George Mason University Top Questions

Growing up with dyslexia in Apartheid-torn South Africa, college was not an option. Instead, I pursued other goals, immigrating here in 1993 with the dream of becoming a skydiver on the US team. While many back home thought I was crazy, I lived in a trailer and worked hard on my dream. In 1999 I represented the USA at the World Skydiving Championships, winning gold, and am now a multiple world record holder. However, something was missing. I have always been passionate about this beautiful country, and recently I have felt the urge to give something back. Taking the decision to study fulltime was not easy, especially with a new son. But in some ways this made my decision more essential. Despite my worst misgivings, I have overcome my struggle with words and achieved a 4.0 GPA. More importantly, I have discovered a passion for learning I could never have expected. My courses in philosophy and economics inspired me to read books I would never have picked up; my studies in forestry and the environment have changed how I view the world. I plan to use my degree to advance these passions and protect the environment I love.

So far i have gotten a vast amount of life experience. I am currently enrolled within the ROTC program so it taught me alot of survival, land navigation, and drill and ceremony skills. Also since i am currently majoring in communications, for that class I have learned and enhanced my skills to speak in front of a large group of people. I also overcame my communication apprehention problem as i constantly prepared and practiced to improve my speech technique.

As an incoming freshman, I did not know what to expect in college. My experience thus far has been remarkable for several reasons. I utilize the knowledge ascertained in class and relay it to many aspects of my life. One example from my Interpersonal Communications class involves conflict resolution with several tactics, such as perception checking. From Biology, I now recognize the functions of my body. Nutritionally, I made a change to take better care of myself physically. In addition to improving my health, I have lost ten pounds. In my Critical Thinking and Literature class, I have come to further appreciate literature. Now, I can comprehend and analyze works that I otherwise would not have appreciated. Questioning these works has allowed me to inquire about and better my own life. This is not only a practical but a crucial skill for my future career as a high school English teacher. My time at college so far has given my invaluable tools in every area of my life and I am eager to expand my mind and grow in the next three years.

I previously worked for six years as an accountant and lost my position when the company decided to move to a different state. I do not have a college degree and found that I was not able to acquire a comparable position with another company without having a degree. My previous employer hired me as a clerk and quickly promoted me when I proved myself. Now I cannot even get anyone to consider me. Attending college now is a very valuable experience for me because it will enable me to be able to get a foot in the door for my dream career as an accountant. I need to college degree so that I can be seriously considered and prove my extreme value as an employee. College is also creating a wonderful opportunity for me to meet many new people I might not have otherwise known and learn interesting information I did not before consider important.

So far I have learned that life it too short to waste time that you can never get back. I graduated from high school 17 yrs ago and have spent all this time working for my family which tied me down and didn't pay enough to support me or my childrens so I feel like for the first time in my life I am asking myself what I want to do. What am I passionate about and what will make me happy? So I decided to get into social work. I cannot decribe how grateful I am to have to oportunity to go back to school and do things that are just for me. THe experience has been valuable because it is going to save my life and put me in a much better position to help my 11 yr old some when it comes time for him to be making the same decisions.

The best thing I believe I have gotten out of my college experience is the relationships I have built with my friends. Living together and having to take the same classes have really bonded us. Also the activities on and off campus we have done together like hiking, swing dancing, watching Disney movies, standing in line for hours to see the president of the United States, volunteering, or even doing chemistry homework have all had great moments, and I have walked away with great memories that I will remember forever with friends whom I hope last a life time. In addition, I have learned a great deal both in the classroom and out. Much of what I have learned in many of my classes are topics I will for sure be using in the future when I practice medicine. My volunteer work with a research group will help me in the future when I conduct my own research. Also going to information meetings, lectures and debates have really informed about what is happening in the community and the world and how I can help. Also I have a healthier lifestyle, for I eat better and excerise.

I have gained two things from my time at George Mason University: critical thinking skills and wonderful mentors. I used to get discouraged by problems; now I look at them as challenges, dissect them into manageable pieces and overcome them. Sometimes I do this on my own, but sometimes I contact my professors or call on the lessons they have given me. ?Wonderful? is not a strong enough word to describe the people of whom I am writing. They are patient, kind, amazingly learned and genuinely interested in their students. I thank them every chance I get, and each time I accomplish something, I am grateful for them and for the lessons they have given me.

Through my college experience, I discovered the necessary thoughts, attitudes and qualities of being successful. Initially, I was skeptical about applying to pharmacy school due to my ?uncompetitive? GPA; however, I applied. The first thing about being successful is believing that you are and will be successful despite any setbacks you may have. Next, I learned that you must focus and remain positive. To be focused, you must be knowledgeable, decisive and dedicated. You must know how to achieve your goal, the decisions to make in order to achieve it and the perseverance to carry out those decisions. After researching the requirements and procedures for pharmacy school, I enrolled in an admissions test-prep course, initiated contact with professors for recommendations and acquired a job as a pharmacy technician. It wasn't easy and required much strength, but it paid off when I received interview invitations, then finally an acceptance letter to my top-choice school. In addition to my acceptance into the Pharmacy School program at VCU, the above mentioned characteristics have enabled me to to achieve many goals in my everyday life. I am eager to continue on the path of success with each new challenge I encounter.

Before I came to college I was not a very well balanced person. Most of my free time I spent behind a computer and I did not socialize very much with my friends. When I came to school I continued my trend of living life behind an LCD until one day it occurred to me that I will only get one college experience and spending it as a recluse is not a smart move. I decided to start working out and to put myself out there a little more. I joined a fraternity and lost 50 lbs. In the year and a half I have attended GMU, I have created a healthier me; both physically and socially. Not only have I become a well balanced person, but I have learned to seize the day and make the most of the present. Besides an education and a degree, what more can someone ask from a college experience?

For me, the college experience has all been about one thing: finding out who I really am and where I want to go in my life. It is not just about learning the skills will take you through your career. So far, I have taken some basic classes, on a variety of topics, and some of them didn't seem very relevant. When your major is computer programming there is not a practical reason to learn about history or accounting. That is what I thought at first but then I realized that it is similar to what you first learn in elementary school. They are trying to prepare you for your life. At the college level though, it is about making you a more worldly, rounded-out, person and helping you find your place in society. It's about learning if you can take your life into your own hands and mold it into what you want it to be. College is just another step that you can take in your life where you learn how you will fit into the world and that I think everyone should at least try.

One of the most important things I have realized while attending college is that a person is as smart as their willingness to learn. In high school, much of the information that we needed to succeed was simply given to us or readily accessible. I found this to be very boring. Once I attended college, I received a new outlook on school. It became more of a challenge and therefore, more exciting. For once I felt that studying was not just for a teacher, but for me. While in high school I was afraid that studying in college would be too much for me to handle. It certainly is more work, but the biggest difference is that I have a new found motivation to learn. Learning means exploring new ideas and comparing them to what you already know; and sometimes being humble enough to admit that you were wrong. This methodology has been very useful not only for college but every area of my life; and of course learning is essential for humans. Like I said, I believe a person is as smart as their willingness to learn.

If my college experience has taught me anything it's to use my time wisely. As long as I can remember, I would procrastinate and put off important assignments until the last minute. When I got to college, I realized that wasn't going to cut it. Although it is possible to take certain courses over again, it's always a good idea to do your best to pass the class the first time, that way you can use your valuable time to take more important courses, instead of being stuck repeating a less valuable course.

I've learned to be more responisble, to learn how to manage my time, and realize who and who I should not hang out with. The whole college expierence has taught me to work hard for my grades, if I take my time on completing assignments and procrastinate; I end up with a lower grade. If I tend to my assignments with the day of the class, I have a better chance of understanding what I'm doing and have a better grade. I have learned that if I keep hanging out with my "friends" and not spending time to work on homework or any assignment, I tend to get drawn back into my old life style and not succeeding in my education. Being a junior in college has taught me to work hard to get to my career program.

I have learned about diversity, our school is one of the most diverse in the nation. I have met other cultures, different genders and different orientations. What I have learned is that as humans we are all different yet extremely similar. There are universal human qualities we can all relate to on a species level. I have learned that patience is one of the most important virtues and that with patience comes rewards of understanding and tolerance and even friendship.

As a senior in high school, I didn?t know which university to choose and what made each one different and above the rest. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself and other seniors that they should first look for the schools that contain the fields that they are interested in studying to narrow down their search. Although reputations and majors are important factors, sometimes they are not enough. Students should also look for schools where they would feel at home especially if they choose to live on campus. Joining on-campus organizations help as well with that first year transition. It would make their college experience more enjoyable and less frightening. Many organizations do a superb job in making new students feel at home and they serve as a second family. They should also invest in taking trips to visit the different campuses that they are interested in and talk to current students, for some know that that is the place they should be once they see it with their own two eyes. These actions have helped me select the university that I am currently attending and I have loved every single day so far.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior about making this transition, I would definitely tell myself to take it easy in my first semester. Don't get a job, don't take too many classes, don't take very difficult classes, and don't procrastinate on anything. I also had problems in my first semester with having trouble meeting people because I was afraid to leave the comfort of my dorm room. It's important to walk around campus and try to find people with similar interests very early on. I would also advise not to take great academic leaps between class types from high school to college (for instance, don't take honors classes when you never took anything like them in high school). The transition to college is more than just heavier workloads and harder classes. It involves utilizing skills that a high schooler is not completely accustomed to using, such as managing one's time completely and taking initiative with everything, without parental guidance. Because of this, I would advise not to make too big of a change from a previous lifestyle.

Work out your priorities in regards where you want to go. Is the price of going to college a priority for you? Or maybe location? Do you want access to a world-known faculty? How about a specialized university? Do you want to go to a diverse school? Do you prefer private or public schools? Maybe you want to go to a small or even a large college. Starting looking for scholarships as soon as possible. Identify your area of interest or major early if you can. This could help locate scholarships and grants targeting your field of interest. In addition, some majors, such as science or engineering, require students as early as their first semester in college to follow a set of predetermined schedule of classes. Keep in touch with your high school professors, counselors, administrators, and faculty as they will help provide you with recommendations to your desired schools. If even a university may not require it, you increase your chances of receiving admission. Be prepared to take care of yourself. You will need to know how to do laundry, cleaning, and cooking. Be prepared to be on your own physical and emotionally. Be prepared to be homesick.

As I began my first semester in college, I was happy about attending school; however, the 30 minute commute to and from school every day got tiring and boring after just a few weeks. The commute cut into my day and I wasted time driving instead of studying and doing homework. Though, commuting was my only option because tuition almost doubled if it included the room and board. If I could go back to my senior year in high school, I would tell myself how important it is to recieve straight A's. Also, I would have told myself to aim for the IB Diploma instead of IB Scholar. The IB Diploma would have looked better on college and scholarship applications and my GPA would have been higher. This would have ultimately helped me recieve more scholarship money and I would have been able to live on campus. Living on campus would lead to more time studying, and less time driving and I would have been able to settle into my new school and my new dorm with a smoother transition.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself during my senior year I would have a lot to say. I think that most high school studentst do not believe that college is a whole new ball game different from that of high school. The first thing I would let my self in on is that time management is a key part of success in college. If you use your time wisely in college and do not procrastinate you are that much closer to success. Those who let their time escape them usually have the most problems and the grades to reflect. I would also tell myself to get involved in on -campus activities because they are a great way to get to know new people and make great friends. Getting involved helps you to make the best out of your college years and end it with many friends from various walks of life.

If I could go back in time and talk to myslef my senior year of high school , there is so much I would tell myself. The most important advice I would give to myself, would be to start making the drastic changes I would need to make in college now so that the transition would be much easier. I would also stress to my younger, less handsome (but still handsome) self, how important it is to start saving money. Right now, I am surviving off of a meal plan and a case of water. I would tell myself to spend more of my last year home with my family instead of friends, because it is true that you start to lose touch with your old friends and make new ones in college. Your family will always be there though, and I should have known that I would miss them more than any friends I had back home.

I would go back and advise myself to be careful about putting too much on my plate. With practice, games, work, and classes, it can be a lot. Stressing does not help when classes wil not stop. Academically, I would remind myself that although I do not want to take science classes, it is a neccessity for my major.Doit now so later you won't have to. Socially, I would just advise myself to wath what I say to certain people and be careful who I would call friend. Beoutging but do not be stupid. Upperclassmen are there to help. Take their advice and use it wisely. Follow directions and FOCUS is the big thing. No matter what happens, remember tht you are a STUDENT-ATHLETE. Student comes before anything. You're not paying $12,000 a seesterfor tuition for nothing, That is the avice I would give myself as a senior.

I would tell myself that when you get down to school and start classes, to be smart and not overwhelm myself with all the newfound freedom. It is possible to be a good student and have a social life, in fact, both those things are very important to be successful. In order to really do well, you need to prioritize your life and organize accordingly. Professors are there to help you, and can be an invaluable resource when it comes to doing well. Lastly I would tell myself that I need to find scholarships to help pay for all the loans!

Well I would start off by saying that senior year is important and even though it seems like the college applications take forever to fill out just stick with it and it will all be worth it. And I would suggest that you get involved in a few different clubs and activities. Make friends because it makes the transition easier. Don't be so stressed out, just take a deep breath and relax. Make sure to read your text assignments, even though the teachers go over them, because when the midterm and finals come around you'll be glad you read when you were supposed to. Don't pack up your entire closet when you leave because you won't have the space in your dorm for all your clothes ( or shoes). Make sure you have plenty of ink for your printer and don't forget to bring an umbrella. Don't forget to call home every once in a while. An finally, remeber that your at college for more than just meeting new people and hanging out late at night. Your there to get an education and to prepare for your future, so study hard.

If I would be given the chance to go back to my senior year of highschool I would definitely make some changes before I went off to college. FIrst, I would tell myself to be as outgoing and avoid being shy during the first week because thats when students can get involved and meet lots of interesting people who are in the same transition as you. By getting involved I mean attending free events and possibly joining a sorority/fraternity. If greek life isn't you, there are tons of other clubs to join and become involved with on campus. The transition from highschool to college is a life changing experience and I believe incomming freshman have to make the best of the opportunity presented. Living on your own is a good thing, but one has to be responsible for themselves and mature into an adult because that is how you are treated in college. The sky is the limit.

If I could go back as a highschool senior with the knowledge of transitioning into college life now, I still would not tell myself anything. I agree it would have been great to know -definetly would have helped avoid silly mistakes. However, because of those mistakes and faults I made- I have become a better person. Our mistakes we make through life shape us to be who we are and sometimes those same mishaps teach us lessons that we remember throughout our lives. My mother once told me the beauty is in the struggle. I have learned through that struggle you will have shed some tears and laughed plenty but gained irreplaceable experiences. American writer and lecturer Dale Carnegie once said, "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. "

Dear Teen Angst Nia, When you pick your school dont pick it based on staying close to your boyfriend and to get away from parental control. You have the opportunity to go to Georgetown for free ans you should take it. Stop taking life to be one big joke and get serious. This really is the beginning of your life and you will regret it if you mess it up. If you fail classes you WILL feel bad becasue your parents are paying for you stimulate your brain and you will be wasting their money unfairly. Stop coasting by on your family connections and make a path for yourself that you truly want to follow. The career path you choose should enrich your life and I want you to wake up everyday until you die loving your life, which includes your profession to a large extent. Dont act stupid becasue you are afraid that brains intimidate people. Your friends should like you for who you are and most importantly YOU should love who you are. Stay true to yourself always and happiness will follow. Love, Future Nia P.S. Avoid taking ECON 101 you will bore yourself to death!

Don't stress so much, things aren't as stressful or crazy as you're imagining.

If i could go back to my senior, i would tell my self to do more research. College offers many programs and many majors. I would tell myself not to narrow my choices and be openminded. I would tell myself to research prospective schools and carefully compare them to fit my choice. I would also tell myself that social experience plays a big role in succeeding in college, not just because the school has a popular name. I would also tell myself to apply to more scholarships early, so you do not have to spend more time working instead of studying. I would tell myself to do early applications and have a safe school has the backup plan. I would tell myself to be thankful to have a chance to further my education in an amazing country like the United States.

As a senior in high school, I was rather reserved and I never exhausted too much effort into getting to know people. If I could give myself advice, I would tell myself to really take every moment, every conversation, and every day as a learning opportunity. High schoolers sometimes have this notion that the only world that exists is there's. Now that I am in college, I have noticed that there is such a stupendous amount of knowledge out there that I am unaware of. Valuable experiences are not just going to 'happen' if you choose to remian in your comfort zone and think you have a good handle over everything around you. Life is about moving forward and it's about people. College has taught me that and I wish I had been more open to new experiences while I was in high school. I would also tell myself that education is not just about being book smart. Sure, that is a big part of growing intellectually but there is a far greater experience component that is needed to supplement book smarts. Use high school as a means of understanding the world around you, not just your world.

There are several things I would like to warn myself of. I would tell myself to study more math and to get tutoring earlier. The transition for me was easy but I ended up hating the roommate I got so I would tell myself to really get to know people before I agreed to room with them.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, knowing what I know now about college life, I would tell them about quite a few things. The first is how to time manage in order to succeed. One advice is to read the chapter before coming to the lecture. It is very helpful to take some notes while reading, especially if it is content that you are unfamiliar with, therefore when the professor gives the lecture it will further your understanding of what you have read. The other advice is, get to know at least one of your professors. Talk to them during their office hours. Professors are just humans with big brains, but let that intimidate you from having a casual conversation with them. If you get to know them they can be very interesting individuals, but of course do not breach the line of professionalism.

As a high school senior, I was very nervous about going away, especially since I would be living away from my parents while trying to cope with the death of my 21-year old brother. I was also curious to see if I was going to make any friends in a place I had never been before. Now being a college student, I would say to myself in the past as a high school senior that there is a lot of support that you find through friends and professors. Also, at college, there are so many activities to keep your mind off of difficult hardships that you may be coping with. As for making friends, don't make friends with people who don't like your personality. Being at a large university, you are bound to make at least one friend that will like you for who you are. The worst thing that you can ever do is sit in your dorm for long periods of time. It is just depressing, and there is so much extra around the campus and off of it. Explore the great surroundings. Overall, take college as a time to discover yourself and the world .

I would definately listen to my parents about mananging time. Managing class time, study time, free time and personal time is really challenging when you don't have someone around to continually remind you of what you need to do. I would not have relied so much on my parents to keep my schedule for me. Just keeping up with doing laundry and making time to eat healthy was over bearing. Let alone finding time to exercise, study, and hang with friends. Being a student athlete also compounds the intensity of time management. Playing sports in high school was no where as difficult as playing sports in college.

Knowing what I know now about college life, I would tell my past senior high school self to get ready for some work! In high school I slacked hard and I tried to do that in college. Needless to say, I faced a huge wake up call. I had a nervous break down under the pressure, but I had actually created this pressure for myself. It took a lot of soul searching and talks with friends and family before I was confident I could succeed in college. I did eventually succeed and I am continuing to earn the grades that will help me get accepted to medical school. Knowing this, I would tell my past self that I need to develop a good study habit, I need to get ready to put in a lot of effort, but I should always be confident of my abilities.

I would tell my self, "Learn to study more. it will pay off. Oh, and please stop the procrastination, quit your dead end job already! There is no need for extra stress. College is so much fun, you will have already met your best friend during the first week of school. Lindsey, with the amount of sleep that you'll be getting, you will be able to do everything you wanted to; just tell time where to go, or else it will run away. Last but not least, don't worry, put it in God's hands, He'll take care of you."

I would definitely tell myself to take a lot of time really considering and weighing out options. College is a big deal, it is a home for the next four years of your life and it is vital to choose the best option for you because once settled transferring can be a huge nuisance. Prioritize what you want in the school, size, location, majors, etc? there are so many factors that are to be considered it is important to leave nothing out. I would recommend going far away because total immersion is the best way to really enjoy you. Staying close to home is hard because it is so easy to just visit your friends and family, this is an important time in your life for networking and beginning a new chapter. Staying familiar is detrimental to yourself because you will be suppressed by it. Once you get there meet as many people as you can and live truly live it up. They say it?ll be the best years of your life so make it worthwhile.

I would tell myself not to rush off to school right away. Take your time, and find the school and programs that are best for you. Make sure you are ready before you jump in. There is no shame in taking some time off before heading off to college. Make some money. Find yourself. Do whatever you need to do until you find what you've been looking for. Once you are ready, organization is key. Plan out everything, from meals to tests. The efforts you put into your education will determine the rewards you receive from it.

Though everyone wishes to know the future in advance I doubt that there is much I could say to better prepare myself. The IB program that I was in during high school prepared me academically for the rigors of college, while the support of my family and the various materials from George Mason prepared me as best I could be for the social and living changes. I doubt that I could prepare for the kind of changes that college brings and that sometimes there is nothing you could say only that the best way to face this kind of challenge is to jump in head first and do the best you can.

If I were to go back in time, the advice I would give myself would be don?t hold back. Don?t let family tell you that you can?t do something, when you know you can! Don?t let the newness of having all this freedom now get to you. Study more and stick with it. You will do great, and I am proud that you have gotten this far on your own. Finally keep it up and you will get where you want in life. Good Luck!

I didn?t have a completely horrible senior year, but I was pretty miserable anyway. I knew all year why I was miserable too: I didn?t really get to enjoy it. High school seniors expect to have some time to do things that give them closure, things that let them say goodbye to the way life used to be. As a high school senior, I forced myself to work through every urge to give myself time to adjust; this is why I had hoped to give myself a little bit of a break during my first semester of college, because I wanted to be able to get a grasp on my present and future. Instead of giving myself time to adjust, I unknowingly threw myself into two two-hundred level (advanced) science classes, each with their own lab, a calculus course and corresponding recitation, a women?s studies course, and a freshman adjustment course that had a seemingly-endless number of requirements attached. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to avoid this workload and plan a schedule with my real academic advisor.

If I were to return to my high school senior year, I would tell myself that time is by far the most valuable resource a person can have; it is exponentially more valuable than money. R?sum?s are summaries of what a person has done with their time, and jobs are offered based on that record. Any financial aid package is determined by how much a borrower can make use of that money and pay it back within a given time frame. It is not impossible to have fun while in college ? that is certainly allowed. But when a high school senior is applying to college, amusement should not be in the foreground of their though process. Every person is given a limited amount of time on earth and it is our responsibility to use our time for something greater than the present. Popular culture can send any message it wants about what a young person?s priorities should be, but it is up to the student to decide whether they want to invest their time in the fantasy of the media world or in the reality of their own future.

The first thing I would tell myself is to relax, skip class, and get some real lunch. I believe high schools are really pushing the notion of college to their students. Even in middle school, it was a huge ordeal. Unforunately, everyone just starts attending college, not knowing what to do or where to begin. Five years later, they still can't graduate. I would explain to my younger self that it doesn't really matter which college you attend, as long as you're going for yourself. You're going to learn the same things, it's the effort you put out that will wow your future employeers. The final, most important lesson I could teach myself would be to go to class!

It has been said many times that college is the best 4 years of your life: this is the truth. At first it is pretty tough getting into the swing of how eveything works but there are many opportunities that are open to you. The help that you will recieve from friends, family, and people you don't even know yet is bountiful. The most important thing that I'd tell myself if I had the chance to go back in time is to not be scared to meet new people or talk to someone you don't know. My biggest fear was not being accepted but that is what held me back. College is not only about learning about a specific field, its about making connections and meeting people who you will come to charish for the rest of your life. The cost to attend may be great, but what you learn and experience is greater!

"If I could go back in time" is a phrase used by most people at some point in their lives. For myself, I can recall saying that about my senior year of high school. I did not truly understand the importance of making good grades and doing well on my SATs, nor the consequences of skipping classes and not completing assignments. Thankfully, I was accepted to Longwood College. I honestly believed that I would get up early every morning, go to breakfast, go to class, and finishing my afternoon with lunch and studying. Unfortunately, I barely made it to my morning classes. I don't recall eating breakfast after the first week. My afternoon study time quickly became my nap time. Still, the worst part was how home sick I was. The advice that I would give myself is to really think about who I am. I never liked getting up early or eating breakfast before college. Knowing how close I was to my family, I should have chosen a college near my home. I believe, if you want to be successful, you need a plan that will enable you to be successful. Don't waste precious time.

Knowing what I know now about college life I would advice myself to find an internship based on the career I want to pursue and experience life outside of just school. I'd tell myself to better understand money management even with my current financial situation. I would also excercise the importance of reading books to further my knowledge on business related subjects like, finance, management, marketing, and accounting. With this I could understand the basics and what kind of effort or work goes into each subject. One important matter I would conclude with is how important it is to stay optimistic and never give up. As a student-athelete that is less fortunate then others playing golf is no easy task. I would consistently tell myself to overcome any obstacle that comes my way and not to let myself down mentally. To continue pushing and striving to be the best in both sports and academics even if the best only amounts to a small progress. In the end I would let myself know accomplishing goals and getting good grades is only worth as much effort as I put in.

My friend, you are in for a wonderful and scary experience. This is the time in your life when you discover who you are and explore the world that's laid out before you. Don't feel anxious about the unknown and do not worry about stepping into a bigger pond. This is going to be one of the greatest experiences of your life so make the best of it. Join clubs, attend after school seminars, go to a concert, sit-in on a lecture. Work hard and pursue the future that you want for yourself. You're going to do great and enjoy the journey along the way. If you need guidance, remember that this is when you show what you're made of.

Advice is only useful if it is likely to be listened to. Therefore I would tell myself to be friendly. It sounds so elementary but it is the truth. College is not like highschool. It is easy to become lonely. You have to make an effort into joining activities and making friends. By becoming more involved you develop a connection to the school and your fellow students. Getting lost amongst a large crowd isn't difficult. The idea is to be happy with who you are and where you are. Once that is achieved all other things will fall into place. College is about learning who you are and who you hope to become. It is hard to think positive about the future that lies ahead of you if you are not happy with your present.

Try to challenge yourself, and take the harder classes. The easy classes will get you good grades, but not much credit or preperation for college. Learn to study by yourself, and set yourself deadlines. In other words, don't wait till the night before it's due to start working on a class project. You will often discover it will take the entire semester to get the project done, and it if doesn't, you can get it done and out of the way! Once you get into the required classes for your major, it's ALL important stuff to learn. If you have problems with a class, talk with the teacher, explain what you are struggling with, ask for further help, or how to find extra help. Most teachers will want to help you through their class(es) since it doesn't look good for them if students are struggling, dropping out, or failing. You also need to learn to be your own best advocate-- no one knows you as well as you do! One last thing-- be friends with the janitorial/maintenence staff. They can be of great help if you accidentally leave something in a classroom.

Continue to follow your heart and God through all the trials they will make you strong and mold you to become someone that will look back on things that made the world a better place. Following you instincts to continue to make good and postive friends. When it comes to making choices that the family dosent aggree on...just do it because this is your life and with God on your heart and walk, things will be fine.

I would tell myself to calm down and don't worry about being perfect. Take only the classes you need to take and do not over do it. If you know you are going to take a particularly hard subject, lighten load of your courses. Mistakes happen and you may not always get the perfect grade. Always put 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} into studying and preparing for class. Never miss an opportunity to study. There is a lot of hype about going into college and the performance expected out of you, but the most important thing is to be yourself and achieve the goals you have. College is a great experience and you will make life long friends and meet interesting people so do not be afraid to open up and talk to others, they are in the exact same situation as you. Finally, you only get to go through college once (at this age) so make the most of it, make lasting friendships and relationships, and ultimately perform to your highest expectations and go away with your degree proudly.