University of South Carolina-Columbia Top Questions

Don't read the brochures. I know you're struggling in high school and think that college is the opportunity for a fresh start. Because of this, you are eagerly reading all of the university brochures. Each brochure consists of the same propaganda: small classroom sizes, lots of diversity, and hundreds of extracurricular opportunities. And you're buying into all of it. Your first semester of college will not be the brochure experience, however. You'll struggle to find clubs to join and to meet new people outside of a sorority, you'll have several large-numbered classes, and you won't be introduced to much more diversity than you've already seen. The college brochures romanticize the college experience. Not everyone is going to have the experience of their life in college. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating not attending college at all. However, even though you won't have the cookie-cutter college experience that's outlined in the brochures, it's okay. Your college experience is not the experience written in the brochures; your experience will be better -- things that you never read about in the brochures.

I am tempted to say that I wish I had told my past self all of the tricks I learned when it comes to money expenses and filling out forms, or basic college survival advice, or a warning about the trials I would face in my first year of college. None of that advice would have been meaningful to my past self, though. Knowing me, I probably would have still made all the same mistakes despite warnings. Out of everything during the transition from high school to college the biggest problem I faced was how I treated myself and the little confidence I had in my abilities to succeed. During the long summer before college began I felt like I was hopeless and that there had to have been a mistake at the admission's office. If I could have, I would have given my past self a big hug and told her that she is everything she thinks she's not: talented, educated, friendly, beautiful, hardworking, and unique. Nothing else I could have said would have given me any of the confidence that I sorely needed to get through the difficult transition between high school and college.

It is a real coincidence that this question is about going back and talking to myself as a high school senior because as my little sister is now a senior in high school and making the big decisions about college and her life, I find myself reflecting on my own decisions. My sister and I are so alike and trusting in eachother that I really do feel like I am talking to my former self and trying to help her with this amazing time in her life. There are two major tips that I have asked my sister to follow as she is making choices and starting this new chapter in her life. First, try to talk to and meet as many people as possible because everyone else is just as shy and nervous as you are and once you start talking to people you never know what kinds of friendships you will find. And second, don't try to keep past relationships if the other person isn't making the effort to stay in touch with you and supporting you. Those old high school "half friends" are just holding you back from meeting amazing new people at school.

There are many things I could tell my younger self about to make the transition to college easier. I would probably tell myself to enter college singe, not to join a sorority, and not to go home on the weekends. Although these may be helpful, the best advice I could give my high school self would be not to try and change my personality in college. I entered college hoping to fulfill my dreams of popularity from high school. This motivated me to join a sorority and become a "party girl." All I wanted was to finally fit in with the popular crowd. In retrospect, I wish I had allowed myself to make friends with my true personality. This would have saved me from a lonely first semester in college. I eventually discovered myself in college, but it would have been an easier journey if I had embraced my true personality earlier.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage my past self to make sure I am as prepared for college as much as possible. College is not easy, so by the beginning of my senior year I would have myself hitting the books more than I ever had before. I would have made sure I did as well on the Advanced Placement exams that I could. But the last thing I would tell myself about college is to have fun and don't let anything hold me back.

Make sure you fill out all the scholarships and take many campus tours so you know what you are getting into. Do not just randomly pick a school, make sure it fits you. Do your homework on all the extra curricular activities because while you are there for academics, there is more to life and you'll want to know what to get involved in.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my senior self to take applying for scholarships more seriously. Throughout my entire senior year, my mother kept telling me I should do some research and find scholarships to apply for. I knew that loans would be necessary regardless, so I didn’t think applying for scholarships was a big deal. But, when I saw my tuition bill for the first semester at college, I realized that I should have listened to my mother. I saw how big of a loan she had to take out under her name just so I could go to school for one semester. It would have helped tremendously if I took her words to heart last year and began applying for scholarships then. College is a big adjustment because you see firsthand the cost of living and you must learn to budget accordingly. If I had given my past self this advice, I think that my transition to college would have been financially easier on me and my family because I would have applied for many more scholarships. I am determined to raise as much money as I can to contribute to my education.

I would tell my younger self, to study more. I finished college with a 3.0 and kept my scholarship which was my only academic goal for myseld. I'm sure I could have done more and pushed myself but having fun was more important. Now looking back, I could have gotten into a better graduate school if I was more focused.

As a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, I have been through many experiences at school and I want you to not worry about attending a university so far away from home. I know being 12 hours away from your parents sounds scary and it will be difficult in the beginning, but well worth it in the end. You are going to hate your roommate freshman year and you will end up not speaking with her by the end of the year because of her psychotic, over-obsessive tendencies with her boyfriend. Try not to let her get under your skin. She will transfer. You will join a sorority that you love and make many friendships that you know will last a lifetime. Just remember to take time to focus on yourself when things get stressful during your spring semester freshman year. A lot of lifechanging events will happen and you need to stay healthy and keep a strong mind. Sophomore year will be your greatest and every stress of your first year of college you will look back on and laugh. Don't worry, you made the right decision. South Carolina is your second home.

Take a moment to breathe. It seems daunting as a senior to get everything for college ready but it all works out! All your hard work pays off and college is not nearly as hard as highschool. So slow down smell a rose or two and go to college level headed and not stressed out.