Southern Polytechnic State University Top Questions

Given the opportunity to talk to high school Emma, I would take that chance to calm her nerves. Senior year of high school I had almost zero experience of any kind; i felt extremely young, fragile and new to everything. I was a terrified, awkward little girl. Even these two years, or so, in community college have supplied me with immense growth and experience. I would tell young me to have no fear; that deep inside, there is inner strength and confidence marinating, just waiting for its chance to shine. Any new situation is/can be frightening, but step by step, anything is possible, and even easy, to do. It's just that intimidating first step, and once you've begun, you have the confidence and heart to do anything. You got this.

If I could go back to my Senior year of High School, I would tell myself a lot of things about college. First I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships because paying for college is not easy. Second, I would tell myself to follow my dreams and go to the University of Alabama no matter what my family wanted. I should not have settled for the easy way of college; I should have went straight to a 4 year university instead of a small community college. College is not scary like I thought it would be, instead it is actually very open and friendly. I have made a lot of new friends and i am glad i made the decision to go to college. It is really going to help me in the future when i apply for jobs.

Hello, young me. That is a nice beard you have there. Keep growing it out. Also, remember to actually study. I know high school was really easy for you, but college is a different ball game. I'm serious here, dude. You will make several C's and almost fail a class next year. You have to take it seriously. Also, you're going to suck at programming so you might as well go into Technical Communication now, because you're going to drop Computer Science like a bad habit. Also, bet lot's of money on the Packers. They'll win Super Bowl XLV.

I would've taken more AP credits and tried to test out of more classes, in order to give myself more leeway and flexibility when picking classes. I also would've developed my study habits more so I wasn't overwhelmed as a freshman. I started working sophomore year of college to support my studies, but getting a job in high school and beginning saving early would've proven beneficial. It also would've pushed time management which has proven key as I've transitioned to an upperclassmen.

I would recommend when coming straight out of high school, you should enroll in a community college as your first choice. I believe that the community college experience will set you up to succeed in your future plans. After being in a community college setting you will set yourself up to understand college life and be better perpared to choose further education in four year university. While also doing this process, as a student you can get the best education for half the price and at the end of the day you have recieved the same education that everyone starting out in a four year university recieved.

The best piece of advice that would've helped me, as a student finishing high school and trying to decide about my future (colleges, career choices, etc.) would've been to make sure I know myself first. I wasn't necessarily ready to start college right out of high school. I was a kid and believed that college was my only option so I went into it without knowing much about life or what I wanted to do with it and as a result kind of half-heartedly pushed through my first couple semesters of college with mediocre grades. I then took a year off to learn about myself and life and now am going into the college experience with a lot more passion and direction than I had before. I'm excited about my major and because I took the time to discover what I'm interested in and what I could spend the rest of my life doing. It would've been much easier to make some of the decisions I've made had I known that there's no rush, and if you need time to learn about yourself-take it!

Breathe. High School has its troubles with school work and every day drama. My advice is to take a step back. Take a weekend and enjoy it, coming back refreshed and focused. Focus on your school work and plan ahead so everything is finished including homework, projects, papers, applications, application essays, test scores, and scholorship applications. Don’t worry about the student drama as you’ll be parting from those people in no time, but try and enjoy the time you do have in high school by making lasting memories. Your teachers and school faculty are preparing you for your future, so thank the ones who are making it feel unbearable. It will make life easier later on. Focus on the task ahead, but do not kill yourself with stress. It will all work out in the end if you work your hardest.

If I could go back and tell myself something during my senior year of high school that would help me make the transition into college life, I would say to listen to my parents. My parents knew me better than I knew myself. They knew what struggles I would have being away from home. I would learn how to manage money better. However, they prepared me to be independent. I also would take more time learning how to study on my own.

Advice to my high school self I am a construction management senior at Southern Polytechnic State University and nothing more motivates me than to excel in school and ultimately get a good job. I have always admired programs like yours- Campus Discovery Scholarship-that grant students who have the desire but not the resources the opportunity to attain their goals and dreams. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advice myself to focus in class, never procrastinate as I tend to procrastinate at times, participate in student life activities on campus and try as much as possible not to take student loans. Looking back now there was no way I could have avoided taking student loans because there was no other options for me. Nevertheless, I can still say that it is rewarding to know that I am following all the other advice I would have given myself because following them has gotten me to where I am now-academically sound. My career objective is to secure a position as a project manager after college completion and this program will equip me with the tools to attain my goal.

I wish that someone would have told me how important it is to be social. I isolated myself growing up and only had a few friends. When I got to the real world after I graduated, I found it hard to be comfortable at jobs and around groups of people in general. Having friends and even acquaintances, is crucial in more than just your personal life, but professional endeavors as well. At work, I learned fairly quickly that you had to be proficient at your trade, yes, but if you are lacking social outreach, people don’t reach back. I was passed up for a promotion because I was the quiet one in the shadows. I took the opposite approach and got letters of recommendation and I still keep in touch with my superiors! I also think it is important to find out, very early on, who you are as a person. Truly isolate your personal goals and aspirations and go after them! I waited 5 years to reach out and was lucky to have the opportunity. This may sound cheesy, but life is short, truly live it the way that YOU want to! It is YOUR life!

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would give myself so many advices. One advice would be to make proper research for the school I am applying to. There is nothing as good as knowing the school you will be enrolled for the rest of your college career. Knowing the ratio, the extra-curricular activities, and more about the campus life, gives students a heads-up before they actually get there. Another advice I would give is to come to college and become involved. Being involved in extra-curricular activities help students to get their mind out of the fact that they are out of the house and maybe missing their family. Anothe advantage of being involved is that you get to meet people and gain friendship.

Study more. Don't date the first guy who is interested in you. Listen to your parents more. Enjoy this time.

Don't take it too seriously, but study enough to get your money's worth out if it.

I would have gone to another college. I would have gon to a college where the admission was easy for me to get in. I would have told myself that even though high school was a breeze that when I enter college I should review all the lectures talked about each night. I also would have told myself your freshman year don't join anything get time to adjust.

It took 30 years for me to make the transition from high school to college. If I had the opportunity to go back I would tell myself, "You ARE smart, you ARE capable, you CAN do whatever you want to do. Marriage is not the only option, nor is it the best one at this time in your life. You want to learn who you are. You should develop the skills you need in order to take care of yourself because you don't want to have to be dependent on anyone else to support you. It's going to take a lot of dedication and hard work, but it'll be worth it. When you graduate you'll have more than a diploma, you'll have an invaluable sense of accomplishment, self esteem, and the knowledge that what you have earned can never be taken away from you."

If I had the knowledge and the speckle of wisdom that I have now, there would be a few nippits of advice to give my high school self. First, there are only so many drugs to take before it begins to become a burden on your body and mind. Your health, physical and mental, both depend on your decisions and you depend on your health. Take care of yourself. The next important thing to do is to care for others no matter who they are, how they act, or what color they are . The most precious thing we humans have in this world is each other. And perhaps dogs too...but not cats. Once you begin to care for yourself and others, somehow the universe begins to be whatever you want it to be. Be honest with yourself and keep your head up. Believe in good, and act accordingly to what you believe. Make a decision knowing that someday it WILL be monumental. All living things are doomed to die, but be more than just that. A phoenix lives knowing that it's doomed to die, but it dies knowing that it is blessed to rise.

When I was a senior in High School, I was very depressed for two reasons: one was because due to me having a developmental disability, my family decided that I should attend community college before transferring and the other was because I was an awkward outsider in high school who did not fit in with my peers and was cast out of the social system. Looking back now, as an honor's student transferring to Claremont McKenna College, a co-founder of a disability advocates club and working as an intern for the White House, I would say to myself, that in college, none of the things that matter in high school matter in college and that sometimes not getting what you want is the best thing that could happen; what matters is what you do with the opportunities life has handed to you and whether you make the best of them or allow them to be squandered. Also I would say not to judge others simply because they made mistakes but rather judge them by how they are conducting themselves now and if they are working to rectify their mistakes.

Hi my past self, In August I started college at Lincoln Tech. I know that the school has some appealing aspects, but you know deep down it's not the right school for you. Having gone there for 6 months now, I would know. Its been nothing more than a stressful situation, as you thought it would be. They still have not come up with their Associates program, although promised with varrying dates . You know that your mother was right in the end. Goto the school that is best for you; put everything else behind and focus on your education. I know that you fear leaving will be hard and that you might lose the one you love, but trust me he'll stick by you no matter what. And though your not ready to leave your family so many arguments about college could be avoided and you will be happier for it. Please don't do what I did and put your academic future on hold for something you are just guessing about; especially if you know the school won't make you happy anyways. Best Wishes, Your future self.

I would do exactly the same thing that I did to prepare for college: indepentently study hard, relying on no one to force me to understand, but taking my education into my own hands; I would approach the teachers with problems on a regular basis - they are their to help you and enjoy helping you succeed; I would work hard at jobs outside of class to ensure that I had great work ethic; I would maintain a high GPA and study hard to guarantee that I get into a very good college & have a future career.

Although I have only attended one semester so far, I have enjoyed attending this school. The educators here are very much focused on getting you to do well in your classes, thus stressing the option to come and visit them during their office hours. The guidance of the advisors and professors have helped me get through my first semester at this school.

What I have really enjoy about Southern Polytechnic State University is the helpfullness of the professors. That was the main reson why I pick this college over the others I was accpeted to. There has been time when I needed to speak with a professor about my classes and they were readily availble. Also, they have interesting stories to tell when you get them in a down time. from those stories, it helps you relate to the corse far better. the proffessors also have many connetions to jobs that would be pique a young students intrest. Without proffessors at SPSU, the school experience would be far different.

So far I have learned that college is not the same as High School and that if you want to actually learn you need to pay close attention and take tedious notes. So far my experience has be valuable because I have started taking better notes not only in class but also at work and at home. I have also matured alot in the way I study.

Throughout my education it has always been that you HAVE to go to school, it is expected and in some ways demanded of you, at least until you are 16. After that, you are on your own. College is an entirely different world. People who go to college don’t go because they are forced to but because they want to. And that is exactly what I did; I continued my education to get ahead in life. I have always been around kids, so when the opportunity presented itself to me I went for it. I am now attending my local community college working on my associate’s in elementary education. The work is much harder but I don’t mind it, it just gives me a chance to push myself even further to achieve what I want. And what I want is to become someone; I want to make a difference in the lives of our future.

So far, I have gained resopnsibility, friendship and a great amount of knowledge out of my college experience. This school offers an array of social life activities an well as fraternities and soroities.I am not finished yet and I look forward to my future years here at southern poly. GO HORNETS

Out of my college experience I have been presented with ways into the major I have decided on and recently declared, and realized that just because you are good at something, that is not reason enough to declare it as your major and eventually work in that field 40 hours a week until you're 60. I have learned that professionalism doesn't always mean acting like an adult, but giving superiors what they want and knowing how to keep your cool, but also when it is time to stand up. I have realized that friends are important to have and schoolwork isn't enough to keep one company. In making resumes and being in and out of the Honors Directors office and the Career and Counceling department, I have determined that prior experience in the field, any work experience at all, and being able to show participation in school activities mean a lot more than just a good GPA.

This is my second attempt at college. This time around I have had a few "ah ha" moments that I should have had when I was younger, or could have had if I were paying more attention the first time. The first being that school is not all about the course work. It is also about setting goals, delivering on those goals, and building off of them. It is also about going the extra mile and searching for answers outside of the textbook. Doing your own research to get a better understanding is key. Coming back to college after a 10 year absence has been the most valuable experience (next to motherhood) that I could be rewarded.

I have always been taught that obtaining a college education was needed for success in life. After attending for awhile now, I can truly see why. I have acquired so much out of my college experience so far; even though it has been very short and just the beginning, I am truly gifted to be attending and to be able to get so much out of the entire experience. When most hear or think "college experience" the first thing that comes to mind is the educational aspect of it. For me, not only has it been the educational aspect but the social aspect as well as the communal. I have acquired so much knowledge, I have met many new and interesting people, I have joined the community and am doing my part to better my educational environment. It has been such a valuable experience to attend college because, when thought of, not many are able to go through with it. Many are held back due to financial, social, or other problems; and thus are unable and will never be able to have such an experience. I am truly blessed to be in the position that I am.

I have learned an incredible amount of information applicable to my chosen field of study. My university offers an incredible mathematics education with a very approachable and reasonable faculty - anyone afraid of math need only attend my university to realize how attainable a solid understanding of mathematics really is! I have also taken a number of very thorough and essential courses in computer programming. Many of my former colleagues considered programming as something of a "soft science." I now have convinced them that, if programming is a "soft science" then so is mathematics; perhaps not governed by the impersonal rigidity of classical physics, but nonetheless governed by a serious rigor and demand for detail. I could not imagine a better introduction to engineering than what I have received thus far, nor one more appropriate for my level of expertise at my initial point of matriculation.

I have been attending SPSU since the middle of summer semester and, thus far, I have thoroughly enjoyed my college experience. I have been exposed to a whole new learning environment, and I absolutely love it. The staff is exceptionally helpful, and the classes are paced at a level that makes it easy for any speed of learner to keep up with. I have learned to take on a new responsibility, and it has given me a good preview of what it will be like to totally rely on myself.

I have been able to attain a stronger study mechanism. I have mastered time management.

In my college experience I have learned that it was better to change my major when I found it to be of little interest to me than to invest the time and money into it. I have been in college for nine years now and still on my way to a Bachelor?s degree. I am able to appreciate the new knowledge I gain with each class I take and apply the eagerness to learn in my professional environment as well.

I have been attending DCAD for two years and so far i have gotten a lot out of the school. I have realized the skills necessary to move up in the field of work i want to persue among problem sloving skills and people skills. this has helped me get my feet wet to going into the real world. Coming out of this i have more college classes and lessons under my belt and all of them have shaped me to who iu want to be in this world.

College has taught me alot about how people from very diverse cultures can come together and interact freely. It doesn't matter where you came from, if you need to work together there is a way that it will become possible. All you have to do is look and cooperate. College has taught me that no matter what you encounter in life there is a solution for it, you just have to find it.

I have learned that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to. I continued to complete my degree even though I felt that I was not getting the support academically that I deserved. They required a set of "unannounced" incoming expectations were outrageous as far as the program knowledge was concerned. For example, they would modify courses: if there was an entry level course and upperclassmen were taking it just to get a good grade because they knew the material, they would leave the basics out of it and run the course as an advanced course. You were just left out to tread water or drown (fail). Attending college was an eye opener into the real world. You are your own advacote in life and you have to fight for what you deserve. Success is hard work, it is not handed to you on a silver spoon. In this regard, learning this life lesson, I feel that all the money spent on my education has been worth it. Despite the fact that now the ecomony is down and no one has job in this field and everyone who had a job doesn't anymore. That's life!~!

Time, money, and resource management would be three topics to stress to my ?high school self.? Although, as a graduate, I felt prepared for college, completing the IB program, making good grades, applying for HOPE, etc., a journey still awaited. I soon realized no matter how prepared I was, nothing sufficed. "The biggest room is the one for improvement"(unknown); I had multiple improvements! Time management/prioritizing has been my utmost challenge; from getting up early for class, to not procrastinating, to going to bed early! College was more than studying about computers/history, I was now responsible for juggling events, bills, and studies. Another struggle, money management, has proven difficult because of unexpected expenses beyond what HOPE scholarships covered. Knowing this now, to prevent the burden of educational loans, I would have strongly advised myself to research scholarship opportunities earlier. Resource management, with regards to critical details about the school, staff, students, and getting the "inside scoop,? prior to arrival is vital in college transition. Enlightening myself about "ratemyprofessors.com" would have enabled me to strategically position myself to obtain Southern Poly?s best teachers. Learning about available resources takes time, but the wisdom gained is priceless.

If I could go back and give some advice to myself I would say many things. I would tell myself to take AP classes as they are very important and could reduce college costs. Taking AP classes gives you college credit and saves you a semester of class. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to start searching for scholarships. Some scholarships require you to do some work such as write an essay but in the end they are worth it. You will be doing yourself a big favor in applying for these and will not have to apply for loans like you had to. Apply to any scholarship there is and do the essay because if you win one or two, they will slowly add up you might not have to pay a dime for school. One other thing I would tell myself is to not slack off. Yes, it is your senior but finish strong. If you finish with good grades you would have qualified for the HOPE Scholarship which would have paid for tuition. Take AP classes, search for scholarships and get good grades your senior year because you will doing yourself a big help.

I have never been the type to start things and not finish them. It is a place where most can show off and shine. "Knowledge is the key, knowledge is power", that is the only thing that keeps playing over and over in my mind. I believe that if you have the knowledge, you can not be overpowered nor put down without your permission. You are the only one who can keep you down. I would tell myself to appreciate and take advantage of all and any oppertunity that comes my way. You never know who you will run across that may help you get alone the bridge that's in front of you. I would have stayed a little more focused, I wouldn't have had to build a state of concentration starting now

On the note of the transition to college, there is nothing I could presumably "warn" myself about if I were able to go back in time; however, there is one thing of utmost importance that I would say which is to, "do what makes you happy." I originally started as an architecture major but didn't have the money, time or heart for it so I changed majors with out much consideration. Of course making a big decision like that in a shot amount of time is risky, and I ended up despizing the feild of civil engineering. It was then that someone gave me that same peice of advise, and now I plan on majoring in American history, but I'm attending and engineering university so I am currentley working on transferring to a new college. If I had just done what I love in the first place I would never have had that problem, and would be closer to graduating right now.

If I had the opportunity of lecturing myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to take the SAT over or take the ACT. The reason for this is because of a Regents test that I had to take first semester. And I believe that if I would have taken the SAT again, I would have exempted the test, or at least been better prepared.

College is alot different form highschool. You have to put in alot more hours of studying and reading. Less time to have fun with friends more time to better your career.

After being inrolled into three different colleges after three years i have learned to do your research and find the best college that fits you best. Do not over look anything, figure out what you enjoy doing and make sure the college you pick has programs that you enjoy. I wanted to save money so i went to a community college right after high school. I wish I never based my future college on money. The money is there for you to go to any college you think fits you best. Also make sure you are trying to get all the money you can. The hard work will pay off over time. Time management is the most important value a college student will have and learn. Make sure you manage your time now so college life wont seem that overwhelming.

I would tell myself to start the transition into college as soon as possible. Senior year will go by quick so do not take any moment for granted as every minute counts. Decide on what school to go to as soon as possible and apply for early or regular admission. The sooner you know if you are accepted into the school, the sooner you can sign up for classes. The ones who register first get the better classes with the better times. Fill out as many scholarships as possible, but make sure not to wait until the last minute because they are very competitive. When you go to orientation try to make friends there because things will be too overwhelming if you wait until the weekend that you move in. The last thing I would tell myself is to be open-minded. There will be a wide variety of students and many of which differ from you. Do not be so quick to judge people as you will find yourself becoming friends with people you never expected to.

If i could go back in time to when i was a high school senior I would of definitely been much more focused on being educated instead of worrying about my social life. Teachers would tell our class that the people you are best friends with in high school won't even talk to you anymore past graduation, and it was true. All the time i wasted on nonsense i could of put towards a better gpa and gotten myself into a better college. I would also keep reminding myself that it is only the last year and to enjoy it that last year of a free education , and the last year that you will be motivated by others other than just yourself.

The first thing i would tell myself if i could got back in time and talk to myself while in high school would be to apply for as many scholarships as i possibly could. Do not procrastinate and say you will apply for some later and never do, for that attitude will not work in college. When there is work to be done, get it done as soon as possible and do not wait. This helps to be more organized do to the fact that you may have a crazy schedule. Besides the academic side to college, also take time out to socialize with the other students and grow as a person as you encounter new experiences. Peolple always say college is the best time of your life, but it will not be if you do not take advantage of all the opportunities. In order to do that simply socializing will not do. It would be better for you to join some type of club. This will not only relieve you of boring times where you can't find anything to do, but also help you upon graduation when you try to find your career.

I would tell myself to never give up. Save a lot of money for textbooks. Never take early morning or Friday classes. Save all the money you can!!! Take more time out to study. Make a study schedule and stick to it. Always become friends with at least three people in each class so if you miss a day or have a test coming up, you all can trade notes and study together. Don?t worry about how everybody else is doing in your class. Buy International Books, there cheaper and the same information. Talk to your teachers as much as you need to. They are there to help you pass their class. Use ALL the resources that you pay for in your tuition. GPA matters! When it comes to taking classes, if you plan to be a full time student take two easy and two hard classes to maintain a good GPA. Go to a 2-year college before going to a 4-year college because it put you a step ahead of the rest because you would have your associates? degree and you can find a job in your field while you work on your bachelors? degree.

When I was a senior in high a school, I decided to attempt joint enrollment. Now, I would go back to tell myself to take more classes at a community college before going to a bigger university. I would also tel myself to learn how to study, because in college, there are a lot of distractions and you need to be able to know how to study and when to make yourself study.

The first piece of advise to myself is to save my money because college will become very expensive living alone to be closer to campus has its consequences. I would further discuss the pros and cons with the commuting problems I was always having during my early college career because of my sexual orientation. Sure I would be closer to campus, but I would be saving money from rent, groceries, utilities, social events, credit cards, miscellaneous membership fees, books and other school supplies, tuition fees, and the gasoline that was to be used to drive back to Loganville in order to visit my parents once a week to save one the extra 1-Hr commute time. Another thing to gather from my phenomenal and enlightened wise words would be that saving money in a CD savings account would be a wise thing to do because I now know that the 2010 economic recession can seriously affect how money can affect a persons life during rough economic times. Finally, I would say the journey to becoming a nationally accredited architect will be tough but trying my best and making the right decisions will eventually win my reward of an architectural degree.

I remember the final few months of my senior year as if it were yesterday. Those final months of school at Duluth High were filled with moments of frustration, excitement, and a little nostalgia as well, but above all were feelings of worry and angst of what was to come--that 7-letter word---COLLEGE. What was college going to be like? Would I get along with all the new people I would meet? Would be able to handle the course work? Looking back, I realize that college is just that---an innocuous 7-letter word. I should have spent less time worrying about what was to come and focusing on making the best of my high school experience. Going back in time, I would walk up to my pre-college self, give me a reassuring hug and say (in a deep voice), ?Relax, it?s going to be okay.?

Don't give up, follow your dream.

study harder