Elmira College Top Questions

Emily, you have worked so hard to reach this point in your life. You picked up the pieces of your troubled past and ran foward; plowing through any obsticle that you encountered. College is indeed a reality and you will be leaving home in less than a year. What on Earth should you expect? Sure, everyone has their own stories to tell and advice to share, but how can you prepare yourself? College seems terrifying. At this point you are probably thinking that professors are more like mythical creatures than actual people and you are awaiting the terrors of shared living space. Let's not forget the all night homework sessions. But, I have good news. There is absolutely no reason for you to worry. As long as you are responsible and keep your work ethic, college will be the most amazing experience of your life. Don't be afraid to befriend those you normally would not. Talk to your professors. Apply to research programs, becuase you never know, you might just get accepted. The worst thing you can do is stress and doubt yourself. College is such a life changing transition, so sit back and enjoy it.

If I could go back in time and give my high school senior self advice about the transition to college what would I say? First I would tell myself to pay better attention and try harder in my math courses because it’s really not as hard as you think it is. I would also tell myself to take the SAT’s and apply to colleges, because working on cars in a body shop isn’t as great as you might think it is. I would also stress how important it is to go to college right after high school, because it would be a lot easier to transition to college then as opposed to waiting till your 33 years old and married with a baby on the way. Also to listen to the advice mom and dad give you, they are not really trying to control your life. By following the values they taught you will keep you from making some bonehead decisions along the way. Now only if it was really possible for people to go back in time and set themselves on the right track, just think of the improvement in life everyone would have.

Hello highschool self. I have a very personal piece of advice for you to get you ready for college: Start working now on getting rid of your tendancy to procrastinate. This will save you from much sleep deprivation, you will earn better grades, and have less stress your first semester in college. Sure, you are getting away with procrastinating on your papers or projects for class in highschool and still getting really good grades now, but that is not going to be the case when you get to college. Your professors will know from the quality of your work, (and how awful you look in class), that you slapped your assignment together the night before. You will not get the grades you are used to with this approach when you are in college and that will shake your confidence. Instead of doing your assignments all at once, do a little bit every day and try to finish your work a day or two early. This lowers your stress level immensely and will give you enough time to have your assignment proofread at the writing lab. You will then definitely pull A's across the board.

Hello Shaquirah. I have some advice I would like to share with you about college life and how to make a simple transition. For one, please, do not throw away your chances of getting grants and scholarships. You need to work hard and keep your grades up. You have every opportunity to be the best you can be and make a name for yourself. Two, make sure to fill out your FAFSA early! Get all the financial aid help you can get in addition to grants and scholarships. Three, register for all of your classes early. Do not get stuck in the position of trying to find a class that isn't already closed because you waited too long to register. Four, go to orientation, it is always a big help, get to know your professors, and get all of your school supplies early. There is a big difference between high school and college. These are just simple tasks for you to do to ensure a smooth transition. I hope something I said sticks and I wish you all the best of luck!

As an older me, i would tell my Senior self not to over-think the whole college life. I would also tell myself not to allow my mother to coax me into bringing so much unneccessary and useless stuff. I would also advise myself to pay more attention in my senior classes. I found that alot of the subject matter my classes covered the first half of my Freshmen year was very similar to the subject matter in my classes senior year. This would help me when better understanding the material in my classes.

Dear High School Me, I want to give you a little heads up on the college life. Before you go, make sure to apply for every scholarship you qualifty for. They add up and are extremely important. It may seem life mom is always on your case, but listen to her; she knows a lot more than you think. Do not bring your whole wardrob; you will not need it, trust me. Pay attention in classes and always try your best. Make as many friends as possible and you do not need to have a boyfriend in the beginning of your freshman year. There will be parties, dont go to all of them and make sure you keep up with your studies. Elmira does get rainy, bring rainboots; you will need them. One last thing, be kind to everyone and keep an open mind; I know you will do just great. Signed, Your College Self

If I could go back in time to one of the most memorable years of my life, when I was a high school senior, I would not tell myself to change anything. I would not want to know how to prevent the mistakes I have made or what choices I should have picked. Reflecting on the choices I have made, both right and wrong, I do not regret any one of them. I have learned so much, especially from my mistakes. By telling me to avoid one of them, I would miss out on the experiences that have helped me develop into a strong and confident person. I have been out of high school for three years now. I remember thinking in high school that college was some kind of foreign place. I didn’t know what to expect and I remember being so scared about the future. Back then, I would have traded anything for my own advice about college. However, today I am so glad I had to figure things out on my own because now it will be that much easier to make my next, even bigger transition: entering the real world.

Just be yourself. You're going to bounce between friend groups until you find those few people that you really connect to. It's ok not to know exactly where you fit in all the time. It's good to utilize the many relationships you create.

If I could go back and write a letter to myself as a high school senior, I would change only a few things. I would take the time to apply to many schools in state as well as out-of-state regardless of how pig-headed and determined I was on leaving my home state of Maine. I would take the time to visit more college campuses and give larger universities a chance. Smaller is not always better, as I have learned the hard way. I would listen to the wise and caring words of my family and friends who have always guided me with only the best intentions at heart. Maybe if I had done these few things as a senior in high school, I would not be struggling with the process of trasnferring as a freshman in college to a larger university back home.

In all honesty, I think that I wouldnt have much to change. I have worked hard and I feel like I have done all the things that I could think of to help further myself thus far. Looking back to High School, however, I would defiantly would have recommended that I take advantage of more opportunities that were given to me. I regret not challanging myself more during my senior year and not taking advantage of discounted college classes at the community college.