Colorado School of Mines Top Questions

Life is a series of steps. When young, these steps are the literal steps taken to walk. Then, you're off to school taking steps through grades until you graduate high school. Some steps are bigger than others; the step from middle to high school is more of a leap. College is another one of these leaps. Yes, you will be scared. Yes, you will be insecure. Yes, you will doubt yourself. But know that college should be taken as just another step. Sometimes you will need to take steps as small as possible; just getting through the week can seem like a struggle. But even small steps will lead to great things. You contain everything inside yourself at this moment to do great, amazing things. You will feel lonely at first, but take it a day at a time and don't forget that you are loved and your support network back home will never leave you. Don't be afraid to ask for help; you don't learn anything by pretending to know everything. Know that you can and will accomplish wonderful things in college and accept that everything starts with baby steps.

Some advice that I would give myself as a high school senior would be to spend more time applying for scholarships. College is expensive so the scholarships would be very useful to help lower the cost even a little. If I applied for a few more scholarships, I might have been able to earn more money to pay for school. Another thing I would tell myself is to not worry so much about the academics. School does get harder but it is not as bad as everyone made it seem. I would also tell myself that I should start working on my study habits and on learning how to study. Studying will become important in college.

I would advise you not to worry. Senior year is indeed a year of major choices that will affect your future; however, if you just spend time measuring the pros and cons of each decision, you will make the right decision. In other words, if you are worried you might make ?the wrong decision" and that it might change your life for the worse, you have already avoided making ?the wrong decision.? Also, this is your last year of high school ever. I know you already realize this, but knowing this and acting upon it are very different?make sure you live as if it is so. Don't take this for granted and enjoy high school while you can. Finally, always remember that everything happens for a reason; the best you can do is to accept what life gives you and live with it as best you can. This is not to say that you can?t change things, just that when bad things happen you need to be willing to accept that they happen and that you will have to deal with them. If you do your best and live your best, things will turn out alright.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life, I?d first say not to worry so much. The people here are nice and accepting and if your open from the beginning then you?ll make friends easily. Also your future roommates are very easy to get along with and they?ll care about you enough to annoy you. I?d also tell myself, there isn?t much diversity and there aren?t many girls but that is what makes the school unique. The most important thing I?d tell myself is to study as hard and as much as you can to pass classes, this school is not to be taken lightly. The last thing I?d tell myself was to stop crying and apply for scholarships through out the senior year of high school or you?ll regret it later on. It isn?t fun to cry over something that could have been fixed before hand.

I would listen to my parents since the both went to college and would also study more on my college prep classes. I would also relax more and not worry so much about what other people think because there is so much more to the world.

College isn't easy and don't approach it unprepared. Read in the school itself and find out what classes are avaliable to take. College classes need a lot more attention than high school classes ever did, so study hard. I would have to say, be open and ready to take on anything that comes your way. Making friends is a must so don't be afraid to go around and meet new people; every person met could turn into a life long friend. Definitely go to social events and don't think others are below you or on a different level. Finally journey away from your comfort zone and don't be afraid to put yourself in the spot light. Don't be afraid to grow up either, live life as it comes but prepare yourself for the worst.

Make sure to take all college and AP classes having to do with math, science, and physics. I would tell myself also to change schools in high school and begin to think about the future, not the friends I will lose. This is because I took college courses in literature, history, and english. Also, my school didn't have any real engineering based programs. If I took college courses in these topics, my comprehension of math, physics, and science would have made it easier my first semester.

I would tell myself to do more research on careers. I would tell myself to talk to professionals in the field and find out what I was truly passionate about before commiting to a college. I would encourage myself to apply for more scholarships. I would point out the importance of developing strong work habits and not waiting towards the last minute to start working. It would go like this... High school was a cake walk. In college a person has to motivate themselves, no one is going to breathe down your neck to tell you to get work done. College is expensive and its not going to seem like a good investment while your still going. Even if you are talented at something, you wont truly be good at it untill you enjoy it. 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of college isnt learning your matterial, but learning how to teach yourself for a lifetime and how to find motivation when you have none. College is learning not to procrastinate, how to use time wisely and make life a constant renewing of the mind.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would probably be more concerned with how I managed it rather than trying to prepair myself for college. Regardless, the largest issue I encountered that I would try to prevent is how shocked I was at how unprepaired I was for this school. The programs I went through in high school were not college level and the knowlege I was held accountable was not neccisarily required by my high school in order to graduate. I would suggest going above and beyond what is neccisary in high school in order to be that much more ahead in college. The transition itself was remarkably simple. During move in, the school keeps you so busy you don't have time to be homesick, then when things calm down, classes are just getting interesting. Before long, its been a semester and you can't emagine life elsewhere.

I would tell myself to be ready to study my butt off, espicially for math. I would tell myself not to be shy, and if the situation arises, don't be afraid to ask for help; and make friends as soon as possible. Give it 110 percent, else you will fail. Having friends within classes to contact is of the utmost impartance. I would also say that having a good time is part of the equation. Finding a good way to blow off steam is a neccesity. Learn to balance out your life; time management is a must. I would say to never give up hope even when times are dire, and the future looks bleak. I would also tell myself that even if you can't afford to keep paying for your tuition, keep going to school. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Go with your gut. Go to the school that you have your heart set on, you know yourself better then anyone else. Chosing the school that your parents want you to go to is a bad idea, its you attending it not your parents. Don't stress the little things, as long as you work hard and don't make any major mistakes the rest will work itself out. Don't go to college with a boyfriend, you have been given a chance to find out who you are, its hard to do that when you woory about what someone else will think of you. Do activities you have never done before with people you just met, don't worry about whether or not its fun. Make sure to quickly find the routine that works for you when it comes to studying and completeing the requirements for classes. Remember that you don't have to decide now what you want to be, just go with the flow and you will decide what you want to do. If you don't enjoy doing it in highschool more then likely you will not enjoy it in college, i.e phyics!

My advice to myself would be to keep organized. Organization is key to success. Also, I would tell myself to put homework and studying above eveything else. These two things must be done before taking part in social activities. Money is another key. Getting a job early and learning to save may have helped me in the long run. Other than the money problems (that every student has), I'm happy with my college experience so far. I'm not sure I would have changed a thing, just for fear that things would not have turned out as they have now. You should never regret what you've done in the past, just learn from the mistakes. Without making mistakes, how would you truly learn?

Dear Matthew, College is very different from what your thinking right now. You are imagining that because of how well you did in High School, and how easy it was that you will find the classes as college equally simple. This is not true. You will be spending hours trying to figure out just one solutiontion to a problem, just to have the proffesor do the problem in five minutes during the next class period. In AP Chemistry last year, you experianced some of this, only that was one class. In college, all of you classes will be that difficult, that time demanding, and that exciting. You will learn more in you first year than you are thinking you will in all four years. Get to know people before you get to campus as well. Make a real effort to form the group of friends that will help you study, and always look to any upper classmen in your dorm. They will be the ones who can help you more than any other individual on campus. Matthew, the best years are ahaid of you. Get scholarship, do well, don't stress as much. Sincerely, ~Matt

My advice to parents in helping make the college decision would be to ask their child questions about what they might want to do with the rest of their lives, if they are unsure then suggest schools that offer broader areas of study. I highly suggest not making the decision for your children, and do not second guess their choice if they truly want to attend a certain college. Once they are at school, let them know you miss them but also encourage them to make new friends and really get involved on campus. As for students, I would say you want to live on campus for at least your freshman year if you have the choice to live at home or off campus. Once you're at school, make the most of the experience. Make new friends and take advantage of the different extracurriculars offered. Also, you're paying a lot to go to school so dont skip classes just because you can. Study hard so you don't have to retake any classes. Its hard, but find a good balance between fun and studying and you'll have a great time!

When deciding on a campus it is important to choose on that has a major that you are interested in. If you are unsure, or have doubts about what you want to do, choose a univeristy that has a range of majors to choose from in case the one you had in mind doesnt work out. It is also important to visit the campus' that you are considering. Seeing it in real life is completly different than browsing through photograhs. If you are able to, try and visit while there shool is in session, it will give you a better feel of how the campus runs and how life is while they are in class and also on breaks. Location is another important aspect, you have to consider the distance you want to be from home (and dont right away say "as far as possible"). Choosing a far distance right off the bat might make for a hard adjustment to living on your own and could affect your academics. If you are going to play sports try and talk to members of the team and get an honest opinion of the coach, and also have them answer any other questions.

Choosing the right college is very important, as it is a huge factor in the happiness and success of the student. When deciding between colleges, i found it helpful to visit each campus. They may all seem very similar, but picking up on the overall mood of the students can help with the decicsion. Communicating with a current student can also make the choice easier as they will tell you more about campus life than any administrator. Once the college is chosen, getting the most out of the experience is also omportant. I have found that the secret to accomplishing this is balance. Without parental influence, the student is able to decide how to spend his/her time. Finding a balcne betwween studying and socializing is vital to being successful. In addition, joining clubs and intramural sports can gelp with finding freinds and providing a release. All in all, college can be a great experience, however, care must to be taken to make sure that this time is not wasted.

Spend a lot of time looking at all the options available to you for each of the colleges that you are interested in, including courses of study offered, student activity groups, sports programs, and student demographics. Make a decision based on what school best fits the interest that you already have. Don't worry if you don't know what you want to major in! Most people don't and you still have plenty of time to decide. Have the finances well planned in advance so you don't have to worry about paying for schooling. Instead you can enjoy the college experience and you only have to worry about everyday things and how well you are doing in your classes. Never be the loner! Join a student organization or club. Being a part of an organization or club helps you stay connected to your school and the world outside of your schoolwork. Plus there is probably at least one person in that organization or club that has the same classes that you are taking so you can study together. And it never hurts to have lots of friends on campus!

Finding the "right" college isn't as important as most think it is. Yes the size of the school or it's location are important, but as long as the school a student chooses to attend has majors that they feel interested in, they will find people with similar interests as them. Choosing a college is not as important as putting yourself out there when the time comes to get to know future friends and current professors. Making the most of a college experience is as simple as showing who you really are to the people around you and making friends with those who like that person. College is a place that students gain knowledge for their career preference and knowledge about their own desires, values, and goals. Making the most of college isn't about choosing the right one, it's about finding yourself by helping others find themselves.

Dont go to a school just because other people think its best for you, go to a school that you will appreciate where your going and will enjoy living there for 4 years of your precious early life.

Take a deep breath, because college is a whole different world than what you are used to. So strap yourself in and take full advantage of your college experience.