West Virginia University Top Questions

The advice I would give myself would be to enjoy every minute with family, friends, and playing sports. Enjoy not having to study and still being able to make good grades. I also would push myself to learn study strategies that worked best for me because when I came to college I had to teach myself how to study considering I did not have to study much in high school. I also would encourage myself to focus a lot harder on the SAT's and ACT's because I did not qualify for the Promise Scholarship, which would have helped me financially. With the help of the promise scholarship and sti[pene of being a residient assistant I would be getting payed to go to college but instead I am now paying in loans.

One of the most life changing things I have had the oppurtunity to do thus far in my life was studying abroad in Japan for three semesters. Although expensive, I wish I would have had the chance to know about this oppurtunity at an earlier age and focused more of my time on preparing for it and a more international focused major. When I first entered college, I was sent to a advisor that was not of that much help that directed me towards general studies because of my uncertainty. I believe that if I had a chance to go back and talk with myself about my interests today, and what you can gain from life abroad, it would have made my earlier years in college less expensive, more productive, and much more rewarding.

Research more majors in detail to prepare myself with the knowledge to make the best choice for me. Concentrate on getting the best grades possible and work hard. I don't feel the high school preparse you for what lies ahead with college and the professors we have to deal with. Its a totally different world and it takes the first part of the semester just o figure out whats going on.

I would say make sure you really check out the school and the campus life before you go there. I never really visited WVU and when I went there I was totally blind-sighted. Im a handi cap student and I didn't know that I would be walking so much and heave to deal with so many hills/stairs. I wish I would have known what the campus was like before I actually went to it.

I decided to go to a smaller, out-of-state school, but ended up hating it there and transferred to my larger, in-state school. I wish I could go back and tell myself to choose the in-state school with the scholarships because it's not as scary as it seems. Now, I lost all my scholarships from going out of state and didn't even like it there.

Knowing what I know now about college life and the transitions, I would go back and tell myself, "DO NOT WORRY". I remember the last week before college was spent tossing and turning in bed, thinking the "what if's" of my freshman year. "What if I miss my parents?" "What if the schoolwork is too hard for me and I fail?" "What if I hate it?" Then there was the last one which I'm sure has ran through everyone's head. "What if I don't make any friends?" Also, many people worry about the transition a student makes between the high school coursework and college coursework. Even though I took a tremendous amount of honor and AP courses before college, there is no way to be sure that you are ready for college. I would of told myself that I did enough, and I would be fine even if I hadn't taken these courses. The real solution in college is just to stay focused on the work in front of you and make sure you have a balance between having a social life and an academic life. That will make your academic success more worth it.

Although choosing a college is very important, remember that you will have fun no matter where you go.

I would tell my younger self three things: focus your life, learn to use your time efficiently, and get your driver's license. First, I am a man of many hobbies and interests, but since attending college, I found my time much more limited. I spent much of my time working a little bit on each hobby that never came to fruition instead of putting all my effort into one. Looking back, I wish I dropped most of my hobbies in favor of the one I value the most: entertainment software development, which is the one related to the career I desire. Secondly, I wish I learned to use my time wisely. Things distract me easily, and I like to brainstorm during times I should be working on homework assigments. I would tell my younger self to kick this habit and save the brainstorming when appropritate. Finally, I wish I got my driver's license before attending college. I wasted time and money on public transportation and finding rides to school. It also makes my daily life more stressful. I believe if my younger self knew the importance of these things, I would be a more productive individual.

Take school a lot more serious even though it is just high school, and stop missing school unless you are actually ill. When it comes time to apply for college take your time and think about it. Don't just decide on going to the college that's the most popular, or the college that your boyfriend/girlfriend is going to. Consider things like financial aid/scholarships, crime rate, and make sure you take a tour of the campus to see if you like it and where you may be living. When you finally decide on the college you want to go to start thinking about a major. It's never too early for that! If you get a refund check when you get a financial aid try to limit your spending on needless items. Take out (loans) only what you actually need!

Don't take college for granted. Work and study hard in order to achieve you goals, both long and short term. Since college isn't cheap, look into scholarships. Take the time to do the community service hours or write those essays. In the end, what you put into it is what you'll get back. Friends won't come to you, you'll have to go out and find them. While all this may seem like a bunch of negativity, it is, in fact, the truth. Try not to spend all your time partying or chatting away on Facebook. Be yourself and find your way. Use your final year as a high school student wisely. Contrary to what most say, your Senior year shouldn't be a bunch of easy classes. Try and challenge yourself and prepare for the toughness of those college courses you will be required to take. Most of all, enjoy the rest of high school and try and relax and have some fun on your way through college!