Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

One of the most significant values of a university is diversity. As high school students, we are not exposed to many cultures and are usually caught up in the "clique" world. I would advise my high school self to be welcoming to those who are different than yourself and to be open to meeting individuals from all over the world. I met a fellow student outside of the bookstore my first year, waiting for the last bus of the day to arrive. He was carrying three large bags; one carying all of his books, another carying an abundant amount of clothes, and the other caring a few extra items. After conversing with the kind gentlemen, I learned that he had moved from Egypt, and was currently a homeless college student. The fact the was homeless and was still furthering his educaiton was so touching to me, as it reflected his passion towards getting a college degree. You learn from those who are different than yourself at the most unexpected times, which is why it is so important to be welcoming of your fellow classmates, no matter how different they may look.

There is only one thing that I would go back to tell myself: work harder. I made some bad decisions during my first year, chief of which was not studying enough. In high school, studying was rarely necessary. Classes were easy to coast through and a high GPA was easily obtained. When I got to college, this attitude hurt me greatly. Though I began to improve over time, my grades and overall experience suffered. Had I truly understood the demands of college academics, I believe that freshman year would have gone more smoothly and turned out more satisfactorily. It would be tempting to give my past self more information, especially specific details, but I would resist. Making mistakes and learning from them is part of life. It's how we grow. I wouldn't be the same person I am today if I had known all about the challenges I would face last year. That said, giving my past self the simple advice to work harder would help motivate me to study and do well in college. At the same time, it would let me overcome the obstacles of last year on my own, and learn from them.

If I could go back and give myself advice about college life and the transition, the first phrase I would use would be, "Stay focused". Many people warn you that being in college is totally different from high school, because you take on the responsibility that your parents once had. No one makes you do anything because you are an adult and they expect you to just make mistakes and learn from them and grow from them. The second phrase I would use would be "Trial and Error". You enter college as a new face in a new world with people that know nothing about you. The key thing that you take from college is to find your path and the only way to do that is to join different groups, meet new people, and just figure out what works for you and makes you a better person. Those are the two things that I wish I would have done when I first left home for college because I missed alot by being shy.

If I could go back in time, and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself there are two things you need have and be in college to be successful. The first thing you need to be is responsible because the professors expect a lot from you, you’re technically an adult and they don't care if you misplaced your work. It’s your responsibility to turn your work in on time no excuses and it’s your duty to stay on top of the work so you will know when it’s due so there will be no excuses. The second thing is that you need to have time management skills. In college time management is crucial. It’s the most important thing a college student can have, and without this you’re not going to be successful. College is all about time, you need time to study and to do the work. If you manage your time well with school, family and friends you won’t be overwhelmed and stress. You can handle college because you are reasonable and you manage your time well just apply yourself and stay focused.

I know now to take notes in every class, to study those notes before and after class, read the material three or four times, and then pray that I pass my exam. I know now that I am competing against the best of the best, and I have to work hard to stay on top. I know now how much of a hassle the finanical aid department is. I know now that ramen noodles really isn't a balanced diet. I know now how to budget, and thrift stores and store brands aren't that bad. I know now to call home because Mom will start to worry. I know now to not wait until midnight to do laundry because that's when everyone else does laundry. I know now that friends are family, and teachers are mentors. I know now that we don't always get lucky with the roommate we end up with. Everything I know now is because I made mistakes and learned from my experiences. I would choose not to go back in time to talk to myself. I would want myself to learn from experience because experience is the best teacher.

The biggest piece of advice I would give myself would be to develop better study habits before I started college in the fall. Without setting aside the proper time for studying, all the distractions make it almost too easy to fall beyond the point of being able to come back up again. The next piece of advice I'd give myself would be to always watch after myself and to not be so trusting of everyone. When you're on your own away from home and your parents, it's ridiculously easy to find yourself in bad situations with people who just don't care. The last thing I would tell myself is to make sure to ALWAYS make class, even if the teacher doesn't take role. This is so extremely crucial to your grades, and most professors will not help you with missed material if you did not attend class. Being a good student in college takes a lot discipline - it's almost like an art that is sculpted and delicately perfected over the years.

I would tell myself as a high school senior to not sweat the little things. Yes, the whole process of getting to college is stressful and it may feel like everything you do seals your fate in the future; however, know that things can and most likely will change. So just go with the flow, do everything you need to do. Make the good grades, excell in the extracurriculars, and enjoy your senior year. The transition to college is a much smoother one if you go into it with an open mind. Things are scary and new, but that is what makes this the most exciting time of your life. Don't be afraid of the future, rather embrace what is to come and be prepared to learn so much more about the world than what your little ol' high school could ever teach you. Don't forget where you are coming from, but definitely be willing to accept the future change.

In high school everything was easy. Do the work and you will never fail. As a high school senior, I was excited about going to college. I had always had the mind frame that getting into college would be the hard part; once in college, everything would work its self out. Surprise, surprise! I was wrong. Learning in college is not the same as the learning we did in high school. One must actually absord the material instead of just memorizing it. I would tell myself to pay more attention in calculus, because if I had actually understood the concepts instead of memorizing how to work the problem, I would have done better in my first college calculus class. Also, I would tell my self to think of the application of the material in physics and math. In college, they teach you to apply the knowledge you learn to real life problems. I can honestly say that although I already had prior knowledge of some material, I had never thought of how I could use it in the real world. So dear highschool me, please apply the knowledge you are learning to real life prob

I would tell myself that there wasn't any need to feel anxious about social acceptance in college, that every sort of person is important and necessary to the healthy functioning of society and will find people who share their interests if they keep looking. Another lesson I would have liked to have known ahead of time would have been that I didn't need to stress out so much about my ambitions while I was in school because there would be plenty of time to work on those after I had gotten a deep enough education to be able to pursue them in the way I wanted. And that in order to do what you want to do, you have to attend to your physical needs as well as your intellectual ones. Eating on a good schedule is important.

Samantha, Take it slow! You are an intelligent, strong student, but college will be very different; don’t assume you won’t need time to adjust. Be vigilant your first quarter in particular. Attend every class, join study groups, and go to your professor’s office hours. Get your associate’s degree before you go to university. Community college will be less of a shock, makes more sense financially, and having a degree of any type will help you get a better paying job while in school. Use your counselors to make sure your credits transfer as much as possible. Start applying for scholarships early. School is expensive; part time, minimum wage jobs can only help so much. You can be responsible with what little money you have, but every extra dollar is a dollar you can worry less about. And you do need to be responsible with your money. Living at home and having whatever money you make available to spend however you want is a luxury you don’t yet appreciate. Save now, and especially when you move out be as thrifty as possible. You will be awesome! Just stay committed, and appreciate that you have this opportunity.