Adams State University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Samuel

In my first year of college I did a whole lot of listening. In every class I went to, professors would stand at the front of the room, and I would listen to what they had to say. What I didn't do was comprehend the information they were eagerly handing me. From Biology to English, my professors were transferring a plethora of knowledge from their great expanse of expertise, and I was simply listening. If I had the opportunity to go back and speak with myself as a senior in High School, I would offer one modest piece of advise for his forthcoming college experience. I would humbly ask my past self to not only listen in class, but to genuinely comprehend the material teachers offer him. I would request that my earlier existence not just pay attention, but engage in the class and retain the valuable knowledge presented. I would cherish the thought of my freshman self sitting in class and fully consuming the concepts and ideas I merely listened to. That small piece of advice would make all the diference between knowing the information and truly understanding it, which is the purest purpose of college.

brandon

I would tell my high school self to be ready for the test of life. Be ready to be on your own and make smart life choices. Keep a good head so you dont fail your 1st semester here and not realize how hard college is.

Joshua

For the past few years, I have been asking myself this question. The best answer I could give is to not slack off. Always try your best in everything you do. The work is going to be 100 times harder in college than in high school. You will meet great people, but need to think of the future and work hard for what you want to do.

Mallery

Making that transition from a highschool senior to a college freshman is a crazy experience. I've learned SO much in the last 7 months. I would advise myself to get better grades and work hard but also to enjoy being at home and with friends and family. I would also advise myself to be more active in my community and to open myself to other oppertunities. Also look at colleges early and apply for scholarships ASAP.

Melissa

Trust your teachers and adminstrators! They should be viewd as lifelines, not as authority figures. College teachers really want you to succeed, and they enjoy sharing thier kwowledge with us. Beg, Borrow and Steal as many ideas as possible from fellow classmates, professors and those in which you observe over the course of the next four nears. Have fun, because college is a life changing experience that should be fully enjoyed to obtain all that is possible from a degree! You're going to do great! Just do you, and the rest will work it's self out! See you on graduation day!

Chris

There are three things that I would want you to prepare for as you go into college. The first thing that you will be disappointed about is that you will not have that much money, you will be flat out broke living off of hamburger help or ramen noodles. I know how tempting it could be to buy stuff now, but save that for when you get into college. The second thing you should know is that you will be responsible for yourself, you have to wake yourself up in time for class, you have to do your own laundry, you even have to learn how to get your own groceries. You are an adult now, you are going to have to step up and be prepared to take on life as your own person. Finally you should learn that, Whether you succeed or not, will be determined on how you bring yourself. You should show you want to be there and learn something, be to class on time, study for tests, do your homework on time, because professors wont give you another day. Overall, Just be responsible and be you.

Rebecca

I would tell myself to apply for a scholarship, no matter how small the award amount. Every little penny you can get in a scholarship is beneficial.

Madison

College life is nothing like high school life, so don't kid yourself on that one. Do your homework in every class, and tell the teachers who don't assign you homework that they're hurting you in the long-run. Learn how to study and study for every test, whether you think you need to or not. Don't take this time for granted and have all the fun you can now, because for the rest of your life you're going to wish that you were back in the simple days of high school. Oh, and learn how to save your money. That's going to be a vital tool in your college adventures.

Danica

If I could talk to my senior high school self, I would tell her to enjoy her time in high school while it lasts! I would tell her to enjoy all the amazing food that her parents cooked every night and enjoy the quiet nights at home without the noise from parties next door. I would tell her to enjoy the company of her parents and siblings because she's not going to realize how much she will miss them later on. I would tell her to soak up all the memories that she had with her family and her friends and to understand that life moves on after the little stuff. I would tell her that later on, she will look back on at the amazing times she had in high school and wish she had the chance to go back, just for a day. Because of that, its important to appreciate everything she has. I would tell myself to visit the past often, appreciate and live in the present, while heading and planning for the future.

Tyler

If I were to go back and talk to my high school self knowing what I know now, I would start by telling myself that preperation is key. In order to succeed a student needs to prepare themselves. I struggled with quizes and exams my first semester becuase I wasn't well prepared. I would then proceed to tell myself that preperation requires responsibility. When you leave home and go to college, mom isn't there to look over your grades and teachers aren't there to tell you what to do. You as an idividual have to be responsible in managing your time and preparing yourself to succeed. There is no other truth than this world is big and your all by yourself in it when you leave home. That being said trust no one but yourself. I had a roommate who I thought I could trust but soon realized I couldn't after he stole my debit card and spent money on it. So all in all trust yourself, be responsible, and always be prepared in order to succeed!

Ashley

I obtained so much more than just an education from my time at Adams State. On top of great professors who put so much of their time and energy into my success, I had opportunities that many college students don't get. I was able to do an internship in Kenya, Africa where I worked at an orphanage teaching English. I also had experiences such as being the Head Editor of the school newspaper and being part of the Varsity soccer team. All of these experiences have distinguished me as a person and built my character. Without my college experience, I would not be as cultured or as knowledgeable on a variety of issues. More importantly, college led me to the decision to pursue graduate school and obtain a Master's in Speech-Languague Pathology. Without my experiences at Adams State I would never have reached this point and I would not be beginning my journey to a career where I can make a real difference in the lives of children. Although I have so much more to learn and a lot of opportunities ahead, I definitely thank my college education for who I am and my success today.

Veronica

During this first year I've learned quite a bit. It's true when some say that the first year is always the hardest. Being away from home didn't bother one bit, but during my freshman year I've grown. I've learned not to let people take advantage of me and to not be afraid to put my foot down and stand up for myself. My professors have tought me not to doubt my abilities cause if I'm always doubtful about my actions/decisions then I won't get anywhere in life. In order to be successful I have to step out of my comfort zone and do what needs to be done. I've become a lot stronger within this first year and I intend to mature more as the years come and go.

Robert

As a college student I would go back to when I was a senior and say follow the greeks advice, "Everything in moderation." It helps to have good grades, and be involved in college, but it's more important to make some time for yourself. I would tell myself not to be a hermit. It's vital that I work harder on grades than on extracirricular activities. I would tell myself not to go to a college just for its great athletic association. I would tell myself that I should put up with roommates only to a point. It's not healthy to just receive insults every night from someone. I would make a suggestion that I get to know some of my professors better. I would communicate to myself that I need to be more social even at the expense of getting embarassed. I would tell myself to remember that people are usually good people, and when they say something that seems very mean they're probably just joking. The final thing I would tell myself is stay determined. Remember people depend on you and some are looking for guidance such as a younger sibling.

Kyla

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in high school I would allow myself to understand that college is not going to be the easiest thing I will have to go through. In order to allow myself to become what I am suppose to become I must push through and enjoy what I have instore for my future. I would have also told myself that inorder to get through college I will need to earn some money to help pay for everything.

Rita

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college life, it would be to actually go to the campus and explore it, also look deeper into the colleges I chose to look at and see all the pros and cons of each and really explore them to see which best fit me.

Travis

Knowing what I do now there are plenty of things that I would tell myself as a high school senior. One of the number one things would be to be very efficient at time management. College is very unlike highschool in the aspect that everyone has their own schedule and your parents wont be there to tell you to get up and go to school. While being very academically focused, you also don't want to bury yourself in books all the time. As part of time management it is good to get your school work done while also having a decent social life. You only go to college once which means you dont want to mess up your GPA for grad school, but there are plenty of people to socialize with and become friends with for life. The party scene is okay sometimes but one must know when to party and when to crack down on his or her studies. Overall I think the best advice I would give myself is to be academically focused, choose the collge you want to go to (not your parents) and have a balance in your life.

Tiffany

I would tell myself to take it easy. Learn everything for yourself and don't let others' expectations of you suck you. Define yourself the way you want and be who you want to be. Know what you want and go for it because you can't wait for it to come to you. It just doesn't happen.

Kathleen

If I could go back in time and tell the senior high student I was back then things they need to know going into college I would tell her two things. First off I would tell her that money does not grow on trees. This applies to paying for college and for a pesronal bank account. Budgeting is important and a skill she would need to practice from the very begining. I would tell her not to get the starbucks credit card since having credit is not a good thing until you learn to buget. Also I would tell her to keep her GPA up and not to overload her self since having a good GPA helps get scholarships that keep student loans from racking up. The second thing I would tell her is to be her self, don't do things just to be liked. People will like you for who you are and there is not need to be fake. These are things I learned the hard way and am lucky to have learned them quickly and early on in my college experiance. However life would have been a whole lot easier had I learned them earlier on.

Erica

After my college experience thus far, I definitely wish I could go back and talk to myself, my senior year. The advice I would give myself is based on everything that I have learned about what it takes to be a successful student. The first and foremost thing I would tell myself, is that it takes a lot more to pass your exams, than just reading your notes the night before. During my freshman year as a college student, I never was thoroughly prepared to take exams. I would study the night before, from my notebook. This no doubt, was a poor study habit, which resulted in bad scores, which lead to bad grades. I would tell myself that you have to actually read your textbooks, and apply it to the material you are studying. I would also say that you need to study in an area that you can stay focused, not somehwere that you can get distracted easily. If I was able to tell myself the good study habits, I would of been a lot more successful in my academic success. However, you live and learn, and now I'm on the right track.

Brandon

if i could go back i would have made myself keep my math class so when i got to college algebra my brain would still be fresh in math. I also would have applied for many more scholarships so my mom wouldnt of had to apply for so many loans to finish paying for my school.

adam

Be open minded and well rounded. prepare yourself by knowing yourself . Every experience of your life has prepared you for this great opportunity to service yourself by the expansion of knowledge and health in so that you may be able to be of service to others to benefit humanity on earth as a whole. college is as anything is that of what you make it to be. you are the one who determines your future and the qualities there of. it is you who must make the choice of effort to achieve something of significance, something of greater purpose than your own, something that spreads the choice of love and equality not fear and hierarchy. make sure to gain a greater perspective on life by trying new things while remembering the old. value your beliefs and be acceptant of others, but keep your boundaries and guard up to not lose track of your goals to become a more balanced and vibrant individual in this ever changing world. Remember don't take anything for granted and everything happens for a reason but nothing isn't anything without your commitment to living and loving life intelligently and spiritually, fully unconditionally. thank you

Chad

Go to college as soon as you can. The longer you wait to get a great education and career, the longer and harder your education will be. The more time inbetween high school and college, the more likely you are to drop out or not attend. After high school, if you are not in college you probably won't be working at the job of your dreams. Going to college increases your odds of financial success and personal happiness greatly. College can be the most rewarding thing you ever do in your life, make sure you don't wait to go.

Paul

When looking at a major or an emphasis in school leave all your options open, but don't overload yourself. Take your time with everything in school. Don't rush through it, it may be some of the best years of your life. Also realize why you are attending college; to learn. Do the work and make an effort to get a lot out of every class, you are paying for it. Have fun.

Bryce

I would tell myself to work harder in high school. If I had taken more AP credits and worked a little harder, it would have simplified alot of the general education credits and helped out so much more. I would also warn about my first roommate, who was a drug dealer and very difficult to live with. Overall, I would try to set myself on the premed path much earlier instead of deciding right before college. I think this would have been beneficial and made me a much better student currently. I would also try to get myself to worry less and be more independent then, because it would be good to be in better practice for that. I would also tell myself that it's ok to be who I am and that I shouldn't worry about what people think about me. I feel these would all address issues I've experien ce since coming to college.

Bettina

work hard and save a lot of money over the course that you worked. you need lots of money in college. do not slack the last year, have fun but not to much fun. get ready for lots of late nights and being tired all the time.

Sheryl

Do as much research as possible before making a decision.

Trinda

N/A

Robin

It doesn't matter if a school is Ivy League across the country, or the community college down the street. Finding the perfect college if fit your needs makes all the difference. Find somthing that fits you and go with it.

Rebekah

find something that you enjoy. Then, when you go to college, its good to have at least an idea of what you want to do, so you aren't in school for ten years. and do not be afraid of being who you really are, otherwise, you will have difficulty finding real friends. and stay focused on school. dont slack off. be happy with who you are, and dont try to impress anyone. if anything, improve yourself only if you want to. be happy and be safe.

Amber

College is all about finding who you are and making the big decisions about the rest of your life. When picking a college, make sure that you find a place where you are comfortable and you feel like you can be yourself. It is very important to pick a school where you can get the most benefit and where you can grow the most. After you've found the right school, make sure you get involved and meet new people. Don't be shy and just get out there. Find things that you are into and enoy doing them. Make the most of where you are!

Micah

Choose whatever you think will fit you best, but don't be afraid of change!

Marcos

You can study hard, not drink at parties and still have the college experience, be open minded to others and don't be afraid to be who you are. There's a time to study and a time to have fun you'll be able to do both if you spend your time wisely, homework does come first, but that doesn't mean you can't relax, have fun and let loose as long as your on top of everything, then you can goof off and party like its nineteen ninty nine.