University of Maryland-University College Top Questions

Encourage myself to continue to endure the hardships that I have faced. Tell myself to avoid sex because it will lead to pregnancy which intern will alter my future life, and increase the hardships that I will have to deal with first providing for the child and myself. Also I will tell myself that school must be the first priority in life for any young person that including myself. Going back to school and/or college after giving birth to a child/children is not an option at all. You can not juggle being a mother let alone single parent; being a student; an employee; care-taker etc. without performing any of the tasks poorly. So I will caution myself to first wait and stay in school until I get the degree at least Bachelors before thinking about men.

If I could go back in time to my high school years, I would tell myself to prepare for the future. When I was in high school, I took it for granted and didn't think about my future. I lived in the now, and told myself that I will deal with college when the time comes. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take college level classes. I would take as many advanced placement and college level classes so I could get most of them out of the way. It would of made my transition to college much sooner and I would probably have received a lot more scholarships to ease the burden of the cost of college.

I would tell myself that there is nothing to be afraid of and that everything has its ways of working themselves out. Finances are not an excuse, there are so many programs out there and scholarship opportunities, all you have to do is take the time to research them and apply. There is also nothing wrong with starting out at a community college, it costs less and you meet so many people from so many different backgrounds. College may be a lot of work but the expierence you gain, the people you meet, and the education you recieve are well worth it in the end. You can balance having fun with making sure to get you work done and take care of your responsibilities, but know what you get out of your education is all about what you are willing to put into it. There is more to your education than just passing a class, it's all about what you learn from it and the information you take with you and use in the future.

There are so many things I would like to have known then that I know now. My senior year was pretty productive since I only went to high school half a day and took college courses in the morning. I wish I would have warned myself that being a high school student in Community College courses, the teachers took it a little easier on me. I would have liked to know that leanancy is definitely not in the vocabulary of a state college professor. Timelines are more strict and a due date is really a due date. I would have loved to just prepare myself for a more strict time schedule and maybe purchase a few extra organizers and schedulers before coming to school. I would also let myself know that effort really does matter and spending that extra study night hitting the books makes all the difference come test time. Studying the night before doesn't cut it in college, and funny thing is, the stuff I learned in high school classes is the stuff they refer to in college classes. I wish I would have known to actually pay a bit more attention.

I faced many self inflicted challenges as a college student, so the most important advice I would instill in myself would be to never give up. It sounds cliche, but these three words could have changed my life. It took 12 years to obtain my bachelor's because I gave up. After completing my associate's degree in two years, I transferred to UMUC to begin working toward my bachelor's degree. Upon transferring I became pregnant, and since UMUC is a college designed for working adults this should not have been a problem. Unfortunately, I never made enough time for my studies. As a result I withdrew from classes, failed classes, was put on academic probation and eventually was discharged. After years of feeling like a failure I decided to go back to school. I had to write numerous letters begging for reinstatement, and thankfully, was eventually allowed to return. That was almost four years ago. Since then I have completed my degree and am now in my third semester of graduate studies. Even though my educational career is now on track, I am still paying back student loans for classes I never completed; all because I gave up.

As a high school senior, I would look at my grades and be sure that I was doing my absolute best in high school and also would apply for grants, scholarships and financial aid every year in a timely fashion and talk to my high school counselor about fields of study and look at what majors offer the best choice of career opportunity for me!

Knowing what I know now about college, I would tell my high school self to really get yourself together. There is no such thing as being overly prepared for college. The most difficult part of college is being able to become a well rounded person, and it isn't something that teachers teach in high school, but is knowledge gained at home. Being able to manage a job, volunteering, completing clinicals for a class, and school work all together is frustrating and it will seem like the world is crashing on you. While the world is crashing on you, try to find things in school or outside of school that makes you feel better about yourself. I find challenges to be very difficult but can also make you feel accomplished. Overcoming a challenge gives you such a great feeling that you have never felt, but remember that it just means that there is an even greater challenge to face. Overall, get yourself together, and know what you want to do. Don't let the harshness of college make you forget why you went in the first place, but make something better out of it.

There is not much I would change about my life because I believe everything happens for a reason, but I would change the amount of attention I gave to my teachers in high school. I have wasted much time and money taking courses in college that I should have learnt in high school if I had paid attention. I am ashamed to say that at many times in my higher education I was taking courses that should have been refresher classes, but to me they were first time knowledge because I was too busy in high school goofing off to learn when the education was free. I would definitely smack my high school self to pay attention to the valuable knowledge. I must say I love learning now!

Looking back, I would advise my younger self to take more AP courses and focus more on my academics. I did not get poor grades, but I do regret not applying to more scholarship opportunities before graduating. Also, I would strongly encourage myself to participate in even more extra curricular activities, both for the boost on college applications and for the experience one attains by being a part of their community.

You can do it! There is a lot of help available at the schools and you do not need to start by looking for help at home. It is so worthwhile to do this and invest in yourself. It is much different from high school. You can choose your classes and direction. You can follow your interests. It's a lot of fun and can teach you so much more about yourself. There is a lot more out there than you realize and you are going to want every second you have to be able to explore it all. There is so much more than the small frame of reference you have experienced. You can do whatever you choose. Great or small, let it be your choice, not the decision of your circumstance. Go for it!

To remain focus and take my high school eduaction more seriously. To be prepared for the college life you have to have disciplined and be committed. That getting good grades are important and imperative to being accepted into a good university. I would tell myself to learn how to make mature decisions and to keep the lines of communication open with your teachers and counselors. I would tell myself to apply for financial aid early so that I know how to prepare for financial obligations.

If I could go back in time and speak to myself as high school senior about to embark on college life, I would say the following: "Congratulations on making it to a new, exciting world! Be open-minded to the diversity of thoughts, ideas, and people that you are about to experience but never forget your personal values. It is imperative that you challenge the positions and opinions of others because it teaches you to think critically and builds character. Develop a strong support system around family and loved ones to encourage you when times become financially and mentally exhausting; to motivate you when you feel like quitting. When you are reading and studying, focus on understanding the material and concepts, rather than merely completing the assignments. True learning comes from applying your knowledge to real-life situations; therefore, take advantage of all opportunities you have to demonstrate your skills. No man or woman is an island. There will be times when you will need help; don't be too proud to ask for it. Likewise, encourage your peers and help them in areas that you are proficient. Finally and most importantly, enjoy the unique college experience your college experience!"

I have learned so much after graduating high school as a working mother/student. IIf I could go back in time I would tell myself, college is possible. I grew up in a family where high school was the max and most of my family members felt like just accomplishing a Diploma was success. I always felt their was more to life than that. I went through high school ignoring the idea of college because it seemed of no importance to those around me. Life meant working hard. Secretly I researched schools I would love to attend searching for my path in life. That's when the financial aspect of attending college added up did not seem possible to do at only 17. I started working in Banking and other entry level jobs, getting passed over for positions I felt I was more than capable of achieving. I knew college was the fix. I began to budget my finances to pay out of pocket for school. Now, being familiar with how colleges work, I have more resources such as Financial Aid, Grants, job reimbursement... I would have started my job sooner if only I knew, college was possible for me.

I would tell myself college life isnt any different than highschool, the only difference is there are more people in your class and you have to see them everyday because you live on campus, whereas to highschool you see them Monday-Friday from morning to afternoon then you go home.

Firstly, take school more seriously. I would say to keep all the notes I ever wrote down and rewrite them neatly and place them in a file for future reference. Label the sections of all my notes according to their subjects. These notes will aid me in the same problems, theories, formulas, essay questions, and stories in college. Secondly, to continue your studies earnestly, which ever subject you find interesting, at the library, especially the one in Downtown LA. They have resources and knowledge that don’t need “teacher” teaching. Above all, do what you want to do and practice it everyday, until you’re a professional. Whether it be in sports, theatre, computers, subjects majors, engineering, what ever it is do it, as long as it makes you happy. Lastly, the transition from high school to college is a huge emotional shakedown. But it’s going to be alright to feel scare, or worried; because that means you’re growing as a person. Taking a risk is how we learn and if we dedicate all our focus and sweat into education, then we know as a person, we can do anything.

I would tell myself to focus less on having a job and work harder to apply for more scholarships so that I could've attempted an on-campus University experience. If this didn't work out, I would still be pleased with myself because I have been able to save up some money and am returning to school to earn my MBA through UMD in College Park. This will cost a lot, however, at least I do not have a lot of money in loans thanks to UMUC's affordability. I still feel successful and will strive to work harder to become even more successful in life.

Concentrate on your studies no matter how many friends you have. Some of your friends will go on to be authors, nurses, and lawyers, but some of them will pass on. Think about what you would really like to do, not what people think that you should do. Don't waste time because time will not wait for no one. Take your SAT test and score high on it. I know it's hard raising a child during your high school years, but fight. Don't give up. You can do it. If you take general courses as soon as you get out of school you will be glad that you did because some people get lazy if they don't go to college right away. Always ask questions and never assume.

If I was able to go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell her that college was important and to work to acheive this goal. To conintue the learning at that point would have made it much simpler to achieve a degree. Being an adult now has made it harder to learn new things. It takes time to learn things and as an adult you have many more committments. Even though I worked and made decent money as a teen, now family and bills add up and without that degree I am stuck at a lower paying job. I would put all the informaion about paycheck and start deducting things such as rent, groceries, utilities, insurance and other expenses. Yes while living at home it seemed money was easily earned, but it is also easily spent as well. I would hope that the numbers alone would help to convince my high school self how important a degree truly is and that yes some debt will be accumulated, in the end the reward is much greater. The hard work will make it worth while in the long run.

Work fast, not hard. No goal is too hard to accomplish in college and in the real world. Take a look at what you are doing and if you find yourself scaling backward, think about what you accomplished to get to where you are. Making the transition into college can be a scary and overwhelming feeling, but at the same time just know that your life can become changed at that very moment instantly. Put the "i can't and i won't" in the back of your mind and come out with "I did and I will". Focus hard and make the best out of your college life.

I would tell myself myself you were meant to be a cyber- security major not a business major, or a art major or a nursing major. Don't take any breaks, stick it out no matter how hard it gets because once you take a break you will lose focus of the goal. I think that I would have taken more opportunities and tried to accept as many scholarships and grants as possible because paying for school out of pocket and looking for alternative ways to pay is difficult. But the most important thing I would say is never give up and always follow your dreams no matter how dark the tunnel is there is a light at the end.

Stop procrastonating! Look for scholarships and be informed. Know that in college people will not help you out individually as they might have in elementy school. I know this is a short entry but I think it sums up what I would do differently well.

If I could only go back,,I would smack myself hard and say “Terri, you are fool not to go to college” I would tell myself not to give up, that I would be the first one I my whole family to ever really make something of themselves. I think about this every day..

Making the transition to college can be difficult. However, being open-minded and taking every new opportunity that presents itself will make for a great college experience. Community colleges and universities offer very different experiences, but each has a lot to offer. Don't be afraid to take chances. If you have a passion for something, look into that passion and ask yourself what you can do with it in your life and career. There is something for everyone. If you don't find satisfaction the first time around, try again and don't give up on your education. If there is a club or organization that interests you...join! Being involved and staying social will keep you motivated in life. Make new friends and embrace this time in your life because it goes so fast! Lastly, have no regrets; everything happens for a reason. Use life experiences, good or bad, to become a better person. Even when you think you've gotten where you want to be, life will take a new turn, and you'll continue to grow as a person each day.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would try to convince myself to go to a community college first and receive my associate’s degree then attend a four year university to obtain my bachelors. But looking back, there was no one in my family who had ever gone to college so what did we know. I didn’t really understand what I was doing and did not have any roll models to show me the ropes. My mother is a single parent with seven children; my son was the first in the family to receive his bachelor’s degree and I was the second. I have recently been accepted in the master’s program at UMUC and I will be the first in my family to have an advanced degree. Going back to school in your fifties isn’t an easy task; you have to deal with doing homework, reading all hours of the night and not to mention you have to deal with your daily routine in your office. Such a daunting task but I was able to

To take and get a degree that will hold up and a bad economy and not to take forever getting it

I would tell myself not to get married as young as I did. I would allow myself to stay on campus and not move so far away from my family and become isolated. It would have made school a lot easier.

Advice I would give myself would be no matter what obstacles may come your way you I have to focus because GPA and grades are important. Take advantage of college activites, internships, and programs. Network as much as possible it will definitely benefit you when graduation and summer comes around and you need employment. Volunteer and give back be an active participant on campus it heightens the college experience. Don't let everything stress you out sometimes things get hard but at the end of the day everything will be okay. Remember what your ultimate goal is when you feel like giving up or slacking off, it works as great motivation to keep you going. Set goals for yourself in college getting there is just part of it. Apply for all the scholarships and grants you can because school is very expensive and financial aid sometimes is not enough. Lightening financial costs helps everyone especially if you can't really afford go. Finally enjoy yourself college is a very stressful and challenging but its one of the most memorable experiences you will ever have!

I don’t believe I can say this enough. Do not procrastinate! I've learned that waiting until the last minute to do school work is the worst way to get it done. Procrastinating takes away from the quality of the work you turn in. College is a lot different than high school. There aren’t parents/teachers hounding you to make sure you get your work done on time or ensuring you have opportunities to make up work that should’ve been turned in on time in the first place. Extra credit is hard to come by as well. No matter the reason for the procrastination, if you are going to take college seriously then you must remain on top of your school work. I learned that the hard way during my first semester returning back to college. It was very stressful and almost made me want to reconsider my decision. Once I realized the problem was with me, not the school work, I changed my entire outlook on school and felt more determined than ever to get my degree. Going to college was a transition for me and the most valuable thing I learned was “DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!”

If I could talk to my 18 year old self, I would tell myself that in spite of the fact that I felt I wasn't ready for college I should have taken the prospect more seriously. Instead of attending college and starting my life on the right track I went straight to being a parent right out of high school, and while I love my family more than life itself, I find myself looking back now and wishing I had gone to college. I would tell myself not to be in a rush to grow up, but to take the time to enjoy youth, and enjoy college life. The older you get and the more responsibilities you have, the harder going to school and focusing 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} on it is.

If I could go back in time would tell myself to not be nervous or unsure about college. You do not have to decide what you want to be right now or what career you want to ultimately do. Look at this as an adventure and an opportunity to learn new things and discover who you really are. Each class that you take gets you closer to a degree but it also gets you closer to learning who you are and what you like and don’t like. You will be surprised to find the person who you are as freshman is very different from whom you will become.

If I was able to go back in time to give college advice to my high school self, I would start off by telling myself to buy all of my books from sites like eBay and Amazon.com. I would then let myself know that college was going to be a lot harder than I had expected because I would have a child by the end of my first year. While this news would be shocking, I would reassure my high school self that even though it would be hard, I could do it. I would then make sure to let my high school self know that while school is important, I needed to always put my daughter first because being a mother should always come before being a student.

The first thing I would tell myself is make sure you pay attention in math! I did not pay to much attention in math and I had to waste time and money taking developmental math classes to meet the prerequisites for degree requirements. Next, I would tell myself to make sure you proofread your work when you are finished. That was the biggest thing for me in high school. Most times I would l just type out whatever homework or term paper I had due and just hand it without looking over it again. Not proofreading my work caused me to have lower grades in a lot of my research papers. Proofreading my work would have saved me from making silly spelling mistakes and other grammatical errors. If I were to go back to high school those would be the things I would tell myself.

I would tell myself first, take more notes for finals because you are going to need it. Second, I would tell myself to keep trak of your money. Make a system to budget your money well and dont blow it all on unecessary things. Buying the new video game may seem important at the moment but it will be better to save your money for when you really need it and splurdge later as a reward to yourself for working hard.

I would tell myself to enjoy college and not stress out. Now that I'm in college (and have been for almost 4 years), I've sacrificed a lot of fun times with my friends and family because of all of the stresses in my life. It's almost impossible for me to relax for more than a few hours; I'm always worrying about something. I'd tell my high school senior self to be happy and enjoy the time I've been given because you never know how long you'll be living to really enjoy the things in life. If I knew that before I started college, I would be such a different and better person than I am today. I wouldn't stress out as easily as I do, I would take time out for myself to have fun, and I would feel like I could breathe again. It would be an overwhelmingly amazing feeling.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would say the following: -don't be afraid to say no -take more time for yourself -get yourself out there more if you can -do not settle, there will be something better, worth waiting for -life is an adventure, take advantage of it -do not give up on school, it can create a great future -don't under-estimate the value of family -don't forget to smile

In High school, I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to go. Now twelve years later, I am not anywhere near the ideas I had as a teen. I dropped out of college the first time for lack of funds, joined the military and serviced my country for four years. I have gone to war, I met my husband; I have been to twenty four different countries and forty of the fifty states. I would never have seen nor done any of these things if I didn’t drop out of college. My life is not in the direction I thought I would ever go. I wanted to be a nurse and nothing else, now I have my degree in Human Resource Management and I am enrolled into my Masters degree for International relations. This is a complete switch from my goals, but I am happy my life didn't go in the path I planned. I think who I was and what I did has made me into the person I am today and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would not give any advice nor even speak to my younger self.

I would tell myself that I needed to do exactly what I was doing, just maybe not procrastinate not as much. I knew that I was involved in so many extra curriculars that I just didnt have time for anything else. I literally had no social life. I would be telling myself that a social life is somewhat important because it teaches you to not keep to yourself in college as I have been doing. It teaches you to be more outgoing. I would tell myself that all those extra honors classes payed off and whenever I asked for help from a teacher, that was the right thing to do. I am very happy to where I am right now in college, so I would tell myself "I am very proud of you!"

I would let myself know, that college is not as stressful as college when it comes to the classes, but paying for it has to be the most stressful part of my life. Apply for financial Aid and, scholarships.

All-tho I have NO prior college studies would tell my self as a HS student to not to give up on my education in HS when things in family life get too hard. I'd tell myself to stay and get a 4 year diploma not a GED. I'd explain to myself that all-tho I did get a GED it took me 9 years to take the next step in reaching dreams of a college degree. I'd tell myself that college is advanced learning, I need the high school education to back me. We need the skills that will be learned in HS to make college as smooth as can be. More advanced from high school studies, I will have better understanding when it comes to my studies. will have study habits established and tips on getting the hard stuff down, prior knowledge in what you'll be studying, and other learning strategied that will be learned in the last 2 years of HS. I want myself to know if I stay in HS hard things at home aside, my son will have a great future.

I would tell my high school self to wait and take a break from school. Then go back, and take online classes. They work better for my life and allow me the freedom of doing schoolwork in a manner more conducive to my learning style. I would tell my high school self to stay focused and always keep in mind the reason for school.

Respect I would tell my self to respect college life because it wont be easy as it seems and alot more stressful than high school. College is about doing stuff on your own and everything has to be done by you so be ready for challenges that comes forward and to take that challenges as learn experience and for your future.

I would have told myself to try harder and look longer at school options. I never thought I would go to college and didn't have the tinies clue about how to pay for it. I really believed the only way was to join the military. Knowing what I know now, I could have made more of an effort to find a college I could afford and started early.

I took challenging classes to prepare me for the college level. But I would have told myself not to bother with the four years of Spanish. I didn’t retain hardly any of the information, and I do not need it for my major. Instead, I would advise myself to only take two years and then sign up for the classes that I could have used. Also, I would tell myself not to skip out on the final exams. Even though they were optional for me, I still should have taken them (especially the science ones). I would also tell myself to hang out with more people. I won’t have my best friends there right by me every day. If I would have hung out with people who didn’t know everything about me, then maybe it would be easier to talk and get to know others without taking most of the semester. But the thing I would stress the most is, start better study habits. In high school I hardly ever studied for a test. I still did good on them, but the tests in college are much more of a challenge. Lastly, don't procrastinate.

If I could go back to talk to my self in high school I would tell myself do not put off today for tommrow. Only thinking about accomplishing something will not get you anywhere. You must think, plan, and explore your options and most of all make a committment of action to achieve your goal. Friends will come and go, but don't let them detour you. Be a leader and think for your self. Recieving advice is good, but follow your heart. Chose a career that you love. Its not always about the money. Being happy with what you do will bring much success to you and those around you. The main key is to stay focus and commited. Never forget where you came from, nor the people that supported you. Having fun is alright to do, but stay focused, and watch how well you will prosper.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not delay my continued education. I waited eighteen years after high school graduation to start earning my college degree. Partly because I hated the rigid environment of high school, and partly because of financial reasons. I am now in my mid-thirties and wish, oh how I wish, I had just continued on into college. Now that I have enrolled in a university and am working towards my degree, I can now appreciate the value of an education. Because I am taking several of my courses online, I am able to continue to work full-time while completing my degree. I know that once I have completed my degree I will secure a well-paying position and finally have a career in a field I love. So, eighteen-year-old self, you need to stick it out and sign up for college immediately. There are government loans, grants and scholarships out there to help pay for it all, so you just need to show up, smile and do your best. Lastly, your future wife is really cute. Good luck!

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would definately say to be true to yourself (assuming I'm talking to myself). This statement has a few different meanings in regards to transitioning into the college life. The first aspect that it has a special meaning is in my studies. Be true to yourself in what you want to do with your life. If it's your dream, make it a reality. The world is at your feet and if you make a mistake, well, your only human. You get right back up and try harder. Be true to yourself-believe in yourself-also in the sense of your college life. Yes, you want to have fun and hang out with your new friends, but that doesn't mean you need to party every weekend or go out drinking or any of that. Your starting your future, your life and you don't need to mess this opportunity up by throwing it away. College is different from high school. Make the transition slowly. Its hard work, but if you keep your studies up and grades up, it will pay off in the end.

I would have to say stay focused and do not take a break in between school. Most likely if you take a break right after high school you will not go to college. If you choose to go to college as an adult it is alot harder because of all of the responsibilities you have such as a full time job, and a family. It is also harder because you tend to lose what you learned in high school and you have to play catch up, we all know the saying use it or lose it.

When I first entered college in 2005, I felt an incredible amount of pressure to perform up to a certain standard in school. That standard was set by the school and my parents and was evaluated in the form of my grades. The pressure to maintain a 4.0 gpa was incredible and ultimately lead to a period of time where I left school. Had I the ability to talk to my high school self, I would remind myself that it’s not the grades that count but the knowledge. Certainly, maintaining a high gpa says something to the extent of your dedication to a subject but standardized tests carry a margin of error. Had I spent more time focusing on truly knowing and enjoying the information, as opposed to memorizing the content to pass tests, I believe I would have already earned my degree by now. Being a young adult in a struggling economy has helped me see the value of truly working hard and that my successes will be at the hands of my knowledge and not my degree.

The advice that I would give myself would be not to totally depend on high school guidance counselors. When I attended high school, I was not in a 4-year college bound curriculum, and those counselors were not very focused on vocational studies students. As a result of not being properly "guided", I navigated 2 year colleges for a time without a clear understanding of how to get admission into a 4-year college. That is, I would have preferred to go straight to a 4 year college after high school.

I would say to myself, go to community college before finishing your bachelor's degree. Instead of doing or going along with your friends opinion about school, listen to postive influences of parents and others before making hasty decisions. Community colleges have so may benefits such as, individualized attention from professors, smaller class sizes, great advisors who council and guide students in the right direction, and fun and exciting activites of the student body that helps break the ice between peers. This envirnoment coupled with dynamic and sustaining coursework, helps adjust and eliminate any self-doubt about going to the sometimes over-populated universities. At larger univeristies, the average student can become distracted and less likely to focus on courses, by getting lost in the shuffle. That is the sage advise I would give myself.