University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Hey, I'm here to talk about your future. Our future. Here's the thing: I'm giving you the chance to do what I couldn't during first semester. Succeed. Two simple lessons. Lesson 1. college classes are nothing like your AP classes, let alone your honors or regular classes; these are on a whole new level and you cannot underestimate them. The only way you are going you are going to do well in these classes is to overprepare, go to study sessions with either Teaching Assistants or the professors themselves, and overpreare some more. Lesson 2. you are going to have a lot of "free" time on your hands. Guess what? It's NOT free time. dedicate that time to studying and re-studying ( with breaks. be reasonable. Don't push yourself too hard. It's a balancing act). You're going to be tempted by friends, new and old, but you have to keep building good study habits. It's going to be hard. you're going to want to impress new friends and keep your old ones. However, if you want to do better than I did, and believe me you do, heed my words.

Being part of the men's soccer team at the University of Maryland, I would like to think that my experiences in college is somewhat different than the typical student here at UMD. As a high school senior, I was categorized by most as the "jock". I am considered one of the best athletes to ever attend my high school, recieving multiple honours and awards. Unfortunately for me, I focused more on the athletic side rather than the academic. I came to Maryland for the sole purpose of using college as a means to play professionally. With this mentality, my preparation was geared more towards getting better physically rather than mentally. My first year here at UMD has humbled me greatly. I realized that not only is there a high physical demand in college but a high mental demand as well. By this I mean that having to juggle between soccer and school was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. If I would have known this coming in, I would not have directed my focus purely on sports but on how to manage my time effectively both on the field and in the classroom.

I have completed my first two years of college and I have already learned so much that I wish I knew ahead of time that would have made my life less stressful. If I could go back I would first tell myself it's okay to make mistakes, that you can't dwell on the small things like one bad test score; to just pick up, move on and try harder. It's also important to keep an open mind because even if you think you have it all figured out, believe me you don't. It's important to change, it will be scary at times but you have to enjoy the journey, sometimes the struggle was the best part. You have to chase your passions, you decide what you learn so pick something you will enjoy doing. Remember this is your dream don't let anyone paint your picture for you. And lastly I would tell myself to reach out for help, you don't have to go at it alone.

Sometime in the near future, you will leave town for a college. You will spend many sleepless nights going over the decision of "which college" in your head, weighing the pros and cons, asking advice from both trusted sources and random acquaintances alike. But here is the thing: this decision, in the end, does not matter. I mean, it does matter, in the sense that you should care about where you end up spending the next four years of your life. But when it comes to future success, the name of the school where you spend those years counts for very little compared to what you do during them. College can be scary because it shoves a lot of new, uncomfortable things right in your face- new people to meet, new information to learn, new worldviews to ponder. Do not run from this discomfort, but accept it wholeheartedly. Learn to grow and develop from all the wonderful novel experiences being offered to you. College is about growth, and growth is always an uncomfortable process- understand this, and you are guaranteed a lifetime of successes down the road.

A year ago from today I would have never believed that I would transition into college life so easily. I remember questioning my abilities and whether I was ready for so much change; living without my parents, making a new set of friends, and taking college courses. With the knowledge I have now I find my concerns to be ridiculous and unnecessary. If I could speak to myself as a high school student I would tell myself not to stress about the minor details and that change is good. I would say that there will be a lot of change and obstacles, but overcoming them will not be as difficult as I expected. “Challenges are what makes life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”(Emerson) rather I should replace my worries and fear with curiosity.

After a bad senior year of high school, I was lonely and afraid that I would not be accepted by my new peers when I came to college. If I could talk to my past self, I would let her know that whatever happened in high school does not define your college experience. It may be scary to meet new people after being bullied and rejected by other students who form small cliques, but in college, you can redefine yourself in a more open environment. I would warn myself against shutting myself off from others for fear of being hurt; there are people in college who have a lot in common with me, and if I'm too worried about being hurt or rejected, I can cut myself off from people who have the potential to be my good friends. I'll let my high school self know that college is a new experience, and that I should cast aside old fears and rejections in order to embrace the new opportunities at my disposal.

High school years aren’t my best memories because it was a time when I never thought about my future. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself. Knowing how all my brothers and sisters never reaching the stage to be handed a diploma made me think that I was going to follow the same path. I felt confused, and afraid to believe that there was an opportunity, college, after completing high school. In addition, my advice will be to remove the blind from my eyes, and trust myself that anything is possible if I believe in myself, and think that there is always a solution no matter how bad things seem. Allow my mind to think about tomorrow, and focus on accomplishing the best high school year with the best grades in order to prepare myself for what stands ahead in my journey to a greater future. A future filled with ambition and goals towards my education, and future, something that I wasn’t able to comprehend during high school. I will allow myself to create a new beginning where family, education, and future is the energy source to a greater happiness.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now these three topics would be the high of the discussion. First Listen, Listening was a huge problem for me I didn't listen because I didn't believe. I thought I was already grown and nobody knew what I was going thur in high school with work and peer pressure. Second would have to be Studying. I hated studying because it took to long. I would walk in a class sit down take a quiz or test and pass. I made good grades but they could have been better if only I had put the effort in to study. Last Never settle for less, if you want it you have to believe it don't sit back and wait on whats coming go get it. In conclusion that wold be the advice I would give to myself if i could go back in time and talk to myself as high school senior.

I would tell my high school self to stay focused and not play around alot. College classes are hard but not as hard as you make them to be.

My senior year was focused on balancing college applications, maintaining a high GPA in very challenging courses, making money at the restaurant I worked at 3 nights a week, community service and athletics all at the same time. I was buried so deep in work and busy all the time that I made the huge mistake of not visiting my grandparents in the nursing home or even my best friend who was extremely ill. My life was dedicated to things that I thought would help me with my future, and I forgot all about the important people that got me to where I am today. My grandpa died during my senior year, and my entire senior year I visited him one time. My friend was diagnosed with stage one cancer, but thank god he is cancer-free today. If I could give myself any advice, I would tell myself to remember the little people that got me where I am today- the people who love me no matter my GPA or ACT score. For those people are the ones who will always be there for you and comfort you during the cold, dark, lonely nights in a college dorm room.