Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

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

Victoria

If I had the chance to speak to myself during this time I’d say: Don’t worry, be happy. It’s hard to believe but everything works out. It’s beyond our control and we cannot predict the outcomes. So, why worry so much. I’d say: BREATHE!!! It’s okay to feel nervous about the future, but never forget what we’ve overcome. I’d remind myself that we all have a story because we’re all unique in that way. I’m the first generation to further my education at the collegiate level in America and in my family. My personality and who I am is shaped by my parent’s voyage to the land of the Free. I’d free myself from the very shackles that enslaved me to the depressing thoughts that caused me to lose a little bit of myself that year. I would instill within my heart the courage that I lacked senior year by telling myslef that I shouldn’t feel ashamed of who I am and that I can renew my inner self by expelling my thoughts and emotions onto paper if I just start writing from the heart.

Hannah

Regret nothing, but remember you are not what other people make you. Show your worth and never be discouraged by the word "no." You have a wonderful life ahead of you, so quit worrying and start it already! Eliminate empty calorie friends. No one will give you the praise you want, but you will get it when you've earned it. Believe me, you will earn it. Respect Mom and Dad but don't let them bother your sense of self. This is YOUR life. Live it.

Jillian

Dear High School Jillian, You will soon realize that college is a lot different from high school. You might complain about all the homework you get now, but you will be begging for it once you get a class where your whole grade depends on three tests. Studying as you go and keeping up with reading assignments becomes imperative. Keep track of homework assignments and projects that are due because your parents and teachers aren't going to remind you every day. There will be times when you are overwhelmed by the massive mountain of obligations you have to climb including homework, studying, work and social life. Time management is essential. Put your cell phone up, lock your door, and block out any social media for a set amount of time and get your stuff done. Once you have tackled your assignments, reward yourself and relax with some friends. The most important thing is to stay focused on why you are at college. It's easy to get too caught up in the social aspect of college, but your grades will suffer. Work hard, have fun, and keep the end goal in sight.

Casey

I would would advice myself to be prepared for all the hard work college is. I would also tell myself to treasure that time because college isn't as fun when you have so much responsibility on your shoulders.

Jacob

Stay in high school and do your best to finish. It may not seem like it is worth the effort but without a diploma it takes a lot more work to get anyone to look at you. Also stay away from things that are not school oriented because these things will lead you down a path that ends in sadness and despare. Stay straight and be true to who you are if you can do that you will be an amazing person later on in life. One more thing have fun with what you do and who you hang out with also spend more time with family as they are more important than you realize.

Megan

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, the conversation would probably begin with a mug of calming tea. I would look my younger self straight in the eyes and tell her not to worry. As someone whose main priority in high school was to complete perfect homework assignments and impress students and teachers alike, I would tell her to take a step back and breathe. I would advise her to say yes. Say yes to opportunities, say yes to new ideas, say yes to living. Sitting in a room studying the night away is a great way to succeed, but also a great way to miss out. The homework will get done, I would say. But the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak or participate in a workshop by a Jamaican poet will not present itself again. I would tell her to keep her door open in the residence hall, to say hi to everyone who walks by, and to invite new friends out for ice cream once in a while. I would tell her to value the opportunities she has and the relationships she makes, because college is the chance of a lifetime.

Emily

I would tell myself that it is truly okay to be different. Being in high school doesn't exactly demonstrate what it's like to be in the real world. After escaping the small bubble of my town and high school and attending college for a mere week, I discovered that everybody is unique. As a high schooler, I would always hear how college is so unlike high school, but I never really knew how true this could be. College is a melting pot of different cultures, personalities, interests, races, and everything else you could possibly imagine. It is a place that you can find yourself and somebody else to identify with, while also discovering your home away from home.

Madalon

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be more willing to meet people out of my comfort zone. I would also tell myself to be more outgoing in class and to build relationships with my professors and my classmates. The most important thing to do during the transition into college is to remember why you decided to attend that given university. Be sure to focus on your classes but also remember to enjoy yourself.

Brandon

If I could go back in time and give some advice to myself during my senior year of high school, I would tell myself to have fun! I did not have as much fun as I should have during my senior year of high school. I am not talking about going to crazy parties or taking part in stupid activities that I will regret later, I am talking about spending more time with my family and friends because my high school senior self would have no idea how much I was about to miss everyone who I have laughed with, cried with, and grown up with. I would tell myself to spend that extra time I had with my family who supports me and has my back 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time. I would also tell my high school self to spend more time with friends intead of staying in and worrying about the future. Relax, have fun, have faith. Everything will work out in the future. Focus on the wonderful people who have invested so much time into you and cherish the time and memories you have spent together because time is far from unlimited.

Gustav

The advice I would give would be to branch out from the friends you made in high school. Meeting new people gives new prospectives on life and new friendships that help you get through those sometimes difficult first few months. I would also say that it is okay if things are a little rough first semester. It can take a little while to get adjusted to college, and just because you have one bad semester does not mean that you are doomed. College is the time to discover who you really are and what you really want to do in life.

Jordan

slow down

Maggie

As a high school senior, I was nervous about my transition to Indiana University. Attending a large high school and being heavily involved had prepared me to navigate a large institution, but it was all still brand new. Looking back on my transition, I would tell myself not to worry about having a random roommate assigned because she would turn out to be one of my best friends still to this day. I would tell myself to attend all of my Foster-Harper 5th floor meetings because I would have liked to become better friends with some of the other women on my floor. I would advise myself to seek out audio storytelling classes through the School of Journalism before my senior year, because Sarah Neal-Estes was the most dedicated faculty member I had the pleasure of learning from. Finally, I would encourage myself to go through sorority recruitment because becoming a member of Zeta Tau Alpha connected me to some of the most incredible women I know, and leadership opportunities through programs council and Panhellenic recruitment that inspired me to continue on to a Master's degree in higher education and student affairs at Indiana University.

Maqube

I would give myself a high five. I believe that I made the right choices by keeping an open mind to learn new things. I would tell myself to love hard because the people around me are what matters the most. After losing my mom my freshman year of High School was tough, and I had no idea I would lose my father my 2nd year of college. So therefore; I would tell myself to be open to learning and loving people more, because what really matters in life is not money or fame, but people. Shed a little light and it will go far.

Eryn

If I could go back to my senior year-self, I would advise that I make a better effort to involve myself, both in school activities and socially. I spent so much time focusing on my studies that I forgot to involve myself. While it is critically important that a student puts their school work above all else, it is also quite important to maintain a positive social platform. After all, a person can study their entire life, but if she does not put herself out there, what will she ever do with all that knowledge? College has become a balancing act for me. Of course, I must complete my studies before I can allow myself to socialize or overload with extra-curricular activities, but I must also make a conscious effort to involve myself in a social aspect. I did not learn this in high school because teachers and mentors were constantly worrying about me and informing me of ways to get involved. This does not happen in college. A college student must research and find opportunities for herself. I would encourage my former self to embrace every opportunity possible in an effort to avoid the shock of college.

Katelyn

The advice I would give my high school senior self would be to figure out a study plan. I wish back then I would have tried and figured out study techniques that work best for me, so that I wouldn't be trying a thousand different options now. I would look at myself and say, "Katelyn, stop procastinating. I know you think you know this stuff, but you don't! Go Study!" Having a study techniques would make adjusting to college easier.

Alea

Homecoming, Friday Night Football games, Crying over a boy who does not like me, and getting my license are all events that come to mind whenever I think of my high school experience. I was so wrapped up in what people thought about me or how I should act just to simply "fit in" with the cool kids. All throughout high school I was struggling with my identity because I was losing sense of who I really was because I was forming into someone that I was not. To my parents I was no longer their sweet innocent daughter, I was turning into a complete stranger who mortified them. Now that I look back on those moments, I laugh to myself and think, "what was all of that for, and who was I trying to impress?" College allowed me to realize that as long as you stay true to yourself and stop worrying about peoples' opinions then everything will be okay. That is the advice I would give myself. To stop worrying about peoples' opinions and stay true to who you really are because in the end changing yourself to please someone else will never be worth it.

Tasha

If I was given the opportunity to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself that all the pointless worrying I did about fitting it and finding myself at college, was pointless. I would make sure that I was more confident to go out and try new things, clubs, and activities that interested me right from the beginning, rather than waiting for someone else to join me. I would also tell myself that everything will work out, because Indiana University offers something for everyone, and even much more than that.

Janay

The most significant sentiment I could impress upon my high school self one simple statement that could have made an astronomical difference in my four years: Take this stuff seriously. Believe it or not, it matters. Things like AP exams and ACT preparations can actually make a huge difference. If you do well on AP tests it gives you credits for college that can put you ahead of other students for things like when you get to schedule your classes, which determines when you graduate. Something even more important than that is your GPA. Always keep it in mind. And because I was hard headed and sure that I knew everything in high school, I'll repeat that. Keep your GPA up! By letting your GPA slip you immediately put yourself behind other students for every single scholastic opportunity, including scholarships, which you always knew you'd need since you're paying for college on your own. You''ll never stop being frustrated with yourself for letting your GPA drop. And even though your GPA wasn't bad, something above a 3.5 would've opened up a plethora of other opportunities for you.

Katie

Just focus and keep an eye on your dreams. There are so many distractions in college that it could make or break you, but as long as you stay focus youll be ok.

Daniel

The young Dan English should know that you can't have the good times without the bad times. I've experiences incredible highs and low, lows in my life. The 1998 version of Dan English was over confident and entitled. I'd tell him what's coming up and let him know how hard he's going to have to work and how humbling life will be.

Sophie

Stop. Take a moment and be thankful for all of those awful AP courses that prepared you for college-level coursework. Be happy that you have only a few hours of homework each night. College is a slap in the face when you underestimate how important it is. Education is not something that should be considered as optional, it is a necessity. College education provides the opportunity to further yourself beyond what you thought previously possible. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities and to be brave in facing your shortcomings will spring you to the top. Do not bring yourself down, do not let doubts overpower you. Power through and remember: You are the legacy of your family. Your education is what is most valuable and no one can ever take away your desire to learn, unless you take it away yourself.

Taylor

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior (given the knowledge I have now) I would tell myself to not be afraid to take those challenging classes I wanted to take. I was nervous to take ap courses or something that was "new" and "different" but, that is the time to experiment. I was nervous about my gpa or negative social pressures (given I had a learning disability) but, I absolutely could have handled it.

Archie

The advice that I would tell myself if I could go back in time would be to work harder. If I would have worked harder my tution would have been less and I would have obtained more scholarships. I would also tell myself to create more bonds with my teachers and faculty. The teachers and faculty will be the one's that reccomend me for awards, scholarships, and college. I needed to know more teachers so that I wouldn't just have a small pool to reccomend me. I would want a larger pool so that I could go to multiple teachers for reccomendations. More advice I would give to myself is study and read more often. I may have gotten by and obtained an A or a B on a test by not reading or studying, but my grade could've been an A+. This would've allowed for even more A's then B's and B's then C's. My gpa, even though past a 3.0, could've been even greater. This would've allowed me to be accepted into more colleges that wereof higher rank than Indiana University, such as Ivy's.

Daniel

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to my high school self, there would be very few words of advice that I would pass on. What I would mention to myself is that to keep on what you are doing with your life because you wouldn't be where you are in the future if certain decisions were not made. Along with every major decision to made each one needs to be fully thought through because every descison made shapes the person you will become. Knowing this going in to college will become an easier transition to overcome. I would also tell myself not to be afraid of the transition because what you may be feeling is what exactly another person is experiencing. Lastly, I would say that to always stay focused, determined, and pursue your dream with great passion.

Emily

I would have much to say to my high school self. I would tell myself to learn to trust more quickly. Four years is a very short amount of time to get to know people and constantly questioning someone is a waste of time. A goal my immature self should have is to make good friends; people who will know my children’s names. I would also tell myself to take more classes with topics I thought I’d enjoy instead of classes I thought would be impressive on a resume. I’d say take advantage of the many unique activities offered on campus, like massive games of dodge ball and free concerts, because in the real world free is almost as scarce as fun. Most importantly, I’d tell myself to take risks so I could have regrets later in life! It is a bad feeling when you look back and remember you did something stupid but it is a far worse feeling to look back and realize you do not have any regrets because you ware too afraid to try new things; make a college experience something you look back on and want to relive.

Kimberly

I would advise myself to find the activities that ground me immediately. I've learned that in order to stay focused and succeed professionally, that I need to maintain an active social life as well. I would encourage myself to join professional organizations that provide valuable networking opportunities so that I can continue remaining curious about my career and advancing in a focused direction. I would encourage myself to stay active. Some of my biggest accomplishments have been successfully running races. Maintaining this activity has bonded me with other professionals, and given me a refreshing break from the stress of a demanding career.

Spencer

As a current high school senior, the only thing I can teach myself would be is to focus. Throughout my entire high school career, i've been working on numerous different acitvities and set many goals for myself, but the most important thing for me is to focus. Focus at school, focus when studying, and focus just about anywhere else. Doing well academically will not be possible with focusing on the objectives that lie ahead.

Steven

Take chances and don't worry about the future. Things tend to work themselves out. Travel every chance you get and meet as many new people as you can. Get extra pages added to your passport., you will need them. Spend money on experiences, not on gadgets and toys. Don't bother trying to get good at drinking. You'll give it up in your mid twenties. Don't use alcohol as social crutch, most people won't care if you don't drink. If they do, stop spending time with them. Don't buy expensive gifts for people. Make them gifts, or travel with them. Start taking online classes as soon as you can. Even one class at a time will help accumulate credit hours. Wear a helmet when you ride your longboard. Eat more leafy greens and vegetables than junk food. Lift heavy, run fast, and set short term fitness goals. Don't try to maintain long distance relationships with girls, there is only one so far that was worth the hassle. Take lots of pictures and videos of your adventures and back them up on separate hard drives. Don't be afraid to try anything twice.

M

The only wise words of advice I would have for my high school self is, "Watch the time." Time management in college is everything. Such as skill is difficult to maintain during the transition from high school to college because of the scheduling differences. Unlike high school, college does not have a rigid class schedule where a student is in class from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m. The flexibility of collegiate schedule can goad students into procastination. Breaking the addiction to procastination is down right difficult. The best cure for such a problem is prevention. Getting work done before enjoying free time will keep procastination at bay. Once this happens, a student's stress levels will be lower because he/she doesn't have to rush to get work done. In the end, time management is a necessary tool for surving college without losing one's mind.

Anastasia

First off, don't try and force yourself into something you aren't interested in. Science is not going to work for you, and that shouldn't be surprising, since you didn't like science in high school. Follow what interests you, and if you reach a point where you're not sure what that is, don't sweat it. Take your time, stay happy, and just keep looking. There are plenty of people who want to see you succeed, and success is best measured in happy. And when you find that you're struggling with the happy part? Don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to people. Go out with your friends when you feel like staying in bed. You'll appreciate it later. And don't procrastinate. That's something I'm still struggling with, but I know I'd still tell you if I could, because it's important.

Brian

I would tell myself not to waste a minute. I spent my first year at a small second-rate college and hated it. After coming to IU, I learned what college really was. I'd tell myself that it was okay to not kill myself trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and focus more on being open minded. That when I got to college I'd have every opportunity to figure out what I wanted to do. I'd also be sure to let myself know that just because I was a hotshot in high school, becoming someone who fits in and is more average isn't so bad. I would go back and have my first year here.

Bridget

When you get to college, no one knows who you are. You finally have a chance to figure out who you really are. I know that you thought you knew who you were in high school, but when you live in suburbia, it’s hard to really discover yourself. You will discover yourself through fashion and through the rejection that you’ll face, but trust me, it all works out how it’s supposed to. So in this last year of high school just enjoy it, don’t let prom stress you out-you don’t know this but first semester of sophomore year in college you’ll be taking 18 credits, two of which are labs, you don’t know what stress is until you’ve survived that year. Don’t cry too much over that ex-boyfriend-trust me, you find someone who treats to a thousand times better than he ever did. And don’t ever regret staying in on the weekends, your family is the most important thing, and they will be the ones who are there for you when you’re having a rough day at college.

Cassedhe

Here's what I would say: Hey, hey kid, guess what? I know you're coming out of high school, where it feels like every move you make is under inspection from your peers. Even just wearing that one crazy shirt you secretly love is risky enough in that place. I haven't forgotten that. Here's the great part of college, though, wait for it--you're going to be invisible. This place is huge, and no one cares anymore about how you decide to go about your life. Excited? Yeah, get excited, buddy, because know what this means? It means go ahead and give yourself that alternative lifestyle haircut. That's right! cut off all your hair, do it by yourself, and quit wasting time growing it long in the hopes of matching someone else's standards. Start setting your own standards, and do it right now! Once you do this, you'll find that the people who begin to surround you are people who like you for who you really are. It's like magic! Let this philosophy bleed over into your academic life. You do you, kiddo--it's gonna be so much better that way!

Kristen

College presents a whole new level of challenges... socially, physically, academically, and mentally. It is cruical to the success of your happiness and health to find a balance between all of them. You are only one person and you can only do and handle so much. While this is the first time you feel independent, it is okay to admit you need help. Find ways to take care of yourself. Work out. Laugh. Play with a puppy. Bake a batch of cookies. Find something that helps your relax after a stressful week or hard test. Push yourself to get outside of your comfort zone and try new things. College is a time of discovery. Embrace it. And most importantly...don't forget to call your parents.

Shannon

The advice I would go back and give myself is endless. The first advice I have to tell myself would be to save money. In college you have less time to work than you did in high school and money can be hard to come by. You want to have money to go out and do things with your new college friends, but you want to make sure you have enough money to cover the basics of what you need, not what you want. I would also tell myself to go in with good habits. Never skip a class unless you are truly sick and don't put off studying. When you have time to study, do it then. Don't watch a tv show or a movie instead. You don't want to spend your freshman year staying up late and doing homework all hours of the night. Most importantly, I would tell myself to plan. Make a schedule and stick to it, it will make the transition more smooth and you are more likely to be sucesssful in your social life and with academics.

Brennan

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say take every opportunity that becomes available to you. In high school and at the beginning of freshman year (I am currently a sophomore) I did not get involved as much as I should have because I looked at many clubs and organizations as a waste of time. In reality these memberships and the leadership positions to can hold in these organizations are what shape you not just as a student, but also as a person. Halfway through my first semester at Indiana University in Bloomington I finally started to look for clubs to join. I randomly found myself applying to be in a microfinance organization on campus. I interviewed and got in, but I never knew how much it would change me and my outlook on not just my career, but my life as well. I went on to go to Honduras over spring break to do microfinance first hand and now I’m looking into it as a possible career option. Getting involved helps you to make friends, but can also open many doors that you never considered before.

Tracy

There is a considerable amount of advice that I could give to my younger self, but there are three main things that I think would have the most impact. First, I would urge myself to take schoolwork a little more seriously. I received good grades, but can't say that I always put forth my best effort. I forgot a lot of information between high school and college that I may have retained a bit longer if I had tended to it more diligently while it was fresh. The next lesson I would pass along isnot to wait so long to enter college after high school. I waited several years after graduating before I finally decided to enroll in college. This resulted in struggles with much of the information that I had allegedly learned in high school. The passage of time also made me ineligible for many scholarships. The final - and possibly most important - piece of advice that I would give to myself is that it is okay to receive less than an A, as long as I put my best effort into it. It is far more important to focus on what I learned, not on what I earned.

Abbey

Dear High School Abbey, First thing is first, you do not know everything, so stop believing you have everything figured out. You are doing a great job working hard and staying involved in extra curriculars--keep doing that. Your grades are great, that will take you far--value them and keep working hard. You may want to study for the SAT & ACT though, otherwise you will have no scholarships. Do not make countdowns for days you are excited for, be excited for today. Live it up because time starts going by especially fast once you graduate high school. Call your brothers and parents at least once a week just to let them know you are thinking about them, especially once you move away. College is scary at first, but I promise after two months you will fall in love with it. Do not doubt who you are, and never forget where you came from. Study hard, but take the time to engage in the opportunities college will have to offer. You are still young, so learn as much as you can and have the time of your life. Abbey P.S. Be safe and smart. It will get you far.

Mark

Highschool is one of the greatest opportunities to learn in your life. Learn everything you can and dont slack off and just barely get the work done. Read all the material your teacher gives you, let your imagination soar. Be creative when it comes to your answers and really push to improve yourself. In addition to that, stop worrying about what other people think of you. Just be who you are and no one else. Not everyone in this world is going to like you, but the ones that do will be life-long friends and will help you along the way. Dont let other people stop you from pursuing your dreams or exploring the knowledge that you want to explore. Teachers are a gold mine, use them while you have them, they want to see you grow and expand your understanding of this world and the information they have figured out so that you can expand on it. They are there to help you and reading a book in no way can ever replace an authentic, competent teacher. The most important thing to remember is to enjoy being a kid and growing up. Make highschool all it can be.

Alex

Going back I would tell my senior self to go into college right out of high school. Yes, it is scary, but not as scary as it seems. You will meet new people and have many great experiences. You need to sit down and actually think about what you want to do that way you aren't clueless. You will figure it out but it takes some time. Understand that high school might not have been as great as it should or could have been, but college is a whole nother animal. It is not a small town school where everybody knows everybody. It is better than that. You are growing up and going to college is a way to get out on your own. You are not the big fish in a little pond anymore. There are going to be people way smarter than you so be humble and try your best. Study alot more than you do now but save room for fun. Don't stress so much, you are only in control of what you do. Have fun and good luck.

Kaitlin

I would tell myself to not stop my education and continue through high school straight into college. Being in college full time at age 26 with 18 year olds is discouraging but I have pushed through and greatly succeeded. I would tell myself to never give up and fight for my dreams. When times get hard, work harder. Don't ever think that you can't because you can!

Alexis

Trust yourself because you are too passionate, relentless and dedicated to let yourself be unhappy or unsuccessful. You're going to make the right choices for your life, and you will seek out opportunities that apply to your desired career path as a magazine editor. Don't worry so much, because in the end, it isn't worth it. Making the transition from college to high school is difficult, but you are going to meet professors and friends that change your perspective, and ultimately change your life. Step outside of your comfort zone as often as possible: It's always worth it. Ultimately, the experiences that make you uncomfortable are the experiences that change you. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and always accept constructive criticism. Smile, take a deep breath, and know that everything happens for a reason. Every grade, every bad day, every rejection, every triumph--It will all lead you to the place you're meant to be in life. College is the best time of your life. You will learn more about yourself than you ever thought was possible. Love yourself, trust yourself, and most of all, believe in yourself. The rest will follow.

Tia

I would tell myself to take more challenging courses in high school, doing this would look really good on my transcripts. Also, study harder and retake the SAT, so I would score higher. I would also say apply to many scholarships, and colleges, and participate in more clubs and organizations that deal with contributing to the community. The most important piece of advice I would give is to just relax and enjoy high school and make many friends. High school and college are going to be the best times in your life, so it is important to enjoy them now before you have to start a full-time job. Time is going to fly by and before you know it you will be working full-time, so enjoy yourself, have fun, and study, study, study.

Salina

If I was given the opportunity to go back to my senior year of high school and advise myself on what to expect from college life, there are so many things I could better prepare myself for. For starters I would have had more self-discipline to force myself to fill out scholarships, invest in my grades, take more advance placement classes, and also work harder on the field for a higher scholarship offer. I’d suggest that I’d look into ideal housing, electric and food expenses for an average college student living away from home. Also make sure that my mindset was ready to transfer from high school teachers always reminding you what was due and assisting you throughout assignments to a professor who states a due date once and expects you to understand the course material on your own. All in all, I should have been more prepared for the real world and not just my idea of what I was expecting.

Roxana

Dear Roxana, growing up in communist Romania, you will be the first member of your family to attend college. You will chose a field of study that could ideally empower you, regardless of your gender or economic milieu. While you were never silenced at home, you will discover through the study of gender, sexuality, literature or history the pervasiveness of an entire world of socially silenced individuals in continual search of, to paraphrase Virginia Woolf, a world of their own. Your destiny will lead you to study in the UK and the in the US, where you will receive two MA degrees and a PhD. All these will not be unexpected. However, you will never expect to feel so empty in the US. Know that the life of an immigrant is a life of sacrifice and disappointment. Your graduate degrees, your awards and publications won't be able to replace the closeness of family, the warmth of home, and the feeling of belonging. So as you prepare to graduate, look around and take the world in. Keep it safe and fresh in the warm lair of memory and in the abysses of your soul. This is how you grow roots.

Meredith

If I could go back in time and tell my high school senior self one thing it would be- that you are going to gain about 10 pounds and guess what... ITS TOTALLY OKAY. Going into collage and even freshman year everyone psyced me out about making sure NOT to gain the freshman 15. I became so concious and worried about it that I wasn't enjoying myself at the beginning of school. Then it finally dawned on me as a sophmore that -Hey! it is TOTALLY okay to gain some weight and no one is going to judge you for it. Also you body is not going to look like what it did as a senior in highschool when you are a senior in collage. We are all still growing and figuring out who we are. Why is there so much pressure to not gain the freshman 15! My advice to myself would be to sit back, relax, work hard and just enjoy the ride!

Sacha

If I were to go back in time and see myself as a high school senior, I would've told myself to get my act together. Too get myself situatued for the simple fact in college your not handed everything in high school, you have to seek for it because in highschool all the teachers either looked for you or helped you out in the process. Even so for the transition it's basically a life lesson you have to go through certain situations to grow up from them. All I know I wish I had someone to tell me that to prepare for college even so to have something to know ahead of time to not full around.

John

I would tell myself not to take a gap year, it was the worst decision I have made in my short life. I love IU so much, I wish I could have been here right after high school, getting back in the groove of schoolwork was dificult. I would let myself know that the best experiences are in college, both in the classroom, and socially.

Lindsey

As is apparent throughout history, mistakes will be made. As a high school student, I took my limitless opportunities for granted. Regrettably, I did not apply myself to my studies. If I could return to my naive high school self, I would certainly have a lot to say. First, and perhaps most importantly, I would tell myself to turn the passion I demonstrated in the leisurely activities I enjoyed toward excelling in academics and extra curricular activities. Similarly, I would encourage myself to truly learn from the weath of knowledge I had access to and use that knowledge to discover my potential career interests. Given the opportunity, I would also tell myself to abandon my selfish feelings of entitlement. Many American's grow up with priviliges that we take for granted; I was no exception to this troubling complex. I would tell myself that true fulfillment comes from giving back to the community you are fortunate to be a member of, rather than turning a blind eye to those less fortunate. Volunteerism is the single most selfless act of human kindness. Those pieces of advice would have undoubtedly humbled and prepared me for the fierce and unforgiving real world.

Stacey

A high school diploma is hardly worth the paper it is printed on in the next century. Go to college early; don’t wait until you are in your 40’s to get your education. In the future, a college degree is necessary to get a decent job so that you can get ahead in life, and you will be able to provide better for your family if you have your degree. Instead of struggling to make ends meet, you will be able to buy a house when you’re young enough to enjoy it, instead of waiting until your kid is in high school; you’ll have the credit to buy your first new car before you are 40 if you have a decent job. Set an example for your son, don’t tell him “I want better for you than I had for myself” or “I wish I had done this years ago”. You don’t have to try to work full time and go to school now, take advantage of the schools offering you those academic scholarships. They won’t be hanging around in 22 years, just waiting for you.