Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Rose

The fact that it is not a very large city so unless you are part of the bar scene, there isn't much else to do

Madison

I wish that I had known that I would need to change my study habits when I came to this school. I assumed that the ways I had studied in high school would be just as successful in college and that was not the case. I would tell my past self to work on adapting quickly to the different way that college classes are taught and make sure to find a healthy balance amongst all the activities that I am involved in. I wish I had known that many changes would take place and they are necessary but also challenging.

Victoria

The classroom sizes are massive. Little to no hands on work. Also wish I would have known that I had a learning diability that could have been treated prior to the completion of my undergraduate career.

Bryan

Nothing, really. It's common sense.

Vanessa

I wish I had known that it is one of the most expensive public colleges in Texas. Also I wish i had known that it is an immense campus and student body with over 50,000 students currently enrolled.

Sahir

Traditions are very big at this school - not participating can leave you an outsider

Christopher

The most important thing you could possibly do at Texas A&M as a freshmen is to simply get involved. It's very hard to get out and meet people in a new enviornment, but it's so incredibly rewarding. Joining a freshmen organization or any university sponsered club is a fantastic way to meet people with similar interests, and make some of the best friends in your life. I wish someone had told me to participate in the first weeks open house activities so I could've gotten a head start.

Kayla

I wish I would have known just how rigorous the university was and how some professors really do not care to help.

McKenzie

Since I'm from a small town, I wish I had known more about what is really out there: the good things and the bad. It's hard to know what to avoid and what to accept based just on knowledge. Experience is something that really helps you gain knowledge, but it's hard to find in a sheltered environment.

Mckensey

I wish I had started out as a History major, rather than having to switch from International Studies.

Lara

I wish I had more financial aid information. Transfering from a junior college to a 4 year college was a hear financial jump.

Laura

I wish that I had known how to study before I came to Texas A&M. In high school, the classes were all relatively easy for me and I did not have to study for the tests to get an A. Even in my more challenging classes, studying consisted of briefly looking over my notes before the test. In coming to Texas A&M, I have had to learn how to study, because the classes are challenging.

derek

I wish I would have known how different it was really going to be from highschool. I wish I would have known how much harder the classes were going to be and how much more effort I needed to put into them in order to do well. In highschool it was easy to put a little effort nto the class and do very well, but in college it takes a lot of effort to do well in classes. I did not do great in my first semester because I struggled with the transition.

Pauline

I wish I had known how much tests were given, and how much of a fast pace they go at.

Megan

I would have liked to know the required items for each of my classes a lot earlier and be able to sign up for those classes earlier as well. The last minute signing up for these courses is incredibly frustrating.

Tasha

I wish that I would have better prepared myself for school at times. I enjoyed my classes but at times I did become overwhelmed with my husband being deployed and raising our young daughter and taking a fulltime load of classes.

Jesenia

“Get involved! Get involved!” surrounds fish camp, freshman tradition. You hear you’re on your own in college. Yes, that’s true but get involved and put yourself out there people will help you, get to know your professors even if it’s overwhelming to have 300 students in your class, your professor will never know you unless you make an effort to introduce yourself. College is about being on your own but there are people to guide you if ever needed, even at a big institution so get out there and ask for help because there’s help everywhere.

Katherine

I wish I had known better study skills. I spent a lot of time in the library over the course of the semester but not all of my grades reflect that. Time management is key to getting not only good grades but enough sleep and excersise to keep you healthy (and sane). All-nighters are never good. Coffee helps, but can only do so much. There really is no substitute for reading ahead, and getting homework done the night it is assigned instead of the evening its due.

Isamar

I wish I would have known how different your hometown can be to the university to where you attend. A&M is huge in comparison to the small town which is predominatly hispanic. I realized how important diversity is and how much fun it can be to learn about different cultures and meet new people. I also wished I would have known how much I still need to grow up. Being away from home made me mature a great deal. I had to learn to budget my time and my money.

Kara

That the sticker price is not what I was going to pay. People think they can't get into a college because they can't afford the total price that the college advertises- it's not true. There are so many scholarships and ways to save money that it opens up so many more posibilities and allows you to save your money for other things.

James

How much more time I needed to take out for studying and less time out being social.

Shernell

That a University is nothing like High School. It takes much more work to get your desired grade. You have to keep up with your class work on your own and keep on track with what your professor is teaching in class. Nothing comes easily, when it pertains to grades.

Josiah

College is far harder than high school. Study. Talk with professors. Get involved. See what's out there. Only then, can you really start to understand who you are.

Aila

I wish I had known that the mindset you are forced to have in high school does not prepare you at all for college. In fact, I wish I had never been in that mindset at all.

Lorenzo

I wish I would have known just how much walking I would have to do each day. I was not at all prepared to wear the right footwear in order to make it through the day without my feet feeling like they were going to fall off.

Kathryn

The only thing I regret about my college experience thus far has involved drug and alcohol use. I wish I would have known how easy it is at this University to live a wild lifestyle and have no one question it. Prospective students should know that drugs and alcohol are common at this school, and that getting mixed up in them has disastrous results. Thankfully, my GPA has transcended my freshman mistakes.

Jessica

I wished I would have known some of the school's traditions. I was admitted in the university in the spring semester so I wasn't able to go to any of their fish camps and learn about each tradition.

mary

I wish I had taken more time in looking into campus life. I lived off campus and regret never on campus. There are so many advantages to living in a dorm the first year, like learning the ropes of the campus. It is a large campus and I often had to carry a map with me the first year but the friends I had knew where everything was within a month. Also it saved them a lot of time because they did not have to find parking and walk across campus to get to class.

Stephenie

I wish I had known more about financial aid

Noah

Honestly, I enjoy everything about the school. If I were to say I wish I knew one thing about the school before I came here it would be that I knew what all my professors expected without having to go through the whole guessing process.

Matthew

There are lots of great resources at Texas A&M, and the school does a good job of informing incoming students of the resources available to them. Looking back, I wish I'd taken better advantage of these resources. I made several changes to my major, and never really found what I wanted to do in life until graduate school. If I'd known how difficult it would be to find the right field for me, I would have sought help from the career services offered on campus to help me find a purpose for being at this school.

Wadih

I wish I known how great A&M's traditions are. A&M is all based on their traditions and it makes you proud to be there and fulfilling those traditions. A&M gives you a new perception on life in itself. Going to this school isnt just a well spent education, but a grand experience.

Kelli

I wish I had known more about the extra-curricular activities on campus.

Miranda

In high school, I always did very well without having to study very much or at all. I just wish I learned how to properly study during my time in high school, because if I had, things would have been a lot easier on me now. Studying, and studying A LOT, is necessary for every class in college. However, I have managed quite well and now know how to study efficiently.

Lindsay

I wished I had been a little more prepared for the rigor of the study load to make a great GPR at college. I had to quickly learn how and when to study for classes. Once i learned how to study, then I was able to excel, but in the beginning of my freshman year, I did not and struggled quite a bit with my class load.

Adrian

I wish I would have known that the food is not the best and that it is not crucial to live in the dorms.

Andrea

I wish I known how big the school actually is and how willing the professors are to help you. Texas A&M is a school that is very spread out. It takes twenty minutes of walking sometimes to get from one class to another. Also, as a freshman, you're in class that has more than two hundred people, which makes it feel impersonal. However, if you go to you're professor's office hours, you don't feel like a number, you feel like a person, and they are willing to give you the help you need.

Sarah

Before my first semester at A&M, I, like almost all freshman had butterflies in my stomach about these next four years would pan out. Even after one semester here, I feel at more at home here than anywhere. I wish I had know just how friendly and truly unique the atmosphere at A&M is. Nobody should be nervous about meeting people or just asking how to get to class--there is an unspoken bond here, where somebody will give your their shirt off their back without a second thought.

Tia

Texas A&M University did an awesome job at informing me about everything I needed to know before I came to college. There isn't anything that I wish I had known before coming.

Olivia

Thankfully A&M has been a very friendly and helpful school; but I wish I would have known how to manage my time wisely, as well as how to study properly.

Miranda

I wish I had known how important extracurricular activities are at A&M; I would have gotten more involved.

Caitlin

Although I knew a great deal of information about this school before I attended, I wish I had known that I needed to get involved more. It is such a big campus with thousands of students, which makes it difficult to make close knit friends. Organizations help in creating good friendships and also help in making a student learn how to manage their time more appropriately and focus on their priorities.

Josh

There were a lot of unexpected things I wasn't sure about when I was coming to college. One thing I didn't expect was the amount of studying involved. I studied hard for my very first test and felt I was ready, but I was wrong. The transition can take you away like an ocean wave. I wish I would have known what to study, how to learn it and ways to manage my time to learning it all. Had I known what to expect, with my studies, during the first semester it would have been so much smoother.

Laura

I wish I had known that since people tend to move off campus after sophomore year, it takes more effort to keep up with friends who are living off campus. I also wish I had more information about the cultural events at the school.

Andrew

Before I came to Texas A&M I wish I would have known more about the Corps of Cadets. The Corps of Cadets is a military based organization that really enstills the spirit of the country and the school into the people in it as well as keeping above average grades.

Connor

How many people there were and the difficulties that can result trying to get from place to place and a little bit more about what I initailly wanted to major in.

Hilde

I honestly think I knew the things I needed to go to this school. Fish Camp helped prepare me with all the traditions and school spirit. It also helped me meet fellow students so when school started I had people I knew to do stuff with. The campus is big with a lot to offer and if you ever have questions people are more than willing to help. The only thing I would've liked to know more about was off campus housing options. However, I would've never met some of my closest friends if I lived elsewhere.

Laura

My college experience fostered my strong personal and professional relationships, and reinforced my passion for community involvement and service orientated habits. I was supplied with a strong foundation of confidence and pride in my tactical skills neccessary to develop my professional goals and growth. Ambition coupled with action and dertimination is key to reaching one's fullest potential and needs to developed and strengthed upon continuously. My experience at Texas A&M University and my personal influences have instilled a valuable drive and a work ethic of a life-long learner that has contributed to successfully exceeding my professional goals.

Kirsten

I wish I had known how welcoming the students and faculty were. Students shouldn't be afraid to approach anybody on campus. GET INVOLVED!! There are so many organizations to get involved with, so don't be afraid!

allison

how conservative it is.