University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to my high school self I would give advice about the huge academic switch. In high school, if something is covered in class that you do not full understand and do not review that night, it will likely not be a problem as the teacher will review it again the next day. In college, the professor teaches the material once, then moves on. If you do understand it is imperative that you study on your own or go to office hours for clarification because there will be no re-teach. I would also recommend reviewing some material in the summer for the courses you will be taking in the fall as it will give you a heard start on the material. Finally I would give advice on time management. Treat your school life like a job. Wake up at 7 every day no matter when your first class is and start doing work. Continue to do work all day even in-between classes until around 5pm or so. If by then you have gotten enough done, take the night off and relax. If not, work some "overtime", and then relax till bed.

I would advise myself to really work hard in my AP classes and not just do enough to get by. By working harder and more efficiently in my AP classes, I would have gotten more credits and therefore have paid less money for classes. I would also advise myself to communicate more with teachers because in college it helps to have a solid relationship with one?s professor. If there is an established relationship, then there are more possibilities of communicating which can enhance one?s understanding of a certain topic. Also, in college, professors admire when students come to them for questions or concerns which makes them more inclined to help students with their grades. In high school, it would have been beneficial to build the habit of going to teachers for questions so that I could have transferred that into college.

The advice I would give myself would be to take class work seriously. Strive for a higher understanding of all of your courses. I would advise myself not to take the easy courses that I know I can pass without effort. I would take the really hard courses that would really prepare me for the coursework of college. I would challenge the faculty to provide a meaningful educational experience that would prepare students for college. I would advise myself to look past graduation and into the future and to plan. I would start researching and applying to colleges earlier. I would advise myself to make friends with the really important people in the school: the teachers and guidance counselors; the people who can put you on the path and make your transition from high school to college earlier. I would advise myself to join more clubs and civic organizations. I would advise myself to make friends with all sorts of people. I would have been more of an individual. I would advise myself to view school as a launch pad for a great college experience and I would put less value of friendships that did not extend past graduation day.

Nechama, don't stress. I know everyone says that, but seeing your future, I can say with perfect authority, don't worry about scoring those extra ten points on the SATs. Much more importantly, PAY ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!! You will encounter much frustration because of your careless attitude towards them, trust me. Had I worried a little less about my grades, and a little more about figuring out what I wanted to do in life in time to fill out scholarship applications, I would have far less worries and a lot more money today. Additionally, the extra year you will take off will be quite beneficial. It will help you discover your career path. The main things to keep in mind are these, pay attention when the guidance counsellor talks and take the extra time to read as much as you can about the application process so you don't miss deadlines. Other than that, the transition is not nearly as difficult as is appears and keep in mind that everyone comes out of it alive. The extra research will make it even easier. So relax because you have some pretty incredible times ahead of you, I would know.

My personal college career has consisted of two colleges, 4 different majors, and a gross lack of personal motivation. The biggest problem I ran into was caring more about the social aspect of college (I joined a fraternity) rather than focusing on getting an education and moving on to a career. Now, after all the indecisiveness and two years spent out of school working everyday at two jobs that I am less than fond of, to put it lightly, I am finally ready for my education. And I am prepared mentally for the load that I am to undertake. I think that is the biggest lesson that I have learned and would try to convey to my former self. With parents and society pushing the process of high school to college to job, teenagers barely have the opportunity to mentally prepare themselves for the years of pushing yourself to complete every little assignment, and read every chapter, and get up on your own to go listen to some guy drone on about something that you may not care about or even understand. If you aren't motivated, if you can't force yourself to push through, you aren't ready.

Hey Andrew- don't worry about joining all of these clubs and organizations that you don't really care about. It was a good idea to start your own club in something you are interested in, but don't worry about Student Governement Association or Steering Committee- you know you really don't care about what those organizations do. Look for the organizations that are more interesting to you, not those that you think colleges are going to like. Need a leadership position you say? Don't worry about it, as long as you're doing something you love, then the leadership positions will come to you smooth as butter- you won't even need to make an effort. Volunteering was a great idea because you did it at places that you really were intersted in like at the hospital and at church. Stay active with the National Honor Society, you're a smart kid and people will know it. And those AP's you're taking? Take them seriously, they can get rid of your CORE requirements in college and make A LOT of room for classes you want to take for your major. You'll thank you later.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry so much about what was coming next. Yes, college was different than high school for me, but I forgot to think about the thousands of other incoming freshmen who were in the same situation that I was. My senior year was full of worries, pondering what college would be like, but if I could go back and talk to myself, I would tell myself to stop worrying, and just to go through the changes like every other freshman was going to do. I was actually more successful in college than I was in high school during my first semester, which I never would have expected, so if I could tell my senior-self that everything would work out like I wanted, then I would have been much more at ease during my senior year.

Being in college for over one semester has opened my eyes to a lot of things. When I was in high school, I dispelled many of the college myths, and I never envisioned college to be different from high school. If I had a chance to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself to be careful of the people I surround myself with, become more involved in extracurricular activities, and to budget my money wisely. Firstly I will advise myself to be careful of the people I associate with to avoid negative influences. Moreover, I will also advise myself to be very involved in extracurricular activities as this will help increase my network and hone my leadership abilities. Finally, I will advise myself to budget and spend resourcefully because college expenses are constantly on the rise and it is only wise to spend intelligently and save for the rainy days to come. College has been a learning experience for me and I hope to continue to provide for my institution. It is not what the institution can do for you; it is about what you can do for your institution.

Take high school seriously! The material you master in high school can save you time when studying for harder classes in college. Basic subjects like algebra, geometry, and grammar never go away! They are tools needed to complete more advanced and required coursework during freshman and sophomore years. Do not attempt to just ?barely manage? these crucial courses. Take challenging classes. You'll treasure the college credit you've earned in high school when you find yourself offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in college. Why take basic biology and chemistry courses all over again when you can finish those in high school and move on to more exciting experiences. You'll appreciate the extra time you have in your schedule for research, internships, or student activities. Develop good study habits in high school. Procrastination simply does not work in college. The earlier you learn good study skills and time management, the more confident you?ll be in college. Finally, teachers notice good students and value their work. In high school, your teachers will be recommending you to future universities and internships. Make a habit of building a connection with teachers and professors. It will change your academic experience completely.

When I was a high school senior my teachers and guidance counselor always told me how much of a transition it was going from highschool to college. I brushed it off because I was a straight A student and figured I could tackle any object that crossed my path. Once I got to college there was a huge transition. In order to stay ahead in college you have to read chapters before you get to class. The workload in the classes is much more intense and more specific than in high school. I realized that what used to take me a quick hour of review to prepare for an exam would take weeks of studying daily to absorb all of the information. During college you meet so many new people and you also have to learn to manage your time. You are also given a huge amount of freedom where you don't have to listen to anyone other than yourself. My advice to myself would be to practice studying habits now while I am still in high school so it wont be difficult when I get to college. Prioritize your life and finish the important tasks first.