The University of Texas at Arlington Top Questions

First and foremost, get focused! Find out precisely what it is that you are good at, where your talents lie and what your passions are. Obtain advice from parents, roll models and high school guidance counselors. Indulge in introspection and listen to your heart. But be practical too and know that college life involves being an adult, albeit a young one. This is the rest of your life you are talking about! Don't be afraid to follow your dreams but be aware that a successful college career requires maturity, courage and concentration. Do what is best for yourself, knowing that your future depends on it. As far as transitions go, life is full of them and they don't necessarily have to be bad changes. You can always make your life full and complete by knowing that you are capable, smart and talented. You just have to make sure that you stay positive and that you don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. You are the only one who can beat yourself down and you are the only one who can lift yourself up to your hightest potential. It can be done!

If I could go back and advice myself, I would of liked to have search for scholarships to help me pay for all my schooling because now as my third year of college I regret not getting scholarships, grants or anything to have help me to pay for college. I would of also tooken the time to look for a university that I could of lived at and experience the college life. Because I believe it's not the same going to college and living there because once you live there you become more aware of all the school activities, programs, and you get to network more with others. Therefore, my advice is to make sure you have an idea of what you want to do in life and what best works for you.

The biggest advice I could give myself in high school about college life would be to ignore all the temptations that living on your own present. It is easy to get lost in the moment of a party but the true fun and sense of fulfillment will occur when you recieve your first test grades back. It is okay to pass on the parties and spend your time studying, it will much more fun to work hard in college than to work harder after you graduate. Do not feel like a shut-out, or a nerd. You are doing what you need to get ahead in life and that is something to be proud of.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in my senior year of high school I would tell myself to go straight to college and do not wait. Waiting and taking that break might seem like a good idea at the time, but it will take 12 years to get myself into college. By waiting those 12 years, college hasn't been as easy as it would have been had I gone straight in after high school because I have forgotten many of the things I learned. Once again I would say, "Don't wait..Do it now!!! You will wish you had!!!"

It is extremely important to have good study habits. Also, if you have financial aid, make sure you keep your grades up in order to keep it. If you are fairly intelligent or study hard, it is easy to make a 4.0, but you do have to be dilligent and do your work.

I would have to tell myself that study skills might not be needed in high school but it is good to know what type of learner I am so that it makes it easier to study in the future. I would say that although sometimes waking up early for the less crowded classes seems annoying, but it makes a big difference and allows more time later in the day to do fun stuff while everyone is in class. Being friendly pays off in the long run becuase you meet all kinds of people and they may be able to help you and/or you can help them. Although universities are much larger than high school, getting lost in the numbers is not a great idea, getting involved makes things a lot more fun and easier. Use the resources you have BEFORE it is too late in the semesters so you can do better in class.

Mary, you may have always been a very good student, but college is a different ballgame. On time does NOT cut it when it comes to higher education. Financial aid should be sought after BEFORE trying to be accepted in college. Asking upperclass students to recommend professors should be done BEFORE registering for classes. Buy books BEFORE the first day of classes or the book store may be sold out, and you have to wait a few weeks for the new stock to come in. Make use of your professor's office hours period, but especially BEFORE you start having problems. Start on assignments the moment they are given, you may think you have time, but work tends to group together during a semester. See academic advisors BEFORE registration opens for a new semester or you'll wait on appointments. But, and don't forget this Mary, the most important thing is to not overextend yourself. Don't take a max load, and if you have to drop or do badly in a course, don't feel horrible. No one is perfect. College is meant to be both a fun and learning experience. Don't let one consume the other.

Try harder. If someone had mentioned these two words to me during my senior year in high school, college life just might be a bit easier now. In high school my grades were exceptional, I had a positive attitude and I received tons of awards and honors but in retrospect, I did not try. Unlike most of my peers these things came easily to me, therefore there was really no need to try. However, now that I am living the future I could only dream about during my senior year in high school, I wish I had tried harder in planning my future. Three years ago, I would have told myself, ?Volunteer, get involved and mostly importantly apply for dozens of scholarships!? As I now deal with the burden of paying for college, those words of advice are just as important now as they would have been three years ago.

Be yourself and do not cave into any peer pressure at college - though it is a time to experience new things, make sure to experience them when you are ready and not just because everybody else is doing it. Also, to make tests less stressful on yourself, set aside some time each week to study what you've gone over in class so that by the time you have a test you'll already be fairly comfortable with the material.

Looking back at myself as a high school senior has made me realize that hindsight is really 20/20. If I could go back in time I would definetly advise myself in a few areas regarding college life. First I would tell myself that college is all about having the endurance to finish. So there is no need to be worried or scared just simply have the ambition to achieve your goals. I also would tell myself to take some higher level classes that would better prepare me for college. I also would take as many college credit courses in high school as I could to save money and to graduate sooner. Finally I would encourage myself to not get discouraged and to keep pressing toward the goal of earning a degree.