James Madison University Top Questions

Hey, Rachael! Slow down for a second and stop rushing around trying to be everywhere at once. Relax, you will be just fine. You are right, you are ready for college and have been well prepared, but make sure to really focus on your schoolwork too to keep those grades up. Keep good track of your money, because it wont last and you could get in some trouble. Don't worry about coming home too much. Try to stay at school and make a lot of friends. Your high school friends wont last as you all go your separate ways, so don't try too hard to impress them or be good friends. Don't slack off in your school work, but try to have fun while you can, because once you go to college your life will change forever. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is no going back.

College is all about what you put into it. You have to be open-minded and ready to meet new people. You get out of the experience as much as you put in. And don't forget to manage your time wisely!!!!

If I were able to return to the past and talk with my former self, after scaring her from popping out of nowhere, telling myself the future is brighter in college would be the first thing I would say. I would divulge the same excitement I give my friends now, showing that I have no need to be the shy and quiet girl in the front not knowing what to do in life. I'd tell myself to keep on shining inside and out since there are a variety of positive options to keep me from being bored, scared, or alone. I'd also tell myself to turn in my application a few months earlier so I would not have to have the last-minute stress from an early application.

Applying for schools and getting into college seems like the biggest deal in the world back in senior year. It's not. In the end, just going away to school is the best thing for you. I have friends that go to big Ivy League schools that I turned down because I had to stay in state, and I couldn't be happier. The label of a "prestigious" school doesn't mean it's going to be a better academic or social experience. I love my college and would never want to go anywhere else because the friends and experiences have been priceless.

The best advice I could give myself is to sieze the day, but plan for tomorrow. By this, I mean that living in the moment is crucial to living a fulfilling life. I would tell myself to sit on the college's quad, play frisbee outside of my dorm, and use free time to explore the campus and community rather than sit online. Also, I would definitely tell myself to plan for tomorrow. College is all about preparing us to go somewhere in life, and there's no better preparation than to be prepared. I wish I was wiser when it came to scheduling classes and using my semesters efficiently to maximize the most out of my college time. Overall, I would say this knowledge would have been useful but the great part of college is that you go into it not knowing one thing that will happen.

Stay involved with sports teams or club. These oppurtunities will provide youi with oppurtunities to interact with people who are different from you and give you leadership experience, which will make the transition to college smoother!

Wake up and start figuring out what you want to do with your life! Start looking into possible majors so that once you get to college you won?t be changing your major every semester and holding yourself back from graduating in four years. Make friends with the people around you at every opportunity and get involved! Be open to trying new things and step outside of your comfort zone even when your body is screaming that you are too tired for kick-boxing at eight in the morning. Who knows what interesting people you will meet, but don?t be afraid to get out there and find them. College is a place for getting an education, learning new skills and meeting friends for life so take advantage of every opportunity given to you and don?t give up when the going gets rough. Keep your head up and have a little faith. Oh, and bring quarters.

I would tell myself that the transition will be a great experience and their is nothing to worry about. Be ready for all of the opportunities about to be thrown at you. Always be open-minded and make friends with people who don't share the same educational goals as well as those who do. Take advantage of any scholarships or grants to make it easier to pay for college. Know exactly what you want to get from your college experience and try to plan everything ahead. Visit the college your planning on attending more than once and get in contact with students who already attend the college. Ask lots of questions and begin networking. Keep a positive outlook and really have a strong idea as to what you want to major in. It is important to know what major you want so you can join clubs and take specific classes towards your future career. Be prepared to socialize and become very responsible.

Knowing what I know now about the college process, I would first of all tell myself about all of the financial aid possiblities that I have unfortunately not taken advantage of because I never realized how important they were. Loans have really hurt me and I wish I would have given scholarships a better shot. I was just too desperate to go that I didn't realize what I was doing and now I wish I could take it all back. I also would have taught myself about the value of relationships and given my friends more time instead of living stressed and not letting anyone help me. It would have made the stress much easier to handle if I had given my friends the chance to support me instead of living in depression. Lastly I would make sure I focused more on community involvement because I learned in my later years in college how much of an affect it had on me and the people it helped and it would have given me a better outlook on life early on. I also would have chosen my career differently because of it. Thank You!

Accessibility to study facilities and libraries at flexible hours is something that really does make a difference. At James Madison University, I was lucky enough to have entered a school that did not have a large campus, and was walking distance from the library. The library was not only open long hours, but also had separate studying group rooms, individual quite rooms and more. That was on top of a wide selection of helpful references. Other study facilities include tutor centers, computer labs, study lounges and study rooms in the dorms. These encourage healthy studying habits and really does make a difference if put to use. The first step to using them is making sure that there is access to them.