Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there would be many things I would tell her. First, I would tell her not to listen to people who bring her down or discourage her. That she should listen to people who inspire and suppport her. If not, she can use discouragement to build more character. Second, I would tell her not be reckless with money and to spent it wisely. She should develop a budget she can use monthly that would allow her to be more financially responsible. I believe that being more financially responsible can help a person succeed better in other areas in life. I can tell her that financially responsibility is a step towards total responsibility. Third, I would tell her that finding romance should not be the top of her priorities. Her education is more important. It can establish her to be the beautiful, independent young lady I know her to be. Fourth, I would remind her to stay driven. If she has an ambition or dream, she should go for it and not give up. Nothing is impossible when she has her mind on it.

Never procrastinate, because in college the sooner you get something done the more free time you will have. As well as never stay quiet when you dont know something, if you dont understand ask for help, or even get a tutor. Because going into my first semester i felt alone and needed to fend for myself, when in reality help is all around you, you just need to ask. But once my second semester hit, i was in control of things and had a game plan i went by everyday to make sure i would succeed. As well as take advantage of sleep, to whenever you have a free time and nothing to do, take a nap, its a lot better than going to sleep in class and waking up confused by your profesor's work.

Knowing what I know now, if I could go back and speak to myself as a high school student there is so much I would advise myself on. One of the things is how to approach my first year in college. My first year of college was an exciting experience but one that I felt I might have wasted a bit. While I focused so much on my academic school work, I didn't fully engage in the many opportunities open to students on campus. Having not gotten involved beginning my freshman year, I often feel a little behind, developmentally, compared to my fellow classmates. So I would enthusiastically advise myself to be a well rounded student in college and take full advantage of all the college life has to offer.

The greatest advice I could give myself is to enjoy college. I spent a significant amount of time worried about perfect grades and studying too hard. I would not advise myself to slack off, but just to ease up and enjoy the last bit of freedom before the real life starts. There were many community involvement events and social opportunites that I missed to study for tests. I really wish I had made a better balance between studying and living. I defenitly over did it when it came to studying. Now that am living in the real world and experiencing graduate school, while still maintaining a full time job, I can appreciate too late the opportunities I missed during my undergraduate experience. If I had heard that advice when I first started, I would have enjoyed college much more.

I would tell myself.... "It is ok to take some time off for yourself, but no more than a year. Relax, have fun, but make the most of it. Go to college out of state for a new adventure and to make new friends. Be disciplined in your studies and don't procrastinate; it only makes it harder. Don't get caught up in thinking you have to know what you want to major in right away. It will come to you. Just make sure it is something that will bring you joy everyday (money would be nice too, but not the important thing here). Make sure that what you do everyday has a meaningful purpose."

I would like to tell the high school version of myself to be more ambitious. I would tell myself to do the Honors program. The harder classes will be more worth it in the end. I would want her to find time to attend more extra-curricular activities. Also, the strongest advice I could give would be for the high school version of me to think harder about her intended major. I would want her to look further into the future and really think about where she is going to go with her studies. I would advise her to choose the best school the first time around and to study a field that is not only enjoyable, but also one she'll really get something out of. Furthermore, I would tell her to plan the summers way ahead of time and to not put off internships. Finally, I would tell her to start from day one saving for a study abroad trip so that she knows that she has the opportunity to go.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would have told me not to worry, and not to be scared, because everything was going to work out fine. When I began applying for colleges, I was worried about whether or not I would like Texas A&M, since I came from such a small high school, and A&M has nearly 50,000 students enrolled. Not to mention, I was completely terrified about leaving home and starting a new life, as I think many students are. It took one week of classes, one Midnight Yell Practice, one football game, and I was hooked. For life. Now, moving on to my second year here, I know deep down that there is something special about Texas A&M. The entire school, in fact the entire town, comes alive with tradition, the sense of family, and, of course, that good old Fightin' Texas Aggie Spirit. My whole life I've been searching for a place where I belonged, a place that I feel in my heart is home. I believe I have found that place here at A&M. It is a school unlike any other.

Genuinely pursue others. Seek out relationships and learn to love others and pour into their lives. Life is short and education, careers, and wealthy all pale in comparison next to loving others. Be involved in the community, not just in a "I need a resume” way, but rather strive to serve others. Don't selfishly think of yourself when you volunteer but rather seek to help others and love on those in distress. Life really is too short for selfish thinking about my goals, my priorities, and my things. If you just open up your eyes, you will see real people in need of love all around you and if you would simply reach out and love them, you would experience true joy. Turn off the video games and the silly fiction novels and open your eyes to the world. Time flies faster than we’re ever willing to admit and all of life boils down to how I loved.

If I could go back to my high school self and tell him what I knew now I would tell him to try harder his first semester and not take school so lightly. Although my first semester was not terrible (I finished with a 3.0), I could have easily done a lot better if I would have known how to apply myself and practice better study habbits. Four years later I will be graduating with a 3.7/4.0 over all GPA and a 4.0 major GPA; having made all A's for four consecutive semesters. Granted I needed my first year in college to give me the experience I needed to succeed, however, if I had known the tricks of the trade before making novice mistakes I believe I could have finished college with a more competitive GPA.

If I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school I would let myself know of all the things that are coming ahead. With this, I mean both the good and the bad things. I will not necessarily tell myself what to do because I believe that the actions and choices I have taken up to now have taken place for a reason and it is part of a bigger plan. However, I would warn myself of the things that could help me with the transition such as better study habits and what to expect from the professors. From my high school to my college it was a tough transition on the scholar side because my high school was very easy and the professors here expected new things from me. Besides this, I would tell myself to get ready an unforgettable experience.