University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Top Questions

When I was a high school senior I was so scared to go to college because of the change in my home life. I had never moved before, and going to college requires some sort of moving. When I made the transition into my dorm I was not happy, because it was not home. After weeks of living on campus I got used to the new lifestyle that I had started. Looking back a few months I would tell my past self that in life transitions happen not often, usually, and that is what makes them hard. The hardest part of a transition like moving into a dorm, is actually putting up with your parents for the day. After the actual transition is made everything is usually smooth sailing from there. I am happy with my current living situation on campus, for two reasons. The first is obvious which is independence, every college students dream, but for me I feel that it is a life skill that is going to help me. The second reason is that it really shows me that transitions are not that bad, and that doing things that scary at first will probably turn out fine.

Focus on school and not the social life!

If I could go back in time to my high school senior self I would tell myself to stop worrying and live for the moment you are in, continue to work hard and you will accomplish your goals in life. Be who you are and do what you want. Remember to be appreciative for all the opportunities you have had and continue to do new things and expand your horizons. Sounds so simple, yet my high school senior self did not know this and a lot of time, energy and worry was spent on unncecessary matters.

Take more risks, is what I would say to myself. By my senior year of high school my grades were the best they had ever been. I was in the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my class and had a close to perfect GPA. What I regret most is only applying to colleges that I would consider safety schools. There is no reason why I could not have been accepted to colleges and universities with more challenging acceptance rates. I would tell myself to quit fearing the possibility of rejection and realize my worth. I would also tell myself that there is no shame in being rejected from a top university because no matter where I end up, I would continue to be successful as a student. With that being said, I would also tell myself that I would not end up anywhere if I continued to procrastinate with college related responsibilities. I would say that procrastination would become my worst enemy if I continued with it. And to conclude, I would tell myself that it will become very important to prioritize my responsibilities in the near future.

Knowing what I know now about college, I would've told my past high school senior self to get up and get a job. I always knew that college was expensive but I never knew it was this expensive. The total income in my household is less than $10,000 a year, and my school UMASS Dartmouth costs almost triple that. I thought that my financial aid would cover most of it so that I would only have to pay a couple hundred dollars a year, but i recently found out that I am going to have to pay about $6,000 a year. If I would have gotten a job in high school and saved all that money then I probably would have at least been able to pay one year of college, but since I didnt I might not even be able to. I wish that I could go back in time and tell myself this because I really needed to hear this at that time. Now I'm struggling to find scholarships that I could actually apply for.

Start assignments early. Perform research independently from the classroom. Don't stress out.

I would tell my high school senior self that the transition to college is as hard as I decide to make it for myself. I should make the effort to get to know people and join student associations. The key is to be friendly and genuine. College life will bring lots of temptations in the form of wild parties and drinking. Remember to focus on academics first. Academics will open to way to Graduate school and then a well-paying career. Remember that this will need time and effort. It will also be important to help peers with their academics too if they are showing a genuine effort to do well. Don't let the chronic disease which you have had for a year so far as a reason to not give my school-work one hundred percent of your effort. Your health will need time for healing. Life will move on though, and school cannot be put on delay. Go ahead with memory impiarment, exhaustion, and misunderstanding from other people. It doesn't matter if you make it or fail. What is important to try your best and being able to look back and give an approving nod.

If i had the oppotunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school i wouldnt even know where to start. The main thing that i would like to stress to myself would be to stay focused. I would tell myself to make my school work more important than cheerleading and boys because in college the professors wont hold my hand through all of my assignments. I would let myself know that the "senior-itis" may seem hard to fight in the begining but trying to get back on track in time for graduation will be much harder. I would really want myself to fully understand how much is being done for me in high school and how in college i wont have anyone pushing me to do homework. Other than all the seriousness i would just tell myself to enjoy senior year actually being a kid because after graduating the real world will be coming at full speed.

if i could go back to high school as a senior i would tell myself to apply for a a lot of scholarshhips and i would fill out my Fafsa paper on time. I would take private course that are equavelent to a freshman year in college.

If I could go back to when I was a high school senior I would tell myself to work harder. I would also tell my self to do what ever i could to get into college and not wait as long as I did. To go to college right after high school and take it more seriously. Dont just mess around and not go to college. I would tell myself to go to college right after high school with no argument because I now Know that going to college is very important.

It would be to study hard and not fall for senioritis as i did and get into the school you really want to get into before realizing minuses like abesence of majors.

Dear Hadassah, I’m sure there were many times where you thought to yourself, “Hmm, if only I could go back in time and fix some mistakes that I have made in the past, or just anything that could make my life easier and better.” During your senior year in high school, you became very much involved in a youth group organization called NCSY. Being a part of this youth group was a very good thing and it looks good on your transcript, but the problem was that you always put it first, even before your homework which would sometimes cause you to slack off. You focused more on the extracurricular activities and socializing, causing your grades to slip. It is very important to remember that your senior year is the most critical point in highschool, and every little thing you do will make a difference in your future. Just strive to work as hard as you can to make the best grades possible, and leave the socializing for your spare time. Believe me, you won't regret that decision once you transition to college. Good luck on your future endeavors, Hadassah

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself three things: you are a selfish brat, you are incredibly capable, and it is okay to say no to people. First, if I had seen myself as the selfish brat I was, I would have understood things more clearly. Most importantly that my mother is responsible for my well-being but only to a certain point. Her life doesn't start and end at being a mother. I behaved selfishly towards her during that period and I wish I had someone then to tell me so. Second, my education is of the utmost importance. I have had to overcome many obstacles over the years, but I am resilient and I have what it takes to achieve my goals and to be successful. However, hearing that when I wasn't so sure would've given me the confidence that I needed. Third, I was sexually assualted senior year. I was too afraid to say no when it mattered the most. I regret that night more than anything. Only by going away to college was I able to learn these things.

if i could go back and tell my high school senior self would be to make sure that i study for all of my tests.

If I went back in time and talked to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give myself is that in college your responsible for everything you do and if you do not try your hardest and best to stay on top of things you will struggle and ultimately flung and all the money your parents invested in your education will go to waste.And make sure you make a good impression to your professor so they know that you are serious and intelligent student.In that case, if you ever need something from them or need help they not hesitate a minute in helping you with what you need.Also, TIME MANAGEMENT.

Take high school more seriously and take more advantage of all the free services available.

I would advise myself to quit whining suck it up and learn all that i can from my past, because i'm going to need it now that i'm going out on my own. I would tell myself to prepare to be challenged in everyway possible, but know that you will thrive after succeding in each challenge. Most importantly i would tell myself that this, is the beginning of the rest of my life.

The advice that i would give myself is to study for everything.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college I would tell myself to take my courses more seriously. I would tell myself to learn how to study now because college is not the time to learn how to study, but it is the time to use your study skills. I would also tell myself to take more honors courses this year. Honors classes provide a difficult course load which could've better prepared me for college. The last thing I would tell myself is to apply for more scholarships earlier because school is not cheap and every bit of money would help.

Take advantage of every new experience, make as many friends as possible, and stay open minded always. You are a fertile learning machine so go forth and learn as much as possible.