University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

When I began looking toward college life I had no idea what I was doing. I was the first person in my family that ever had the chacne to go college, so it was a complete learning experience for both my parents and I. I only applied to about two colleges and I didn't think to apply for any large scholarships. I thought my grades would be good enough in order to get a scholarship from one of the colleges I applied to, but that wasnt the case. My parents were forced to take out a second mortgage on our home just to keep from losing everything. Then, by something that seemed like miraculous chance, I was graced with the wonderful opportunity of having my name mentioned to Mr. Haines Holt through my high school counselor. Mr. Holt selflessly wrote me a personal check for $10,000 . If I could, I would tell myself that I need to sperad out my applications and apply to as many schools as I can in order to have the best chance possible. Most importantly, I would tell myself to work hard, never give up and never understimate the selflessness of others.

I open my eyes to see my 17 year old self slaving away at scholarship applications in our bedroom. As I climb over a mountain of clean clothes and textbooks to sit with her on our disheveled comforter, I see that Lexi has just finished typing 464 words for our Ohio State University Special Scholarship essay. Her brows are furrowed with worry as she continues to press the keys with her fingers. One concern that I knew weighed heavily was whether she would fit in somewhere in college because she often didn’t feel like she did in high school. I carried that worry into my freshman year and found myself trying to be friends with people I didn’t clique with and joining an organization I had reservations about. As a result, there were times I felt alone and thought my personality was the problem. After learning from that experience, my advice to Lexi would be this: “During your freshman year, don’t force yourself in to any friendship or organization because then you may never feel like you belong. Any lasting friendship will happen naturally, and the organizations you need to be part of will feel like home."

My senior year of high school was filled with worry and anxiety. While I was very ready to leave high school, I was also fairly scared to leave. Who knows what college will be like? Will I find friends? Will I do well? Can I keep up at a college pace? These are questions I was constantly asking myself just seven months ago. Fast forward to the present and I'm having a great time in college and keeping up with my classes. If I could I would tell my high school self to relax and enjoy my last year in high school, my last year with my friends, my last year in the midwest, and my last year of accepted childhood and dependency. I would tell myself to look forward to college instead of fearing it. To be excited instead of worried. To experience the fun of high school and know that college will be even better.

You hear all the time that college is the best four years of your life, but no one tells you, there are moments that'll make it feel like it's also the worst four years. You feel like breaking down from the stress, and you find yourself worrying about things that you didn't have to worry about in high school. You will worry about your friends, and really fitting in with people. You will have dorm and roommate issues, but it's all part of the process. There is absolutely nothing wrong with commuting, in fact, it's great. You can save money and spend time at home, but living on campus isn't that bad either. It teaches you many different life skills and is necessary of part of growing up. Take classes that you want to take, really seize the moment. Live every day, and don't stress over the little stuff. It's much easier said than done, but, find the perfect balance between social, emotional, and physical well-being; it may take a while, but it's definitely worth it when you find it. I wish you the best of luck in everything!

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself that brand names do not matter. When I was applying to colleges, I put a big focus on applying to highly renowned prestigious universities like Georgetown, Tufts, and Davidson. The only schools I got into were Maryland--the only state school I applied to--and Tulane. I was afraid that people would think less of me and think I wasn't as smart for going to a state school, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I am now in my second semester at Maryland, I really cannot picture myself anywhere else. From the moment I moved in, I knew this was the place for me. Had I known this before, I would have been more open to applying to more state schools. In reality, if someone thinks less of you for going to a state school, they should reevaluate. I wish I were more open-minded as a senior because the University of Maryland should not have been a backup plan. I love being a Maryland Terrapin!

Dear senior high school me, I am going to lay down some advice to help you to survive your freshman year of college. I beg you to you to kill that procrastination habit and start reading for pleasure. It is the senior year of high school. You are on the top of scholar heirarchy and thus, you probably brush off most your assignments until the last minute. After all, you only see your high school time in the form of a countdown. Well, that kind of thought mentality is going to hit you in the face really hard in college. You only get one chance for assignments, and GPA has a much higher importance. Wherease GPA in high school is necessary for college applications, GPA in college is necessary for internships - which gets you jobs in the real world. Once you figure that out, start reading daily -- instead of solely for completing that literature class assignment. You will notice your vocabulary start to improve. This is normal; do not be alarmed. Also, because you started to read, you will notice your creativity to increase when you play piano and sketch in your notebook. Good luck. -David Lichaa

I would tell myself that college is not as scary as I thought it was going to be. I have learned so much more than when I was in high school and I love being able to learn. I would also tell myself that what I had planned out before I attended college is nothing that I have planned now. I wanted to study abroad my senior year in high school and still plan to, but I never thought that after I graduated from college I would want to teach in Japan! I would also tell myself that what I was expecting in attending this school is far from the I thought. I love this school and have made some amazing friends who love what I love. I would also warn myself that teachers are always going to believe what I believe and that I'm not always going to get great grades on my papers that I had come to expect. Not only is college a giant leap in tearms of homework, it is also a big step in indepence that I really didn't embrace in high school. I would also warn that AP classes aren't college.

When I was a senior in high school, I was excited but scared to graduate and move on to college. Having been homeschooled all my life, I felt sheltered, but also very comfortable. I was used to my routine in high school, but as graduation neared I started wanting to break out of my shell. Although I was excited, I started out college with many fears. I was scared that I would not make good friends or find clubs where I could fit in. As a result, I did not go to many events or initiate many friendships. I found later that most of my fears were foolish and I was able to enjoy college for the adventure that it really is. Your freshman year only comes once in a lifetime. Then again, sophomore year also only comes once in a lifetime. Junior year, senior year, and every other year of your life only come once too. So live out every year, every month, every day, every hour, and every second with no fear and as much gusto as you can gather. That would be my advice to my high school self.

First, I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships than colleges. Money was always the biggest factor, but that was something I chose to ignore during the application process. I really relied on the idea that the schools I applied to would be generous in helping me out, which was not entirely false but not what I'd consider a Truth. I would have had more options if I had tried for more scholarships. Second, I would tell myself to edit my college essays. I'd gently, lovingly remind myself that even daily columnists go over their work and I'm not close to their level. I'd also kindly inform myself that it's okay to have other people read your college essays, however cheesy. My words were heartfelt and my ideas respectable. It's unfortunate to allow embarrassment to remove the possibility of improvement. In general, face the process with realism, self-acceptance, a self-promotional sense of pride, and a deep knowledge that this process is not a definition or demonstration of your worth. It is only another exciting beginning.

Expect to fail. Better yet, prepare for it. As a high school senior, I was a perfectionist; I never once got a B. I thought I knew just how tough college would be. I told myself that I couldn't always get straight A's, and that I probably wouldn't in college. I thought I had prepared myself for failure, for the learning curve that came with the transition to the college's academics and lifestyle. Still, it took a horrible grade on my very first exam for me to realize that college was different than high school, and that I needed help in order to succeed. My advice to my high school self, then, is to be ready and accepting of failure, and to be willing to ask professors and fellow students for help. I wish I had taken the time to lose some of my pride about grades. This certainly would have helped me; I would have known how much more studying was required in college than in high school, and maybe I wouldn't have gotten that first poor grade. Or, maybe, I would've; still, I would've been prepared for my failure.