Norfolk State University Top Questions

I would tell myself to take my classes more serious, and within everything i do , give one hundred and ten percent.

"Tanesha, please stay in school and get focused!" I'd see a girl whose high school was not a glorious time filled with friends and extracurricular activities. There weren't too many great memories for her and school was not a place that she enjoyed being. However, I'd tell myself to push through it because a high school diploma would make college so much easier. Instead, I aquired a GED and would have loved to tell myself to have joined organizations, made lifelong friends, and spoke to teachers and counselors who could help me prosper in school and feel like a contributing member of the school. It would have given me the confidence needed to continue I have made it to college now, but due to my past struggles, attending is tough and if I knew in the past how difficult it would be, I would have certainly my own advice.

If I could go back to high school and talk to myself, now knowing what life after high school and life essentilally have to offer, I would tell myself to be more aware. I would not have partied as hard as I did in my late teen and early twenties. I would have been more financially mindful. When I received refund checks from college for the most part I would pay bills because I always worked, had my own place, and cared for my children, but the remainder of the money I should have given back to the school or Department of Education so that I could have been done sooner and also to reduce those interest rates. I would tell myself: "Girl, do NOT get that credit card, because it will bite you later on because your just not that financially responsible yet, and lastly I would have told myself "You can do it" more often then I did. I went through spells of depression when life hit me, more so because I just was not prepared for what life had in store for me because of some poor decisions I made growing up.

The advice I would give myself is "Stay focused". Being a freshman in college, it is hard to keep focus of why you are really there because it's a lot of distractions that you're not used to having. As a freshman you want to meet lots of people, and you have this idea from watching college life on television that you will party a lot in college. You're away from your parents, and you want to do everything that you weren't allowed in high school; however, you can not lose sight of why you're there. High school to college is a huge transition, and the level of work is strenuous. Stay on top of your work, read ahead, visit your professors when you have questions, be diligent. Most importantly, put forth your best effort, because what you do in these 4 years will determine what you do for the rest of your life.

Honestly, I would advise myeslf to go to community college first to save money and then transfer to another school. I would tell myself that scholarships and financial advancements are key to proceeding in school. No matter what major you committ to, the struggle for money can be very worrying. I would also advise myself to apply for as many scholarships as i can before coming to any school. When it comes to Norfolk State, i would advise myself to meet as many people as i possible can before attending. Since the school is not too diverse, The seperation into specific groups isn't too severe so the opportunities to meet many people as possible.

Advice #1) Find something other than coffee that keeps you motivated and awake. It is a bad habit you will start developing and you will be battling it throughout your College time. Try gum, tea, yoga or meditation! Advice #2) Don’t fool yourself! You know that you will be making sacrifices, such as giving away lots of leisure- and “hanging out on the couch watching TV” - time. Don’t pretend that it will be easy. Of course, you will all figure it out, but know that you might be walking the streets like a zombie at times; especially if you are working full-time as well. Advice #3) It is always good to know that the bookstore is not the only source to get your class materials from. There are many cheaper resources, such as Amazon. These will make your life a little bit easier and could prevent you from eating PBJ-sandwiches for a week, because you have no money left for any other foods! Advice #4) Know that instructors and faculty members are usually here to help you. Give them a chance. They don’t have to be your enemies. Advice #5) Do it all over again!

I would tell myself to stay focus and get more involved in campus activties. I came into college expecting it to be like high school so I slacked a little and it showed when I recieved my mid-term grades, and that is when I began to buckle down. When I was in high school I was so use to the similar work for all four years of high school that I took it for granted and thought it was going to be that easy. Another thing is I should became more involved in campus activties, because I was not involved in any activities in high school. It is not to late so come this year I am going to become more active in my community and student life on campus. That is some advice I would give myself.

I believe that everything in my life happens for a reason; every obstacle, every betrayal, and every mistake is strategically placed at certain times in my life to make me a stronger person. All mistakes are lessons learned and all lessons learned will be used to build a bridge towards my definition of success. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t tell my old self anything. This may alter my present life and disrupt my achievements and happiness. Instead of using the time machine for myself, I would use that technology to save lives. I would go back and tell my volleyball teammate not to commit suicide. I would tell her that it’s not worth it and that people love her. I would tell the nice girl who rode my bus that she shouldn’t go over her dad’s house for Thanksgiving, because that would be the last Thanksgiving she would have. Life is precious, and if I did choose to tell myself anything during that time in the past, I would whisper to myself, “Don’t take life for granted.”

Hey Michaela, So I hear you are in need of some advice; well here it is. You are going to fail! Yes i said fail, and it's ok because failure is the oppurtunity to begin again more intelligently. The beauty of college is the reality of it. You are about to embark on a four year expedition. You're in control, so screw the rules and live! I would love to give you some cliche' advice, but you've heard enough of that already. So I will leave you with some wise words from J.K. Rowling,"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might has well not have lived at all, in which you have failed by default." You've made it this far kid, the best is yet to come. Dont fail by default, LIVE!

The advice that I would give myself would be to concentrate more to get better grades and to spend the time researching for college scholarships. I would also tell myself that student loans are not the route to take.

"Do things for yourself. The whole point of going to college is for self-betterment and self-fulfillment. The various people and interactions you will encounter in college will always, always, always stem from and yield what YOU seek to find. The cool thing about college is that you get to pick what your focused study will be. That's a great advantage! You will enjoy your studies because YOU picked that field. College offers so many resources and networking opportunities; you just have to be willing to pursue them. People are there to help you, but only if it's what you want. Every single factor of your college experience will be determined by you. Your successes, your failures, and your growth. So my advice is to find what it is that you want to accomplish in college, determine that you will have the best experience for YOU, and decide how far you want to see yourself soar."

If I was able to go back in time, I would tell myself, as a senior, to study hard. I would tell myself that getting a higher education is one of the most important things in life. I would make myself spend more time in my studies so that I could get the best grades possible. Knowing now, that a college education is very expensive and having higher grades could've helped make an easier way to pay for college. I know that now I have to push myself to be successful inlife. One day I am going to have a family and children of my own, and I want nothing more than to be successful and to be able to rake care of my children when it comes to college. I also want to have the drive to become an educated woman who worked as hard as she could to get where she is. An education means more to me now then I could ever realize when I was in high school. I guess that is just part of growing up. I would tell myself that high school is temporary and a college education is everlasting.

Hi me, I know how wierd this may sound coming from yourself, but listen to what I have to tell you. Your smart, sometimes too smart, so in the near future tone that down. To be humble is to be noticed when your involved with everything you'll soon encounter. Second, grades are the backbone of money so do yourself a favor and always show out in the classroom. Everyone you know and everyone you've lost knows how smart you are, so never fear to show it. Third, women are an unavoidable aspect of your life so you need not go looking for the right one. Trust when i say you will stay out of more trouble that way. Lastly, you dont realize it now but your family, both sides, look to you as a spear head to the next generation of their bloodlines. Most importantly your 3 younger sisters will follow your path as you carve it. Never be afraid of success, to fear it is to let it slip away and willingly invite your own failure. You'll always know what to do because you've always done the right thing. Love me lol

Apply for every last bit of money out there, so you wouldn't have to stress about it later.

Making the transition from high school to college was a drastic step. I would tell myself think twice about being 1,300+ miles from home.

I'm not sure if I would tell my past self to do anything different. It takes a lot of time and thought to decide what major to choose for the rest of your career, and I didn't know which to choose until my second year of college. I suppose the only advice I could give my past self would be is to work hard and read every book out there in order to make more informed decisions for my future.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself while I was a high school senior, knowing about the college life; I'd tell myself to study more. Studying in high school and studying in college have such great differences that I was never aware of. I would tell myself to better both my study and test taking skills while I can because they're easier to obtain over time than trying to transition and quickly better them in college.

The advice I would give myself is to plan sooner, and no procrastination! It took me a while to apply to a college, and even then I did it late. I would make sure that I have everything I need, and that it's the right college for me.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to try more. I have realiazed that when I truley push myself and put my mind to something I can do amazing things. Yes it requires alot of hardwork but I really love teh adrennaine rush of working hard, whether, it's serving dozens and dozens of people, working on a drawing, leading a children choir, or just exercising. When I fully put my heart and soul in a task I really come out with a masterpiece. And with that information, I could use it to motivate my past self so I could pull out the confindence that I have recently found.

I would advice myself to be ready to face the world and though it may come with challenges and stress,but it makes it all worth it when you are who you have always wanted to be in life.

I would tell myself to prepare for every aspect of college: the good and the bad. Love your friends and family unconditionally because you never know when they'll be gone. Treat you body with respect because just like an elephant, it never forgets. Study! Even if you were the top student at your school, you are not to good to study and do your work.

If I can go back and give my self advice I would had said apply for scholarships and grants, because college is very expensive. The scholarships are worth your time to fill out because they will benefit you from applying for loans to pay off school. Another thing I would had told my self don't take the year off from school , it really put you behind. I was suppose to be looking forward to graduate in 2014, but now 2015.

I would tell myself...heard that old adage, “if you don’t go to college now, you’ll regret it later? – it’s true!” Why? Because, you will start working in October 1982-1987; in 1988 you will get a great job with UPS! However, 16-yrs. later, 2004 you will get laid off; 2001 you will decide to go back to school, but not unchallenged! In 2002 your Grandmother will pass away; in 2003-2004 your Mother will have back and hip replacement surgeries. In addition, your Father will have Cataract surgery in both eyes; in 2005 your Sister will be diagnosed with Liver failure; from 2004-2006 you will need to take time off from school to care for your parents; however, 2008 will be the most difficult year for your family: In January & February your Uncle & Sister will pass away; in May you’ll be found with a tumor in your stomach the size of a melon; July-August you will have major surgery and will be diagnosed with Stage 1C Ovarian Cancer and on September 18th you’ll start 6-cycles of Chemotherapy; 2009-2011 you’ll be in Junior College wishing you had your BA!

I was the first person to go to college out of my family, and didn’t have any type of idea of what to expect. If I could tell my highschool self anything it would be that I definitely had it easy in highschool. I can remember my precalculus teacher use to walk around the class room and give us answers to our test. Back then I thought that it was cool, but when I arrived to college and took precalculus there as well I realized how that had hampered me. That was only one of many learning experiences for me with transitioning. I live in Connecticut and attended college in Virginia at Norfolk State University. When I was applying to school I had two words on my mind “get away”. Now I would ask my highschool self am I sure I want to go so far with my family being my biggest support system. My family went through a lot with picking me up, and paying different ways for me to visit home and go back to school so I wouldn’t become homesick. I know at times expenses became stressful for them I was so many miles away.

As a high school senior I would tell myself everything that I know has hindered me in college. In college if you miss one class, you may fall behind for a whole week. Everything that I thought as 'taking the easy way out' only made it difficult to succeed in college. Choosing not to do your reading, or missing class won't get you far at all. It takes real work, time and dedication to be successful. I would also let myself know that sometimes you fall, everyone does it. It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, but what's important is to learn from those mistakes and use it as a stepping stone to what you know WILL help you. Sometimes you may read so much that all the words seem to blur together, and the context seems to just bounce off your brain instead of being absorbed into it, but taking care of that first step is always difficult. With time it gets easier and you start to breeze through the readings. Those small steps of doing what you found so difficult to do in highschool, will very much be what forms the future.

The advice I would give my highschool self would be to join a sport and try getting recruited by colleges for scholarships work hard in school and try to get free money where ever possible. It wil definitely help out

I have learned independence, perserverance and good study habits. Attending college has opened my eyes to the reality that I must grow up and become self sufficient. This experience has taught me in the short time I have been here, I must make my own success. People skills are also a part of what I am learning at NSU, since I was a minority in my high school. Adjusting to this school where there are more people of my race is a challenging and eye opening experience. Diversity, tolerance and networking will be valuable tools I 'll take with me. All of these things together with the can do attitude that being challenged by my professors has given me are valuable and timeless.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons I learned in my college experience is how to be self motivated. In college, no one is going to look out for you, and it is therefore a sink or swim arena. This one principle that has given me more personal growth than any snippet of knowledge in the courses I have attended. Through strife I have gained the power to depend upon myself and myself alone. With it, the world is my oyster. I intend to find a pearl.

College has been a very valuable experience so far because I had the opportunity to learn about the impact the goals I set can have on my overall college eduaction. I was taught how to create goals and maintane them. Also, college has taught me how to become a very organized person. I am in online school so the depth of my education is my responsibility. This has helped me discover a few things about myself such as my priorities, strengths and weaknesses. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to be a college student at this time and it has made me appreciate the direction my life is headed as a single mother.

I have learned how it important it is to have a college education and why it is also very important to have a college degree in my area of study. I've also had the chance to meet with many diversed individuals and explore some other cultures and lifestyles. It is valuable to attend college because the over all experience is well worth it once you get into your field. The chance to go above and beyond, to higher education is an wonderful experience. The quality of the knowledge you endure is so amazing!!

I have learned a lot from my college experience in the short amount of time. It has taught me better study habits and techniques and also it has been valuable for me to attend because in order to have a successful career I must attend and graduate from college. I am a Computer Science major and I have learned so much about computers in my first semester and how to create programs in C++ language. The value of attending college is to become the first in my family to attend and graduate from college and be able to lead a successful career in the field of Computer Science.

Out of my college experience so far, I have learned alot. I learned first and foremost that studying is the key to success. Of course, as high school students we are told that we need to study and we all say the same thing "I already know what I have to do" but in reality, that is easier said than done. The freedom that you had as a high school student has no comparison to the freedom that you have as a college student. I feel as thought I let the freedom get to my head and I took being in the Honors College for granted. I am learning now how to balance things out in my life while I am 5 hours away from home. Attending an out of state school has been very valuble because it is giving me a sense of responsibility and accountability. Having to do everything on my own is challenging at times but I would definately reccomend going away to school because it prepares you for the future. I also think that everyone should experience hings on their own because different people have different reactions to different situations.

I have gotten a true sense of self. I graduated earlier than I was suppose to but I feel like my college experience has helped me mature into the young lady that I am suppose to be. It has been valuable because I have never seen so many individuals that care about the well being of others.

I feel as though I made a good decision to transfer to Norfolk State University. I have met many different individuals, learned more than in my previous institution, and experienced many different things. My college life has been accelerated and I gotten a chance to experience a diverse community/lifestlye.

Out of my college experience, I have gotten so much even though I've only been there for one year. I've gained a sense of identity, which was something I really needed to do before I was fully on my own. I also learned how to further interact with people in a better manner than before. I also learned how to really use my resources because there are so many available on campus. I learn more out of class than I do in class, and it is mainly from the people I came in contact with. In college, you have to be on your feet becaues you can wind up in any situation, so you get a lot of wisdom of what to do in certain situations. I have also learned a lot about college by first hand experience.

Out of my college experience I have received a wonderful education in History. My eyes are being opened to new career choices other than teaching from the History department at NSU. And that's very helpful to me because at some points I'm confused as to what I want to do. But it has been valuable for me to attend it.

Dear Me at Seventeen, Congratulations, you finally made it to your senior year. Bad thing is your transition to college is going to be very hard. During your fist three semesters you will be putting in the least amount of effort as possible. Because of this, you will be working in overdrive for the next two and a half years. Making new friends is going to be very important, because you will barely hear from the people you are going to school with now. These new friends will be able to help you with schoolwork and encourage you when you feel like giving up. My advice is to take every challenge head on and never except defeat. If you knock on one door of opportunity and it doesn?t open, don?t worry because there?s always a side window to crawl through. In two years you will meet a seven year old boy with bone cancer who will change your life. He will teach you that life doesn?t owe you anything and to be thankful for the everyday things you take for granted. Never give up on your dreams and live life to the fullest. -Ria

PIck a school that you really want to go to. Make sure that the school has all the amenities that you like. Make sure that you are satisfied.

The advice that I would give myself would be to make a schedule and remember deadlines. Those are two very important things to consider while you attend a college or univeristy.

I would have tell myself to take the SAT a few more times. I would have taken more AP classes and tried a little harder in all my classes. I would have also looked for as much scholarships as possible and visited more colleges of my interest. Lastly I would tell my self to build relationships not only with upper classmen in my field of study, but also faculty and staff on campus.

I would have told myself that to complete takes a lot of focus. I would tell myself to save up for a car and the school books. I would also tell myself to reach out to everybody, and become that comet to guy.

I would tell myself to apply more time to school, not a social life. I would say open your eyes to the real world and read the newspaper or watch the news. Pay attention to what really matters & not worry about having that new hundred dollar pair of jeans. Don't hear the words recession or depression & think it is for somebody else, somebody lazy. Don't let those two words go through your ears without paying attention to them. Don't see a going out of business sign as a chance to increase your supply of new clothes or a big screen tv. Open your eyes to see the family that depended on that paycheck brought home . Families that now went from recession to a depression. Lauren, you are 18. Yes Lauren I know your name. I am you. I was given this once in a lifetime chance to go back in time. Back in time to tell you that you were the person I spoke about. You were the person that lost their income. You were that person in tears when your life took a U turn. You can now change that. This is your one chance.

Going to college is going to be different world. You are going to meet a lot of different people with different attitudes. Those same people might be your professors and they know what you need to learn so you need to go in there and listen to everything they have to offer because these are the same people who can pass or fail you. You need to stay focused and do all your work no matter how big or small, also make sure all your work is turned in on time. You have to study hard, so you can know your material and not cram it all in at one time. Make a study group so you can have people with similar classes to study with. Ask questions, they might help you more than you think they would. Go to school and meet all the people you can, this is your time to network. You will befriend a lot of people from different professional backgrounds; it?s always good to have those connections. Everyone is not your friend and you can?t trust all people, but the friends that you get and feel they are worth keeping, keep them close.

I would tell myself to knock slack off so much with homework and to study a lot harder because the GPA coming into college can truly help financially. I would have made sure I searched schools better when it narrowed down to dorm availability and how they looked inside. I would have made sure to apply for every single scholarship or award I could so I would not have to struggle at the end of the semester to find money to pay for the next semester. I would definately tell myself to keep my job no matter what other activities I was going to partake in at school, because not having a job in college in then trying to find a new one is very hard to do.

If I could go back in time to 2006, I would have a talk about time management. I believe I have done very well but I am aware that their are areas of improvement. I would tell myself to take every second of my free time to do an assignment early. I would also make myself aware of the importance of applying for scholarships. I always knew that scholarships were out there, but now I am aware that often they are not applied for. I do not know how many times I have gone to the financial services office the told me I had just missed a deadline date for a scholarship or a grant that no one had even applied for. Which meant if I would have gotten there a day earlier I could have applied and would have received money for school. This subject goes right back to time management, instead of hanging out in front of the student union center between classes I could have been in the computer lab looking up scholarships. Now I know this for my children, which is most important. I wont make the same mistake again or let them make it either.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college life and making the transition, I would definately have a lot to say on the subject. I wish I could have told myself that while my high school years were a breeze and maintaining a 4.0 was next to nothing, college requires more than just my lowest effort to gain that GPA. I wish I could have told myself to start off the year motivated and working hard instead of waiting for my midterm grades to arrive and then deciding to fix them. I would also tell myself to make a study plan not just in my head, but to write it down on paper. I have found that when you want to do something, it is more likely to be accomplished when you write it down instead of just letting it swim around in your head, because if you do that, in your head is exactly where it will stay. Furthermore, writing down your goals and a plan for your semester makes it more meaningful, realistic, and more likely to be followed and accomplished.

If I was granted with the opertuinty to travel back in time i woul tell myself , Faniesha slow down and take advantage of opertinities around you there are scholorships , and school in massachusetts that are willing to pay for your education pay attention to the $ signs in front of you.Before I attended Norfolk State University I wish I would?ve known the disadvantages, and financial strain of attending an out of state HBCU. Thats way i would educate my self on the debt of student loans ,and how its important to utlize the money around me .Knowing what I know now, I probably would have stayed in state where I had more aid of money, striving for a 3.5 GPA by sophomore year. A 3.5 GPA would have granted opportunities like, the honors program at Norfolk State University, qualifications for merit scholarships. Going into college straight out of high school I wanted to get away, and the last thing that crossed my mind was money; I could?ve made smarter decision by Appling for scholarships and choosing schools with a promising great education as well as money.

I will tell myself not to sign any loans regardlesss how bad I need cash for school. also, I wiil try to make higher grades so that I can achieve more creidts than accepting to take develompment courses. I will attain a high GPA and take the SAT oR ACTs.

If I could go back in time and start over I would tell myself that every grade counts your GPA is a gateway to many opportunities if you make it high. Get a little part- time after school job just so you can have a little change in your pocket for extra activities, books, or an emergency fund. Keep track of all of your paperwork, dates, records, and point of contact, in order to avoid the he said/ she said drama that might approach in the future. Start early with your scholarships. Work at it as if it was a job that you got paid to do, because in the end it pays for your education and it saves alot of stress later. Have a plan on how you can support yourself through school and have a back up plan just in case it does not quite go as smoothly as you might have wanted. If you have a roomate take time to talk to each other figure out your similarities and differences and learn how to compromise. Just remember the famous saying " work hard now and play later, or don't work hard and struggle".

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, the advice that I would give myself as a high school senior is to take college seriously. From my experience as a college student, many people come to college but don't even end up staying for the next semester. Many familiar faces that I was used to seeing around campus disappeared right after winter break. These were the same faces at every party, staying up until the wee hours of the night and hardly ever going to class. Not knowing your priorities before you get to college can very well diappoint you in the long run. Not saying that you shouldn't have fun, but the key is to be able to balance studying and social time responsibly. You can very well get caught up in the college life because there are no parents there to tell you when to study, when to go to bed or when to get up. Just as long as you don't abuse that freedom by being on academic probation or even worse getting kick out of school, your college years would be all worth it in the long run.