George Mason University Top Questions

If I was able to go back and give myself advice about college life and the transition, I would tell myself to join a Fraternity. A fraternity would greatly have improved all aspects of college life and the transition. By joining a fraternity I would have met many new people with common interests depending on what type of frat I join. The transition would have been smoother because the upper classmen in my frat would be able to give me helpful hints and tips about the college and how to manage my time. My weekends certainly would not be quiet with all the activities that I would be doing to fill my time. I would be helping my community by doing volunteer work and I would hangout with my brothers in my spare time. Also with a fraternity, I would meet other great fraternities and sororities through group activities and having many contacts is very beneficial. I would be able to find someone in any field to help me with any situation whether it be a tutor, someone with a special skill, or just the know how of solving a problem. This information would have been very beneficial to me.

As a high schooler, I attended a boarding school and grew accustomed to living away from home very early. However, living in a dorm is not the only transition one needs to make at college. If I could go back to advise my senior self, I would tell myself to study more dilligently; rather than spending all my time with friends and not focussing. I would makes ure I knew that even if I didn't get to go to the school I wanted, that the school doesn't matter as long as you take advantage of the education you are given. I would also advise myself not to get too caught up in how well you do, because I tend to do worse when I think I'm doing fine. And lastly, I would tell myself to always put my best effort in, because even if you get a C, as long as you've done your best, that's all that matters.

Take it easy, evaluate all the options, spend a good deal of time trying to figure out what you really want to do ..

Transitioning from high school to college not only provides invaluable lessons to life but also transforms one into a grown, mature adult. In high school, I prepared for the journey towards college. Such skills, tools, and resources readily available pave the pathway to an education of higher learning. As a high school senior all but one adive stood above all--in order to make a decision, I must stand by it and to never look back. It was my choice to apply for scholarships to help pay for school tuition. There was a decision to make in applying for college and where to eventaully attend. A selection was made whether or not to accept college loans. All of these decisions became determinants of how I chose the college I decided to be in. Of course there was nothing to lose in doing scholarships given time. It was a matter of finding the right kinds and applying for them as soon as possible. Knowing the road I was prepared to drive on would be smooth and rocky at times, I had to make the best decisions that would reflect my ambitions, challenges and goals as best as possible.

Look into degree programs more closely and really work on transferring and making friends.

I would say that I was relatively practical in the advice that I gave myself as a high school senior with regards to my expectations, but the one thing that I would tell myself is to be realistic. I began at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Coming from a small town, I thought that I wanted the big city life, but realized when I got there, that I was lonely and wanted more family support - all of whom were in Virginia or Maryland. I transferred to George Mason in Fairfax, Virginia and received the support of my family, who were in close proximity to my school, while also getting that city-life experience.

I would do it the same all over again because my ninth grade teachers stressed the importance of grades. I continued to stay focused and worked hard. One of the most important things I learned was that due dates are always closer than they appear and that taking a low grade is better than taking a zero so always put in your best effort. The work does not have to be the best, just make it your best. Even failing is learning because you learn what to avoid. Without education there is no progress, and no progress means no room for success. Make your pain a passionate, meaning if you do not like school do not work for it, adjust it to work for you by making it engaging.

Study hard from the beginning and take advantage of the resources given. Use your professors and get to know them - they are INCREDIBLE people! Never, EVER, give up, and enjoy your beautiful time while you have it :) School is amazing.

When I first came to college, I had no idea about what to expect. First of all, I was homeschooled until college, so I was worried about the transitions that I would make. Secondly, I was not excited to keep studying when I was almost done with high school. What I did not realize was that I would become more curious about the world and what I was studying and learn that homework done on time is easy to control. This really became clear to me four weeks into college, when I realized during calculus class that I was really excited to solve the word problem that I was doing so that I could find out what the maximum revenue of cookies would be. When it dawned on me about how engaged I was in my homework and what I was learning, I realized just how fun college is. Of course the parties and late night chats with friends are fun; everyone knows that because college social life is so talked about. However, I think that I would want to tell myself that one of the best things that I would learn in college is how to have fun learning.

Have a plan going into college, know what classes to take sooner.