University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Try everything you have ever had an interest in. If you have ever been curious about a sport or had a passion for a club get inolved in it. By being an active and involved studdent you are exploring things you may want to do for a career or make a hobby in college. I know i personally picked a large school because I loved the athletic events, school spirit, and variety of things i could get involoved with. The more you know about what you enjoy thefurther ahead you are from the rest. You can start talking to coaches or academic advisors about what options schools have regarding possible careers and you can more effectively pick a school you will be happy and succeed at. Stay active, get involved and empower your self to get ahead.

If i could give my highschool-self advice, I would say that school work is much more important than making friends or socializing. If you really want to succeed in college, it's important that your school work comes first. One thing I overlooked in college was the importance of completing homework, starting assignments early and GOING TO CLASS. It's very easy to think that you have the natural smarts to cruise through school, but from not giving my school work 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, I stifled both my GPA and my learning experience. Procrastination may be the easy way out and it's very appealing to just say "oh I'll do it later", but if you want to get a good education and get good grades, sitting in the dorm or library and getting work done early is the best way to get good grades and reduce stress. It's also very important to believe in yourself and KNOW that you can get an A on your exam or write that 20 page paper. As long as you do your best and get everything you can out of your education, you will succeed.

I would say get into college as soon as high school is over so you can get on the right track to the career you want.

I would tell myself to relax. I went into college feeling like I should have everything planned out and know my major at the start. I've realized that I have time to enjoy college and explore what my interests are away from home. I would tell myself that it takes time to become accustomed to college and that I won't know everything right away but that's ok because I don't need to.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself various kinds of advice. First I would talk to myself about giving myself plenty of time to do my work and not procrastinate on major or any assignments. In high school I was very concentrated on school work and graduating as high in the class as possible and if I could go back, I would tell myself to go out more while still completing all of my work to my fullest potential. Making the transition into college and moving away from family really makes an impact of school work and the degree in which you as a student completes it. I would explain to myself that the balance among the two is vital and stressing about things you can not controll is silly. Another thing that I would give myself some advice on was cooking. Although this doesn't seem like such a big deal, living in an apartment and not knowing how to cook a lot can be stressful. Learning to cook more of a variety is not only key in staying healthly but relieves that unneeded stress.

If I were to meet myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to take advantage of all the activities available at the University of Maryland - extracurriculars, clubs, organizations, volunteer activities, performing arts. Although there will be a lot of work to do for classes, I would tell myself to really go out and do some activities. University of Maryland is a fairly big college and has well over 30,000 students (undergraduates and graduates). Therefore, a sure-fire way to meet other people and make friends, other than socializing with those in your residence halls, is to go out and have fun. The University of Maryland offers a wide range of activities: standup comedy groups, volleyball clubs, bands and orchestras, service organizations, and MUCH more. It is easy to feel like an ant in a city when first coming to the University of Maryland, but the world becomes much smaller if you join these clubs and organizations and meet other college students from many different backgrounds.

I would tell myself to have an open mind and be ready for a change. Stay focused and try your best not to procrastinate because you can get behind easily if you dont stay on track. Be optimistic about your roommates, classmates, teachers, and any other authoritative figure, willing to accept change and people for their many differences. Getting involved will make your college experience that much better and you will also have the gain the opportunity to make some lifetime friendships.

I would tell myself to study harder in the beginning of each semester. In the beginning of each semester I am not in "school mode" yet. I am very excied to be back at school and to go out with my friends. I slack off in the beginning of the semester and than I have to stress out at the end of the semester to play catch up. My social life is important to me but I feel that if I performed better in the beginning of the semester than I couod better balance my social and academic life throughout the rest of the semester.

I would tell my high school self to better research the curriculum and major requirements amoung various schools. Additionally, I would tell myself to talk to someone that was in that major in whatever school I was looking at to understand how that choice has affected their college lifestyle, and whether it makes it harder to balance various activities.

I would tell myself that in order to fully live and enjoy the experience that I was about to embark upon, I would need to be more willing to open myself up to opportunities that I would normally shun away from. College is an opportunity to experience a 4-year burst of life that cannot be offered elsewhere, and if I enter it with a closed mind I prevent myself from discovering who I am. I would tell my senior self not to forget everything that created the foundation of the past 18 or so years, but to use the coming four years as a time to truly discover my independence and desires for life. As a senior, so many questions were racing through my mind and if I was offered with a chance to return and give some insight into the transition to college, I would conclude by stating that I should continue to ask questions, be curious, and never be deterred when I seem to have fallen off the path. Sometimes, we don't even recognize that we're on a path because we become overwhelmed with a fear of choosing the wrong one. Never lose hope.

Learn how to study. Just because it's easy to get an A in high school, strive for more. College is hard, and getting an A is difficult because studying is difficult to people that are not used to doing it. Also, focus on extracurriculars, they are very, very helpful in helping you manage to balance your time.

As a high school senior, I felt like I was on top of the world. I was eager to graduate and go on to bigger and better things- college! Despite my excitement, I was also stressed. Anxiety about applying to schools, getting in, costs, choosing the perfect school and whether I would make friends all weighed on my mind. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to relax. I have learned that things have a way of working themselves out. I would tell myself that even if you do not end up attending your top choice, there are other schools you can learn to love. Sometimes you have to sacrifice, particularly when it comes to finances, but you will not regret your decision. Once you get to school, you will meet many amazing people who will become your closest friends. All in all, college will be amazing. You will work harder than you have ever worked and you will have more fun than you have ever had. It will be great, so there is no need to stress. Just relax and enjoy the ride.

As a senior in high school, I had a preconceived notion of what college was like. If I had the opportunity to advise myself, I would ensure that I understand that succeeding in college comes with pure hard work. Thus, I would adequately prepare myself for the coursework by examining each syllabus before the first day of classes. Since each of my classes have had more than 200 students this semester, I would advise myself to habitually attend office hours, and to become better acquainted with my professors. In order to succeed, I would more frequently make use of the library, which conveniently lies steps away from my dorm. I would advise myself to more effectively make use of both my planner and my calendar, both of which can serve as handy tools to success. Regarding my dorm room, I would avoid bringing too many items, as limited space can become easily cluttered, possibly leading to bewilderment among roommates. Regarding extracurricular activities, there are countless student organizations that exist on campus. I would inform myself of the best organizations on campus, as getting involved is one of the best ways to gain an enriching college experience.

I would have told myself to apply for more scholarships and to apply to the university I am attending now. I would have told me not to be frighten from the requirements that the Universities place on their website and to try anyways. Also, I would have told myself to join more clubs and to save my money.

Remember that preconceived notion you had about what college life had in store for you? You know, the one that said living on your own would be a disaster and the stress you would accumulate from countless all nighters you would have to pull just to scrap a lousy GPA together just before you woke up to find you had a massive hangover the day of finals? Yeah, well that might have been a stretch. Even though you may find this a mundane clich? every authority figure has ever told you, college is honestly what you make of it. The freedom you are given once the parents shack you up in your ?spacious? dorm room is unlike anything you have or ever will experience. The liberty to decide what you do everyday is possibly the most powerful weapon in collegiate career. It will either make you an outstanding, prolific citizen or land you straight back into your parent's basement. All I can say is utilize this tool that has been bestowed upon you wisely, because it?s costing you an arm and a leg!

My advice to myself would be to not be afraid to explore options and opportunities that are presented to me. Many times throughout my freshman year in college, I passed up opportunities simply because it was "the unknown". I gravitated towards what was already familiar, based on my high-school and religious backgrounds, but I now realize that I missed out on many great opportunities because of that. The University of Maryland offers a wide variety of courses as well as extra curricular activities, and I should have taken advantage of what was offered. Instead of taking classes that focused on my major of Special Education, I should have taken additional elective courses outside that realm. Instead of joining extra curriculars that were similar to what I was involved in throughout high school, I should have experimented, explored, tried out new and exciting activities that I otherwise would not be able to do. As a freshman in college, there is no better time to move outside your box and explore what is being offered to you. It is important to take chances; you never know what you may discover about yourself along the way.

I would tell myself to join more extracurricular clubs, and to attempt leadership positions at the clubs. I would tell myself to take A.P. classes so that I would have more credits coming into college. I would tell myself to look at all the colleges I was interested in attending, rather than only visiting one. I would tell myself that I need to make time every day for relaxation. I would tell myself that not all weekends are fun ones, and that some require extensive work. Lastly, I would tell myself that college is as hard as I expected.

The advise that I would give myself is not to be afraid of change. Do not limit yourself because you are afraid to leave home or to leave your friends. Change is a good thing and is a method to build character. College will mature you and others around you. Change is inevitable. You will become a better person. You will discover who your true frieds were from high school and make new ones who will last a lifetime. So go out there and embrace change beacause without it you will never acheive your goals.

the most advice I should give myself is to organize, and study every day.

Thinking about my preparation for college reminds me of the fact that I should have applied for more scholarships. While I applied to maybe thirty scholarships, I do not think that was enough seeing that I only won a total of four. I would advise myself to think of as many company names as possible in order to better my scholarship search. As I complete these next four years of school, I will have to find ways to finance my education whereas I could have possibly found more financial aid in the past. Knowing that it takes mroe than my mother's income and a few scholarships to fund my education, I would have looked harded for scholarship money. Seeing that the past is the past and this advise cannot change things now, it will be able to help me in the future. This is a lesson learned that can help me when trying to fund my graduate school education.

Before entering college I would have liked to known how time management is such a valuable skill to have. In order to succeed and show a student?s true potential students must know that being a procrastinator and getting distracted by the numerous of social events on campus can hinder their goals. Also, I would have rather gone to community college first, because at my school they weren?t very helpful in helping me determine a major. I feel like I wasted a year and a half and on top of that money that can never be recovered. When I chose my school I liked how big it was but when I got there I disliked the big lecture halls. I definitely wasn?t prepared for neither that nor how far one thing was from another. For instance when wanting tutoring help, the locations of them were far from each other as well as how far classes were from one another.

That you are the only person you can depend on for school. Save money because your parents may not be able to pay for you as intended. Getting your education is the most important thing you can do. Getting good grades is simple if you study early, and put effort into your work. Don't be afraid to communicate to professors and don't take problems lying down. Don't give up. Find a way. Don't try so hard to please people. Just be yourself and the rest will fall into place around you. Don't watch so much TV and spend less time with friends at the bar, despite how much they may plead for your time and company.

Apply to more schools and visit more schools.

If given a chance to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would advise myself to take high school seriously, have a good attendance record, and to learn to teach myself. In high school most students don't take high school seriously because they fail to understand that high school education is the fundamental pillar of higher education. I, like most students, thought that high school education will never be needed again. However, classes in the university build upon the fundamental concepts learned in high school. In addition, missing school is not a good idea because being punctual is a very important characteristic that a good student must possess. Being punctual is the key to success and one way to learn to meet deadlines and to hand in assignments on time because late assignments are not accepted. Furthermore, it is very important for one to take responsibility for their own learning and not to depend on the instructor to teach everything. Due to the limited time in lectures and the vast topics that must be covered in class, professors only have time to go through the main topics and not the details.

As a college student with the knowledge base I have acquired from my college experience, I would tell myself make sure where you go is where you really want to go because if you are paying a lot of money for it at least it will be worth it. Also make sure that when you go there you are really happy. It is better to go to a school that is not well-known but a school which offers a lot of scholarships and financial aid and a school that is way cheaper in price than to have a tuition that you can barely pay for a popular school. I would also say put your all in your school work because, the courses are rigorous especially for the life sciences. In addition I would make sure to tell myself that as a science major, it is better to start light on the courses to adjust myself better to the system.

Take life seriously. If you are fortunate enough to go to college, this should not be taken for granted. This is an opportunity to plan for your future. Think of college as having the entire world in one spot. College provides you with comprehensive resources that you will never have so accesible ever again in your life. This is your chance to experiment with who you are and what really matters to you. Explore different avenues. Take time to think. Take time to read. Take time to volunteer. Be social. Meet as many people as possible because you don't know what you could learn from people. Most importantly do the things that tap into your emotions... do whatever gets your juices flowing. When you are able to take classes, or participate in things that truly interest you to the point where you can feel it in your gut, you will begin to realize what you'd like to do with the rest of your life. If you are able to figure this out, you will be able to live your life the absolute fullest, and give back to society by making the best use of yourself. Life is short.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to be so naive about funding for college, given that I had assumed academic excellence was enough to ensure your spot in college. As a high school student, I was pushed to perform well academically, engage in social, community, and leadership opportunities, and take the time to apply to many colleges. However, I did not have much insight into how costly college would be, despite how well you performed in school. I was under the impression that academic excellence and extra-cirricular activities automatically got you into college, but upon realizing I would not receive academic or need- based assistance, I realized how complex attending college would actually be. Therefore, I would have told myself to research all financial aid opportunities and apply for more scholarships at my school, and talk to the financial aid advisors at my prospective colleges to gain information on opportunities or plans available for me. I would tell myself that despite what is on your college resume, how your admission interviews go, or if you even got in, money is a whole other issue.

I wouldn't have doen anything differently. I've done my best to meet new people (and I've succeeded), and balance my social life well with my academics. However, if I could tell one thing to the high school senior "me," I would say that I don't need to stress about things so much. I'm not perfect, but as long as I try my best, and put my greatest effort into my school work, I can always have fun later.

You know what you want out of college, so don't let anyone's opinion change your mind about where you want to go to school or what you want to major in. Set your goals high, because you will be able to achieve them if you work hard and have faith in yourself. College will be a lot better than high school, because professors enjoy what they teach and challenge you in the classroom. You will have a lot more responsibility, but you know how to balance all aspects of your life and won't have the same problems as students who are easily influenced by the attitudes of their peers. Don't buy into the stereotypical college student persona - there are people who are like that, but you don't have to be one of them if you don't want to be. Go into college with an open mind and the will to succeed and you can achieve anything. College is only four years - make those four years the best that they can be. Remember: Make plans for success, not excuses for failure.

Young, you submitted all your college applications. As you wait for decisions, think about your academic experience up to now. High school was easy going, with teachers and parents that gently nudged you in the direction you wanted to go, and friends whom you easily related to and enjoyed spending time with. Although your choices of colleges were determined mostly by financial concerns, you still have high hopes for your college education and future. College will be very similar to high school, and yet it will be very different. Your education in high school prepared you for college, and yet your performance determined what college you will enter. Similarly, your college education will prepare you for your career, but your performance will determine what company, or graduate school, you will enter. However, you will engage many more people, people different from you in many ways. Your academic career is important, but you will also need to develop social skills. The world is bigger than your hometown or your highschool, and you will have to interact with, tolerate, and be understanding of new people, be it your professors or one of the many thousands of students you will meet on campus.

If I could give myself any advice when I was a high school senior, I would make sure that I got to know some my future classmates before the semester started. Using great social sites such as Facebook and UMD's Terpnet, which is a social networking site made just for UMD prospective freshmen, would have helped me get to know some people and make some new friends, especially at a time when college life is still unfamiliar to us. Also, I would remind myself to stay focused on my schoolwork. Plently of students start to slack off in their final year in high school, but this ultimately can ruin your work ethic once you get to college. College work is difficult and fast-paced, and having slacked off for a year puts students at an academic disadvantage at the beginning of the semester. The final and most important piece of advice I would give myself is to keep in mind that college is just a stepping stone in my journey to the future. There are many aspects of college life that compliment this journey, like begin involved, and I should embrace such aspects if I want to be successful.

Don't procrasinate.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to go on campus visits to see if I really wanted to attend the college. It's really important to adapt to the University and to like the campus because you will most likely be there for the next 4 years. I would also make sure to research the financial aid packages and see if they come through to help you. Some schools give out high financial aid numbers when they do not really provide that much aid.

Looking back, I would tell myself to get more involved in community service and on-campus extracurricular activities, as early on as possible. College is not just about studying. I would tell myself that while college is about obtaining your education through coursework, part of the college education experience is learning by doing. Being actively involved in campus activities gives the opportunity to learn about one's self, one's goals, one's future possibilities, while also learning about the college social system and building relationships. I would also tell myself to take advantage of being able to speak with professors and advisors during their office hours. Office hours are not just there for you to speak about assignments and exams. Professors and advisors are there so that you can learn more about the field of study, in addition to passing on wise words about how to move through college, and how to achieve future goals.

Grades and school involvement is the most important thing you should do. Grades not only give you an advantage in getting into a college, but it provides you with scholarships. Especially, scholarships that you don't even have to apply for. But, I would have to say, as a scholarship hunter, if you don?t have at least a 3.5, the chances of winner a scholarship is none. Tuition does cost a lot of money. School involvement is the second most important thing. Involvement means networking, and networking means connections. This will help with future jobs and you can easily get help in choosing classes with better professors and even getting help with the classwork.

Spend more time with your English skill in writing.

I would tell my younger self to try to acquire as much wisdom about the ways of the world as possible.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to stay focus freshman year. If you start off well, everything down the line will be easier. I would also tell myself not to let advisors tell me what I should or shouldn?t do just because they think I can?t handle the course load or that the two major are too different. If you have two fields or interest that you are passionate about you should set your mind to it to achieve a degree in both fields. It doesn?t matter what they are, because your eagerness to know more will make the process that much easier. Never let people guide your path for you, let your heart and mind lead the way. Achieve whatever you think is achievable, even if others say you can?t. Have fun, meet new people and express yourself. Don?t hold your heart so tightly because college is a time to really find yourself, and you might miss out on a lot of great things. Lastly, don?t eat so much because the freshman fifth-teen is real and it will take you forever to get the weight off.

Don't stress. I know that this can be a difficult process and it can become stressful; due to classes filling up, not knowing what classes you want to take or what major you want to pursue, or if you are going to enjoy the mandatory classes required by schools. Don't worry. Colleges' offer a variety of classes due to the possibility of classes filling up. Even if you can't get into one, you have other options to choose from. You might be worried that you will hate the other classes you have to choose in the place of a filled up class, in most cases you will. But keep in mind, with classes you "hate", there will be classes you will love. These might help you to establish a back-up major if the major you orginally chose doesn't feel right to you anymore. Trust me when I say that you never know what you might like. Once again, don't be biased in your choices, I personally know that sometimes classes that are unappealing on the outside might have a hidden area that you find interesting. Also, remember its not as stressful as it seems.

Dear High-School-Senior-Rachel, When you go to community college, declare Elementary Education as your major from the very beginning, but make English your emphasis, and make sure you take ENG 216 during the summer semester of 2007, because you don't wanna miss meeting the love of your life. Oh, and don't forget to study abroad, preferably in Canada at St. Stephen's University, where you will meet your best friend who will help you get through a lot. And tell you're parents that you're gay now. Talk to them about it; trust me, it will save a lot of pain and heartache for everyone. Other than that, keep loving God, loving others, and making the best out of what life brings! Peace, Love and Happiness, College-Junior-Rachel

Getting to the point where I?m in college now hasn?t been easy. When I was in high school I really didn?t care about school at all, or have a plan for my future. And by the end of my senior year when I received all my college applications back, I didn?t get into any of the schools I applied to. This really was my wakeup call that sparked my motivation for my education. My transition from high school to college was rough. I had to developed better working habits and strong determination for my education, since I had none is high school. Which made my transition pretty rough, and I believe that transition is how I got to the point I?m today, A University of Maryland student. If I could go back in time and talk to the high school senior version of myself, I would just stay ?keep your head high?. The lessons I have learned over the past two years have been fundamental to everything that I have become. And without that wakeup call I had senior year, I don?t think I would have aspired to the student I have become today.

I would of told myself to learn time management, keep the grades up, take more college-level courses so that you can save money and time in the future. Also, being more involved with college visititations.

Dear High School Senior, Stop. Take a deep breath. And RELAX! Congratulations, you did it! You got through the last eighteen or so years of craziness, living with your parents, and silly high school drama. College is going to be one of the most amazing and challenging times of your life. My advice to you, is to enjoy every second of it. Work hard and play hard. Find that balance. Find something you are passionate about, do something to change the world, join some clubs, make some friends, and open your mind to all of the unique and exciting opportunities that you are going to be presented with in the next four years! You have learned so much already in high school, and no matter how nervous you may be, you are ready! Have faith in yourself and go out there and really do some soul searching and find out who you really are. Remember to always be true to yourself, as long as you are, you can't go wrong. I promise, be all you can be, and do all you can do, and you will be happy with where you end up! Good Luck! Sincerely, Your College Self

If I could go back in time, I would advise myself to have more of a realistic expectation for college. Many students go to college expecting to get a 4.0 because they did well in high school. However, this is not a realistic expectation because college courses are different from high school. Getting a 4.0 may be possible but it is much harder in college. The way things are done in college are different and assignments are graded harder. You have to work hard to get a 4.0 let alone a 3.0 so stressing yourself out does not help. Keeping an open mind when coming to college will be a key in becoming successful. There are statistics that show that students become depressed and get mental disorders from the pressures of college. Having an open mind and managing one's stress is important advice for an incoming freshman and I would

Looking bakc at myself in high school causes me to feel displeased. Many thing that was done can be re-do and change know what I know now. Studying a little bit harder would of raised my grade just high enough to get a better future. Choosing a college is equivalent to choosing your own future, if I received a better grade then I will be going to a better college. Further more, I should have started acting tours my future in high school, rather than waiting to start in college. In high school I taken time for granted; now that I'm in college, not a moment do I not wish for more time outside of classes. Even if all the circumstances discribed were ture then there would just be more desire for other things, this is life and in life we always wish we could have done better in the past.

Be firm with your ideas and principles. Get a calendar to keep better track of your time. Even though chemistry is initially easy, do not be fooled, it gets more difficult.

Knowing what I know now about college, there is a lot of advice I'd give to myself. First, I would tell myself to study more consistently instead of right before exams. I would also tell myself to stop procrastinating and become more efficient with time management. It is important to have time management to keep up with classes. I would tell myself to read more as well. A lot of what we learn come straight out of the textbook and reading it before classes makes it a lot easier to learn and understand what is being taught in class. Next, I'd tell myself to get used to being around strangers and getting to know them. This college is very big and it is certain that during the first couple weeks of class, you would have met several new people. It is important to interact with people during these first few weeks because they can become good friends in the future. Having friends makes it easier to study and you have someone to hang out with when you have free time. I could give myself a lot more advice if it were possible to travel back in time.

In high school, i was being guided by my parents decision. Athough, for instance it was my responsibility to complete my home work or other school assignment, my parent made sure i did them. Compared to college life, the decisions rest on me. I am responsible for my own actions. All decisions have to be done by me whether they are major or minor ones. I have to use my time wisely as in study wise in order to keep my grades up.

The first thing I would tell myself is congratulations because I chose the perfect University for me. Then I would give myself some advice that would have made my first semester go by a bit more smoothly. First, do not procrastinate any more. It worked in high school, but not at a college level. Also, along with doing your work in a timely manner, remember to study, study, study. Each week at least twenty-two hours should be set aside to study and review for classes. This would be in addition to time spent on homework. Second, do not pick early classes. It might seem like a good idea, and it is sometimes necessary, but if at all possible avoid them. When you are not fully awake you will not be able to retain all the information you are presented. Finally, take care of yourself. Living in a dorm you are constantly around new germs and getting sick can put you behind. Overall college life is everything I could have wanted, but the main lesson would be one of personal responsibility. Relax and enjoy moving forward in life.

Take the AP classes seriously. Cultivate the habit of good time management. There is never a situation where you over prepare for college.