University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Top Questions

Many people, much like myself, take high school for granted. It is quite easy to look at high school as a great opportunity to socialize, slack off, and experiment with all types of different things, especially your senior year specifically, because it is that "last push." Although it's true that high school does offer these types of opportunities, there are a significant amount of other things that should be taken advantage of. For example, a free education, a smaller institution to build strong relationships, and extra curricular activities that you actually have time for. If I had known how difficult and time-consuming college would be, I would have taken advatage of the time I had in high school to study harder, and challenege myself even more than I did with difficult classes to further prepare myself. I also would have focused LESS on socializing, and more on myself. You truly do not realize the importance of senior year until it is that "last push" that can determine your future. If I could do it all again, I would not hesitate.

If I could go back in time and give my senior-self advice I would start off by telling myself to soak in the experience as well as the process of school and school life. I would tell myself to no get too off track and stay focused on my school work becaus the work load might be difficult in the beginning but it's something that most everyone, including myself, get used to. However, I would remind myself not to be too hard on myself if I get a tad behind on credits, that there is still so much time in my life and I am blessed to even have the oppurtutnity to further my education and be in school. I have also had a hard time with moving out of state and away from all my family and friends. Therefore, I would tell myself that it's okay and normal to go through feelings such as homesickness, regret, and doubt that it's going to work out. I remind myself how normal those feelings are and that I am not the only one.

Nate, Our family is as loving as they come, but the paternal route of driving trucks is unfulfilling. Yes, it will pay the bills; and yes, technically you will be able to see the country; however, just like what you have recently witnessed with our parents and the divorce, the highway does not have much to say for itself after years on the same road. During 10 of these years sitting in the same seat, the true craving that we have is to actually have an impact on the world. Engineering is a notable way to fulfill that inner urge, as we can help to design the infrastructure that dad drove on for 40 years. You are a good student, and with focus on much more difficult classes, you can still continue your healthy GPA quite nicely. Don't forget out your friends and social life, but know that without a good degree and related job, life can feel meaningless. I know that you are incredibly apprehensive to take out a student loan, but don't let it scare you anymore. A job in this field will take care of it quickly. The future is promising, Love, Me

Senior year of high school is what I would call the stepping stone of freedom. Freedom meaning making decision for yourself, choosing your next steps in life and becoming a young adult. Deciding on what college to attend was one of the most intriguging and terrifying experiences of my life. If I could reverse time and do things differently, I would have liked to go visit lots of different schools to see what each college offered. Another thing that I would have did then was try to apply to more hbcu and out of state schools. I believe that college is all about the experience and making life long realtionships. The best advice that could give me self now is dont't make decisions on instinct and make sure the college you choose best fits your needs. Make sure the college helps you academically, socially, personally and will help you achieve your goals. At the end of the day this a life long decision and it is important that this institue will help you to be successful now and later down the road. So make sure you know the pros and cons of each college.

There are a million things I would love to tell my past self, now that I've been in college for about a year. Of course, my first word of adice would be APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS or perhaps even stop procrastinating! I would tell myself to stop letting my worries get me down to a crippling level. I've realized over the years that sometimes it is better to just do what you need to do and quit trying to be perfect. I would tell myself to enjoy my experiences more rather than letting them haunt me with their slight imperfections. I stifled myself a lot by putting things off in order to attain the most perfect version possible. Sometimes it's better to just get it over with. No one is perfect and over the past year I have learned that I certainly don't have to be.

If i could go back in time to when i was a high school senior, which for me isn't that far back, i would tell myself to deffinetly look for scholarships alot earlier. Waiting till last minute to apply for scholarships probably wasn't the best idea. Applying for scholarships earlier would have saved me the stress and i would have made more money for college and would be covered. Also i would tell myself to focus even more on my academics. Academics are the doorway to having it alot easier in college especially if you take college classes at a local college. That way i could knock out a couple credits and not have to take those classes in college. I would tell myself to focus more on my grades then having fun because that would have saved me all the roller coasters i had to deal with when it came to my GPA. And finally to put myself out there more and join more then one club because sometimes you can get scholarships for those and to make sure that i focus a little on giving back to the community during my free time a lot more.

You have got to stop procrastinating! They're not going to make time for you in college. You've got one chance on each assignment. Don't skip class, ever. Not only does it leave you behind in material, it can severely impact your grade, and impression on the professor. Do every assignment. You may not always like it, but at the end of the semester, every little thing counts. Put school first. Having a social life is great, but you're not paying big bucks to have fun. Always look ahead. There is no harm in being prepared. The best way to manage your time is to map out your assignments for the week, get them done by order of importance and due date, and leave other activities for later in the evening so you can get things done. Don't stress out too much. It's not that hard once you get used to it. Hang in there.

Focus on the important aspects of life and don't worry yourself with the small things. Enjoy life, give love, and live every day with a positive attitude.

When I was a high school senior, I was pretty sure that life would go as envisioned - I'd go straight to college, graduate in 4 years, get married, start a career and then have children. Of course, now that I'm almost 40, I can tell you with certainty that life does not always go as planned. In fact, sometimes life feels like it is careening dangerously off course and crashing all of your hopes and dreams at the same time. If I could talk to the kid I was as a high school student, I would explain that life always happens the way it is meant to, but often the path getting there is absolutely nothing like what you envisioned. I would encourage myself to always aim high and work hard because thaat can never go wrong, but to keep an open mind because things can change any time. In essence, I would encourage myself to be open to life's outcomes but not attached to them. (Oh, and I would tell my college-age self to calm down - just because God invented beer and parties doesn't mean you need to partake in all of them.)

Don't do it! At least, not yet. Take a little time before you commit to a university and a degree. You don't really know what you want to do with your life yet, so why not take a little time to get to know yourself. Who cares that some of your other friends are going off to prestigeous, high-dollar universities right away. Why not take a year to go have that adventure you always wanted, or do some volunteer work. You might not have time to do it later on. I know you love history and are planning on majoring in it, but where do you see that taking you? Try working in the real world for a bit, and get some perspective to base your decisions on. It's a big world out there, so don't limit yourself to what you already know. But then again, if you do decide to go ahead and enroll now, you can always try again if you are not satisfied. After all, that's what I'm doing!