George Mason University Top Questions

If I were to return to my high school senior year, I would tell myself that time is by far the most valuable resource a person can have; it is exponentially more valuable than money. R?sum?s are summaries of what a person has done with their time, and jobs are offered based on that record. Any financial aid package is determined by how much a borrower can make use of that money and pay it back within a given time frame. It is not impossible to have fun while in college ? that is certainly allowed. But when a high school senior is applying to college, amusement should not be in the foreground of their though process. Every person is given a limited amount of time on earth and it is our responsibility to use our time for something greater than the present. Popular culture can send any message it wants about what a young person?s priorities should be, but it is up to the student to decide whether they want to invest their time in the fantasy of the media world or in the reality of their own future.

The first thing I would tell myself is to relax, skip class, and get some real lunch. I believe high schools are really pushing the notion of college to their students. Even in middle school, it was a huge ordeal. Unforunately, everyone just starts attending college, not knowing what to do or where to begin. Five years later, they still can't graduate. I would explain to my younger self that it doesn't really matter which college you attend, as long as you're going for yourself. You're going to learn the same things, it's the effort you put out that will wow your future employeers. The final, most important lesson I could teach myself would be to go to class!

It has been said many times that college is the best 4 years of your life: this is the truth. At first it is pretty tough getting into the swing of how eveything works but there are many opportunities that are open to you. The help that you will recieve from friends, family, and people you don't even know yet is bountiful. The most important thing that I'd tell myself if I had the chance to go back in time is to not be scared to meet new people or talk to someone you don't know. My biggest fear was not being accepted but that is what held me back. College is not only about learning about a specific field, its about making connections and meeting people who you will come to charish for the rest of your life. The cost to attend may be great, but what you learn and experience is greater!

"If I could go back in time" is a phrase used by most people at some point in their lives. For myself, I can recall saying that about my senior year of high school. I did not truly understand the importance of making good grades and doing well on my SATs, nor the consequences of skipping classes and not completing assignments. Thankfully, I was accepted to Longwood College. I honestly believed that I would get up early every morning, go to breakfast, go to class, and finishing my afternoon with lunch and studying. Unfortunately, I barely made it to my morning classes. I don't recall eating breakfast after the first week. My afternoon study time quickly became my nap time. Still, the worst part was how home sick I was. The advice that I would give myself is to really think about who I am. I never liked getting up early or eating breakfast before college. Knowing how close I was to my family, I should have chosen a college near my home. I believe, if you want to be successful, you need a plan that will enable you to be successful. Don't waste precious time.

Knowing what I know now about college life I would advice myself to find an internship based on the career I want to pursue and experience life outside of just school. I'd tell myself to better understand money management even with my current financial situation. I would also excercise the importance of reading books to further my knowledge on business related subjects like, finance, management, marketing, and accounting. With this I could understand the basics and what kind of effort or work goes into each subject. One important matter I would conclude with is how important it is to stay optimistic and never give up. As a student-athelete that is less fortunate then others playing golf is no easy task. I would consistently tell myself to overcome any obstacle that comes my way and not to let myself down mentally. To continue pushing and striving to be the best in both sports and academics even if the best only amounts to a small progress. In the end I would let myself know accomplishing goals and getting good grades is only worth as much effort as I put in.

My friend, you are in for a wonderful and scary experience. This is the time in your life when you discover who you are and explore the world that's laid out before you. Don't feel anxious about the unknown and do not worry about stepping into a bigger pond. This is going to be one of the greatest experiences of your life so make the best of it. Join clubs, attend after school seminars, go to a concert, sit-in on a lecture. Work hard and pursue the future that you want for yourself. You're going to do great and enjoy the journey along the way. If you need guidance, remember that this is when you show what you're made of.

Advice is only useful if it is likely to be listened to. Therefore I would tell myself to be friendly. It sounds so elementary but it is the truth. College is not like highschool. It is easy to become lonely. You have to make an effort into joining activities and making friends. By becoming more involved you develop a connection to the school and your fellow students. Getting lost amongst a large crowd isn't difficult. The idea is to be happy with who you are and where you are. Once that is achieved all other things will fall into place. College is about learning who you are and who you hope to become. It is hard to think positive about the future that lies ahead of you if you are not happy with your present.

Try to challenge yourself, and take the harder classes. The easy classes will get you good grades, but not much credit or preperation for college. Learn to study by yourself, and set yourself deadlines. In other words, don't wait till the night before it's due to start working on a class project. You will often discover it will take the entire semester to get the project done, and it if doesn't, you can get it done and out of the way! Once you get into the required classes for your major, it's ALL important stuff to learn. If you have problems with a class, talk with the teacher, explain what you are struggling with, ask for further help, or how to find extra help. Most teachers will want to help you through their class(es) since it doesn't look good for them if students are struggling, dropping out, or failing. You also need to learn to be your own best advocate-- no one knows you as well as you do! One last thing-- be friends with the janitorial/maintenence staff. They can be of great help if you accidentally leave something in a classroom.

Continue to follow your heart and God through all the trials they will make you strong and mold you to become someone that will look back on things that made the world a better place. Following you instincts to continue to make good and postive friends. When it comes to making choices that the family dosent aggree on...just do it because this is your life and with God on your heart and walk, things will be fine.

I would tell myself to calm down and don't worry about being perfect. Take only the classes you need to take and do not over do it. If you know you are going to take a particularly hard subject, lighten load of your courses. Mistakes happen and you may not always get the perfect grade. Always put 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} into studying and preparing for class. Never miss an opportunity to study. There is a lot of hype about going into college and the performance expected out of you, but the most important thing is to be yourself and achieve the goals you have. College is a great experience and you will make life long friends and meet interesting people so do not be afraid to open up and talk to others, they are in the exact same situation as you. Finally, you only get to go through college once (at this age) so make the most of it, make lasting friendships and relationships, and ultimately perform to your highest expectations and go away with your degree proudly.