SUNY at Albany Top Questions

During the last couple years while being away at college I have had to learn to grow as an individual without the constant lectures from my parents to do better, yet now I realize those lectures were my motivation to do better as to not only succeed for myself but for my parents as well. My stubborness, ignorance and lazyness from just only 2 years ago have become one of the biggest obstacles for me to reach my own goals. Having to face this constant battle between who I want to be and my flaws that are so well engraved into my personality, is the result of so many bad decisions. If I was to ever have another chance to just go back, I would make myself understand that college is one of the biggest stepping stones to having a successful career and life. Once you have to go head in into college life it truly is up to yourself to make the most of it. There is no place for mistakes, mistakes that will just set you back. The words of advice from my college advisor, parents, siblings that at one time seemed pointless is the key to success.

One of the main things I realized after two years of attending a University in Albany, is that you are no longer in your home town, and you have to be careful what you let out into the open about yourself. I grew up in a small town where there were no secrets. Everybody in town knew what there was to know about your family, and worse of all, your flaws. When I came to Albany as a freshman, I had the small town mentality, so I easily would share details about my past that in other places were subjects that may not be interesting to everybody. I wish I had known that sometimes you will meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, and learning unpleasant details about your past may not always sit comfortably with some people. I unfortuantely pushed away friends that I had made by letting out too many intimate details about my childhood, and family that turned out to be social taboos. I have always been trusting to new people, but I am learning that before letting people in, it is important to be aware of who they are as well.

That college will change the direction of my life.

DON'T GO TO THE SAME COLLEGE AS YOUR BOYFRIEND, that will automatically kill your social life, and leave you feeling more alone than ever your freshman year. And that's not what you're freshman year is for! Start fresh, have fun, and live your life! People will always say to you that college is 'the best time of your life' and trust me, they weren't kidding. Don't be afraid to travel, to study abroad, get active in other communities, and step out of your comfort zone! Don't be too scared to try new things cause you never know what you'll like or enjoy doing; you never know 'till you try! And don't go home every weekend, how can you get to know someone when they're not there? Just live, laugh, and love!

If I could go back and talk to myself I would tell myself several things about college life and making the transition. I would first tell myself to be careful with my schedule; there were so many classes to take and some of them were limited in the times that they were available. I would recommend joining some type of club or sports team, the support you get from a group like that can help when feeling homesick. I would tell myself to get into a lab for undergraduate research, companies like to see that you have experience that isn't just limited to class labs, and it will give you more of an idea what you want to specialize in when you get into the real world. Also get your masters degree, there's a larger job market for people with masters compared to people who just have their BS! Take the time to get to know your teachers, because when you need recommendations, they will only write them if they remember you, so go when they have their office hours. Set boundaries with your roommate in the beginning.

I would have listened to the advice I was given back in high school; there is no shame in going to community college. I have huge college loans out right now that I wish I did not have. And I could have avoided many of them by going to community college to discover myself, and really figure out what I wanted to do and what would make me happy. But that is all in the past, and I have no come to accept everyone makes a mistake or two, it's life. I have adjusted to my career plan changes and my academic changes and I think I have made the best of my given situation.

College is going to mold and shape you into the person that you are going to be for the rest of your life. I know you may be uncertain about your future and career but that is completely normal right now. To help aid you in these important life decisions will be the many advisors to speak with and tools to use, all of which will be provided by the school you wish to attend. Remember that even though your college education is important, don?t sit at a desk everyday studying until your head hurts. Take some time to lie back and look up at the stars, meaning, you can relax and enjoy yourself as well. It is an important time in your life but also a memorable and enjoyable experience. Do have fun but prioritize your study time so that you stay on top of your schoolwork. It is extremely important to join student groups and get involved, because that one person you meet might help you down the road. If things seem overwhelming, relax and continue forward, because something worth the effort isn?t easy to attain.

Don't let your personal life affect your school work. Encourage yourself to do better everyday and push yourself to the limit. You can either party your whole college career and succeed by a minimum, or you can succeed by putting your heart into all your work and celebrate with your success.

After being in college for one semester, there are many things I wish I knew or realized that would be going on here. If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would say you're gonna work as hard as you ever had, and it may be hard and stressful but it is definitely worth it. Many people have a variety of high school experiences, but for me it was all easy. I worked hard, studied when necessary but I was always happy with my grades. When I came to college it was a wake up call, it wasn't easy. I would tell myself that there are times you will want to give up, change majors, schools, anything for it to be easier, but reality check: you chose a difficult major, biochemistry. It won't be easy anywhere. So focus, study hard and think about how great it will be in four years when it's complete and you move on to a bigger and better chapter in your life.

If I could go back in time to my senior year and talk to myself with all the knowledge I have now there are a number of things I would bring to my attention. I would tell myself to apply for everything early, apply early for college and for financial aid. I would tell myself to watch out for Physics class and make sure not to fall behind. I would tell myself that homework is more important that I could ever imagine in college. I would also tell myself to go to study groups and office hours to get extra help especially in Chemistry and Physics. More importantly I would tell myself that the first semester is deseptively easy meaning its actually really hard, and not to slack or think I dont need to work as hard as I possibly can. I would tell myself to apply for every scholarship I was eligible for no matter how small the amount of money or how much work it intales. I would wish myself the best of luck.

Take more Ap courses Think wisely about my future Take my academics serously Get involved and build my resume

A lot of life lessons were learned in my undergraduate and graduate years. Some advice I would give any high school senior, including myself if I could go back, is take your time to get to know yourself and do not rush into a career choice. Sometimes, people in high school think that they have everything figured out and set in stone what they want to do for the next 10 years of their lives. Most of the time, this is not the case. There is a lot of pressure to choose a major when entering college, and this pressure can cause some to not stay true to what they really love. I would suggest that one does not go down a path because they feel they will earn the most money in a certain job. A career should not be about money, because there are plenty of people I see in "the real world" that are earning a decent income but are absolutely miserable every day. Finally, I would say if you enter a major or career that is not enjoyable, do not give up and try to find something that makes life happy.

Knowing what I know now there are a few things I would inform me. As starters going away for college means roommates who you know nothing about. That kind of adjustment takes mental preparation. There are changes you need to be willing to make. As well as the workload. This isn't like highschool. You can't mess up on one assignment and make it up with another. You need to be on top of your game. This means different kinds of preparation, such as time management. You have a new found freedom and want to take advantage, but you need to be able to balance between school work and fun. Also studying can't be fully accomplished by cramming. Studying ahead of time works best.

Hey Pat, it's me, or rather,it's you quite a few years from now; I know you are glad to have graduated from high school and don't plan on college right now because you just don't know what you want to do, but let me give you some advice. I know that many things interest you, so rather than wait to find out which one you want for a career, why not go to night school now and take classes. Believe me, when you wait a good long time to go back to school it is a little difficult getting into the "swing of things" and you many never find what it is that you truly want until you "test the waters". Take courses that interest you; learning never hurt anyone. You have what it takes so why wait a few decades to make up your mind. Do it now; take the time and invest in yourself and your future. Believe me you will be glad you did.

Knowing what I know about college life and making the transition I would tell myself as a high school senior to keep pushing hard academically and financially. I really did have a big set back in my first semester of college because I could not buy any books. I waited until my fellow peers bought the book that I needed and shared with them. I regret that i did not try harder to get more scholarships. It may not seem as important as a high school senior but books are very important in college. They help guide you along the course that you are taking when your college professor is talking about irrelevent topics to the subject. I felt late in the class because many other students already had their books but i didnt. So to prevent a situation like this from happening. I would find a job during my high school senior year and never stop applying for scholarships. I must not forget that money is out there, I just have to go and get it.

I would tell myself to take it one step at a time and try not to be pessimistic about the roommate situation. Looking back at my three semesters at SUNY at Albany, I feel my biggest concerns were getting along with my roommate, making friends, and performing well academically. Now that I look back, I see that all three go hand in hand. If I do not worry about my roommate to the extent that I am prepared for every negative situation, I would have more time for my academic studies and socialization. I do have friends who respect my devotion to my studies, but I also worry that I may not have their support in most cases. When a situation arose, I knew they were concerned and capable of helping me through my troubles. Lastly, I knew I would feel separated fromt he crowd because I don't drink alcohol (religious views), but I would not change to simply fit in. In conclusion, I would tell myself not to view every situation with a pessimistic point of view but to focus on what is truly important, my academic studies and the friends that come along for the university ride.

Some people say that if they could go back in time and give themselves advice on how to adjust to college, I say I wouldn't. If I went back into time the only thing I would say to the past me was too enjoy it and savor every moment. I am now in my sophmore year and it's going quick. I am worried about the future, but am enjoying the present. I wouldn't give myself any advice because I think that's the best way to approach college. Blind. Everybody has vicarious thoughts of what to expect in college, and everybody tells their own tales to others of what college is like. The truth is you will never truly know or understand college life until you experience it. That being said I still don't think I could properly explain and avise to somebody how to prepare for college besides to have an open mind and enjoy it. Time keeps moving, it doesn't stop to wait for anyone, take advantage of now and you will succeed tomorrow. My grandfather used to always tell me this. I doubt they were his words but I beleive in it.

Dear Nina , Pay close attention, I?m going to give to you some insight about what to expect in college. College is very different from what I originally expected; it is nothing like the movies where the professor knows your name, you have no worries and it is one constant party. Instead it takes hard work, determination, and the skill of time management to get everything done. I am now learning to be more organized and a multi-tasker. Just remember to stay on top of things, if you fall behind you are going to spend many nights cramming. Procrastination and facebook are your biggest enemies when it comes to college life; it isn't easy to stay on task, and you might have a few breakdowns but it?s not always terrible. You get a chance to meet tons of people, and make friends that you will have forever. If you get really lucky, the people you live with will be your best friends, just like the six girls I live with now. Having friends that you can talk to really helps when you miss home. Good luck with everything I know you'll be fine. Love Always, Me

I know it will be a miracle if I really could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior again. I would tell myself to be very careful about chosing college because chosing a right college is very important , this decision would bring a lot toward my future. Going to college is a great transition for me it is like a transition from a child to an adult. Now knowing about what I now about college life, I would always remind myself to always study hard and use time wisely because high school is only for couple years and it is during the time when I'm still young. It is when I'm still could be inmature and make stupid mistakes, so I always need to be aware of everything around me. I can't make any mistake because little mistakes would led to bigger mistakes. I need to be ahead of myself, I can't just finsh what need to be done. I need to do more than needed , that way I would be prepared for college life. I can't waste anytime because what I choose now would led toward my future.

I will say to me in the high school that study in the university is different from studying in the high school. What we have learned in high school is easy, but studying in university needs you to work hard from begining to end to learn more knowledge, do more experiments and know more persons. But the life in university is also exciting. you know many friends and play games and do the gym. It is valuable. In the high school, teacher will tell you what to do, but in university, you should teach yourself to study. So you should schedule your study time and leisure time. do not waste time in your university life.