University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior there are many things I would say to myself. Perhaps the most important, to me, is that I should join a club or group! The campus population is about 26,000 and even though there are always thousands of people around, not joining a club can lead you to not meeting many people. I would have joined a club as soon as I got on campus in order to make friends. Another thing I would tell myself is to stay true to my values. My first year in college I attempted to do things that went against my core values and had dire consequences for me, emotionally. At the time I thought it would be fine, but now I see that who you are is who you are, no matter the surroundings. Finally, I'd tell myself to keep the same disposition I've always had, and still do have. Everything will work out just fine, so just put in effort and give things time! I'd love to be able to advise my highschool self, but now I have many valuable lessons learned.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior there are a lot of things I would tell myself. If I knew what I knew now I would not have been as weary or as nervous to leave for school. I would tell myself not to stress so much about the grades I was receiving in high school. It is very important to work hard for your grades but sometimes you can put too much pressure on yourself and that is not good for your mental health. Another thing I would tell myself is that life goes on. Before leaving for school I was very nervous to leave because I was afraid my relationships at home would not be the same with family and friends. The truth is a lot of time relationships change but sometimes they change for the better. People that are meant to be in your life will be there. Lastly, I would tell myself to make sure I am happy. I went in wanting a career for money and now I have found something that I would truly love as a career.

Assuming I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would have a few tips for myself. The biggest piece of advice I would have is to sharpen up on my study skills. Studying in college is not efficient if you do not know the proper way to study. I would also make sure that I realized the importance of a good night's sleep. This would allow me to be well rested every day which would help my focus in class and improve the quality of the notes I take. My final bit of advice would be to make sure that I am not too stubborn to seek out help when it is needed. If I am struggling in a class I often feel a sense of pride that makes me think I can turn things around on my own. In order to succeed the best way to deal with these classes would be through office hours and tutors.

Given the chance to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior about the transition to college, the advice I would give myself would be to get as involved on campus as possible. Since I attend college at a large state school, it can be easy to feel like you blend in with the other 28,000 undergraduate students. I've found that by joining clubs I've created my own kind of small community where I'm spending time with other students that have similar interests to me. By having this sense of belonging, it really helped me to feel more at home at my school which helped combat the homesickness that nearly every college freshman faces. While it would be easy to stress that it is important to work hard in classes or make new friends, I think that getting involved on campus is essential to the college transition and it is often an opportunity that is over looked by most students.

Knowing what I know now about college, I've definitely learned that less is more. You don't need to buy all the things on dorm lists, and chances are, they won't fit in the dorm room anyway. I sent home a lot of items I thought would be necessary in college, but have not found the use for. Not only will it save you from having a cluttered dorm room, but also it will save you money. This, is a huge thing I wish I could go back and change from my high school years. I wish someone had been there to tell me, "No, you don't need that $300 prom dress" because now, when buying books, I wish I had that extra $300. Save and spend wisely, my friends. Apply for all the scholarships you can, because funds run dry a lot faster than you'd expect, especially if you have to pay your whole way like I do. Everything counts. If you know what you want to do, gain more experience in that. Experience means money, eventhough it might just be volunteering now, it'll pay off in the end.

If I could go back to high school and tell myself what I know now I would tell myself that high school is something that is unforgettable. The friends that I made in high school are a special type of friend because I have grown up with them my hole life and I would tell myself to not take them for granted. Also If I could go back I would choose a smaller school and I would tell myself to join as many clubs as I wanted. To not be scared about living my own life and that it is ok to make mistakes and to learn from them. I'd also tell myself that its ok for everyone to not like you and that you can do whatever you want. The last thing I think I would tell myself is that in order to grow you need to not be scared of trying new things.

As a high school senior I knew I wouldn't be heading to college the year after. I had not recieved a scholarship for athletics and school was to expensive. I would go back and tell myself to work harder on talking to coaches and having more of a presence with scouts. I wouldn't change my experience of having to work for a couple of years before I got into college. It gives you perspective on the world and life and makes your realize that you want to better your path in life.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to make sure I prioritize. It is very easy to get caught up in being away from your family for the first time, and having so much freedom that you never did before. It is easy to party all the time and forget about classes. You need to think about what is important in the long run and make school your first priority because in a few years you will regret not taking your education more seriously. If you don't spend enough time studying in your freshman year, you will have to make up for it later, and it will be hard, and it will be a waste of money, and you will wish you had focused more on school when you had the chance. You are given more freedom than you know what to do with in your first year at college, and time management is the biggest issue for freshman because everything sounds more fun than studying, but it is not worth it in the long run.

If I could go back in time there would be a lot that I would tell myself as a high school senior. First and foremost, this is your time to explore and figure out exactly what you want to do for your career. You don't need to have it all firgured out right now. Go away, as far away as you want. Apply to the schools that you don't think you have a chance to get into. Go and visit as many schools as interest you. Once you decide what school you want to be at, take it seriously. School is your job. Do the best in every class. If you get overwhelmed with life as a young adult, talk to your counselors. Take a semseter off if you have to and figure out what is best for you. Don't just drop off the face of the earth, you are only going to hurt yourself. Take every opportunity that the school offfers you. Study abroad. Go on the school sponsored trips. You will regret not having done so. Most importantly, remember it is not selfish to take of and make accomplishments for yourself.

If I had to give myself advice, I think the biggest thing would be to just relax. I was always worried about getting into schools and worrying about my major that I didn't think about the simplest things. That is, I would tell myself to break down all of the numerous tasks involved in the application process and do one at a time rather than trying to do them all at once. Once here, I would definitely tell my high school self, just relax. Don't worry about the major. Don't worry about making friends. It comes naturally and there's very little that you can't acheive once you're here. Getting involved is easy as long as you're willing to slow down and take a look around.