University of Phoenix-Online Campus Top Questions

One thing I always wish I could tell myself is that it's perfectly okay to not declare a major right away. I started at a small college as a theatre major because that was what my guidance counselor made me think I should do because I went to a small high school and spent a lot of my time in theatre. A big part of college is change and learning new things. I spent a year at that school with that major but never dealt with having a job before that and that made my schedule a little more difficult. I then changed my major to elementary education because my advisor then told me I should just teach theatre instead if I didn't have the time for it. But I also longed for a bigger school. So I transferred to a large university and went back to being a theatre major but I ran into the same work problems. After being confused and not knowing what options I had left, I started at University of Phoenix-Online as an English major because it works for me, I study what I want to, when I want to.

I would tell myself Nashira you need to work extra hard and get above average grades. This will allow you to possibly get a scholarship and be able to have a large number of colleges to chose from. I would also tell myself not to let college become overwelming. As long as I attend all my classes pay attention and complete homework assignments on time I will be fine. I would also tell myself not to let people discourage me because I was a teenage mother. I should use that as my motivation rather than a crutch.

Please take the time to fill out for as much scholarships as you can because it helps with the morale of students. Being a poor student can effect personal perspective and make the student feel like giving up.

Making the transition to college life after being out of school for 20 years was somewhat difficult. The work is very demanding, but it is certainly worth it. The learning experience is valuable and I enjoy every minute in the classroom. It is important to focus on reading and research. Having the know how to complete essays and research papers is a necessity. Overall college life is wonderful and I would not pass up this opportunity. The knowledge that can be gained is priceless and the degree you earn will always be yours. It offers proof that you are determined and success is a reality.

High school self, Academics are important in being a successful, productive individual. Hard work, determination, responsibility, and willpower are necessary to successfully complete rigorous academic courses that are offered in college. Boys will walk in and out of your life and are not worth spending time on while ignoring your academic responsibilities. You have wasted too much time goofing off with friends and thinking you have all the time in the world to get serious about what's truly important. Though financial aid is an option of paying for college tuition, part of that financial aid consists of student loans that you will have to pay back. Therefore, it's best if you work as hard as you can now and put forth all the effort you can into your academics so you can possibly win some scholarships. Also, don't wait to go to college. Enroll as soon as possible because it only gets more difficult to keep up with information from your academic courses the longer you wait to attend. You are intelligent and an excellent writer. I have long forgotten most of what I learned and regret waiting so long to finally decide to attend college.

Dear self, I know you don't know what you want to be "when you grow up", but you really need to think about your future and where you would like to see yourself many years from now. You never know what life will throw at you - whether it is an illness in the family, a freak accident that requires you to take on a role you never dreamed of, or just a completely different direction all together. One day, you will look back and think "if I knew then what I know now" and you may regret overlooking furthering your education. At 40 years old, being a mother of two beautiful children and having a now handicap husband because of that freak accident, and just starting out in college may not be what you think could happen. I am here to tell you that it can happen. Even though opportunities can come at different stages of your life, please don't overlook the importance of what an education can bring you. It will be the smartest decision you will ever make for yourself. Sincerely, Me

If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now, I think I would have been better prepared. I would tell myself that I needed to focus on my schoolwork, so that my GPA would not have suffered. I would also tell myself to take the time to look into what I wanted to do after I graduated high school. I would advise myself to look into ALL the different option I could have had, and not to just jump into something blindly. I would tell myself to make sure that what I went to school for would be something I would like to do for a long time. And lastly, I would make myself aware of the job outlook after graduation to make sure I could get a decent job after graduating college. I just hope I would listen to myself, like I should have listened to my mother.

I would go back to my younger self as I attended Sam Houston State University and say that I needed to not party so much and focus on school. There is plenty of time after graduating to have fun and experience life. What you need to do while you have the opportunity to go to college at a young age is take advantage of that and get it done. The teachers are not there just for something to do between parties. So much of that first college experience was taken for granted and wasted. It takes along time to get back on the right track after letting it go, and most people never get it back. The second chance I was given to get my degree has been a life saver and I am going to be the first in my family to have a bachelor's degree, and go on for a master's. Stop just living for the moment and start living for the future.

The advice I would give myself would be to make sure I study as hard as I can and focus in class. I would want myself to take advanced credit classes to help when it comes to college. I would also tell myself to start applying for as many scholarships as possible and not slack when it came to schoolwork. I would want myself to know that college is not easy and takes motivation and dedication. I would make sure I planned ahead and not worry about what others were doing and focus on my life and future career.

After Dad died, I would not have dropped out of my traditional high school and graduated from an alternative high school. I would have focused more on college preperation. I would have not dated. I would have been part of a sport rather than cheer. I would have stuck with my AP classes instead of working full-time. I would have complied with my stepmother's rules and stayed home instead of moving out at 17.