College of Southern Idaho Top Questions

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

Gregory

I would say to myself, "Learn now about investments, scholarships, and other resources and work hard at learning even though you are extremely busy. My progress in gaining financial freedom is slow because I am trying to learn to manage money while taking care of a family, attending school, and working. Start now, learn how to get money to work for you and save yourself a great deal of trouble." Second, I would also tell myself to, "Participate in group discussions that occur randomly after class. It helps to solidify the material you learned in class. It also helps you to master the material as you will have abundant opportunities in the discussions to explain concepts in your own words.

Sidnie

Self, I’d like to warn you about the new adventure we’re embarking on. I have been in college for almost three years and it has been fun, but we definitely haven’t made it easy. For starters, we are a people pleaser which does nothing but bring us down. We can’t go to school for dad, although she is our mother we have different interests, and just because we’re the youngest doesn’t mean we should let our siblings live through us. On this note we shouldn’t close ourselves off from outside opinions just remember they are opinions. Even though our family is important to us moving away from home is a great idea to learn to rely on ourselves. Second, if we don’t start producing a better way to study and actually retain the information we are going to have a rough awakening to college life. For some reason, we never grasped the idea that everything was building on itself; we just studied enough to pass and graduate. Third, don’t be afraid to gain a new social circle. College is a time to have fun, don’t wait to find that out.

Celeina

Highschool was supposed to be the best years of your life, if i could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior I would tell myself to let it be. I didn't attend football or basketball games I wasn't in clubs or did anything extra-curricular. I want to do these things in college but I don't know how to get involved because I never did it in highschool. I would tell my highschool self go out, be involved, and have fun while you can because college is a whole lot of studying and working. All i wanted to do as a senior was grow up and move our and now that I have to I wish I could tell myself to have fun while you can and do what you can because the college life is nothing like the adult life.

uriel

i wish i had done a better job and took school seirious

Mary

College is essential to improve anyone's life. They can make more money in their life and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

KayLee

I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships. I would tell myself to be open to more schools than just my first choice and don't feel bad if I can't attend my first choice school. Where I ended up at CSI/ CWI is the perfect place for me where I can have help with anything I need. I would tell myself not to stress so much about how hard college would be and to relax and enjoy my time in high school.

Fernando

Fernando Now: "Look you need to save money instead of buying school clothes, take the hand-me-downs." Fernando Then: "But I gotta look good for college." Fernando Now: "What really matters is that you take it seriously and study hard instead of focusing on apperance. Oh, and those college credits that you watched other kids take since their sophomore year those come in handy!" FT: "But I never thought that I'd ever go to college let alone make it through high school, since it took me a while to get my life in order and figure out my priorities." FN: "Yeah you think that was a struggle, how hard do you think your life would be now if you didn't finsh school and decide to continue with college?" FT: "Wow I'm glad that I went to summer school, and took college credits senior year to get this far!" FN: "In the end you know that it will be difficlut to finsh school but it's one of the most importatant things in life. Even though your family won't understand or support your efforts to get an education."

Nettie

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself to continue my studies until my education is complete. I would tell myself not to worry about marriage or kids, just finish school until I become a pediatrician. Just because I have my son does not mean that I can not finish school. In fact, no matter what happens in life there is never an excuse to not finish school. Always finish what you start, live out your dreams no matter how much work it takes to get there. College will be hard, life can be harder, and sometimes the transistion is horrible. However, its only as hard as you make it or want it to be. Life is a lesson. Try your hardest in school, study your hardest and take all the help you can get.

Ashley

I would give myself the advice to save up money so I wouldn't have to worry about it during college. I would also tell myself to go to a school that is not near my house, where I can just fous on my studies. I would tell myself that you need to save up enough money so you don't have to worry about anything and you can go and finish your schooling without any hassels. I would also tell myself not to take on so much stuff and not to wait until the last minute to do everything. I would also tell myself to stay very organized and to keep on top of everything.

Anna

Life changes so much the first year you move out and start your own life. In many ways college is a frightening experience, the insecurities of meeting people, the awkwardness of the first day in a new dorm, but at the same time, college can be a wonderful place full of excitement, and freedom, where a person can define who they are as an individual. Looking back now at my senior year of high school, I realize how iindependent I was. I felt like I could do everything on my own. I did not need help. And although I applaud myself now, I know that I could have made greater leaps if I would have sought the correct help. It?s okay to ask questions if a person is unsure of how to apply for financial aid, and it?s okay to not know what your major is. If you do know, never let someone say you cannot achieve it. We are all entitled to our own dreams and no one has the authority to tell us otherwise. High school seniors, college is the best experience you could ever have. Be sure in yourself, and everything will fall into place.

Alana

It's a whole lot easier to lower your GPA than to raise it!

AkilahTutt

Use college as your stepping stone into the real world. You want to be able to graduate from school with your career in one hand and your own place to live in the other. Relationships and various organizations are great ways to network and build character, but once you graduate, its going to be your responsibility to make things happen in your life. Working while going to school is a great way to build income as well as establish a job for after you graduate from school. Volunteer whenever you can because you can meet so many people and learn so much from their experiences. Create your 3-5 year gameplan, work your plan, and as always: Be sure to HAVE FUN!

Lisa

The best advice I can offer would be to think things through and take your time making this huge decision. I did not know what I wanted to do and let my desire to run away from home in the quickest and easiest way possible motivate my choice. My parents did not attend college and wanted me to attend a church ran private school, so I did not have the help necessary to make this important decision. I did not scout college campuses or the cities and towns they were located in. I did not include quality of life with quality of education in my search. My first semester in college was rough. I went to the same school as some friends from high school, but the town where the university was located had nothing to offer. I ended up leaving college after my first semester and moved back home. When searching for a college, patience is key. Moving away from home is hard, harder than I ever imagined it would be. Had I chosen a location where I could stand to live, it could have been an easier transition.

Amanda

College is so important these days, especially in the economy we have right now. Seriously take a look at where you want to be in 5 years and I guarantee it will include you needing some sort of college.

Randi

If I could go back in time and tell myself anything; it would have to be to wait on having children. I am a 23 year old single mother with three beautiful children and as much as i love my children they make school a challenge. I believe that if I would have known how much different college is from high school then I would have waited and been smarter about having children. I would tell myself to go to college right out of high school instead of waiting. Once you have been going to school for so long you form a natural routine. When you graduate and take a break from school you loose that natural rythem, which is very importatnt to have. Being out of the school routine and having the wonderfull full time job of a single mother makes school a challenge but not impossible.

Lynnette

Stay focused! There are many opportunities out there and you will have plenty of time to travel and see the world. Forget about getting away from home for a moment and prepare now for the life you want to live. Take one or two advanced courses or even some college credit classes to push yourself a little more than you are now. Listen to mom and dad; they are much wiser than you would like to admit and want you to succeed. Know that you are going to make mistakes and remind yourself that you can bounce back with a great attitude. Forgive yourself and be willing to accept the changes that eventually come. Save as much money as you can and keep helping others through service because you will discover, through times of doubt and uncertainty, that you are destined to help others. Enjoy the ride and live your life.

David

It has now been thirteen years since I graduated from high school and regret not attending college sooner. If I could travel back in time and give myself some much needed advice I would recommend that I patch things up with my parents and to stay focused on my education and not so much about getting a job and getting my own place. What I have learned over the past 13 years are life changing expierences, which are not all bad when I look back on them, but could have been avoided if I was better focused. The first piece of advice that I would start off with would be to reconcile with my parents. As soon as I graduated from high school I had to move out. Because of that I was too focused on getting a job and not continueing with school. The second piece of advice I would give myself would be to talk to a counselor at the college and ask for their advice on which classes I should take. Even if a person doesn't have a clear vision, general education classes are just as good.

Kyle

I would tell myself that no matter what disadvatages you THINK you have, nothing is going to stop you from doing exacly what you want to in this world. I've been told all my life that I have a learning disability and cannot learn the same ways "normal" kids learn. As long as I can remeber, I have been in "learning" classes known to my friends as "Sped" classes. You can imagine how impacting being labeled "less than the rest" influenced my self-esteem, self-respect, and educational goals. I tried not to let it bother me that I wasn't as sufficient as the rest of the students but no matter how hard I tried I would still feel incapable of fitting in. Now, four years after being told you will never be as smart as the rest, I maintain a 3.4 GPA, have obtained an Associates in Science for Outdoor Education, never used the learning center help provided by Colorado Mountain College, and have traveled and actively helped in third-world countries throughout Central America. So don't worry Senior in high school Kyle, because you will see soon enough what you can achieve.

Hailie

I first would tell myself to work hard to get scholorships to be able to pay for school without any trouble. Next thing would be to work even harder making money before leaving for college for things like rent, groceries and gas. I would also tell myself to stay focused on school and not to get caught up in the way college life can be. I would tell myself that your going to make mistakes but to learn from those previous mistakes.

Jacqui

If I could go back in time to my senior year in high school, and knowing what I know now, I would have done a lot of things differently. When enter college I didn't have good study habits. Most of the time while in high school I would complete my homework in school before going home. I was working and making sure that I was at home before my younger siblings came home from school. In college you can't do that, you have to study and sometime for hours at a time. I have never done that before so I was totally lost to studying. Also during my senior year in high school I would have taken some PSEO classes, then at least I would have had an idea of what to expect as far as class structure. Entering college for the first time and walking into a classroom of over an hundred was a scary and intimidating feeling. I would have visited colleges as a senior to prepare myself for my new adventure as a freshmen in college. Those are the things that I would have done differently as a High School Senior.

Kasey

When I was a high school senior, like many others, I knew some of my hopes and dreams but did not know how I wanted to fit them into the world. Because I was so pressured to attend school just for the sake of attending school, I did not do very well in the beginning. My lack of direction led me to exactly where I was going: nowhere - and it wasn't cheap either! If I could go back in time and save my high school senior self from making the same mistake, I would say, "Spend your high school years getting to truly know yourself. Be active with your interests, whether it's through school clubs or on your own. When you get to experience shaping your goals into reality you will have a clearer idea and stronger motivation to where you want to be. If you're struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help and if you change your mind what direction you want to go in, don't give yourself a hard time about it. We are all always growing and continue to do so after college, so don't stress and enjoy the experience!"

Travis

I would go back and tell myself that college requires self-discipline and dedication and to wait on the college experience until I had obtained those specific skills. I would also warn myself that if this warning was not heeded, I would be setting myself up for failure -- a failure that would literally take years to recover from.

Chelsea

If I could go back to school and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to prepare for college by creating useful study habits. I would also tell myself to learn to manage my time early because college life will take up a large majority of my time in the future. I would also tell myself to start preparing to be out in the world on my own once I start my college career. I would make sure that I would start preparing a savings to help pay for college expenses and also normal expenses like rent and bills. If I told myself these things I believe I would have been better prepared for college. These are all things I tell the students I tutor to start preparing as soon as possible.

Jennifer

If I could go back and give myself advice, it would be to dream bigger, have confidence that you can make something out of your life and to never give up. As a senior, I knew my parents couldn't pay for college, so I never tried. I would tell myself to talk to anyone that will listen and tell them that you want to go to school and achieve a better life. I would tell myself to get involved in as many things as I could to make that happen, save my money, don't socialize as much and concetrate on school, because some day that will matter. I would tell myself not to graduate with a 1.9 GPA, to find out at 36 that you can achieve a 3.75 and that you probabley could have in high school too, if only you would have concentrated and cared enough to do it. You can achieve the impossible, if you take that first step and try. I am now, and wish that I had done it sooner!

Erik

"Go to school to do something you know you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life. The opinion of others, your idea of what is expected of you, and even money won't matter in the long run, as long as you can wake up each morning (at least most mornings) excited to go to work. Life will be easier if you find something you are passionate about and you just do the heck out of it. You may be going to the wrong school or be studying the wrong program or you may even be in school for the wrong reasons if you cannot identify what will make you happy (set goals) and then clearly identify a path to achieve those goals. I do not like using the term goals here, though, because I am not talking about material possessions and things. I am talking about achievments, accomplishments, career etc. If you think making money is a good goal, and you are majoring in economics to achieve that goal and no other reason, you are destined for unhappiness. Like I said, find something that makes you happy and do the heck out of it."

Amy

Given the opportunity to speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself what an enriching experience college can be. I would recommend focusing on academics while still making time for myself to have fun and enjoy all that college has to offer. There are many different ways I which I could broaden my social network, cultural knowledge, and gain from unique experiences. College is more than a place of learning. It is a place to develop skill, ability, and perhaps most importantly character.

Andrew

I would tell myself that college is much easier than first anticipated. In fact the strictness of the classes, is much less than the old routine of high school life. Than me in the past will say "cool", and me in the future will know that I in the past is not motivated enuff. So I know that the past is set and I can't change it. But true motivation comes from the insite of the knowlege of the puticuler persion you are ingaging with. And I know that the past me will do the right thing, I think?

Michael

I would simply tell myself to not wait six years to go back to school, and to not be afraid of how to pay for school because if you have the want and drive to better yourself the rest will fall into place. I would also tell myself that even if you don't know what you want to go to school for you could always take some core classes because if you wait to go back to school it will only be harder to go back latter. The last thing I would say is that you can be anything you want or do anything if you only have an education.

Brittany

I would tell myself to go to college right out of high school. It is very hard to get motivated to go back after taking a year or more off to work. I thought I could save money but always found something to spend it on. Just go to college and start your life off right. Going to college really gives you a head start in life and an introduction into the real world of having a lot more responsibilities. Some of those responsibilities you don't realize you will ever have will be a surprise. Going to college is a good mid point and you won't be forced into them as fast as if you didn't go to college right away. It is a good way to know that you will be able to support your family and live comfortably when it comes to that point. Going to college will give a boost to your income and in healthcare (like me) you will be helping out some of the people who need it the most!

Corbyn

the easiest thing you can do to help yourself out is to apply for scholarships. the only thing you give up when applying for a scholarship is your time; time that is more significant to you than you can imagine. if you neglect the opportunities that are out in the world you will find life more difficult than it is easy. working your way through college is not fun or without stress; it takes a toll on you to juggle school and work at the same time. so if you really want to help yourself you will apply for as many scholarships as you can because the fruits of your labor will blossom into rewards far exceeding your greatest expectations. a scholarship will help you transition from high school to college life with less stress and more enthusiasm towards you education. if a scholarship does only one thing for you it will provide you with the means for you to achieve your dreams and aspirations of becoming the person you want to become in life. only you can decide your own destiny wheter you choose to take charge of it is up to you.

Caitlinn

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to not over load on classes in college, to stay active in extracurricular activities and to take pride in my school. I would advise myself to check the cafeteria times and plan my schedule accordingly; a smart mind cannot run on low fuel. I would tell myself to take chances and have fun. I would remind myself that yes college is a time to explore my horizons and is a place to make friends but it?s also a time to be focused and study time is absolutely necessary. I would reassure myself that it?s ok to be scared and feel lost but that I will always pull through. I would tell myself that no matter what anyone says sleep is very important and skipping class is only for emergencies. The most important advice I could give is that I am the only person who can make my decisions and I am the only person who can take responsibility for my actions so I should always make wise decisions.

Jeremy

The biggest change I wish I would have made from high school, would have been to get myself involved in more activities. More activities would have meant more opportunities for scholarships and many doors would be open for the future.

Ashley

I would tell myself to save up money while I can and work harder when I get to college. I would tell myself that scholarships are extremely important to earn and working hard benefits you greatly. Saving up money is extremely important because not all the scholarships you recieve are going to pay for your tuition. Make sure that you take your college years seariously, but have fun at the same time. Make new friends and get involved with the school. It will be a more enjoyable experience and make you like the school a lot more. Be an active participant in events going on on the school's campus and take classes that sound interesting and you think can benefit you in your life. Treasure your college years because once they're gone, you cant get them back. Find out who you are and make the best of your situatiuons. Work and study and get the best grades you can to be a better successful student.