Towson University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself high school senior, I would say that academics in high school are definitely important. Your grades in high school matter, and it is important to develop good study habits now so that college courses are not too much harder. I would tell myself to save money, because being in college now, money is very tight. I would emphasize that there is life and meaning beyond high school. You will meet your life long friends in college and there will be a place where you fit in. Being the "popular" one in high school will not matter once you graduate and move on to college. Focus on your studies and being the best that you can academically be, and let everything else (social life, extracirriculars, etc.) come after that. Certainly visit many colleges before committing to one, and even try to spend a night or weekend on prospective campuses to get a feel for what life is really like there. College should be one of the greatest times of your life and you want to make sure that the college you choose is 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} the perfect choice for you.

I heard my mom tell me over and over again to take workshops on good study skills. You might have coasted through high school with little effort, but reality will hit you when you enter college. Learn how to study, how to take notes, attend study groups and ask for help. Do not let your pride get in the way of seeking assistance.

As a high school senior looking into college, i will definately consider going straight to a 4 year college without community college because in my experience it seemed to be a huge distraction for me staying home and comuting. I will also do more reasearch on my major,either through internships or by speaking to people in the field. I would focus less on the distance from home just because i want to go away from my parents.

If I were able to go back to my senior year in high school I would tell myself "do this for yourself." I constantly worried during the last few months of high school. I worried that I would end up being a failure and wouldn't make my family proud. I am the first person in my family to go to a university and go straight into college. I had a lot resting on my shoulders to impress them. Now that I have reached the point in my life where everything matters from here on out, I finally realize that this is for me and for my future. I had to become independent. Instead of getting A's to show my parents my report card, I am getting A's for myself.

Work really hard in all your classes, pay attention and focus. Take teachers seriously, put your best foot forward, don't get lazy or give up easily. Be accepting of people from all backgrounds and understand the importance of finding the best school for you all around.

I would try to impress upon my younger self that the colleges portrayed in movies are unrealistic and romanticized. As an incoming freshman I was looking forward to sitting on big green lawns with books strewn around me, surrounded by laughing friends (most likely one of African-American and one of Asian decent. Possibly also a red-head.) There we would sit, studying and enjoying the lovely weather without a care in the world. Everyone would be accepting- except maybe a few snobby girls- and my professors would be understanding as well as attractive. But alas, young self, college is not like the movies. Many times it will be a whirlwind of finding printer paper, scrambling to make tuition bills, and disagreeing with a roommate. But in the end, despite finishing a thesis at 3am and constant fire alarms in the dorms, every memory and experience will be well worth it. Enjoy and take advantage of everything the campus has to offer, because that is how you will meet the friends to laugh with on the lawn.

Perhaps the most important responsibility for college bound high school seniors is to find the college that fits them the best. Excellent grades and test scores may increase the chances of getting to a highly ranked college, but it is also critical that you look for colleges that fits your style and interest. Colleges come in all flavors which include size, location, costs and rankings. But there are also many parameters that are easily overlooked. Diversity, political culture, unique majors, student aspirations as well as other things also influence the college experience. A college will mean nothing if you are miserable.

Mark, the next 4 years will be the hardest 4 years of your life. The time and effort that you are willing to put forth from this moment on will be the determining factor of whether or not you achieve your goals. You must set goals; Realistic and attatinable goals that will test every thing that you have. You got what it takes, but it will take everything that you got. Create a vision for yourself, and than go and do everything in your power to acheive that vision. Failure is inevitable on your path to success. You may fail a test, you may fail an evaluation, or you may even fail a class. You might not get a certain grade you think you deserve, and at times you may feel like giving up. These are the moments where you must choose to get back up, swallow your pride and drive yourself to work harder. You must use these failures to help drive you on your path to success. Good things come to those who work hard. There is no such thing as talent. If you want it bad enough, you will acheive it.

I would give myself the advice of doing research about the possible career and major that I would want before entering college. Coming to college unsure of the major that would lead to a certain career has kept me behind and I will graduate a year late because I waited until my junior year to declare my major and started taking classes for that major.

Be true to yourself, focus on getting your work done, but don't ever give up life experiences because you will grow from whatever life events you have.