University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

Go to college immediately after high school! Take your summer and do what you will but fall term enroll and be there no matter what, work hard and pay attention because the transition is harder as time goes on. Enrolling after a few years is hard because you get out of the habits formed during the formative years and high school. Treat everything you learn like it will be on a test and that it will be the most important thing because everything can show up on a test or part of an essay. Take the time to breathe a little and do not stress yourself out so much about how things will work because that takes away from the time you can use to study. Hang out and be happy with yourself and with your friends but prioritze so that things still get done even with a weekend away. Have fun because it goes by so fast and soon it will be time to move on and have a family. If you do go to school late in life make a visual schedule and make a quiet work space; distractions happen all the time and that makes it harder.

Even though my main priority in college is academics I think that I would tell my high school self that for the first semester I should have put a large amount of effort into trying new things and meeting new people. I think that this is important because there are so many more opportunities and different groups of people in college that you haven't had exposure to in high school. I would also tell myself that it's okay to not know exactly what you want to study or to not have a set group of friends in the first year of college, because sometimes you have to try new things and learn what kinds of activities and people you like to surround yourself with. Lastly, I would remind myself that since, for the first time ever, I am completely and totally in charge of myself and dont have anyone telling me what to do, I must always go to class and learn to ignore the people knocking on my door when I have work to do or a test the next day.

Oklahoma University is the perfect fit. The transition was easy and college life was amazing.

Travel first and then apply for college. Apply for financial aid and network with professors who have an interest in your success as a student.

Dear Christopher, I am sending this letter to you from the future because if I appeared in person, that would create a circular time paradox. I have a few important things to tell you. First, you are awesome in the future. Still hilarious and now you have way more friends. Speaking of which, don't waste your first semester by not investing in friendships. There are awesome people there with whom you could be friends with sooner and share more exciting experiences. Working 26 hours a week and taking 15 hours of classes each week is no excuse to be a hermit. Second, be more active. Do more campus related activities. Take advantage of the awesome opportunities that OU has to offer. Hulu is not as great as some of the experiences you could have. Also, you may be able to keep off the freshman 15 and the sophomore 25. I was not. Lastly, invest hardcore in AXP (American Express). It will jump from around $43 dollars in your time to $76 now. Get $20,000 and invest in American Express and college funds will no longer be an issue. Remember, stay awesome and keep the faith. Sincerely, Future You

My advice to my high school self would be to stop playing so much video games. I have learned in these past couple years in college that I could have discovered my true talents years ago. If I had controlled my addiction earlier in life I could have made more efforts to learn new things and enrich my life with great experiences and more friends. Back then in high school, I was immature and I had no outlook on my life except for my video games. My addiction became so far out of my reach that I began to lose my network of friends and became isolated. However, after going to college, and seeing that there is more to life than video games, I meet new people, have a job, and provide volunteer service as a means of giving back to the community. Currently I am satisfied with what I have done so far since the beginning of college and I also plan to take extra steps to boost my satisfaction and achievements. If there was a way of making my situation even better, I would advise my younger self to control his video game addiction.

Life happens, so stay flexible and go with the flow. You have to keep on top of what's going on and don't let the world just pass on by. Focus on God and family first, everything else comes later. While school is important, God and family are more important and those are the memories you want to keep forever.

If I could give my high school self advice about my upcoming college career, I would first warn myself that grades aren't everything. Though I graduated high school as salutatorian, I was surprized to only received need-based financial aid my freshman year. Only after finding mentors on campus did I realize the importance of becoming involved and maintaining leadership positions. My high school self wouldn't believe "real-world" experience beats a 4.0 GPA. I would encourage myself to join the student newspaper before my junior year, because the leadership positions, communication skills, and networking opportunities are invaluable. My high school self also wouldn't realize the importance of connecting with professors who motivate me to succeed. Only after stepping out of my shell junior year did I meet with professors to discuss course material, graduate school options, and recommendation letters. Most importantly, I would advise my high school self not to be afraid to try new things. Hesitation was my biggest enemy during my first few years of college. I only wish I would have met more mentors, published more, attended more meetings, and spoken at more events. I am eager to continue!

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would be sure to emphasize the responsibility that a person gains during this transition between high school and College. I would let my younger self know that though there is not much I regret in my life, the few regrets I do have all come from this time period. This is a time to be thughtful of our actions and responible of our time. "Time really does move faster than one would ever guess and it never slows down," I would say. Despite these warnings, I would also reassure me that there will be time for fun as well as work. Overall, I would be sure to tell me to be cautious of the people I trust and mindful of our priorities and dreams. "No one cares about your needs and desires more than you," I would say. Then I would be sure to give myself a hug and tell her that many people love her and are already very proud of the person she is growing to be.

Education is one thing that no one can take away from you. Never let fear stop you from moving forward in your life. Other college freshman will have the same social challenges as you do, and the classes won't be that hard if you pay attention and do your work. Don't let college intimidate you. Grab the opportunity—you'll see that you can handle it, and that it's actually a lot of fun.