Westfield State University Top Questions

As a high school senior I would tell myself that even though getting good grades is very important, so is making connections with fellow students and your teachers. Going to classes is more than just learning the material; it is learning how to work with other people from different walks of life. The first year or two of college I didn’t bother to make real connections with anyone because all I wanted were the grades and the degree. Now, I have made dear friends and have learned that everyone is in school for the same reason as I am and to enjoy it while I’m there.

I would advise myself to take it slow and and just enjoy being in school. Take in as much as possible but still give a lot of thought to what exactly are my career goals and what I should do to get there.

Thinking about my Senior Year, I laugh about how stressed out I was commiting to Westfield State, but once I arrived on campus, I felt at home. The advice I would have given myself senior year is to just be yourself. Don't apply to a school because your friends are going there or apply because you hear it has awesome parties. Go because when you tour it you can picture yourself walking around campus. When you pick a school and you move in, continue to be yourself, it is the most imporatant thing I can tell you. When you get here, you will meet people prettier than you, smarter than you, more athletic and talented than you, but just rememer that no one is you. Join clubs, try out for a sports team, do what makes you happy, don't listen to other peoples opinion about things that intrest you and not them. People here will like you for who you are and what you are capaibale of. Don't pretend you are someone your not because you will end up forgetting who you really are. Be yourself Torie, and I promise you will succeed in what you do.

Chose to test your seemingly innate beliefs and objectively decide whether those assumptions hold truth. After you're removed from the surroundings of your upbringing, you need to determine your individual lifestyle. Many people fall into habits, but you need to factor mental reflection into this process. That’s the only way to make sure you're not living aimlessly, to live your life with purpose and limit regrets. But how can you be truly objective? How can you make sure you're not simply seeing what you already believed, and subconsciously ignoring the rest? Should you remain subscribed to prior assumptions that don't align with what you really believe? These are some of the questions you need to address if you want to live a life with purpose and direction. Your perceptions will certainly change as you endure more experiences and as more knowledge floods your brain. Yet, you need to decide (and continue to decide) what is concrete and what lessons you choose to take from the past eighteen years. Factoring introspection into your choices will help lead you toward success and insightful failure.

I would remind myself that this is my first babystep into adulthood. I'll have to get used to not having to ask and recieve everything from my mother. It is now that i'mbecoming a "grown up", I will advise to start sharpening up my interative skills because knowing people can help you get to places. I would advise myself that its time be on your own...finally!

I feel the biggest advice I would give is figure out a much stronger plan. One of the hardest parts about the overall experience is micromanaging different aspects - time to devote towards school, towards work, towards maintaining relationships. To make progress and have life change to a point where school had to be set aside, where my own career goals became questioned by not doing the proper research, took up a lot of time - I learned alot in the process, but to go back in time, I would want to tell myself to focus more on creating a sensible plan that would allow me to financially and emotionally be capable of continual progress.

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself that everything is going to be okay. Going to college was a struggle for me because it was the first time I had really left home. It seemed like I was on a foreign planet with no resources. I would tell myself that the panic and frustration of it all will be over eventually because every kid goes through it. It might take some time, but eventually everyone makes the right friends and gets comftorable. When I first went to college, I left after 2 weeks because I was scared of being on my own. I would tell myself to tough it out, because in this world that's what you have to do to make it. I would also tell myself to focus on what I want in life. Having a mother that is sick basically all the time is hard. I felt like I was abandoning her, but in reality, thats exactly what she wanted. I would tell myself not to let anyone hold me back.

Please choose a college that is in a stimulating location. Don't assume that you can't get financial help and don't assume that you'll find things to do in whatever location you find yourself in. Think carefully about what you really want in a school and make sure to thoroughly research the programs to make sure it fits what you want. Also, the more you apply for financial help (ie: scholarships) the better chance you have of winning. Don't slack off. In a year you will regret not putting in the effort to be more thorough in choosing your college.

I would tell myself to study harder, pay more attention to math classes. I would also tell myself to ask for more help from teachers and classmates. There is nothing wrong for asking for help. Then I would tell myself not to wait to go college waiting makes it harder. Harder to catch up and learn. Life will sweep right by you if you wait, before you know it you will have a family and responsabilities that will take up a lot of your time. School is important and college is also. Life is hard and jiobs even harder to find without a good education.

As excited as you are for college, don't take yourself out of the rest of your high school experience. The final months of high school are the most memorable and being focused on college almost prevented me from investing myself in those last few months. I am so thankful I put all my focus towards that time because I rekindled, strengthened and formed so many friendships during that time and after four years, I saw my class finally come together. Don't get me wrong, preparing for college is so much fun and arriving to start a new life is just as exciting but when you feel homesick, which you will, those memories from the end of senior year are what got me through. Both high school and college are such memorable, different experiences and it's important to fully invest yourself into each experience because they will both form memories that will last forever.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to do everything possible to get the most out of my college experience, as well as the rest of my time in high school. I would tell myself to step out of my comfort zone and live on campus for my first year of college. I would insist that I do everything possible to make friends in college, as most of my friends would be leaving to go off to other colleges all around the country in just a few short months. I would also make sure that I focused on my schoolwork, rather than trying to balance it with work and home life. I would say to step away from all the baggage of the past 18 years of my life and be who I want to be, not who everyone else wants me to be. Unfortunately, I cannot go back in time and give myself advice, but it really would be great if I could.

It took me seven years to complete my bachelor's degree after I graduated from Holyoke Community College with my associate's degree. I would tell my high school self that there is no rush to move out of your parent's house. Once I moved out, my life became very stressful because not only was I going to school full time, but bills had to be paid so I had to work full time as well. I would also tell my high school self to concentrate on only you. Don't take care of any significant other because he can tie you down which can cause you to stop going to school. College life is not all fun and games and is not easy, but in the end it will be worth it. You will have a better paying job that makes you happy. Also, I would tell myself to get involved in sororities involved in the education field. You will have many opportunities to be involved and don't pass them up. Overall, I would tell myself that I am an intelligent woman and to use my knowledge to my advantage.

This is a pretty loaded question. As a high school senior, it's hard to grasp the fact that you're going to college next year. No matter what the pamphlets tell you, or what orientation explains to you, you can't have concrete expectations. Knowing what I know now, I would have told myself to save more money! No joke, this college thing is expensive. (Not just for my parents.) I've realized I'm on my own when I'm away, and I need to have my own means of getting money. Also, I would have told myself to really think thouroughly about what I want to do for the rest of my life that was going to make me happy. I had this one idea in my head when I left high school, and I changed my mind in the first semester. I'm ok with that. I just would have told myself to think seriously about my life and my future, because it's really sneaking up on me. I need to do something I love, but something that's also going to give me a good living. And That's why I need this scholarship.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the main thing I would tell myself is to apply myself more to my studies. After completing my first undergraduate semester I recieved better grades in this one semester that I recieved in all of my high school career. I studied for all my tests during my college career but while in high school I never studied for tests and in some classes I struggled to get C's. Upon graduating from Westfield I will not have gotten a grade below a B. College has challenged me but I feel as if I can graduate within the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my college class I can do a lot more than I expected.

If I were to be able to tell myself as a senior what I know now. I would challenge myself to not play it safe. Comming out of my comfort zone and attending Westfield three hours from home was one of the best decisions I ever made. Challenge yourself to try everything once. If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again. Don't look back and wonder, look back and know! You need to have confidence and faith in what you want to accomplish. Dreams are not easy to chase, but putting one small goal in front of the other makes the whole proccess easier.

If I could go back as a highschool student with the knowledge that I now understand about college I would first off tell myself not to stress out over the small things, it all happens for a reason. However, through out the entire college process I learned not to freit the "friend" drama; to put the extra energy into the friends who are true. Being in college I now realize how important it is to keep in touch with all the elements of home; Stay close to your family, friends, cherish you home town, and your health. Most of all, I am greatful that my parents stressed the importance of living within my means and picking a state school with a reasonable tuition. With the revilation that I will one day need to pay back every dime of the tuition I am paying, I know how many shifts it takes to pay off only a fraction of my semesters tuition. It was a struggle when choosing a college to accept going to a state school when all my friends were going to private schools. I now realize I made the most reactional decision for my life.

Never hold limitations to what you can do. Your majors are subject to change; it's only normal. It's never too early to start saving money for college, saving money will save you in the long run. You need to learn how to relax when the pressure seems unbearbale. Be realistic in your goals by strive to achieve them; they are possible. Yes you will miss your friends and family as you move on to college, but they will always be there when you come home. Coming home on breaks and holidays you will realize just how important family is and what they mean to you. College is a time to try new things so don't hold back and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Believe in yourself because with hard work comes reward.

Save all your money, apply for a TON of scholarships and DONT GO INTO EDUCATION! Go into the health field where the money is at!

Dear high school me, When everybody said that college is nothing like high school, don't listen. Remember all the lessons you learned this year, like don't talk behind peoples backs, because somebody will tell them, don't expect the best out of everybody even though you give them nothing less, but remember not everybody is a backstabber and not everybody is out to break your heart. You will meet a few amazing friends this year, try to remember to not be so sensitive, and remember some people actually want to stick around, so don't be so afraid to leave home. Try not to be so shy, nobody is judging you, they jsut want to be friends so let them. Don't stick so close to only a few people, you would do a lot better without them. and remember most of all that you're a good person, and you will have hard times, but I promise it will all be worth it. love, Me

I would tell myself to be more outgoing and try to meet as many people as possible. You only have the college experience once.