University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Top Questions

Grades are not everything! I know you are competitive and want to be the best of the best, but college is also a place to experience new things. You can still be serious but making friends and experiencing what college life has to offer is also important. I know it will be hard for you. I have cried over getting a low B on a test and had anxiety attacks just worrying if my GPA was going to go down. Worrying like this is not worth it. Be more active and get out of your room. Hang out with your friends rather than going to a movie alone. I can?t emphasize enough how important friends will be for college. They will be the support you need when you have a bad day and a person to ask questions to when you are unsure of what to do. College will be tough but you will make it through. University has many opportunities for you, but you just have to take the first step in making college life worth it. Study hard but have time for yourself. Your happiness is everyone?s happiness. So smile and have fun!

Dear Layle, As you embark on this journey, I have some pointers for the road ahead. Firstly, it is import that you become fond of sushi because it will get you through some tough times later. Try new things, but don?t just try new things, try them open mindedly. Try to broaden yourself through these new experiences. Dive in. Go deep. Sometimes things are going to feel though and overwhelming (this is where a sushi break comes in handy). When this happens, buck up and get back to work. Nothing gets accomplished by worrying about possible outcomes. Also remember, college isn?t just about midterms and essays. It?s about finding out who you are and determining how yoru gifts will change the world. Get involved, make new friends, surround yourself with people who make you laugh and challenge you to be your best. Your potential is limitless. Always keep your chin up and push yourself to the limits. Keep this quote by T. S. Eliot in mind, ?Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.? Excitedly, Your future self

Know that the courses are going to be ten times harder and ten times more work than any kind of course you took in high school. You might fail a class or two and that your probibly not going to get the gpa that you think you will get. College is alot of work so get prepared now!!!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about how to make a better transition from high school to college there would be many things that I would tell myself. The most important thing that I would say though is to get involved. When you are involved on campus it makes the experience more worthwhile. It also makes you feel like you have a right and a purpose to be there. Getting involved in organizations also gives your routine a structure that is critical to success. The more structure you have the easier it is to stay on track and get done the thousands of things that a college student needs to do on a daily basis.

Self, relax. You're a successful student and you will continue to be. College will not be what you expect, but take advantage of that. The courses you may be dreading, like the science requirements, will prove to be much more fascinating that you can imagine. I could never have guessed that I would enjoy doing moon observations for Beginning Astronomy. Having a plan is not a bad idea (I know how much you like plans), but changing the plan is also okay. Daunting, yes, but you need to relax when the plan starts to crumble. In your advising sessions with your new counselors, be assertive. You know who you are and what you want out of your own education. Your college experience will be different than your peers'. Embrace it.

In highschool, I was never really motivated to do well academically. I always thought, as long as I pass with a C, I'll be fine and so some days I would turn in assignments, and then the some days I wouldn't even bother to even bring the assignment to class. Senior year in high school was the year that I not only turn in half of the assignments, but I also procrastinated a lot, which is never good. I would wait until the very last minute, or even during class to finish, or even start the assignment that was given the few days before. But having gone through the transition to college life, it's not so easy doing some assignments and not do others. And procrastination will not work so well this time. Now that I know about how college life works, the advice that I would give myself is: "Dream big, and keep reaching for the stars. Though the stars may look far away now, keep on reaching because soon enough, the stars will surround you . Just remember that all the hard work you put in now, it'll all pay off in the end."

I would make sure that I study more, because while I still do well in classes here if I had good study skills from high school I could proabably be more successful. Also be more open and friendly with people. It is easy to make friends as long as you talk to them, and I usually am an introvert so I don't start conversations easily.

The most important thing I can tell you is not to worry. Things will work out better than you can imagine. Your greatest fears such as making new friends and doing well in classes will come easily. The challenges you will face won't be of the nature you expect. Be open to new experiences and be careful not to jump to judgements quickly. Your fellow students are here for the same reason you are and they want to see you succeed just as much as you want to succeed yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask questions early and ask them often. Try to spend your time evenly amoung a range of activites, don't focus just on school but don't focus just on socializing either. Finding the right balance will be one of the biggest challenges you will face in your first year. Finally, don't get discouraged. College is difficult and confusing, but thousands of students have gone before you. You are smarter and more capable than you imagine. You can do it.

I would tell myself that college is not as scary as it seems. You have to be open to new experiences and people. Meet as many new people as you can because some of your friends will become your best friends for life. Furthermore, become involved in many clubs to meet people as well. Often, it is hard to meet people in your classes, so meeting people in your dorm or clubs is a better way to make friends. In addition, try to keep up with your coursework to the best of your ability. Most of the time doing the reading for the class is helpful in the long term aspect, even though it may not seem like it at the present time. Once you fall behind in your coursework, it is really hard to catch up, so you must always stay on top of your work. Also, college homework may seem tough, but it is worth it to try your hardest in order to get the good grades. If you do not try, your GPA will be affected negatively for the next 3 years of your college life. Most importantly, have fun and relax! College only happens once!

What I would tell myself if I went back to being a senior in high school is that one must be very organized in college. A college student is more indepenedent and has a lot more responsiblilites such as working and keeping up with the course work. Also, a person must not wait until the night before to study for an exam and instead must pace themseleves between each exam. It is also very important to get help right away when one is stuck on the material covered in the course. There are a lot of people all around the college that are willing to help you become sucessful and therefore one must take advantage of the endless opportunties open for them. A great tool to have is an agenda book where one may use it to record upcoming exams, assignments, projects ...etc.