Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

Dear high school Felicia, I know you are excited for your last year in high school and for graduation. The best part is that you will be moving on to college. You are going to have so much fun meeting new people and finding your own career path. You are very smart and multi-talented, so I want to make sure that is reflected throughout your college years. You will make friends and you will want to party, of course. I only have a few suggestions for you as you embark on your journey. It is perfectly fine to party and spend time with your friends, but just make sure you remember why you are there in the first place. Do not put school on the back burner and know when to turn down a good house party to study. Learn to balance school work and a social life and everything will be okay. Next, I would also like to advise you on learning how to properly study. Read ahead and do not cram in one night. Lastly, your professors should know your name and your face. This shows interest in the course and can lead to great recommendations.

Dear High School Senior Self, Don’t think for one second that with your schedule that you have loads of free time on your hands. First of all, you will need to pay attention in class, this isn’t like high school where you never listened to what your teachers said and still passed the classes. Don’t be afraid to communicate with others it’s probably for the best that you talk a lot in class because there are a lot of group discussions and class activities that require your involvement. Also please don’t raise your hand to speak up, I felt really stupid when I did that, you’re an adult now, it’s time to get out of that habit. If at any time you go back to your room after all your classes are done for day, instead of hopping on YouTube, think about any classes with homework you can get out of the way before you leave that room. It’ll serve you well in the long run. Just stay on top of your work and you will enjoy your first couple of months as a freshman in college.

I would tell myself that I already know what majors I want and that I should declare them during the first week of school. Then I would have been able to take Chinese earlier and I would not be so far behind in the language.

I am proud that you have pushed yourself in high school to get good grades, take honors, AP courses, extracurricular activities, & science and technology research program. I know you are concerned for what to do with college, what college you should choose and how in the world you are going to pay for it. But my senior self, before you worry about any of that I want you to first narrow down what you are passionate about. I want to step back from the school life for a second and take one year to discover your passion before commiting yourself to a school. During that one year period get a job, save money, take some art classes at a art center. Also during that time focus on gaining scholarships to apply to (with high school over you should now have the time to focus on them). Then in regards to what school you should choose there is no right or wrong answer. At DeVry you meet some amazing friends and mentors. At VCU you are challenge to new levels. In the end it all comes down to how passionate you are about your art and whatever craft. Also have fun.

Dear senior year past me, Senior year is a gift and both of us know that you won't be able to act the way you are acting next year. That is ok, just enjoy it while it lasts. Moving out of the house really was as great as you thought it would be, it turns out that absence truely does make the heart grow stronger because you will be in contact with your family more than you will ever have been in contact before. They just miss you and it will be nice to have warm voices to fall back on. Living in a dorm will reafferm the fact that you were not designed to live in close quarters with people. Your roommates behavior will swing between weird and normal and they will be both frustraghting and likable. Unfortunatly there is no good chinese food though. Your classes will make up for it. They will be so much fun. Don't be affraid to embrace the total nerd that you are. Don't worry about the future. It will all be ok, just focus on the present and enjoy because you will never be a high school senior again.

Chris, I'm you from the future; I have some advice for you about college life. First, shave your "beard". It grows in better when you're older. Yours doesn't look as good as you think. I know you're applying to a few schools. How much thought have you put into what you want in a school? I suggest spending some time researching some alternative places to go to school. How cool would it be to learn amongst the redwoods in California? There are a lot of incredible possibilities for pursuing our education than the few you've guessed at. I know you aren't sure what you want to do yet. That's definitely a big factor. Have you considered going to community college for a couple years? I know it doesn't seem glamorous. It'll be lame to keep living at Mom and Dad's, but think of it this way: every degree needs gen eds. Get those taken care of for a fraction of the cost. You'll have more time to figure out what you want to do, and you'll have more money to do it. There's some advice for you.

Hey listen and listen carefully! Three things you must know about your personal life while you seek your education-1: MONEY STILL DOESN’T GROWN ON TREES, 2: Focus. 3: You can do anything you set your mind to. Even when you feel like giving up, remember you've fought to get this far so keep fighting. Against all adversity you are victorious. Educationally, you have all the fundamentals; your goal is to make college work for you. You need a study schedule, note-taking skills, and network. Most importantly take full advantage of all the help VCU offers you. Don't be fearful, you have to make the best of your educational experience. Although the 3rd and 4th floor of the library are incredibly eerie with silence, there‚ is a chair and desk with your name on it. TV, Facebook and Twitter are overrated so don’t even think about it. You can do this! Statistically, you weren’t even supposed to make it this far, so stay motivated. Continue breaking and surpassing stereotypes. Rough times are inevitable, it’s all apart of life, but adjust and push forward. You are strong, and you are a fighter, Good luck!

Growing up does not mean getting through life as fast as you can, rushing through high school, and college to finally start life. Growing up is not going through the motions to fulfill some cliché version of how your life should be. I know, from personal experience, you feel you need to have all the answers right now that you feel you needed to know which major you wanted to do since your freshman year, but believe me, it's okay not to know. I've changed my major twice before classes even began and I will tell you this, you are happy with what you are doing. You are going to be so surprised by what you actually choose, it's ironic, but it's what you have or have always had a hidden passion for. I won't tell you what it is you choose because you need to find out what makes you happy on your own, you need to grow. Growing up is taking your time to see the sights, taking your time to finally realize what you want to do. It might take some time, but please realize, that whatever you choose, you will grow!

Make sure that you do that best that you can to keep your GPA up. Do not procrastinate and stay out of trouble by joining clubs and organizations. Study hard for the ACT and fill out as much scholarship applications as you can. College is very expensive and you will need plenty of money to make it through the year. Get plenty of sleep and develop good study methods.

First thing is first, dump the boyfriend. He is holding you back from truly becoming the person you will be. Please don't give up on yourself. I know you think everything is fine if you just go to community college and take your time, but don't forget how amazing you can be. Community college is great, financially, but seriously think about how much more you can do if you just start your path straight away. Also, you love bones. You want to be an anthropologist. Don't focus on how hard that will be to figure out. No that you know, you won't have to change your major three times. Stop wasting moms money, she doesn't have much of it and will go into more debt that you even want to know by the time you make it to VCU. Work hard. Meet everyone. Never stop believing that you can do anything you've set your mind t do. I should know, I'm still doing it. You will be okay.