West Virginia University Top Questions

Having completed three semesters of college at West Virginia University already, I have figured out some things that have helped me make college fun and productive. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to get involved with various activities and clubs around campus. Getting involved is a wonderful way to learn more about the school and its surroundings. It is also a fantastic and fun way to meet new people who can help you make the transition from living at home to living at college a breeze. I would remind myself to become friends with my professors. They are there for you when you have a problem and can help you. Talking with them outside of class also shows that you are highly motivated and willing to do the work which can sometimes mean the difference between an A or a B at the end of the semester. Finally, I would tell myself to remember to make friends in each of my classes. It is always helpful to have someone to study with or to have someone to borrow notes from should you miss that class.

If I could go back in time, the best advice I could give myself is to branch out. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into new opportunities is the best part about the college experience. Don't just associate with your high school buddies, make new friends, and try new clubs, and never let yourself get so stressed out that you're consumed with just "getting through." Allow yourself the opportunity to grow as a person, every time you step into a different classroom, its a new chance to find that professor who could become your mentor, or that student who could be your best friend. College is so much more than just going to class and studying, and if that's all you ever do you'll never get to experience the finer parts of college like studying abroad, or getting a prestigous internship, or joining an organization that prepares you for your future career and provides invaluable networking for when you apply for a job in "the real world." Grades are important but there's more to a resume, and becoming involved keeps you on track and unstressed, what more could a college student ask for?

I would tell myself that college is hard, but not impossible. As long as you show up for class and put forth an effort you will be fine. Do not be afraid of the large classes and "big" school. No matter how large the school is, you function in a small, tight-knit community. Also, friends are the most important thing about college. Without friends, life would be miserable at college. They help you with classes and provide the extremely important social network that makes life enjoyable. If life is not enjoyable then there is no drive to succeed.

Dear Me, Nothing I say can prepare you for the freedom of college! For the first time, you get to choose your classes, your pizza delivery, and even if you decide to go to sleep for ninety-six hours straight. But along with this freedom, I'd like to impart a few lessons learned: Pay for the parking pass. It is cheaper than even one tow bill! Learn moderation in partying. Hangovers are never worth it. Learn to pace yourself. Trust your Professors, no great twenty page papers were written in one late evening rush. Remember those rules mom taught you. Your room mates will appreciate you more if they don't have to pick up your dirty underwear. Join a school club! Joining a club is the surest way to instant friends. Sign up for a sports class. So you aren't a college level athlete? Having a few friends to hike or toss a frisbee with will help prevent the freshman fifteen and the late afternoon lethargy that plague most everyone. So, take this advice if you want. You now have the freedom to do so.

High school was a time of fun, goofing off and not really planning for the future. But it should have been a time of not only fun but of preparing for college and getting ready to start life on your own. It should have been about learning who you really are and learning how to make tough choices. There should have been less money spent at Taco Bell and more money put into the bank to save up so that there wouldn't have been quite so many student loans to take out. There should have been more time spent appreciating being able to wake up every day with your family right down the hall and being able to eat home cooked meals every night. But more than anything there should have been excitement because transitioning from high school to college is really the first step towards becoming an adult and being able to show the world who you really are.

The transition from high school to college was definitely a bigger transition that I thought it would be. Although I was looking forward to attending WVU, I had no idea what was in store for me. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are a couple suggestions that I would have for myself in order to make a smoother transition. One piece of advice that I would give myself in order to succeed would be to read the assigned material in each course. In high school, it was easy to get good grades by just studying the notes that were provided. After two full years of college, I have learned that in order to make better grades it pays off to read your textbook because most of the time it provides a better understanding of the material. Another piece of advice that I would give myself would be to study ahead of time and not procrastinate. Procrastination may have worked in high school, but it is one of the worst things you can do in college. The last piece of advice I would give myself would be to be confident!

I would tell myself to start early, this doesn't mean you need to know exactly what you want to major in your freshman year of highschool, but as far as applying for schools and financial aid it makes college so much easier and stress-free. Same thing goes for highschool courses, take advantage of advance placement credits which are so helpful if your college accepts them. Also, keep your grades up in highschool and study for the SAT. I would also tell myself that it's important to know how to study effectively. But, to me the most important thing is to keep focused. Your freshman year you aren't thinking all the way to life after college and what you'll need to have done to complete college successfully. Temptation is certanity there to drink and not study but you need to know what's going to help you and what will hurt your career. If you stay focused all throughout your college career, you're going to love every minute of it and will be extremely satisified with what you've learned.

I would probably tell myself not to be so nervous, because after you get aquainted to the lifestyle it isn't the worst thing. You have to find a good balance between studying and enjoying your time. If you have too much fun, you'll find yourself with poor grades and a hard time recovering. If you study too much, you'll become burnt out from school and could end up with a breakdown of sorts.

If I could go back in time i would say to myself to be truthful and to always stick to my gut , put my best foot foward, and to work hard beacause your past can and will follow you( academically speaking). That the transiton is scary at first but like everything else, it is a new experience in life that you must go through in order to further youreslf if you choose to stay in school,it's a transition that is generally a positve one like life with a few bumps on the way but nothing you can't handle, you get to meet alot of new people in your future in college and the next 4 years will help you to better define who you are as a person and help you to become a positve person in your commumity if you allow that to happen. They always shay that these are going to be the best four years of your life, and it is truly what you make of if. keep your head up, your feet planted firmly on the ground and a positive outlook and work hard, the sky is the limit .

If I could give advice to myself as a senior in high school, it would have to be take hard classes. In my senior year I took simple class to get an easy A. In college I've realized that there is no such thing as an easy A. If I had practiced for college by taking difficult class in high school. I feel that I would have been more prepared for college life. Also I would have made sure to take more writing intensive class so that I could have developed better editing and writing techniques that I could appy to papers that I Would be typing up in college.