University of Maryland-University College Top Questions

If I could go back in time to my senior year in high school I would tell myself to never take things for granted and always push for what I know in my heart I deserve. I think back then I was so focused on just finishing school and becoming an adult that I lost touch with who I was. I would want to enjoy life and not assume that things come easily, because now I know that things aren't as simple as they may seem.

I would tell myself to make sure to study hard. College and high school are two totally different worlds and in college you are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} expected to learn for yourself and not have the information handed to you. Having waited 7 years to go back to school I learned that studying in college in also different because it is not just retaining the knowledge but understanding the knowledge as well. Taking most of my classes online I also learned how important self-motivation in. In high school your teachers remind you that you have assignments due and they often even help you prepare the assignments. In online college classes you get a syllabus at the beginning of class and most professors will not remind you of deadlines, they just tell you to keep checking your schedule. Professors expect college students to be professional in their work, in high school you can often get away with turning in not your best work. So, make sure that you know how to study and to keep yourself motivated. No matter what anyone says you can do this, just remember to believe in yourself.

I would say be yourself and forget about popularity, if they don't like you for who you are then thats fine but remember to be yourself. Also apply to scholarships because college is expensive.

I would advise myself to give mysefl a chance and ensure myself that there was nothing to be afraid of. I would emphasize that getting my education done while I was young, unmarried, and without children would be easier than when I had all of these things and had to try to "go back to school". I would encourage myself to take as many aptitude tests as possible so that I could have built up my confidence and picked a career path that I liked much sooner. I would have focused on visiting campuses so that I could have been informed and knowledgeable about what my future could have been. I would have made a strategic alliance with my guidance counselor so that I could have had an insider to the scholarships that became available and would remind myself that there was no harm in applying or trying for something that I both wanted and needed. I woud lecture myself about the importance and necessity of a degree and try to outline for myself all the different paths I could choose from; both good and bad. Perhaps if I were armed with this much information, I'd have done better.

I would give me the advice to not take any breaks in between my two kids and just go on with my schooling. Other than that I am pretty comfortable with my school and everything is as I expected.

Take more upper level classes in high school, as well as pick a school and stick with it. Changing schools will put you behind the power curve.

This is it! You are preparing to graduate from high school and begin to fulfill the life you have always dreamed for yourself. You can do it, do not give up. You are going to feel like you will not succeed, but keep pushing forward. You can do it! Your future seems so far away, but it is right now; right here in front of you. You are in control of your own destiny. Don't you dare give up! The difficulties that you face now will shape you and mold you into the strong independent adult you so desire to be. Don't lose that desire, that passion to follow your dreams. You are going to fall, failure will come your way but it will not be the failure that will determine who you are. It will be the way in which you handle yourself and get back up that creates the person you desire to become. No matter what, no matter where, no matter how, and no matter when; don't ever give up on your hopes and dreams.

When I was a senior, I would have told myself to not talk a semester off from school when you are already in college because I was attending Duquesne University Pharmacy Program when I took a semester off to help family take care of my grandmother who had terminal lung cancer by doing this I got automatically kicked out of the program even after the Provost of the school (a Catholic priest) promised this would not happen. I also lost my scholarship and the ability to play football at a college level anymore. It was an overally crappy experience that I would tell myself not to make that mistake again.

Don! Get out of high school now and go on to college! You'll work harder than you've ever worked, you'll give up sleep, and most of the time, your social life, but it's more than worth it! Go to the parties, but don't be a part of them. Hang out with people you never thought you'd pay any attention to before, and listen to them. Get in on research with one of the professors immediately - don't wait until your senior year like everyone else. Keep up the doctor-shadowing in the emergency room. This will help you get into medical school. When you think that you can't possibly get all the work and studying done, you can. Prioritize by what's due first, and just do it. Help someone else. It will give your brain a break and make a new friend. Make a schedule, and stick to it! Lay off the junk food, don't stop exercising and get out in the sun every day. Your brain will be more efficient, making up for lost time studying, and you'll sleep better. You can do anything if you really want to!

If I could go back, I would tell myself to better prepare financially and focus on school more, and even take a full course load senior year instead of taking a half day. By taking a full course load, there would leave more room for taking extra college classes and even more advanced classes that would count towards college credits. By getting a head start it would help with taking down later course loads each semester. Financially, I would have advised myself to talk to the counselors more, and get more knowledge about financial aid and how different loans and scholarships might work and get a better understanding of them. By not knowing the difference between loans and grants, applying for financial aid now, it makes it more stressful and possibly more time consuming then if I was better educated on the subject. All in all, what I know now, I can take and apply to family members that are looking at going to college and help them prepare better.