University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

If I could give myself any advice when I was a high school senior, I would make sure that I got to know some my future classmates before the semester started. Using great social sites such as Facebook and UMD's Terpnet, which is a social networking site made just for UMD prospective freshmen, would have helped me get to know some people and make some new friends, especially at a time when college life is still unfamiliar to us. Also, I would remind myself to stay focused on my schoolwork. Plently of students start to slack off in their final year in high school, but this ultimately can ruin your work ethic once you get to college. College work is difficult and fast-paced, and having slacked off for a year puts students at an academic disadvantage at the beginning of the semester. The final and most important piece of advice I would give myself is to keep in mind that college is just a stepping stone in my journey to the future. There are many aspects of college life that compliment this journey, like begin involved, and I should embrace such aspects if I want to be successful.

Don't procrasinate.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to go on campus visits to see if I really wanted to attend the college. It's really important to adapt to the University and to like the campus because you will most likely be there for the next 4 years. I would also make sure to research the financial aid packages and see if they come through to help you. Some schools give out high financial aid numbers when they do not really provide that much aid.

Looking back, I would tell myself to get more involved in community service and on-campus extracurricular activities, as early on as possible. College is not just about studying. I would tell myself that while college is about obtaining your education through coursework, part of the college education experience is learning by doing. Being actively involved in campus activities gives the opportunity to learn about one's self, one's goals, one's future possibilities, while also learning about the college social system and building relationships. I would also tell myself to take advantage of being able to speak with professors and advisors during their office hours. Office hours are not just there for you to speak about assignments and exams. Professors and advisors are there so that you can learn more about the field of study, in addition to passing on wise words about how to move through college, and how to achieve future goals.

Grades and school involvement is the most important thing you should do. Grades not only give you an advantage in getting into a college, but it provides you with scholarships. Especially, scholarships that you don't even have to apply for. But, I would have to say, as a scholarship hunter, if you don?t have at least a 3.5, the chances of winner a scholarship is none. Tuition does cost a lot of money. School involvement is the second most important thing. Involvement means networking, and networking means connections. This will help with future jobs and you can easily get help in choosing classes with better professors and even getting help with the classwork.

Spend more time with your English skill in writing.

I would tell my younger self to try to acquire as much wisdom about the ways of the world as possible.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to stay focus freshman year. If you start off well, everything down the line will be easier. I would also tell myself not to let advisors tell me what I should or shouldn?t do just because they think I can?t handle the course load or that the two major are too different. If you have two fields or interest that you are passionate about you should set your mind to it to achieve a degree in both fields. It doesn?t matter what they are, because your eagerness to know more will make the process that much easier. Never let people guide your path for you, let your heart and mind lead the way. Achieve whatever you think is achievable, even if others say you can?t. Have fun, meet new people and express yourself. Don?t hold your heart so tightly because college is a time to really find yourself, and you might miss out on a lot of great things. Lastly, don?t eat so much because the freshman fifth-teen is real and it will take you forever to get the weight off.

Don't stress. I know that this can be a difficult process and it can become stressful; due to classes filling up, not knowing what classes you want to take or what major you want to pursue, or if you are going to enjoy the mandatory classes required by schools. Don't worry. Colleges' offer a variety of classes due to the possibility of classes filling up. Even if you can't get into one, you have other options to choose from. You might be worried that you will hate the other classes you have to choose in the place of a filled up class, in most cases you will. But keep in mind, with classes you "hate", there will be classes you will love. These might help you to establish a back-up major if the major you orginally chose doesn't feel right to you anymore. Trust me when I say that you never know what you might like. Once again, don't be biased in your choices, I personally know that sometimes classes that are unappealing on the outside might have a hidden area that you find interesting. Also, remember its not as stressful as it seems.

Dear High-School-Senior-Rachel, When you go to community college, declare Elementary Education as your major from the very beginning, but make English your emphasis, and make sure you take ENG 216 during the summer semester of 2007, because you don't wanna miss meeting the love of your life. Oh, and don't forget to study abroad, preferably in Canada at St. Stephen's University, where you will meet your best friend who will help you get through a lot. And tell you're parents that you're gay now. Talk to them about it; trust me, it will save a lot of pain and heartache for everyone. Other than that, keep loving God, loving others, and making the best out of what life brings! Peace, Love and Happiness, College-Junior-Rachel