James Madison University Top Questions

College is an adventure, it seems like it could drag on for four years but it goes by faster than you think. My whole thought process is that these are four years where you can really explore yourself and step away from your parents and be on your own. For most it is scary but don't let that hold you back, push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You will not regret the mistakes, the people you meet, the things you learn, or where you find yourself even just two years into a wonderful experience. Do not get wrapped up in others intrests really take the time to be honest and open because that is the only way you know who you can and will be. In other words, embrace it. Embrace the challenges, the successes, the friendships, the over all experience. Its corney but embrace your future and live with no regrets.

I would tell myself to brace myself because the next four years are gonna be the best four years of my life.

There are two things that I would say to myself, although knowing my 18-year old self, I probably wouldn't listen to the advice. The first thing I would try to ingrain in my stubborn self is not to be so cocky and arrogant about my academic abilities and go to class. I went into my freshman year very confident in my abilities and did not study outside of class or even go to all of my classes because I didn't think it was necessary. Consequently, my grades suffered that first year but I have since developed very successful study habits to which I can attribute my newlyfound high grades. The second piece of wisdom that I would impress on myself is to be extremely careful to successfully balance work and pleasure. My freshman year, I partied way too much and did not fully grasp the importance of performing well academically. Now, I care about the quality of work I produce and wait to party until the work that needs to be done is completed. Being able to balance work and play is a lifelong skill that is vital for collegiate success. This is what I would say.

First, start looking for scholarships! Begin looking for them around the beginnning of October and make sure that you keep scholarship deadlines marked on a calendar where they are easily visible. File your FAFSA! Regarding universities -- go with your intuition! You will love some of the teachers at JMU and they will help you learn to think and learn for yourself. Finally, stay involved! Don't let the volunteering slip just because you are in a new town and have no car. It is important to get off campus every now and then -- and NOT only to party. That being said- keep up with the studying and don't fall behind! You'll do great! :)

Don't base your decision on "getting far away from here." Its not necessarily about where you are on the globe, but rather the quality and atmosphere of the school you choose. If you visit and it feels right, it probably is.

Discipline is crucial. The hardest part of the college transition is trying to stay organized. Living in the dorms creates constant choices. What should I eat? Should I study or get on Facebook? Go party or sleep? It?s extremely easy to fall off track. I?d remind myself how much better I feel when I?m living a healthy lifestyle. It?s easy to say, ?Yes? and indulge in that extra dessert or third plate of food at D-hall, but the after effects just aren?t worth it. Exercise is also a must in college. It?s hard to find time in an already packed schedule, but hitting up the gym gives me energy to be more productive and makes me feel ten times better. Then there?s the partying, and there?s always partying and always pressure to go. The key is moderation. Learning to say no isn?t easy, but it?s really important if I?m going to be at my best and make the grades. Overall, college gives one an enormous amount of freedom, but it?s up to me to make smart lifestyle choices and have the discipline to stick with them.

Spend more time with your family. I know they may get on your nerves every once in a while and they let you be by yourself, but as cheesy as it sounds you will miss the way your brother annoys you or how your sister always wants to spend time with you. You won't be able to have that same relationship with your suitemates or you will be miserable. Also, enjoy every last morsel of food your parents make for you. Even in the school that has the fourth best food in the nation, it gets old after a while and nothing can compare to Kim's homemade potato soup. Finally, be more active in high school. Join mor eclubs that sctually contribute to the school and go to prom because it will make you more outgoing and make it easier to transition into college life where there are a lot of things to do.

I went to a small high school and never thought about competition for spots, teams, or committees increasing as I transitioned to a larger school environment. I never had to put very much effort into applying or trying out for things because I knew I was going to get what I wanted due to the sponsor knowing me, or due to a small application pool. Now I am at a large college and have tried to get involved in committees that have an extensive try out. There are many application questions, references, group interviews and then individual interviews. The people interviewing do not recognize your name when they read it on their paper. They do not know who you are, so you have to make it clear during your interview while maintaining a professional appearance. If I could go back to my senior year, I would take classes on interviewing etiquette and practice with teachers that I trust. I would want as much constructive criticism possible, so I could reach my highest potential for this process.

People usually make the mistake in going into something with their eyes closed. Life has its twists and turns but really, life is what you make of it. I chose to go through college and attain an education because I figured education was important and valuable for me, later on. People don't respect you or much less listen to you unless you are intelligent, talented, or rich. When I was in high school, I thought I knew where I wanted to be. I wanted do something in the medical field. I took some dual enrollment classes my senior year because I knew somehow it would advance me. However, that last year in high school, I had a lot of emotional stress due to my immediate family and a few car accidents. I felt like I wasn't worth anything and no one was listening. If I were able to go back in time, yeah, I would have liked more support. While I was in college, I found that if no one wants to help you, you might as well do it yourself. Now, I have an associate's in medical technology and plan on continuing through the Air Force.

There is so much that I would need to say to myself as a high school senior, but I'll stick to what would apply to the discussion at hand. The first thing I would need to say is that I would, in fact, survive the next five years, so going to college would actually matter. So would studying. I would also have to tell myself that it's best to get college out of the way early. I'm approching 30 now, and disappointed that I still have no degree thanks to my skills at procrastination. Unfortunately, when you get right down to it, this whole question is moot. Doing something like this would actually create a kind of "Granfather Paradox", or it would occur in a parallel reality. That is to say that if I went back in time to have this little chat, and it changed my past, I would never have needed to go back in time in the first place, and thus the paradox. Time travel is nice in theory, and in fiction, but there's little point in seriously discussing going back through time right now. Maybe one day, though.