University of Delaware Top Questions

I would focus more on my field of study and make sure I'm ready and decided on what I want to do in the future.

I would advise myself to really consider the financial burden of paying for college when choosing a college. I was accepted into in-state schools and I sometimes wish that I chose those schools. Even though Delaware is a better school academically, I wish I would had considered how expensive it is. Apart from finances I would also advise myself to get involved sooner! I was so overwhelmed in the beginning as a Freshman that I kept to myself and only focused on my classses. I wish I would had branched out sooner to extracurricular activities. I am involved now but I wish I would had been involved sooner. Lastly, I would had advised myself to have prepared myself emotionally more for school. I had a diffcult time leaving home and it was tough the first few months. I would tell my high school self to be ready for the amount of work and the huge change that college really is.

I would tell myself to prepare to work hard, make friends, and study a lot. When in high school, I didn't have to study much. School has always come pretty easy to me, so in college I didn't really study too hard. I found out the hard way that that wasn't going to work out anymore. So high-school-me needed to know that studying is very important because "just knowing" isn't good enough anymore. Also, I didn't really try too hard at the beginning to make friends and it made the first year pretty hard and lonely. So I would also tell myself to be more social and to join a club or a team. I don't have any regrets of what I've done so far, but if I could do it again I might do things a little differently at the beginning.

Everyone has an older sibling, friend, mentor, counselor, parent, or even college tour guide that says "I would have loved for someone to tell me this advice while i was in college". After this comes advice like: go to class; study; never procrastinate; get involved; balance work with play; make friends, and so on. But as a freshman year student, I learned that no one could describe what is it to make this transition until you go through it for yourself. For almost all incoming freshmen, this is the first experience you have without your parents, family and 'home' friends to help you. The one piece of advice I would give myself a year ago was don't be afraid to change, it's not always bad (you must change to mature and become a better, well rounded person). Talk to and meet people you wouldn’t typically approach; get involved with activities that you wouldn't normally choose to do; step out of your comfort zone; take classes that interest you not just what is "expected"; learn from your mistakes. College is the best place to improve yourself so jump to it and start!

When you look at colleges don't get caught up over the small things. The most important thing is the actual academic programs, not school looks like the best place to live for 4 years. No matter where you go you will find friends and enjoy yourself, the important thing will be what your actually getting out of your education. Go somewhere that can give you the tools to succeed later in life, the social aspect will fall into place.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the most important piece of advice relating to academics that I would give would be to earn as many Advanced Placement credits as I could. As a senior, I took AP courses but didn’t realize the value of taking the AP tests and earning the credits. I am majoring in elementary education and my program is very rigid. If I was able to fulfill more of my general education credits with AP classes, then I would be able to explore my interests by taking classes outside of the required curriculum. In addition, I would recommend appreciating time with my family and friends before I leave for school. While meeting new friends at college was exciting, it was also very hard to be apart from my family and old friends in the first few months at Delaware. As a high school senior, I think I took seeing my parents, siblings, and friends each day for granted. If I could go back in time, I would increase the amount and quality of time that I spent with the people who mean the most to me.

College is all about learning how to balance; don’t be one dimensional. Success does not mean having the highest grades and there is a lot more to having fun than partying. If you become obsessed with either, you will not get the full college experience. Being one dimensional, cuts yourself off from meeting different people, seeing new experiences, and stepping out of your norms. If you obsess over grades, you won’t realize that there really smart people to learn from who might not necessarily get the highest grades. If all you do is party, at the end of college when the party ends, you’ll see that many of your “friends” were only there for the good times, and you’ll have few lasting relationships. Find something you love to do. Joining an organization that you are proud of, will give you new memories with people you become so close with. It will teach you things you can’t learn in the classroom and you’ll find it’s even more fun and rewarding than partying. Don’t miss out on opportunities to meet interesting people and discover what really makes you happy.

Be a sponge. The most important parts of education are not about the most stressful classes you can handle at once or the number/letter grades you accumulate. Education is more importantly about the wealth and extent of knowledge you soak up and retain. It does no good to cram facts just to forget them after a test. Instead, redirect your efforts to really understanding your instructors and peers. They can teach you lessons and provide advice without you realizing it. Focus on everything they may tell you, do not assume their information is irrelevant; it may come in handy later down the road. During your education, you are shaping who you will become, which will determine you career path and lifetime goals. Your instructors and advisors are trying to pull the "real you" out of you, the "you" you might not even know yet. Allowing yourself to be open to all kinds of experiences and advice will give you options to shape your own thoughts. It frees yourself to view life through multiple perspectives, giving you a more rounded overview of your experiences and lessons learned. Be a sponge, soak in everything; don't keep yourself sheltered.

Don't go to college it's not worth it.

I went to a Newsweek Top 100 high school and I was perfectly prepared for college. My advice would be to work on study techniques and stress management before I come.