George Mason University Top Questions

My advice to my younger self would be to take my time and really think about what I want to pursue. College seems to be the natural next step for many high school graduates and they, myself included, often jump into this amazing opportunity without fully deciding on what area of study they wish to focus. College is an tremendous step in life and is financially, socially, and academically challenging. Taking the time to reflect on why it is you are deciding to take this step is crucial to one's success in school and in future career plans. Some students do not know what they want to do but still get As in their classes, pick a major without much thought, get As in those classes and then graduate, only to find themselves in a career that they do not truly enjoy. I think we all need to take a step back and not rush into this decision and take the time to volunteer, intern, and generally explore different career fields as well as ourselves so that we can make a whole-hearted decision before we undertake this incredibly important step in our lives.

If I were able to give myself any advice when I was in high school I would have emphasized the importance of confidence and self motivation. I believe that confidence and self motivation, especially in todays evolving society, are key in making educated and healthy decisions. Having learned from experience, and being a returning college student after a six year absence, has shown me that having the condience to believe in yourself and the willingness to follow your own goals, no matter what the world has going on around you, is the key to success and achieving your goals. In high school, I now realize that the assignments came somewhat easy to me, and I lost my motivation to strive for greater things. I allowed myself to believe that it would always be that way, and once out of school I very quickly realized that is not the case. Confidence is neccessary to be able to stand your ground at times when peer pressure and distractions may have gotten the best of me. As I return to school all these years later, I have learned so much and try to instill both traits into my every day life and education.

Do not give up track and field and your other extracurricular activities. Those help build more connections and will keep you extremely happy. You will not regret that. Also, stay active! Freshman 15 is real! So take advantage of the gyms and club sports. College is not like highschool. You cannot get away with not studying and going off memory. It is a lot harder and more intense. Stay focused, study, and do not lose sight!

I would advise myself to banish the creeping fingers of the pesky pestilence called senioritis, to keep my academic drive as enthusiastic as always. I would advise myself to not worry about college life, to reassure myself that the responsibilities are not as scary as they seem, that my goals are achievable no matter the obstacles in front of me. I dream of an apotheosis, I dream to become immortal by leaving behind an envious legacy founded by education and merit.

Don't put it off. Fight for it and take the chance when you have someone there to help you and get it done. Don't think that just because you did bad in High School that you will do bad in college. You do amazing and you are a fighter. You work your butt off and do what needs to be done to make sure that you and your son have an amazing life. College is always possible.

Make friends and enjoy the time you have in this exciting new place, but don't ever forget the reason you're there is for an education. There is so much to experience and you'll be given so many opportunities to make friends, to have fun, and to just be a silly college kid. Remember you'll be there for four years. Don't think you have to fit it all into your first semester because that will be your undoing. Going to class is important. Studying is even more important. Most important of all, though, is finding a balance. I hit the extremes on both ends. I spent my first semester playing too much and I earned horrible grades. I spent the next semester working too much and that made me miserable. It took some time for me to find my balance, but after I honed it my college experience was so much better. Realizing that you can be a part of both the parties and shenanigans just as much as the study groups and lectures is the most important lesson you can take in. The earlier you learn that, the better off you will be.

Do not focus on intermediate goals. Determine your ultimate educational goal and seek counseling ASAP. Talk to your counselor, apply for an internship in the field you are considering. Shadow someone in that profession. Ask them the pertinent questions. Ask about how long it takes to get to that goal? Can you work and go to school at the same time? Once you start working in that profession, can you go back to school for a higher degree in that profession? Do employers value that offer a raise for it? If you have the oportunity to start at a Community College while another institution reviews your records, start at the Community College. Otherwise you might end up losing time, knowledge, and motivation. Make sure you talk to your College Counselor and find out which classes are the limiting factors to getting into the program you want. Also, ask when is the application deadline, and further, by when must classes be completed in order for your application to be considered for that semester.

I would have advised myself to stress out less about grades. Don't get me wrong, high school grades are important to get into college, but once you are in college, no asks you about your high school GPA, thus, I would have recommended myself and others to enjoys their high school years without over stressing on getting the highest possible grades or being a striaght A student. I would have also advised myself to go more to the career center to start exploring possible career fields sooner so that by the time I got to college, I would have had narrowed down my major options. I would have recommended myself to keep going to the career center regularly as a high school senior and continuing to do so during the transition to college and beyond.

Aim for straight A's and focus on one extracurricular activity or job and one volunteer opportunity. These will make you competitive in the workforce and in college. Attend a community college and do not take out any student loans. Grants alone will be more than enough to attend Ivy Tech Community College. Apply for every scholarship that you are eligible for. While in school, work a part-time job that either offers tuition reimbursement, free training, is related to your major, or a combination of the three. Have higher standards about the men you date. If they can't respect your whole person and work on their own positive goals, they are not worth your time. Your romantic relationships will impact your education and professional goals. Stay home! Don't be in a rush to be grown. Live with your parents until you graduate and are fully capable of running a household on your own. During this time, save up so you can buy a home upon moving out of your parents' house instead of renting. This will make your college life and transition into adulthood more successful.

If I could go back I would probably go to a school with more people from my high school and in state. It is very expensive to go to a school out of state and it also makes it more difficult to come home and be with family if I wanted to. I also came to school knowing no one and got stuck with a random roommate. We were total opposites and that made the first weeks of college rough. If I had been with someone I knew, it would have been less stressful transitioning into college. I would also go back and try to be less shy. It is hard going to school knowing no one and being shy. I knew I had to make friends but I didnt know how. If I could go back I would tell myself to be more outgoing and try to say hi to everyone.