University of Miami Top Questions

The first thing I would say to a high school me would be congratulations. By my senior year of high school I already knew where I was going to school, but I was unsure at that time if the school I had chosen would be the best choice for my future. I wish I was able to tell the past me that I made the right choice. After spending almost a year and a half here I wouldn't want the way things are to be any different. I have struggled to maintain excellent grades in a highly competitive environment, learned much that will be applicable for the rest of my life, and made many great, supportive friends. I would however have two warnings for the past me. The first is not to get sucked into the insane party life. It hurts the grades you work so hard to achieve and makes you work even harder to bring them back up. Also, make as much money as you can before starting college. That scholarship may seem like a lot of money now, but you will soon realize that it is not nearly enough to pay for a high quality education.

Hey buddy, before you graduate I would like to give you some words of wisdom. Make sure that you look at all aspects of the college that you are applying too, and make sure that those aspects complement or match your personality. Also take into consideration what you can learn and how you can grow at the school, may it be academically, socially, or anything else. I would also recommend selecting a school that is in a different environment and atmosphere than your hometown, so that you will be able to experience a different way of life which will make you grow as an individual. As you transition into college, I would suggest keeping an open mind and viewing all experiences as positive learning experiences that you will be able to look back later and use to better yourself. While in college, be yourself, work hard at whatever you do, and success, friends, and happiness will all come your way in the end. Finally, I will finish by saying that you should not worry about what other people think of you, but think carefully about all of your decisions so that you can make the most beneficial ones for yourself.

If I were to go back and speak to my former self, I would tell him that he really doesn't have much to worry about in making the switch. Sure, the commute is pretty tough in the mornings, and the classes are way bigger than those he had in high school, but altogether I think his school prepared him very well for adaptation to college life. The work load is a little bit more than that in high school, but he was juggling Varsity Rowing with schoolwork; now it's changed to juggling work and financial aid packets and car payments. I would essentially tell him not to sweat the small stuff and to keep his eyes on the prize: becoming a renowned doctor someday and becoming the first member of his family to gain a degree. He tends to stress a little under the pressure, but some breathing and words of encouragement are all he really needs.

As a high school senior, I would give myself the advise that if academics was what I wanted to focus on, I shouldn't have been involved in so many sport activities. As well, I'd have told myself to better prepare for SATs and ACTs. I would have applied to many of schools by the spring of my senior year. I would have went on college campus visits and talked with advisors. I would have kept dating and guys out of my life as much as possible and studied more. I would have told myself to write a million scholarships and keep looking for new ones to apply for. That would have been the biggest piece of advice I would've given Parris in high school.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior is to enjoy more of my last high school year. I would encourage myself to attending homecoming and the football games instead of focusing solely on my academics. I would make it clear that having a balance in life is crucial. It is important to have priorities and to have school at the top of your list, but it is also beneficial to take other activities into account. Other than joining the usual National Honor Society and Relay for Life organizations, I would tell myself to branch out and explore other fields that I was unfamiliar with at the time. This experience may have allowed me to discover new areas that could've been of interest to me. Moreover, I would make sure that I treasure my last few days at my high school and take the time to realize that I spent four crucial years of my life there. In this school, I built friendships that have lasted through college and made numerous memories that I will forever cherish.

If i was able to speak to myself as a high school senior there would be an imense amount of advice that I would give myself. Primarily, I would advise myself to become more fully integrated in campus life. As a commuter student, I feel I might have lost out on many of the typical college experiences not living on campus. I beleive this is a crucial part of the educational process, as it creates an integral support network, allows for study groups, supports self esteem. A second peice of advice I would give myelsef would be to embrace each day of learning. As most students graduating from high school, and going to college, the whole idea of studying, writting essays, attending class seems to be a chore. In reality, the whole process needs to be embraced and cherished as these four years one can never re-do or get back. These "chores" are going to be the foundation of what will be your career, the rest of yourself, and of your life.

I don't think anyone can be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} on their decision until after visiting a school. Seeing the school can seriously impact your decision and perception of the school. Also, it's a great way to get the answers to the burning questions you may have, and usually more questions arise during a visit. I think a tour of the school is the closest thing a student can get to attending the school without actually being enrolled, and thus is the best way to get a feel for the kind of experience you may have at school.

The right college for you is the one you actually want to go to and will be happy at. Any college you attend will challenge you and put you out of your comfort zone; if you are determined to enjoy your college experience and learn a lot, you can overcome the challenges. However, if you are unhappy at your school, you will not be motivated to succeed either in or out of the classroom. Finding the right college for you is about choosing a place where you will excel, be it because of the size of the classes, your amount of friends there, or the area surrounding the campus. You need to find the college or university that will allow you to be the person you want to be. Making the most of your college experience is just that - what you make of it. You determine what you get out of your college experience, so pick the college that will let you go out there and get it! Your first choice college is probably your best choice because if you set your sights on success, you really can achieve your goals.

Choosing a college is more than plugging in a formula. First, look at the statistics: student to teacher ratios, size of the school, cost of attendance, climate, etc. If you dont make sure the structure of the school is right for you, then you will never be able to make the most of your college experience. Next, look at the school as a place to live... do you want a party scene or do you prefer a college with an academic focus? Do students have trouble parking, or does everyone think green and use bikes? The details matter just as much as numbers. The best way to discover these details is to spend as much time on the campus as possible. Take the campus tour, but then stop and talk to current students. Students who are happy where they are love to tell others about it. If the students aren't happy, what makes you think you will be? Eat a meal in the dining hall (you'll be there a lot), visit the library, and sit in on a class. You dont just buy a car without a test drive. Why should choosing your college be any different?

The most important aspect of having a good college experience, is the student's avility to feel comfortable in his or her enviorment. While information sessions and brouchure tell you what the school wants you to know, I would recommend that prospective students take the time to visit the school, and if possible, stay on campus for a couple of days in order to get a more realistic idea of the school's atmosphere. I would also recommend, especially if the student will be attending a large school, that he or she become involve in a lot of extracurricular activities during their first couple of semesters. While it may be time consuming, it will be a great opportunity to meet a lot of different people who they may not have the chance to encounter otherwise.