College of William and Mary Top Questions

I would tell myself to not be afraid to step outside my comfort zone, you will be surprised at what you find. There are so many opportunities availible that you should try them all and find things you like that you never knew about before. Make new friends and be open to new experiences because it will help you grow and develop as a person. Also, go beyond the class and take the learning opportunities availible because it will enhance your overall college experience. There are so many activities availible and so many experiences to be had in college that you should never be afraid of the unknown or something new.

Leave high school ready for "new-"-new places, experiences, friends, academics. Don't hold back for fear of disturbing the great thing you had going in high school, because college is the time to expand who you are, and not just what you know. You will be nervous, maybe even afraid. But stretch yourself just a little bit more than what is comfortable to you at first, and you will find amazing opportunities present themselves. It really is all about your attitude.

Even the most conservative college student wishes they could have altered their decisions in the past. College is suppose to be "the greatest time of your life" however, college life is harder that it appears. As a division one athlete the stress of practice, exams, and social events plague my daily routine. Also, given that I am a transfer student to William and Mary from Northwestern, I definitely have more collegiate regrets then most. I would LOVE to go back in time and give myself advice. If I just would have known my present interests, educational pursuits, and dreams I could have made different decisions. If given the chance to go back in a time machine I would have told myself many things. "Do what you love. Don't join clubs for just for resume building (only pursue things that you are passionate about). Boys can be dangerous Wear shower shoes in the dorm. Flu shots are important. Trust what your parents have taught you. You can't sneak beer cans in your pocket. Enjoy the grind." I am a firm believer of the methodology, "Do what you love, and LOVE what you do."

I wish I could have been more prepared for the courseload and living with someone you don't get along with. But I think the hardest thing to adjust to was being so far away from home and my family. It was a very rough transition especially because I got very sick my freshman year. It was difficult going through health problems by myself for the first time. I guess something I could have done would to be more independent before I left that way when I went away it wouldn't have been as big of a transition.

Honestly my transition to college life was fairly simple. My high school prepared me very well for the academic rigor of college and my social skills from high school transferred quite well to the college enviroment. The only thing I would tell myself would be to have more well rounded knowledge from outside of the classroom. In high school I was an athelete as well as a musician and a hard-working student. Doing all of this didn't allow me much free time to focus on learning things outside of what was required for my classes. Rarely did I learn about current events or how the stock exchange works or how global climate change is impacting the economies of the world. At my college all of these things and more are discussed not only in class, where many of my peers already have a solid understanding of several of these extracurricular topics, but also in the social environment and in just talking with friends or even love interests. So if I could go back in time to my high school self I would tell him to try to learn more things outside of my suggested curriculum.

Buy a planner. Keep it with you all the time. Learn to love your planner. If you do not learn to manage your time, you will not be able to succeed. Don't forget to have fun when it's time for fun. Make as many friends as you can in your first few weeks, because that is when people are the most friendly. You have a whole new reputation to build and you'll be living very closely with a lot of people(good and bad), so always be nice and be yourself. Trying to be cool never made anyone cooler. Don't forget to stand up for yourself, but also know that you can't sweat the little stuff. No matter what, do your best and enjoy yourself. Nobody can tell you a C is bad if its your best, and nobody can be just like you. Get involved in activities. Squeeze the juice out of life. College is a rollercoaster; sometimes all you can do is smile and hold on tight.

enjoy high school!! college is incredible, but don't worry about the future so much! it will come :)

Remembering that first drive all the way from Indianapolis, IN to Williamsburg, VA, where I knew all of two people, I'm suprised at the ease of my transition. I came to college with welcoming arms for new friends, an open mind to learn new things both in and out of the classroom, and a strong, possibly naive, faith that everything was going to be great. In the midst of everything, I also stayed true to myself and my goals and followed my instincts even if they went against the advice of others around me. I always made sure to be a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on for new friends as well as keep in touch with the old. Turns out my faith wasn't so ridiculous and the past three years at William and Mary have been filled with wonderful friends, supportive mentors, incredible summer internship opportunities, and loads of fun. I think high school seniors should know that things will be different and they will grow and change over their time at college, but if they have an open mind, a warm heart, and faith that life will turn out right, it will.

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE on papers. And do all the readings before class or at the very least right after class. Also, keep up with music in the on-campus ensembles.

Take Spanish 4! If I had done that my senior year, I would have finished the foreign language requirement for W&M. That is the one thing I regret while here. It is a General Education Requirment that just takes up space in your two semesters you need to complete it in.