Hampton University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Hampton University know before they start?

Stephanie

You might find that arriving on a college campus is a bit intimidating but soon you will know your way around and large groups of strangers will become familiar smiling faces. Make as many possible friends as you can in college. Upon graduation these will be your lifelong friends and will encompass a professional network. Join as many clubs as you can in order to learn how to interact with diverse groups of people and have as much fun as you possibly can. This will be a lot different from high school. Professors will expect you to be responsible for managing your assignments just as a boss will hold you accountable for your work on a job one day. . In each class figure out whom the brightest student in the room is and ask if they want to create a study group with you. In most cases this individual will enjoy having someone to work with and will be able to reinforce everything you learned in class. Be as organized as you possibly can and navigate through your matriculation knowing that you are capable of facing every challenge and that your best is good enough.

Arie'yana

In the words of the great homework god, “DO YOUR WORK WHEN YOU CAN, NOT WHEN YOU WANT TO”. If I would’ve heard that simple statement from the great heavens of magical pencils and all A’s, without dubious claim, I would’ve graduated at the top of my class. I was number 11/263 & a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Hillside High school. After the perpetual brood of the EE, TOK project, & IOAs—I realized (at the last minute) that procrastination was not the key to solving my senior year educational ennui. My involvement on campus was precluding the possibility of completing my work on time by juggling being head drum major of the marching band & co-captain of the varsity volleyball & softball team. However, William Clement Stone stated it himself, “Whatever the mind can conceive it can achieve”. I would learn to assuage the fear of failure by reassuring myself that life is all about the Law of Attraction. It is an integral part of understanding that negative thoughts bring negativity to life. It is best to stay positive and tenacious as you continue to excel & be the prodigious student you were destined to be.

deja

Dear Deja, Congradulations yo have made it to your senior year. I am so very proud of you! Also congradulations on your scholarship offers, accepted to twenty-two schools and thirteen with scholarship, WOW! I know you are in the midst of narrowing down your choices, but beware of the choices that you make. Do not make your decision based off what everyone else wants or expects from you, make yor decision based on what you want. Keep in mind you can not have super high expectations on an unknown experience. As you already know high expectations lead to high disappointments. College is an enriching, exciting, and frstrating experience at times, but it is somethin you will never forget. I do not suggest that you roomate with anyone yo know beforehand it causes lost friendships. You wil have four years of new friendships to make and I know yo will not waste any time. This is your chance at stability do not waste it on poor choices and fear of history repeating itself. I love and believe in you, and also dont forget that this is a new chance to be a new better you, dont waste it. Love, Deja

Jorden

Advice I would give to myself is that you must be prepared. When I say prepared I mean mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially. College is not easy so I would make sure that I studied throughout the summer to brush up on old material. Also I would tell myself that scholarships will be your best friend no matter how long it takes to apply, the end result is very rewarding. So that you do not have that financial burden because as a college student stress is the last thing you need. Lastly take a break for yourself and be a child because your days as a child are coming to an end. Once you hit college you are an adult who has to fend for themselves. Meaning that the last days you spend with your loved ones will make you feel better once you are off on your own.

Terrence

I would tell myself to take more advantage of the scholarship opportunities and to apply to more. College is a wonderful experience for anyone; a place where one goes to learn who they are and how they fit in the world. It is here where you learn how to personalize everything, including your study habits and your social life. However, it can be considered a burden without the appropriate financial aid. My advice to everyone is to apply to as many opportunities as possible. One of the many credos that I like to live by is "It is better to have and not need than to need and not have."

Antonette

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to learn to manage my time when I do start college. As a colloge student its important to manage your time, because unlike high school, college will keep moving whether or not if you are ready. Learning ow to manage time will be helpful when you get to college. Write things down from first priority and write down the approximate time so you know how long you're to do this and that. It really helps.

Londen

The advice I would give myself would be to focus and work hard while in your high school years, I didn't think it really mattered until I struggled with my college coursework. Once you maintain that hard work ethic in high school, the work in college won't be a problem. Second I'd tell myself start the college search early, maybe late sophomore year into junior year so you know what score you need to make on the ACT/SAT. Third DO YOUR RESEARCH! Research colleges regularly and thouroughly. Know what you are looking for in a school. Don't just choose a school because it sounds nice. Try and visit schools. Websites can throw you off, so go visit to see for yourself. When you make your school choice make sure it not only fits your needs but is also somewhere you'd be happy to be mentally and financially.

Joye

College is only four years of your life in which it can be a launch pad or a deterence from your intended future. It is your decision to succeed or fail in this arena. Academics will always be the priority, but on a universities campus you are first introduced to the truths of life. You must gain your independence and rely only on yourself. This is your time. Shine, be the best that you can be and never give up on your dreams!

Jordan

As a highschool senior, I became increasingly concerned with what others wanted for me, instead of finding confidence within my own personal ambitions. And one of the most difficult moments of my life, thus far, has been breaking out of the security blankets tied doggedly around my ankles. If I could go back in time, maybe I would tell myself to have never wasted those 3 years of college, an undecided major, and debt. Maybe I would tell myself to skip all of that and start where I am now, in New York City, as a musician, going to school for audio engineering. But the truth is, my biggest mistake thusfar has been dwelling in regret and worrying about the future, instead of remaining in the present, and finding confidence in the path that I have started for myself. Because of this, the only advice I would want to give to myself is to not fear so much about the future. My mistakes have all shed light on what I truly care about, and have taught me better lessons than i could ever teach myself.

Shantequa

If I had the opportunity to look back at my senior year of high school, I would advise myself to read more. I have always been told that reading is power, but I really didn't realize how true that statement was until I entered college. I would have also told myself to manage my time more wisely. By managing my time more wisely, I would have been able to do all the things in which my classes required me to as well as enjoy my free time with friends. The most important thing that I would have told myself is that peer pressure can get you into a lot of trouble so it is best to do right even when no one is looking. This way, I will be able to stay out of trouble and be a role model for others. As a high school senior, I will need to know that my first semester is a learning experience in an effort to better prepare me for the rest of my college days.

CheRon

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior the advice that I would give myself is to stay focused. Many students enter their senior year with the thought that they do not have to put in as much work as they had in the past years because they are almost finished with highschool. In my opinion your senior year is the most important year in highschool for the simple fact that colleges are looking at you with a magnifying glass. If your grades are not where they need to be, you could risk your future. Stay on track when it comes to applying to schools, as well as scholarships. Do not be focused on what others are doing , at this time in your life you should be focused on yourself as well as your future. Stick to your dreams, set goals, then accomplish them. Be yourself. Be the best that you can be. Remember, " Good, better, best ...Never let it rest...Until your good is better... and your better is best".

Kellye

If I was armed with the information that I know today about college life and making the transition, I would encourage myself to relax when thinking about the social aspect of college but approach studying with a vengeance. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the change in the social scene. If you keep in mind that all freshmen are going thru the same angst, you realize that you are sharing similar experiences that first year with every other freshman. In addition, it was important to me to identify with a group of women like me who always ensured their actions honor the ladies that they are. Those women were not hard to find. Graduating from an inner city IB school prepared me for the volume of work required at college but you get a lot of free time. You must use your time wisely and study as often as possible to stay ahead of the game. In summary, knowing when to go hard and when to relax are both critical to your personal and professional growth in college.

Candyce

Before you go to college, make sure you have a plan. Financial matters is a great way to start planning. I recommend attending community college first because it takes most of the financial burden off you. At the community college, make sure you enroll in a general education program and that ALL your classes transfer; that is very important!!! Also, be sure that all your classes transfer towards your intended degree, at the transfer institution. While in school do your very best because, your grades will take you far and there are great grants and scholarships for hard-working students. There will be some hardships along the way, but remember that your legacy starts with you, later you'll realize it was all worth it. Make sure in college that you look at the syllabus, that is where all your information and assignments are. Most teachers will remind you of upcoming assignments and some will not. Nevertheless, I recommend that you read your syllabus anyway, so that none of the assignments will sneak up on you. Remember after high school, education is no longer free! Value it both morally and financially. Best wishes!

Austin

I have had a great experience at Hampton University.The only advice I would give is to try to get involved a little bit earlier with community service as a freshman while you have a lighter course load. Also stay in constant contact with the financial aid department and try to get as many scholarships as possible because it does get much harder as the years go by.

Khairee

Hi Khairee, I am you from the future, 2013. Look, I came back to give you some words of advice; Ky, college is hard and expensive, so what you need to do is prepare yourself. Start working now, do more community service, scholarships, and save money to help mom pay for our tuition; before you apply to certain universities, do some research and see which universities will give you money and help you afford to stay in school. Also, stick to psychology as your major; you may believe that our mom wants you to go for business management because that type of major will help you get a job, but you are totally wrong. She wants us to go for what we want and what our passion is; and as of right now, psychology is our passion (and music too). Actually speaking of music, join the choir and take vocal lessons. Singing will help you release your stress and help you avoid drama. Besides all of that, the most important thing I want to tell you is to travel; get involve with study abroad programs and get started on learning foreign languages. Believe in yourself, Ky because you got this!

Gabrielle

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, some advice I would give to myslef would to definitely prepare more for the work load. Having senioritis did not prepare me to the heavy workload I'm getting now. The ransition is very rough from being completely lazy to full speed with work, tests, quizzes and presentations. I would also give myself advice about being physically in shape. Though students attend college for academics, it can also contribute to your life physically. Living on a big campus and not being able to have a car causes a lot on the body. I would have prepared myself better if I was in shape and exercised regularly. Lastly, I would prepare myself to be separated brom family. Living in Virginia, with my family in California is very hard due to me missing them a lot, but I'm learning what it means to be independent as an adult.

Courtney

To go back in time, and give my self advice as a high school senior. I will tell myself 3 tips for helping me to succeed in college. Those tips are one stay true to myself, meaning no matter what everybody else is doing, always stick to my morals and faith. The reason for that is if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. As an entering freshmen, I want to been seen as a person who stays true to herself and what she believes in. The second tip, I will give myself is every choice has a consequence. Consequences come in bad or good outcomes, for instance in college their will always be parties, but not many tests to study for. So telling myself that I need to think about things before I rush into them, since I don’t know what could be the outcome from one choice. Last tip for college, is don’t be afraid to ask for help. Coming from a family that does not have a high school background, does add to my factor of me not knowing things others might know. Thus, asking questions will only benefit me.

Janae

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition to college, if I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely tell myself to focus more on Scholarship searches and applications. Regardless of it tuition and room & board are paid for, college comes with lots of other fees, including books, clubs and organizations, as well as, spending money for extracurriculars. I would also tell myself to not be afraid to jump in head first when it came to being involved on campus and making friends. Being nervous about talking to others and making friends can cause you to lose out on life long friendships and relationships.

Lance

I would advise myself to look for all the financial aid possible out there because college is really expensive . I also would tell myself to look more into what Univeristy top majors are.

briana

If I had a time car that let me travel back into time and let me visit my high school day I would encourage myself my push harder. I would also tell myself that you need to do it for yourself and not everyone around you. If I could go back in time I would also tell myself that dedication is key and in order to succeed you have to be more dedicated