University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

?Do not be afraid to let go,? I would tell myself. ?You must learn that you cannot keep things together when the others involved surrender the will to continue. Relinquishing the feeling of obligation that you carry with regard to those persons and their harmful decisions will never be seen by any party as disgraceful. I know you are stubborn and ending your involvement in anything you have personally invested in is not customary for you; however, it will be healthier for you if you liberate yourself entirely from people who give up and walk away. Emancipating yourself from these individuals will also save you the distraction of your resentment towards them. Holding onto the past, its relationships and preconceived notions about newcomers, with such blind devotion will make it impossible for you to form true new relationships that are vital to a successful college experience. Your friends back home will not change their opinion of you when you make new friends and form new bonds. Your family will not hold anything against you if you distance yourself from their drama and forge your own way with the values they have instilled in you.?

Hey you hotshot high school senior! You think you are pretty cool, huh? Guess what, you aren?t. Prepare yourself for next year, kiddo. You?re going to need it. Don?t fret, you will love college and all it has to offer. The freedom, the responsibility, most importantly the all you can eat Chik-fil-A in the caf. The most important piece of advice I can give you about college is to just jump in with both feet. Don?t take any of this for granted. Get involved! Be someone! Join some clubs, be on committees! Rush for a sorority, I know you think that the sorority life is not for you; but, it is going to be one of the best experiences of your life. Don?t give yourself the ?maybe next semester, after I get adjusted? excuse. You can do it all, school, work, sisterhood, and as many campus activities as you can squeeze in your busy schedule. With all of this comes another tidbit of advice, stay organized. If you stay organized, life doesn?t seem to overwhelmand finals seem just a tad bit easier, and college is all about finals isn?t it?

If I could go back in time and give myself adivce about college I don't think I would. It is a once in a lifetime experience and you can't prepare yourself, you have to experience it yourself. Many people told me what to expect in college and what to prepare yourself for. However, it is completely different for everyone. As a college freshman it's about you making the right decision for yourself. You learn as you go. As a freshman in college you learn responsibilty, you learn how to push yourself and study and you learn how to balance your school and social life. One thing I wish I would have done my senior year of high school was apply for more scholarships and map out my schedule for the next 4-5 years to guarantee that I would graduate on time. Overall, college is and amazing experience and I do not regret any of the decisions I have made.

The day has arrived, the plans have been made. The cap has been tossed, the dues have been paid. The future, they say, is a glorious thing. Why, then, do we fear the change it will bring? I 'm asking you, now, to trust in my song. Though miles from home, you'll find you belong. The halls will be strange, the faces brand new, But miles of mem'ries are waiting for you. Some say you can change, re-write who you are, Abandon your past, and hide every scar. But I say beware when molding your smile; Love wrought by facades will sting and beguile. And don't let your work decide when you cry; The stresses will pass and days will go by. Take pause when you can to breathe in your life; Good laughter with friends still helps cure the strife. So pack up your hopes, your expectations Your future awaits without limitations. Be true to yourself, and say what you mean, And don't be afraid to chase what you dream.

Going to college is both exciting and frightening...before you get a feel for it. Once at college, there are no more lunches packed by mom, no more bedtimes, and no more random twenty dollar bills from dad "just because." Yes, college is a brand new chapter in our ever-changing lives. If I could go back, I would tell myself to open up more and not be so afraid of what others think. Also, I would spend more time studying and less time socializing. Just because I did not have math everyday does not mean that I should have procrastinated before each assignment was due. Most importantly, I would remember to call home more than once a week. Parents have a hard time letting go. If you think about it, they were the ones who raised you the last eighteen years, and now all of sudden you are leaving them. I would definitely be more sensitive to my parents as they struggled to trust that I would be okay on my own. They love me so much, and I should have done a better job of loving them back, and taking the time to let them know I care.

I would take even more AP classes, especially science classes, to prepare me for the college courses I have elected to take. I would also take more spanish to prepare me for the language classes at the university. I would listen to my mother and father about applying for scholarships rather than hanging out with my friends all the time. I would also have taken more classes at college during high school, and volunteered more of my time for charitable work.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would first tell myself to get into better study habits as well as getting into a good sleeping schedule since most of my first semester was filled with just staying up late and studying for classes. I would also tell myself not to stress so much over college as making friends will be very easy because the school is filled with so many different people. My main advice though would be to start taking responsibility for myself more during my senior year because when I transition to college there so many freedoms and responsibilities that it can be a little overwhelming at first.

One of the most important things that I have learned in college is proper time management. I would tell myself as a High School Senior to practice using time wisely and that there is no such thing as a waste of time. Studying in small blocks of time is significantly easier than studying in one large chunk of time such as four hours. Be diverse and join a multitude of clubs. For instance, there is student government (UOSA), Black Student Association, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, and countless others. I have learned quite a bit by stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting new people. My only regret is that I was not outgoing sooner. It is very important to not stereotype people. I have made friends with people that I would not have been friends with in high school. I could have missed lifelong friends because of closed-mindedness.

I was always motivated to go to college. I knew where I wanted to go and had it all planned. However, I should've been more motivated in applying for more scholarships, loans & financial aide. Also, I would let myself know that you have to become more dedicated to school work than just a few hours night, college homework is a little more difficult than high school.. Otherwise, I'd say relax, have fun & enjoy the time you get at college!

With the knowledge I have acquired during my college experience, there are numerous lessons I would lhave liked to share with myself during my senior year of high school. Perhaps the most important piece of advice would be to soak in every ounce of material that is presented to me, regardless of how petty or unimportant it may seem to be. College is all about a hierarchy of knowledge; you take a lower level class in hopes of acquiring the fundamental concepts needed for the upper level courses. I feel that my younger, slimmer self failed to seize this chance to expand on prior knowledge. History, for example, would have been much easier and interesting for me in college had I taken the time to fully analyze the basics in high school. I instead opted to zone out during early teachings of the First Constitional Convention and the Boston Tea Party, thus making it more difficult for me to properly understand and respect the early beginnings of America. If given the chance, my younger self would be given a crash course in how to use the fundamentals to advance toward even the most complex of problems.