University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Hello Mr. Shahry! I know...I know! it is kind of shocking to see someone looking just like you! I am sorry if it sounds confusing, but I am You! and you are Me!! Believe it or not,I have come from futur! What do I want? you ears to listen! I have to go very soon. I just wanted to share some cool stuff you will dealing with in future, and ask you to think about them. Please grab a chair, get yourself a cup of tea, and listen up! Ready?....good! There are things you should do after geting into college. First, find a student club that interests you and participate in their activities. You will not only make friends, but you will be amazed how much you can learn from other people. Remember that you should always attend office hours! let your professors know what a good student you are. Also, know that asking questions in college is vital. Stop thinking what others will think of you if you ask questions in class. You also need to learn how to manage your time, money, and how to take care of your health. Good luck!

Sung Park, the only way you can fulfil your dream in life is to set high standards. Do not judge yourself with others, but only concentrate on yourself and your future career. In order to recieve a full scholarship to a well acedemic known college is to do well in school. The only way to impress your parents and not live a hard life by worrying about financial needs is to set your head straight. I know you have been having a rough life with family coming here to the states from Korea not knowing a bit of english, but the only way to overcome things is to do the best you can. Thank your parents everyday for giving you this life that they could of never had as a young adult. You can fullfill the dreams that they once had and especially the dream that you would like to have. Do the best you can, I trust and believe in you. Sincerely, Sung Park

Advice i would give myself would be to try harder on my AP Englsih Literature and French Literature exams. I have learned from my experiences so far that having Advanced Placement credit comming into a school as a freshman allows you to jump into your major easier. General Education classes would be easily bypassed with AP credits. So my advice to pretty much to any high school student. is to Take AP classes, Study hard and pass the exams.

I would advise myself to create better study habits now. I would have encouraged myself to not procrastinate as bad as I did. Part of my availability to procrastinate came from not prioritizing my time. I need to set a schedule for myself to determine when I will do work and when I have free time. I also need to make sure that I do not take on more than I can handle. Even though I may think I can handle it, I must think logically and practically about what I am trying to do. I also would want to inform myself that it will not be easy to get adjusted to college life, and to not get discouraged that my friends have adjusted faster than I have. Everyone grows and matures at their own pace. Though I am kind and caring for others, especially my close friends, I need to start worrying more about myself than about others because in college, they won't be there to help the way they could in high school.

There are two very important things that I would tell my younger self in hopes of being more successful in my college life: Most importantly, do not become a business major. You are not made to sit at a desk lwhile looking at numbers. You will in no way enjoy accounting, even if you were the president of The Academy of Finance in high school. Discover nutrition and dietetics as early as possible; it will quickly become your passion. Second, and also very important - make sure to have health insurance at all times. One illness will set you back both academically and financially. You will make it through this, but it will be rough for a little while. Speak to your advisors; they will be very helpful. Your friends will always be there for you as well. Good luck!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would take the opportunity to share some wisdom that I gained my first semester of college. First, I would have to tell myself to not underestimate my (future) classes. They may seem easy and a repeat of what I learned in high school, but the classes are much tougher than they were before. I would also tell myself to not stress myself out too much about exams. Being a little nervous can be beneficial as it shows you care, and it keeps you on your toes. However, being so nervous that your hands are shaking is setting yourself up for avoidable mistakes on the exam. Lastly, I would have to remind myself that embarassing yourself in front of a lecture hall of about 300 students is a lot worse than in front of 20 students, so don't do anything stupid. Oh and of course, I would tell myself to have fun and enjoy college while I can, it's not as scary as it may seem.

The advise that I would give myself fourteen years ago would be, education is the only way. The more you know the more money you make. Money is the only means for survival in today's world. Without an education you will be living from paycheck to paycheck just barely making the bills, add two kids its going to be hard to eat. Everyday your working your figures to the bones for the lowest pay. Why would you want to work for minimun wage? When there are alot of college loans, grants and scholarships available for everyone. Plus its easy! You just have to take time out of your day to fill them out. Start taking baby steps to find what you want out of your life. How many digits you want on your paychecks a month and what do you want for your family? Think of a time line, start at the age of eighteen to thirty. You have twelve years to get an education and a job. At the age of thirty you work on your money and a family. By the time you reach fifty you will have everything you always wanted and be able to manage.

Some important advice I would give myself is to become a more mature and diligent student. The bad habits of high school (such as procrastination) should be eliminated and replaced with beneficial habits in order to be successful in college. I should learn to hone my organization skills, because I will need them to be an effective student. I must also master time management and discipline myself to handle the intense homework load of college. If I am not disciplined, I may fall behind. Therefore, I should learn how to be a diligent student. I would also tell myself that is important to take Advanced Placement classes in high school because they will prepare me for college level material and save me money and time. The college credit from these classes will allow me to skip introductory courses and graduate early. I will then advise myself to not be afraid to try new things, such as joining clubs. I should also learn how to network, because the connections I will make in college will help me in the long run. Transitioning from high school to college will be less stressful and smoother if the above mentioned advice is followed.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that I was more prepared for college than I thought. I did not think I was strong or independent enough to excel in college, but that is not the case. I would tell myself that I thrive in the college environment, and having to depend on myself makes me a much better person in the long run. Also, I would comfort myself by saying that making new friends and fitting in was a much easier task than expected. With those worries behind me, I could more easily focus on the important part of college: getting an education. I would tell myself that the work would be hard, but I have the abilities to succeed. However, I would also warn myself to cut down on the procrastination and not fall to stress as much. I would remind myself that I work best when I am not doing assignments last minute. Mainly, I would reassure myself that I am more than ready to take the next step of my life of going to college and not to be afraid of the furture.

Given the chance to go back to myself as a high school senior, I'd tell myself to be more proactive in off-campus activities. It's one thing to go to class and good grades, but to actively seek scholarships, and pursuing opportunities for your self-interest will make you a well-rounded person. There were many fundamentals of the college experience to which I wasn't aware of nor exposed to before I enrolled, and there are many things I'd do over. But most imporantly, I'd tell myself to be interested in learning, and not to get discouraged to "traditional" teaching methods. You have to have fun and enjoy being in your situation, and learn to create your identity. College is an opportunity to meet different individuals and cultures, but at the same time it's unique that everyone's likeminded with the same goals and have their own traits. It's a chance to not change your personality, but expand on it and grow to be an educated, tolerant and unique person.