Michigan Technological University Top Questions

I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships while I do not have the amount of homework that I now have in college. I would have tried to work more to get some more money to set myself up for college life. I would also tell myself to never allow myself to start procrastinating at the beginning of my college career. I would have told myself to shoot for a 4.0 GPA because I know that I could have done it if I had worked a little bit harder at the beginning of the school year.

College is not high school. You breezed through the classes over the past few years here but now you're going to a larger school with much higher expectations. Michigan Tech is going to challenge you and you will struggle, but you're not alone. Make these experiences worth something and grow through your struggles. Don't party too much, I know it seems like fun but you're only hurting yourself, scratch that, don't change a single thing. Every experience you have at Michigan Tech will be one of the best in your life and I promise you'll come out unscathed, with a job in a great field. One you never imagined entering now.

Don't stress out about money. Life is too short, do what makes you happy. You can be an engineer! You are smart enough! Get out of your comfort zone and do things that make you uncomfortable. You are perfect just the way you are, love yourself. Don't worry about boys, the right one will come around eventually.

If I could talk to myself while I was in high school I would tell myself to be more financially responsible and save more money, work harder, apply for more scholarships, and attempt to not take out as many loans. I would also tell myself to take more risks and to not be so afraid of what might happen if I did or did not do something. Finally I would tell myself to enjoy yourself a little more, stress less and just put in the time needed to succeed.

Simply put, I would remind myself to expect the worst, but hope for the best. Though I may not continue to preform perfectly in all I do, I should keep in mind that the future I planned for myself is full of many more twists and turns than anyone could ever plan for. So be prepared for change. Accept it, and learn from it. Do what I can to embrace the little things in life, as they can easily be foreshadowed by the bustle and clash of long nights and busy schedules. But no matter what I do, never for a second should I ever give up. Everything that I have gone through, that I will go through, has made me appreciate life all the more, and helped to ensure every second was always that much sweeter.

Just dive right in. Don't forget to study and commit yourself to academic success, but otherwise, have some fun. If you don't need privacy, leave your dorm door open. Talk to the people in your hall and join some campus organization. And be yourself. This is your chance to make some friends for life, and they need to know you for who you are. But in the midst of all this fun, don't forget to call home. Even if you don't need your mom and dad's advice (and remember that you probably do on occasion), they want to hear from you. And college isn't your opportunity to run away from the past and who you were--it's your chance to learn how to change the world while being the person you were born to be. So relax. College is fun. Hit the books and work hard, but make time to socialize. Now go chase down that dream. It'll be a blast.

I would encourage myself to take a more active role on campus earlier on. I attended many major-orientated programs and jobs but only in my last few semesters did I join a sorority and become more involved in the arts. I would tell myself to buy warm boots (it snows 7 months out of the year) and be prepared for the most fun I've ever had to work for in my life. I would tell myself that the people I meet at Michigan Tech will change my life and to valuable those people that take my world by storm. I would tell myself to lighten up (I was a very serious high school senior) and enjoy the time that is about to come. Study hard, spend long nights in the library and at your desk, but also take the time to enjoy the ten foot snow statues and the many different colors that grace the trees in the short fall.

I would tell myself to be prepared for change. In college, everything is different, and quite often you may feel that your entire world has been turned upside down. You can't really know what you'll encounter, bu be sure to make the most out of your time and try to prepare as best you can.

I actually think I did everything right. I didn't go straight to college, I took 2 years off, which I think made me value my college education more and made me more motivated.

Unfortunately, I never made it to be a high school senior. I graduated early because I felt high school was too overwhleming for someone who knew nothing about what college was, where they wanted to go, what they wanted to do, let alone, how they were going to pay for it. So, I tested out early and went straight to a community college. I do wish I could go back and do my entire high school years over. I wish I would have payed attention and respected the classroom. I would have told myself to absorb whatever knowledge I could there because it actually does help in college. I would have told myself to visit the college/career center more often, ask more questions without being afraid, and take school seriously. I would have told myself to exercise my full potential so I won't feel cheated by my own self. I learned all of these things in community college, but if I would have learned them sooner, I would have probably gone to a prestigious 4-year institution. However, I will always love community college for what it taught me and for making me the person I am today.

Dear Gina, You are going to meet some fabulous people that are going to change your life: trust them, love them, and never let them get away. Time at Tech will fly and some people have a head start, so cut the crap and just be friends already. You are going to get a lot of “optional reading;” read it all. You are going to get a lot of “optional problems” for chemistry and calc; do them all. Change majors before the end of your first year. If the chance comes to go on a road trip; do not turn it down; it is going to be a thousand times more fun than ANYTHING you are going to do instead. Apply for a job around town even if you do not think you are going to have time; you will find a way to get everything done, you always do. When you do not think you can get a job doing research for a professor, ha, yeah, you will, just try, it is what the professors are there for. Best advise for last: keep your head up and smile, not just at yourself, but everyone else.

I would advise myself over two areas of education, which are study techniques and the necessary time required toward studying to achieve optimum grades. During high school, I did not have to study for an exams and I still managed a 3.2 GPA when I graduated. Although high school was easy, I regret not developing proper study skills necessary to be a successful student in college. Instead I was forced to develop these skills while in college, which made the coursework much more difficult to grasp and resulted in me crashing and burning my first few years at a university. While I developed adequate study skills, I also learned how much time I should dedicate to review the material covered on the exam.

Most of my high school years were spent trying to decide 'what I wanted to be when I grew up'. Choosing a university was a major part of this decision...and, after many hours of strenous decision-making, I chose MIchigan Tech. I chose MTU specifically because of its small size and outstanding reputation. Now, after being here 2.5 years I can honestly say that that one of the most valuable assets I will take away from my experience is that of meeting and working with people. By going 8 hours away from home and living in a dorm I was forced out of my 'comfort zone' and into the 'unknown'. I have gained so much experience here at Tech just by going to class, doing group projects, talking and meeting with professors, living in the dorms, etc. College prepares us for our careers and in our careers we must communicate daily with coworkers, employers, and many more people. After attending MTU I feel well prepared to enter my career pathway confidently. I also want to emphasize the important of the education I received; I learned more than I thought possible and my critical thinking has expanded exponentially.

Go to the lab in UMN. Learn more from there.

College for me has been an exhilarating experience. I was always that kid going through school that wanted to strive for the best grade possible, and was hoping to get the most out of my schooling experience. Report card day was always a scary day, for the fear of receiving lower than an A. Luckily for me I was hard driven and always had that A appear, and college has allowed me to continue that tradition. College for me also lets me strive and achieve my life goal. Marine biology has been my dream job since the age of 13 and to now be working my way towards my goal is amazing. College has opened so many doors for me, offers me that ability to challenge myself, and teaches me the tools I’ll need to survive in the future. Not only is college about my future career, it is also about gaining relationships with people who will be there for me years down the road. Through college I have gained trusted friends, and secured relationships with people who really do want to see me succeed. College has been amazing and I feel it will keep on getting better.

My college experience let me live on my own and under my own boundaries, but it also made me realize how much harder I'd have to work to support myself. I was mainly a homebody, but now I want to experience as much as I can, wherever I can. I don't fear being by myself anymore, instead I take it as a new experience for my own independence and I love everything about it.

The biggest thing that I have gotten out of my college experience is knowledge. Michigan Tech isn't known for its social scene but that information learned here can change your life which is why this has been a amazing part of my life.

I have learned a lot more about the topics I am interested in than in high school. I have learned things that actually interest me, and that I know will help me be a better person in the future. Aside from school, I have learned to be a better person overall. I have learned the importance of time management so I can get things on time and not feel stressed about it. I have also learned that having a number of good friends around is important because they help you when you are struggling and are always around for you to hang out with. It is valuable to attend because it is the building blocks of my future. I learn things that if I didn't go to college I don't think I would ever learn, or it would be a lot harder to teach myself. One of the biggest lessons I've had to learn is how to manage money. It is important to know, because without money, my education would not be possible.

One thing I've gotten out of my college experience so far is a sense of independence. I've learned to live on my own, pay my own bills, cook my own food, and make my own schedule. This is really valuable to me, it makes me confident that when I have a job and have to take care of myself for the rest of my life that I will be okay. I've also met some amazing people, who i think will be my friends for the rest of my life. I've also had tons of fun! There is so much cool stuff to do and awesome opportunities! It's been some of the most fun times of my life.

In the semester I have been at Michigan Tech, I have learned more information that will help me in my career than I did in all 4 years in high school. The classes are all challenging and stimulating and I feel like my experiences here will lead to a successful future in a computer science career.

The biggest thing I have gotten out of my college experience thus far is the confidence and motivation for my future career choice.

So far I have learned valuable life and work skills. I have made many friends which is excellent for future networking. The ability to download teacher lectures onto my ipod is a huge help. The relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to approach professors and upper classmen. Everyone is willing to help each other.

I love learning new things, and in college here, a lot of that happens. I know Michigan Tech has ties with several large companies such as IBM to where students can often get internships and receive jobs before they even graduate. I believe this will be very valuable to me later.

I have learned how to live on my own. I have also learned that it is important to apply yourself and value other's opinions. It is important to know that you are not alone in this world. Take the time to help others and put your best skills forward to promote others.

College is about having the chance learn about the things you love and a time to enjoy being challenged in school. Always make the choices that you know will make you happy but make sure it is a choice that you can look back on and be proud of. Though college can be fun it is best to come up with a schedule when it comes to studying, cleaning, & fun and stick to the schedule. Keep your eyes open to the many amazing people that you can and will meet at school, and though its good to stay in contact with friends back home don't let them hold you back. Most important have fun, study hard, and call your family everyonce in a while, they love and miss you.

The advice that I would give myself about making the transistion into college is to get more involved. The first couple weeks at college, I didn't go to a lot of the things going around on campus because I felt like nobody wanted to have freshmen around. I ended up realizing that the majority of the upperclassmen and faculty are eager to help and be friends. They made my transition into college very easy once I decided to be involved.

The key piece of advice that I would give to myself if I were able to go back to when I was a senior is simple. I would tell myself to talk to and get to know my teachers. I believe I could have excelled in college if I would have taken a little extra time doing this. When I went to college I had a hard time conversing and feeling comfortable talking with my professors. I understand now that this is a very important piece to college success. Professors in college can be quite intimidating. However, as intimidating as they may be, they are the direct connection of information in your college courses. To excel in the coursework it is important to feel comfortable to approach that direct source. If I created a habit of conversing with my high school teachers then I would have had more practice to feel most confident talking with my college professors today.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself i would say so much. When i first started looking at colleges i did not know where to start. I would tell myself to look into private colleges that might be able to give more financial aid and i would have to take out less loans. I would tell myself to do more research on the programs and classes that must be taken in order to graduate. Another big thing would be to look at more colleges in state would hopefully be less expensive that the one i am currently at. Before starting college i would tell myself to relax and manage my time more efficiently and spend more time studying and stop watching tv. I would also tell myself to go to bed earlier and do healthier things. I would suggest to get out and learn to socialize more and get involved on campus with activiites that would be enjoyable and help build my resume. There is so much more that I would tell myself when I was at that state. There is a lot of information that does not get to high school students.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now I wouldn?t say much. Part of the transition between high school and college is learning how to deal with things that come up. I would give myself encouragement that I am on the right path and that the biggest thing is to trust myself. I would tell me that no matter what people say it is still my choice where I go and I don?t have to have a concrete reason as to why. So in the end all I would say is that things will come up and I have the tools to deal with them and all will be well.

If I could go back and give myself advice about the college life I tell myself to try harder in Calc 1 and 2 so that Calc 3 wouldn't be so hard on you. Getting a better study habbit in high school would make the transition a lot easier and not to have my mind so focused on one certain major but go in with an open mind about what you would really like to do for the rest of your life. I would also say that don't just go to a school because they have a good reputation but to look for one where the people are easy going and maybe one that you have a friend going to because having your close friends with you makes the college life a lot more enjoyable and you will find yourself more out going at times too. The last thing i would tell myself is have a good time too because after this is work and really this is your last time in life that you have no big worries other than just a couple tests.

If I could go back in time, the first thing I would tell myself would be to go where you want to go no matter the cost. When I first went to school I went somewhere because it wasn't expensive, not because I wanted to go there. I was so unhappy that I switched during my freshman year, and now I am happier than ever. I would also advise myself to be prepared to study more than I ever have before. The school I go to know is difficult, and studyig makes my life easier and my time worthwhile. The last thing I would advise myself is to be outgoing and do thigns I wouldn't normally do. My first semester I sat in my room and didn't socialize and I wish I would have. Now that I socialize, I have friends to hang out with and friends in class to study with. I also enjoy my time at school more than ever.

Stay focused and buy your books from upperclassman or online. Listen to upperclassman advice with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to ask for help. Call your parents more. (You're beautiful and wonderful.)

Shifting from high school to college includes taking on much more personal responsibility. Having experienced college life for a semester, I would strongly encourage myself as a senior in high school to strive to take on more responsibility and leadership roles in order to prepare myself. I would also assure myself that making new friends and adjusting to harder courses and new professors is nothing to be afraid of. Everybody goes through it, and almost everyone becomes a better person because of the experience. Finally, I would tell myself to make every effort possible to find activities that I not only enjoy participating in, but that would provide me with marketable skills and abilities once I graduate from college.

In high school, anything seemed possible. I had chosen a school my family could afford, the program I wanted to attend looked perfect, and everything seemed to be falling into place. However, it wasn't until I was actually at Temple University that I realized I may have just made the biggest mistake of my life. Of course, this sounds a little dramatic but to this day I am kicking myself for not going to other schools and really seeing what the school could offer me. That is the advice I gave to the underclassmen at my old high school when I went to visit over winter break. There is no reason that anyone pursuing higher education should have to compromise a great education because of financial issues. Asking important questions and talking to upperclassmen who went to that university will give you the most honest feedback. And on an unrelated note, make sure to talk to your future roommates before deciding to live with them. This advice will not necessarily guarantee a stress free first year, but it sure would have helped!

Don?t worry about it! Although the kindergarten games they make you play during your orientation may make you doubt the mental stability of your school, it will only last a couple of days, and afterwards the majority of students will return to their natural personality. However, there are a few that never seem to fall off the ?away-from-mom? high; they are easily identifiable by the mohawk eloquently dawned on a shiny scalp as they race around campus. You will most likely wish to avoid these characters, but fret not; there are plenty of other humble students just like you who will make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. Utilize the recreational activities the campus has to offer. Normally a night bowling or a gym subscription may seem like an excessive expense, but you may be surprised to find out what is available to you and your friends free of charge. The most important piece of advice, however, is to listen to your teachers and writing coaches. No matter what major you are, you need to learn how to write properly in order to be successful at school and your future career as a college graduate!

I would tell myself to get over the drama and start really thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I would become more involved in volunteering, JROTC, and working out. I would tell myself to get my head in the game and really learn some good studying habits. I believe that I made a lot of right choices in high school and found myself to be very down to earth but most kids are just too busy with a social life, parties, and not working hard to prepare for school. Basically, give back to the community and learn from it because once you start college it is hard to learn how to balance homework, volunteering, working and a social life.

You must develop a better work ethic and realize that you and only you are responsible for any learning and life experiences that will come your way during college.

Don't take yourself so seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself when you fall and make sure to learn from your mistakes. You only live once so live it up. Study hard, but don't forget to have fun. College is an adventure. Enjoy it while you can. Good luck!

When you are at home you may have your parents or guardian to tell you, "You should get your homework done now so then you can go out later." When you are living on your own in your dorm room, you have no one there to tell you what you should do, its your own judgement and no one elses. You have to be able to know what you should do and only you can make yourself do the right decision. Also, you should always go to class even if you think that you don't need to. There is always some sort of information that you will miss if you don't go to class. Whether its about an exam or something that may be on the exam, there is always something you can take home from class.

Aggressively purse all learning opportunities. Yes, it's GREAT to be well-rounded and have fun however; for 4-short years place the emphasis on education first! Be a sponge, learn as much as possible. Be open-minded and cherish other peoples way of life. The college experience can't be duplicated - the opportunities you have are priceless, make the most of it. View it as a sprint, it wont last that long, but the wealth of knowledge and experience that can be ascertained is limitless!

Now that I have experienced college, if I were to go back and tell my highschool seft how to adjust I would tell myself to prepare better for living and sharing space with different people. Being in college and continueing in life requires that you work with people. It is sometimes difficult to work with people, but it is very important that you do so in a calm and understanding way. I would also tell myself to get involved right off the bat. It is easy at Michigan tech to get involved in some activity and very importatnt to your future. Getting involved prepares you for the "real world" and gives you a good experience for life long skills.

I would go to school right after high school

I WOULD TELL MYSELF THAT COLLEGE IS NOT LIKE HIGH SCHOOL AND THAT I SHOULD REALLY LEARN GOOD STUDY HABBITS. EVEN THOUGH YOU DID NOT HAVE TO TRY IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE IS MUCH HARDER AND TAKES DEDICATION. I WOULD ALSO TELL MYSELF TO ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE IT GETS SERIOUS WHEN YOUR IN COLLEGE AND THE STRESS BECOMES MUCH REALER.

ALWAYS do your homework, and do the programming assignments a second time to be sure you understand them.

I would tell myself not to stress out about the classes I did, to use the learning centers and study a little harder. I would also tell myself to join my fraternity a semester earlier.

I would have learned how to study better. In high school I did very well in all my classes without having to open a book. The transition from not needing to study to needing to study was tough. Included in this would be to read the class material before going to class. The lecture is to go over the tougher concepts, not to replace the book. Another thing I would have learned is time management. In high school my parents did this for me most of the time. In college I had to learn when to set aside study time, time to relax, and time for extracurricular activates. I learned the hard way that a planner is a good tool, and study time needs to be set aside every day. My sorority, Alpha Xi Zeta, requires its pledges to use a planner and learn time management. These ladies truly helped me.

Well, first of all get a job during high school. That was a mistake not to have one. Going so far away from home was a good decision because not being able to go home every weekend helped to make friends. CALL YOUR MOTHER EVERY DAY!

Take allot of advanced placement classes. Listen to your teachers and parents they know what they are talking about. Pay better attention in math class. Enjoy High School you will never have another experence like it.

Don't stress out so much about where to go. Many schools can be a good fit.

If I had the chance to go back to my senior year and give myself some advice about college I would tell myself to lighten up. During my senior year I was so worried that I wouldn't fit in at Michigan Tech. I thought that I wouldn't be as smart as everybody else and I wouldn't make any friends. Upon arriving at Tech, I instantly became friends with my roommate and two of the girls that lived down the hall. Then, through orientation activities I made some amazing friends. Most of which I am close friends with to this day. Also, classes were pretty tough. I thought I couldn't handle them and I would end up failing out. But, after a while, I realized that I knew most of the material that was being covered, and even if I didn't, I had friends in every class that could help teach me, or I could go to a professor during office hours. After that, I was set. Except for the money issue. While that is still a huge burden, I know things will be alright after graduation.