University of Arizona Global Campus Top Questions

I would tell my highschool self to make a plan and stick to it. I was so indecisive, it cost me a lot of time. I think if I had a plan I would be a lot further in my education by now.

I would advise myself not to go to college right after graduating high school, but not to wait twenty-two years either. I was not ready for college at eighteen. Most likely I would have been too involved with the social aspects of college and not focused on my education. Waiting til I was mid twenties, and more responsible would be my best chance of success. Waiting twenty-two years is too long to wait. I have a lot of life experience, but now I am going out of neccissity as opposed to going when I could take full advantage of the earning potential my degree will provide. Ultimately, I would advise myself to go to college at twenty-four.

As a student returning to college after a long break, I would tell myself to focus and set goals for yourself. Setting goals for yourself motivates you to succeed and continue the hard journey. There will be obstacles and life altering changes that can impact your motivation to continue, but knowing that these are only temporary, can help you through.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to study as hard as possible. I would tell myself that college is not cheap, that applying yourself to the fullest potential in high school is for the better. I would remind myself that self-concept changes over time and I am still growing as an individual in society. Education is everything, without it you will not get very far. I would remind myself that knowledge is what changes the world and it is in the palm of my hands.

Somewhere around my junior year of college I learned the key to college success. I believe the more people that know this tip would not be scared of education or believe that they have to be a certain amount of intelligence to complete college or even go to college in the first place. My husband had pointed out one day my quirky study habit: I like to highlight each question in every assignment a different color so I know what the assignment is specifically asking of me so I do not skip any required elements. Eventually it dawned on me that all school or college is, is a question and an answer. I then noticed that I am not even expected to come up with the answer by my own intelligence: I am just expected to find the answer in the textbook that the class provided. What? Teachers do not care what my opinion is? What? Teachers want me to learn just the facts? What? Teachers just want me to support my found-answer with the text that they provided or scholarly, credible sources that I can site? My mind was blown; and college has been a breeze ever since.

Take a chance and do something innovative. Computers will be a HOT field in twenty years, the risk will be worth the reward. Pick a major that is employable in the long run. And, learn the importance of building relationships with the right people. You never know when you will need to reach out to someone for help.

I would tell myself to go to college right after high school. I decided to take a year off before going to college. In that year I became pregnant with my eldest daughter. I miss oput on some things because of my school being onlinbe. I don't get the luxury of joining a sorority, living on campus, going to parties, and growing with my classmates. My classroom is my computer at work, my laptop at home, or my smart phone. While I do get to interact with my fellow classmates in my virtual classroom, it is not the same as the real classroom. I would tell myself go and do not give up.

As a senior, I thought college would what the media portrays: classes would be easy to manage and my roommate would be my best friend. Classes were something I could manage, but I wasn't used to having to put this much effort into a grade. I had to work to maintain my grade. Also, I thought that living in the dorms wouldn't be that bad, that my roommate and I wouldn't have major problems, and resident life would be easy. I never imagined I would come to move in with a stranger whose lifestyle was completely different than mine. I never would have thought I would have to clean up after someone else, or I would not get along with them. I wish that I could go back and tell my high school self that I can handle the courses, but to put a strong effort in. I would tell myself that sometimes issues don't get resolved and I will have to move. I would tell myself that college will be an amazing experiance, but there will be some trials along the way. College is a journey, and sometimes the journey will be hard.

If i could go back to my senior year many changed would be made. My high school was realtively small, my classmates have been the same people for the past 10 years so everybody including the teachers were comfortable with eachother, too comfortable. I thought I was invincible in high school i skipped alot of school and slacked off. My grades were still decent but i wish i would have paid attention better and prepared myself more acedemically.

Calm down. Not knowing what you want to major in or make a career of is ok. It is better to take the time to find something you are passionate about now than to commit to something you may be unhappy with in 10 years. Although most people think if you put off school you will end up not going, you will soon realize that Pappie has had a much greater impact on your motivation and pure desire to learn. There are going to be obstacles that seem to never subside, numerous discouraging times where you will feel like there is no point, and many people questioning some very personal decisions. In everything you do, always remember that your underlying purpose is what drives you, not the opinions of those who pass judgement. Things are constantly changing, but the one thing that will always remain is the value of knowing who you are and not altering the values, dreams, and beliefs you hold so close for any reason other than toward your own personal growth throughout those changes. No matter how long it may take to see achievement "on paper," your true success lies, and will emanate, from within.

Knowing what I know now about college I would go back and tell myself a lot my senior year, but the most importaint thing I would tell myself is to start studying and teach yourself good study and homework habbits now. In college it is a lot diffrent than in high school. In high school you can blow off your homework and just wing it when it comes to test day, but in college that does not work. In college you need to spend your time outside of class productively or you will find yourself lost and confused in class and have no clue whats on the test. Also you need to study for your tests. When I was in high school I rarely had to study to get a good grade on a test, but now that I am in college I have found out I rarely get a good grade on a test unless I study for it.

My high school self was very shy and had the belief she was not smart enough for college. She had a dream of becoming a preschool teacher but knew that would not happen because she was not going to college. After she graduated she began working with children as a babysitter and then a nanny. She then ran a daycare in her home. Years later she was blessed with a job at a childcare center as a lead teacher in the toddler room. By this time twenty years had past with no college degree, but she was teaching and had been teaching along. The window for growth without a degree was very small and she stilled dreamed of teaching preschool. At the age of forty three I now know I was wrong by believing I could not go to college and follow my dreams. If I could go back in time I would tell myself to follow her dreams now because not only is she able to attend college but she grows into an amzing teacher that touched many lives, and those lives touch her right back.

Don't take any time off after high school. Go directly on to college. You will thank yourself later. Take time to acclimate yourself to your school. Get involved with other students that are like minded and have the same sort of goals that you do. Often making these types of friends will help you to hold yourself accountable and establish life long connections. These connections may come in handy later on down the road. Trust your professors but don't be afraid to challenge their thoughts. Professors like to see you participate in class and not just show up. Decide what you love to do and pursue it, don't hesitate because you think you can't do it, there are people all along the way that will help guide you and move you in the right direction. Make college your priority, you have your whole life ahead of you to work. Work if you must but find other ways to help support yourself while in college. Apply for all the scholarships and grants that you can so that you don't come out of college with a lot of debt.

I have done a lot of projects and have had a lot of life experience since high school. I would tell myself not to wait as long as I did to start college. The help and the answers are there but it is up to you to have the courage to ask. Don't be afraid to try, failure could happend but those are the times that we learn and grow. Learn and grow.

I would push my self to find the right career and college. I would express how important a college degree is for myself and the reward. I would say do not give up college invovles so much as it's apart of young adulthood. College is a lot easier for high schooler fresh out of school as life and responsibitlties increase with life and time. Just do it...

Talking to myself as a senior I would say, "It is not you it is them. Do not let the negative things people have said scare you away from trying because you are good enough. Your mother was wrong. You are not too lazy or too stupid and you actually can do anything you set your mind to. When you go to college you will find out how that you are a critical thinker which is why you feel like you see things differently then everyone else. College may be difficult at times but you have always prided yourself on being willing and excited to learn. Do not be afraid to jump in now because you will eventually build up the courage to succeed. Not only will you regret waiting for so long you will end up feeling extremely foolish when you realize that you have been afraid for a decade for absolutely no reason. Always remember that anything your mother says about you is because of her own issues not because you are a bad person, a stupid person, or a lazy person. You are an intelligent, caring, and honest person so embrace it"

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior would be a miracle, since I never was a high school senior. I had my son at the age of 17, did not graduate with my class in 1994, but recieved my GED in1997. If I could tell that girl who sat in GED class among her fellow classmates anything, I would say, "No matter what the situation, love is the main objective, not profit." "Be humble, but not naive," and the most important message, "Focus and believe in your goals to give yourself faith, validity and value."

If I were to go back in time and give myself advice, it would be simple and direct. You are ready for school right now as you are not disciplined or focused. You have not chosen a career carefully. In twenty years when you attempt to get a degree, you will be ready and the experience will be much different as technology and the theory of learning will have changed dramatically in your favor. Do not let your working class family and high school educators' lack of faith in you become baggage that you carry for the next two decades. The transition to online learning will be relatively simple for you as you will have literally spent years in the trenches of information technology. You will need to learn to take constructive criticism and not compare it to the negative criticism you grew up with in your family life. It will take discipline, perseverance, focus and determination to transition successfully. You will do it and I am proud of you.

I wish I could go back and tell myself to make the choice to enroll in college at 18 when I received my GED. I would tell myself, "you can do it, even though it looks like you can't right now. You can take one or two classes at a time and you can work part time, and you can make it through. It will be challenging, but you will also learn alot and it will give you the confidence you will need at the start of your career. It will be much more challenging if you wait until you are an adult with an established career and with all the responsibilities of maintaining your home life. Get the degree now, while you are still young, energetic and fresh. It will be a great accomplishment and a foundation on which to build your entire work/life experience."

I would tell myself to pay closer attention in class and get better grades. I would also tell myself to Think more about the choices that I would make in the future. You have no idea how much your choices affect your whole life when you are that young.

Giving advice to my high school self would be this, go to college because you can do it. Everyone else’s negativity is what told you that you would not be able to do it, but you can; you can do anything you set your mind to. College life is so different than high school life. In college, you are an adult and are treated that way. You are allowed to make decisions for yourself without having to check with your parents. You decide what your future is going to be. As long as you work hard at what you are doing, you will succeed; you make that decision and no one else. Study hard but be involved with your school and if you can handle it, get a part time job to keep things enjoyable. This will make you a well-rounded person, but if you see things getting rough, then back off of the job and put your concentration on the job you are at school for, getting your education. Going to college will make you proud and happy and give you the confidence to know you can make it in this world.

You’re probably thinking to yourself that you’ve got it all worked out. You’re going to go to college and graduate. Well, you do end up going to college and you are making good grades, but sometimes life happens and you begin to wonder whether it’s all worth it. You get a taste for the money you’re making at a new job. You go out and party, spending the money you’ve earned from your wages. You wonder why need a college degree when you’re making more than minimum wage and with benefits. You decide to skip college and see how far you can go without a degree. Well, I hate to break it to you, but luck doesn’t last forever. Without a degree, you aren’t qualified for jobs that you know you can do because you’ve done them before. My advice: go to college and get your degree while you’re still young because you’re going to need it to get that foot in the door.

Take a year off from High School, then decide what you want to do in life. Then go back to college with a plan on how to get funding to go to college, and find ways to keep any college loans you get and keep the costs down by paying them monthly.

Study hard, and go straight to college

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself not to give up. Senior year is the ending of a rough 4 years but also a beginning to a new start. I would tell myself to focus on studies, to focus on my long term goals. I would tell myself not to worry about friends or the current parties or even that one boyfriend that you might think you're in love with. I havent been in highschool since 2006 but if I knew then what I know now I would have definitely did things differently. I would have told myself to go to college sooner and get a career rather than a "job". Advice can get you very far in life when given from the proper person who is wise and knowledgeable. So overall, assuming I can go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would tell myself to persue in everything possible that would get me to where I want to be in 5-10 years because thats when you're able to then build the rest of your life.

If given this opportunity of going back and giving myself college advice based off of what I know now, I would definitely start with the advice of not procrastinating. Get down to business with filling out as many college applications. Not only allowing yourself a greater array of options, but also allowing yourself the greater chance of the college experience you want for yourself and not having to settle. Another piece of advice would be, filling out as many scholarships as possible. Seriously! College will kill you with debt, and if you are able to not have to come out of pocket but instead pocket some extra money for the future, is strongly encouraged and recommended! I would also say to go on as many college visits as possible. You can only take so much information about a college from online, but nothing beats you actually being on the campus and checking out the cafeteria and dorms in person. If I had the chance of taking these advices prior to attending college, I am positive I would be at a totally different college right now. Take full advantage of the opportunities in which offer the best college experience for yourself!

If I were to give myself advice, I would definitely say work hard in high school. You don't necessarily need a 4.0 grade point average, but take classes that will help in college and your career path. I would also say that if a high school guidence counselor tells you that you are not college material, get a different counselor. I put myself down all the time because I believed what I was told. Once I got to college I worked hard to prove them wrong, however if I had just applied myself in high school it may have been an easier road. I would also get myself a great tutor for math, and get all my math courses out of the way early in my college career. I had teachers that simply intimidated me in math. I should never had let that happen, but now I struggle with the fear that my GPA will be ruined when I take my last math class. I would have done way more to understand it early on, now I am scrambling to learn it, before I need to take the class in May. I would have done many things differently.

Start college earlier so that you can get in your career field earlier.

Go to school earlier. Trust in what you want to do and never give up on you goals.

The best advice I could give my younger self would be: Effective time management is key. It's super easy to get caught up in the social world of school. There's friends, parties, games, and all sorts of activities hosted by different school organizations. Those are all great and you should enjoy them, but make sure you stick to your schedule. Have a time set aside for homework and do NOT get behind. Keeping up on your homework takes up less time; keeps your grades up; and leaves you more time to have fun on the weekends. There will always be parties and friends after you turn in your assignments.

I would advise myself to be the same person going into college. I would also tell myself to continue the routine that I did in highschool.

I would tell my younger self that I just needed to attend the classes and I would eventually graduate. I was too easily distracted and took some bad advice. 10 years later, I still don't have a degree but I am working on finishing it now. I would tell myself to stick with it and become more disciplined cause it would all be worth it in the end. It is very difficult to go back and finish after time off, so if I became overwhelmed or needed some time I should take fewer courses the following semester instead of not taking any classses. I would also tell the younger me to stick with school and that there is still time to have fun after graduating college, in fact it will be more fun. The only thing I should have focused on was commiting to school and staying on track.

I would tell myself that I should do some research before deciding which college that I want to attend. I would mention doing a college stats search by Googling it or checking College Navigator, or the like. I would definitely determine their tuition costs and available financial aid. I would want to know how they teach and how helpful they are. I would want to know about their accreditation status. Last but not least, I would take some personality, interest, and skills tests to find out what degree program I would want to enter if I did not know already. Then I would check the job market statistics to see if I stand a good chance of getting a job in that field of study.

Going on my third year of college, I learned alot academically and how college works finacially. If I can go back in time to my high school self, I would tell him alot on what to expect and what he should watch out for. The very first and main thing I would tell myself in his first year of college is to stay focus on my work because if he doesn't he will lose his scholarship and miss the first week of school when second semester starts and will be on academic probation. Then when second semester starts I will tell him not to get distracted because if he does his gpa will drop harshly and tell him that its not easy to bring it back up. Mainly just tell myself that take your freshmen year seriously because if he do that he won't have to go through what I went through his freshmen year and he won't be in finacial trouble like I am now. I would of told myself alot more stuff but those are the main things, and it all starts freshmen year because I did great my sophomore year.

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would give myself the same advice that I have given my 20-year old daughter. I encourage her to finish school and enjoy life without taking on other peoples burdens that are not traveling in the same direction as she. Before attaching yourself to someone for life, at an early age, finish your college. Life is short, and you may want to have a better career one day, so take time to enjoy all of your free time, while you are alone. Learn to love you, and I encourage her to take subjects that will give her the best bang for the buck, and try to visualize yourself doing that job or career choice for 365 days of the year. Knowing what I know now, has given me an edge on life, and I feel that I am able to counsel, and learn from others without feeling silly in the process. Learning is a valuable asset, and when you have the freedom learn without interruption, it is truly a blessing. It is a time in my life to focus and reflect .

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself to not procrastinate. Going to school while having a full-time job is and will continue to be stressful. Pay attention in every class and take them seriously, even if you do not like them very much because those are the ones you will have the most trouble with. Make sure you read all the assigned chapters of any textbook. Many times in college classes, it is the same material. If you read and rememer it from high school, it will make things that much more easier in college.

If I could go back in time and speak with my high school self, I would tell myself to be open-minded to the instruction and communities around me. I would let my high school self know that I should not be deterred when obstacles might arise. Life is not always daisies and sunshine and it is okay to feel stressed, it is just part of growing up and learning. I would also tell myself that experience provides the best lesson in transitioning into the adult world. Take every moment for what it is worth, and focus on yourself and broadening your horizons. That would be the most sincere advice I would give. In these times of negativity I would remind my younger self to breathe, and take one day at a time. Make the best out of every situation, and push yourself to succeed. If I could go back and have a heartfelt conversation, at the end I would smile for my journey now is far more than I could ever have imagined when I was a high school senior.

Valerie Curtis June 1st, 2013 If I was able to go back and talk to myself in high school I would say, college is once in a life time kind of deal, you can always go back as many times as you want but you can't get the time you wasted back, go to college stay in college and gradate with all your friends, find what makes you happy though out school, there is two years of just G.E and between that is what you want to do with you life. If i was to go back in time, i don't believe I would do so, I know i missed so much already but i love my life and where i stand, it will always have its ups and downs, but its my life and i take it all that it does come with, no matter how bad it gets, I know I will always walk up the next day, loving my life, loving my family, even more so loving my son.

I would tell myself to focus on career and not rush into marriage at such a young age. I would also recommend that I return to school for healthcare because with the upcoming changes occurring and the population growth that this would be a great careeer path for myself and that I would love it.

I would say to take business classes sooner, to prepare for your restaurant/buffet plan. It will be video game themed, with some of my own original recipes.

I would give myself the advice of not going to devry

Take your SAT's. Don't follow the plan you have, it won't work out. Focus on yourself and your education, and let everything else come in its own time. Your education needs to be your top priority, and you can do a lot better than you think you can.

If I could go back and have a conversation with my high school self, I would render two pieces of advice. First, I would tell my younger self to find a mentor. Specifically, to seek out someone who I felt I could look up to, and could turn to during times of trial or difficulty. The reason for this suggestion is that for much of my formative life, and even now to some extent I have a difficult time finding people whose advice I feel I can rely on, and in turn I feel that this has been a significant obstacle in my development. Second, I would instruct my younger self to spend less time worrying about how we are perceived by others, and more time looking at what sort of person we want to be, and on understanding the reasons behind why we should want to be that sort of person. In essence, the advice would be to broaden our mind as much as possible and across the breadth of intelligences, not just the logical, which was and is my strongest nature.

If I could go back in time and change my college life, I would have completed through with a PhD and focused my career in healthcare management or research. As a woman working full time and supporting my family, I wish I had understood the value in completing my education earlier in life. I finished my Associate's Degree in Nursing at the age of 19 and had planned to start the RN to BSN program within a year after graduation. Two and a half years ago, in my late 40s I finally returned to school to obtain my degree in Project Management. In less than 9 weeks I will complete this degree and plan to return for my Master's in the fall/winter of this year. My goal is to obtain a MS in Leadership and work my way up to an executive level position either within the organization I am currently employed with or explore new opportunities. As an adult learner, I do see some advantages for the ability to add real-life applicaation for what I am learning and value this more today than I did 30 years ago.

I would say start immediately with college. Review schools until you are sure you found the one you want to attend to avoid the transferring process. Education is needed to be successful in life and there are no shortcuts in life. Take a field of studies in demand and you will enjoy, money is not everything. Do your best the higher the GPA the more opportunities for a better job. Do not be afraid to ask for help in college. If you fall behing the catch up is too hard and will lead to failure. Follow instructions in class and for scholarships this is crucial. Student often lose scholarships by not reading the instructions. In class not following instructions costs grades, lowering the GPA. When writing proofread everything even these essays for scholarships. Good grammar counts in all parts of life, if you cannot communicate it is a problem. Manners need to be taken into account, foul language, cellphones, and disrespect are going to get you no where in school. Above all have some fun also to prvent burning out on studies. Do not be a party person be a good student having fun sometimes.

I would tell myself to stop playing video games, stop wasting my time with friends, and to get myself enrolled in college. Your education is very important to you and don't waste your time with people and things that aren't important. There is a bigger picture out there that you need to experience and college is the gateway to that.

If I could go back and talk to my past self I would tell myself to participate in more extracurricular activities and become more social. I have always been the shy girl so I would always through myself in my school work to avoid confrontation. When I made the transition over to Lake Michigan College I found that I did fine with the school work and the classes, but when it came to socializing and participating with the other students I struggled. I eventually became better at it and made friends and joined clubs like the skydiving club, the literary society, and the zombie survival club. I just think that if I had been more social in high school it would have made the transition into college social life easier.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to follow my dreams. Do not wait too long to go back to school and enjoy campus life. Full time online schooling while working full time hours is a stretch and will wear you down quickly.

When you start college, hang in there. Study and stay fouce.

The best advice I would give myself is not to take the opportunity of going to college for granted. I would tell myself that I need to focus on school and take the time to get good grades. Other things in life can wait till the school work is done. I would also tell myself to make a budget and stick to it no matter what, because this in the end would help with the transition to the college life. Living on your own is not easy at times. Having to figure out how to balance work and college can be tough. I would tell myself to focus on school because that is what will get me far in life, and to work only as much as I need to. This way school is my number one priority.