University of North Carolina at Greensboro Top Questions

Focus. Don't let the social aspect of college take over what you are really in college for. School should always come first no matter what. Waking up for that 8am class was not as bad as you will think that it is. Have fun but also remember that you are paying for this education and you can't let outside forces mess up your future. Be smart.

My life as a high school senior was different from many students. In the beginning of my senior year, my Mom was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. The first two years of my college life were spent living at home and going to a community college. If I could go back and give myself advice, the first thing I would tell myself is to stress less. I value my grades and work hard to get almost all A’s, but sometimes I lose sight of the most important moments. I would tell myself to have a little more fun and to take more pictures! Take your studying time seriously, but don’t miss out on important opportunities. Always keep up with your chapters, so that you don’t get stuck studying for three days straight before a test, which I learned the hard way! If I could go back to my senior year of high school, I would not tell myself that I was going to lose my Mom at 19, but I would tell myself to work hard, be proud of yourself, and don’t forget to breathe.

Hey, Alex! I know high school is coming to a close very shortly. Cherish the moments with your family and friends before you go away to school. It will be very strange being out on your own (no parents for the first time in your life) and it will be a scary transition into the adult world. You will have to study, study, study to keep your grades up, but remember to make lifelong friends along the way. I want you to promise me something. Find your passion. I don't care if you decide you want to study underwater basket weaving at UNCG. Happiness is the most important goal I have found in life. College is the perfect opportunity to find your passion, whatever it may be. Go out and start dreaming! Once you find your passion, the steps to your long-term goals are at the end of the tunnel, my friend. Work hard; stay focused. Remember that your professors are not only your teachers, but your friends. Engage with your teachers and your classmates! Get involved at UNCG! You can do anything with passion in your heart. I am so proud of your accomplishments. I love you.

Don't do anything different. Join the Army Reserve because you'll get to experience a lot more than your average teenager and learn a useful skill. Come back home after a year in training and use your education benefits so you're not in massive debt. Best part is, you only graduate a semester later than the rest of your peers you graduated high school with and you've done way more. You also get to meet great people, many of which are fellow service members, reconnect with your best friends that you haven't been able to see in a long time, and even become VP of your school's student veteran's association. Seriously. No matter what, don't change a single thing.

Hey pretty lady, can I bend your ear for a tick? Remember how you were unsure how to choose a career, because you’re an introvert? Well, knowing yourself is key to making meaningful decisions about your future. It’s the most vital part of seeking long lasting career satisfaction. Explore yourself in entirety. College is not like it looks in the movies. It is NOT all about sorority parties, finding a best friend for life, and overnight study sessions jacked up on Starbucks coffee and Sbarros pizza. It IS, however, all about repetitively: listening to lecture, reading textbooks, internalizing concepts, and regurgitating wisdom from your noggin onto a Microsoft Word document. It is trying, but every day gets you closer to the life of your dreams. Oh yeah, and PLEASE invest in comfortable sneakers, because you WILL be hiking your fifty pound textbook-laden backpack all over the land of scholarly aspirations. And remember, being on time does not consist of pulling into your parking spot two minutes before class starts. Campus officials design the property as a maze to weed out people who lack punctual manners. Be on time for your success. High-five! You can do this!

I would go back and tell myself to not stress so much. I have an anxiety disorder and I let it get the best of me my freshman year. I would go back to highschool and tell myself to make sure I set time aside to take care of myself. I would tell myself to make sure I go to campus events and have fun, because not only is college about gaining education but it is also about making an experience for yourself. I would tell myself to cope myself up in my dorm room studying all the time and to go have fun and relax. College is a learning experience, not from just the academic stand point, but also from a growing standpoint. You learn so much about yourself. I would make sure I would tell myself to make it worthwhile.

DONT SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY ON CLOTHES, SAVE IT ALL! APPLY FOR EVERY SCHOLARSHIP! JOIN EVERY CLUB AND FOR GODS SAKE TAKE THAT AP CLASS!

I would tell myself to stick to your guns and not compromise on any of your beliefs, no matter how appealing the other ideas sound. I would also tell myself to be careful who you start to fall for because, frankly some of them are idiots, even when they make good grades.

The best advice thaat I could give myself is to be prepared for anything. It is quite easy to maintain academics when you are stress free but when you are constantly worried about funding your education, you are less focused on your academic work. I would tell myself to look for jobs on campus as soon as possible and save money instead if buying nice things for the dorm or a few new items for the wardrobe. I can not express the seriousness of having some stored up money enough because life threw my a curveball called tuition and no one but my mother is trying to help me. Most importantly, I would want my high school self to know that it is ok to not be perfect and to allow herself to be helped and loved by others.

If I could go back in time to high school I believe I would have gone sraight into a 4 year university rather than transfering from a community college. Attending a community college first allowed me to save money and finish certain classes but in the long run it only hurt me. This is becuase when I transfered some of my classes that I was told would help me didn't and then I was told I had to take other classes before I could start my major.

Knowing what I know now about college and the large transition that occurs after going there, I would tell myself to listen more to my own needs. Not everyone needs to go to a four-year university right away. I think that I needed a year to truly figure out who I was and what I was looking for in a college education, and I wasted valuable resources during that time. The most important thing is to know yourself, and think about what's really important to you. This will be the most beneficial criteria when selecting a college. However, if you do not pick the "right" college, know that the experience is what you make out of it. You are in control of how much you enjoy your college years. I would have told myself to listen and learn and listen and learn some more. This is what college is all about.

I would tell myself to buckle down and not lose focus on what's ahead of me. I would also tell myself that college will not be easy and that I will have many hard tasks thrown at me. I would keep reminding myself that I will need to focus really hard on time management and how to learn new ways to do so.

I would tell myself to take it all more seriously. When in high school I didn't realize the value of applying for scholarships and other sources of money to pay for college, I do now. My high school self was a lot more go with the flow kind a guy, and let possible opportunities pass by just from being lazy, or not realizing there value. I would also tell my high school self to develop great study habits while you have the chance, all the work happens so quickly, and you need to be prepared. Late but not least, I would tell my high school self is prepare to have fun. Go out and talk to people, because if you don't your time in college, will be less enjoyable. I am now in my second semester of college, and in my first semester I never left my room or socialized, and I was miserable. This semester I have found a good balance of a social life, and my school work it is amazing.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, the most important piece of advice I could give myself would be, "don't wait, you need to get out there and start getting stones turned for your future." Sure the future is terrifying, but the thing about putting it off is that there'll always be a new tomorrow waiting on you; you literally can’t from escape it so the best thing for you to do right now is man up and take charge of your life while you can.

I would tell myself that no matter how much I think UNCG is for me it isn't. Wanting to get out of the house and still be able to see the person Iw as dating without being too far isn't worth it. There is nothing wrong with UNCG, it was just not the right chocie for me. And I am a completly different person then I was when I was a senior in high school. Just be nice to people and keep your head up, because there is going to be things wrong, but there is going to be a lot that is also right.

Hello self, I would just like to start off by making sure you continue to breeze through senior year, enjoy it because I'm not sure you will fall in love with the course load that is in your future. Yes, it is going to be tough, yes you are going to have many dilemmas and yes it is a huge transition, but just remember to take it one day at a time and most importantly always remember that you can do it. I know it is such a simple phrase but you can. There are strugglig single mothers and fathers out there taking on college, sacrificing quality time and staying up hours after a grueling 12 hour shift who are determined to get to the finish line and are succeeding at college. If they can do then why can't you? All you have to worry about is getting that education and being the first in your family to get it. You are a strong willed and bright young woman. Keep your eyes set on the prize. It's your dream, now go chase it and remember; Pain is temporary, but if you quit it will last forever.

Hmm! What would I say to my younger self? I’d start with “You should get rid of those bangs”. On another note I would start with widening my pool of colleges that I applied to. I don’t think I believed in myself the way I should have and played it safe. Looking back I had the GPA along with the extra-curricular activates. I love my home state and wasn’t ready to go but now I wish I had. As time goes on and your professional career takes off your life tends to get away from you. It becomes harder to venture out beyond these NC boarders. I would tell younger me to see the bigger picture and cast a wider net even when it comes to choosing clubs and activities. I usually gravitated towards activities were in line with my personal interest such as philanthropy, newspaper/yearbook and social chair. Thinking back I might have taken up drama club to practice my public speaking skills for my persuasive speech course. Learning is a continuous effort that never stops and you should try new things, fear will do nothing but hold you back so go for it.

My advice to myself is I would have taken the SAT in high school. I would have also took the time to meet with my guidance counslers in high school to apply for college earlier. I would have applied myself more in my classes , joined clubs & organizations that would have enhanced my resume and transcript. I would have also volunteered by giving back to my community as they have helped me along the way. Then, with my financial aid I received over the years I would have managed my refund checks better by saving it throughout my college career instead of spending it all every semester. That would have reduced my student loans and saved me the stress of having to worry about how I'm going to pay off my student loans after graduation.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior about college I would tell myself to stay calm. The transfer to college is exciting and difficult, but the most important thing is to stay on top of things and stay calm. Professors can be forgetful and financial aid advisors have to take care of your whole student body. So as long as you stay on top of everything you need to take care of, it will get taken care of. In the long run this will help you with time management and make people appreciate you for being aware. Also, being independent is important, but don't think that you have to live far away from those you love, it will only make you lonely.

If I was a high school senior, in regards to college life. I would have taken more AP classes. This would have helped me transition better to college life. It would have also put me in a position to obtain my degree faster. I would have put in more of an effort to make the best grades possible. I would have also done some volunteer work like Habitat for Humanity or the Animal Shelter. The one thing I know that I should have done different was take all the Spanish courses that were available. I would have had the credits necessary for my degree. I feel I could have been able to absorb the language better back then. I also would have worked more and saved more money. I had no idea how much it would cost to get a higher education. Maybe I wouldn't have to borrow so much to go to school. The last thing I would have doen was TAKE THE SATs. I don't think I missed many opportunities or made bad decisions, I would have just changed my methods of how I did school work inside of school as well as outside.