Southern Virginia University Top Questions

Don't be afraid to ask questions about things you don't know. Take advantage of your admissions counselor. Just becasue you have money doesn't mean you should spend it. Save it. Seriously. It's okay to go to bed before midnight. The friends you make your first semester will most likely not be your best friends later on.

I would tell myself to not worry too much with new things and being out of my comfort zone. I should embrace these changes and learn to love these new experiences. When I first started college, I was 18 years old. I was from a small village in the tiny island of American Samoa. It was my first time away from home and I experienced a huge culture shock. Eventually I drop out of school and worked for the last couple of years. I found both the courage and drive to come back again. It has been well worth it. There are plenty of people that have different backgrounds. It is in this that I can grow to experience different cultures and different opinions on subject matters. I would tell myself that it is ok to see what others see and have them see what I see. As a college student I am the architect of my destiny. I am the one who motivates myself to meet new people and wake up on time for my classes. College is a new experience and it can be scary at first. All new things are. It is well worth it though.

Dear Senior Me, Soon you are going to college, and man it will be crazy. The best advice I can tell you about transitioning, first semester will be hard, since you lost Ethan. I know working is something you feel obligated to do, but taking a semester off will be good for you. Do NOT get lazy. I know it will be difficult going to school for a long period of time with seemingly no breaks but keep going. I promise you the grades are worth the work. Also, leave high school in high school. Three years later and I don't even talk to any of them anymore, yes, even Bradin and you don't talk anymore. Don't spend all your free time lingering in the past, actually, go meet katie bug right now. She can use you. No matter how hard you think life will get during second semester, you can do it. You totally have this in the bag! Just push through and remember you are a daughter of God, and he loves you! Love, Future me

The biggest piece of advise I would have liked to know is the importance of preparation. There were classes that I did not try as hard as I could have and I wish that I had achieved better grades so that I could avoid them in college. The ammount of studying for end of term exams and Advanced Placement tests I did was minimal. Even though I passes and my grades were above C avereage, I did not recieve credit for the class. Being in college now, I wish that I had prepared better so that my time in school would be less. In addition, I only researched two schools and applied to three. Though I am happy with my decision and would not choose differently, I wish that I would have done more research to be better prepared for the demands and life of a college student. If i could ge back in time, my advice would to be proactive, and this trait is one that I am attempting to convey to my siblings so that their college experience can be richer and more productive than mine

I think I would tell myself to search for many more scholarships and be able to do them in rapid succession. Money is the only reason I would not go to college

First of all, just relax! It's easy to stress out about all of the new experiences that are coming your way, but just take it a step at a time and you'll make it there just fine. Extra stress is the last thing you need when you're starting college. Enjoy being new and learning how things work. Once you're there, work hard, but don't forget to make friends, smile, laugh, and experience life! If you plan well, you can have both good grades and good friends--the best of both worlds. Sometimes we get so caught up in the little details of life that we lose sight of the big picture. Take some time to think about things. What are your true goals in life? What do you want out of life? More importantly, what do you want to be able to GIVE in life? Keeping these goals in mind will help you keep your priorities in line. Instead of just surviving college, you'll be thriving in college. It will not only help you to shape your future, but it will help you to influence the lives of those around you as well.

I would advise myself to get to know lots of different people. It is good to have a close group of friends you can always count on, but it is never too late to make new friends. Ask for help when needed. A benefit of a small school is the professors know you and are willing to help you. Take advantage of that. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. While it is good to make friends and have a social life, it should not get in the way of studying or sleep. If you priotitize correctly, there will be enough time for everything you want to do. Get involved and have fun.

I would tell myself that I am one of the smartest people because I always thought I was dumb and could not live up to my parents expectations. College isnt all about partying and boys, its about getting an education meeting friends that will be there forever and getting ahead in life. If you always study and stay on top of things in your life everything will flow easily and evrything in life willl come naturally. Also I would say that I should not let anyone get into the way of your success even if you are "in love" you always come first no matter what. Last, college soccer is one of the most amazing parts of college and to keep working hard to get better because you could go places with the amazing skills you have

Live in the moment you are in. You will be in college before you know it, so enjoy this time. There won't be a time like this ever again. Don't worry about what college is going to be like. You will figure out how college works when the time comes. For now enjoy being a high school senior. Enjoy your last year of high school basketball, enjoy the time you have with your high school buddies, enjoy the time with your family. Most importantly, remember that the freshman 15 is a real thing.

Take your time, and choose your own path. It took me two years to get to the school that I wanted to go to. Stand up for yourself, and be willing to sacrifice your good standing with your parents. They can suggest, but you need to do what feels right for you, not placate your family. You do not have to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life right now, believe it or not you have time. Stop trying to please everybody, sometimes you need to put yourself first. I know it sounds selfish, but it is necessary I have put my own happiness aside to help someone esle too many times, and I don't want you making the same mistakes. I am not saying always put yourself first and don't do nice things. I am saying be cautious and be wise. You are going to meet people you don't get along with, or drive you crazy it's okay, you don't have to like everybody, but you should at least respect them. Give them a chance and you will be better for it. College is hard so good luck.

To not worry so much about college. Yes, its hard and you will find yourself writing essays and doing homework at 2am, but stressing about it makes it so much worse. Just chill, be yourself and do your best.

Dare to express yourself, even when in environments that encourage otherwise. The safety conformity promises is not only false, but also not worth the cost of silencing your personal vision and pursuits. Throw yourself into class discussions. Push yourself to be more even when you can succeed with less. Live by your standards of excellence and not the ones decided for you. Education is meant to be the bettering of yourself and you alone know your limitations and how far you can push them. Effort is the key to success and self-fulfillment. Don't let self-doubt and the fear of failure prevent you from taking advantage of any and all opportunites that come calling. Failure is inevitable, view your mistakes and the mistakes of others as lessons. Study your trials in life as you would for an education-based test and learn all you can. Discouragment is a disease. Reward yourself for your successes, revel in the simple pleasures and the hard-won moments. Let yourself feel pride in your efforts. Live life and love it. Transitioning from high school to college, from child to adult, is challenging. Let it be. You can handle this. You will.

Nick, you have so much to look forward to as you prepare to attend college. Apply for scholarships!! It's never too early to start applying and working. Student loans are a pain, and when you take a lot of credits you can't work as much to pay back your loans. Listen when mom tells you to apply for scholarships. Also, have fun. Don't spend so much time with one person that you waste all of your freshman year. Date around, look for good qualities in people, and live it up. Your AP classes are like college classes. There is a lot of homework, but you can stay on top of it if you are aware of what's on the syllabus! Lastly, visit your professors during their office hours. They want you too succeed, and are there for you. Don't think you're stupid or too cool to visit with them and counsel about your papers and projects. The professors I visited became better friends, called me by name, and looked for ways to help me succeed. Study lots, and work hard. It will all pay off in the end.

If I could go back to August of my senior year, I would tell myself to NOT TAKE EIGHT AP CLASSES. That was the dumbest thing I have ever done. Taking an overly demanding courseload made such a fun and crucial time in my life unnessessarily stressful and overwhelming. Yes, AP classes are great, but I should have taken a maximum of three during my senior year. I hated my jobs and the sports that I loved became a burden. I would love to go back and tell myself to take it easy. Colleges don't want unhuman super freaks who try to conquer a ridiculous course load, work two part-time jobs, play two sports, participate in National Honor Society and become the queen of the science fair. Colleges are looking for someone who can do a few things really well. Just because I was successful at three things, that does not mean I should have tried to be successful at one hundred and two things. Relax and enjoy the magic of this amazing time in your life. You can't get it back.

During high school me. Get off your high horse, apply for scholarships, and starting realizing that if you don't start sooner you'll be behind everyone who is working hard and you'll be playing catch up from then on. Start researching schools, start researching jobs, start researching scholarships.

If i could go back in time i would tell myself that the little things are not as important as I thought. The things that will help going into college is hard work., focusing on academics and not the social life of high school. Something that would also be helpful is to save my money. I did not realize how expensive it is not living at home.

The advice I would give to myself would b to relax and not worry so much about maintaining perfect grades right off the bat. The first semester of college is going to be full of ups and downs, I need to take these as they come in stride knowing I will have plenty of opportunity to raise my grades should they drop.

I would focus harder on my studies. Growing up without parents by your side telling what you need to do and when you need to do it has a great effect on a young high school student. Due to the death of my mother and being forced to move with my great grandmother i was forced to mature at an early age. I still managed to goof around on my studies between work, sports and socialization. Now that i reflect on the high school days i soon grow and wish i had dedicated myself to my studies the way i am force to now. I would tell myself that i need to put a certain amount of hours for each subject studying. I would also tell myself time is priceless and the more i waist the more i slack on my great potential. Time managment is the key to everything that we do in the college life. If i learned that at an earlier age in high school my senior year would have been a breeze.

If I could go back in time, and talk to myself as a high school senior about college, I would emphasize three major things. First, would be to take pride in all of my work. Barely scraping by and earning average grades when I know I could do better doesn't cut it. Professors and life expect more of you when you become an "adult" and head off to college. Highschool actions create habits, and you don't want a slew of bad practices following you into the beginning of your new life. Second, I would tell myself to take advantage of all the monetary help offered to students as soon as possible. FAFSA, grants, scholarships, and many other organizations can make college life a whole lot less stressful, which then allows you to focus on your studies and interests. Finally, I'd advise my younger self to have fun. Moving out of adolescence into adulthood can be scary, but don't let that stop you. There are so many wonderful people, opportunities, places, and knowledge to be discovered and enjoyed. Take advantage of that! Make mistakes, take chances, do your best, don't be scared, and have fun!

College is such a great blessing and opportunity! My advice-get involved! From joining a club to even just showing up for class, it is important to become involved because it helps transform you into a well-rounded and successful person. There are a few reasons why this is so. Not only are you able to net-work (which will come in handy when you are trying to find a job after you graduate), but you will also develop social skills to be able to interact with others in a professional manner. The other aspect of becoming involved is simply having a release from the pressures of school. Laugh and have a good time doing the things you love to do. Life isn't meant to be all about work, or in this case school work. Don't stress too much. Relax and do your best. Things will work out in the end. Trust me, I know. I've lived through it and I'm here to tell the tail!