James Madison University Top Questions

Don't worry about always making the "right" next step. College is a place where you can safely experiment and find out who you really are. Don't make choices based on a career path, preconceived notions of what is acceptable, or out of fear of failure. Do what makes you happiest, make the messy mistakes, and take chances and you will not only learn what you love but how you handle obstacles and surprises. There will be disappointment. There will be people who support you and there will be people who do everything in their power to crush you. Better to be yourself and let the doubters fall to the wayside than cater to people who want you to fit their mold. Learn from your mistakes because those lessons are so much sweeter than most of your successes will be. Most importantly, don't expect anything, including yourself, to be the same. These four years will change you more rapidly than any experience you've known. Don't just let it, dive in and embrace it. As long as you follow Polonius's words, "to thine own self be true" college will bring happiness, determination, confidence, and peace.

Hey, honey. I know you're stressed and I know you're worried. But there's really no need to be. College is great. Don't worry about making friends. Though it's awkward and uncomfortable when you first get there, it will all work out. And don't worry about your roommate. You're an easy person to get along with, and sharing a room can actually be nice. As for the freshman 15, it's no myth. Watch what you eat and use the great gym facilities. Finally, be ready to question your beliefs and gain new perspective. But always remember where you came from.

hello jordan, this is you, jordan from the future. and i came back in time to tell you something of great importance. college is EXPENSIVE! i recomend that you get a part time job and start saving as much money as possible, even if just covers books. apply for more scholarships and dont be lazy thinking you can just get some loans. it is more complicated than that. i know how much you love to learn, and let me tell you, i wish our government was socialist and it could just pay for college and help fufill my dreams, but it is not. so get up off you lazy butt and apply, work, apply, work!!!!! sincerely, Jordan

Dear Laurel, Stop kidding yourself. You know how everyone keeps telling you "if you have any doubt, you shouldn't be a music major"? Well, it's true, but here's the thing: you still need to audition and get into the studio, because I don't know if you'll get accepted without that recommendation from the school of music. Don't waste your time, or Dad's money on a brand new saxophone. Sure, do marching band and pep band. It's a great experience (and yeah, pep band does get you some spending money). Go ahead and endure that semester of being a music major. You need to know from experience that it's not for you. Don't take Wheaton's class. Don't be lazy, and antisocial, and don't let your stuck up roommate convince you that such behavior is ok. Go out with your party happy roommate, and meet some people! Don't let anyone hold you back from a good experience. And you know that little voice in your head that talks you out of things? Don't listen to it. Be understanding. Look at all perspectives. Love people. Love life! ~Yourself

Looking back, I realize how many opportunities I passed. If I could give myself advice, it would be to enjoy the moment. College is an amazing time; however, you most likely will lose touch with many friends. I believe that high school seniors should take advantage of seeing their friends every day, and they should enjoy that time while they can. College applications and decisions are very stressful and difficult, but, in the end, they are only a very small fraction of senior year. Students should not let those things consume their life, or they risk missing amazing opportunities.

I know you?re looking for adventure in college. You want to leave, become independent, and make your own decisions. This is why you chose James Madison. Don?t make this mistake. You don?t need to study two hours away to experience adventure. Adventure? There is no adventure here. You spend hours in the library ? your nose in books. You eat the same flavorless food. You could accomplish this living at home, saving your parents from the stress of meeting payment deadlines. Do you realize how many opportunities you have at home? You live 5-minutes from George Mason University and 20-minutes from DC. You eat real, homemade food every night. Lucky you. Live at home, Stacy. Save money; take the opportunity to study abroad; live your dreams. I know how much you dream of Iceland: meeting new people, learning their ancient language, and experiencing a new culture. Please, do one thing for me. Find out if you really want JMU. Research. See how competitive their nursing program is. See what credits can transfer if you decide to leave. Research their study abroad program. I know why you?ve made the decision to go there. Think this through.

The first thing I would say to myself would be to take every thing that happens in college as an opportunity for personal growth. In order to grow up and make wiser decisions you must experience things that are hard to deal with at first. Once you push through the troubles you will become a better person from it. Along with this, have fun, but limit the fun to appropriate times, never let your social agenda interfere with your schoolwork.

As a high school senior, I did fairly well in school and I participated in a lot of extracurriculars. If I could go back I would tell myself to take advantage of all of the opportunities. I should have applied for more scholarships and made better connections with my teachers. I definitely would have stuck with living on campus and I liked my roomate. For the transition though, I should have studied more my freshman year in college. I didn't have to try very hard in high school so when I came to college I didn't necessarily take the workload seriously.

If I were to go back in time and give myself adivce on college life and making the tranisition, I would tell myself that time management is the key to success. Take out time to do certain things, for example study for a test, and to do an assignment and not worry what you are going to do that day.Managing your time can relieve some stress and help you succeed in college. There are several things you can do to manage your time wisely. You can keep a calendar on your wall in your dorm to look at each day, you can also keep a planner, to place assignments, quizzes,major tests and other important dates in it. You can also prepare for the upcoming day the night before, so that you will be ready in the morning.Waiting until the last minute to complete assignments and study for tests is something that needs to be avoided because instructions can be missed and grades can be ruined. Most of all , take out the time to have fun, to relieve some of the stress that will occur.If you manage your time you will be successful.

First off, I'd tell my former self to relax and reassure her that college is very manageable. By balancing classes and a social life, one can achieve the glories of a college education along with meeting a great array of people who will ultimately impact who you become. Secondly, I would highly recommend to her and other high school seniors, to choose a roommate instead of relying on a randomized lottery. Some people randomly end up with a great roommate who they will stay in touch with their entire lives, while others end up with disrespectful alcoholics. Even having a small idea of who your roommate is before everything's set in stone could do wonders to avoid a rotten pairing. Overall, I would suggest the creation of a list of ten goals to motivate her during her first semester at college. Goals that might ease the separation from her family and point her towards the rigors of college life including grades and getting involved in her college community. It's important to study hard and achieve good grades, however every college kid needs some leisure time featuring a cup of tea and a copy of the campus newspaper.