Syracuse University Top Questions

If I were to be able to go back in time to when I was a high school senior I would have a lot of advice for myself. First thing I would say would be to get invovled in the right extracarricular activities. There are many groups that students can get involved in that may not neccessarily be that benefical to them. I would tell myself to be careful how I represent myself as a peer and as a student. My biggest advice would be to not get too caught up with drinking and partying. Socializing is imparative in college but too much and too extreme can give you a reputation that is not very desirable. I would advise to take on leadership roles early. This will not only help to boost your resume but also give you leadership experience and improve character. I could go on for days giving myself tips and advice. I feel like the one most important piece of advice would be to take every experience and reflect on it, think about how I approached it and learn from it. Always try to learn from past experiences and unfortunately past mistakes.

Eighteen-year old Jonathan, In order to succeeed in college make sure that you try to open yourself more during freshman year. Don't think that you have to stay locked in your room studying because you feel that you might let your parents down if you don't get high grades. Although they are investing money on your education, an education is another path of discovering who you are. Yes, you can get high grades, but back them up by being an affable person. Esepcially if you want to go into business and/or communications, you have to make sure that you need to open up to everyone. I just realized that you should branch out to more people and luckily, Syracuse fosters that kind of environment. In addition, be assertive and not passive when you approach people. Although you don't want people to think you are too confident, there are definetely a lot of cocky people in college that you can raise your assertiveness to an extent. Knowing that you are a go-getter, try to reach that balance in assertiveness and approachability in college. - College Junior Jonathan

Be more determined. Do everything to the best of your ability. Everything will get harder and be more important than it it now, and you will need to care.

If I could return and talk to myself as a senior I would not only encourage myself to continue with what I am doing but to make even more of life. I would tell myself to get out there and experience all Syracuse has to offer, all of the clubs and orginazations, all of the on campus events. As a junior I would explain that there has been so much I've been missing and once I figured out about everything that I would learn to love life even more. Even beond the social aspects of the school I would encourage myself to get experience academically too. I would say get to know the professors sooner rather than later, get out there in a lab and really learn what true education is. I would really try to drive home the fact that this is the time of my life and there really is so much to do in the world that its never too early to start. Once I told myself all of that I would just say to go out and live life to the fullest.

Hey Kary, I have to tell you a few things about college that no one really tells you. First semester is definitely going to be your hardest. You?re going to have to get into the rhythm of how things work in college and you?re going to be feeling lonely but you?re not going to be the only one feeling that way so go out and make some friends to build up a support system for each other. Sadly enough, procrastinating until Sunday night to do your homework won?t work as well as it used to because the work load in college is huge. Your professors will not care how many other classes you are taking so don?t bother coming up with excuses for why you didn?t complete the assignment. Don?t be discouraged when things get hard. Some classes will be extremely hard and others will be easy but just try your very best and you won?t have any regrets. There?s a lot of other things I can tell you about college life but it?s best if you figure it out by making your own mistakes.

Last year, when I was applying to college, my greatest fear was that I would not be able to handle the college-level courses. Everyone would tell me how the work load was significantly greater than in high school and that I would have no free time left. Though there is truth to that, I wish someone had told me that college really is just the next level up from senior year. Also, becuase you get to choose your classes, they tend to resonate with your interests better. Even though the work load is greater, the work oftentimes is more interesting that high school homework. Plus, the work is not busy work. The classes are a faster pace, but it is easy to forget that much of the slow pace in high school classes can be attributed to days for review as well as, keeping everyone on track and paying attention. In college, students are there because they want to be there. It may be more challenging, but that is what keeps the classes interesting. As a college student, you are always kept learning and questioning. The entire environment of college encourages such enthusiasm, making the difficulties more bearable.

Knowing what I know now, the most important thing I would tell myself is to never doubt your decisions. I went through most of my freshman, and part of my sophmore year second guessing myself about my choice in a major. I would also advise myself to work hard, and choose one extra activity because balancing time is important. I was on three dance teams last year, and I was close to reaching burnout. I know now that I cannot do everything, unfortunatelly I am not super woman! I would say that making friends is very important. In high school I had a lot of trouble making and keeping friends, but I have self-confidence now, and some really great friends that keep me grounded. The thing I would say, is to enjoy college, the experience is once in a life time and to remember never to doubt your confidednce. It is the single most important thing that will guide you through decisions, and help you to make long lasting friendships. Once last thing, you and your freshman year roommate will be long lasting friends. You are in great hands at Syracuse University!

Attend the campus that FEELS right, and everything will work out. Above all, don't be afraid to take risks and meet new friends. College is an excellent time to start over on your own terms, but don't make the mistake of falling into what other people expect of you. Be your own person, be nice to everyone, and build lasting realationships with friends and professors.

I would tell myself to be more open-minded and don't be afraid to try things that you have never experienced. As soon as you step on campus, search out for the many resources that your campus has to offer and attend a variety of events that will open your eyes culturally, mentally and spiritually. Take advantage of the opportunities that both the business and communication colleges have to offer & don't be afraid to ask questions! Enjoy your time, because four years surely flies by fast!

Charron, First off let me start by telling you that college is not high school. COLLEGE IS NOT HIGH SCHOOL! You better get this through your thick skull before you step on to that campus. Look, you have a full-ride to one of the best institutions in America. This being said you must start off with a bang. Not like the "Big Bang", bigger than that. You must make sure that you study like you never studied before, because we both know that La Salle Academy was too easy for you. Studying is a crucial factor to success at SU. If you study hard and put in the appropriate effort for all of your courses you should be in good shape. I know that social life will not be a problem for you, it never was. However, make sure to not let it interfere with your studies bro'. SU is big on social life, in all aspects of it...lol. So make sure you keep you "eye on the prize" and remember why your there. Life is life and time is money, you know how that goes. Work hard, play hard and be master of all tasks. Best, Yourself