University of Tulsa Top Questions

Allow yourself time, there will always be a temptation to procrastinate, to say "it can be done later," but at some point there is no later to defer your life. Today, start and finish something, even if it is hard. Write essays, ask for help if you need it, and make the effort. Nothing in life is done without hard work and in the future you are going to find that out, so today make plans and set goals that are feasible. Nothing is ideal or perfect and that in itself is a good thing, be ready for the mistakes and learn from them, but you also need to be prepared because the plans you make are also not going to play out in an ideal fashion. Think about multiple possibilities all the time not just a single idea because you never really know anything but yourself. On that note, keep exploring yourself, growing, changing and learning. Don't just be satisfied with an A in class but a fullness of understanding, true knowledge. Too many are depressed with bad grades when that is not ultimately what makes the man. Finally, be kind to everyone it is infinitely important.

If I could go back in time to my high school senior self, I would tell myself three things. First, don't think that college is only about education. Yes that is why it is there, but you can learn so much about yourself, the world, and even things that are right in your backyard that you didn't even know existed. Second, work to the best of your ability, but don't stress so much. You will have plenty of opportunites to achieve your 4.0 GPA goal, but have fun every once in a while. Third, make friends! Get out of your shell and talk to people because they will be the ones who get you through the tough times. If I had only known these three crucial pieces of advice when I was first transitioning into college, my life would have been ten times better my freshman fall semester.

If I could go back to my senior year of high school the first thing I would say to my slef is, "Nick, stop stressing so much because its gonna work out". I would then proceed to give my self advice about some very specific things. I would tell my self that first you should get your FAFSA filed as soon as possible and then begin to search for scholarships. I would remind my self that my brothers will be going to college the proceeding year. I would remind my self it will help my family just as much as it will help me if I get scholarships and grants. Thirdly I would teach my self something about time management. The main thing I would warn my self to look out for is getting caught up in too many conversations on a day when I should be in my dorm room studying. Lastly I would say, "Nick, when you start school, make sure to work together with people as much as possible". Study groups are great and they help you to learn so much faster. Then I would conclude saying again, "don't stress, its gonna work out".

I would give myself the advise of not worrying about money. Although money does mean a lot, especially with college in mind, it doesn't mean everything. So i would tell myself not to work as hard as to forget to study for classes, even if you come from a semi-poor family. I know its hard to try to live like the slightly more rich kids, but it's worse trying to live with a low GPA due to lack of concentration. I would remind myself that i am going to college for a reason, to obtain a degree not a part-time job. I would also tell myself that its not high school, it is not easy. College is a struggle everyday. You should never assume you have free time, because studying plays a big role in college. But overall, i would tell myself to buy an agenda. It is so easy to forget everything that is going on for each class, especially when you only have those classes twice a week. Take time to make time to finish everything, that way you know exactly what you have to complete each day to stay on track.

I would tell myself to take everything one day at a time because the more into the future I think, the more stressed I will get. I will never know how the future is going to play out, so there is no reason in trying to predict it and overwhelm myself. I would tell myself that I am going to be the busiest I have ever been, but that I am fully capable of doing everything on my plate. I would also tell myself that college is supposed to be one of the funnest times in life, and that maybe I should spend a little more time trying to find a group or extracurricular activiy to become apart of. I would tell myself to have the best summer ever, because I may be taking college courses all the rest of my summers in school. More than anything, my advice to myself would be to work hard as I can, achieve the most I can achieve, but to also remember to enjoy myself and live life as happily as I can.

The advice i would give myself would be to stay in school, dont give up even when it seem hard. take high school seriously not everything as a joke. Because if you dont you will end up where i am not high school drop out married with 3kids living at your mother-in-law's home waking up years later finally making the decision to get your GED and go back to school. If you would just stay in high school and finish go to college right away dont wait a semester but start the semester after graduation.

I would tell myself to have no fear. College is all about exploring yourself and learning who you are as a young adult. I would encourage myself to take more risks and take challenging classes. I would tell myself to learn something new, take a class about something I have never experienced before. Lastly, I would tell myself to meet new friends. Talk to strangers. Sit by someone you don't know in class. There are so many friendly faces in the world that I should meet. Don't fear rejection, but fear missed opportunity.

If i could go back in time and give myself some important advice about college and the transition. I would allow myself plenty of time to get registered at college, and to speak with advisors before the semester starts. It is very important to get all and any questions about degree plans or course recommendation out of the way first. Then it's important to figure what time i do my best in class and register for those hours. I now know, i do better in class in the mornings, so just take morning classes. Last, i would mention to join some school club and try to work as hard as i could for an education. Not to lose sight of the target, and stay focuse.

If I could go back and tell my high school self about college and the college experience, I would be sure to tell him that he is definitely going to change, and that he needs to keep an open mind. I know that I personally, as well as all of my friends, have done a great deal of growing up since we have been to college. It has been more fun than I could ever have imagined, and I hope to make the most of the rest of my time here. I tried to come into college with an open mind, and I believe I did a relatively good job at that, but I wish that I had had more of an open mind and been open to experiencing more of the college life in my first two years. Now that I am a Junior, I definietly do not have any regrets, but there are a couple of things that I would do differently when I first got to school. I think the best advice anyone can give regarding college is to have an open mind, study hard and have fun.

I would tell myself that I have unlimited potential; therefore I should never be discouraged when different road blocks appear. Whenever a challenge arises I am fully capable of taking it on and handling it. I would also advise myself to begin making connections with professionals in the community, because this would help me attain things such as an internship, references of my character, as well as help me narrow down possible career paths. Lastly I would tell myself to never give up, because I have the ability to go as far as I choose to go.