Victoria
College is a big word with big meaning and big possiblities. That does not mean, however, that the little child that lives within you is gone. Don't forget to laugh and live; college is a serious world, but sometimes the only way to survive is to put down the textbook and laugh. Make friends, create a new family and learn things from the wisdom of people and not just the textbooks. College is there to set up the next steps of your life, but life is not only reading textbooks and writing down answers. Life is about the experiences and the people you meet. Pay attention in class, do your homework and study; but most of all, enjoy these years and enjoy the people. College isn't meant to scare you, but let you live the life you've always wanted.
Abigail
My number one piece of advice to you is to be open to talk to everyone, it will help you advance not only socially but academically. Go to your professor’s office hours as soon as possible, most of them are really helpful, but they can’t help if you don’t go to see them or if you wait too long to go see them. Also talk to your advisors, I've found mine to be my best tool. Try not to procrastinate and write your lab reports the night before they are due- well not all the time anyway, procrastinating with friends can actually be a pretty good bonding experience.
Academics are the reason your in school, but don’t forget it’s a social experience too. Always take up an opportunity to go out with friends and to enjoy new experiences. Go on hikes and enjoy nature, go to parties, go Greek and enjoy culture and along the way make sure you’re never losing yourself, but always finding something new about yourself. So take a deep breathe and dig in, because this is where our adventure begins.
David
I would tell myself that it is easier to get into school right away and to focus on grades, for better oppurtunities.
Silas
I would tell my younger self to look at how well the classes will transfer from Eastern Maine Community College(EMCC) to the University of Maine(UMO) because they don't all transfer as credits in the civil engineering program.
Even though not all of the classes transfer as well as you want them to, it is worth it to go to EMCC before UMO. You will meet some life long friends and learn a lot of good life lessons.
One life lesson that you will learn if you don't listen to your family is that when you are in a relationship and there are red flags all over the place, you need to end the relationship. Also, just because you are going to college doesn't mean you are now mature and ready for a girlfriend.
There are lots of people in college who are immature. I'd make a guess that 25-50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of college students are immature.
Also, God will bring people into your life for you to show kindness to. Make sure you don't miss any of those opportunities.
Brooke
Knowing what I know now I would tell my high school self a few things. Class is completely different when comparing college to high school, the classes are much larger and you really have to pay attention. I would tell myself that you have to block out more time for studying in college than you did in high school so be prepared and I'd also tell myself to be prepared for the high amounts of reading from a textbook. I would tell myself that the homesickness is not really that bad and it goes away after a few weeks so not to worry about that part of college. I would also remind myself that college is where you begin the journey to a career path so take it seriously and try your best because your future self depends on it. I would tell my high school self to not let college seem like such a daunting, big, scary thing because it really isn't and some would probably say it's less scary than high school and that the college experience can be whatever you make it out to be.
cody
"Hey, asshole." (dont look at me like that, i was really dense at the time). "you shouldnt settle for the school you can afford, especially sense you dont even know what you want to do." My younger self looks at me with all the certainty of a teenager and says, "But Cody all my friends are there!" To which I would say "yeah well you have a falling out with them and the were does that leave you? Trust me, go work with the oldman for a two years. By then you will be able to afford your first choice. You will also have figured out what you want out of life."
Kelly
If I could go back and tell myself one thing it would be to stop regretting being so shy. My last few months in High School I kept dewling on the fact that I didnt talk to so many people because I wasnt able to come out of my shell. Now that I look back, i dont think its that big of a deal. I mean yes, i probably missed a lot of relationship that I could have had but im happy with the ones that i do. Also, this regret i feel is why has helped be able to actually go up and talk to people in class that i sit next to even if its just for the 5 minutes before class starts. That is something in high school i would have never been able to do.
Jamie
Some advice I would give myself is, don't get in the habit of procrastinating. You do not want to start college with the bad habits of waiting for the last minute to study or to get your homework done. You need to get your work done early and study ahead of time, don't wait for the last minute. Try reading the book ahead before class, that way coming in to class, you have an idea of what is being lectured about. This will help you understand the material and give you the chance to ask any questions you had about the reading. After school everyday go through your notes and study the material covered in class, this will help you remeber what you learned and make studying easier, once a test comes up. Study with a friend or form study groups with other members in the class. You can quiz each other using your notes, to be sure you actually know the material. Also, start any essays early, don't wait. Getting them done ahead leaves time for peer reviews. Creating great studying and working habits will make the transition to college a lot easier.
Jessica
If I could go back to senior year in high school, the advice I would give myself is how important the SAT's are and how important applying for scholarships are. College is very expensive and I am starting to see that now as the bills are coming out. As you enter college you need to buy books, supplies for school and your dorm room, housing, meal plans, tution and much more. When I took the SAT's in high school, people told me about how important they were but I didn't listen. Now that I am looking at all the bills trying to figure out how to pay them, I realized how important my scores were in order to get a scholarship from the college I am going too. If I had gotten my scores up higher, I would of had a lot more help paying for school. Also another advice I would give myself is to take a lot of time and put a lot of effort into scholarships because once your awarded the money, it is a huge help to lowering your college bills.
Helena
High school is a time to get involved. Put yourself out there and just have fun. Do not be shy, or secluded. If you want to do something do it. Join as many clubs as you can, takes all the classes you want to. Be socially involved, make as many friends as you can. Be nice to everybody and invite people to go out. Go to the cute guys party, have as many outings with friends as you can, study and make the best grades. Make the four years of high school as great as you imagined they could be. Go to every football game and cheer every sport on. Make the most out of everything you do in these four years. Make as many memories as you can and cherish them. Most of all be yourself and don't hide your true self from the world. Stand up for what you believe in. And be the very best form of yourself you can be. Lastly, remember all of these memories you created to tell your future family. Inspire them the way you were inspired, inspiration is a great thing.
Kristina
If I could tell my High School self anything it would be to not be as judgmental. One of the greatest gifts the University of Maine gave me was the ability to see and work with other people that were nothing like me. I believe in High School many students are so focused in actually finding out who they are, we forget to learn from the people directly surrounding us. As a High Schooler, I really wish I took the chance to get to know the people that I spent countless hours ignoring. I believe they could have truly impacted me to be a better leader, student, and person today. I never anticipated that college would open my eyes up to things that I disassociated with in High School. If I could go back, I would be more humble and open to the different opportunities around me, most importantly the different people around me. I feel as though if I missed out on anything in High School it was never the dances, football games, or school events but rather soaking in the wealth of culture that my High School had to offer.
Mandi
I would tell myself to learn how to organize things before starting college.
Emily
Looking back on senior year, I realize that I did not exactly know what I wanted to do. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I think that I would maybe stay home and go to community college until I really knew what I wanted to do. Going into college I just thought that everyone did it and that I should just go and figure it out. That was the difficult part; really figuring out what I wanted to do. After coming back home second semester of my freshman year of college, I realized what I really wanted to do and dove in. I went back to UMO and never turned around. For the choices I made, I had to go through what I went through to get here and I am very satisfied with the outcome. Being a senior in high school was not that easy now that I think about it. If I could tell myself anything now, I would say to just go into college with an open mind and don't take on a Major just yet. Look around and enjoy what you can until you realize what you really want.
Amy
If I had known about what college life was really like when I was a senior in high school, I would have made more lasting friendships, since now my school is very far away from my high school friends and I didn't keep in touch with them. I might have gotten another job because it is very expensive and having more money would make me feel more secure about my future. However, I'm pretty happy about what I've done and where I am now, so I feel like I was plenty prepared.
Jeffrey
"While money is important, respect and happiness can get you to the same state of fulfillment that you would achieve if you completed the impossible by becoming a physician. In the end, money is materialistic, so follow your heart. Follow your dreams and if you ever become comfortable with where you are, change something to keep you busy. Every day is one more day that we have and one less day we will get, so be better, try harder, take that responsibility and try something new every day. In short, live your life, pick paths as they come because aiming for one door may close other doors you never knew existed. Talk to strangers and heed your elders, their life has taught them lessons that may be beneficial for you. Learn to Scuba dive, jump out of a plan or go bungee jumping. These activities remind us that adrenaline is the best high you can have and can give us new perspectives on the same world. Just because being a doctor is respectable doesn’t mean that this is the only path you can take that will make you happy. From past experience, I hear Marine Biology is pretty cool."
Mimi
Now having gone through the transition to college life, I would have told my high school senior self that you're never fully ready for college. I would have told myself that you're never truly prepared for what college throws at you until you get there. College is a roller coaster. The ups of doing well, making new friends, and starting a new life; but also the downs of tremendous stress, studying all day and night for exams, and accepting that you are going to fail at times. As a college student, I've done well in classes, I've had fun, I've had my fair share of failures that include getting bad grades and getting so stressed that I broke down. But I realized that you and only you determine your successes and failures. I would have told myself back then was that you have the ability to do well, to not be so hard on yourself when you fail, and that if you believe in yourself, you really can do anything. The advice I would have given myself would have been that your own willpower makes the difference between the fine line of success and failure.
Connor
If I could go back I would tell myself to stay highly focused on finding work and doing scholarships. I fluffed off way too much my freshman year in college because I didn't understand the severity of working and making sure I stowed away money to pay for school. Now that I do I wish I had been more serious about it. Academics were always something that came to me as far as paying attention and doing assignments, but finding work has been difficult. If past me had been more proactive I don't think I would be in the situation I am in right now.
Chelsea
As you advance academically, the work gets harder, so it's important to develop good work ethic when the work is the easiest. The last thing you want to do is realize halfway through your senior or junior year that you're not going to be able to get into your dream college because you didn't work hard enough. Work hard now, it will pay off when you get to relax later.
Sarah
I think the most important thing that you need to know as a high school senior is that in college you get to start all over again. You need to be as social as possible the first couple of weeks at college because that is when you make all of your friends. If I could go back, I would tell myself to open up and be more confident because that is how you will succeed in college. I would also tell myself that I need to prepare myself for a busy schedule and work on my time management. When kids think of college, they think of all the parties and fun that they will have which is why sometimes people have a rough first semester at school. As long as you can manage your schoolwork with your extracurricular activites you will succeed. You also need to prepare yourself for surviving on your own. I personally didn't have a hard time with that but some people have never done laundry before and are not confident with being by themselves. However, the most important thing I said earlier is to be confident and ready for a big change.
Juvelta
College, is the next step, is a big step and is scary and beautiful at the same time. If I would go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say first to stay focus and not over-stress. It just gets better. Getting involved with a group outside of your major is very helpful and you meet new people. Ask a lot of question. Be friendly with the other students in your major, because those ahead of you have been through what you are going through, they can give you good advice. Go to class, take notes and set your goals. Be confident.You know more than you think you know. Be wise in choosing an advisor, who will help you. Start a research as early as possible and take choose the classes wisely. Read a lot and spend the first year talking to tons of people.Be more proactive. Every minute in graduate school is precious.Start doing volunteer work on campus.You need to be truly dedicated and motivated to complete a graduate program. Don't be afraid to fail, because setbacks bring you one step closer to success.