Western Oregon University Top Questions

I would tell myself to not be so scared of the transition to college. I would strongly suggest don't be afraid to ask for help when needed because many of the staff here are really supportive. Don't be afraid to go out and get involved with the events on campus because you'll meet so many new people during new student week, I would say: Fallow your interests and dreams by getting involved with clubs that support that because chances are you will meet a lot of people possibly with the same major/ or minors as yourself. Basically, Making connections is really really important. you never know when you may use those connections

Never forget to be diligent about your studies. A college student has far more responsibility that demands one to always have the eyes on the prize. Always be prepared to study in order to do well in your classes so you can be proud of yourself and your achievements. It is easy to get lost in studying for school and focusing on your own interests when you are not, but it is also important to make friends and treasure those friends who take an interest in you. The world can be a difficult place and the tasks thrown at you will be hard at times. It may seem daunting and you may lose motivation due to how overwhelming it is, but it is important to keep working at it. If not a large chunk at once, then piece by piece so you do not regret it later due to procrastination, which can easily get you if you are not careful. Most important, never forget your better qualities. College and real-life responsibility can take a toll on you, but remember to always hang on to your kindness and respect towards others. Always maintain your sense of humor and keep smiling.

I would love to smack past me. I did great it school, seeing as I was my school's only salutatorian, but I lacked focus in and outside of the classroom. I hardly studied, which is a hard habit I'm trying to get into, and my organization skills are mediocre at best. I would advise myself to do so much differently. I would say to stop being lazy and join a sport, seeing as I had the potential but lacked the drive. I'd scold my past self to stop taking the easy road in classes and challenge myself more than just advanced placement classes. I would definitely beg myself to get a job because my bank account is one of the saddest things I have ever seen. I would implore myself to apply to scholorships much earlier than I did with a greater frequency. I would reassure myself that the transition into college wasn't awful, but I should branch out beforehand. The rest of my advice would be petty, like "stay away from boys," and maybe even "go to the better high school," though I am sure I would have petulantly refused to follow either of those.

I would advise myself to participate more in the community that is provided. I tended to stay in my room and focus on my studies but I probably should've explored more so that I could join more clubs and activities so that I could have a stronger sense of belonging on campus and in the Monmouth community. Along with participation within my community, I wish I would have been more committed to finding a job around campus or within Monmouth because it helps with participating in my community but also is a good way to learn responisibility and spend my extra time.

As a senior in high school, I wasn't sure what to expect in college. I earned A's and B's, but I didn't study much. As I started my freshman year in college I was unprepared for the workload, I ended up earning B's and C's my freshman year in college. I would advise myself to practice studying in high school, so I'm more prepared for the amount of time I have to spend studying in college. In college most of the grades are based on exams, which requires study habits. By practicing studying in high school I would be preparing myself for the study habits I will use in college. I would also advise myself to apply to more scholarships, and save up money because there's a lot more free time in high school to apply to scholarships than there is in college, and if I had more money saved up I would be able to pay some things off out of pocket, rather than having to take out loans. By following this advice as a high school student I would be prepared for college both educationally, and financially.

I would definitely research more about colleges. Make sure to get more advice on how to pick classes and knowing what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life. Socialize a lot more with others around campus to learn a lot more about my surroundings. Learn more about my field of study, ask more questions, and most of all have fun with whatever I do. Make sure I understand that it is a lot of hard work. Start to do a lot more scholarships for school, and stay close to the poeple that you know will and want to help you out and make you a better person than you were yesterday. Make sure you stay on track and don't socialize with the wrong people that only care about themselves, put school first before other people.

If I had the ability to go back in time, I would tell my high school senior self not to be so nervous about going to college. I would say that everyone else is nervous about making new friends and being in a new place too, so it's easy to meet new people.

If I could go back and talk to my High School self I would first tell me to pay more attention in class and strive for better grades. I would also tell myself not to take time off before going to college and to go as soon as I finished high school. Lastly I would just warn myself of how hard it was going to be getting through college after slacking off all of my high school career.

If someone had the ability to see me as a high school student and a college student at the same time, it would be obvious that I was not the same person. I had a lot of difficulties and insecurities in the past that I would have to let myself know there will be rough roads in the future, but do not give up hope and give more to the community. I realize now that the times I gave back is when I did not feel alone and knew my life meant something in this world. I would tell myself that you would get accepted to a Nursing school and be able to make a life for your future family. That would also be the hardest thing to tell myself, I never believed I would have a family, but I would tell him that so he would not feel so alone and do better in High School because the future is bright ahead. I would tell him to still attend Western Oregon University, and Clackamas Community College but getting good grades would help make things financially better. The last thing I would say is, you are worth it.

Steer clear of the peer pressures and romantic relationships. You have plenty of time for those things and college will need the majority of your attention. College is going to be a culture shock so be prepared to be responsible for yourself. Don't party and it is okay to not know what you want to do in life. It is okay to change majors and explore your interests. Have an open mind, and be prepared for one of the memorable times in your life. Make wise choices because trying to finish college with two children is very difficult. You are smart and you are worthy. You don't need men to tell you these things so focus on your studies.

Your on the right path. Go ahead and join the Army, but don't reinlist after your tour is over, take thye G.I. Bill and start college. Don't get married, wait until you finish school, otherwise you're going to end up divorced before you're 25. Stop drinking now, it may seem like a lot of fun, but it's going to cause you so many problems. Don't worry about not fitting in, everybody else feels the same way they're just better at hiding it. You are enough, don't let other people or your own head tell you your not. Pick your friends carefully, make friendship that will last. Pick people who are honest, loyal and respectful. Do this because you need to learn it from some one. Your lack of family up bring is not an excuse, far more people have been through much worse, you're not a victim

Don't be afraid! College isn't as scary or hard as it seems. You're a good student and you'll have no problem here. There are so many opportunities to make friends and connect with people who have the same interests. You'll never find people who understand you like the friends in your major do. Don't be afraid to follow your heart. Follow your passion. The professors and advisors will tell you how to be successful doing whatever it is you want to do. Don't keep your nose stuck in your books. This will be the greatest time of your life so far. Take a break from studying and go out with your friends or roommates. Get to know your professors well. They'll be more understanding about issues you may have if they know you're commited to your education and the class. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn or grow that comes your way. THIS IS THE TIME. Take classes that scare you or are out of your comfort zone. Join clubs, play sports, see shows. This is YOUR time. Make it count.

I would definitely prepare more for college. I had no idea what I wanted in college and I would do more research about where I wanted to go. I would look for schools that had more to offer and had better social lives. I would get a higher gpa so that I could get more financial aid. I would not go to college with a boy friend but instead be open to every situation that came about.

The advise I would give myself would be to expand my knowledge in citing sources, and using the internet and textbooks for information. In high school I wasn't taught how to use sources to create my essays properly. I have had to teach myself in college in order to complete my essays and other work. Citation is key to a good essay, and also making sure the original author gets credit for their work. In high school I wasn't taught the proper way to cite a source, and have had to teach myself this in order to finish my college work.

The advice that I would give myself as a high school senior would be to build more meaningful relationships with the ones around me. As a high school senior, I had a lot of friends but I wouldn't say that I had a lot of close friends. I think I would tell myself to put more effort into building relationships that are going to last and withstand the test of time. Along with having strong relationships, comes branching out and leaving my comfort zone to make these relationships happen. I was a little bit shy and guarded when it came to communicating with teachers, bosses and adults in general. I am learning now that these people taking on these leadership roles in society do have a lot of beneficial advice. I have found that because they are older they have experienced a lot more than I have, so they may have some insight that goes hand in hand with what I am going through everyday as an involved student.

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice as a high school senior, it would definitely be to work as hard as I could regardless of the grade that I recieved. Study habits are extremely important, and it is definitely something that I lacked in high school. Although I did well in high school, I didn't work as hard as I could have. I did enough to pass my classes, but I did not value the information that I was recieving. If I would have paid more attention and tried harder, then I may have gained a lot more knowledge that could have been beneficial to me now. So, if I could tell myself one thing, it would be to truly do my best in everything that I do in order to portray the best me that I possibly could.

Choose a different hall and roommate immediately! College is supposed to be the best time of your life, so make it just that! Do not try and please everyone, always do what is best for you, and do not stress because you'll have the campus down in less than a week. It's okay to realize that your friends from high school and you are on different paths, do not worry because you will find new ones. Continue to focus on school like you always have but do not forget to be social too! Just remember: have fun!

If I could talk to my high school self, I would encourage myself to take more AP classes, to branch out a little more, and to take ASL classes in high school. First, I would tell myself not to worry about an intense course load, and to just gain the experience of taking a wider variety of higher level classes (not just focusing on AP Language Arts courses). Additionally, I would want to reach out to more people and develop more friendships. As rewarding as it was to have a tight nit group of friends—whom I all cheered with—it would be nice to develop a wider rage of relationships. Lastly, I would want myself to take ASL in high school, instead of waiting until college to learn ASL. Because my major is in Special Education, having a base line understanding of deaf culture would be helpful before entering college.

I think the best piece of advice I would give myself is to jump into things. In high school, I wasn't a big joiner, and coming to college is a great time to try out for plays and join clubs and its also a great way to meet people. Also, I would tell myself to relax and be myself. College is completely different from high school in that you have more freedom. Of course there is the obvious freedom like living on your own and choosing your schedule and what not, but there is also the freedom of a new town with entirely new people who know nothing about you. You can make yourself be anyone you want, and for someone like me who was a little shy in high school, I finally felt brave enough to come out of my shell and be the real me. In high school I was really worried about making friends and now that I'm here, I wish I had known how different college really is, and how different I can be when I feel safe to open up and be myself.

I would begin by advising myself not to be afraid to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. Though it may be scary or intimindating, you never know what you're missing until you give it a try. Take advantage of the extra-curricular activities offered! Not only is extra-circular activities important but it also gives you the opportunity to meet and interact with people of diverse backgrounds. Enjoy the journey for it will shape your future and make the most of these four years because they go fast!