George Washington University Top Questions

College classes are not the same as high school classes, and plan accordingly. I came from a small school in a small town where I could make honor roll with minimum effort. After finishing my first semester at GW my eyes were opened to how much harder I was going to have to try in college. Time management skills are a must, and studying isn't just something you can skip right before a test. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would warn myself to get into good studying habits immediately. Sometimes you have to pass up the opportunity to have fun with friends if it means saving the grade.

The advice that I would give my self as a senior in high school would be to steer clear and stay the course. Its all a learing experience that you should be hungry for. It will show you a lot about your true self if you apply yourself 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} day in and day out. You are young and there will be PLENTY of time for exploration outside of school later in life. That life wont be much more than a struggle unless you work hard and establish yourself now as a young adult. Be diligent and open your mind. You don't see opportunities approaching you, they are seen only as the have already passed you by. You are young and you have your whole adult life ahead of you. Eat right, sleep right and conquer the world through what school has to offer you. Life is short so make it count for something that will hopefully affect the people around you in the best way possible.

To a younger Steven: Enjoy your time, open your mind, and throw yourself at all the opportunities that come forth. Senior year will come and go, faster than your brother's toy cars fall off the table. Unfortunately it is impossible not to go without regrets, especially when moving on to college. Just remember to choose your path not on someone else's wishes (even if they are with great intentions), but by your own goals and dreams. Open up, and when you think you've chosen, think it over once more; or it will hurt twice as much in the future. But, you will rekindle your goals and dreams, that I promise you. The transition from high school to college will not always be easy, nor will it always be difficult. Just remember to always trust the friends that are already there for you, even when you don't see them. You will have their support, because you will always have their back. Finally, don't slack off in Math. Even when Mr. Boulay loses all hope in you, and you in Math; the lessons you learn there will help you in both college and life.

Relax. Those AP classes with all of the homework due the next day have helped prepare you for this next step. Be prepared for the intensity of the coursework - there isn't as much work as you do in high school, but the expectations are higher, so you'll need to up your game to meet those expectations. You'll need to stay focused. None of your college professors are going to "hold your hand" and remind you about the essay that's due or to study for an exam, so it's on you to work for the learning experience you want and to earn the grade that reflects that. Don't ignore due dates - for anything! Not homework, papers, or financial aid. Due dates are firm and, again, it's on you to keep up with them. Enough of the serious aspect. Don't forget to have fun, too. You'll start meeting people right away, in your dorm, your classes, the dining hall, all kinds of places. Be open-minded to this experience. One of the best aspects of college is the diversity, so enjoy it!

Now that my parents are no longer able to pay for my schooling and I am facing an obstacle to complete my studies, I would tell my high school self to plan financially for school before I attend. I would then tell my self to value my degree in ways that others around me will not. For many students, getting a degree is expected, easy, and what everyone knows they will do. But for many people in this world, a degree is very hard to attain because they do not have the finances or the opportunity they need. So I would tell myself to never take my degree for granted. I would tell myslef to go on to create a career that will in turn give women from developing countries more educational opportunities. This is the vision that I have for my life, and I am excited to see how a degree will set me on a career path that can allow me to gain the work experiences and the network that will enable me to make a huge impact one day through my own social enterprise for women from other countries that are in need of educational opportunities.

College is one of the toughest challenges that people face because they must adjust to harder academics and a completely different environment. As a senior, I thought that the organization and time management skills that I had to get through my high school classes would work in college. However, when I got to college, I immediately fell behind because my parents were not around to remind me to do my homework, and I was not prepared for the level of focus required. If I could give advice to myself as a senior, I would say to push towards practicing strong study and work habits in high school so that I will be prepared for the transition to college’s challenging environment. Another recommendation is to take a diverse set of courses throughout my high school years because having prior experience in a course made it much easier in college. Everything that I did in high school, ranging from leadership to extracurricular activities, prepared me for getting good grades and making friends in college. Being focused, having strong time management skills, taking on more challenging diverse courses, and developing good study habits will allow you to be more successful in college.

I would advise myself to take school more seriously.

I would tell myself in high school that it doesn't hurt to have an idea of what you want to do and how to achieve it. The other thing I would aboslutely stress is about loans and financial aid. CONSIDER IT. The idea of borrowing money and being soley responsible is a huge growing up factor.

I remember high school graduation day, staring out at all my classmates, the ones I shared good and bad memories with for the past four years of my life, I felt like I was leaving such a huge part of my life behind by moving four hours away. I felt the anxiety, the nervousness, and the fear of what I thought was the end of what I have known my whole life. Now that I have finished my first year in college, I would tell my senior self that there is no need to be afraid or anxious, all the problems that seemed so important and so impactful of my life would not be so damaging but it would make me into a better person. I would tell myself to not be so hard on myself and to learn to live day by day and take things one day at a time. That although a high school and college education is very important, the things you learn from your surroundings whether it is people or places will be very valuable in making you a more understanding and intellectual person.

If I could go back in time and advise my high school self about college life and the transition, I would tell myself to REMEMBER WHY I AM THERE! College is a time where students are faced with many challenges and decisions. The temptation to put ones social life before academia is overwhelming at times. The stress of the workload can lead students astray and leaning more toward partying than studying. However, ultimately, we go to college to pursue a career and obtain a good education, not to excessively engage in social events. I would tell my high school self that I am student before anything, and as such, my number one priority are my classes. "Work Hard, Play hard"; work before play.