Lake Superior State University Top Questions

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

shay

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I certainly would not waste this exceptional opportunity to chit chat about my past regrets and self-perceived failures. Instead, I would use my advanced knowledge of the future to describe to my young self precisely how to engineer this time machine. Considering what I now know about college life, I would advise my curious self to travel in this time machine to major turning points in history rather than read biased versions of the truth in an oversized textbook. I would thus spark a technological revolution, as well as resolve the whole scientific misunderstanding regarding the 4th Dimension. I would assure my 18 year old self that I am on the right track, and then I would pay a visit to my future self to reminisce about the good old days I spent scavenging for scholarship money.

Gregory

Greg, do not rush on finding a university to attend, but do not wait long either. Do your research well in advance on which universities have great opportunities. The cost of attendence should not be a deterring factor, but do not pick a program in which you will not be able to pay back your loans. Also, you do not need to pick a program that will pay you a high salary if you complete it just for the meere fact of having a high paying salary, but pick a program you truly believe you will enjoy and research which direction you need to tackle in that program to earn that high paying salary. If you take the right coursework in your program of interest, and prepare yourself the the salary you wish to make in that career, you will find a job with the pay you want. There is a great career position in every field of study. Take the time and hard work to earn that position, and do not think for one minute you are not capable of handling it!

Jessica

Don't be afraid to socialize. Even before the first day of classes, there are events specifically for freshman. No one will think you are "weird" for trying to talk to them. Don't worry about leaving your high school friends hundreds of miles behind. YOU have dreams. FOLLOW THEM. If your high school friends are true friends, you won't lose touch. Don't skip classes. Go to your professors if you have questions. They DO care. They have office hours for a reason. I would give you more specific advice in regards to who to be friends with and who to avoid, but everything happens for a reason. You may not ever realize those reasons, but that's the thing about life lessons. They can be subtle. Apply for every scholarship you can. Every dollar you don't have to pay back helps. This is your life: enjoy it.

Rosario

Rosario, I have top-secret information for you, you don’t have to know what you want to do with your life going into college. You may believe you do because your friends and family ask you this many times and expect you to know, but you don’t. Going into college you should be looking for all the opportunities and possible options that may be available for you. You don't need to be in a rush to choose your life's work. What you need to do is discover what you like. You have to work on things you like if you want to be good at what you do. It may seem that it will be easy to decide what you like, but it’s actually difficult, mainly because it’s hard to get a real-life picture of what most jobs actually are like. Being a doctor is not the great drama life of Grey’s Anatomy. To figure out exactly what these jobs are like or more importantly what you will love, use college to explore different academic fields while taking your general education. Use college as a time to find your true calling.

Byron

Hacer buen uso del tiempo para tener exito en nuestra carrera y calificaciones, Seleccionar la especialidad y cursos que sean de nuestro interes participar en actividades extracurriculares. Aprovechar todas las oportunidades positivas que senos afrescan para mejorar nuestra vida professional.

Rochelle

If I could go back in time as a High School Senior, I would tell myself to be more outgoing, involve yourself with more activities, talk with more people, and not care what other people perceive you as.

Breanna

The greatest piece of advice to give to myself is to put more attention and care into grades. They really do matter. Not only in getting accepted to college, but to get more in scholarships. Also, attending more after school programs and clubs, playing sports, and getting invloved in things like Yearbook staff and Prom Committee really do help. Not only do they help you in gaining experience in working with groups and making friends, they look really good on scholarship applications.

Sarah

Going to college this fall as a sophmore in college I already feel like I have learned so much. Living on campus has opened my eyes to a variety of things that I had never delt with before. Growing up in a small town you know every one's name and their life story. Going to a new school, I had to meet new people and doing so I learned a lot about cultures that I had never thought about before. For example, my room mate was Dutch and I learned about the food their culture likes to eat and some of the traditions they had. I feel like it was very benificial for me to college because of not only what i learned in my classes, but what I learned from the girls I lived with. I will be able to take the knowledge I gained from the classes taken as well as experience in communicating with others. College helped me become the young and responsible adult i am today. with out it I would still neglect other cultures and the importance of education.

Emily

I have learned manythings from my first year of college that has helped my grow into the person that I am today. I have learned many valuable life lessons along with many pratcal things that I need to know for my intednted major. College is extremely important for not just me, but for everyone to attend, especially if you are going away to college. Going away to college has tought me to take care of my money, own up to my actions, and take responsability for my school needs. I have learned to become independent. That is very important to me as well.

Rebecca

I have attended a year of college part time. When I went to school it was ten years ago. I wish I would have been older and had more real life experience. I am returning to school now because I want more out of life. My children are school age and now is an ideal time to go back. I beleive it will be valuable to go back to school now because it will allow me fulfill my career goals and life asperations.

Rachel

My college experience has, above all, taught me to have faith in myself and take initiative when I'm unsure of what path to take. I've made efforts to "get myself out there" and try new things, meet new people, to lead clubs, and become a more worldly and well-rounded person. It's amazing the places I have gone and things I've done once I've let go of my fears. Going into college, I was a nervous high school graduate, now, after only a year, I have witnessed a transformation of myself into a self-assured young woman. I look forward to growing and changing even more and coming into my own as I move on the path of life, and my college experience will help keep me on that path. College has been extremely valuable to me as it has set the stage for me to succeed in any endeavor I choose to take on.

Kelly

I have gotten so much from my college experience at LSSU. I have met so many new people and made a lot of lifelong friends. I have had so many fun times at school. I have become a much stronger and independent person since I've come to college. I do things that I feel is right for me. I have learned so much about myself also. I have learned I am a shy person and it takes a bit for me to warm up to people. I have also learned that I can do anything I put my mind to. I have also learned so much academically. I took 17 credits my first semester. It was quite a load but I learned how to manage my time between studying and having fun. I would never take back my freshman experience at LSSU. I have met a lot of great people and have learned so much about myself.

Caitlin

I have obtained a great deal of knowledge so far from my college experience and it is only the beginning. I have come to conclusion that all of the skills in high school that I was taught , being on time, be very organized, and to pay attention in all of my classes, have definatley paid of so far in my college adventure. It has been incredibly valuable to attend college because it is so far the outline to my life helping me to decide what I want to be and where I want to go. I love my college experince.

amanda

I have become a better student and learned to work hard to reach my goals. It's been valuable for me to attend becuase I've learned that slacking off gets you nowhere and you have to work hard to get things in life. LIfe isn't easy and you can do anything that you set your mind to. With an education you can go anywhere you want, you just have to work for it.

Emily

Knowing what I now know about college, the advice that I would give would be very important. The first bit of advice that I would give would be to breathe, everything is going to be ok. You will miss your home, family and friends, but so will everyone else. Do not worry you will see them again. Stay organized. Do not learn this the hard way by loosing important papers, essays, and homework. Take the time to make a file for each class and other important things. Make sure that you fill out your planner and keep on top of your homework, do not let yourself slip behind. Make sure that you go and talk to your professors; they are willing to help you succeed. The more that you talk to them, the more they will do to help you improve your grades. Make sure that you use the tutor programs at school, do not worry everyone else is using them too! Make sure you set aside time for studying. That is very important. The last thing you should do is make sure that you are having the best time of your life, these are the best years!

Samuel

I would tell myself that college is a blast, but the level of homework and study time increases dramatically from high school. Stay caught up on homework, don't put assignments off until the end, only work in groups where you know the other members have the same grade goals as you do, and party only on the weekends because it messes up your study time if you party during the week. Join groups or activities that you find interesting, it is the best way to make friends. Participate in dorm activities, become friends with your roommate and finally take advantage of the opportunities that college life offers whether that is visiting speakers or college athletic events, student tutors or extra review classes with professors. Remember college is a place to learn not only stuff for a future job but also to find what it is that interests you.

Brooke

If i could i speak with myself, i'd suggest that i make time to call home more. I didn't realize that my family would miss me as much as i missed them. I would remind myself that it's ok to need help and don't be afraid or ashamed of who i am because college is full of all kinds of people. The important thing is to not lose myself in the crazy workings of a campus. Get involved in activities as soon as possible, they not only provide venues to meet new people but they also keep you away from the wrong crowds. I'd tell myself to take more time to study in the library and to practice better time management skills early. Lastly, college is supposed to be fun, so don't waste away ilde time sitting in your room! Get out there and see what the world has to offer you, or what you can offer the world!!!!!

Kaylee

If I were to go back in time and talk to my high school senior self I would tell her not apply to other schools and explore her opitions. Staying home to go to school because that is what her boyfriend wants is not the best idea. She could miss out on awesome experiences like living in a dorm, rushing a soroity, and participating more in campus activities. By going away she would almost have to be more engaged and meet some wonderful people who would become friends for life. I would also want her to know not to rush into a major and explore the different choices. I would have her talk to professors, students, and friends about the college experience and recieve a better understanding of what it truely means to be a college student. Also, start applying for scholarships early and write all those stupid essays because they do matter! However, what would be most important to tell my past self is everything happens for a reason and don't be afraid to ask for help at any point. Reach for the stars and follow her heart, no matter how discouraging times can be.

Megan

I would tell myself that college isn't like high school it is a big change in your life. The class work is more demanding and classes move at a faster pace, so you have to do your work and keep up in class or else you'll fall behind and have a very hard time catching up. I would tell myself that college is where classes come first and skipping class is not acceptable you are paying to be here so you need to go to class, but you need to have a social life too. College will be one of the best most memorable times in your life, and if you don't make friends, go to campus events, get involved in clubs or sororities or fraternities, and sporting events then it will be a long four years. I think that the most important thing that I could tell myself is that the first year is really important when determining your GPA, it's doesn't take much for a GPA to drop, but takes a lot of work to get it back up. So, go and focus on studies but have fun while your there!

jennifer

"Take advantage of your teachers wisdom." All through high school i never got along with geometry teacher, but she always encouraged us to work together, as we would have to in college. we all complained about how we couldn't figure it out on our own. Once i started my freshman year of high school, i realized how important being able to work in a study group was.

Kami

Make sure you work hard, and always have a job of some sort besides that of a student.

Kami

Don't procrastinate when it comes to school work. If you keep up with work, life is much nicer.

Travis

Get good friends. At college you will face many obsticals as you step into this new portion of your life. You can do it alone, but you won't have a social life if you try to do it alone. Now is your chance, find friends that will last for a lifetime. Make sure that they are good friends that give only positive peer pressure. Don't go it alone. Build relationships and work together toward your futures.

Joseph

Do not be discouraged. You will have a challenging class or end up completely broke at some point in your college career. It's inevitable, there's nothing you can do about it. Don't stress too much, but at the same time don't stress too little. Keep youself in check.

Dominique

When choosing the right college nmake sure that the college suits your needs. Vist the college before hand if possible. Make sure that its somewhere that your can be comfortable, somewhere that you can picture yourself living for a long time. Most importantly pick a college where you can the best education, meaning dont pick the college that has the hottest parties and most fun (even though that maybe what you really what you want lol). College is not just about fun its about preparing a brighter future for yourself, so pick somewhere where that you can be focused. When entering college be optimistic and open minded to things that you may not be used to, try new things and talk to many people. One of the best things you will gain from college is a great experience so have fun, be open minded, but also be smart and make good decisions.

Joseph

Make sure you pick a school that will compliment your style of learning as well as your social style. Just because a place is big and looks very good might not suite your style if you like to have a more personal relationship with your professors. If you dont mind being a number then big schools are great but if you like the teacher knowing your name and being able to have a relationship with the people in your class then smaller schools could be the way to go. Never let the look of the school be your final decision, its about the educational quality that you are paying for, not the scenery.

Brishia

When you graduate high school, do not go to a college based on the athletic teams that you may have supported throughout the years or the mileage to and from your hometown. It is important to focus on what's really important, your education. Make sure that the university has your top 3 choices of interest for study. It never hurts to do a little research before you attend the school, find out why other students attend that school, what views students generally hold, and the extra-curricular activities that you can get yourself involved in. College is a time for you to slowly grow-up, by the end of your 4 + years, your university should have helped you find yourself and the place you should go next. As you will be spending years of your life at this college or university, it is important that you are happy and are able to enjoy every minute of it, even if you are in class.

Gabrielle

In order to find the right college, it is incredibly important to look at the extracurricular interests of the student. Yes, academics is an essential ingredient to the college experience, but no one could make it through all of that without the proper outlets to make friends and stay true to oneself. It has been proven that getting involved on campus brings up ones GPA, but what advisors and orientation leaders will not tell you is that getting involved on campus helps you to become the outstanding student that you truely want to be, that it will shape you to be an outgoing, friendly, and - most importantly - successful member of your college campus.

john

go visit the school and pick the school that fits the student not parent best

Stephanie

Make sure to take advantage of any oppurtunity to take a college tour, or to visit the any colleges you are interested in. Don't wait until your orientation, go during the school year, when the whole day isn't focused on impressing newcomers. If you going on a random day during the year, you will see what the school is really like. Join extra curriculars, I strongly suggest Greek Life, but anything will work, just get involved. You will make lots of friends, and it will help you feel more accomplished. Also, as cliche as it sounds, go to class, and do you work. You will really regret it if you blow off your freshman year, and then have to stay an extra year to retake a couple classes. Remember, college is a new place, with new people, and new oppurtunities. If you didn't like who you were in high school, now is the time to change it. No one will judge you here, we don't know you were the dorky kid in high school. Be whoever you want to be.

Kendall

The best advice that can be given is to choose whats right for you. NOT your parents, they will give you advice on whats best for you and them not just you. Weigh in big vs small school, prices, majors, and even climate because that can change your college experiance drastically. Also, if the University you choose has the opportunity to participate in Greek life, give it a shot. It's not animal house, its a family, and a home away from home.

Joseph

I would say that you gotta find a college that is right for you, just because a college is well known does not mean that they have the best programs or the best way of teaching the programs they do have. If you dont like cities and the hustle and bustle then you wont like a big school so dont go to those ones. There are plenty of smaller Universities that are just as good and sometimes better out there waiting for you application. So dont decide your school because of its name, meet some of the professors, sit in on some classes, and decide for yourself if you like the atmostphere. Its your next four years and your paying for it so why not get what you like and feel comfortable in, then the learning should come eaiser.

Abigail

Look for the college that best fits you. Don't let your parents, relatives, friends tell you where to go or what to study. Every college is different, each best in its own way, so when you look for the college you want to attend fr 2 years or more look for the college that you would like to attend, not the one everyone else wants to attend.

Jeffrey

Find a college that will offer a masters in the field that you are looking for, if you field does not offer a masters then find one that has a great success rate out side of graduation

Jennifer

The advice that I would give students about finding the right college would be class size. It all depends on how you learn, if you can learn without one on one contact, you can go to a big univeristy. But if you enjoy that one on one contact, pick a smaller school. It's always important to get all the help you can in college because it is totally different then high school. Making the most out of college is impoartant. I was always the shy one and was a transfer student, so I was in a room with 5 strangers, who became my best friends!! You really have to let your gaurd down when going to college so you will fit in and really be happy where you end up. I believe that is the most important part of a college experience is friends, because without them you will not have all the support needed for an amazing college experience.

emily

get lots of money

Samantha

When you visit a college, talk to some current students. They can tell you all sorts of things that the tour guides and brochures don't mention.

Mitchell

look for a college with go techers and the program you own't ..

Joe

Find a college that suits your expected experience. When you think of going to college or sending your child to college, what do you picture it as being like, the campus, the courses and community? Is it where you want to learn to know and become part of the social community of? Is it financially feasible? Do you know people already going to that college or university or do you look forward to making new friends? Do you want a classroom filled with hundreds of students or a handfull? What kind of weather do you prefer to live in? How far from home are you willing to be? Consider career interests and different majors and programs offered by different schools. Look forward to a brand new experience that can be as confusing as you let it, but know also that no matter how crazy things may seem, many have been there before you, and many have suceeded. The opportunity is there, the choices are yours to make. Don't expect everything to always go flawlessly, and never stress over the smallest things. Always buy required course books, and try to buy offline cause bookstores usually aren't cheap! Good Luck!

Robert

The best advice for students looking for the right college is to go ad visit the college first. If you know someone on campus that is the best way to find out about the school. Tours of campus don't always point out the best parts, such as, you don't have to clean the bathroom if it is a community bathroom. While you are visiting the campus ask questions and make sure your needs will be met. Also, you have to make the college experience, the college won't do it for you. Go out and meet people, if there are icebreakers offered go to them and meet people. College is not fun if you don't have friends you can hang out, study, and even get food with. Above all, make the college work for you. You are paying them so make sure you get your money out of the experience. Inlist the services which they provide when you need them and have a good time.

Charolette

I would make sure parents look into the program their child would like to study is offered. Also, I would look into the job acceptance rate after graduation from that college. This is to guarantee the student is getting a good education and they have a good job waiting when they're done. Parents and students should be aware of the food being offered. Its always nice for parents to send healthy or goody boxes of food to a college student. Sometimes college doesn't offer the best food. Generally, colleges have extra-curricular activities and such so that's really nothing to be worried about. Try to make your dorm/apartment comfortable. It makes it feel a little more like home and a little less like jail.

Dean

Don't choose it based on friends or a girlfriend. Pick it because it's the right fit for you, and because it has a program that you want. Choosing a college based on factors other than academics can be a bad move in the end. No matter what college you go to, you're bound to meet at least some people with similar interests, and many who will become friends for life. Keep an open mind about your school and the people there.

Anna

My advice would be to research where the student wants to go. Location, size and environment are key factors that can't be changed. The school should have the program(s) that the student is interested in. To make the most out of college, put your best food forward but don't forget the relax and have some fun. Make sure that the campus is comfortable and there is stuff that the student likes to do either on campus or in the surrounding area. To both the family and student don't stress about the money situation because it only makes going to college more difficult to have that constantly on the back of one's mind. Overall just enjoy the time, friendships and experience. Live each day to its fullest, and be able to look back and be able to say I went to this college, got a good education, and had fun doing it.