Peru State College Top Questions

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

Emily

Although I graduated with honors and am entering college with twelve credit hours acquired in an early entry program, I would explain to my high school senior self the importance of staying motivated and focusing on my future. High school was a whirl wind adventure and I learned how to balance school work, athletics, community service projects, academic organizations, and fine arts activities. Ultimately though, I wish I would have been able to make more time to search and apply for scholarships to help pay for my post secondary school education.

Dracena

If I could go back in time to my high school self, I would definitly say stay in school. Take school more seriously.Pay attention to your teachers. You are smart and you have a brilliant mind. Keep away from all of the boys because they will come and go, but a true love will respect and consider your goals, your education, and your future rather than your pants. Don't skip PE classes, you need to remain active as possible. Think about college now and meeting your achademic goals. Nothing can stop you once you put your mind to it. Remember that everyone makes mistakes. So, if you find yourself making a mistake, don't wollow in it, get up, dust yourself off and keep going. Don't stop writing poetry and songs. Keep singing.Make friends that are not around to use you for what you have to offer. You don't have to buy friendship or love. One last thing I want my high school self to know. Forget about the popular older crowd. In the future none of them are around or popular anymore. I love you very much beautiful young talented lady.

Mallory

If I could go back to myself when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself two things. This first one I would tell myself is that I will not miss home as much as I thought I would. After being in college, yes I do miss my family, but it really is not too bad. The second thing I would tell myself is to fill out more scholarships! Scholarships are super important and I realize that now as I struggle to pay for college!

Natasha

I would advise myself not to stress myself out so much. I did a fantastic job in choosing the right college for me. If I would have gone elsewhere, I can honestly say I do not think I would have excelled as much as I have at Peru State College. I have been extremely involved in several clubs and have had numberous experiences that I know that I would not have been able to have had I gone elsewhere.

Theresa

Not much time has passed between my current days of being a college student and that of a high school senior. My experience in life outside of high school extends only to one semester in college, but this elapse in time has been enough for me to be able to look back in retrospect and suggest counsel for my past self. If I had a chance to rewind the clock and travel back, the most important piece of advice I would give myself is to be more conscientious of the future. Planning and thinking ahead are far more important than I could have imagined. I would tell myself that while this lack of foresight is not a complete barricade to the path of success, it will lead to obstacles and detours that could be avoided by careful planning. The transition into college can be done with the little amount of work I put in as a high school senior, although I can now see the benefits of careful preparation and strategic planning.

Lowgaen

While college appears to be a great party time, if you aren't responsible you could be asked to leave & lose your future.

Rosa

I would advise my self to study more and harder. I would also do better on my work and not have been so careless, I would tell my self to do the best I possibly could because you only get one chance to do your best in high school. I would have went beyond the work expected so I would remember how to do it in the future

Christina

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self I would tell her to quit worrying so much! I spent a lot of time worrying about what other people thought and now I have learned that all of those people I was worrying about I never saw again! I would tell her to slow down a little and enjoy life more (I was working two jobs while attending high school) and to focus more on my studies. I would also tell her to try out many different activities and figure out what she likes to do best and stick with it. This might have helped me figure out what I REALLY wanted to do in life sooner. The experiences that you get to have in high school are a once-in-a-lifetime thing and you shouldn't waste them working two jobs and worrying all the time! You should play softball and make friends and enjoy life, because once you graduate you have to go into the real world.

Kathryn

Hi, Kathryn, this is your future self! You will succeed at college! Do not allow the naysayers to cloud the academic experience. Wisely choose a mentor from which to seek advice. This will be important in choosing classes (core classes) that will be necessary regardless of which major you choose to pursue. Be prepared to do more that the minimal requirements in order to master the material. Trust me, you do not just want to get by, grade wise. You need to have a mastery orientation instead of a performance orientation. Mastery gives you true confidence in your abilities, whereas performance does not. By all means, brush up on your language skills. Pay particular interest to English and writing skills. Knowing how to communicate effectively is paramount to success in academia and success in life. Budget your time wisely, unless of course, you enjoy pulling all nighters and being stressed out. Scratch all those interior decorating classes. They will not be necessary in the field you will choose in the future. Take a deep breath, and plunge in! Do not give up on your dreams. By the way, we made the Dean's List Fall 2011; 6 A's. Congrats!

Barbara

I have not started school yet again I don't start until January 2011.

Brandon

So far, I feel that I have have gotten some experience needed in order to become a teacher. I have been able to take many classes that have prepared me for my future profession. The professors are friendly and know me on a first-name basis. They are interested in my college experience and want me to become successful.

Rebecca

Being known by my family as The Worrier, I stressed way too much over college. I saved every penny I earned at my job. I freaked out during the exams for all my classes. I applied for more scholarships than ten thousand sticks could be shaken at. The result? I was prepared, but I was also exhausted and unable to relax. As what may be a result of my constant worrying, I began to have panic attacks the last semester of my senior year. I refused to acknowledge them, however, and now they've gotten worse. If I had the option of giving my high school self a piece of advice, I'd tell myself to calm down. I'll be able to manage, and it's important to enjoy the time left at home as a kid before I have to grow up. I'd also tell myself to swallow my pride and see a counselor; everyone has problems they can't deal with alone sometimes, and ignoring them never helps.

Jessica

I would tell myself to plan ahead. Research career choices, go on more observations, and have a good idea of what field I wanted to go into prior to my freshman year. Not knowing what field I wanted to go into prior to my first year of college caused to me sign up solely for general education classes. If I could go back I would mix general eduaction classes with major oriented classes to keep my schedule more interesting. I would also tell myself to relax, the transition is big, but it's not hard. Just be yourself and work hard, if you can stick to those main points your adaptation to college will be fun and successful.

Allissa

If I were to go back in time to speak to myself regarding college life and making the transition I would first tell myself to take the time to fill out the scholarships that I had the opportunity to obtain. In light of the fact that I chose not to and am now pressured for money to pay for my tuition and books. The second item that I would inform myself about would be to look at my college options in more detail. I would tell myself to think about what college I would be most happy attending, and in which major I would enjoy to pursue. Rather than switching schools several times to find my fit. Utmost importantly I would instruct myself to do things for myself. To not go to a school, choose a major, or join anything unless it was something that I personally felt was the right choice for me.

Margaret

College life is definitely what you make of it. In order to make more connections and friends, I should have involved myself in more on-campus activities. Dorm life is perfect for those who want a strong social and school connection. If you go into college expecting to pass classes by skipping most of them, then you will fail. If you attend your classes and complete your work, you will succeed far beyond anyones expectations. College life is somewhat a test into the real world. You have responsibilites that are not monitored and enforced by anyone but yourself. Take each experience and make the most of it. Work hard and enjoy every minute, but the most important information to know is that this is your life, your experience and your destiny.

Josh

Make the most out of the opportunities that you have at that time. I work full time and go to school full time and it is very difficult (especially paying for your college). I have a 4.0 GPA at a 4 year university and even with that type of GPA it is very hard to find scholarships and grants for college for someone in their 30's. When I first attended college I was not sure what I wanted to do at the time, but I had a scholarship to play basketball, so I went anyway. Before you graduate I would suggest to start looking into careers that interest you, especially if you have your college paid for when you graduate high school.

Trista

1. Don't go to a school just because you got a scholarship there. If you don't think you will enjoy being there, don't go. 2. Get involved. Don't shy away like you always do. Do your best to jump into the activities during new student weekend and make friends. Join an intramural team. Join clubs. 3. Don't procrastinate. You can't rely on other people to be as efficient as you think they are. The sooner you get things done and turned in, the sooner you'll get what you need back. It will also make your life a lot less stressful. 4. Just because you don't have a whole lot of cash doesn't mean you should work all the time. That's why you aren't happy. You don't have time to have friends or be a part of anything on campus. You're always working. Work, but not every spare minute u have.

Charlotte

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would probably give myself the advice of saving all of my local scholarship funds--even my student refunds, so that I could avoid high costs for daycare for my soon-to-be-born son of that senior year. As a high school senior, I never dreamed about how much a wedding would cost, or how much it would be to raise a child, so all of my funds at hand was used to pay for those unseen costs. I would also advise to take easy classes online without taking them online in order to be on schedule to graduate in four years instead of five or six. It is important to stay on task and it is very advisable to never delay homework if it is avoidable, especially when there is a family gathering planned. Also another advice I would give is to get as much as work experience as possible, because the lack of which will hurt my future aspects of being employed after college. The last piece of advice would be to relax and enjoy life, whatever may come.

Stephanie

I would tell myself to take my academics very seriously and not to do social activities until my homework is finished. It is important to stay organized and us the planner provided by the school. It will help you keep everything inline and finished on time.

Rebecca

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give a lot of academic and social advice. I would start by informing myself to relax and that everything will be okay. Make sure to get organized one item at a time and talk to people on campus. When attending college visits make a list of questions concerning academics, social life, programs, and anything that the college might have to offer that would meet my academic and social interest. When selecting a college you have to be open-minded and consider all of the benefits that each campus offers. Take the benefits vs. your needs when selecting the college that best fits you. Price vs. post-graduation income are important when selecting a college (the college must also meet your academic needs). I would obtain as much information as I could about scholarships that I could qualify for. The amount of campus social life and student involvement offered by each prospective college is not always addressed during college visits, so ask questions. When on your college visit make sure you also observe students around campus to see their attitude about the college.

Caitlin

My advice would be to look at the program which the children plan to major in and make sure it has a good course outline and that the classes are easy to get into. Some classes are offered every other semester so make sure the child knows this. As for the college experience, get out there make friends. Do not be shy. Everyone is there for the same reason.

whitney

I would say you have to fallow your heart when it comes to deciding what college you should go to. When you do make your choice and go, YOU have to be the one to make the best of it. Go out there yourself and grab whatever it is that you want. In the beginning of school it can be hard if you dont know anyone, and if thats you, live life like its your last day and step outside your box. Go out to socal events and meet people! The people you meet there will be your family while your there! Dont ever let anyone get you down, sometimes it can be hard but never ever give up on what you want to do with your life, and never forget where your from or your dreams! :)

Jill

For parents about finding the right college I would have to say that you should tour different colleges until you feel absoultly right in that enviornment. For students and getting the college experience I think that they should be open minded and try anything they can to get along with roomates and friends, and try really hard with homework and quizes and go to tutors to get help. I think that they should try and figure out there "group," and not be shy about fitting in. College is a lot different then high school. I feel like for the first month freshman students should not go home and try to get involved in their college and try out their "new" home before going actually home even though it may be difficult. Make new friends and just forget about your past as you should look forward to the future, at college! Just have a good time and hopefully your family won't miss you too much that you will feel obligated to come home as much!

Charlotte

Never give up. Some work is long, complex, and sometimes overwelming, so don't try to overdo yourself by loading up on classes. Even if it may take you longer than you thought, just don't give up. To make the most of college experience, try everything. If you don't like the club/group/sport, then you can always get out of it. It will really help broaden your mind and help you find friends, even when you don't think so. Also, take advantage of the tutors the campus has available and try to make yourself known to the faculty, especially your teacher for your classes. No matter the size of classes, or the campus, teachers are a good way to get great help and understanding. I would strongly recommend that you also use the library and research area on campus. One more thing that wouldn't hurt is to know the security guards. You might find yourself in a pretty bad situation, and no matter how bad it is, the security is there to help protect you and others around you, so remember that when they bust you for drinking, it's for a reason.

jesse

make sure you come to college ready to learn and achieve something.

Charity

Take the time to explore your options and research what the colleges you are interested in have to offer you. The college that you choose will have an impact on the rest of your life so you want to choose the one that offers you the benefits that you are looking for. You also have to be willing to put in the effort to take advantage of everything a college education can offer you. You are only going to get extra benefits if you are willing to put in the time and effort. If you put that extra effort into your education, you are going to be that much more desirable to future employers. So set goals for yourself and work towards them because you have to want to succeed in order to do so.

Josh

Think of your school work first before you start with all the partying. Partying at this school gets you nowhere.