University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

I would give myself a list of points to reconsindered. 1. Rankings aren't everything. Don't pick a school based on how high it's ranked on some list by an anonymous author. 2. Look at the availability of programs. Think about every topic you might be interested in majoring in and make sure the school you pick has those or at least something close to them. 3. When visiting schools, approach random students and ask them to tell you about the school. What they say when put on the spot will tell you a lot. 4. Apply to more schools. (This ties into #1.) Don't only apply to reach schools. Apply to some more match and below-match schools. 5. Don't let Mom and Dad tell you which school is the best for you. They can really only base it on reputation, so take the time to figure it out for yourself and reach out to current students to find out what the school is really like. 6. Visit each school more than once!

First, I would tell myself to treat classes more like a profession than as my "usual" classwork. My high school was far from challenging, and because I rarely had to put in extra hours for my assignments and exams I assumed this would be the case as an undergraduate. To prepare myself, I'd tell the 17-year-old me to seek out community college courses and take those in conjunction with my usual HS cirriculum. I was so dismayed as a freshman to meet countless students who entered college with 15 or more credits to their name, and besides my AP classes I was unaware this was doable. Not only would this have helped me prepare for balancing a larger workload, but I could have saved myself extra classes in multiple semesters at the start of college when the adjustment period was greatest. This is the closest way to simulating the stress of major university that would have been possible, and it would have been fun to get a sneak peak at how a collegiate classroom functions.

Yes, finish high school, but take that animation book Tobias gave you as seriously. I want you to keep drawing everyday, making up characters and writing out rough comics/storyboards to explore our characters. Please focus on drawing anatomy (especially hands), and drawing emotion. All that aside everything you need to know about the industry is online, you really don't need college for our field, especially not an art institute. Don't get me wrong the teachers are wonderful, very useful but it just costs way too much and I know I'll be in debt for a good chunk of my life just because I wanted to shut a few people up and go to college. I've got my debt so now I'll just have to keep with it. I can't even make the monthly payments anymore; the finacial aid department ruined it. They lied and told me I only had around 100 to pay out of pocket. Now I'm looking at paying over 13000 out of pocket before I graduate. And, 36000 back in loans. It's not worth it, do your research on storyboarding and stay the hell away from college.

Coming to college out of highschool, I had a created a very specific path for myself that I would follow through college. I would major in Physics, and eventually go on to grad school. I knew what classes I would take, and what semesters I would take them. After my first year at college however, I realize that coming in with such a closed mind puts you at a huge disadvantage in college. Giving yourself a chance to try new things, and to explore new passions is an extremley important part of college, and I have taken that away from myself by setting on such a specific path. After realizing this, the advice that I would give to my high school self is not to set your mind on one thing for years down the road. I would tell myself to give everything a chance, and that I may find somthing that I enjoy even more than phyics. I believe that this advice would give my former self an advantage for his first year of college, allowing him to disover new interests and dreams.

Don't worry so much about proving yourself or trying to be accepted. Be yourself. It's a good thing.

I know you’re anxious to get out of here, but be warned: College is nothing like you’re expecting it to be. You won’t know anybody. The thousands of strange faces will intimidate you. It’ll seem like you’re drowning in the work. But eventually, you start to see familiar faces, develop a solid working routine and remember the excitement you’re feeling right now to go off and change the world. Also, college wasn’t really made for us introverts! However, once you get comfortable eating by yourself (everyone does), going to meetings and being friendly to strangers, you’ll be 10x more independent than your hall-mates who can’t use the bathroom without each other! There’s plenty of superficiality on campus, but being genuine will guarantee that you end up with the right people. Look forward to calling out the sexists, racists and elitists! Ultimately, you’ll realize that the college experience isn’t just about the rigorous courses, parties or interesting people; it’s about putting yourself out there, learning who you are and growing into your skin. It’ll take a while, so be patient and cherish the journey!

If I could go back in time, I would reassure myself that everything would turn out alright. It's hard not having control over your future, thus I was very nervous and went into the college application process with the wrong mindset.

If I had the opportunity to return to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to develop a comfortable routine quickly. Throughout my high school career, I benefited from a reliable routine that allowed me to efficiently balance my time between my extracurricular activities, school, my part-time work, and friends and family. With my time appropriately allocated, I had the spare time to think of the future and keep my goals straight. During my first semester in college, I often lost my goals and my future do to the lack of orginization in my schedule. I know that without a solid routine, my day often becomes sporadic and subject to procrastination. This single issue was the cause of my uneasiness during the first semester in college. Had I developed a routine earlier in the year, I would have been more comfortable reaching out to my peers and faculty to address other concerns I have had during my experience at the University of Michigan.

My first semester of college was a wake up call. My high school had a system that’s purpose was to give students a chance to master material by retaking failed tests. Although this system was created to push students to learn, for many it acted as a crutch. I was one of these students. Instead of working to understand the materials I would use the ability to retake exams as a way to get by without putting in effort. I later recognized that I needed to make a change coming into college and ended my first semester in good standings. Successfully completing work in college has shown me how doable the work in high school truly was. If I could go back I would advise myself to work to the best of my abilities at all times. I did well, but could have done much better in high school. Advising my high school self in this way could have potentially made the transition into college a little smoother, and my overall high school experience more enriching. Although I would advise myself to change I am happy with where I am now as I have changed from my old habits.

Don't spend so much time worrying and just do it. Seriously, nobody cares what you do and quite frankly nobody is even paying attention. Take chances now while you still can. It's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to make a fool of yourself, it's okay to have fun and it's okay to fail. Get out of your own head. You will miss out on getting to know amazing people if you don't get out there and talk to people. If you work hard, have a good time and stop taking yourself so seriously, you will have the best years of your life. Enjoy every moment of it, because it will go by very quickly!