University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

The transition into college life is much easier than you fear, however, there are a few things you should prepare for. First, college life is expensive, in the first year of college forgo outings with your friends, study hard and maintain a 4.0 to make yourself eligible for scholarships and grants in the preceding years. Friendships are an important part of college life but they are not the reason you are attending school. Second, maintain an intensely focused determination to succeed in every class. If you really want to be the best, you must be willing to study harder than others, put in a sustained long-term effort, and forge mental toughness. Third, leadership will play a big role in your future, both on campus and off so take advantage of as many leadership opportunities as you can. During team activities, in the absence of clear leadership you must take charge, lead your teammates, and accomplish the teams goals. Remember that as a leader you will make a lot of decision, it's okay to be wrong, it's not okay to be indecisive. Last and most important, pay more attention to your girlfriend than your car.

The most important advice I would give to myself, as a high school senior, would be to have better time management and prioritization due to the greater weight each course assignment has on the overall course grade. College courses and the various amount of work load given are highly time sensitive, and therefore, demanding of full focus and effort to complete all assignments, with aim for the highest grade. Exposure to a new social life and discovery of interests outside of academic responsibilities, pose a greater challenge to focus on obtaining and maintaining the education each student needs to support the expansion of the knowledge, skill, and experience offered through college. All sorts of distractions unexpectedly come along with every responsibility, but there is no time or energy to lose when it comes to making college education matter.

Don't fret about the small things, or the things you have no control over. It's not worth the stress and distraction they cause. Don't be stubborn about your course selection. Try your darndest but don't be afraid to drop something and try something else. Go outside your comfort zone, explore, and find what you really sparks your interest. Don't drop into a fetal position and hide from what the campus has to offer. There are lots of opportunities to be had. You just have to find them and go after them. Don't let financial anxiety weigh you down. Focus, and keep pushing. Believe in yourself, in your work, and you'll accomplish at your highest potential.

College is a business in America. Regardless of how hard you work in high school, you must make sure you can afford the university you are going to. Do not let these name brand, D-1 universities convince you that the lower D-2 schools that offered you full rides do not compare. I understand you believe in yourself and your abilities, but you have to be more than book smart to stay in college. I understand that you have your heart set on leaving Philadelphia because there is nothing there for you, but you will change the world some day, regardless of what university you intend. As much of a great fit, an out-of-state college may be for you, do not risk the financial stress on you and your mother because at the end of the day, it will distract you from your studies and your happiness. Then attending your dream school will not longer be worth it. Please put your pride aside for once, Abriana, and choose to apply to in-state schools.

The best way to invest in my future is to have good luck. It may sound harsh, but it is sadly all too true. In today's supposedly merit-based society it is of utmost importance whom your aquaintances are. The "education is the great equalizer" age is deficient. Do children in Malibu have the same opportunities as children in Detroit? To be naive is to think everyone has an equal chance at success. America's business world should be based upon merit, but stands as a case study on social capital and the ability to network. The best way to invest in my future is to continue working hard at school, but spending less time reading textbooks; rather, meeting others in my career field, distributing business cards, and building the social capital that will not show up on the resume I circulate. My strong education and high GPA may show up on my resume, but my resume may never get in the door if I do not have the mentors and social network to get it into the door in the first place. The resume seals the deal, but the social capital and luck bring the deal to maturity.

If I had the ability to go back in time to counsel myself as a high school senior I would simply tell myself to become as involved in college as I possibly could and to accumulate experience. I've found that the more I get involved in school, both in class and in my personal life, the more enriching the time seems. To transition from high school to college students should seek out the activities that have always interested them such as sports and hobbies and find clubs or teams at college. If there is something you have always been interested in but never tried, you should use college as a platform to try it for the first time. For example, Terrapin Trails Club at UMD which leads hikes and camping trips for students. Overall, I would say its most important at this time for young students leaving high school to focus on education od course but also to branch out. College is all about self discovery and improvement and it provides a lot of chances for both.

High school achievement is about reaching for the moon, but college achievement is about counting the stars. It's an impossible task to reach your goal. In college, you will never be perfect. If you keep on staring at the moon, you'll go blind, and the hardest task is to learn to let go and pick a new dream--not because you aren't strong enough, but because you should never make yourself miserable to be happy. You don't have to make yourself miserable to be happy. Just because you can endure doesn't mean you should. Accepting that is hard. College is about hard decisions. It isn't about classes and tests. It's about making choices that affect your future. It's about trying to count the stars, knowing you'll never notice them all. College is about trying to do an impossible thing, which is to think of every outcome of every choice while simultaneously consuming enough knowledge to burn your throat. And the reward is all the little gold stars you've collected that you hold up on a string in the future and hope someone will pay you for it with your dreams.

Apply for financial aid and ask for help if you need it. Make sure to balance out work and play, but don't ever forget that you are in school to learn. You can play later, as long as you keep your grades up and make yourself proud. There will be a lot of temptations to compete superficially, but you need to compete academically. That is where it will benefit you the most in the long run.

Don't be nervous about sticking around your high school friends and not meeting new people - the school is gigantic and amazing and you'll meet new people every day. Your high school friends will always be there for you, but you'll meet your new best friends outside of your old Baltimore group. School is incredibly hard and it will require a lot more study hours than you needed in high school, but the feeling of getting an A in college is so sweet. Joining a sorority is much more about always having an invitation to the coolest party - its about having true sisters that you can count on for anything. Take advantage of the on-campus math tutoring center. Don't be embarrassed about being homesick every once in a while. Finally, appreciate every professor you meet and truly listen to what they teach.

I would tell myself to be more social towards other people like my floor mates and roommate. Also I would tell myself to make friends relativley quickly because then you can get to know more people by being with them. Time management is something that should not be played around with. It is very important to manage your time in a responsible way so time isn't wasted on nothing. The scholarship part of going to college is one the most important part aswell and should not be something to put off to a later date.