University of North Carolina at Pembroke Top Questions

The first thing I would tell myself, small rural town girl, is to stay close to home. I had many friends who went off to college in more urban settings and many of them were overwhelmed by all of the sudden changes. Although UNC Pembroke was not my first choice, I would tell the past me that I am glad that I chose UNCP to be my undergraduate university because I had a chance to get used to the college experience first before moving away. I feel that I only had to focus on my studies and becoming a well socialized individual as opposed to also getting used to city life. The next most important thing I would tell me would be to study, no matter how boring the class may be. I would tell me to find someone to study with, since I am more motivated if I have someone to bounce ideas off of. The few times that I have successfully participated in study groups I feel that I grasped concepts more with others present. Lastly, I would tell me to experience all that I could, not to let any opportunity go unchallenged. We only have one chance.

The transition from high school to college was a major process. Comparing the two, I would say that the biggest diffrence is the freedom. Along with freedom comes much responsibility and you have to become more dependable for your own sake. If I could go back in time to my high school days I would give myself a few tips as to exactly what to expect. For one, in college there is no time for procrastination. When you are given information to know, you need to immediately begin using which ever studying technique is best. I would also tell myself that I would need to step out of my comfort zone and really begin to talk and meet new people. I have found out that by surrounding myself amoungst older and smarter people I really learn alot.

If I had the ability to go back in time to when I was a senior in high school, there several lessons that I would have taught myself then knowing what I know now about college. Over the course of my two years at UNCP, I have learnt the concept of time managing skills. Procrastination is one of the worst things a college student can do as deadlines approach much quicker than they would have in high school. Making the decision not to participate in extra activates such as partying or staying out late helps me find the time to complete my homework on time and with great quality. One other piece of advice I would give myself is to choose my friends wisely. The past few months I have been involved with friends who keep me in line and make sure I am on the right track while other times I am influenced by friends of the wrong crowd that decides it's better to go out, drink, and party. Choosing the right friends to be around day in and day out have a great influence on the student that I am today.

If were able to travel back in time, I would tell myself to take my time making my descisions on college and what I want to do. With everything that I've experienced and the way I went about it, I wish that I didn't just dive right into school when I had no idea what I wanted. College is about what you want for yourself and your future, not what other's want for you. Do not let anyone try to push you into choosing your school or your program. You want to choose a college that will suit you best, big or small, close to home, or far away. Be careful what you choose though, if you decide just to choose a far away school to "get away", make sure you keep in touch with your family or you may lose touch with yourself.

I would go back and tell Senior me to stay focused. I would tell me to apply myself more in every area in my life. I would stay in school and not become a single mother trying to continue my education at such a late age in my life. College life today is so much harder than it was in 1994. I am proud od my daughter and appreciate life as a whole, but I wish I would have completed my degree early on. I was an over all great student in high school, but my sister was diagnoised with cancer and that changed my whole outlook on life. I became more concerned about her than my own life. I think family comes first no matte what. Life is too short not to cherish the time with the ones you love.

The transition from high school to college will take you by surprise no matter how prepared you may feel. A new place, new people, overall freedom and excitement will be euphoric until that realization sets in. The realization is different for everyone and some handle it better then others, and those who do not handle it end up dropping out. Many students experience homesickness which is a realization to some. Missing family, friends or even pets is the only aspect that you hear about. The reality is you feel alone among a sea of people. Knowing a persons name is not going to replace the relationships you left when you go to college. The other side of that is people do not know you and during this trying emotional time others are collecting first and second impressions of you. In this new found freedom you must stay grounded to your morals and judgment. Be friendly but pick your friends wisely. Enjoy this experience, balance you academics, social time and personal time. Get involved in school activities you will look back and wish you could have done more. Most importantly capture every opportunity to enjoy what college has to offer.

If I could go back in time in life as a high school senior I would tell myself that I should pay attention more to the teachers and listen to them when they were telling me that college life is way harder that the high school life. In high scholl your teachers would tell you what you what had to be done and when it was due more than one time. In college your teacher or profeesor may only tell you that one time and they could care less if you turned it in or not because it was your gradeand it only hurt yourself. College life is way more serious than high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself that college life is a big transition from high school. I would tell myself that I could not do like I used to do in high school and pass my tests by barely studying, or breeze through my homework without almost any thought. I would tell myself that I would have to actually sit down and focus even harder than ever. That no matter what is being said or done around me that I am an achiever and with God all things are possible.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior there would be alot I would say to myself. First off I would just say that it is as hard as I believe it to be. I would tell myself that everything would be ok as long as I apply myself because unlike high school, college takes no crap. Honestly I wish I could go back and talk to myself as a high school junior because that is when I messed up.

Transitioning from high school to college can be very difficult. When I was a senior, I was very worried about how things would be for me once I started college. If I knew the things back then that I know now I would tell myself to relax. My main concern was never the amount of work, the temptation of partying, or becoming unfocused. My main concern was being far away from the people that I knew loved me, supported me, and had my back no matter what. I was scared to encounter people who would take advantage of me and not except me for who I am. I was scared of being alone and not being able to make friends because I was so shy. Thinking back on it, I often feel very silly for having those concerns because I have amazing friends that uplift me, encourage me, and love me for who I am. College is what you make it and so far it has been the best time of my life.

The advice that i would give to myself is prepare instead of procrastinate. I would've said get things done early around the end of my eleventh grade so when transitioning into a senior I wouldn't have so many things to do. Signing up for SAT's & ACT's and paying for all of my college fees would've been my priority and getting them done early. I procrastinated and at the end i suffered. It's so important to prepare and get all your work in and essays and meeting scholarships by the deadline is really important. The worst thing to do is look at all your friends in college and you still don't know where you are going, so that's my advice to prepare instead of procrastinate.

I would have taken more upper classes to prepare me for the classes I will take in college.

I would have told myself to maintain a good work-ethic, and in area's that you need more help in do not be hesitant to get additional help in. For example, I would have worked harder on my writing skills before entering college in order to be at or above the level needed for the college level. And lastly I would have told myself to become more social, because college is way more than what you learn in class but rather what you encounter and the experiences you have.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was in high school, I would tell myself to be more careful of the school I was choosing and to not be in a big rush to get out of Scotland High. Because I graduated a year early, I pushed myself to complete all of my classes and had hardly any time for myself. Now, I wish I could have told myself to slow down, that college would still be there in another year. Graduating from high school a year early made me the youngest student on campus with hardly any people I knew from high school. Now, knowing what I do know, I wish I would have graduated with my original class. I say this because, perhaps, it would've made the transition from high school to college life easier since I was around friends that I had known from high school and not out alone with only one or two people that I knew. But, on a brighter note, by doing the extra course load to graduate early, I learned how to stay calm under pressure and get the work done.

If I could go back in time as a high school senior and give myself some advice with the knowledge I know now, the transition into becoming a college student would have been much easier. The first thing I would tell myself is that in order to stay focused and organized procrastination must be avoided. Although, waiting until the last minute in high school might sometimes be acceptable, it is absolutely not in college. Lastly, I would make sure that I knew the utmost importance of maintaining a positive attitude even in the most stressed times. In order to succeed you have to expect greatness, and the only way to do so is to stay focused with a positive attitude in anything that you try to accomplish.

I would tell myself that its very important to finish what you start. Also that its important to do your very best from a freshman to a senior. University collects all semesters, not just your senior year. And just enjoy your time as a college student.

If I were to have the ability to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to be prepared to become better with time management, to recognize that the school I chose is very different, and to be ready for a culture shock. The southern United States is very different from New Jersey, so be open minded to new cultures and customs. I would tell myself to look into greek life as soon as posible, and most importantly follow my heart in all things and always keep faith in myself. I am about to embark on a journey that will mold the rest of my life and I only get one shot, so I need to make the most of it and use my time wisely.

Do not try to party every night. No matter if you understand the work take sometime to go back over it to refreshing the information in one head for the test.

Two years ago when I graduated high school, I had no idea how important and useful the information I received from my teachers would be when I entered college. It was senior year and no one really wanted to do anything but just play around and waste time. At the time I figured what I was learning wouldn't be any help to me once I graduated, but I was so wrong. Now that I look back at my senior year, if there was any possible way to change it, I would definitely pay closer attention to my teachers and put the extra effort into the class work. Now that I have gotten to college I realize what they were teaching me was very important, and if I had of paid attention the first time I wouldn't have had to endure some of those classes a second time. I defiantly learned the hard way that paying attention is very important.

If I could go back to my senior year in high school and speak to myself, the only advice I would give myself is to stay focus and work for what you believe in. I would tell myself not to let anyone decide for me, or influence my decisions because I know what I'm ready for and without belief in myself then the possibilty going far in life and succeeding would only be apart of my imagination.

If I could go back in time and tell myself anything, I would tell myself to apply for financial aid ahead of time. I would tell myself that even though you receive freedom when you go to college, you should still focus on school first. I feel that telling myself this would be pointless though because of the simple fact that I am hard headed. Another thing I would tell myself is to have friend time, but make sure to do my work and study. Not studying will get you nowhere.

People often say I wish I would have known that or done that before I came to college. I can't say I wasn't one of those people, because I was. I had really good grades in school and wasn't really worried about coming to college because I thought I was set and that I would do just fine. When I got here at school I realized I didn't have my parents anymore and these teachers wouldn't babysit me. So I think I would have to tell myself to learn to be independent not to expect the teachers to give an A just because you are a good student. Make suer you study every night and not wait till the night before the test because you will not do that well. Stay involve in high school because it will help you stay involve in college. I may I things I wish I would have done, but I am glad that I learned from them and now can help others like my, brother and sister, as they perpare for their college expirence.

There are many things that I would want to say to myself. The first thing I would say to myself is you have the potential to do anything you set your mind to and no matter what anyone tells you, you have the power to change the world. I would tell myself that managing everything will not be the easiest thing in the world, but by keeping my head on straight and reviewing every night it makes life a lot easier. I would tell myself that college is nothing like high school, but you'll always have those exact same people standing behind you in everything you do. I would tell myself that my future is everything and without it I can't go any where. Most importantly I would tell myself that no man or woman can measure your worth and they can not determine if you succeed or fail; that power rests in your hands. I would tell myself that I have the power to do great things and that no matter what happens while your in college you will always have yourself.

A lil me go and get a job, and actually save that money so you can help out on the the expenses; because your gonna need it. Start applying for scholarships and grant, "I MEAN REALLY TRY TO PILE UP THEM THANGS". One more thang go some where by yourself and figure out what u like to do something you can't live without doing, and go make it a career for yourself cause there isn't anything like going in to work and feeling like your out for recess, and go talk to those girls over there okay. PEACE

because i delayed my college experience based on financial reasons alone, i would do this part differently and would only hope that the high school counselors provide today's students with greater information. i knew very little about college loans etc. that could have put my life ahead by about 10 years.

Live life, do what you want, and be thankfull for every passing moment in your life.

If a college sparks you as the right one go for it! Especiall if you have the money. Even if you are at the first college you are visiting I chose UNC-Pembroke and it was the 3rd one I visited and kept searching, but I made the decidsion to go there. I am now very happy about my decision even though my home is on the other side of the state.

Do not settle for something less that what you intended.

When looking for the right college you need to examine yourself. This will probably be the fist time that you will be away at home for such an extended amount of time, so you need to not only pick a place that has the right credentials, gives the most financial aid, or has the best football team; you need to pick a place that feels like home to you. A place where you will feel completely comfortable, where you will be able to learn and think freely just as you have in your parents home for the past 17 or 18 years. This place will be your residence, social life, education, preparation for a career, and launching pad for the next four years so be wise. As far as the college experience is concerned: take advantage and enjoy it. Do not take it for granted because just like high school, the true college experience only lasts for four years. You need to enjoy this part of life where you are still under your parents protection, can make mistakes and do not have to deal with the real world quite so much. Make the most of college: you earned it.

Explore each campus before you choose, and make sure you have a good feeling and that you feel it would be a good choice to call a second home.

Do your best and ever give up...what more is there?

The best advice that i could give parents and students before choosing a college would have to be to go to the college and stay a weekend or a visit during a busy day to kind of get a feel for the college life.

Finding the right college is not easy but one of the main reason why a person should pick a school. The surrounding area needs to be of your liking, whether it is in a city or rural area. The class sizes and the student/teacher ratio is another reason to pick the right school. How far away the school is from your hometown and if you will be able to work or not are more reasons. I also think that finding out if the school has a lot of resources available such as 24 hour library. Making the most out of a college expereince is very important because that is something that will be with you for the rest of you life. Getting to know your professors and getting invovled with many activites on campus is something that I have done and have benefited from it because of all of the opportunities that have been available to me. Being safe and making the right choices are very important. The more that a student is able to have time management the easier the college expereince will be.

My advivce to students picking a college is to pick the school that they think will be beneficial to them and for their future. I also recommend that the student and parents visit the school to get familar with the campus environment. I also recommend once they have chosen the right college that best suites them , to make their experience memoarable and make the best of it.

The best advice you can receive is from students that actually attend the school. Not the proffessors or advisors, the actual students. There are a lot of factors that you will need to consider. Where you want to live, in an apartment or a dorm, or if you want to join a fraternity or sorority. You may or may not know what you want to major in, so talking to the advisors of each department you are interested in will give you more information to base your decision on. All the factors that will determine how your college experience is will also help you choose a college. Also, you may just choose to go the college or university that is closest and most convenient to you. But my main piece of advice is that only students on campus can actually tell you what it is actually like living on campus or not living on campus, social activities that go on, and about extracurricular activities.

Academically....The faculty is willing to spend more time meeting the students needs and pace academically, but this does not allow the same amount of material to be covered at a higher level university. If you child requires teacher's to put more energy into their learning, this school is a great way to meet these needs. If your child can learn a lot of material on their own, and does not require a lot of faculty help, a larger university would be better suited. Socially...I feel that our school is trying to continuous improve extracurricular activities. At the moment we seem to have a great deal of things to participate in. At the moment I would consider our school a more social school than an academic school, and I hope that will change in the future.

If you can possibly stay on campus for your first year do so. The social interations you make your freshman year will be important. Even though academics is important if you are not enjoying your time with social interations college may not be the best years of your life.

Make sure that the university offers what you want to study!

The best advice I could give a student about college is to find the one that is right for you! Don't go to a school just because it's a big name school or because both your parents went there. Go to a school that offers the courses you want to take and has activities that cater to your needs. Remember, this is your future and not anyone else's! Parents need to be supportive while their child is applying to college. Applying to school can be a stressful time for some, so parents need to be mindful of that. They need to reassure their child that they will be happy with wherever they decide to go. Support and love is what parents need to show during this time! Once a student gets to college, he needs to stay focused! Though going out and having fun are good stress relievers, don't let them take your mind off of school. It's really easy to lose focus your first year of college. Get involved in activiites at your school and make the most of campus facilities, especially those aimed toward helping you. You are in control of your destiny!

choos what makes you happy, no one else

Just have fun and don't regret anything

Chosing to attend college is one of the most important steps a person will make. When finding the right college, one needs to make sure that it supports and works with their individuality. Everyone is different and everyone has different likes and dislikes. When choosing a college, make sure that the campus fits your needs and has the facilities you desire. Parents should support their children in every way possible. Though this is a big step in the parent's life, it is the students decision, a parent should support their child in whatever college they choose to attend.

Never be afraid to express who you are, or what you believe. Your soul, your mind, and your body are your own, so never allow circumstance, social tightropes, or an akward situation deffer you from speaking your mind.

I would recommend that each individual student take a close look at the campuses that they would consider being their top choice. I would also recommend that the student and parent both go over their choices and weigh out their options on all areas of interest not necessarily just what may be their main focus for attended the university. This is important because as students many interests may change as the student grows as an individual.

I think knowing about the crime rate is important.

Advice that I would say to parents/students is to make sure that you take your time with your decision making in college. Although UNCP was my second choice to attend, I really enjoy and don't regret attending this college.

My advice to parents and students for finding the right college and making the most of the college experience would be, use the resources offered by college campuses. Many colleges offer programs and have teams of staff and current students to help with the tansition the college atmosphere. Parents and students should use these resources not only in the early stages of finding colleges, but through ot the complete college experience. Taking advantage of these resources can aide the new student and their parents in making the best selections in: college selection, financial aide, major selection, and academic advising. Some of the programs like college visits or speaking with an admissions conselor may seem old fashioned, but usually serve as a great asset to those who take advantage.

finding the right college is all about knowing yourself as a student and what atomosphere you want promoted as a parent. Students need to little things about themselves espescially in the classroom. Parents should take the time to investigate the campus and observe the students on campus and llisten to these students, casual conversation can tell you alot about students mindset.

In order to find the right college for yourself you really need to know where your priorities stand and what you want out of your college experience. You need to decide what you want at your college, the living environment, and what academic stands you are looking for in school.

Don't find a school that you think will be great, find a school that is known for doing what its suppose to.