Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

Graduating from high school is often considered one of the most difficult transitions for the young-adult. Provided with the opportunity to speak with myself as a high school senior, several fundamental insights of wisdom would be promptly addressed. Most significantly, the mental benefit of creating, and as often as possible, adhering to, a schedule. The absence of structure provided in previous enducation proved notably difficult, especially when faced with a huge workload. A schedule establishes a known rythym of life amidst the numerous unknowns of college. Additionally, a schedule provides a student with with a time guage, directing when a task is a priority, secondary, or not of importance. Secondly, pursuing advice from trusted adults significantly lessons the burden of decision making as a young adult. Adults have the potential to be a wealth of knowledge and are able to advise students with experience when facing tough decisions. Those who know you best can advise you best. The saying "Hindsight is always 20/20" applies even to the college experience. Looking back is far easier than living there.

Where is she? I think to myself as I rush through the hallways of my high school. It is strange being here again...nothing's really changed. The hallways, the lockers, the teachers...they're all the same. The students shuffle past me, trying to make it to class before the bell. I recognize the faces as they pass. Then, I see her. Curly, blonde hair. Large blue eyes. That's her, that's me. She's with him...her boyfriend...well, ex... I rush to catch up with her. "Amanda! Hey, wait up!" She turns to face me, a look of confusion in her eyes. "Yeah?" she asks. "I have something to tell you before I leave," I explain, gesturing for her to follow me. I look back at her, and I can see the dark circles in her tired eyes. My two-year relationship was not easy to end. " When you go to college, don't worry about relationships. You've always been social. Meet people, make friends, and never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Never lose sight of your talents." Her eyes meet mine. "Know who you are, and you'll be fine."

Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience. If I could go back to my high school senior year, I would have paid more attention to financing my college education. Back then, the mindset was that my school would have all the bases covered. I assumed things would fall into place and I would not have had to do much. I thought, I would just have to fill out forms and the money I needed would come. After enrolling and getting there, I was hit with a huge bill and no way to pay it. It turns out that the financial aid I thought would pay for my education was very limited because my parent's made too much money. They are actually barely making ends meet. I should have worked and saved money. As a last resort, my mom had to apply to a private bank for more student loans and cosign in order to come up with more money. We are going to have to do this until I am done with college. So my advise is plan ahead for the money. My 4.1 gpa did not help at all. Get a job. Sincerely, Billy Spiller

I would go back and tell myself that I need to prepare to not always be around people who don't have the same religious views and dont act like I do. At VCU there are many differeent religions and everyone doesn't have the same religious values. I went to a Christian school so I wasn't exposed to things that you would see in a public school. For example homosexuality wasn't allowed in our school, so I never saw girls kissing on girls or guys kissing on guys. Since I've been at VCU, I see all types of homosexual acts. Also another thing that I wasn't used to seeing is when a person shares their religious beliefs about God on campus, the students gather around the speaker and mock the person or perform rude acts toward the speaker. When I saw this I felt bad for the person but also for the students who mocked the speaker. Now that I have been in college for a semester I can see how the transition from a Christian high school to a public university is a big difference.

If I am attending a four-year institution, I would allow myself two years to learn the school's policies concerning the campus. The first year alone will be spent learning the best routes to class, learning how to study, etc. I would get to know my roommates and exchange phone numbers in case of emergencies. Also, I would add the campus police phone numbers to my phone contact list. Next, I would seek the advice of my academic counselor and/or professors as often as I need it, not towards the end of the semester if my grades are not good. Keeping track of my due dates is a must, so having a date planner is essential!!! In addition, I need separate notebooks and supplies for each class. I will also use the "Blackboard" application to obtain my assignments and view my grades. I would also keep enough personal items to maintain my assigned living space because our rooms must pass cleaning inspections. Therefore I have to throw away/donate any items I do not use. Finally, I will surround myself with friends who like to have fun but do not overindulge with partying, drinking, etc.

Dear Amber, I am here to give you advice of the next step in your life. College is going to be a major transistion in your life that you are going to expierence with thousands of other people. You are not the only one going through this major transition. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Make sure you get everything in order your senior year, such as all paperwork all transcripts. College is going to be a blast for you! The transition from high school to college will overwhelm you at first but keep your head up and keep moving forward. It wont take long for you to adapt to college life. This is a major step you in your life and make sure you enjoy every moment because it goes by very fast. You will do great with the transition, just rememeber you're not the only one going through it. There is always someone to talk to if needed. Keep your head up and keep on moving and completing your dreams! You will do great!

If I was able to go back in time and talk to my senior self I would tell myself to never quit. I would say these exact words, " Don't let whatever is going in your life to ruin your future for college. You still have no responsibilites. In a year you will find yourself with bills, schoolwork work, car payments, and more! Take advantage of the free education you're receiving. College is fun, but alot harder than high school. Do not walk in your freshman year of college with the stain of "senoiritis" from high school still on your hands. Work hard. Ask for help when you need it. Do not procrastinate. All you have is yourself in college. No one is there to make sure you did your work or woke you up for class. It all comes down to the fact that high school is a Right issued by the government and college is a privlege".

I would tell myself, "Scholarships are better than loans." I would have told myself at the beginning of my senior high school track and field career to take care of his hamstrings. The injury to my hamstrings ruined all hopes of me recieving a track and field scholarship. For making the transition to where my school is and where I am from I would bring a much larger supply of warmer clothing.

As a high school senior, I worked very hard to maintain my grades and extracurricular activities, and I believe I did that very successfully. I managed to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, all the while setting up and running my own solo art exhibition. I did not apply to a vast amount of colleges, and some I did apply to were vastly out of my price range for tuition. VCU, in fact, was the only college I could afford easily, largely leading to my decision to attend there. However, regardless of VCU being my "safety" school, I am very happy with my decision. Transitioning was not a difficult process- I live close enough to my home (two hours) to visit when I need to, but far enough away to be successfully independent. The only thing I would advise to myself is to be as open-minded as possible; there are so many new and interesting people to meet at college and those opportunities are easily missed.

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Be prepared to work hard, but also to enjoy life and try to be more social with people on campus so that you can make some life- long friends.

I would tell myself that time management and study skills are two of the most important qualities to know about college. Studying in high school and studying in college is a huge difference. For college, you must study at least two to three more hours for each hour you are in class. It is not like high school where you can just skim over the notes and not even open the textbook to pass a test. Every detail counts, so you have to study your notes and actually read the textbook to be able to understand the concepts. Time management is going to be hard to adjust at the beginning of the semester. You will learn how to adjust your time wisely by just going through the activities. After awhile, you will know how to balance out your time between school and your social life. With making the transition, remember to also have fun. There will always be different people to become friends with. It's a new chapter in your life, so be who you want to be.

You're on your own!

College is your big chance. It is the chance to broaden your horizons; meet and interact with new people and cultures; and most importantly, expand your mind. There are endless opportunities for not only learning, but also to gain new perspectives on the world and come into yourself with a sense of purpose and definition. Every person you meet, no matter how much they may differ from you, can be a teacher and a student. Waste no opportunity to set aside differences and learn from others, and do not be afraid to impart your own knowledge and views on others, as long as you do so without force and contempt. Have no fear of the world around you; there are beautiful experiences to behold and great learning opportunities inside and outside of the college classroom. College will be like no experience you have ever had, and one you will never have again. This is your license to explore yourself, your surroundings, and the world. Take everything as a learning experience, delve deeper into the meanings of everyday interactions and occurrences, and most importantly, be yourself! This is your chance to live it up and shine, and others will support that!

I have come to realize that college is more than about excelling academically, but it is also about exploring various extracurricular activities, interest groups, community service projects, and getting involved with the institution. Academics have always been a priority for me, but I think that the most memorable moments of college were those spending time with friends and putting time into VCU Bhangra, a cultural dance group sponsored by the university. Through this organization, I was able to learn numerous valuable skill sets including group collaboration, leadership, and teamwork. I am fortunate to have joined this group during my freshman year, but I do wish I had spent more time and effort getting involved in giving back to the community through service projects. Also, I believe it is important as a freshman to meet numerous people outside of my immediate academic realm, something that I did not accomplish as effectively as I would have liked to. All in all, I believe that my transition to college life was smooth because I was around friends that were supportive and because I immersed myself in activities that I enjoyed.

I would tell myself one thing: senior year is not the time to take school lightly. I made the mistake of coasting through senior year and it costed me. I was thankful to end up at a great university, but I should not have slacked off my senior year.

I would tell myself to stay on campus. Because by commuting everyday you lose that relationship to make friends and to keep them. The college life is a lot harder when you have to wake up earlier and drive twenty minutes to get to school everyday and you leave to go to work right after class. I think I would have made a lot more friends if i was in a dorm. I just have to put forth more effort to meet new people.

After having spent 7 years and earning two degrees, my B.S. in pyschology and my doctorate in physical therapy, at VCU, the best advice I could give is to live on campus. I lived at home all 7 years and feel I really missed out on "the college expereince." Do whatever you can to live on campus and enjoy!

I would tell myself not to stress as much as I did. It's hard but it's actually something that I can do. I would tell myself to possibly look more into what I wanted to do with my like a little more just so I could pick a major a little faster then I did. But most of all I would tell myself that in whatever I end up doing as long as I am happy and sucessful thats all that should matter. Also that only I can choose my future and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. I have done plenty of things here at VCU I never thought I would.

If I had the chance to speak to my past self, I would tell myself to strive harder with my foregin laguages. Those grades made my GPA drop, and seemed to scare me when I applied to college. The school picks their new students based on grades, what if VCU didn't pick me because of those grades. I don't know where I would be today. I'm making up for those days, making the best of each class I can.

Make sure I have atleast 3.00 gpa and really good SAT results.

I would tell myself to stay focused. Be very aware of due dates and learn about time management. I would also advise myself to pick and outline the things you can and cannot do. For example, going out when there is a paper due; not good idea. Instead finish all necessary work before you go out. I would also advise myself to remember "work now play later" and "let no one and nothing stop you from the goals you are trying to accomplish."

I wouldn't start with just being a college senior. I would go back to the beginning and talk to myself as a freshman. I would warn myself not to slack off, to always keep believing in yourself when you think no one else will. I would show myself the difference between a leader and a follower and encourage myself to always make the beat to my own drum and have "tunnel vision" to be the best I could possibly be. I would tell myself to try harder, and when you fail, try again. As a senior I would let myself know, despite all the stupid mistakes, you have still succeeded. Please keep your dreams, your hopes, your wishes, in front of you. Don't ever let go, even when the path seems discouraging. Stay true to yourself, people in the real world appreciate that. They appreciate authenticity, it shows character. And most importantly, Latessa Miracle Allums, I am proud of you. Stay fearless, stay strong...stay YOU.

Dear self, There is much preparation you must do for the years ahead of you. You will have an unevitable large amount of art projects in every area, even the much dreaded sculpture. There will be teachers that you may not like. There may be food in the dining court that tastes slightly strange, but it is all a part of learning. But make sure you pick a room mate that will be compatible with you-that will definitely take out a lot of stress. Trust me, I know. But if you do not heed my advice, don't worry, there are many brothers and sisters that you will meet who will encourage you and pray with you. It also is a good thing to take only four classes for the rest of the school year after freshman year. But stay steadfast in the Lord, and His peace will be upon you. You will grow very quickly these next four years. Bless you, You

If I were to go back to my senior year in my high school, I would give myself an advice. The advice I would have given myself is to get new study habits because right now I have kept the same study habit which is not a big help throughout my college years. Also, once your are in college it takse time to change your old habit....because the habits become part of you. So, I try hard to change my old habit inorder to fit with my college studies and life.

The advice i would give myself is to stop the procrastination. It gets the best of you and when you hold off on doing something by the time you get around to it then it is too late. I wish i could have kicked the bad habit back then but unfortunately it is still getting the best of me and everyone else i know on campus.

To utilize the help that professors give you. To attend any outside study sessions for difficult classes. By doing these 2 things, your stress level in school can stay moderately level. It's important to also give yourself some down time. Over working yourself can actually lead to a lower performance level.

Go out and do more, don't stay in the dorm so much or else you'll gain weight. Keep grades up and try not to sleep through classes.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to explore all of your options. These options include researching different sources for financial help for college and attending college out-of-state. There are many different sources one can explore to obtain extra money, scholarships or grants, for college. Some of these sources can be found online or within your home community. Even though attending college out-of-state can be both difficult and expensive, it doesn?t mean that it?s impossible. If you really want to leave the state you will just have to work harder to achieve that want.

If you are not already in the habit of studying, start now. It will make the transition a lot easier. Capitalize on the bonds you have with your good friends now. Though you will make new ones, you will need that one friend you can always talk to. Stay in good terms with your family, especially your immediate family. You will need them along the way as well. Whether it's to talk or to put some money in your account, keep them close. If you haven't taken the SAT yet, begin preparing for it, as it is important to have YOUR best possible score. Don't stress about it, but improve if needed and do the best YOU can do. If you know the major you plan to pursue, begin studying bit by bit over the summer. You don't necessarily have to take summer classes or buy text books to memorize, but take some time every week (maybe online or from some educational magazines), to begin learning some material ahead of time. This will help you prepare a little more for what's in store and will make the class material much easier to understand.

Even though college sounds like a carefree and fun environment away from your parents, it's easy to slack off and do poorly in college. Study hard and make sure you go prepared before class starts; read the materials so you will know what the professor is talking about and you will be able to follow easily. Having a social life is good too, but don't fall back on your studies. Remember that you are in college for one purpose and that is to find a great career in your future. Work hard and you'll be rewarded well.

Make sure you just enjoy the experience as much as possible and don't sweat the small stuff.

Stay focused. It is very easy to get distracted especially since you're moving to a big city, something you're not used to. Try to study a little bit from each class everyday, that way everything will stay fresh in your mind. There is a lot going on on campus and in the city itself so again, STAY FOCUSED! You're gonna learn real quick that VCU has a lot to offer, but get familiar with the environment and your classwork first. You want to make sure your priorities are in order before you join any groups, organizations, or possibly get caught up in the party life. I don't think you will, but it's just a work of advice. Also, be safe and aware of your surroundings. Don't go walking anywhere at night and if for some reason you have to, don't do it alone. If you're gonna walk the city at any time (especially at night), do so with at least 2 other people. It can get pretty dangerous in the city but don't be afraid, just be alert. Remember your family and to keep God first. You'll do fine.

If I could return to myself, and give myself advise, I would probably tell myself to save more money, and also to try take more ap classes to try to raise GPA, or maybe tell myself that I shouldnt be lazy about anything, because I will pay for it later, literally. I also think I would recomend to myself to not go with on campus living, and get an apartment, which would have helped me allot financially.

If I could go back in time; to when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself to not settle for C's. I was a slacker and it is not acceptable in a four year school. It is too difficult to catch up in college if you fall behind. I would also tell myself not to choose a college that was too close to home. I find myself getting lonely and homesick if im away for just a week. If i went to a school that was farther away, I would not have the option to go home whenever something went wrong. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so im told, but living forty five minutes away from home, it's too easy to take a day trip to see my friends and family that miss and love with all my heart.

live life to the fullest.

Be prepare to participate in extra curricular activities like involving on campus services, voulnteering, leading a group, or may be get ready for impromptu speech on any subject.

I would tell myself to really reach for my goals and dreams. Don't let anybody or people tell me or influence me to be someone I'm not. I would also say don't look back and say "shoulda, woulda, coulda" or I wish I could have done this instead. Making mistakes is a part of being a human being. Even though we don't like it, we can always grow from them and help others who are experiencing the same. That is what seperates us from being a good person to a great person. Lastly, which is quite important to me, I would say don't ever hold back in anything I do! Live your life and enjoy every moment no matter what you go through. You never really know when tomorrow is going to be your last day or someone elses that is extremely close to you. Embrace yourself as a person. You can't go wrong knowing who you are deep down inside. Also and last, don't be afraid of change sometimes. Change can be a wonderul thing! Live, Love and Grow!

I would tell myself that things will change. I ended up changing majors because I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life. After a year or so of college, I've picked a direction for my life. I have also changed my entire group of friends. I didn't know many people when I started college, but the ones that I did know ended up drifting away from me. After getting myself involved in on-campous religious group, I've made so many more friends and I would have never imagined myself in the position i am now.

Take more AP credits. Teachers in high school are much better teachers than in college.

During my senior year of high school I was very hesitant about my future. Being a first generation college student is extremely terrifying, or was the case for me. I began to doubt myself and the dreams of becoming a teacher that I always had. Going back to my senior year I would give myself personal strength and realize that my goals and aspirations are very attainable on more levels than one. Funding for school has been very difficult, even though I have two jobs I always feel the need to apply for full-time status at school. I feel that by quitting one job or becoming part-time in school will lower my self-esteem. I know that I am just as worthy of an extended education and believe that I have proven that not only to myself, but discouragers also. I would have however, taken more time into the financial aid process before entering into college, sometimes I feel that remaining out of school for a year and just working to gain money would have been a better option, but that is false. I would not trade in my education for anything.

Sit down and decide what is important to you. Then make a list of those attributes to help narrow down the long list of potential colleges. I found College Board useful while searching and eliminating potential universities. But most importantly, visit the campus. Go to the open houses and also try to find a day to walk around during a normal school day. What tour guides and faculty try to paint of a campus may be completely different from the picture you will see while there in person. Also you may notice attributes of the college that you would not have without the visit, such as the diversity and character of its students and faculty. Can you picture yourself there amongst the other students? Another tip is to pick for you. Try to avoid choosing a school based on friends who may go to the same school or family traditions. In the long run, you will be the one attending the university, so you should be the one who enjoys the campus.

I believe finding the right college is mostly based on two things. Price is always an issue of course, but assuming students can get scholarships or financial aid and loans to apply for a variety of colleges, the choice boils down to expected major and location. Knowing what you're interested in before you start applying to schools is extremely important; you want to do personal research on the competitiveness of the programs and how high-tech and accommodating the facilities are. Getting stuck wasting years and money at a school that doesn't challenge or give you a valuable and applicable real-world education is depressing and frustrating- anyone wishy-washy about what they want to do should attend community college. Secondly, location does play a major roll. The majority of people I know chose their college based on how far or near it was from home, whether in-state or out of. It sounds arbitrary and irresponsible, but I chose my school mainly because I wanted to experience city life and be sufficiently far away enough from my parents, while others aren't ready and shouldn't move away from home immediately. after high school. Also, good luck :).

When it comes to looking for the right college--look for a major that interests you, an environment that you favor (i.e. city, country, mountains, beach) and work off of those areas in your state and find a school close by. To also help you find a college thats right for you, think if you can afford in-state or out-of-state tuition and if you can afford something further away then don't hold yourself down to the limited choices you may have. Finally, to make the most out of any experience, especially a college life, allow yourself to take change with open arms and don't allow any opportunity to blow past you.

Students should make sure to do a lot of research. Figure out a few majors that you would strongly pursue and find colleges that are known or have strong programs for those fields. Visit a bunch of schools and stay overnight if possible. Figure out everything about the possible schools. Make sure to try the food, get a taste for the academic life and social life, and find out about any extracurriculars are. I think most importantly students have to remember this is your decision and your future. It doesn't matter if your family went to Harvard or UVA or UNC, what matters is what you want to do with your life and which school best suits your personality and will help you reach your goals and set you up for your future the best.

asking to alumnis

When thinking of the right college for yourself, think of all aspects of it: financially, academically and socially. You'd never want to choose a college, just because it was known for being a party school: you should choose a college that's worth staying at for the full four or two years. Make sure you visit the school and find as much financial aid as possible, if needed. A college should give you enough freedom to be your own person, but also stress the qualities needed for our future.

Make sure you are choosing the school that you could picture yourself attending. Don't make the mistake of choosing the collge with the better campus or the one that all your friends are going to. Go to the one for you.

College is the best time for one to grow and mature into an adult.. There are many universities and colleges around the world that may offer the perfect thing one is looking for but do not be afraid at looking at other alternatives. Each college has something unique about it, and when the best one comes along, hold onto it. If you find that the school is not what you thought it was, it is never too late to transfer to another one. Although this college experience is about preparing you for your future job, it is also a time to let you have fun. Parents should not be afraid when they send their children to school so make sure that there is a good and safe security system at the university. Do not forget that studies are important too. You should find the time to be able to manage your academics and your social life. It is up to you to decide whether you want a small or large school, diversity or homogeneous population, small or large classes, religious affiliation. It doesn't matter where you go, it's what you make the most of your college experience.

Parents need to take into consideration what their student needs and wants in a college, but they definitely have to share their guidance and advice. Keep finances in mind, but also remember the various opportunities for aid. Be very active in searching for scholarships because there are so many out there just waiting to be won. Students should choose a college for its academics in addition to social life. Do not choose a school simply because you hear that a lot of parties go on there. Have fun, but understand when you need to be serious and when you can have fun. You can learn a lot, make a lot of friends, and go far in life. Take advantage of everything your college has to offer.