Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

Mandi, I know you were kind of cynical about attending community college instead of jumping right into a four-year school. MVCC has turned out to be a great school with excellent teachers and you will learn so much from them. I promise you will appreciate your choice to start out there. You're taking college level psychology and sociology this year, I wish you tried a little harder in those classes because those two B's you earned are the only thing standing between you and a 4.0 GPA in college and I assure you it will drive you absolutely nuts. Be thankful of how easy you have it in high school, sit back and relax a bit because college will be more of a challenge for you. Appreciate your friends more, talk to them often, and spend more time having fun with them. Spend extra, extra time with Jillian because now she is gone and you will be sad that you didn't. Most importantly, Stop sweating the little things and worrying about what's to come, try to thoroughly enjoy your last year of high school and stop rushing head first into the future.

Dear Lauren, You have chosen the best college ever! I know you were worried about making the right decision, but visiting the campuses of different colleges was very helpful. You truly don't know what a school is like until you experience it first hand. Also, APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!!! College is more expensive than you can imagine. Do as many as you possibly can. It may seem discouraging, but it helps so much. Do your future self a favor. Also, make sure not to slack off senior year. Just being in the top ten percent of your high school in Texas means a good deal of money. Don't slip off that list. The idea of college might seem overwhelming at first. New people, new dorm, new classes, new everything. Just stay calm. It may take time, but you will adapt quickly. Get involved with organizations, and the rest will come easy. Also, order your books early and make sure to compare prices across sites. The university bookstore is often more expensive than you should pay. Don't worry too much about your major. Tons of people switch later on. Get ready for the best year of your life!

The first thing I would tell myself is that it is not easy for anyone and not to be hard on myself. I would tell myself that I do not regret any of the decisions that I made because I live a fulfilling, happy life. (Then I would smile and give myself a hug before this next part.) I would encourage myself to read “What Color is Your Parachute” before making a decision about my career path because there is a shorter route to where I end up. The exercises in the book will help me learn what is important to me and where my talents can be the most benefit. I would remind myself not to let anyone or anything influence me because I can be susceptible during these years. I’ll tell myself that I will be surrounded by smart, motivated people. I would remind myself that I attract these people because I am smart and motivated. I will forget that and others may tell me otherwise but to really believe it. Other than that, the rest is easy. I will tell myself to listen to my advisors, don’t miss class, eat balanced meals, and study hard.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to stay focused because the hard work will pay off. I would tell myself to take those college courses I was accepted into because it would help out in the future. The easy road is only easy for so long and the harder road will only get harder in the long run. I would remind myself that opportunities would come easier if I apply myself and listen to the advice people gave me. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to stay in school and get my education before starting a family.

I would tell him not to stress as much about making friends and being accepted. He needs to know that everything will be fine. If I did go back I would tell him to apply for alot more scholarships. The biggest thing I would tell him would be to get the application the day it can be sent in that way he could get the major he wanted. I would assure him that his life would be wonderful and that he has to go to A&M and especially fish camp. In this way he would know that he is going somewhere important and has a good life ahead of him. Don't get me wrong I would still make sure he worked hard but I would hope he would be less stressed.

As cliche as it sounds, studying is the key to success. Study groups are a great way to make new friends and exchange ideas too. For those who say, "I already study in highschool, I'll be ok" will be in for a rude awakening. For every hour you are in class, dedicate 2 hours of outside studying. If an assignment is due 2 months from now, do not procrastinate. I repeat, do not procrastinate. In addition, apply for many scholarships because textbooks can be costly and as well simple neccesites. Also, get to know your professors, they are not scary I promise! They are willing to take time out of their day to help you. With all that in mind, become involved in student organizations; there is something for everyone. Maintain a balance between your school work and extra-curricular activities, and your need for sleep and fun. You don't want school to consume your life to the point where you have nothing fun to look forward to, and you don't want to have so much fun that your school work suffers.

If I could go back in time a few years I would encourage my parents to tighten the belt on expenditures so we could put away a little more funding for college expenses. I would work harder myself in trying to earn money for college as college is very expensive.

I am finally a student at the college I had always wanted to attend, Texas A&M University. I had worked so hard in high school to get where I am now, but I wish I had done some things differently. First, I would tell my high school self to take as many AP/Dual Credit classes as I could, so that I could get them out of the way and not have to take them at such a huge university. Secondly, I would tell myself to apply for scholarships until my fingers fall off because let’s face it, college is expensive. This is something I really wished I could have done because I am paying for all my college by myself because my parents do not have enough to support the rest of my family. I would also say to get a job to help with expenses. That is something I really regret doing every time I go to pay my tuition bills. Lastly, I would just tell myself to not stress out about the future because everything will fall into place at the right time and as long as you work hard, you can do anything.

If I were to give my younger self any advice, it would be to treat college both seriously and light-heartedly. Take advantage of all of the resources Texas A&M offers, and spend more time learning about the history and traditions of the school, as well as the surrounding area. More importantly, I would make sure to tell myself not to stress out or get frustrated. Texas A&M offers many opportunities to explore your future, and even if you crash and burn, there is a huge support network and safety net for students who need extra help. Texas A&M is a unique school and you should enjoy all of its quirks and eccentricities.

I would tell myself to think about applying for more scholarships then, when there are more available to a high school student, than waiting until now. College is not cheap for anyone and most everyone sacrifices somewhat so I know that my parents could use as much help as possible when it comes to finances. I want to attend either nursing or medical school after graduation and I know that the more that I can help my parents out now, the more money they will be willing to put forth toward my medical or nursing school.