University of South Florida-Main Campus Top Questions

Friends, a great education, career oppurtunities

My college experience has allowed me to teach in the State of Florida. I also gained a great deal of how people work together through my study in Sociology. I love to learn and grow!

The biggest thing that I've gotten out of my college experience so far has been life lessons. I've learned alot since I've first started college and there are many differences from high school. When you get into college you have to quickly grow up. I've learned to be a better and kinder person, while still remaining true to the core of my personality. I've met all different types of people, and have made many friends. Another important thing that I learned is patience. Although there are still some things that bother me that people do, I've learned to become much more accepting, especially while living with a roommate. Another thing that I have learned would be that hard work is oh so precious in college. Although in high school I might have been able to skirt by doing the least amount of work as possible, college is a different story. I'm an avid filmmaker and perhaps the hardest thing that I've had to learn is how to keep the passion I held in high school, as I go through college.

The first and most important information that I would give myself would be to get out and talk to as many people as possible. If I had been more adamant about approaching others, I most likely would have gotten involved in Greek life as a freshman instead of a sophomore, which would have lent me more time to develop my leadership skills. It also would have helped me to network with other students and community leaders, a skill that empoyers say is desperately needed from USF student behind the need for communication skills, which can also be provided by Greek life. I would have also told myself to start evaluating the things that my parents were telling me by my own standards. Having been raised a particular way it took me a year and a half after leaving home to develop my personal sense of morality and fun. If I had begun this in high school it would have allowed me more opportunities to have fun in college that I missed out on because of my upbringing.

Don't give up, you are very smart and life will not be easy if you don't go to college now! Stay in school, and help your husband stay in school. If you both stay in school and get a college degree raising your daughter will be much easier and keep her on the right path to.

If I could go back to my senior year , I would tell "me" that although college life is full of fun things to do, its also really a lot of hard work. If I want to continue to succeed in college, I should prepare myself more by keeping some of my important high school research papers ; that I'll be able to use them again for reference in college. I'd tell myself that I should prepare for the tough decisions I'll have to make ; sometimes resisting the urge to play more than I should when I really need to be studying. There is so much freedom being in college but there is a price to pay if you don't make responsible choices. My parents told me these things, but I'm certain I would have paid more attention if "I" had told me! I'd tell myself to go easier on myself; that I should not compare my transition to college life, to others. I would tell "me" that there will be so many other students there that feel just like I do; that I just need to reach out and find them. Thank you so much!

Transforming into a college student is quite a difficult task to ask a teenager who just got out of high school. Incoming freshman simply do not know their priorities and take going to a great University for granted. A student's first priority is simply his or her education. Before coming to a university, a student must develop study habits that are proven to work in many different locations. The main reason people go to school is to learn, but that does not mean one cannot have fun while doing it. College life is not just about schoolwork, but more about going out and learning the real world through your own eyes. Get involved with your school, do activities you never had the chance to do, have fun, but at the same time do not lose sight of your main goal. Having fun is one thing, but the activities that could perhaps prevent you from reaching your goals are the ones to try and avoid. Generally speaking, the activities that you do will ultimately decide how your life will end up. You are in control of your life, DO NOT waste an opportunity that many people wish they had.

I would tell myself to stay focused and not to stress or worry because college is a fun and enjoyable experience have fun and stay focused, you will do great!

The first thing I would tell my high school self is to consider two possible majors before going to college. Then take courses that satisfy requirements for both majors. This will allow you to test out both possible majors and see which you like. Here, near the end of my freshman year, I see friends who have decided to change majors and have courses they cannot apply to their new field of study. I would also tell myself to establish regular sleeping patterns before leaving for college and stick to this good habit once you get to the dorm. There are many opportunities and temptations to stay up late most nights. This, however, can lead to being chronically tired, missing classes, and even weakening your immune system. I would advise my younger self to couple good sleep habits with careful choices at the school dining halls. All-you-can-eat should not be a personal challenge if you want to avoid the dreaded freshman fifteen. No one gets to college without a few skills and good habits. The trick is to make your habits your servant and not your master.

College, no matter what institution a person attends, or what major a person pursues, is a great and sudden step towards adulthood. No person can effectively prepare themselves for such a immediate onset of personal responsibility and discipline, so do not be surprised when it happens. Like it or not, chances are that you will experience an on-campus living arrangement, and roommates come as varied as classmates in a lecture hall. The greatest showing of maturity, however, is learning to coexist with the "tough" roommates and still function well. As far as academics go, success largely comes from within. There are not going to be parent figures to check in and ensure that you are studying nor will professors monitor attendance of their classes; you must encourage yourself to achieve great things. Furthermore, college academics, even when compared with advanced high school classes, require a higher level of thinking, one that does not allow for much laziness. Time management is crucial to reaching desired results, for there is no set daily schedule by which to abide. Keep all these things in mind, and you too can potentially sit at the front of the graduating class in four years.

First off I would tell myself to not let "senior-itis" get to me. Every part of the senior year is crucial to getting a good education. The more I pay attention to my classes the easier it would be for me to easily transistion from my highschool classes to my college courses. I would also tell myself to manage my time wisely. I know we've been told this a thousand times, but it's an important skill that I can bring with me to college, because in college it is all based on time management. I would recommend myself to apply for the colleges I want to go to as soon as possible to get the registration over with, there's nothing like the anticipation on waiting for a college to reply back. That way if you don't get into the college you want you still have a chance to get into a different college. Lastly I would tell myself to stop depending on my parents because in college you're going to have to learn to be independent. It's big girl time.

I would tell myself to never conform to the ideas of others. To continue to do what is in my best interest and to never go with the flow. I would tell myself to get involved with campus life and sports and stay active. I would urge myself to not worry about boys and focus on my goal of becoming a nurse. I would tell myself to stay focused, especially during the times when it becomes extremely hard to. I would tell myself to continue believing in me even when I feel like a failure, and to look forward to what the next day brings. I would tell myself to keep in touch with old friends, and never turn down an opportunity. I would tell myself to grab every advantage life gives me and stay focused on the future and what it has in store for us.

If I could go back in time an talk to myself as high school senior, I would tell myself to be more focus in school and don't be afraid of change or things getting hard. I would tell myself you need to accept the challenge and face it head on and no matter what the outcome may be deal with it and learn from it. Also to accept help from others and don't have to much pride and learn to humble yourself. In telling myself these things I will know the meaning of struggle and what it means to work hard. I would tell myself that failure is ok if you learn from your mistakes and pick yourself up from the failure. Sometimes you have to fail in order to success in life or learn from the mistake that you made. I would also tell myself to strive for his dreams and let nothing stop him along the way beacause the pain will only make you stronger. Dreams are what make you become what you want to be in life or what you life to be like. Lastly, I would tell myself to accept the responsibility of life.

If it were possible for me to go back in time and give my high school self college advice I would have alot to say, but some things would be more important than others. When I was in high school I participated in a college prep class known as, the Avid Program, and I always felt that In college i wouldn't put any of the skills they taught me to use, especially the note taking skills. If i went back in time iI would drill into My high school self that the note taking skills i am learning are important in college, because without those skills i could miss alot of important info taught in class and ultimately be on quizzes and exams. Another thing i would make sure my high self was informed of is that going to class is imperative. In high school i always dreamed of being able to only go to class when i wanted, but i found out that although it is possible to miss class it isn't fun when you miss an exam or quiz that is a major part of your grade. So it's always best to go to class.

Be yourself. Life after high school is about learning what you want to do and who you are. Do not worry about who was popular or what group you were in. In college, everyone is more accepting and you will find out more about yourself and be able to find people to be around who appreciate you and whom you enjoy spending time with

Dont go into college witha girlfriend still back at home. And concentrate harder on schoolwork your freshman year, instead of your feelings with personal problems. Work hard now, save time and effort later.

Assuming that I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school, I would choose not to do so. Each and everyone of us has a path that was designed uniquely by the Great Universe. Each experience aided in who we are today. I did not choose to go to College after graduation and never regreted my decision. I was not ready. As a 39 year old woman and finishing my 4 year degree, I am so very glad that I waited. My education means more to me now than it did 20 some years ago.

A young girl, who thinks she?s a woman, strolls down the corridor of Sickles High. She was more focused on the upcoming cheerleading pep ralley than the AP classes she was in. She never had to study because school came easy to her. She used to get annoyed when teachers woke her up in class. So who was this immature girl? She was me. If I could look back I would have focused on study habits, because in college everyone has to study. I would have stopped all the tumbling because now my joints ache and I think some useful brain cells perished in the process. I have not spoke to all of the people who were my so called friends in high school, and most of them are still living in the fantasy of the ?good old days? without a college education. I would have chosen a more distinct college major other than pre-medical because not everyone is meant to be a doctor. Life works out in mysterious ways because I am now the teacher that is forcing students not to sleep in my class and preaching to them on how they can learn from my mistakes.

There's a few items of advice that I would give myself if I had the chance. The first one would be to realize that college isn't only going to be about having fun. College can be tough at times and very stressful. It's important to manage your social life so that it doesn't interfere with your school work. I also would have told myself to try to save all the money possible, and be prepared to be a broke college student haha.

If I could go back I would remind myself that college is a place where one has to figure out most things on his own. I would tell myself to make sure I was always aware of project and homework deadlines and the expectations of the courses taken. I would also remind myself that college is expensive and if I was interested in finishing school on time I should work as hard as I could the summer before leaving for college to earn the funding to pay for the extreme expenses such as housing and food. I would also remind myself that no matter how difficult and time consuming, schoolwork is always most important. I think I have done a pretty good job in my college career but with a few helpful hints I think that school would be much easier.

I would tell myself to take a look at what I really wanted to do in life. Look at what I'm strong at and make my decision based on that. I switched my major a few times and lost opportunities to enter competative programs because of my indecisions. I would also tell myself that I would meet some of the best people I know, and to treat them with care and respect. Also, you will lose some of your high school friends; it's part of the process of growing up. I need to accept and move on. I spent a lot of time working to repair friendships that had just grown apart. Also, stay close to God; He will lead you through anything. Times will be hard, especially when it comes to money. Know that you will get through it. And lastly, just remember to enjoy yourself; these years are an opportunity to grow and expand. I didn't utilize my time here, and wish I had known to do more and expand my horizons.

?Live on campus.? That is the most important piece of information I could provide if I were able to go back in time and have a chat with myself. That would be among other things like, don?t hesitate to take morning classes, sign up for classes early before they are all taken, be outgoing and make many friends. Definitely the number one piece of advice I could give myself, though, would be to live on campus. Living in the dorms allows a new student to become independent, teaches responsibility, allows them to make friends that they may keep for life, gives a student the opportunity to become social, and provides a great study environment. I think living on campus was the best choice I made when beginning college. I made my transition smooth because I was able to join study groups, study late into the night, and study with friends. It also provided me with an open door to a social life that I might not have had the opportunity to have if I did not choose to live on campus. Not only would I give myself this information, but I would tell all my friends too!

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to continue to work hard, persevere and never regret. Working hard allows you to reach your goals while perseverance reassures you that your goals are attainable and they are what you desire most, otherwise they would not have been considered to be goals. The last, never regret, is simply just a good mind-set to have. By doing so, you learn to accept for the way things are, realize they will not change and move on, having learned a lesson from everything. Telling myself this then would give me the reassurance that nothing is impossible if I want it badly enough.

All throughout high school I was not involved. I didn't attend football games or school dances. I just didn't care. I went inot college with that same mentality my first year - I went to class and went home. Nothing in between or after. I started to realize how much I regret that so my second year at USF I began to get more involved. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to get involved and meet new people at USF right off the bat. I would explain how fast time goes as a college student and that I didn't have time to spare. I would also give the advice that every assignment matters, unlike in high school. In college every single assignent is worth completeing to its full potential because you never know at the end of the semester what could've happened if you had completed all of the work. In college there are less assignments than there are in high school so every single one is important.

If I was able to go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to think about what I really wanted to do with my life and not let others tell you what I SHOULD do with your life. I wasted many of my college years tryng to please my mother and trying to follow HER dream. She wanted me to become a doctor, like my bother. I was never very good in math, but still tried for six years to become what she wanted. It has now left me in a position where I no longer qualify for any tution aid and am having to work full time while trying to finish my B.A., much later in life than I had planned. I would tell myself to follow my dreams and not someone else.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to not let ME stand in my way, as doubting myself held me back from three things I have found to be very important in college; the scholarships I could have applied for, the friends I could have made, and the organizations I could have been apart of. Having those things as a freshman in college makes the transition smoother, as a ton of stress comes from a lack of those things. Transitioning doesn't just mean moving from one place to another; to successfully assimilate into college life, bad habits need to me dropped, while picking up better ones. So I would also tell myself to learn how to manage time better, because I learned that time flies in college!

In high school, the discrepancy between the level of the material and my intelligence was large. Now that I am at college, my advice to myself would be to remember to get to work early in the semester and not to procrastinate. It has burned me a few times and prioritizing is now an important aspect of my learning style.

If something can be lost I will lose it (even if I find it later)! I also have a tendency to appear as though I?m always rushed to get somewhere. This past fall, in response to a dialogue with fellow dancers, I began a journey to calm my soul. I began this journey in the hopes that my semester would seem less stressful and so that I could better interact with those around me. It was surprising that the feedback I received from my faculty members at our year end conferences was that I seemed calmer and that there had been a change. Looking back now the best advice I can give myself is to breathe?sure you will get frustrated, you might get betrayed, but it?s part of life. Take hold of every opportunity, those chances are given for a reason. Have more optimism than you want to, a path is being laid?follow it, but feel free to detour every so often. Always pursue your passions.

Rosena, when you start college try not to focus on friends and boys! Your purpose is to do well and become something of yourself. Mom and dad work so hard to get you where you are, the least you can do is make them proud. Not once have they asked you for anything or pressured you into becoming something you didn?t desire. College is a different ball game then high school. The tricks you used to get away with in high school, will not fly in college. Studying last minute, cramming before an exam, and staying out passed curfew will lead to your failure. Since you were 4 years old you wanted to become a doctor and those dreams have never changed. If you take my advice, you will succeed! If you don?t, you will indeed fail! Play hard, study harder! Spend the extra time to learn and live the material. Trust me, you?ll thank me later! Each person is given life and with life we are given chances. Chances and opportunities to achieve greatness? This is your chance to achieve greatness, make the right choices! I believe in you, you?ll do just fine.

In hindsight, I lacked a clear set of priorities and goals coming out of high school, and it cost me. I saw college more as a means of getting a decent job than I did a place to learn and develop as a person, and once I realized I could find work in my chosen industry without a college degree, my schoolwork suffered to the point where I dropped two entire semesters worth of classes. If I could go back with my current perspective, I would either delay going to college until I felt I really wanted to attend, or I would have to make sure I was enrolling for the appropriate reasons. Participating in discussions in class and meeting professors and fellow students have been some of the most rewarding experiences in my life thus far, and I wish I had realized that it would be that way seven years ago.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to get involved more in my college life. College life is more enjoyable for a student that involves themself in both meaningful and fun activities. Many different activities are offered in college that were never before offered and it can be intimidating to submerge yourself into them but at the end participating makes it easier to make friend and find new passions which could even help decide career and life goals. Overall I would suggest that highschool seniors do not hold back because of nervousness and fear of being alone while doing something. Instead, take the opportunity to meet new people and do new things- worst case: you hate it and never have to do it again!!

First of all, Me, I'd like to say what a great job you're doing with your grades. Keep this up, as it will reap fantastic rewards in the future! Secondly, don't dilly-dally about shifting to the next step; I know that changing from high school into the vast unknown of academia that is college seems scary now: but trust me, when you get there, you'll have a blast! Being able to work at your own pace will do wonders for your time management skills and bring you closer to realizing abilities you will need to adapt to the real world. Thirdly, you're not going to believe all the ways that you can get involved at your school, jump at every opportunity that arises! You're going to find great ways to meet people with common interests and goals and together you'll have the power to make a difference. Lastly, sharpen those instincts! As a college student, your uncanny talent for finding free food around campus will serve you well and your wallet will thank you. Remember, it's not the end of the world. In fact, college is only the beginning!

The phrase, " I wish I knew then what I know now ," is something that goes through everyones' mind at some point. I have acquired alot of wisdom in the short three years since I graduated high school. The advice that I would pass on to myself during my senior would be to enlighten myself about the responsibilities to come.. I would tell myself to 'embrace more than just what is happening within the hallowed hall of Lake Weir High School, go out and learn about those who are around you, our society and the challenges that we have to face after to we move on.' Once you graduate highschool your life is not as protected as it once was by its counselors and beloved teachers, you are thrown head first into the massive ocean known as reality and are expected to excel. I would also tell myself that there are great things to come within our nation. It may seem that times are rough but there is always a silver lining in the cloud, so do not loose faith in yourself and your nation.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as high school senior there would be so many things I would want to say. The conversation would probably go something like this: "Smile more! Don't be afraid to make friends. Take on the adversities of moving to a new school and benefit from it! Those in your classes, will be the same people you go through life with, why not get to know them? Stop avoiding those math classes... it doesn't get any easier unless you push yourself now. You need a tutor or some extra help, don't avoid it. Don't skip studying because you know you can pass, study a little more and really excell. Talk to everyone, take a speech class, slow down and breathe. Stop procrastinating, who cares if it is boring, read it! Focus, follow-through and finish everything you start. College is what you make of it and how hard it is depends on what you do now. You will get where you want to go if you focus on where you are now."

I would encourage myself to strive to raise my SAT and ACT scores and my GPA. I already accomplished relatively good scores but higher is always better. I have always been very disciplined throughout my whole school career; I was home schooled my whole life, so anything I got accomplished I did on my own accord and because of my own self motivation. I do think however that I could've taken the time I used to be social and have fun more wisely and effectively so that when I got here I would have been more prepared to make tough desicions. I would inform myself that college is not about having fun; that is a very nice benefit, but it is in no way the main objective of attending a state university. College is about learning and about pushing yourself; succeeding and trying harder to succeed even more. Its about fighting your ownself and disciplining your own self to be a mature individual and do all that needs to b done, exceeding the minimum in every chance you get.

If I could go back in time, the first thing I would tell myself is to apply for scholarships every day. I can remember telling myself that I would apply for a scholarship a certain day and then put it off until it was too close to the deadline to even make an attempt. With the scarcity of scholarships recently, any time an opportunity arises, it is like a big group of predators fighting over the last piece of meat. Another thing I would tell myself would be to believe the hype about college. It really is a bumpy transition, people really do fail out if they aren't willing to do the work, and the amount of time that you spend studying as a full-time student is unlimited. It is your responsibility to learn the material, and if you don't, you will suffer the consequences because there aren't many homewoork assignments to subsidize for poor exam grades. In brief, college is what you make out of it. It will require a great deal of maturity, self-discipline, and independence. Money will be scarce so you have to take every opportunity you are given.

I would tell myself to stay true and not let anyone pressure me into anything. Make a better schedule adn work on my time management. Procrastinations is not good, you need to learn how to splet your time between your classwork and your free time. Money does not grow on trees, so make sure you learn how to manage your money correctly and not spend all the money you get on clothes and things that are not important at the time. You can still have fun in college as long as you no the boundaries and stick to your morals.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would first of all tell myself to not let senioritis get to me and to definitely take advantage of all of the AP courses my high school offers. I would also tell myself to learn how to prioritize because just because its your first year in college and you are only completing your required general education classes it does not mean you can slack and just consider making friends, going to parties and trying everything in town. But most importantly I would tell myself to not let myself get influenced by old or new friends easily. Stay focus and remember everything you do now will affect your future one way or the other. So don't use the "that would never happen to me" excuse, because when you least expect it, the consequences will show up. Think before you do something you might regret and with who you might associate yourself with because this is the start to a new important chapter in your life, whether you want to admit or not. College is the turning point in your life.

As a high school graduate preparing for college I would tell myself to select career focused courses and to not allow others to distract me. To make sure that when completing my assignments they are done at their best. Something important to remember is that college is a competition and that everyone is trying to be noticed so I need to be prepared to make myself shine above other students. It is important to be more involved with campus activities and organizations. Create a schedule of the day and follow the routine plan for that semester. Also note that taking summer courses are a great way to keep my mind fresh with material in my field and can provide an advantage in my application to nursing school. Although college is a time to buckle down and focus on school work remember to make time for friends because you will need them just as much as they will need you while on this journey. One last thing would be to learn to accept that plans will change but it does not have to be a bad change.

If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now, is that I should've really focused. Dont get me wrong I'm doing a better job in college, but my math classes are a struggle. I can say my math education is pretty weak. A elementry school student is more proficient then I am. I would also tell myself school is not for everyone. As I went into college my first year at Brookdale Community College, I can say I was unsure if this is for me. But eventually I sat down and really thought about it and agreed it is. With my career goals you need college. And there's no other way around it. I said to my father before he passed away, "I would like to be the first one to actually graduate from college with my Associates, Bachelors, Masters and hopefully a Doctorate degree." And I'm going to keep my word. So to this day thats whats driving me to keep my education. I failed him once. I dont want to fail him again.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have all sorts of things to tell my younger self. I would tell myself to apply at several colleges, not just the only one I wanted to ever go to. I would tell myself to prepare better for applying for colleges by studying for the SAT, applying myself in classes, and doing more extracurricular activities and volunteering. I would also tell myself to not worry about going away for college because it is such a wonderful opportunity and a way to make lifelong friends as well as prepare for a career in the real world. Being in college gets you ready for being in the real world by giving you more responsibility than you can handle and giving you the resources you need to get everything done. I would tell myself to really think hard about everything I want to do and how I want to do it, from living off campus to trying to juggle work and school at the same time. I would tell myself it isn't that hard if you just apply yourself and try your hardest.

If I were able to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to really research the colleges that I was interested in. I chose the University of Florida just because all of my friends were planning to attend. I ended up attending the University of South Florida instead, due to the financial aid they were offering me. I would tell myself to base my decisions on what benefits me, as opposed to how it would affect others that surround me. In addition, I would become aware of different fields of study that exist. When I became enrolled at the University of South Florida, I saught counceling from an advisor in order to chose a major. I was so indecisive that I relied on the counselor to choose my major for me. I am now going to be a Senior in college next year, and have come to realize business is not my path. I recently went on a study abroad trip to Greece and came to the realization that I am deeply interested in International Studies. All in all, it is important to think your decisions through quite thoroughly.

I would first tell myself that college is easier that high school. I would tell myself that I want to be a teacher so don't waste time only taking a class here or there because 4 years down the road when you are watching people who graduated high school after you, graduating college with the degree you want before you, when you have another two years to go, it makes you feel like you'll never make it out. I would tell myself that even though I was never good at math and writing papers, I really can succeed without too much trouble. I would tell myself that I made it through community college with only two Cs, and if I can do that then surely I can do anything. I would tell myself to join a club and make friends so that college won't be so hard on my own.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a friend (HS Senior) in high school and give advice about college life and transitioning, I would tell myself to stay on track and keep doing what you're doing. Since I was in the International Baccalureate Program, I was a lot more prepared for the college school work than several of my fellow classmates. So I would just tell myself to keep studying and look into the future. The present is what counts most at the time because in the end, what you do in the present affects what you do in the future. Furthermore, I would tell myself to be more outgoing and join a club or some kind of program associated with the school. It's important to get involved right away, so you can transition into the school with ease. Now that it's my second semester in school, I am looking to participate in more things and get involved. Other than that, enjoy college; it's supposed to be the best years of your life!

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to work on my study habits. College requires a lot more time and effort to do well then it took in high school. Managing your time well is very important and a key to being successful in school. Making the transition from high school to college was not very difficult. I had a good support system which really helped me with the change.

After graduating High School I decided to stay home and attend our local community college to save money on tuition and living expenses. It was hard for me at the time to be the only one out of my friends to not leave home after graduation. I remember feeling like everyone else was better and smarter than me because they were attending University's and I was at a community college. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior knowing what I know now, more than anything else I would tell myself to not be concerned with what other people are doing, to focus on what I know is right and best for me and not on what other people may be thinking about me. Don?t compare yourself with other people or think that something is better simply because the majority may believe it is. No one can predict what the future has in store for us and everyone is different, life isn't about where you start or what path you take, it?s about doing what?s best for you and what you believe is right. Confidence is everything.

As a college student, I find myself frequently calling my younger brother who is now a Junior in high school and giving him advice about what to do in preparation for college and I share the regrets I have now looking back on the odyssey to my university experience. If I had the ability to go back in time I would have taken the SAT and ACT multiple times. I unfortunately procastinated in applying to take the SAT and ACT tests, which I found myself only taking each test only once. As a result for my poor decision making I found myself only receiving mediocre test scores. I now find that these tests are the crucial objective into getting into a university. I wish that I could go back and apply early to take these tests and had taken them multiple times. I wish I would have studied for these exams in order to obtain a better score and increase my chances of getting into the colleges of my choice and scholarship opportunities. Obviously I cannot change my past, but I can provide some advice for my brother and my other peers to not make the same mistakes I made.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in the senior year of high school, I would first sit them down and ask what they knew about college in the first place. I hardly knew anything as a senior so if I could go back and educate myself on different colleges, what to look for, how to get financial aid and how to apply; I would. Knowing is the key so I'd make sure my past self knew all about the apportunities that are out there for them such as scholarships, that only high school seniors could get. I'd also tell myself to apply as early as possible to colleges and go see the campus's just to make sure your making the right final decision. Last but not least, I'd go back and tell myself to keep my cool and relax and be myself. Just because your entering a new school and environment doesn't mean you should change who you are to fit that place. I'd tell myself to stick to your dreams and just go for whatever you believe in despite any obsticles.

I would tell myself to pay more attension and get all the help thats out there. Also I would explain that I needed to apply for a lot more scholarships and get my GPA as high as possible. Another piece of advice I would give myself would be about studying habits and getting stuff done. In college there is no or very little extra credit and there is no such thing as late work. Studying is very important and learning good study habits is crucial to be successful.

I would say to take every oppurnity to help yourself out. Your future depends on what you do in college and what you make of it. Every person has something to offer you, every book you read has something to offer you, and you never know what can help you out in the future. When writing that essay for your english teacher, write it to the best of your abilities because you never know if that slight GPA boost can get you into a great school, some scholarships, or something else. So look at everything you can do because you never know who or what can help you out later on. College is going to be hard, but if you do this i believe the transition will be much easier. Remember that everything is another oppurtunity to succeed.