Miami University-Oxford Top Questions

I was the student who pulled out my hair if I received a B+ instead of an A in English class. Although part of me wishes that I wasn't so high-strung and worried about grades in high school, the other part of me is glad I deeply cared; my dedication has paid off while in college. My original instinct was to give the advice not to worry as much and that everything will work itself out eventually, but then I realized that I probably wouldn't be where I was now if I had had that attitude. Taking this into consideration, I would give advice affirming my hard work. I may say something like, "Don't give up; if you work hard now, you will have a reprieve later. However, don't forget to enjoy your family and friends along with the hard work. It's not the end of the world if you don't finish an assignment." I would also tell myself to make sure that during relaxation time I am truly relaxing. I would all too often sit absentmindedly scrolling down the computer screen, staring at Facebook instead of doing something wholesome and truly relaxing.

"Don't limit yourself and never give up!" This is the advice I would give if I could go back in time and talk to that unknowing, doe-eyed adolescent who was about to go off to college: ME. Me, a girl who thought she was ready for anything, thought she knew exactly what she wanted and where she wanted to go. And yet, a person like that will realize quickly that she's not ready; that she can find herself not enjoying her choices and not having the wisdom to change her mind. If I had the chance, I would say that this is a time you can really enjoy: Meet as many people as possible. Join student groups. Introduce yourself to the people in your dorm. Go to your professors' office hours and talk about life. The relationships you make in college are vital. And don't forget to study! Learn from as many people as possible, because you DON'T know everything, and knowing you're options will open doors you never knew were there. You're going to have the time of your life, so don't limit yourself and never give up!

I would tell myself not to be afraid, because that was the hardest feeling to overcome as I left my small house for Miami. I would tell myself that Miami will be an amazing adventure and the best thing for me. That there I will find friends who I will support and love and be supported by. That at Miami, I'll discover who and what I'm about. Laughing, learning, and growing will be a daily experience, and soon I'll learn to walk on my own. I would tell myself not to worry about deciding what I want to do with my life because things will unravel themselves. The tapestry of my life will start to bewoven to lead me to my dream. I would tell myself not to fear failure because it is a chance to learn. That to succeed you have to pick up the pieces and they will fall into place. That at Miami I'm going to learn how to embrace both my strengths and weaknesses. I would tell myself that soon I'll be up and walking with the help of a college education, friends and family, and God towards an ambiant future.

Knowing what I know now I would tell myself a lot of things. As a senior I never had to study, I just sailed through schools with A's. When I got to college it was a whole new experience. I think I would tell myself to start building study habits soon. If you start sooner you won't have to try as hard to build them during such a big transition in your life. Also, I would tell myself that I need to put school before everything else, but not to turn into a hermit crab. The key to college is being well-rounded. Making friends and experiencing different opportunities are things that are special to the college atmosphere and that you probably won't get if you go straight into the work force. I would tell myself just to be strong, to be smart, and to be true to who I am.

To be better prepared. Look more in depth of your selections and really think your decisions through thoroghly. the pro's and con's especially!

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself to relax and not stress about the transition. People may be telling you it will be hard and that you will miss home and they are correct in their advice. However, If you try hard and put forth your best effort you will be fine in college. You have to have more self discpline than you did in high school because professors will not make sure you turn in your homework on time or that you show up to class everyday. You have to make yourself study without your parents around, make yourself keep your room clean and your laundry clean, show up to class, and solve your own personal problems with other people. The people you go to school with will be different from you with different backgrounds and you may not get along with all of them but as long as you try you will be fine. Mainly, don't be scared. If you want it bad enough you can do it with a little effort.

College is a stepping-stone that lies in-between the comfort of high school and the sometimes harsh reality of the ?real world.? While it is a time to stuff the brain to its capacity in order to be prepared for what is ahead, the simple experiences involved also have an enormous impact. The clich? is that one should learn from one?s mistakes. This is definitely true of college, but this statement is devoid of another notion that is as important, or perhaps more so, than the trite original. This implies that life is partially driven by mistakes, which has a negative connotation. The other option is to never regret, which takes the idea even further. Bringing up bad memories can only deter the possibilities of the future. Who knows, maybe lightning can strike twice, and maybe the sun will peek out instead. Life is not to be predicted. So yes, learn from the past, but never dwell on it. Therefore, I would give my old self absolutely no advice. I regret nothing and would change nothing, and instead choose to look only forward.

Don't judge school or people too quickly. Give yourself some time to get used to your surroundings. Join an organization you are interested and get involved. Surround yourself with positive people and start your studies strong; it is hard to bring your GPA up but it is very easy to bring it down.

I would tell myself to just relax, try some new things, get out there and just have some fun. You do not have all the restrictions in college that are present in high school so take advantage of it. Don?t be shy or intimidated, start conversations with people in you classes and build up a network of friends. Keep up with all of your class work and really work hard to be successful in each and every class. But don?t forget to go escape from the work every once in a while to try something completely new and relaxing. While you are on campus for school, this is your home, so become involved and active in new or old passions.

As a high school senior I would tell myself to go to teachers office hours, get involved in activities, not be afraid to be yourself, GPA is not everything and never let someone pressure you into doing anything. Freshmen year in college I often found myself so focused on getting really good grades and writing down everything the professor said that I often found myself missing out on class discussions. Through the years I realized the class discussions, research papers, and projects are the things you learn the most from. All of the close friends I made in college I met in campus activities I got involved in but for the most part I did not engage in these activities until second semester freshmen year so I wish I started earlier. At first I was afraid to be who I was and not let others convince me to do things I did not believe in because I was so desparate to make friends. I would tell myself that your true friends will always find you and never compromise your morals in order to fit in.