Elon University Top Questions

I believe the single-most important thing to know before you go to college is that your college experience is what you make it out to be. These four years mark the transition into adulthood and will most likely determine your career path and other aspects of your future, so make the most of every opportunity that is given to you. These opportunities could include: changing your major until you are excited about your choice, joining organizations to be involved and to try something new, attending the free guest lectures and performances, and studying abroad. Exploring what your university has to offer will not only make the most of your scholarships and parent's money, it will also help with the transition to becoming independent and in building life-long relationships and memories.

Dear 18 year old self, You are about to leave for college!! It is going to be a fun four years, but you should start studying earlier than the night before a test...give yourself at least week to study! You might think now that your grades don't matter, you worked hard in high school and now you can enjoy college, but someday you're going to want to go to graduate school...so your grades do matter!! Don't drop out of anatomy!! You're going to have to take it again eventually! Take hard classes, they will challenge you more and help you be a better student and it will make a difference when you get your master's degree. One last thing, don't forget to call home. Call at least once a week! Mom and dad miss you!! Thank them for always supporting you and all their hard work that made it possible for you to go to college. Call your brothers and sister! Don't take your family for granted, someday they will become your best friends. Good luck & enjoy, Sarah

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior i would tell myself to prepare for college better, save money ,and foucs more in class. I would advise myself to take more honor classes and spend more time studing then hanging out with my friends. Then i would inform myself that after takeing a year off from school to see how difficult the real world is will change your whole view of how imporant education is to me. The last thing I would tell my younger self would be to spend more time with your grandpa because he will go sooner than you think. After I inform myself with the newly found wisedom of furture me I would say farwell.

To be entirely honest, I wouldn't give myself advice about the transition, but about treasuring the time I have left in high school. I know that it's rather cliche to say that, however more than anything this year I've missed my friends and relationships from high school. Forming close relationships in college is not nearly as easy as it was in high school. Being in an entirely new environment made me realize how much I missed those experiences I'd shared with my firends in my four years. Had I known, at the time, how important those experiences would be, I would have made a point of cherishing those moments when I had the chance. I would have tried to make more of those experiences, take more pictures, find ways to keep those memories with me all the time.

Study harder and apply for scholarships!!!! Don't mess around your first semester, put in the work.

Take a deep breath and focus. Right now you have a thousands thoughts, worries, and “what if” questions going through your head that you can not answer and have no control of. You have worked really hard to get to where you are and you have a lot to show for it. You have just been accepted into your top school, but now you are scared about leaving home and making new friends. The best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind. When you get to college you have to be willing to join many organizations in order to find the one that fits or you. You have to be willing to try new things and not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone because you might meet your best friend that way. You have to put all of the “what if” thoughts out of your head and just take everything one-step at a time. If you do that and continue to be yourself you will have nothing to worry about.

Don't be afraid to join clubs and be involved. This is how you will meet the friends that will last a life time.

This is a challenging question, because I belief that my high school self made the choices she had to make in order to end up where she is today. She had to make the same mistakes or successes, and had to endure the same experiences— good or bad. However, I would have some advice for her. First off, I would assure her that life gets a lot better and a lot less petty. People can be vicious in high school, and even at a conservative, rich college, she will be able to find people she fits in with, and will make friends for life. She will meet people who thrive off of living truthfully and honestly, instead of living off of gossip and pushing ahead. She will learn not to regret, for every experience, good or bad, is necessary to learn. She will be reassured that she is talented and does good work if she focuses and works hard. She must never cease to work hard. She must also know that, because this is one of her biggest fears, she will fall in love. She'll fall in love with her friends, school, and a great guy. She'll live.

I would need to consider scholarships more seriously. The best financial aid is offered to incoming college freshmen. If I had known this, I would have spent more time filling out applications before attending college.

College is great! Keep your notes from government, calculus, and AP American History--you'll be taking these classes again. Pay attention in English class because no matter how good of a writer you think you are, you can always do better and in college you'll need to write frequently, quickly, and in higher volumes than in high school. Improve your research abilities because you'll need to do research at least weekly (if not daily). Even if you aren't outgoing, get to know your peers and professors, because you will find them to be your greatest resources around exam time. Basically, you're going to love college. Living away from home is so easy to adjust to and once you start, you will never want to live at home again! P.S. Don't forget to have fun!