Frostburg State University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Brandon

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would say to myself: Dude, love yourself as much as you can! Don't worry about being different. Being an outsider is not a curse. It is, rather, a testiment to the fact that you are not afraid to define who you are and that you don't need anyone's approval to validate how awesome you are! Keep being you and loving you, and don't let yourself be swayed by anyone else's idea or definition of who or what you should be. It takes a lot of effort to make yourself fit into someone else's mold, and usually the reward isn't worth worrying so much about what people think about you. And when you get promoted beyond the walls of this school, you will find that you aren't as much of an outsider as you think! There are people who will get to know and like and love you for who you are, and you will build life-long friendships with many of them! Don't stress about the things you can't control!

Cameron

I was terrified of the thought of going to Frostburg, but I went along with my father forcing me to attend the school. I would tell myself to run away, and force my parents to help me attend a different school. I lost my level of physical fitness, my sleep schedule, and my chance to graduate on time and enjoy college. I was told by my parents that Frostburg would NOT be as a bad as I knew it would be, and that it would get better. They were wrong. I learned absolutely nothing from this school, and will never be able to remove the awful chapter of my life that was Frostburg. Apply to Sallisbury or go to community college if your grades are unsatisfactory.

Robert

I would tell myself to not have high expectations and to work on being flexible and open to new experiences. I would also tell myself to be ready to accept things as they happen. Study harder and get better grades to earn more money in scholarships, so you don't have to take on student loan debt. Also I would do moe research on the actual degree in the major I chose because things aren't always what they seem. Finally, I would reaffirm what my parents taught me, to look for the total value of a school, just because a school has a certain reputation and price tag doesn't mean that it is better or worse than others. The value you get from a school is directly related to what your effort is while you are there and how you take advantage of opportunities!

Kaitlyn

Continue working hard in school and take more AP classes because they are worth it! Especially take AP Statistics because you'll need it for your major. And I know that the capstone project seems scary but you can do it and it actually helps you decide what you want to do with your life. Finally keep in touch with all of the people you meet in high school because they will be some of your best friends in the future and the adults you meet will make for a great support system, write letters of recommendation, and even provide opportunities for internships and the like in the field in which you are interested in working.

Marissa

I would tell myself to work harder, not to procratinate on my work. Start early on applying to colleges and scholarships. Figure out my feild of study in advance and try to get more involved with the school join a club, group or maybe even a sport. Make lots of friends and be social and flexible

Obioku

If I could speak with my High School self, I tell the senior to be the best student I could possibly be. I would tell them to prepare for what it takes to become a Ph.D. graduate of my chosen field. To strive for the highest honor I could reach. That would have meant so much to me at that time. Not only would someone have thought that was within my ability to do but also something I should be trying to do. I wanted to learn and get the best job I could. Looking at it now, I feel like it is a wasted opportunity to get a Bachelor's and a job at 23 compared to being recognized as a Doctor or Doctoral candidate by 25. I would tel myself to be the best you can be at every level or your way to the top and not just focus on the end of the road.

Kayley

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself that everything I am going through will be worth it in the future. All the clubs, sports, volunteering, and working have made me into a person I am grateful to be. The struggles and hardships have made me strong, while all the good memories have made me humble. I would tell myself that I am proud of what I have accomplished in my life thus far, but that I would go on to do remarkable things I never knew I had the courage to do. There will be plenty more difficult times where I will want to give up and quit, but I will not quit. I will face those challenges with a smile on my face and a heart filled with determination. People will say that you can’t do things, and you will prove them wrong, and then they too will start to believe. The advice I would give myself would be to simply continue what I am doing, because everything happens for a reason and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tracie

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to follow your dreams and not listen to everyone because you have to live your life and nobody else can. I would also tell myself education is very important so take high school serious because college is not as hard as you might think it is. To succeed in college you must stay focus and be determine in addition if you don't try your guarantee to fail.

Catilin

The note I would leave my 9th grade self would say study hard -- GPA is everything. In high school, you always think that you have time to improve your GPA. But, once your GPA is down it takes forever to get it back up. Study hard throughout high school. This is the time to l earn good study habits. College is nothing like high school. You don't get various work assignments to get graded on like high school. In college, you only get a few assignments and tests to determine your grade for the class. You need to start concentrating on the big projects and tests in high school so you're ready for college. Take advantagae of all the help that is given to you. Some examples are tutoring, study sessions by professors, study groups, etc. College costs a lot of money. You can do anything you put your mind to. You will do fine....just try. The future me is counting on you...so is Mom.

Traia

I would tell myself not to give into peer pressure it is okay to be your own self. Find a group of friends that you can trust. Also, I would tell myself to do your best in school with grades and become activity in your campus community. Volunteering is a great way to gain experience. Don't procrasinate and become discipline and committed to your work.

Justin

If only I had known my senior year of high school what I know right now. Two years and much has changed. My education has expanded; I never would have thought I would possess such knowledge in the field of marketing. I would’ve given my former self three statements of advice: Study hard, take algebra 2, and to start developing a four year career path. First, I would tell myself to get used to studying. The key to passing college is studying. A lot of people don't do it and rather party on weekends. The more material you remember the better off you will be period! Second, I would have told myself to take algebra 2 my final year of high school. If I had taken algebra in high school then I would have passed my placement test. As a result, I would be saved the horror of taking a pre-algebra class. Third, I would’ve said you have to develop a four year career plan. Know what you want to do now and save yourself the despair of switching majors. Start researching your major and know how guaranteed you are to get a career with it.

Angelica

Yay, you just graduated! I know you're nervous about college, meeting new people, and tough classes but trust me you'll love it, I've been there. First of all, make new friends in college and get involved with the school events. The classes are only tough when your old friends want to party and you don't have those college friends that make school work easier. Don't be scared to break out of your comfort zone. It's better to learn early on that pushing your limits allows you to grow. In college you'll learn to get out of your comfort zone by meeting people that have the same interests or similar goals and getting together to learn not just understand. Lastly, if you want to keep up in class and have good grades you have to read and pay attention during lecture. If you read, lecture will be interesting and you can follow along. Don't forget to have fun! If you stick to this, remember to thank yourself.

Vincent

Vincent, everything that you thought that you knew going into college about life and college was right. You are prepared for the greatness that you are about to experience. You honestly rose to the occasion of every challenge that was thrown your way. I am proud of the work that you did on our campus. You helped every single person that you could and you bettered yourself. You got rid of biases and gained a well-rounded perspective that has helped you to quickly progress in the work-world so far. Making that transition was not as hard as you thought it would be. You were mentally-prepared and had a stronger support system than you thought. You worked on your overeating problem and stopped sucking your thumb too. You became a more confident person and made a ton of friends. You have some truly great memories on the way. I love you.

Kia

If I could go back in time, one thing I would tell myself would be to remain true to myself. In college it's all about finding the group with whom you have a connection with. Sometimes that can mean doing what others do and that's not always a good thing. You have to know what is right for you and and who you are. Once you figure that out don't stray away from it. This is definitely a good lesson to learn early.

Cheranjana

As a college student, the first advice I would give my high school self would be to work harder and raise me GPA, because my GPA only got up to a 3.00 after I was done applying for colleges, it was my last semester in high school. If I had a higher GPA I would have gotten into the school of my dreams and I would have received more scholarships to afford it. The second advice would be to do more extra curricular activities. My college applications would have looked so much better if I had more extra curriculars written down on them because only now that I realize that in reality college is all about the competition. The third advice to myself would be to take the AP Music Theory course, which would have helped me a lot more with my Music studies in college. If I passed the AP test I would have been able to get ahead my Freshman year of college. My last but not least advice would be to research more colleges to apply to where I would actually fit in interms of the social aspect and the surrounding of the university.

Trevor

Do not waste time partying in school, do ALL of your work when you are supposed to, and you will be fine.

Carl

The one advice I would need to give myself in High School is this: follow your heart. Of course as a High School student, I would brush that off as “cheesy” at best. But that statement was and is the sole reason for my happiness today. I left High School lost and lonely, and I attended art school for a semester until I realized that my passion lies within public speaking and competing in Speech & Debate. It took me a while to finally come to terms with this, but when I did, a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Following what you truly want to do, not what your family or friends want you to do is what makes college an amazing experience. It’s what makes life an amazing experience. It’s unfortunate that my High School self hadn’t realized what life was about to throw at me, but my advice will always be to overcome them with a smile on your face. Life is tough, and I don’t believe that “good things happen to good people” because they never do. It’s up to you to grasp opportunities and live your own life.

chrisann

Being someone who didn't like to study and liked to procrastinate,when I entered college,I had the mind set that it required less assignments and sometimes you even have to come to class but sadly I was mistake.My first semester,I had to drop a course because I was in danger of failing because I came to class so late,I could never catch up .The fact that we only had three tests in the class and that would be the only thing to count towards our grade made it even harder.Without knowing what I was doing in class,and waiting till the night before a test to review, I failed 2 of the 3 test. Fortunately enough ,it was the last day to drop classes and I discussed it with my professor and ended up dropping this class because I was failing with my attendance and my test scores..Even though it did not affect my GPA,it left a W on my record and a $125 textbook was not needed.In the end, I understimated college and the coursewrok I had to do.

Kierra

I would tell myself to fill out as many scholarships as possible. College is expensive and by receiving a lot of scholarships, you can save money on taking out loans.

Lauren

Should I have the opportunity to go back, I would tell myself that I "am enough". The worst critic I have come to encounter in my acting endeavors is myself. I constantly beat myself up about not having as good of a performance as I could have or not being "talented enough". Constant comparison is the easiest way of defeat for an actor. I am worth enough, strong enough, intelligent enough, bold enough, and talented enough to succeed should I put my mind to it. In high school I was so lost and confused about my abilities. Having a more mature and experienced version of myself say "You are enough" would motivate me to be greater than I ever thought possible. I believe in myself now and only wish that I had this confidence when I truly needed it. My growth as an actor has been gradual and the knowledge of my abilities are now grounded. Knowing that someday I'd be strong and bold enough to think I was "enough" would hae pushed me to excel more than I had at the time.

Andrea

The most crucial piece of advice I think I would ever give myself is to apply for scholarships! Senior year you keep hearing about all these opportunities but somehow you let them slip until the deadlines pass. There's a broader spectrum for high school graduate scholarships than there are for students that are already enrolled in college; seeing as they start becoming specific with your major and whatnot. I believe the laziness that prevents us from taking these opportunities is the fact that we have to write essays of all sorts. If I only knew how much money I would have saved with writing a 200 word little paragraph when I was 18. There are so many resources you can use to find them, especially in high school with the CAP advisor. With only entering a few words on Google you'll get hundreds of matches. There are even scholarships that are focused on little quirks like having red hair, or making a dress out of scotch tape that it is truly ridiculous not to take advantage of them. If i could go back in time I would definitely change this aspect of paying for college.

kiera

As you are preparing for college, understand that it is not a vacation. College is the clearest mirror to real life, reality. Pay attention in class to perceive not to temporarily obtain to receive a good grade. Create a discipline for yourself to study, prioritize and eliminate procrastination. Your grades gives you options and your options provides opportunities for success not struggles that create stories for just making it. College is full of diversity, fun, new opportunities. Think of all the connections, memories, and bonds you will build and location and the college itself affects all of that. Also, take a moment to really think if college/school is even for you. Yes, success is obtainable without college as long as you have a clear, determined plan with acheiveable goals. You do not want to go to college and waste money and time. Use this last year of highschool to find who you are, what path you want to travel and take off. Understand whatever path you take reality is going to hit you once you graduate from high school.

brett

Keep learning

Tayler

I have meet many different and diverse people. I have learned how to write college essays as well as how to study. The most valuable thing is the education I am getting to secure my furture in the work force. Higher education is important because he equips people witht the skills needed to be successful in the working world.

Whitney

What I have gotten out of college experience is the mind set that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I have seen college students making their fist million befor they have completed their degree. College is a life experience where you meet all different kinds of people and walks of life, and they inspire you. College is where I was inspire to do more to help the community and get involved in things around me. If due to the clubs that were offered and the genuine people at the college that really cared. They cared more about drinking and partying. We are not a position to make a huge difference. It valuable to attend college to get that sense of independence and find out who you are and what you want to do. College opens your mind to a world beyond what you have experience in High School.

Janine

I have attained a lot of skills from my college experience which has propelled me to the position that I am in today. If I had to do it all over again I would choose the same school. The school is truly tailored to the students needs.

Sherry

I am a nontraditional student of 39, I am married with two children, and work a part time job as a custodian for my church. Returning to school has been a great and wonderful experience for me. I have learned so many new things, I have most enjoyed learning how the human body works. I hope to be able to start the ASDN program next fall at my school which is Florida Gateway College. I have been working on my pre and co reqs before applying to the program and I have just three more classes before applying. I have gained a new respect for the professionals that I have worked with in the past. I worked as a pharmacy tech for 16 years before returning to school. School takes so much time and determination to complete. I believe and know the experience of returning to college has been valuable to me because I will be a better person when finished with college and will have a degree to call my own. I will be an asset to the community that I live in after I complete college and become a Registered Nurse helping people during their times of need.

Aaron

Work Hard play later/

Emma

One huge thing I've gotten out of attending a 2 year school is that there are no limitations are far as who should go to college. I see people in their 20's, 40's, even 60's attending class. I'll be transferring to a 4 year university in the winter, and I'm sure I'll be around a younger crowd at that point. But seeing all these adults coming back to school, and trying something new is inspiring. I used to be worried that I wouldn't enjoy my chosen career path, but now I see that if you don't like what you do, learn about something new! You're never too old to try something new, and I'm glad I learned that sooner rather than later.

karen

My first year of college had been a great experience for me. It had taught me how to be more responsible and how to achieve my goals. Being the first one in my family to ever attend college has already been accomplishment. I have taken advantage of what colleges have to offer and I have made the effort to always keep my grades up. I have learned to become independent and grow my character as an individual. I have learned to appreciate the privileges I have to be able to go to school and become a better person. I have struggled to pay for school, but I have still worked hard and sometimes two jobs to be able to attend and I never gave up. It has been very valuable for me to attend college because it?s and experience that is going to have great impacts my life forever.

Lauren

It was well worth it and I would do it all over again if I could. This is why I went back to school and I am currently in graduate school.

Emily

I wish I knew what I know now two years ago when I was deciding where to attend college. I thought that I would get the same college experience at my hometown college as I would if I went away to school. I wish i could tell myself that it is okay to go away, take a chance, and make a change in your life; you will be happier if you do. My friend and I thought living on campus would be lame, so we decided to get an off-campus apartment together. As a result of this, I hardly made any new friends at college. Also, I am no longer as close as I was with the friend that I lived with after living with her. Because of this experience I have learned that living with a best friend is often not a smart decision. I would also tell myself to definitely live on campus. I would have made new friends and my realtionship with my friend that I chose to live with would probably be stronger than it currently is.

Toni

Take as many AP classes as you can to get you prepared for the type of teaching you may encounter in your Freshman year. If you know what major you are going into take as many prep classes as you can to get ready for that major.

Cody

I would try to tell High school students to do their best because in school because there will always be someone who will try to be better then you and you may be with some of the better students in the country. That your grades (even though you don't believe it in high school) will reflect on what happens in your life further down the road. Your grades and your community involvement and accomplishments will help you later with scholarships and funding for college. Of course I will also tell them that they wont believe me until it happens to them....

Kassi

If i could go back to highschool and talk to myself i would tell my self to take the plunge. i would also tell myself to get out of the house and get information, not just go online, that you have to experience college life before you can live it and that it isnt so scary, thats really its just like highschool but you learn more and you experience more of a challenge. i would try to pump myself up about all the diversity and all of the different academic things you can join in on outside the classroom. if myself as a highschool senior still wasnt convinced i would tell myself again that just like everyone else says, that being a college graduate is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your career, because if you have a college degree you will make more money than if you go and get a job right out of highschool and i know money is a a big deal to highschool senior.

Victoria

I would tell myself that college really is not what people expect. You really do not have anybody there to tell you what to do. Also that your independance is put to the test. I would also tell myself that before graduating high school I need to make sure that I know a lot more. In college they expect you to know or have basic knowledge of subjects. College life may be easy and it may even look easy but it is not. Teachers really expect you to read the material before class and if you do not read, you will not know what the class is about. Also you must not miss more then three classes. Going to college is very important. With your college work you put more time in, and less time playing around. If you do play around and don't focus on your school work your grades get affected. Making the transition from high school to college is not very easy, it is hard. We need to go to college if we ever want to get a successfull and well paid job.

Kelsey

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to really get a good study routine going so that way in college, it will be a lot easier. I would also tell myself to work hard throughout the entire year to earn very good grades instead of average grades. One last thing I would tell myself is to really appreciate and respect your peers more, because in college it can be tough to get to know people and because there are so many diverse students, you have to sort of accept everyone and not judge. I really learned the value in friendship from coming to college because you meet a lot of unique individuals who I may have just looked the other way on in high school, and I regret that now.

Ryan

As a high school senior, I left very few options for my future. If I could go back in time, I would suggest to take harder courses, so I could push myself for what was to come. College has become very expensive, and with high schools around the country offering AP courses and colleges credit classes, I would tell myself to think more about taking those courses, and recieving college credits. After completing my first semester in college, I discovered quite quickly that money would be tight. The recession and the struggling economy has put a burden on people to find ways to save money. As a high school senior though, I didn't have a sense of money, even with my several jobs in the past. Not apply myself to school work was one thing, but if I could give my past-self advice, it would be to save more money, look into more scholarships, and try to help myself to be more sucessful in the future. Although I didn't make the best decisions in high school, I hope that my advice to my younger siblings will help them try to be more sucessful than I was.

Jordan

I would have told myself to save up as much money and applied for more scholarships because college can cost some serious money if you are not financially prepared because colleges throw fees at you all at once. Books are also one of the most important this because some books cost a lot and some don't but no matter what you will end up spending a lot on books because you need more than one book.

Sharon

Something I would tell myself as a high school senior is that it?s never too late to change. During my first semester of college, I had no motivation for academics. I partied all weekend and barely studied. Although I neglected my grades, I managed to pass with a decent GPA. I may have made it out alive but I still was continuing my careless habits. When mid-term warnings came out, I had three D?s and one C. Disgusted by my grades, I realized I was wasting a valuable opportunity and changed my approach to education. Instead of procrastinating to do coursework, I started scheduling my time and studied every day. And whenever I lost focus or saw friends going out, I would tell myself ?Is my future worth it,? and I continue working. By the end of the semester, I got an A in Freshman Composition, a B in College Algebra and Biology II and a C in Chemistry. I didn?t make the Dean?s List that semester but with the work ethic I developed, I now have a GPA of 3.335. Through these experiences I learned one thing: with great effort comes great reward.

Jessica

I think the advice I would give myself it to make sure that I would have a strong work ethic. Having a strong work ethic helps to complete homework in a timely manner and helps with study habits. This would better prepare me for the stresses that come along with classes and assignments and really help me balance my friends and my schoolwork.

Shelly

I would tell myself to develop a 5 year and 10 year plan that laid out all of the goals that I wanted to accomplish and also list the opportunities that are available to complete those goals. Finding an advisor to assist in my academic goals would be a top priority. Having someone that is there every step of the way to get you to your goals is a must-have for students that do not have support from family. Funding is available via scholarships and grants so I would choose to actively participate in those available so that I would not drown in debt later in life from student loans. Do whatever it takes to become the first college graduate of your family!

Andrew

If I could go back and talk to myself in high school, I would start of by saying work harder. I know that I got into college but that does not mean that I have to stop studying and working hard. I would tell myself to continue to study in the summer before. Also to save money, and apply for as many scholarships as you can. Don?t just have loans, do more to get money for school.

brian

The number one thing I would do is make myself live on campus.Getting the full "college experience" is something I want but have yet to reach. While living on campus i could much more easily take classes that I want at any time instead of having to pick classes all on the same day that are one after another because of commuting. I would get to socialize more with my fellow students, be able to join more school activities, and get a job near the campus instead of in my home-town.I would not feel like I am missing out on college because all I do there is attend classes.The second thing I would tell myself is that all this hard work will pay off in the end and to just enjoy the experience for the little time that it lasts.

Jonathan

If I was to go back in time as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college and the transition, there would be a couple of things I would tell myself. The first thing I would tell myself is to uphold your great time management skills because this will be an important key to making that college "transition." Just knowing or designating a time to study, eat, work out or even sleep will help seperate you from the others at your school. You can also use this skill and spread your knowledge with others so that they can have the same opportunities as you. Finally, my other thing that I would like to tell my self is to never give up and remain with a positive attitude at all times. Because in college there will be times where you do not get your way and it can easily pull you away from your main goals, However, if you keep that positive mindset you will always prosper.

tierra

IF I WERE TO GO BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL AND TALK TO MYSELF AND OTHERS AS SENIORS ABOUT COLLEGE I WOULD BRING TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COLLEGE. I WOULD PREPARE A SPEECH TO LET THE SENIORS KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE COLLEGE TO ITS FULL ADVANTAGE. BEING IN COLLEGE ONE GETS ALOT OF FREE TIME AND THEY WOULD WANNA USE THERE TIME WISELY. I WOULD TALK TO THE STUDENTS ON HOW THEY SHOULD BECOME INVOLVED ON CAMPUS BECOME SOCIALIZE AND HOW TO TALK TO THERE PROFESSORS. DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP EITHER BECAUSE IT HELPS THE PROFESSOR LEARN YOU AND YOUR WEAKNESSES. ALSO I WOULD REMIND THEM TO STUDY. GO TO THE LIBRARY AND USE IT FOR ALL THE FREE QUIET TIME AND STUDY TIME YOU NEED. IT WORKS. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS REALLY NEED TO HEAR THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT HELPS THEM GET PREPARED AND BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE IN SCHOOL

Celina

Relax. Teachers and the collegeboard makes it seem as if there is only one perfect school for you. While choosing a college is an important decision in the course of your life, it is not something to be completely stressed over. There is not ONLY one right school out there for you. Go with your gut and choose a school where you could see yourself being happy. Then, embrace that decision. You have the power to decide whether you made the right decision or not. Make a decision and you make it be the right decision. Don't forget that there is not perfect school. So relax. Enjoy senior year. Apply early, make a sound decision, and buy a T-shirt from the school's bookstore. Be the school's number one fan: you will be happier and you will make other people exctied to be attending your dream school.

Thomas

During my senior year at high school, I was lazy. I wasn't lazy in the classes that I was in, I was lazy in picking what classes to take. The only challenging classes I took my senior year were AP Physics and English 12. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to take more AP classes to better prepare myself for college. Throughout my four years of high school I took two AP classes. AP Calculus and AP Physics. I could have taken AP Chemistry and AP English my senior year, but chose not to because I wanted to take an easy for a year. Now that I am in college, I realize how much these classes would have helped me in my journey to become an Engineer. While not taking these classes did not ruin my chances of becoming succesful, they only slowed me down. So, if I had put the extra effort and taken these AP classes my senior year, I would be two classes ahead of where I am today.

K.

If I had a chance to go back, first I would tell myself to talk to current students that attend the prospective schools I wanted to attend. This way I could get a real opinion about the school instead of the representatives rehearsed speech. Secondly, I would warn myself about not declaring a major by the end of my freshman year. A lot people tell high school students that it is acceptable to go into a liberal arts college without having a clue what discipline they desire to study. But what they don't tell you is that you could be in college a lot longer than you intended to be (and spend a lot more money) if you do not steadily stay in one particular discipline. Then I would inform myself on how important social life is, so be very open minded when trying to get involved within the campus community. There are alot of different people from diverse backgrounds, and if you chose to stay around same type environment that you had in high school then your college experience will not be that good. This has even caused some students to not want to come back to school.

Victoria

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I now know about college life I would tell myself three main things. First, I would tell myself not to stress out too much. Filling out college applications and the other required forms can be time consuming and quite stressful, especially when faced with strict deadlines but as long as I pace myself and stay organized everything should work out fine. Secondly, I would tell myself to visit the university I am interested in while the college still has classes in secession. Most prospective students know to visit a college before making the big decision but it is also important to visit while classes are going on to get a more accurate feel for how you would fit in. Lastly, I would say to myself to take more classes senior year that will count as a college credit. Those classes are an accurate example of college level work and make the transition of high school work to college level work much easier.