University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Be brave. Never let anyone tell you can't do something. Speak up in class and have an opinion. Your voice matter! Have a plan after your first year to keep your loan amount down. Appeal financial aid if you can. Don't ever, ever get a tattoo... you'll eventually regret it. Study hard and commit yourself to your studies. Don't procrastinate! If you have time, get it out of the way! Avoid the PC and get a MAC. Always know that it'll work out. Your professors are your allies. Love yourself and respect your body.

My growth as an individual has been exponential since my graduation from high school. However during my senior year I believed that I had done all the growing I needed in order to be successful. Unfortunately, I was wrong. At this moment there is only one thing I would advise myself in my senior year- if you can manage to find a proper balance, then nothing you will encounter in college will be too steep. Thus a proper balance of one's studies, social life, family, sport, etc is key. Without it one thing may receive more attention than other deserving portions of your life. For example, if I devote all my time to my studies, I will lack in my social life leaving me no friends to fall back on. On the contrary, if I procrastinate from doing my work to party then I am wasting the opportunity that I have been given for higher education. Therefore, a proper balance of all your responsibilities will allow for an even allocation of your time, and ultimately a happier college experience.

“Wake up Daniel! High school, as you most certainly know, was a joke. You did not need to ask for help because everything you needed was handed to you along with the answers. College is a different story; you cannot do everything on your own. Some days you will be sitting down for hours trying to figure out one physics’ problem. Why? Because high school has made you into a stubborn idiot. Understand now that instead of spending hours on one problem, you could go to a tutoring session and spend one hour on five problems. Stress will seem nonexistent in your college life if you seek that help early, and college will become a fun and enjoyable experience from the start. You are smart and determined to succeed in your education, so do not allow such easy access to help slip by you. Lastly, College Park, your future school, has already taken your money, so make them work for it. Utilize their helping resources, and your set for having a calm and relaxing college life.”

Dude, the decision to go to your flagship in-state university 45 minutes from home is the best decision you are going to make this year. 45 minutes is not too close, you won't have to deal with your parents-at all- if you don't want to- but you can totally bring your friends home for a delicious dinner before lasertag. Join all the clubs. UMD has an event called the first look fair in the fall where all the clubs and organizations recruit. Look for the gems. Do as much homework for all of your classes with people in your classes. When one of you gets inevitably stuck, they will be invaluable. 8 and 9 am classes suck, but it is really nice to be done for the day in the early afternoon. Minimize gaps in your scedule. Read the textbooks and look online for study help- make sure you are actually learning the information. Remember- all of your classes matter- even if you don't like them. But, most importantly, relax, college is going to be a wild and great ride!

"It's June" I have time, I thought. July.. August.. September, time flew. Before I knew it, college application deadlines were approaching. Little did I know about the process and let alone which colleges I wanted to apply to. Mistake #1: Procrastination. It is known as the root to all trouble, but the truth is, most people proacrastinate because they may be uncertain about how to complete a task or may dread doing so. When really, if you just do it and seek help, the task will seem less daunting and will save you loads of stress later on. #2. Resarch, Ask, Ponder, Probe: This is the time to try to figure out what it is that you enjoy doing, your likes, dislikes, interests, etc. Take this time to Job Shaddow, meet with Professionals etc, so that you may enter college with some sort of direction. Good Luck and enjoy your Senior Year in High School!

The most important piece of advice I could give to any high school senior would be to move past any fear and be prepared for any experience you come across. Embrace the new environment and face any difficulties head on. It may feel strange to interact with new people, and going to classes or joining clubs will be intimidating. However, I have found that the only way to truly embrace everything college has to offer is to dive right in and not worry about your uncertainties. Once I learned this lesson, I finally made some great friends and learned so many new things in my classes. I know it is difficult to stop worrying about what people will think of you, but college is a much different place than high school. People are open and accepting, and it is an environment that is ideal for people who want to thrive and succeed.

Dearest me at Seventeen, I know you think you've got it all figured out, but there are some important things you need to hear from me (your future self). I know that High School is fun and you want to make the most of the 'best years of your life'. Im here to tell you that there are far better days ahead for you if you are willing to do what it takes to get there. Friends and boyfriends will come and go, but your education is something that will follow you throughout your life and guide you down the path to success. It may be entertaining to laugh at your Math teacher's rediculous hairstyle and outfits, but that will not help you learn the Pythagarean Theorem! When your teachers ramble, listen! When you have the choice between going to that party or revizing that English paper, choose the paper. Make the grades to get to where you want to be in your life. When you go to your part-time job at Subway and come home with empty pockets, consider your future (me) and where you want to be, after seventeen. Sincerely, your hopeful future self

First and foremost, I would tell myself to be careful of the group of friends I choose to associate with. My mother would always tell me to be aware of my group of friends and it would go in one ear and out the other. However, it wasn’t until freshman year of college that I realized some of my “friends” were not good influences. Next, I would tell myself to take as many honors and AP level courses as I can in order to knock out some of the prerequisite classes for college. Even though I took a good amount of AP level classes, I certainly could have taken more. Furthermore, I would tell myself to not worry about campus housing because I will be able to find a few roommates and live in an off-campus apartment. These are the main points I would note to myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior.

The day before applying to school, I would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships that you can. It's great that your parents are taking a loan out, but it would be best to apply for scholarships to pay for school. Then second that I would tell myself is not to limit your self to just one school. Apply to the best and take a risk. There is nothing to loose if you put yourself out there. The final advice would be to join a campus organization. It's always goog to be a part of organzation that will help you when you transition out of school.

Sarah, you are much smarter than you think you are, and you tend to sell yourself short. I know highschool is not the greatest time for you right now, and you feel very much alone, but it gets better. College will give you more independence, and you will find yourself making huge life decisions about your future. Your social life will flourish with new friends with whom you share similar interests. You are going to find out you have many talents to put to good use, such as your amazing memorization skills. Your confidence will continue to rise, with time. I understand more than anyone the struggles you are going through right now, especially with home life, but they are making you so much more determined and assertive than you ever thought you could be. In college, you don't have to fit in. You are your own person. And as badly as it hurts right now to be an outcast, know that you are worthy, and you will accomplish great things, with many more obstacles to come.