Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

Be prepared to work hard, but also to enjoy life and try to be more social with people on campus so that you can make some life- long friends.

I would tell myself that time management and study skills are two of the most important qualities to know about college. Studying in high school and studying in college is a huge difference. For college, you must study at least two to three more hours for each hour you are in class. It is not like high school where you can just skim over the notes and not even open the textbook to pass a test. Every detail counts, so you have to study your notes and actually read the textbook to be able to understand the concepts. Time management is going to be hard to adjust at the beginning of the semester. You will learn how to adjust your time wisely by just going through the activities. After awhile, you will know how to balance out your time between school and your social life. With making the transition, remember to also have fun. There will always be different people to become friends with. It's a new chapter in your life, so be who you want to be.

You're on your own!

College is your big chance. It is the chance to broaden your horizons; meet and interact with new people and cultures; and most importantly, expand your mind. There are endless opportunities for not only learning, but also to gain new perspectives on the world and come into yourself with a sense of purpose and definition. Every person you meet, no matter how much they may differ from you, can be a teacher and a student. Waste no opportunity to set aside differences and learn from others, and do not be afraid to impart your own knowledge and views on others, as long as you do so without force and contempt. Have no fear of the world around you; there are beautiful experiences to behold and great learning opportunities inside and outside of the college classroom. College will be like no experience you have ever had, and one you will never have again. This is your license to explore yourself, your surroundings, and the world. Take everything as a learning experience, delve deeper into the meanings of everyday interactions and occurrences, and most importantly, be yourself! This is your chance to live it up and shine, and others will support that!

I have come to realize that college is more than about excelling academically, but it is also about exploring various extracurricular activities, interest groups, community service projects, and getting involved with the institution. Academics have always been a priority for me, but I think that the most memorable moments of college were those spending time with friends and putting time into VCU Bhangra, a cultural dance group sponsored by the university. Through this organization, I was able to learn numerous valuable skill sets including group collaboration, leadership, and teamwork. I am fortunate to have joined this group during my freshman year, but I do wish I had spent more time and effort getting involved in giving back to the community through service projects. Also, I believe it is important as a freshman to meet numerous people outside of my immediate academic realm, something that I did not accomplish as effectively as I would have liked to. All in all, I believe that my transition to college life was smooth because I was around friends that were supportive and because I immersed myself in activities that I enjoyed.

I would tell myself one thing: senior year is not the time to take school lightly. I made the mistake of coasting through senior year and it costed me. I was thankful to end up at a great university, but I should not have slacked off my senior year.

I would tell myself to stay on campus. Because by commuting everyday you lose that relationship to make friends and to keep them. The college life is a lot harder when you have to wake up earlier and drive twenty minutes to get to school everyday and you leave to go to work right after class. I think I would have made a lot more friends if i was in a dorm. I just have to put forth more effort to meet new people.

After having spent 7 years and earning two degrees, my B.S. in pyschology and my doctorate in physical therapy, at VCU, the best advice I could give is to live on campus. I lived at home all 7 years and feel I really missed out on "the college expereince." Do whatever you can to live on campus and enjoy!

I would tell myself not to stress as much as I did. It's hard but it's actually something that I can do. I would tell myself to possibly look more into what I wanted to do with my like a little more just so I could pick a major a little faster then I did. But most of all I would tell myself that in whatever I end up doing as long as I am happy and sucessful thats all that should matter. Also that only I can choose my future and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. I have done plenty of things here at VCU I never thought I would.

If I had the chance to speak to my past self, I would tell myself to strive harder with my foregin laguages. Those grades made my GPA drop, and seemed to scare me when I applied to college. The school picks their new students based on grades, what if VCU didn't pick me because of those grades. I don't know where I would be today. I'm making up for those days, making the best of each class I can.