University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

I would tell my self to not be scared of any option of any major, to expand my mind and take more time to research different collages and progams hat are out there. Not to limit myself, and beleive that I can achieve my goals regaurdless of what many people said to me. Main thing is listen to my parents, because I can learn from thier mistakes ,so I wouldn't have made them in the future

As a high school senior I was incredibly confused about the college journey ahead of me. In that stage of my life it would have been very beneficial for me to talk to the junior in college that I am now. The first thing I would tell myself is to look into every school that you are considering. Make sure they offer all the things you want in a school. A school may look good on paper but you never really know until you check it out. You need to make sure that it fits you and your needs. You should also check into your living situation and roommates before move in day. A bad living situation can turn into unneeded stress that can affect you negatively. Most importantly, I would tell myself to fully apply yourself from the beginning. As a freshman it is hard to balance school and a social life. I wish someone would have given me some good advice on how to stay balanced. You have to know your limits and budget your time correctly. Your college experience should be one of the best experiences of your life. Choosing the right school will help accomplish this.

Five years of college amounts to a lot of learning, and not all is academic. If I could take what I've learned in that time and share even the smallest piece of it with my high school senior self I would say this: "In whatever you pursue, in whatever you do, listen to your heart as much as your head. If you are where you are supposed to be you will know it in your heart, even if where you end up belonging is the farthest from where you think you should be at this moment. Sometimes decisions come along where every available choice seems like the wrong one to choose, and that's ok, because in the long run very few easy choices turn out to have been the right ones to have made. Don't give up on something just because others think you're crazy. Consider they may be right, but keep pursuing your passion despite the doubts of others. But above all else, don't be so proud as to believe that you can do this by yourself; you will fall, and you will get up, but don't refuse the hand offered."

Be open, very open. College is full of a varity of people, which I knew as a senior,but not to the extent that I do know. It is important to keep an open mind about different activities and people. I was so happy after I join Biochemistry club, Pre-med society, and S.T.R.I.P.E.S but I wish I would have been more open and curious about rushing. Luckly I am able to rush this semester but it would have been nice to do it formally. College is a time to explore, and this idea I feel like can not be expressed enough to high school seniors.

The advice i would give myself is to be more organized, and prepared, to focus more and think harder about my future and what i'm going to do with my life.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self before I decided to attend the University of Missouri in Columbia, I would first tell myself that my days of being known throughout my school are over. I graduated from a school of about 400 kids outside of Springfield, Illinois. Once I got the Mizzou I became one of thousands of students. This is an odd feeling. To in of a crowd of anonymity was very foreign to me. I knew every kid's name at Pleasant Plains High School and I think everyone knew mine. The key seems to be to get involved. If you join a group those twenty or so people will know your name and you will know theirs. It is also a good way to start building a resume like the one that you have from your high school career. (by the way, none of that matters now) As for classes, study, study, study. This is a big school and they do not just hand out A's for studying the night before a test. You will eventually get find your priorities and do fine. Now buckle up, this is college!

Don't be scared. College seems intimidating; crowded parties, football stadiums full of 60,000 people, a bid day with a thousand screaming girls, intimidating classes, tough professors, not to mention you're supposed to be figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life. The stress of all these things can be completely overwhelming at times and if you dwell on that then college won't be the amazing experience that it should be. You just have to keep composure. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the ride. You might make some stupid decisions, bomb a test or two or change your major 15 times before you graduate. That's okay. Just remind yourself where your are, and think. Get your classwork done during the week so you can have fun on the weekends, make lots of different friends, join something just because you enjoy it, and just take it all in. There will never be another time in your life like being in college, so make every moment count.

Don't worry about what you want to do after college. You have time to figure it all out. Also, changing your major five times is not a bad thing, you have to test different areas to know exactly what you want for your life.

I would tell myself to join the Pre-Vet FIG (freshman interest group) so I could make friends easier with the people on my floor (I did join the Pre-Vet Learning Community, which was good, but not as good as the FIG). I would tell myself to really push through my shyness and be very talkative and friendly to everyone, especially the first few weeks of school. I would advise myself to spend more time apart from my roommate in order to meet more people and not just rely on her for company. Basically, I would tell myself that the transition may be harder than I imagine, friend-wise, so I should really make an effort to make a solid group of friends early on, as it is really hard to find a group of friends later on when eveyone is already grouped off. I would tell myself that you will make a few really good, close friends, but to work on getting a larger group to have fun with and go out on the weekends and such. I would tell myself that Mizzou is definitely the right school for me and I will learn a lot!

As a high school senior I would have put ten times more effort into not only applications to college but applications to scholarships. You don't have to settle for loans, scholarships and grants are out there, just take the iniative to find it. I wouldhave told myself to try harder for better grades. Seniors think, it's senior year, senioritis, I just want to graduate. But that's a bad gameplan. Once you graduate from high school there's still college, you still have to work hard, why chance breaking that habit of studying and getting good grades. I would have just told myself to live up to my potential, and not flake out. Also I would have told myself to enjoy life, I spent so much time worried about prom, and arguments with my mom, I should have just relaxed and been grateful for what I had and yes, prom is special but no one has ever died from not having 500 dollar shoes. Last but not least I would have told myself to be ambitious, and look for internships and seek experience in my field. You should live your life a step above the rest. Always.