive software to make it practical. Also, laptops are heavy. Once you get all your course books and notebooks in your backpack the last thing you want is another ten pounds weighing you down. Use the University's computers because they are really nice and they have all the sofftware you will need. Second, carry a stapler. There are not staplers in the classrooms and your professors will not accept your work if it is not stapled. Third and most important, go to class. This is the big leagues and you need to focus.

Jen, I realize you're having troubles at home. You're trying to figure out who you want to be and who can help support you in your decisions. You just want someone to believe in you. You are strong enough to accomplish anything. You are incredibly capable. Your life will be amazing however you decide to lead it, just be sure to stand behind your decisions. Fulfill your dreams. Don't let the naysayers tell you that something isn't possible. It's not your life they're leading; you're leading your life and it can become whatever you will it to be. Start with the idea that everything is possible then you can go anywhere. College isn't any harder than the high school you have attended. Don't let the money intimidate you. You have resources available of which you're unaware. Talk to your principal or your teachers - all of these people want you to succeed and they're all good, trustworthy people. Let your guard down and you will find the help you need.

I would tell myself to try a little harder. Although I was an AP and Honors student, I still don't feel that I really challenged myself. I would tell myself to focus on science more and take advatnage of the smaller classroom setting to learn. Because once you're in college, you're in big lectures with teachers and professors who care less about you. I would tell myself to get straight A's because it would've mattered. I would tell myself to audition for more solos in choir because I didn't end up participating in music in college. And lastly, I would tell myself to participate in more volunteering experiences while I still had the free time, because working and going to school isn't fun!

Dear younger version of me, In order for you to adjust more easily to the University of Nevada, Reno, you must know that you should take more time to be more social for your first year on-campus. Don’t be afraid to express your opinions and make new friends with those around you. Don’t focus entirely on school work, which will frustrate you from time to time. Learn when to take a break and blow off some steam by working out or hitting the slopes. You only have four to five years to spend at this beautiful university so take advantage of what it has to offer. Stick to the extracurricular activities that you started with such as Intervarsity and get to know everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to meet new people because chances are, they like you for the honest guy you already are. One thing you already have going for you is your honesty and the fact that you don’t have a mask to hide behind. You are real with people and people like that, so just go with it! Don’t sweat the small stuff, concentrate on the bigger picture.

If I were able to make a visit to myself back when I was a high school senior, which wasn't more than a year ago, I would first deeply commend myself for choosing to take the Advanced Placement courses I took. If it weren't for that literal advancement, I wouldn't be in the perfectly-paced courses I have taken last semester. I would also greatly urge myself to focus more on community projects and scholarships because I feel that would have made my financial transitioning from high school to college easier. I regret not utilizing every scholarship opportunity that had been presented to me because, in retrospect, for every hour I could have devoted to working toward earning scholarships that I hadn't has costed my parents a great deal of money. However, I find that knowing how hard it was for my parents to pay for my education envigorates my motivation to do well in school. Finally, I would tell my former self to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for the impending distance that will separate her from her loved ones. It will be exceptionally difficult at first, but eventually she will definitely overcome it.

The advice I would give myself or any senior in general moving forward to college would be to live, to live a life that's worthy to look back on with a smile on your face, to live a life where success outweighs regrets, and to live a life where failures are taken into account and turned into lessons. Life is too short to be too concerned about the opinions of shallow and uneducated people. I would also add that one should do his or her best in everything that he or she strives to acheive in life; the only person that suffers from not giving his or her all is that same person who gave up too soon. Nobody wants to admit that they put themselves first almost all of the time and everyone is selfish in some way or another, but it's true. Why else would a realistic love story be so messy and unfair? Because everyone puts their feelings first, not everything goes as planned. So therefore, to sum it all up, I would tell myself to focus on yourself , to respect yourself, and to love yourself first and foremost.