Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Top Questions

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

Alexandra

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self I would advise to begin taking college courses that my high school offered. If I would have taken the writing class my school offered I would have had two class and credit hours already built up. I would also tell myself to save money back for spending and in a savings account to begin paying off loans. Also I would inform myself that friends are not permanent they can come and go but the choices you make for your future are permanent and will follow you for life.

Shaianna

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would explain to myself that I need to put extra time and dedication into my schoolwork. While in high school, I did great in the classes I liked. For the others, I did enough just to get by. I did not understand how effective your GPA is when applying to colleges. There were many colleges I wanted to apply to but I could not because my GPA was too low. I also missed out on many scholarships because I did not reach the GPA requirement. I would explain all the things a GPA has an effect on so that I could apply to any college without restrictions. Many colleges want students with a specific GPA and test score but I was not focused so I did not qualify. I would also give advice about speaking up when I need help. The teachers were there to help but I was too afraid to ask and too worried about people judging me. In the end, I realized people judging me did not matter but my grades and test scores did.

Aaron

I would tell myself not to be afraid to be yourself. That's one thing that I wish I could change about my first year is I came into the school a different person than the person that my hich school classmates knew me as, but I have come to learn that, that guy wasnt so bad after all. I would also tell myself to apply to more schools and don't be afraid to move away from home. The last thing I would tell myself would be to not buy that 2003 mustang. I know Aaron, its your dream to own a mustang but trust me trying to balance working and paying off the car is not worth it! I had no friends my first year becasue I had no time to socialize between work and studying and when I had the time I didn't have the energy. Now that I have the car paid off I have more friends and am an active member in two orginizations.

Abigail

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior in high school about the transition to BG I would give the advice to not be so scared going in. I know I am an outgoing, friendly person who loves to meet new people. I would tell myself to not be scared about meeting new peope because I already know I can make friends anywhere I go. As a senior in high school, leaving my friends back home and knowing I have to start all over and make new friends scares me, so that would be my advice is to not be so scared about the transition.

Grant

Assuming I was going back to BGSU, I would tell myself that life works in strange ways and has a way of figuring itself out. The transition process is going to be tough, regardless of being very outgoing and social, you will feel alone for those first few weeks while you make new friends and meet new people in the dozens every hour it seems like. Take everything with a grain of salt, and enjoy the ups and downs while you expierence them and to roll with the punches. Keep up with classes, but also make sure to live the first few weeks, which turn out to be the most interesting. Do not get too upset of friends and relationships from high school do not work out, because they did not work for a reason and there is a bigger plan in life. BGSU has a wonderful foundation of student organizations and you will become a big part of several on campus, and dont be afraid to try new things.

Cassidy

Hey kid. It is time to start thinking about college and you need to think long and hard. Start early, right after you get adjusted to your academic classes start talking to your counselor about college applications because college is your major homework assignment. Also, you need to realize how much college costs. College is not like one of those "expensive" class trips you took as a child, that you spent weeks selling candy bars to pay for. You need to be looking for scholorships in all shapes and sixes. Apply to for anything you run accross, because the more money you can raise now, the less you will have to pay back later. Finally, the last piece of adivice would be to start packing early. You arn't going on vacation. You are moving into a dorm and are going to live there for a good part of the year. Packing the night before or even a week before move in is not going to cut it. You need to realize everything that goes into college and be proactive in making wise decisions.

JiaWen

The advice would be to becareful applying any job through the school website. Sometime it is never save. Also, to don't let any men get to you that fast and don't have hope for any guy. To study hard and don't always trust any guy that come close to you.

Audrey

I would tell myself to really enjoy my time in college. I was so excited to go to BGSU, but I was so homesick that I barely could enjoy the first few weeks. And what was awful is that I wasn’t expecting to feel that way. I was rooming with my cousin and BGSU is 20 minutes from my grandparents’ house. I thought it would be an easy transition because I had family so close. I wish I was more prepared for the transition so it wouldn’t have been so traumatizing. So I would tell myself to stay calm through those first few weeks. I would remind myself that those first few weeks are important for new college student because that’s when you actually can feel yourself growing and becoming independent. If I would have focused more on enjoying my time as a brand-new college student and less on how much I missed my mom and dad, I think I would have been a lot happier my first semester in college.

Sara

I would tell myself to go through formal fall semester and join a sorority because it helps you get involved on campus, keep grades up, and meet a lot of really cool people.

Seth

Be confident in what you want to do, but dont put all of you eggs in one basket. keep your options open for anything that could help you in your future pursut of a dream job. make sure to calculate all of you money needs right down to the last book and notebook. also, try to be more open to the idea of being socialble, you never know what oprotunities will open up when you interact with more people.

Jeff

If I were a high school senior, I would tell myself to find as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I would tell myself that making friends is a lot easier in college and academically, some of the material is pretty easy. If not, professors will work with you. So, don't worry about your social life and academics. Focus all your attention on figuring out a way to pay for college because the debt builds up. It may be nice to have financial aid, but try and get as many scholarships as possible. The goal is to graudate debt free.

Alyssa

The advice I would give to myself as a high school senior would be that learning is the most important and best thing you can do in life. Learning does not end when your formal education does. There are so many things for you to discover in life and by discovering these things, you also learn more about yourself. I have grown tremendously emotionally, socially, spiritually, and academically ever since practicing a love for learning and I would recommend it to anyone. Never allow your mind to grow lazy or your curiosity to be unfulfilled.

Charles

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice that I would give myself would be to stay focus on my school work. As a high school senior, I always had the mentality thinking that since it was the last year of high school I did not have to put as much effort into my work that I did in the previous years. This idea proved to be wrong as it began to affect my work ethnic and motivation to complete certain assignments. The second advice I would give myself would be to develop better studying skills for tests and final exams. Everynight before the day of the test or exam, I would always study for atleast an hour and then afterwards I would log on to a social media website such as Facebook or Twitter to communicate with my friends. During the day of the test, because of the short amount of time I spent studying, I would forget all of the material which would eventually lead to me getting a low grade. Knowing this information would allow me to be better prepared for college and also my future career.

Rachael

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior is don't procrastinate and waist time. Go to college immediately after graduation. Don't take your family and friends for granted. Enjoy your life and make the best of it. Cherish precious moments you have. Take advantage of opportunities because you might not get them back. Love yourself and stay close to those you love.

Laura Kristin

Others know more than me! No one cares what I think! It doesn’t matter whether or not I participate! I arrived at college with this mindset. Although I had always done well academically, I lacked self-confidence. I had always been introverted and self-conscious. I silenced myself when I could have participated and been more involved. During my second semester at college, I had a professor who based 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our grade on participation, and required that we speak at least once during each class. At first I was terrified. I had always depended on my written work to earn good grades. Now I had to risk being laughed at; being ridiculed. But no one laughed. In fact, people liked what I said. They responded well to my thoughts, ideas, and questions. As the semester continued, I began to get more engaged with the class content and I found that class discussions added greatly to my understanding. That class truly transformed me. Although, I still occasionally struggle with shyness, I now realize that what I have to share is important. I discovered that I learn more from actively participating in class than from passively sitting and listening.

breanna

I would tell my senior self to take as much AP classes as possible in high school because you save time and money. I would tell myself to enjoy being a senior in high school because in college you are now an adult and have more responsibilties. I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships becuase college is expensive. I would tell my senior self to not be afraid to make mistakes and grow. I would tell my senior self that your only 18 and you have your whole life in front of you. No you do not know everything and yes you will fall but it is how you get up. Strength does not come from doing everythng right but taking risks and making mistakes and learning from them. I would tell my senior self that you are only young once and live like there is no tomorrow.

Turea

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, the first thing I would emphasize is, “Senioritis is REAL, but only as real as you make it”. Senioritis is a mindset and if you let it take over your mind, you can almost allow yourself to not graduate. Another piece of advice would be, “if you want something to happen, MAKE IT HAPPEN”. If you want to play basketball on a collegiate level, do all that you can to stand out from the rest, promote yourself by making highlight tapes, be the first to enter the gym & the last person to leave, and lastly, keep the grades up! Having skills is one thing, but having good grades is a definite plus! For the most part, you have complete control over what you want to do with your life! The final piece of advice would be, “Always be a Leader, Not a Follower”, make people want to look toward you as a positive light to them!

Kristen

Dear High School Me,You’re about to embark on a new chapter of your life. The best advice I can give you is this: stop worrying! Worrying never helped anyone reach his or her full potential. There will be hard times in the future, but you’ll be ok. The hard times will pass so focus on the good instead of the bad. When you first arrive at school, you will have a new sense of freedom, but don’t abuse it. There is a reason why your parents said not to do certain things, so be smart and have fun. Remember to stay focused and get good grades. You have the ability to get straight A’s, so do it! The best advice I can give you though is to get uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to try new things and find yourself. Join random clubs and meet new people. Talk to people you might not have talked to before. Get out of your comfort zone because that's when the magic happens. These don’t have to be the best years of your life, but be sure to enjoy them while they last.Sincerely,College Me

Tressa

The advice that I would like to give to myself when i was in a senior in High school to live in the moment. Do not think eveything going to stay the same because change is the best thing that can happen to, also do not live with any regret. I also would want to tell myself to get on the ball with school, not saying that I did not work hard but just study harder. Also wish I would have study harder for the ACT test. I also wish I would have started looking at colleges sooner so I could have visited more colleges even thow I know that I made the right decision in going to Bowling Green State Unversity.. I also would tell myself to get cracking on filling out applications for financial Aide and scholarship. All of these things are important to know but I feel like as of now everything is in the past and I just need to look towards the future. But I would deffiantly give this advise to someone else so that they would not have to struggle as much i have had to with need money to go to college.

Darcy

Okay, this is the real deal now. Don't panic. Don't be scared. You're going to make some really great friends and learn some pretty amazing things. It won't be easy and you have to take it seriously. Pay attention in class. It's not all that bad. There are some pretty amazing experiences waiting for you.

Blake

The biggest advice I could give myself is to continue to work hard just as I have all throughout high school, but also make time for myself and to make an effort to be more involved and ore social than I have been so far in my college career. I like that I get good grades and seeing these good grades at a college level really gives me a sense of accomplishment, but I would like to get to know more people and make a better effort to make more friends than I have at this point. I would give myself a thumbs up in what I have achieved in the classroom, but I'd like to see myself transitioin into someone who also takes advantage of the college life in my free time. You only get to go to college once (at least in most cases) and I would rather look back and think about all the fun I did have during this time than look back and regret the fun times that I missed out on and could have had while in college.

Una

As a recent college graduate, I have had to be increasingly more aware of the financial burden of education in this country. Although the future prospects and intrinsic value of education easily outweigh the loans and debts, I would advise my younger self to be more aware and informed of all resources available. The search for scholarships and funding is a monotonous, tiresome task but is absolutely vital for a more care-free future. The most basic advice for high schoolers is to be persistent in academics because that is the reason they are applying to college. The temptation of social aspects is important, but takes a secondary position to continuing education.

Gina

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell her to be confident in my endeavors, because I am truly meant to be here at Bowling Green State University. I would be sure and tell myself not to be nervous or shy, and make as many friends as possible. I’ve really learned a lot about the importance of networking since I’ve been here, and it really is all about “who you know.” Making that transition from high school to college really can be tough, but if I knew then what I know now, I definitely wouldn’t have spent as much time stressing myself out about it.

Sheila

Keep your priorities straight. Time management is key to success in college. Begin to network early. Make friends and associates and realize these are the people who will help you achieve your gareer and education goals.

jalesa

If I had the chance to go back in time and give the younger me advice, I would tell myself that I am smarter than I gave myself credit for, and that it does get better. There are people who think that your funny, smart, caring, loyal, and overall just a wonderful girl. Don't ever feel like your not good enough to make it through college because you can. Going to college is going to open up many doors and help you realize what you want to do with your life. When you leave for Bowling Green in the fall of two-thousand and ten, you are going to feel numerous emotions, happy, nervous, anixety, excitement, but most of all; fear. Your going to be scared and when your family leaves you in the dorm room, your going to cry. But you won't cry forever, and you'll meet people who will make you smile. Now, there will be hard times and your going to want to give up and run away but please remember this, it is okay to be scared, as long as you don't let it stop you from being who you are.

Symone

As a high school senior I would not only have concentrated on academics but would have taken the time and opportunity to learn more about finances, financial aid, grants and scholarship opportunites rather than assume my mother could afford the costly tuition, which now as a college freshman I realize she can't. In addition I would have made a greater effort at time-management rather than depending on my mom to tell me what I needed to do and when.

noory

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to make personally reasonable goals and do one thing and do it superbly. I had the mindset as a college student that in order to stand out from the crowd of students, I had to accomplish goals that other people could seldom reach. I made the biggest mistakes like overloading myself with maximum amount of credits, and getting mediocre grades. My stubborness led to failure after another until I had to accept my disappointing self , and move on. I came to realize my tendency to set unrealistic goals came from my insecurity that other people were going to notice and criticize my lack of success or failure in life. I learned the greatest and most obvious lesson that college is not about showing and proving I am of worth, but it is a stepping stone on one's way towards a dream. After I freed myself from this torture, I was able to rearrange my life priorities, and even realize my dream which is becoming a nurse.

jamie

I would tell myself to work hader to get a good GPA, save my money and get a summer job if not for the money but the work experience. Figure out what i wanted to be in life before i get to college, be more involved in high school activites/community service.

Jessica

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would have said, “Jessica, don’t get a job”. Yes, that’s right, I would have never been so eager at the age of 15 to get a job. I grew up with divorced parents and two younger sisters, and like a lot of others with young parents will tell you, we didn’t have much. I was addicted to making my own life the best it could be. I never sacrificed school though; I graduated Magna Cum Laude from high school and to this day maintain a 3.7 GPA in college. The reason I would tell myself not to work is because I was blessed with the ability to handle large amounts of stress. Had I lived more frugal from the beginning, I am convinced my life right now would be incredibly successful with a master’s degree in hand and a career that’s well underway. Regrets? Naw, I have impeccable budgeting skills and a network of friends that stretch from Michigan to California. But if I had that ‘do over’ button, I’d be curious enough to push it.

Dee

I would begin preparing myself for college in grade school! I would also pay more close attention to my father and gleaned as much information as possible, asking him for tips and shortcuts. I just lost him in April of this year. He was a retired Chief of the Sac and Fox Nation located in Stroud, Ok and the only person in my family that has a college degree.

Amanda

If I could go back in time to talk to my self about college, all I would say is to really think about my self and my future. I am the type of person were everyone becomes before me, and I give to much of my time to others. I love helping others, but I cannot help others for long if I dont help myself first. I would also tell myself to eat more burgers, I am way to thin these days.

Patrice

Attend the school that will make you most successful, but try to have fun while doing it.

Tiffany

High school passes by quickly and most graduating seniors cannot wait to attend college. They anticipate college to be the most marvelous years of their life filled with many different experiences. They never notice how their time at high school can highly impact their college years. Unfortunately, I was one of those students; however, when attending college I soon realized that I was not fully prepared. If I could go back to high school, I would have been better at time management. If you do not know how to properly manage your time, it sometimes can be overwhelming. At college, your time goes quickly divided between attending organization meetings, completing multiple paged research papers, and studying for your midterms and exams. Also, I would have changed my approach to my classes. Instead of catching senioritis or not studying, I would have noticed how critical it was to be fully prepared and engaged in class. In college, a teacher does not care if you are missing class but it does reflect in your performance in that class. I would advise myself to be ahead of the game by taking any opportunities granted in high school.

Leidy

If I could go back in time and give advice to my high school senior self, I would say three things: make a schedule, study ahead of time, and balance your time between a social life and academics. Creating a schedule allows you to use your time efficiently. Go through each syllabus for every class and write all of the assignments and exam dates down in a planner. Also, glance at least a week ahead to see what is coming up and even complete some assignments early. Studying ahead of time is beneficial. It gets stressful when an exam comes up and you have not started studying. To avoid this, take time to read your textbook and look over your notes daily. This helps you learn and remember things from day one. So when the exam comes around it turns into a review session rather than a cramming one. Finding the right medium between studying and a social life can be difficult. It is important to remember that your academics come first. Keeping a schedule helps you balance things out. Finish all of your assignments early and then go relax with friends. Making a schedule is key in being successful.

Elizabeth

If I had the wonderful opportunity to go back in time and talk to high-school senior Liz, I'd tell her to do more volunteer work and learn more time management skills. I'd tell her that college will be a hard transition in her situation and that she should have gone to a better school. But because this is her senior year, I'd tell her to seriously forget the idea of going to Virginia because it's too expensive and she'd regret it. I'd tell her that there are schools closer to Michigan and to really think about the decision she was about to make. I'd tell her that she'd appreciate family so much more than she knew. She wouldn't believe me, she's stubborn. But I'd urge her to take that chance and stay closer to home. I'd also tell her to be more confident in herself. College is a big place and you get swallowed up by comparing yourself to others. I'd tell Liz that she'd be alright and that she'd go far if she learned to truly believe in herself.

Tiffany

Be patient. Be kind. Be youself. College is a time for transition. You may feel as though you are all alone, but many other people feel the same way. Leave your door open and other people will come to you. Make room for new friends, but do not forget about the old. The friends you make here will instantly become close to your heart. Through the hard times, they will be by your side. Do not hold back any part of your wonderful personality. Use your knowledge to help others that are suffering. You are able bodied, use that to help those that are not. You have everything that you need, help those that do not. There are opportunities available for you to make a difference in the lives of so many. Take advantage of those while you can because you may not always be in a position to help others. Lastly, remember that you can make your own decisions, you do not need others to make them for you. Make good decisions and be excellent.

Christine

If I could go back in time and speak with my high school senior self, I would tell myself that there is nothing major I need to worry about. I would tell myself that studying is a must, and that the last few grades in high school do make a difference in the amount of money you recieve from scholarships, but I would also tell myself that I don't need to be scared. I'm a strong girl and that the transition is nothing that I can't handle. College is just like high school except that classes don't meet daily and homework is rare. I would also say notes are what helps you pass the test, let alone the class. Going to class alone isn't good enough to get you that good grade anymore. Knowing what I know now and looking back, I'm amazed at how prepared I actually was when I felt like I wasn't ready at all. I had nothing to be worried about.

Kalyn

I would tell myself that even though it seems like college is a completely new start and you'll be away from home; you can't get away from everything that was in your life before college. In high school I was so excited to get away from my home town and my home also, but as I came to school I realized I couldn't get away from the people that were in my home town even if I was two and a half hours away. I would tell myself that even though you can't get completely away you will learn to ignore it and move on with your life in a positive way. You will gain more responsibility and trust. You will grow up a lot more than you thought you would and you'll love every second of it.

Danielle

I would tell my self to be prepared to actually study in college. In high school I never had to study because I unserstood all of my work, but now in college, you have to read and put in extra work to remember everything that is being taught to you. Also I would tell myself to try to play volleyball. When I was deciding what college to go to everyone was trying to talk me into playing volleyball but I did not want to. Now that I'm in school, I miss it so much. I would do anything to go back and try to play volleyball at some college.

Daniel

As a new freshman, you'll want to bring: Flip-flops-The showers here can get pretty dirty. Ethernet cord-the wi-fi in most freshman residence halls is non-existent. Futon-all of the beds here are adjustable. Like putting a double bed under your twin. Personal hand sanitizer (my roommate's suggestion) A planner or calendar-Your days can get hectic here, you will receive an assignment book, but a calendar is really good or you will forget things. A desk lamp-Sometimes your roommate will want to sleep, this is a light you can keep on to study. Flash drive-Absolutely essential, you will need to transfer files quite often. Some posters or personal items-This is so your dorm doesn't feel like a prison cell. With the room size, you need at least a little bit of color or you might go insane. (One of the halls was actually an insane asylum before the university purchased it!)

Kristin

Knowing what I do now about college, I would advice myself to make sure that I am attending a college for the right reasons. Many people choose a college based on where friends are going to be attending or what parents believe would be the best choose. The fact is that the only one who knows which college is best fit for me, is me. Only I can decide which college will best fit my needs for where I want to go for my future. I need to research which colleges have programs focusing on the area I'm interested in. Furthermore, transtitioning from high school to college is a big difference. I need to be prepared for the fact that college life is a completely different experience than I'm used to. I need to make sure I'm not doing too many things at first otherwise I will be overwhelmed with everything happening. I need to remember school comes first and everything else will be there after I'm done studying.

Michael

The biggest advice I would give to my high school self would be to go out more and attend more campus group events. After graduating with my degree in accounting I still didn't know quite who I was or wanted be. While attending co-curricular events would not have given me the answers to who I wanted to become as a person, it would've introduced me to more people on campus and exposed me to different cultural norms. Being introduced to more students in social environments would've helped me to cope with and socially thrive depsite my shyness. All throughout high school I lived in a social bubble where I interacted with only my oldest friends. Along similar lines attending a variety of student organizations' events would have introduced me to other cultures' norms and traditions. This would've provided me with potential guides regarding how other cultures, religions and social groups have adapted and learned to interact with one another which could've helped me to overcome my social awkwardness and feel more comfortable around and interacting with strangers.

sarah

My one piece of advice that I would give to myself would be to always listen to yourself and no one elses opinion no matter who it may be. Also, don't make your decisions on account of someone elses feelings or concerns. Ultimately, you will be the one living with the decisions made by you or by someone else for you. When an important life decision is made by you or for you by someone else the only one that cannot walk away from it is you. Therefore, you best make sure you will be happy with whatever decision is made because sometimes there is no going back. College is a life-altering decision and transition for anybody and so to make it the smoothest situation possible the best route to go is to ensure happiness in every regard.

Teresa

Sometimes our heads and our hearts want very different things. Going into college, we are taught to think with our heads. We are taught that logic shall override emotion. We must be reasonable, well-organized, and level-headed; but sometimes, the most important thing in life is what your heart desires. Sometimes it may not seem logical, sometimes it may not seem efficient or responsible, but it is necessary to listen to the heart to live a truly happy life. You can do WHATEVER your heart desires if you believe in yourself and believe that positive things come to positive people. When you enter college, academics should come first, but one of the most exciting things about it is discovery. You will discover who you are as a person, and you need an open-mind and a clear-heart to do that. Stay organized, logical, and level-headed, but never lose sight of the life lessons you are learning and new and improved person that you are becoming. Never forget to really LIVE when you're in school, because without living, you will never truly learn.

Paige

If I were to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to take the SAT and ACT scores much more seriously. You can not get into any college without those scores and they take the highest ranked applicants. Also, when applying for scholarships they take the highest ACT and SAT scores as well. The transition from high school to college is not all that hard as long as you are a self motivated person. I was very motivated to do well in school and that has followed me throughout my time in college so far.

Renelle

nothihg

Lindsey

I would go back to talk to myself as a freshman and say WORK HARD, making it easier to achieve whatever you set your mind to! Don't wait, you need to start now so you can finish on time and with pride!

alana

I would tell myself to do more research on scholarships. I would try and get as much money for school as I could. I have students loans that I am paying back. I would have had a better plan on the major that I wanted to take. I started a major and found out that I did not like that field. I lost a year because I changed my major and had to almost start over with classes. I would have did research on doing a double major. I would not have lost as much time as I did changing majors. Overall I would not change anything else. Going to Bowling Green was the best decision that I ever made.

Melie

If I were to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that no matter how hard the work is, take a plan for your future. I would tell my previous self to do work harder and don't try to be lazy. My previous self would try harder and then would stop what I would be doing and do not bother to work at all. The stress of what I was given made my former self to procrastinate because all the work I tried to do at once. I realized trying to "live in the moment" is not that great when you live in multiple moments. Being organized has helped now and I wished when I was in high school that I listened to that advice.

Terra

When looking back on the past two years I have realized that I did not live my life to its fullest. With that said, I would tell myself to skip studying this weekend and go see a movie with some friends. I would tell myself to not stress as much as I did, because life isn't as fun when all you do is stress about it. I would tell myself to do things for myself. And lastly, I would tell myself to be more involved on campus. Although at the time it seems like nothing but work, the things I was involved in helped shape me into the person I am today. That is the advice I would give myself.