University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Top Questions

The move from high school to college is a big step in your life, and it will not be without incident. The changes will be immense, and at times intimidating. You will be scared, but that?s okay. The experiences will get better, and you will soon begin to adjust as you get into a routine and you start to get acquainted with the new world around you. To say the work load is large is an understatement, and you will be under stress. But like the original move to college, you will adjust to this as well. Don?t worry; things will work out in the end. Friends will be made, adventures taken, and vast amounts of knowledge learned, and that is only in the first semester. College is a frightening idea when you?ve lived at home your entire life, but once you?re away, you won?t want to trade the memories for anything. Don?t be afraid of the move, the transition is short. Work hard, as getting an education is the reason that you are here, and most importantly, have fun, because these are the best years of your life.

I would love to go back in time and give advice about college to my high school self. First, I would say that learning doesn?t just take place in the classroom. You learn at football games, parties and other on campus spots. At these places you learn who your friends are, what you want to be when you grow up, and most importantly you learn about yourself. College experiences change your life. Through all the craziness, like big parties, games and all night study sessions, you figure out who you are. College is designed to set you up for success. Maybe you won?t like every class or professor, but if you try it is easy to learn something valuable from each one. In college your strengths and weaknesses will be shown. Sometimes very bluntly, like an F on a chemistry test. Other times, it might be more subtle, like having a great ability to make friends. You just have to realize what your strengths are and make them work to your advantage in your academic and social life. Finally, look at everything as a learning experience, not a success or failure, and you?ll be just fine.

Do not take the easy route in life. I know you are going to the local college in your hometown and going to study elemantary education because that is what your parents did, but you have a choice. I know it is easy to go down the road where everything just easily falls into your lap, but sometimes those easy roads are not going to be what makes you enjoy life. You can choose to work hard for a chance to study where you want--yes it is hard to find ways to go to someplace more expensive, but you can do it. You need to have a balance in your life. It is important to enjoy yourself and have some fun, but also study--college is not just about the parties. The social life at college and not being interested in education is why after the first semester you drop out and do not return for another 10 years. Do not be too hard on yourself, in those ten years you get to live in other countries and travel the world serving and learning about other people--that is what leads you to the Global Studies major. Enjoy it!

I would advice myself the following: Take as many different classes as you can, especially in the physics and mathematics departments. Also, take a few physical education classes, like scuba and soccer among others. Think about going out more and be more confident in the first year, everyone's going through the same things as you. Perhaps think more about where you'd like to live. Venture out more. Get a research job with a professor that taught a class you liked. Try out the different restaurants in the area often.

If I had the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advise myself to take the pre-SAT, and the SAT. Many scholarships are linked to high scores on these particular tests. My high school did not offer any resources regarding college testing, so I was unaware when these tests were being offered. I earned a 30 on my ACT, and I would advise my high-school self to retake it; it could not have hurt to take a few more tests. Additionally, I would tell myself to apply to more scholarships. At the time I was stressed out with school, work, and extracurricular activities, so I only applied to a few. Now I realize that applying to scholarships requires an intense time commitment, and I should have focused more on scholarship applications and less on my job and activities. Finally, I would advise myself not to worry so much about choosing a major. It did not take long for me to find a subject about which I am fascinated and will gladly study for the rest of my life.

If I could go back and visit myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself many things. First off, I would tell myself to listen to what I want, and not what others want of me. I would tell myself to apply to colleges that I actually want to go to, and not ones that I just figured would accept me regardless of all else. I would tell myself to shoot high, apply to places that I truly want to go to regardless of how much they cost. It is better to go to a school you really want to, that has the program you want and costs a lot, than to go to a school that is cheap and has a terrible program for what you want to pursue. I would tell myself to talk to my television productions teacher about what to do to a make a career in film and television work for me. Lastly, I would tell myself to spend as much time with my family and high school friends as possible, becasue I won't know just how much I am going to miss them until I am far away.

Dear High School self, As a high school senior thinking about college I know you're extremely nervous about making friends, getting to your classes on time, understanding subject matter, and wondering if you'll have enough time to relax. The best thing I can tell you to help you out is to relax and take it in stride. It's true college is a big step in life, but all of high school was spent preparing yourself for this time, and if you haven't learned something by that point it's too late anyway. Mistakes do not have to be a bad thing either. Making the wrong decision is one of the best ways to learn a lesson and make it stick in your head. You're going to have plenty of relax time, even more than in high school on some days. There are going to be plenty of new, awesome people in your life that are going to help you with school work, other problems, and to have fun along the way. Enjoy the ride! Sincerely, College You P.S. Keep working on getting better at essays, they never stop...

If I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school, I would change a couple things. First of all I would research different majors more in depth and choose one before I apply to a college. This way no time or money will be wasted taking classes that do not pertain to my major. I also would engage in more volunteering opportunities. After being exposed to many different cultures and those who are less fortunate, I believe volunteering is the best way to spend your free time.

Try to pace yourself. Don't overload yourself with credits, if you do, insist on working less than three days a week. Go over the previous day's notes and make flashcards if needed. When selecting classes, try to make sure they count toward your graduation requirements and credits. Once you have a major chosen, make sure those credits also count for major requirements.

If I could go back in time, I would sit myself down, and talk to myself about my intended choice of major. When I was in high school, I was debating between being a Chemical Engineer and an Astrophysicist after I graduate college. I enjoyed both physics and chemistry, with a natural love for the stars and the universe that surrounds us. It is obvious to me now (but not then) that my desire to be an Astrophysics was based upon a natural, internal desire to research and learn about the very fringes of human knowledge and experience, by studying the stars and the universe, while my desire to be a Chemical Engineer was only influenced by my fear that I would not be succesful financially as an Astrophysicist, and by my father. If I went back in time, I would tell myself to stop lying to myself, and realize what I truly desired to be. If this would have happened, I would have been able to not worry about my future as much during my first semester, and been able to take additional, more beneficial classes.