Massachusetts Institute of Technology Top Questions

I don't think the schoolwork in college was much harder than I expected it to be. However, I would definitely advise myself to be more open in the beginning of the year and worry more about making friends than about making sure my room was neat or that my room had the best view. The social life is a huge part of college just as it was in high school, and the first few weeks go by fast enough that you should be worried mainly about getting to know people and making new friends.

"Look at this; my hands are shaking. Honestly, I'm terrified to stand up here, but that's one of the reasons I am. I have to jump on this rock. We're all lifting eachother up by our own bootstraps. Look around you, it's amazing what humans have done and are capable of doing in the years to come. You can be more effective, more productive, more inspired, by giving constructive criticism and positive comments to yourself and everyone around you (your elders, teachers, friends, family, mentees). Don't hurt yourself by comparing yourself to others. Analyze what you admire in people, and strive to enhance that part of you. I am bits and pieces of other people, bits and pieces of not people, and bits and pieces of things bits and pieces of people and not people learned from bits and pieces of other people made from bits and pieces of... both figuratively and literally. Think about it... Good luck with your applications and last few months"... I look over to Mr. Roman and he nods approvingly with large smile.

Having gone through two years of college, I often find myself thinking about how I would do things differently were I to get a chance to relive those years. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would first tell myself to use as much of my time as possible to utilize the opportunities available to me in college. During my two years I have taken advantage of many opportunities I only have here, such as a program to prepare for and obtain a summer internship and a program to visit South Africa. But I have also missed out on other opportunities, such as to be more involved in clubs, try out for varsity sports, talk more with my professors, etc. I would therefore tell myself to always be on the lookout for such opportunities, because oftentimes they only come around once. The other piece of advise would be to prepare more for the transition to college. My first semester was difficult, as I had previously not needed to study much in high school and thus struggled with my coursework. I would tell myself to learn different techniques for studying and to be prepared for it.

You belong here. No matter how much you think you'll fail, and how much feels like the coursework and life in general are trying to break you, you will learn to build yourself back up. You will learn that you have ADHD, and it's not a disadvantage, but an explanation for why you've felt different for so long and it's the way that you'll come up with creative research ideas and develop your poetry. Your professors will be engaged by your natural curiosity and enthusiasm. Don't be embarassed. Start asking questions sooner. You're going to fail a few tests. And drop classes. You'll fail physics freshman year, and yes, you'll cry. But it won't go on your record, and you'll learn to work more, better, and harder than you ever thought you could. You'll get As in some classes, Bs in others, and some Cs. You'll learn that your grades don't always reflect your understanding, and they're not as important as you think anyway. The admissions committee saw passion, potential, and perseverance in you. By the time you're done you'll see it too.

Now having the freshman year of my undergraduate experience under my belt, I wish I could've told myself as a senior to express myself more freely. Arriving on campus, I noticed that the term "conformity" only existed to describe our student body as a whole; in reality, everyone was an individual and expressed this in their own way. Some wore clothes they were most comfortable in, whether they be weird hats or pajamas to class, and others devoted themselves to research or extracurriculars they enjoyed.

I would go back in time and tell my former self to stay at your first choice college! Don't come home right away and just try to stick out at least the first semester! You might decide you like it. If you don't like your roommate it is possible to get another roommate or your own room, so STICK IT OUT!

College? Exciting! Welcome this change!High school is almost over and—what’s that, a tear?The past will be with you. The future won’t scare you.Trust yourself. Do not fear.Do all you want and ever wanted to. Yes, these years will be difficult,But you are capable.Take challenging classesTake fun and intriguing onesExplore the city and campus lifeExplore yourself and your ambitionsTry new activities, subjects, and sportsMake new dishes, friends, ideas, and plansKeep growing and reaching out further than before!And keep the past friends and good memoriesBut don’t cling on if they drift away.Forget that grudge, forget that crush,For your time and mind are too precious For brooding and lamenting and such.Play the piano as beforeAnd also try singing and dancing and more.Create crafts and poems as beforeAnd also try painting and programming and more.Life is not a part of college;College is a part of life—An exhilarating and enthralling part. Have no qualms about its start!Now give your teachers a thank you,Your friends an au revoir,And your family a huge hug.Get rea—Nah. You already are.

You have a very good idea of who you are and what you want out of life already. Stay true to yourself, but don't be afraid to let your assumptions be challenged. Things might not turn out the way you have them planned now and you should embrace that change rather than shrinking away from it. Don't sacrifice your values, but don't cling to things you call your "values" just because you've always believed them. Challenge yourself, don't take the easy way out, become the person you wish you could be.

From college I have learned how to be independent. I have grown a lot personally and spiritually. MIT has helped me learn many things academically that have been important- but the most important things I have learned have been about who I am as a person, away from my family. This has been valuable because it has prepared me for what lies ahead in life where I will have to question my decisions and actions through my own definition of self. and coming to better know myself before then will help me along the way.

In high school, you breezed through classes without cracking a book. When you graduated, all you could think about was the amazing summer you would have, free of all obligations. Then, when you got here, you discovered that you could continue that amazing summer. When midterm grades came out, you found that you were pretty close to failing your classes. Look, I know that your first semester at MIT is pass/no-record, meaning that all you need is a C-minus. But this is the time when you set your study habits so that you can get good grades the next semester. Get your act together starting from the day classes start. You don't need to study for hours at a time. Just spend a little time everyday trying out a few problems of that p-set, and by next Thursday, you'll be happy to see that you don't have the mounds of homework that your roommate has because she procrastinated until the last minute. But more importantly, don't forget to chill a little. College is a huge part of your life, yes, but that one B isn't going to ruin your life forever.