Middle Tennessee State University Top Questions

If I was able to go to myself in my senior year, I would advise myself not to stress so much. From what I have learnt through my first semester of college is: the professors are not as scary as movies portray, classes are different from high school courses, you learn how to manage your time properly, and campus life is absolutely amazing. I would tell myself to make sure you live on campus no matter what any friends say to try to persuade you to live else where. The science courses are extremely in depth in college and I would make sure to only take one science course at a time. There are always many people there to help you succeed such as your professors, advisors, peers, and always your family. I would make sure to tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as I could. Why? It's simple. Pursuing a brighter future for yourself through education is not as inexpensive as one would think it would be. Financial aid is a true blessing in every college student's life and it should be known that every senior must know how to obtain it.

I would change how I manage my time and study skills. Being in college has taught me time management and the importance of studying.

i would tell myself to work hard, so i'm able to get alot more scholarships then i already have.

To choose my major now from the start.

Deciding on what major to study is a difficult decision and needs a long time study about its job opportunities and its furute.

I would tell myself to just keep doing what i was doing and push the financial advisor more to help you get college payed for easy. I would also tell myself that if i didnt then i would be ok because i will mature fast and college will prove to be easy and that we are going somewhere in life because of the goals i set my senior year.

I would tell myself to not go away my first year of college and complete all my basic classes at the local community college and then transfer to the major college which would have increased my GPA and I would have had my family to support. I was 4-5 hours away from home my first year in college with no car to travel home when needed. I did not do well and partying was the game so my grades failed in some areas. I also was pregnant when I returned home. I would have waited on a child but I would give nothing for her. I would make better choices if give the opportunity go back.

If I could go back in time to high school, I most certainly would, due to the fact I didn't do so great, I would be an invisibile man on my shoulder going Marine Drill Seargant on myself, yelling at myself "to quite slacking and start studing"

Knowing what I know now,back in high school I would have tried harder, and maybe looked into taking college classes in high school to get them out of the way. I would also have explored my options as to what schools i could have applied to. I enjoy MTSU, but I don't like the location of the campus.

I would remind myself to stay focused, driven, and goal oriented. I would also remind myself to practice organizational skills and better my student habits. Preparing for your college selection should begin upon entering 9th grade including becoming familiar with test taking, school selection, academic requirements,school involvement, and guidance couselor involvement. It is very critical to research deadlines and critieria for scholarships and grants. It is a necessity to follow up on all materials to verify submissiona and the correct party has recieved the information.

If i were to advise myself as a high school senior, I would look at Community College first. MTSU is a good school, the administration and FIN Aid depts are overwhelmed! First gen students should never be left on their own in the college situation.

I would tell myself to look at as many career opportunities as possible and look up early the requirements it takes to get into a desired college. I know if I told myself to just take high school more serious, or take more AP classes, or get better grades, I probably wouldn't take myself serious. I heard it all the time that I needed to push myself as much as possible, but I never got out of my fantasy world because I always thought it would be ok and I would be able to slip by in college like I have in high school. But if I knew the requirements it would take to get where I want to go and knowing the consequences of my high school experience, I most definately would've take high school more serious. As a senior I should've visited colleges and taken advantage of every opportunity my high school had to offer to make the next step into continuing education. I also would've job researched better to know the field I wanted to go into so I knew better what college I wanted to attend and the requirements necessary for it.

If I could go back in time and speak to my high school self, I would tell myself first and foremost that I was an idiot for not taking AP classes while I had the chance. I would explain to myself that even though the classes would have been hard, that the classes would have counted as college credits that would have shortened the time in college and lessen the financial aid debt . Another piece of advice I would share with myself if I could go back in time would be to learn how to work hard and play hard. I would explain to myself that I should find that balance between getting your work done and then enjoying yourself and what campus and college life has to offer. In finding that balance, it helps to keep you focused and on track to accomplished your educational goals.

So you're about to graduate and as the date quickly approaches, you may think about how you will soon take one of your first colossal steps into what adults like to call "The Real World". First of all, stop, breathe, and take a look around. Those 800 or so soon-to-be graduates have just as many worries and questions as you do, despite how prepared they might seem. "What am I going to do?! I have to pay for this; I have to sign up for that!" So get ready to put on your big girl pants and take a step into the unknown because I'm about to give you some very important tips. Number One: Follow your dreams! You know you don't like blood, so why entertain Dad with the thought that you're going to be a nurse? Number Two: It’s ok if you don’t understand! That's why the school website has every professor, administrator, advisor, and office email/phone number listed! Don't hesitate to call! Number Three: It’s college not prison, so get involved! Take a class just because you think is cool! Make the best of it!

No matter how shy or scared you might be, talk to the guidance counselor. She will talk with you about anything you are worried about. Ask her to direct you to a career aptitude test becasue you have no idea what you want to study in college. You really don't know what you'd be good at either. You may think you want to be teacher but aren't sure. You don't have lots of experience with children because one bad experience frightened you away. Don't let your boyfriend take up so much of your time because he may end up determining your identity.

I would start off by taking my town in choosing the school. I will always tell myself more studying.

Study and do your best! Don't assume you can go just retake a class and it wont matter later.

You need to make friends in your classes because these are the people that will be going through it withyou. They will be your support system. Meaning if you don't understand something you need to turn to others including your teachers to help you through it. Taking school seriously is more important now than ever before, now not only do you have family and friends watching you to see if you'll make it through but you're paying for it as well. Paying for it myself is making me more responsible for my education. I feel like going to school is helping to build my self-confidence and think about the consequences of my actions more. I think more about my future and the kind of life I want for myself and my family. I want to be able to tell my kids the importance of furthering their education because I know firsthand the difference it makes in a persons life.

I would advicel my high-school-self to begin to prepare for college as soon as possible. Being smart is not all there is to it. You have to be organized and prepared; always plan ahead; keep up with what is coming due and anticipate what you should be doing next. You can make the grades, but that doesn't make you stand out; be outgoing and confident. Know that you are worthy of a finer education, and work hard so that you will inherit what you worthiness has gifted you. Finally, for goodness sake, pick an interest! It's fine to be interested in many things, but decide what you want to be an expert in! Then, go become the authority you know you can be!

Now that I am nearing the end of my third year at Middle Tennessee State University, I can catalogue all of what I have done and effects thereof and criticize them. The first bit of advice I would have to offer for myself absolutely must be to drop on-line social interaction. By this, I am not referring to social services, such as Facebook; rather, I am referring to myriad forums found scattered around for subjects and fan bases of all sorts. Person to person interaction is not even my true enemy. What absorbed my time was the expectation of new content on these forums. Conversations on forums are drawn out; any member of the website may come by and continue it, and waiting periods for responses are liberal. Hours can pass with relatively few responses, but that is all which is necessary to continue. As a result, my time was less available for other, more productive avenues, such as my newfound passion for the journey to being a polymath. The time could also be used with people with whom I can interact in real time and form meaningful relationships. As an aside, I would say, "Apply for scholarships. Now."

There are many things I would tell the high school senior of myself. One word of advise I would pass on to myself is to try get into some extracuriculars because they make a huge difference! A second word of advice would be to learn how to study! I never had to study in high school to get good grades but it was a huge shock when I got into college and found out that is not the case.

If I were to go back to my high school self and tell myself about my college transition, I would tell myself to study harder, sleep when I have free time and love every second of my college freshmen year. I would tell myself that instead of going to one of Middle Tennessee State Univeristy Football games to study for that Calculus test and do not write that paper the night before it is do. To visit my professors during their office hours and ask for help and advice. Stay up late and study for a test or an exam and sleep after my classes. Instead of sleeping for ten hours a day to do all homework and study for each class then sleep. But most importantly to enjoy my youth and get to met new people and experience the joy of college. Because to be honest this first year flew by me...I had fun but not as much fun as I would have wanted. Giving my self this advice would make a huge impact on my college freshmen year and make it more productive, enjoyable and would set a better future for myself.

Don't take that year off! It will turn into nine. Before you know it you'll have three kids, and finding time to do your homework will be extremely difficult. Study when you can , but don't forget to have fun...you are just a kid. Life is hard, but it's even harder without an education. School is easy.. if you're going for a purpose. You CAN do this! Your dream life is just a degree away!

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to make all decisions for myself, and to put me first. If I did this I would be able to partake in many great opportunites. I would tell myself to take more chances and be more outgoing. Life is completely different than it is in high school. There is not time to procrastinate or to just be able to study the night before and make an A on a test. Most importantly I would tell myself not to get too in over my head or too stressed out. I would say that everything would be fine all I need to do is trust in God.

I would ask myself if I really wanted to go to college and decided exactly what I wanted to do. I would tell myslef to focus on school only, choose a college that you can see yourself at all four years, and to make sure you have a balance with school and finanically. Moving out and living on your own is a challenge, choosing what to eat is a challenge. I would also tell myself to put GOD first in everything that I do and the rest will follow.

My advice to myself would be to have used my military benefits sooner. It would have been easier to get a good job if I had. I probably would have told myself to go for the military anyway, but I would have said not to get a job right out of it. There are a lot more opportunities if you have a college diploma, and I think I have missed some by not having one. I would have told myself not to wait.

If I could go back and talk to my former self while still in high school, I would advise him to forget about the petty problems that had him stressed out. He has no idea how little that will matter when he's 33 years old and can't figure out how to pay for college. I would tell him to focus on mathematics, and to learn more of the principles of physics while he had the chance in high school. In our conversation, I would certainly have him invest in some premium 1997 stocks like Microsoft or Apple, or just to generally invest his money because the inflation would be coming soon. The most important thing I would tell him is to not enroll in college just because he thought he was "supposed to". "Young Steven," I'd say, "dedicate yourself to your music and your dream, and do not dilute your attention by studying things you don't really care about. You'll have plenty of time for that in a decade or so." Then after doing that, he might finally do as I have, and find out that he really loves Philosophy. He'd have never guessed.

Do not take your classes, your teachers, or the resources given to you for granted. Being in college makes you appreciate the things you have now in high school. Listen to your parents and teachers because they will not steer you in the wrong direction. College is a major step. So do your best now and the reward is great throughout your college experience as long as you maintain the hard work. Think about it this way, college is just like high school but on a higher scale. You are still learning,, meeting people, have social events, you have freedom although it is limited it is more freedom. But college along with high school has rules still. The key to making it work now and later is prioritizing your plans and focal points while in high school and when you reach college you will do the same. Another is time management, studying or working hard, and using alll your resources given to you. Not forgetting your goals is the main thing. If you never forget those, you will always work towards them and once reached make more because your success is limited as you make it.

After going through what college is offering, I have discovered many techniques and learning tools necessary for me to graduate on time, many of which I wish I knew before I started. If I was able to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to expect to be working constantly on schoolwork and volunteer work. For a theatre major, there are many aspects that one uses to create a spectacular show, and it is not so easy. Schedules will be busy beyond belief, but keep your head up high. Professors and other facilities will notice your hard work and acknowledge you. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help. Professors are here to help you, for they want you to succeed. And most importantly, you must always have faith. Have faith in your work that it will be correct, have faith in your professors, and have faith in yourself. Believing and trusting yourself will make you a stronger person, and it will fill you with confidence. Do not let the cost of college worry you. Do your best, apply for scholarships, and believe that you can make a difference by being who you are.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would definitely have a few pointers to give. I would start by advising myself not to declare a major for the first year or two, 18 is too young to have to pick your path in life. I think students should mature a little before making such a big choice, and investing their money into it. I would also tell myself to remember my priorities and not to get so caught up in the festivities going on around you. People will always be around to distract you and make you lose focus of the main goal, so figure out a schedule and try as hard as you can to stick to it. Lastly, I would emphasis the importance of a college degree. So many people think that you don’t need a college degree to succeed, but realistically, most of us do. If you want to achieve your dreams and live the life you have always wanted then you need a good education to jump start your life.

my best advice will be study hard and dont get distract by unimportant things. Just be yourself and school is more important than anything else

I would not tell myself to do anything diffrent. The choices that I have made have allowed me to grow like never before. I have more confidence and know there is more to accomplish.

Hey, me. Yeah, right over here. Look: some stuff's going to happen to you, and some of it will be harsh and hard to deal with. You're going to be tempted to delay your attendance at a college because of it, and later on, you'll use major life-changing events as an excuse to drop out. Hear me on this, though; you're going to want to be an example to your kids - yeah, you're going to have two of them - and college is going to be part of how you do that, inspiring them to a higher education that they're going to need later in life. So here's the thing: instead of putting off going to school, just go on and do it. It's different from high school in ways that are going to benefit you, and you'll enjoy - for the most part - the new stuff you're going to learn and the classes you'll take. Trust me on this one - just head on to college right after graduation, no matter what happens. Also - you're going to switch up girlfriends a little bit, so brace for that, too.

Even though things will be different and a little scary, push through every obstacle that comes your way. To most instructors your feeling are not important, be strong and you will make it. Major in what you really want to major in. In the end, it's all about what makes you happy, not everyone else.

If I were to go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I suppose I would say "Listen you lazy moron, three years from now you've been kicked out of your house and are living with your grandsparents, trying DESPERATELY to get into a college so you don't get kicked out of THEIR house too. Get your ass in gear and bring those grades up otherwise you're in for one HELL of a bumpy ride, kid."

If I could go back and tell myself what I know now then I would have told myself to not rely on my friend as much as I did. She was already a freshman in college at the time and she told me that she would help me with scholarship information. She did not help me with much and I was pretty much confused on how to do my FAFSA so I did not get as much money as I could have which resulted me in having to take out a loan that I have to pay back. If I had took the time to apply for scholarships like I am now, then I would not be in debt.

College is a posite life changing opportunity. I would suggest that starting with a small load of classes one being a University Studies. It is best to take two classes and complete with satisfactory grades, then to take five classes and have uncomplete with uunsatisfactory grades. Research financial aid grants and scholarships. College only gets more expensive with time. The University Studies class helps with preparing students for the changes. Taking that class or some other similar that teaches time management, learning strategies, test-taking stategies, dealing with college life, and using the accomidations the college has to offer. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." ~Proverbs 3, 5-6

I would give myself the advice to either start at a 4 yr college or stay at a community college and get an associate degree. I made the mistake due to finances of going to a community college, then transferring to MTSU and my class choices did not transfer the way I was expecting. I never regret my decisions but I would tell myself to choose one or the other.

As a high school senior, knowing that college is so much diiferent from high school, i need to be organized with the stuff i do like with homework and projects, etc. Also i would like to advise the up coming freshmen like me to be on time to my classes, and that is a challenge for me, because i always tend to be a couple minutes late, but i try to be on time. One thing that would be a good advise for me would be to not put everything for the last moment, and to take my time with doing things like homework, presentations, projects and so on. I advise myself to be confident with the choices i make reagarding my undeclared major. I advise my self to be a self relient person, and to be succesful, and to acheve my goals.

When attending college know that responsibilities are significantly different than in highschool. Accomplishing a college degree is achievable, but to meet this goal does require a higher level of an ambition. One will learn how to be self-disciplined by using time wisely and focusing on priorities. Do not be scared to take risk in trying positive new things. Think outside the box to experience a new light. Use what resources are available to network to achieve personal goals. Ultimately the college experience is not only the pathway but the foundation to developing a promising career.

If I could go back and give myself advice, I would encourage myself to apply for colleges and scholarships early to give myself a better chance. I would tell myself that deadlines are critical to make. I would also tell myself to stay focused on my work and not get carried away with the freedom that comes along with the college life. And last but not least, I would tell myself to study, study, study. If I don't know how to study then I need to learn how to study because studying is the key to passing college courses.

I would tell myself to listen to my counselors, and don't knock a school until you try it. I would also tell myself not to panic when problems appear with college applications and not to be so critical about the college process. It's never too late to do anything you want to do in life. There are many oppurtunnities. The last thing I would say is don't be lazy when it comes to apply for scholarships. Some of them are a once in a lifetime oppurtunity.

Dear High School Me, I am about to enter the college world. Although things are working out right now, there are some things that you could have done to improve your transition into college. First, take the SATs multiple times and actually study for them. Taking the ACT isn't a bad idea either, it would be useful for that college in Alabama I want to go to. Second, apply to as many scholarships as you can! You will need this money; college is really expensive. Third, actually apply to college. Art school isn't going to work out. You are going to end up deciding that it is not for you. If you had figured this out earlier, you could be going to a 4 year university right now instead of starting out at a 2 year community college. But it's okay, I'm transfering after those two years. All in all, don't be so nervous. Things have a way of working out. You will do just fine and I know I will too. Have some fun, and don't forget, respect yourself and others. You have a lot of growing to do. Good luck.

I would tell myself to study harder. There are so many more scholarships I could have gotten, and more opportunites to be successful if I would have worked as hard in high school as I am currently doing in college.

Work a little harder to make no C's and avoid the class distractions and focus more on your classes.

I would tell myself to stay in the books and do better on the ACT. They extra money is well needed. I also would have went to my couselors more to get help with my financial aid. Lastly, I would have paid more attention to the note taking skills.

Dear Linda This is future you and I have 200 words of advice concerning your collegiate endeavors. First, your high school “good grade” friends are the first to drop out. Life happened to them. They had to pay rent and other bills. Paying bills and going to school is harder than anyone anticipated. This situation will cause you some anxiety. But, you haven’t failed or given up yet. I write this to tell you to have faith in yourself. Looking back, the only reason you haven't dropped out is because you have a strong work ethic and an optimistic nature that enables you to get up when you stumble over life’s bumps. These characteristics will help carry you through all the trying events of the near future. Good grades and well written papers will not mean as much as those characteristics. So, hold on to them. Most importantly, the Superbowl in 2007 is Giants vs. Patriots. You need to take every dollar you can and bet on the Giants to win. This should take care of tuition. Also, I’m hoping that money will help relieve some of that previously mentioned anxiety. Sincerely You, Yourself and I.

Instead of reading all of those great books and spending all of that time playing video games you should study, because college is expensive. It would be great practice if you started studying right now and try to get a couple of scholarship's. Trust me, you are going to regret not doing your best on everything. Also try to be a little more social because networking is very important, and starting early is better than learning about it later. I know that you don't think it's that important but you can not get through life without making contact other people.

i would tell high school senior me that first not to worry about the school work so much. Second i would tell him to look for scholarships. I would tell myself now that i should not relax too much when my school work is what i should be focusing on. also, to learn the map of my university because it is confusing.

In fact i would go as far back to my freshman days, and tell myself not hang out with the people i did. If i didn't listen to myself i would fast forward to my sophmore and sit myself down and explain how hard it was going back to chool at the age of thirty. Continueing to tell myself that picking up a needle and a bag of heron will do nothing but take me down a rocky path of homelessness, jails and the degredation of my own self esteem. "Take your time, breathe easy, and don't be afraid", is what i would tell myself. In hoping that the sophmore version on me would wake up just by looking at me now, i would keep my finders crossed that in seeing that after 15 years of heroin addiction just how hard it was for me to get back into school, and find the money to pay for it.