Hofstra University Top Questions

Going back in time, I would advice myself to be more prepared and less nervous. College life is about getting in the conversation, jumping in the middle of arguments, and stating your mind. The most important thing of all is that I would tell myself not to be shy. At first going to college seemed scary and even intimidating. Yet once I was able to break out of my shell I had come to realize how much more effective my words are in and out of the classroom with a little practice. Being patient and taking the time to analyze and critique my own essays, I believe I would have performed better academically during my freshmen year. I believe all paths lead to the same road, and even if I was able to go back in time and advice myself about college, I would still end up where I am right now.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to allow myself time to transition. I would tell myself to learn to handle stress but also to enjoy and get something valuable out of this new experience and transition. I remember as a high school senior expecting the transition and stress that would come with college, and being nervous about it. Assuming i could visit myself back then, I'd tell myself that my expectations are correct, but that I would obviously need a little time to get used to it. In addition, I would tell myself that college would bring myself a booming social life.

Going back in time I would tell myself not to take any work lightly, to give my all. From that hard work comes so many great things and acknowledgements! I would tell myself not to be afraid to try out for the softball team. Overall I would tell myself to focus on the course to victory and go beyond.

I would of told myself that it sometimes isn't about the school you wanted to go to. It is about the school that will best fit your situation (financial, physical, etc.) The school you may want to go to may not offer that much financial aid and it isn't worth scrambling for ways to find to pay a huge amount of money to the school. Take advantage of the schools that offered you a good financial aid package. You will benefit from that more in the long run.

I would make sure that i studied harder and took class time more serious because in college, all of the resources around are being payed by the tuition. I have a new found appreciation education and learning after a semester of college. I would make sure that I made a time table so that I am giving every single class the right amount of time; everything is balanced. My GPA was better my first semester of college than throughout my four years of high school. The whole college experience so far has made me think of the importantance of high school because it lays out the foundation for college and life after high school.

College is not only meant to further advance your knowledge academically, but also to further advance your knowledge on life. The first two years are crucial, not only towards your degree, but also towards growing up and changing as a person. I would advice myself to enjoy the earlier years of college and to fully think out life plans/goals. College prepares you for life in the way to approach it in everyday instances. It is a good journey for self discovery and should not be taken lightly and at the same time not to be taken too stressfully. I woulf also advice a senior in high school not to be discouraged to apply to places you can never imagine yourself ending up. Distance should not be an option when applying to universities. Also, do not limit yourself to a major due to a fear of another.

I would probably tell myself not to worry and stress so much and that success will surely come as a result of hardwork.

Get your teeth and ambition bared, be prepared.

Learn to do things on time, if not early.

I would diffinetely pay more attention in maintaining my GPA. Having a high GPA is what colleges are about, especially for pre meds. I hate to say that most of the colleges makes students to be good test takers and fail to test their natural knowledge. What you put on a paper based on your knowldge of what you read or researched may not get you the score you want, instead you have to pay more attention into what your professor is looking for. So i would diffinetely try not to be independent but rather interact with everyone because that is how you get extra ideas from. If i was in High School, i would set a time schedule for everything. What i constantly heard about colleges in High school wasnt completely true. Colleges do not mean more freedom because there are more expectations of the education system to fulfill. I would also aim for my desired major as soon as i graduate from High school.The problem with selecting individuals major is that there is no one to guide. Going from Business to Law and then what major i really want to fulfill "Pre Med" wasted my two years.

If I could return to that time, I would stress to myself the need to be selfish. I would recommend looking at private universities. They offer smaller classes sizes and the feeling of belonging to a small community. The atmosphere is filled with pride and a silent kinship. The Professors remember the students and call them by name. I would also stress the importance of looking into activities on campus for the addition feeling of belonging.

I would say, "Bonnie, you will be discouraged at times because of certain teachers who you will encounter, but don't let them get you down. Continue on your path with becoming a teacher. It is what you are meant to do and you have a lot of support from your family and friends."

I would had told myself to not listen to the negativity of the college counselor in high school because they just discourage you. Research all options the year prior to entering college. Find colleges whose programs reflect your type of character, most beneficial to your desired career and has great extracurricular activities to be able to relieve the stress that school sometimes has on an individual.

The advice that I would give myself is to research each major before declaring one. Try to determine which major is most suitable to what you are trying to accomplish in life.

I would tell myself to really get my priorities straight when coming to college. Sometimes you have to miss out on social events so that you get your homework done. I would also tell myself that it is okay to be different. I am a dance major, and despite what people say about it being an easy major with less work, you know how much hard work it takes to do well. Never give up. Plan your time well and don't spend your savings all in the first semester.; manage your money well. You will want to feel independent; and having to ask for money all the time from your parents is not what will make you independent.

I would tell myself not to worry so much and to try and enjoy the process more. Making the college decision should be about where makes you feel comfortable and not what others will think of you based on your choice.

I would tell myself, don't go into a major just becuase you got money for it. You can always find money somehow. go into the major you want to and excell in it, don't waste your time doing something you don't want to do in seven years. Also, follow your heart, don't become friends with people who will bring you down. Explore your paths, don't stick to the clean path, take some risks and chances to find out what you really want to do in life. And please, please, take all your pills and vitamins so you don't get extremely sick your first year!

If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my high school senior self, I would say a good many things to that seventeen year old girl who thought she had it all figured out. Mainly, I would tell her that all along her parents and teachers were right, keeping those grades up is of the utmost importance. I would tell her to stop looking at that football player and put her head in the books. Money really doesn't grow on trees, and a scholarship would be the best way to pay for college. Loans add up, and being in debt before you've scored that dream job is not what you want. I would tell my high school senior self to take those SAT's one more time; sure a 1700 seems good for the first try, but why settle? Aim for more. Stop settling would be my main bit of advice. Stop settling for that B when you can get an A, stop saying "Hey that's good for not studying." Hit the books. Ultimately, I would tell myself "Dream big, aim high, work hard."

The best advice I could possibly give to students who are trying to find the right college for them, would be to visit all of their choices and see where they fit it. Go to the campus and talk to students. Walk around and take in the full experience of college life. This is a great opportunity to see if you will fit in and feel comfortable. Finding the right school for you is so important because this will be your learning and living environment for the next chapter of your life. Once you have found the right school be prepared for a wonderful and life changing experience. College is a new and exciting experience, so make the most of it. Don't let anything or anyone hold you back. To the parents of students trying to find the right college, it is very important to allow the student to find the right school for them.Although you may not be happy with their choice, remember in oder for them to succeed in college, they have to be happy with where they are.

When I was looking at schools, I didn't have that one school that I loved and wanted to get into. I actually used collegeboard.com to help search for schools that had a variety of different things--all of which I was interested in. My advice would be to keep an open mind in college searching. It was the college I thought that at-a-glance I said I wouldn't go to that I ended up falling in love with. In addition to an open mind, definitely put in a good effort to visit the colleges you've decided to apply to before making a decision. If you have a college that you're very interested in, I would say visit the college, apply early, set up an interview and really express your interest in attending. You may have been accepted anyway, but they may boost your scholarship because of you're continuing interest in the school. When you get to school, definitely participate in anything that sparks your interest. I didn't quite do that my first semester and I really wish I had. It would have made my time even better.

Parents and students looking for the right college need to keep in mind that the first year is all about adaptation, so comfort in your academic and social environment is important. At the same time, it pays to challenge yourself and try something new, so the final decision shouldn't be too comfortable.

I think finding the right college and making the most of the college experience comes down to the student finding the place where he/she can call home. The student needs to visit campuses with his/her parents and eventually they will come to a place where they just fall in love and compare every other school to. That is the place where he/she will be the happiest. I think it is also important to find a school that has a large number of options in terms of degrees, you never know if what you want to do is what you are going to love doing. Find a place where you can be happy, have fun, and get a good education.

Do your research and then do it again. Definitly visit the school and talk to the studens. They usually have the most honest and unfiltered awnswers.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHOOSE A SCHOOL THAT FEELS GOOD TO YOU, ACADEMICS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE SOMEWHERE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL AT HOME, AND NOT OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT.

When I started my college search, it was hard, especially without a major in mind, to decide what I wanted. But, I needed the college that would give me the ?real world? experience I craved. My advice to anybody college-bound is to think hard about where and how you want to live. Although the program you choose is important, you still live at your school! I can?t say how many of my friends and classmates have transferred, but I know what they had in common. They picked because of distance, their major, or a significant other. Now, I haven?t seen many cases where those reasons were enough for choosing a lifestyle. There?s nothing wrong with transferring ? life is trial-and-error. But what?s better than getting it right first try? There are colleges in that offer all kinds of experiences ? all you have to do is look! It's easy to forget, with big things like academics and financial aid to worry about, to think about the little things that are going to make up the life you will live for four years, and the experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

I would advise students to do extensive research about their colleges of choice because I know from experience it will make or break a decision. I would also suggest students to look into job/internship placing programs the school provides. Especially in such a competitive market these days it?s important for students to an edge especially coming out of college. I would also suggest doing research regarding the surrounding area of the school so the students can become acclimated before attending the college. As for parents, I would suggest providing as much support possible for your child. Even though as parents, you all have hopes and dreams for us to become very successful, but you have to remember your child is attending college to make of their own. It should not matter to the parent the child?s major or minor choice. The best help parents can provide is support and it really does go a long way.

When looking for the right college to go to, make sure that the surrounding area is to your liking. If you like the city, choose a city setting or right next to a city, if you like the country, go to a countryside school. Also, check to see the activities on campus and get involved! The more school spirit the more fun you will have. Finacially, look for schools that have a good finacial aid program and choose someplace that you know you can get a scholarship. Making most of your college experience involves a lot of accepting and adjusting. Accept that your roommate may not be your best friend and accept the differences in your life to be positive and effect your life in a good way. Get to know different people. There's a lot about culture that you can learn from just one person or a lot of people. Be open to change and knowledge. Go outside of your comfort circle because when you do, that's where life is.

Make sure to think long term and find the school that matched your personality. Do not select a school just because of the name- make sure it is the right fit for you.

I would tell them do visit all the campuses they can and also to visit them together so the parents can help the student find the right college for them but untimitley choosing the college they go to should be the students choice.

When finding the right college, I'd advise parents and students to each make a list of all of the attributes they desire their dream college to have. Then I'd tell them to exchange their lists and see what attributes could be compromised. Then I'd tell them to visit the colleges that fit their desires and discuss what they liked and disliked for each. Having a child go away to college is very hard on the parent and it is important to keep an open mind and be understanding. It's time for the student to find himself and figure out what he wants out of life. The college experience should include taking chances while being focused in school. The college process and experience will be more enriching once both the parent and child find common ground.

The best advice that I could give is that when choosing the college thatis right for you, make sure that you visit schools from all over and that when you're there ask as many questions as you can. Also, speak with both faculty and current students. Also, before visitng or choosing make a list of all the qualities that you would like to find in your ideal college. In order to make the most of your college experience, the best advice that I could give is to get involved. Even if you don't stay in the club or sport just go and try, you never know the people that you might meet or the fun that you might have. It is important to have fun and be involved socially, keep in mind tht you're here to learn-you won't be happy if your grades drop!

Overall, I think that students should research the school. Ask people who go there for their honest opinions about the goings-on at specific schools, and see if you think that this would be a place for you. Another thing is, like in my case, you may have to sacrafice a little debt in order to go where you want to go. That's ok. If you feel like where you are is worth the money, then go for it! Try to plan ahead as well. Have an idea of what it is you would like to study, that way you are taking the classes that you need right from the get-go, and you'll be able to take classes as well as become involved in the extra things going on around campus instead of doing a lot of unneccessary work. And when it comes down to it, HAVE FUN!

My advice to students about finding the right school is to make sure the school has a good career center, has a good reputation with the major you choose and diversity. Events and extracurricular activities are a plus as well. Events will allow you to meet more people and give you a chance to familiarize yourself with people who share your interests. Extracurricular activites are good because they help you become more involved on campus.

I would advise them to choose a college that relates to their personalities most. For example, if you enjoy being in a fast-paced environment, consider a city school. When you reevaluate yourself, it is easier to choose and to make the right choice in deciding your college. When you have decided the university that you will attend for the next four years, then you need to make the most of your college experience. But before that, you need to understand that in choosing the specific college of your choice, that you have made a commitment to yourself and to the university that you will use your utmost abilities to support and mold the uniqueness of your school. In short, be active. Understand that you need to have pride in your school. Find clubs that you feel interested in. And find your interests in trying new things and playing with new and different ideas. College is all about experiementation. Play with interesting ideas and find what you believe will have a great impact in your life and your community. Feel free to change the world. Change what you believe will help make your college life interesting.

I would tell them to take a tour of the entire campus and speak to individuals who attend the college who are not part of the tour to get some honest feedback about the university and the campus. Sometimes the people who are trying to get you to come to the school are not being one hundred percent honest, so asking others who have no gain in your coming to the school would help you to make a better decision.

To know what you want in a college. Before attending decide if what you want out of college. Social aspect know if you want a school with greek life or not and what there is to do that you enjoy. Make sure your major is provided at the school. And what people tell you about college don't always believe them, because you're experience can be very different than others.

Do not let money stand in the way of the college you want to go to. I may not like how expensive Hofstra is, but if I had settled for a cheaper school that did not offer the major or oppurtunity to live away from home, I would have regreted that.

Remember that this choice does not define you and you can always change your mind. Some aspects of a school might not fit, but as long as most aspects do, it could be a match for you.

apply and visit as many as possible

go to the university and feel it out

Before deciding on a University visit the school!

ADVICE? LOOK UNTIL YOU FIND THE RIGHT SCHOOL THAT FITS WHO YOU ARE. I ORIGINALLY WANTED A SCHOOL FOR MY ATHLETIC ABILITIES , FIGURING THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY I WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD COLLEGE AND POSSIBLY A WAY TO HAVE A CAREER IN SPORTS. . BUT FOUND OUT,AFTER MONTHS OF RESEACHING, THAT MY EDUCATION WAS MORE IMPORTANT. HAVING A LEARNING DISABILITY MADE MY LIST OF SCHOOLS SHORTER . . BUT BY ADMITTING TO MY DISABILITY I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THIS GREAT SCHOOL CALLED HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY.AND BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SUS - STUDENT OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES PROGRAM FINANCIALLY, IT WILL BE DEFFICULT FOR MY FAMILY BUT WITH GODS HELP WE'LL FIND A WAY. NOT KNOWING IF I'LL BE ATTENDING NEXT YEAR I AM TAKING MY PARENTS ADVICE TO EXPERIENCE COLLEGE LIFE TO THE FULLEST AT A SCHOOL THAT CARES ABOUT WHO I AM.

go out of state.

One of the most important things to take note of when looking at colleges is not necessarily facts and figures, but the general feeling you get when you visit each school. The absolute number one quality that a school should have is that you feel comfortable and at home. If you aren't comfortable in your learning environment, you won't learn, and all of the distinguished honors or good statistics in the world can't change that. Once you find a good school for you, its still up to you to make the most of your experience. Get involved, and do it sooner rather than later! It's the absolute best way to make friends and by making yourself busy doing things you genuinely enjoy, with people who share your interests will make your entire college experience richer and more fun!

Make sure you know what you want to do before you go to a exspensive college!

Make sure the college that you are looking at have a great program for your major. Doing research about the college will get you more prepared to make a better decision. Also look into financial aid and scholarship offers from the university and see if your will qualify for any of them. You should love the college that you are going to and be proud to be going there. Doing research and getting a lot if information will be the best way to know the college and also know what to expect when you go there. Make sure the college also offers activities and clubs that you are interested in so you can be apart of the universtiy.

The first thing you want to do is to write down what you want to get out of your college experience (good education, internship, club participation, friends etc). Visit schools and explore them. Ask questions if you're on a tour, try to meet falculty (open houses are the best), and talk to admissions couselors. Don't forget you are going to spending possibly four years at this university, and will be paying in some way to attend. Try the food, make sure you get a taste test. You will be eating over 300 meals in a year, so you want to make sure there is a variety of food choices available. To get the most out of your college experience, join something. Whether that be playing a sport, joining a club/organizaiton, or Greek life, just by joining one thing will help you meet others that share your interests. Do this in your very first semester; it helps with the transition and will really boost your college experience. If someone came up to me my senior year of high school and told me everything I were going to do in college, I would not believe them.

Get away from your comfort zone a little bit. College is the best time to try living somewhere that's a little different then where you are from. If you don't like it, you can always change to somewhere a bit more comfortable.

Make sure it is a place where you will fit in, if it is a place where you can go without your best friend from highschool, and make even closer friends, friends for the rest of your life.

Visit all the schools you are accepted to. You may find out that it is not what you expect when you come for a visit. Get involved early on in your freshmen year. It's the best way to make friends and feel like a part of the community.