Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

If I could go back in time and tell my 16 year old self how to prepare for my freshman year of college, I would tell myself to amp up the effort! Actually study for those pesky AP tests because they can actually save you SO much time and money in college. I would've spent more time looking for scholarships rather than sleeping away the weekends. I would've told myself to enjoy every last second of the year with my best friends. I would emphasize that once you get to college, it will never, and I mean never, be the same. All of your friends will go their separate ways, no matter how much you don't want to believe it. I would tell my young self to cherish family time, because next year, I would be over 200 miles away from home. I'd say, "Yes. You WILL actually miss your loud and troublesome family. Stop taking the small things for granted. Enjoy these last few months of mom doing your laundry." Most of all, I would tell myself not to fear the unknown; life only gets better from here.

The advice that I would give to myself as a senior in high school would be to manage my time effiiciently, always complete reading assignments, make good study aides, have well organized notes, and to communicate when having trouble with course material. Managing time in high school is different compared to college, so being involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities in high school could prepare you for a college student lifestyle. Completing reading assignments, making good study aides, and having well organized notes all have to do with the way a college student studies; therefore, as a high school student these three key components of studying should be implemented to make a smooth transition into a college lifestyle. Lastly, be comfortable with asking for help when struggling with course material, because most times all students are struggling with the same problems.

Hello Bryan, i am you from the future. I know you are a senior but you should take all of your classes seriously and do your best. I know you are facing some challenges rite now because I have been in your shoes, literally. Just keep moving forward and don't regret something you messed up on. Just keep moving forward and don't let anything bring you down. Texas A&M is a very challenging and competetive place and if you procrastinate as much as you do now, it will be hard. Do you absolute best.

If I could go back in time and give counsel to myself in my senior year of high school, I would tell myself to calm down. College isn't as scary as you think it is. I would assure myself that my Freshman year will not result in me struggling to make C's in all my big, scary college classes. I would share my current study habits with my high school self and leave a copy of my fall semester college transcript so I could see how well I've done. If I could go back, I would show myself that college is a time to learn,ask questions, serve, and grow, and not the intense and frightening 24/7 study session I had envisioned.

In high school, I was very apprehensive when it came to the college experience and what it all meant. Looking back, I would tell myself not to stress the small things: It doesn’t matter what your major is because more than likely you will change it; who your roommate is will not be a life or death situation (And you probably will be very different from each other); friends are in abundance and are found in all types of situations (especially when there are 10,000 other freshmen who need a friend as much as you). Also, I would let myself know that all of the silly college clichés (at least as a senior in high school that’s what I though they were) are for the most part true. You will make some of the best friendships you will ever have, and freedom is in excess. In fact, you will now have all this freedom that it will now be in your hands to do with it what you want (and this will be the time that you have been waiting for to make your own mistakes, to learn from them, and make memories lasting a lifetime).

To make your transition into college easier, start now developing good all around habbits. First off keep thinking positively and never loose sight of your end goal; you are joing the Corps of Cadets, it will be challenging mentally, physically, and emotionally at times but they are just working to make you a better individual. Build a stronger friend base, you will make many more once school starts but really branch out to build your support system, however do not forget about your family they are always there for you. Study! even for those classes you know how the back of your hand develop good study habits for all your classes, because even the "easy" A's you will have to put time and effort into. Break all procrastination habbits now and plan out your daily time, you will have alot more time not in class and stricter deadlines, break thos bad habbits now so you will still be able to get plenty of rest. Start doing for activities to get in shape and improve your stamina, morning physical training imes will only get more intense as the weeks progress, you dont want to be the one who falls out!

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college, the first thing I would tell myself is to start actually studying and create a habit out of it. I never had to study in high school, and that mentality continued on to college with me. Learning to study, and actually studying, was a major challenge I had to overcome my first year in school. Another thing I would tell myself is to look harder for financial aid. When I originally applied for college, my family was small and my parents did not have to worry about too many kids going to college and how they were going to pay for it. During my senior year, my family grew from having three children to six children, including myself. This created a large financial strain on my parents and caused me to have to pay for a lot of my school. Because of this, I have to work during school which takes time away from my studies and adds more stress to the stress I already have from school. I believe if I could tell myself these two things before college, college would be a lot easier.

If I was to go back in time to and talk to myself as a high school senior the advice I would give myself after having lived the college life would to be myself and to follow my dreams. Shortly after being in college I realized to be the happiest and to have true friends you need to be who you truly are. To do the things you love even if it is not the "norm," I would tell myslef to stop worring about what others thought because they could never understand who you are without getting to know you. Also I would tell myself to not listen to those teachers who teold me I will not make it because I have learned that hard work and dedication can help achieve dreams and goals.

I would tell myself to cherish everyday as a senior because going to college made me realize I didn't appreciate all the good things my school had to offer. I would also tell myself to enjoy the Summer before all the hard work begins and make a bucket list of things to do before I enter college for example; go bungee jumping or scuba diving, this activity would then mark my college journey and I would have a great memory of the next chapter in my life. I would also tell myself that no matter what hard times lie ahead living away from my family that I am in the process of building my future and that in the end it will all be worth the struggles. Most importantly I would tell myself that this is going to be the best adventure of my life and it is important to find a balance between studying, my family and my social life.

When you discover that you have a learning disability, go see a doctor. Don't cheat yourself because you think it will make you less of a student or a person. You will shine. Don't let God out of your life. Mom and Dad know more than you think. Call your grandparents. Money is tricky. Save like you will live forever. Spend what is left like you will die tomorrow. Pay your bills and invest in your future. Then take what little is left and buy the shoes. You deserve them. There is entirely too much beauty in this world to harp on things you can't change. You only get to do this once. You will become most like the people you surround yourself with. Choose wisely. You are NOT fat. Eat the cake. Learn to truly listen, don't just wait for your turn to speak. Honesty builds relationships; bluntness break them down. A casual "thanks" and a genuine "thank you" do not always carry the same weight. There is sorrow in loss; there is relief in letting go. Know all of their differences. Be kind. Be loving. Be patient. Be strong. Be gracious.