Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Top Questions

I am 34 years old. I graduated high school back in 1998. I would tell my young self to go to college and get an education. I would sit myself down and explain to a young man that you don't really know anything yet about the world and that a good education will open doors for you. I would tell myself that I worked at The Patriot News for 13 years and never really advanced because you need a degree to get jobs that pay well. I would tell myself that hanging out in bars all the way through your mid 20's leads nowhere. Most importantly I would tell myself to be good to Jill. She's my wife and she's the person who helped me become a good man and a great father to our 3 year old daughter.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the first thing I would tell myself is to relax. As a high school senior I was so worried about if I would get into the colleges I applied to, how I would pay for college, losing my high school friends and having to make new ones, being good enough to become a doctor, etc. But as I approach my sophomore year of college, I look back and see my concerns as silly. I still worry about finances because I am paying for college myself, but who doesn't worry about college finances. The main thing I would tell myself is to relax and pursue my dream. As long as you believe in yourself and work hard you will succeed. All my worries going into college seem silly now, but that's because I believe in myself and know that if I set my mind to something and don't give up I will succeed. I would tell myself making the transition to college is an exciting experience that every child should have. One chapter of life closes and another one opens.

Future self, I'm here to tell you not to fret. You're going to make a lot of mistakes but those mistakes lead you to the dream that you never thought you wanted. Don't be discouraged by anyone, even by your family. They will discriminate you over your choices and you will feel like you are all alone but you arent. You will find someone who believes in you and because you found that person you will blossom, you'll become more confident and sure of yourself when it comes to making decisions. You will have your ups/downs and you will feel depressed and sad, but stay focused because eventually the world wont feel like its against you. Then you can finally have the ability to study and get great grades. You will get distracted but keep your head out of the gutter and remember that your mom loves you, that is definitely the most important thing that you have to worry about. She loves you and although she might be a little controlling and cold, shes really proud of you because she knows this is the best way for you to grow and be succesful.

I would tell myself to weigh factors besides the factor of liking a job much more heavily when considering a college major. Factors such as income, travel required, availability of entry-level jobs, and consistent work availability were some of the factors I failed to recocognize as highly important. I am now on my second attempt at getting a bachelor's degree and moving successfully into the workplace. On my first attempt at college, I studied Aeronautical Science and accumulated large loans. I had my head in the clouds imagining that I was going to fly the largest plane in the world and all the other factors to consider would just fall into place. I ended up with no job, no prospects, and large loans right as the economy crashed in 2008. Now I am going back to school to study electrical engineering while my wife is pregnant with our first baby. Being wise and picking a reasonable college major while in high-school will save you years of grief, decrease your chances of unemployment, and help you to avoid large spans of time working dead end jobs. My college major decision cost me 10 years, make yours count!

Giselle, begin your note-taking strategies now. College will be a different experience for you. It all comes down to the question "how bad do you want it". Recieving a quality education will not come easy, you have to place your head in a positive state because there will be lots of temptations. LIsten to your instructors, because they know best. They are here to give you a better future. COntinue making your parents proud being a first generation high school graduate and the first to attend college in your family. Good job on everything and remember, "how bad do you want it?".

I would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships as I could. I would also not have taken any breaks and tried to wait till summer in order to transfer schools. I would also have saved up a lot more, exspecially if I thought I was going to become a mother while trying to attend college.

Attending college is very valuable because it is preparing me for a career.College is my first step toward a better life for my children. I want to be able to support them and give them all the things I did not have growing up.Every day that I have class, I learn something that will help me when I start working.College is the begining of all my goals and hopes for my family.What is more valuable then your first step toward a better life for your children?

My prespective on the world has and continues to be broadened as I take steps to pull my family out of the ranks of the uneducated. My college experience has been valuable to me because it gives me the chance to give my own future family more oppurtunities and comforts that I was deprived of as a child. With a proper education at the University of Phoenix I will be able to get a higher paying job and just increase the overall comforts of life and be a good provider in the long run and finally be able to set myself apart from the crowd in these difficult economic times.

I have gained a sense of self upo attending this campus. I have expanded my social network since I have been here and have met some amazing people including a future President of the United States. I have developed my independence as well among many other things. I do love my school.

The main thing I have gotten from my college experience so far is a hunger for knowledge. I find myself excited to attend my math and engineering class daily to learn more about the fascinating areas of study. I find myself more and more often going out of my way inside and outside of the classroom to learn as much as I can. The want for knowledge is a curious and never-ending cycle. Anytime you find the answers you are looking for, more questions arise than the number of ones you answered. I love having the opportunity in this day in age to have the privilege to expand upon my knowledge. I?m excited for the future to see all the wonderful things that can be done with the newly acquired knowledge. With every day brings a new chance to learn, and a new chance to change the world forever.

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior I would have a few things to tell myself. Such as time management is a huge problem that I should have started working on during my senior year. I would also prepare myself for how different the classes and professors are. You learn a lot of material in a short period of time, compared to high school. You may also only have two tests for the class, in turn making your grade consist of two big tests full of material. In high school you learned a chapter and then took a test, but now you have less grades and more information. I could have used someone telling me what was going to be different so that I would have known before starting school, but I am getting used the differences of college and started to adjust quite nicely. Thank you for your time.

Hey, for one, dont go to community college! Even though you're supposed to get two years free because of graduating from Tamaqua Area High School it will only end up putting you behind in classes when you get to a real college. It ends up being more headache then it was worth. And two, stop sleeping in class!! Yea so you can get by now with good grades, but its not going to happen in college so if you focus now, that transition will be much easier. Lastly, stay true to who you are and what you like because it will make you a much better person and your field much easier. You have always loved cars and motorcyles so keep sticking to it and everything will be ok. Just save more of your money because it gets hard to come by in college. Other then that you really dont need to do much different. Just stay focused and be you. You'll do just fine. [Only thing I would add depends on what year in highschool this is...if its around my sophmore year I would tell myself to take calculus then instead of now]

I would tell myself to stay more focused on school because you only get one chance at this and after that you have to work to advance. With a good college degree and passing with a good GPA it takes away a few steops because you now have people looking to hire you instead of you looking for a job in a market where jobs arn't the easiest thing to find. I would tell myself to not lose focus and keep your head to the future and what all of your hard work will pay off with. I wouldn't change anything that i have done so far but i would let myself know that it is all worth it in the end. With hard work the light at the end of the tunnel will be brighther and full of oppurtunities.

I would say to my senior self that you need to work hard. Apply for scholarship that will help you big time. Also I would say to myself get to know your professor very well they can help. Take good notes when the professor is giving a lecture also not to skip class. Also get your GPA very high because if you fall behind it is basically impossible for you to bring it back up. These are the type of advice I would give to myself year from last year.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND SO MUCH! Try to stick with one major and not change my major more than two times.

I would tell myself to make every minute count. Don't be afraid to step out of the shadows and have a good time. The students at college are like you and you'll have a great time. Oh and don't forget to take theater you'll LOVE it!

I would tell the parents to let their child go and have them make their own decisions, and for the student to go out there and experience everything that they can, join a club or an inturmeral sports team, anything that will get them involved in the campus so that they can make friends and really make the most out of college.

I would suggest to a parent and/or student to make sure they receive all the information obtainable about a college before choosing their college of choice. Talk to some students already attending the colleges to receive a better opinion in choosing the right college for him or her.

The right college is found through plenty of research. The college for you is the one that best supports and nurtures your major as well as your life and career goals. Research should not only be internet based, it should be done through visits and talking to current students. To get the most out of your college experience, you should make plenty of friends because they are often lifetime friends. This will make tough semesters easier because friends can offer support. Don't let your social life take control of your time, however. You should have the ability to realize that you are given a wonderful opportunity to better your life, so take it seriously.

Make sure the student is fully satisfied with the number of college applications sent in. Don't discourage the student from applying to multiple colleges, more choices will ultimately lead to a happier student, which can be correlated to better grades. Research all of the schools thoroughly before making a final decision. Although the decision is primarily the students, parents and students should discuss the options before making a decision. Weigh the pro's and con's of each school. Once you get to school, don't forget to work hard and study. One bad semester can ruin a GPA. Don't forget to call parents and keep in touch, thank them when they send you care packages. If you're able, get an off campus job for some disposable income. All in all don't forget to have an equal mix of studying and fun. One without the other is bound to drive you crazy.

Choosing a college is a crucial process and it takes time to really know what college is best for you. When I was first choosing a college it was very hard and I wasn't sure that I would be able to choose. The fisrt step is to do research on schools and narrow it down to the ones that seem the most interesting to you. After this try to find enough information on the school even if possible attend presentations on the school. This is what I did. At the very end only you, the student, can decide what college is best for you and hopefully you will have the support of family and friends. I was scared at first but college life is nothing to to be fearful about. It is an amazing experience that you can easily get used to.

Please, please visit before you decide. Spend not only a weekend day but a weekday there. Talk to students and THINK about your decision. Decide where to go for yourself, not your friends or family. Branching out to a new school in a new place may be scarey but it can be the best decision you ever make. Don't be afraid to be afraid. Look for a school that is friendly, helpful and has activities outside of classes that make you feel invigorated and excited, as if you are making a new step. College is your chance to experience all of those things you wish you could but haven't had the chance to. Embrace that idea as you look for a place which suits you.

Go to the college that feels right to you. Read about clubs and activities available on campus. Finding something to get involved in is a great way to meet people and give yourself a break from all the school work. Make sure you know class sizes. There is a big difference between large and small classes. What works best for ou depends on your learning style.