University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

I would tell myself to not freak out about college because even though it is hard and important it is still pretty fun to be in. Also I would tell myself to start studying a lot harder and reading more because in college you do both a lot of studying and definitely a lot of reading. Another thing that I would tell myself is that you should start saving money for rent and tuition sooner because in college you will be broke most of the time and to apply to as many scholarships as possible because every penny counts in the college world. One last thing I would tell myself is to not over extend yourself when it comes to working and going to school because it is not fun at all to be working 35 hours at a management job plus going to college full time because you do not have time to do anything.

Given the opportunity, I would have told myself three things about transitioning to a university: first, that you should have checked and double-checked my schedule against my graduation requirements; second, that you should have learned as much about transportation as possible in a new city; and third, that making friends quickly will spare you the uncertainty of making friends when people already know and trust a group that doesn't include you. Any one of these things is a problem by itself. I have dealt with all of them in my first semester. Hard work and patience can only go so far when you make your own problems to begin with. I have conquered all of these problems, but with planning, I could have put that time and energy to better use - by taking all the right classes, spending less time waiting for buses, and planning group events instead of getting to know people at them. You will have a good time. But don't make yourself work for a nice experience that could come with no strings attached. Plan.

That is simple - I would tell myself to be more out going and not focus as much on the grades. As a high school student I was very involved with student government, sports, clubs, community service, and several other activities. Once I got to my first semester in college I decided to make grades my number one priority. Looking back on it now, getting involved in some clubs, going out and meeting my professors at a more personal level, and even going out with friends would have made my entry into college much smoother. Being involved would also have made the outcome more rewarding. I have discovered that grades, in the long run, are not as important as the people you meet and the skills you acquire. College is an experience, not a series of tests to show the world you learned the material. From here on out I am going to make sure that I put the experience above the grades, and learn the material while applying the knowledge to my future career.

As I look back on my life, I now know that education is the most important thing there is. My high school days were very hectic for me due to several tragic family issues in life. Such as my mother being addicted to drugs and the death of my brother one day before I turned 16, yet I have learned that things in life just simply happen with us having no control. If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing about high school, it would simply be just do it. I dropped out with the death of my brother and tried returning to school for a year but it simply was not my priority in life at the time. I eventually got my GED and school was never the same. As I have been in college now for a few years, the importance of education has hit me with a profound impact and I seek nothing more than knowledge and the ability to help others.

Don’t give up! It’s not over yet. I know that this time of your life is very confusing given the recent circumstances with your parents’ divorce, but you will soon find out that you will persevere through adversity. Believe it or not, you still have a long road of education ahead of yourself so you may as well get used to reading; a lot. I know you may seem completely oblivious as to what you may want to do with your life but let me assure you that you will find what interests and motivates you to achieve success. You will go through extremely challenging life events in the near future but do not let them hinder you; they should only add the fuel to the fire of your intellectual potential. You will find that thriving on adversity is one of the most powerful motivational factors of life. You will go through heartbreak, extreme poverty, and severe depression. However, all of these factors will make your goals taste like the nectar of the Gods when you finally achieve them.

Dear High School Self, School is your safe space. You wish words like addiction and abuse weren’t part of your home life. You cried with your mom as your dad continued to make poor choices. Stop blaming yourself and pushing yourself to be perfect. Like many kids out there you had to be a grown up much sooner than your friends, working to help pay rent and saving for school. None of it was your fault. Know that these hardships will make you a better person for having experienced them and college will be a safe place for you. The coping skills, reality checks, and work ethic you gained from hard times at home will be the keys to your success. Use them. There will be others you encounter who share your story. Get to know them better. Support each other. You will discover who you want to be, eventually continuing on to get your masters and working towards a doctorate. The one regret you will have is not studying abroad! Don’t be afraid to finish school in 4.5 years to gain that international experience. In college you will be more than fine. You will be fabulous.

Don't worry, past me, you'll adapt to college with flying colors. I just came to tell you how to do even better. First, you NEED to apply for scholarships. If you do the math, your expected hourly rate is over 30 dollars an hour. Second, (and I already did this one, by the way), a time-blocked daily schedule is unbelievably effective at getting stuff done. I'll probably sound like a bad infomercial here, but it conclusively solved my procrastination problem, and discouraged goofing off. You make a chart with one square for each waking hour, and at the end of each day, you fill in the squares with what you will be doing at that hour next day, and save it as your desktop background, so you'll always see what you are supposed to be doing. It is amazing. Also, apply to the Honors Program, take a summer class or two, search for the writings of Cal Newport, Steve Pavlina, and Mr. Money Mustache (they will help and inspire you on your self-improvement quest), try to adapt to a biphasic sleep cycle, and check out Vocaloid music. Hopefully this will be useful!

Apply for as many shcolarships as you can. In high school I overlooked a lot of scholarships because they had essays or because I didn't quite fit the requirement as much as some of my classmates. This year I asked my friend how she got so many scholarships and she said that she applied for twenty times more than she received. So this time around I am putting my name through everything that I apply for. I wish I had done that as a high school senior. My parents never had a lot of money to help with school and I knew that they were probably unable to pay for it all, but I never applied for a lot of scholarships. That is my one regret. I have no problems with transitioning into school. I did everything right in high school. I could have tried harder to get every single A, but I graduated with honors, my neck adorned with many cords. I just wish that I had applied for every scholarship that fit me, that I saw.

I would tell myself to go to college and get the most out of the classes that you can. Life today is hard to find a job that pays well without having a college degree of some type. I would also tell myself that just spending a little extra time looking for grants and scholarships is worth not having to be in debt after I graduate. The only problem being is that I would probably not believe myself so I would have to find some way to show the past me that it would be worth it in the long run instead of getting into trouble like I did. I would also always encourage the fact that it is never to late to start getting education even if it is one class at a time. A little bit of confusing paperwork to fill out is better than having a lifetime of college debt to pay back after I receive a degree. I wish I could go back and start over knowing what I know now. I would be able to accomplish a lot more in my life than what I have already done.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to enjoy high school while it lasts. College is no joke, and requires all of your attention. I would teach myself better studying habits and find ways to manage my time better. I'd tell myself to not worry so much about how much it costs to go to college and focus on filling out more scholarship applications and studying hard.