Maryland Institute College of Art Top Questions

The transition itself is easy, I probably would tell myself to be less harsh on your initial opinion of people because people you started out hating turned out to be really good friends.

I would give myself the advice to have an open mind. I was very skeptical when coming into college and I wouldnt try certain things or would not experiement with my art. I would tell myself to let myself experiement. I have seen myself grow a lot through college but I would have liked to see myself grow in other ways.

I would advise myself to not go any expecting anything specific, and to maintain a great deal of flexibility. I would tell myself how you get back what you put in during the first semesters, and because of this, it is very vital to work as hard as you can and manage your time as effieciently as possible.

Do not worry too much about getting perfect grades. While grades are important, remember to have fun and see your friends because that will keep your humanity. Also, give more time to your artwork so that you don't have to continuouslly feel like you're catching up to everyone else. Continue working hard and push your limits because it'll all be so worth it in the end.

First of all, I would tell myself get rid of the spirit of procrastination. Procrastination will become your demise in college if you do not get it under control in the first two weeks. Secondly, I would tell myself listen to your mom, write more. I would have taken an additional writing classes, this would have prevented me from spending many hours in the writing center now. I would have ask my English teacher are we going to write any essays or term papers this year? I would tell myself I am proud I learn what it is to burn the midnight oil and to have a quality work ethic. This comes in handy now when I am tired and the Baltimore winds are whipping around my head. Lastly, I would tell myself, I am proud of my accomplishments, but those are in the past. Brandon work hard continue to build your future.

College is an experience that is made to challenge you, to change you, to grow you. The challenges are grueling, and you will want to give up. Don’t. There is no formula for how to survive the journey, especially if you are a first generation college student. You are on your own. No one is there to tell you what to do, to fix your mess, or stroke your ego. Never lose focus. Remember the goal: get your degree. College comes with distractions: parties, relationships, peer pressure, and exhaustion. With each distraction you give a bit of yourself. You begin to Change. You may lose sight of who you were and not recognize yourself in the mirror. So go to college with a plan. If you don't have one, get one. With a plan and your vision, you will Grow. You are investing in yourself. College cost is real, so the investment should be, too. Whether or not you learn, grow, or changing for the better, the student loans don't disappear. The debt is real. Don't play with your life. Become active in shaping your future. This will Change you, Grow you, and Save your life.

Hey, Raven! Yes, it's me -- I mean, it's you, technically. OK, calm down I'm just here to tell you about college. I know it seems far away but it's not and you need to be prepared. First, get used to working hard. Art school takes a lot more effort than high school. That includes not procrastinating! I know, you think it's fine, but shaking that bad habit is going to be really hard one day. Second, spend time making a lot of art. Everyone at your school is going to be really amazing and you should be too! I would also recommend painting more and learning how to use color - trust me, you'll thank me later. Third, enjoy your high school friendships and the time you'll all spend together. If you can deepen those bonds, you will still be there for each other even when you leave for college. That's going to be really important to you soon. As an aside, you should also get used to carrying a lot of heavy art supplies with you everywhere. You'll be doing a lot of that in the near future.

If I could go back and time, I would tell myself to work harder and dont delay going to college. I would want myself to know that the longer you wait the harder it is to grasp the things now me being 29 then when I was 17 or 18. I would also tell myself that when I get to college to work really hard and read and study every night, because college is no joke. I would want my younger self to know that although I'm saying it is hard it will be worth it in the end to have a college degree and have your pick of jobs. IThe very last thing I would tell myself would be never give no matter how many things are standing in your way.

I would tell myself to push myself harder throughout highschool, and go out and apply for more scholarships while I still had the chance.

If I were to become a High School senior once again, I would make sure to try my best in the English 12 class. And I would definitely encourage myself to retake a class that could have probably lead me straight to a four year University. I regret not being able to transition from High School to a four-year university, but I still have this great educational opportunity, which I am of course going to take advantage of.

Relax and take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. College is full of stress, drama, and definitely sleep deficiency, but you cannot let that get in the way of your goals in life. You were accepted to this fabulous instituiton for a reason, and you have to keep your head up high. There may be hard times, but there will always be good times to keep you going. Those good times will be full of friends, bonding and great learning experiences. These moments are what make the college journey worthwhile. If you can remember that everyday, you are sure to reach and exceed your goals.

I have learned a lot about the importance of dedication and determination since high school. I worked hard in high-school, but there were times when I lost focus or truly didn't understand the importance of good grades. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to never settle for average. I would encourage myself to work harder in school and focus more on the important things. I would tell that girl not to let anyone or anything get in the way of her hopes and dreams. Education is the only thing that no one can take from you. Therefore, I would encourage her to stay focused on her dreams and to never lose sight of the important things in life. I know now that settling for "okay" or average can haunt you for the rest of your life. So, strive to be the BEST! Strive for excellence and start finding out about college sooner because it will be here in the blink of an eye. Then, you will be forced into the real world and will have to take it seriously. Strive to be the best you can be at all costs.

I would have told myself to have done more research about the universities and opportunities available at MICA university. I would have told myself to focus and concentrate more on my artwork and grades.

I am only a freshmen; only a semester and half through college. Some people may say this as a short time, whereas other people may say this as a very long time. For me, this time was very short compare to how many things happened and how many things I had to learn. I don't think I was ever aware of knowing that time could pass by so fast; faster than any other time before. I was so caught up with the new environment, new teachers, friends, and new ways of sustaining myself that I didn't take the time to really sit down and reflect on where I am, what I am doing here, and what I will be doing in the near future here as an undergrad. Even now, my memories of first sememster are a blur. If I had known, I would have told myself to take things one at a time. There was no reason to rush through things, worrying that if I don't get things now, I won't get things later, because nothing is going to run away from me. They will be here, for the next 3.5 years.

Dear me, You may nto understand most of the tihings that I am about to tell you right now, but I want you to listen. I assure you that in due time evrything will make sence. The first thing you must know is its okay. That's correct. Its okay to cry. It's okay to laugh. It's okay to be yourself. Thers a big world outside of the four walls you hae spent these past years in. Next: the choices you make today will affect your future, but you will have no rerets so long as those choices are yours to learn from. Finally: choose your own path. If you do not one will be chosen for you and you will go through life being a character in someone else's story. By now I'm sure you're thinking that this seems complicated. Choices, paths, and you have college to worry about now, but trust me when I say hang onto this advice. It could mean the difference betwee being somebody and being no one at all. The future you Rayne

i would tell myself to stay in school and work and go home and then do it again until i can get more experience and so on

Dear High School Laura, I know right now things are hard on you. Your friends have abandoned you, and you have to move out of your childhood home because your dad no longer wants to pay for the mortgage. And not only that, but your brother blames you for the whole thing, which I know isn't great for your already low self esteem. But fear not, oh marvelous younger self. We took the time off from school to discover what we wanted to do when we "grew up", and we meet our future husband soon. (He's a real keeper!) We enroll in community college, where we make really great friends who support us. One of our best friends is from this college. We graduate from this college with a 4.0 GPA and are accepted into our dream school where we study art. So right now everything seems really, really crappy and it sort of is. But it does get better. A lot better. Granted there are times I wish we had enrolled in community college sooner, but if we had we would not have had the maturity to want to excel and do the best we can.

Enjoy every moment and expierence you can. Everything is a learning expierence. Although you could afford your dream school, you are still a talented passionate artist. It doesn;t matter where you go to school, as long as you keep an open mind about classes, people, and opportunities.

Dear high school me, College will be a completely new and exciting experience for you. The freedom and ability to manage your own time without having parents to decide what you should be doing. In order to make the right decision for college, you need to know what is the one thing you love to do and will be willing to spend all your energy on. College is all about self-learning and self-improvement. Professors are there to guide you, they are not there to teach you everything you want to know. So take time to think about that one thing that you are passionate about, because then you will be able to expand that energy to help you create a wonderful learning experience in what you want to do in the future. Last but not least, enjoy the last year in high school and really appreciate the close friends you have made during these four years. You have no idea how much you will miss your friends once everyone leave for college. Good luck and have fun! You will do great. Sincerely, Freshman me.

I was extremely involved in my education. Maintaining good grades and a passion for art, that, sometimes I would have second thoughts about the kind of degree I believed was acceptable and practical in school. As a student at a magnet school, for Visual Arts, I was tested on the two disciplines that I often times did not believe would coincide. At the Maryland Institute I am part of a dual degree program for fine art and art education, granting me a bachelors and masters degree in five years time. Sometimes in life we listen to our doubts more than we do our passions and its doubt that, sometimes, derails someone from being on the right track to success. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior today I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to have reasonable doubt. That it’s okay to be scared and excited at the same time! But to hold fast to your dreams and never let anyone steal your joy for what you love in life.