Rice University Top Questions

Don't underestimate the amount of learning that happens outside the classroom. The thousands and thousands of dollars you pay each year will be a waste if all you do is schoolwork. Don't be afraid to lessen your course load so you can focus on yourself more. It's easy to think you have time for everything you want to do while still taking a full, difficult course load, but everything requires sacrifice, and the first thing that usually goes is personal time and personal growth. Do not let this happen. I don't know if there's one definitive thing you should learn while in college, but, if there is, I'd bet it isn't something you'd learn in class, so don't take extracurricular or personal learning lightly. Now don't get the wrong idea, class is important, but knowing your limits is more important.

Hey LaQuishia, I'm the future you two years later. Well LaQuishia, first thing first, I'm in college now and it's not all fun and games. You need to step up on your studing skills, can't study at last minute. Second, you need to set up a BETTER sleeping pattern, you go to sleep late and wake up really early and crash in the middle of the day. Need to pay attention more in class, it will help out more in the long run. Last and not least the worst thing is you need to pay attention and study more in Math, we suck.! Now you are doing great in going to school everyday and on time, and that really paid off good here in the future. Also, you are doing great and reading classes, you did so good you don't need to take reading classes. Help us, no help yourself prepare for the future. And Keep up the good work. Signed, LaQuishia from 2013

You will be unprepared. Accept that, and know this - no one else is prepared for Rice, either, and so you're all on equal footing. Don't worry about homesickness; Rice is more than enough of a home to keep that at bay. Embrace your English major, because as much as the idea of being an engineer and making money right out the college gate sounds amazing, English is your true calling, and trying to change that will only hurt. And don't forget the frying pan at home. You're going to need it.

If I could go back, I would tell myself not to be afraid of joining in new activities and clubs at the beginning of the year. I would tell myself to be open to all opportunities and realize college is a time to reinvent myself. I would tell myself that it is okay to move forward in my interests and with my new friends and not to worry too much about the past.

Just because the college applications had a box for declaring your major does not mean that the words you entered in that box must determine your college education. You are not going to know what you want to be so early in life, so don't try to commit so early. Explore your options, because that 14 hours of your psychology major classes and the 6 hours of pre-med classes you will otherwise sign up for your first semester in college will be a complete waste once you realize that you do not want to major in psychology and that you do not want to go to medical school. Relax and have some fun--following a strict path was for high school. Your freshman year should widen your view and have you thinking about possibilities, not turning them down. You do not have to graduate in three years, and college is not solely about getting a degree, although an integral part. But do know that you should always study and give it your one hundred percent in classes--no more slacking, no more procrastinating. College is real.

If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now about college I would have alot of advice to give myself. I would tell myself to buckle down in my highschool studies and get good grades, take advantage of the free financial aide applications, and sign up for as much scholarships that I qualify for. In highschool, it would have been a big help if I really understood how important it was to have acheived good grades and the impact that it would have made for me in college now. If I had paid more attention in highschool, I would have been able to be placed in higher college classes, instead of taking courses that I already took in highschool. It would have also been nice to know how important and easy the financial aid application and process was, so that I could have avoided paying out of my own pockets my first year in college. Last, if I had hustled more and really followed up on the scholarships out there, paying for college would have been alot more easier.

I have learned a lot about myself and other cultures. I have been able to decide on a major and set it. The people at Rice University are there for each other. If you need something there will be someone to help you. I gained valuable relationships. Relationships that will help shape me as a person. When you have a support system it is harder to give up and just stop and say I cannot do it. There is always someone there to tell you that you can and to motivate you to keep pushing on. I have figured out that everyone is intelligent in there own ways. Some are a little more intelligent than others. College and high school are two very different things. It is a huge spatial jump. I have gotten life experience that I can pass on to my friends that are getting ready to enter college. This way they can be more readily prepared than me. I hope they receive a support system like the one I have. However if they do not, then I can be theirs. My support system can hold me while I hold them.

My college experience has shown me how responsible I've become and has increased my knowledge of real-world things. It has been very valuable to attend because as a young adult I am transitioning from depending on my parents to depending on myself. College has helped me do this. In regards to school, I rely on myself to decide what classes I should take. This transition is making me make more life decisions that I usually would rely on my parents to make.

Here at Rice, I have made connections that will last a lifetime, no matter what direction I choose to go with my degree. These connections are with professionals, professors, classmates, and world leaders. My education is beyond the classroom; I'm learning how to work in the world, and above all, I'm learning how to live.

Some of the best friends Ill ever make in my whole life.

I would advise myself to keep working harder and that college is no walk in the park. Not to slack off on things just cause they are easy and always accept the extra work, cause the more practice, the easrier the classes will be. Take more notes and what goes on, cause they will be needed. Start waking up earlier and make sure that the work is completed before I begin recreational activities because a lot of time is needed for the work. A lot more reading is needed, and more practice. Other than that, the transtition is not that much.

?Let me out of here!? I yell to my seventeen-year-old self from within a dark closet. The door slowly opens, revealing my younger-self peering warily at me, heavy textbook in hand to beat the intruder - me. I cannot blame her for being cautious because I, too, would feel unnerved if I heard my own voice from a closet. My purpose for being here is to advise my younger-self about college. There is much to tell about the hard adjustments ahead, but I will only ease the passage ? not make the difficulties go away. The most valuable advice I have is to expect the unexpected; as a college student, I have experienced moments that have shaken me ? first time to truly have difficulties in academics and first time to not have my strong support system surround me. It is important to not be so comfortable when entering college; do not think that this will be a continuation of success in high school. College takes a lot more hours of work and studying; it breaks your self-confidence, but you just need to persevere. Younger-me looks intently at me; I take a breath and begin my story.

It's June 6, 2009, and there's a pool party in celebration of tomorrow's graduation. A girl rides around on her boyfriend's back laughing and smiling, but she's really thinking, "It will never be like this again." That girl is me, and I know exactly what she's thinking. She thinks all her new classmates will be smarter and better than her, they won't. She thinks classes will be too hard for her to do well in, they won't; that she will never get sleep or have time for fun, she will; that she will never talk to her mom anymore, she definitely will; that her and her boyfriend will never make it work, they will; that she is going to gain the Freshman 15, she won't; that she may not like Rice after all, turns out, she will love it. Just as I am about to tell her these secrets and give her some peace of mind, I turn away. These fears, these pre-college jitters are all a part of the journey, they give meaning to all that you experience and discover, and I would never take that away from myself.

After attending Rice University for a year and a half, I have accumulated numerous pieces of wisdom and learned so much about the college experience. The most valuable piece of advice I would give myself would be to take my time and ease into college courses slowly. Four years is plenty of time to take all of the required courses so there is no reason to try to rush into many difficult classes the first semester of college. There are so many other social, emotional, and personal changes taking place during the transition to college that nobody needs the added stress of a difficult courseload at the very beginning. My first year of college I thought I was prepared to jump a full courseload and skip some of the introductory classes. However, I very quickly discovered that courses in college are more difficult and require more time than those in high school. Fortunately, I realized this early in my first semester and was able to make the necessary changes to prevent a complete meltdown. I dropped one of my more time consuming courses, but I wish I had known this information before even signing up for my classes.

If I could give any advice to my senior high school self, I would say don?t worry. When you?re applying to colleges, you are under a lot of pressure and you might forget the goal. College is a wonderful next step after high school. Life will be different, but you?ll adjust. You are admitted to a school because the admissions staff believes you will fit in. You might seem out of place at first, but everyone does. That?s what happens when you go somewhere new. Everyone is adjusting to everything at the same time. The people in your dorm are all learning to live on their own, but you will also all learn to live with each other. The workload might be different from high school but colleges don?t let in unprepared students. All the other freshmen will adjust with you. Finally, you might have a detailed plan of how you think life will be in college. You might not end up following it. Don?t worry. No one has their life planned out by senior year of high school. Just go with what feels right. It seems to all work out in the end.

I would tell myself to organize my time well. As an incoming student athlete, the transition between my high school and a University like Rice could prove to be a very difficult obstacle to overcome.

Be yourself

Don't wait around for the oppurtunities to come along - go out and pursue them!

My advice would be to visit the schools and get a feeling for the enviroment. If at all possible, they should do an overnight to see what the social scene is really like. There is nothing like visiting the campus and just knowing that this is where you belong. If you're like me, it may not be what you were looking for on paper, but in person it is all you could ask for and more. Also, talk about the school with current students. Alumni are useful, but may not have the current "411." Lastly, parents, "Lay off!" You're not re- visiting you're college years, let you're kid pick the school that's right for them, it may not be an Ivy, but they'll be a lot happier and get so much more out of the college experience if they're at a school they WANT to be at.

If you are able to, go visit the college while it is in session so you can get a feel for how the classes are. At the same time, you can get an idea of the students that attend the college. Staying overnight would be the best option so the prospective student can really gain a good understanding of all that makes up the university, during the day and night. Make sure to do extensive research on each university you are applying to so you are able to consider everything you would like the college to have. Once you select a university to attend, try to get as involved as possible to take advantage of all the opportunities available. Try being part of something you may find interesting but have never done in the past. Those are always the most rewarding experiences. Take classes that you find interesting, especially if you are undecided in your major. The major will come later. At the same time, continuously try to identify your primary interests and your skills to make your academic experience the most valuable.