University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that making new friends is easier than you think so don't be afraid. Classes are harder than they were in high school so you have to study. There is always something to do so you won't get bored. Get invloved in as much as you can. Going to church by yourself is not as scary as it may seem and you will get used to it. Avoiding parties is really easy when you have friends that share the same values as you do. Having a roomate takes some time to get used to, especially when you have never had to share a room with someone for an extended amount of time. Sometimes you have to spend sometime on your own so you won't go crazy when some of your friends start to get on our nerves. College is a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun.

If I could talk to myself when I was a senior I would say enjoy life now because once you get in college it is extremely difficult. Be prepared to study, study, study. High school is nothing like college, no matter how hard they try to make classes similar there is nothing like it. Also I would say be ready to root for your school. Get interested in a club and stick with it, it doesn't matter how many your in just the effort you give to each one. Also find a job. I had one but I would say find a better one. You will definately need one to get through and if you don't well your just really lucky!

Looking back on my transition into college life the phrase, ?I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger,? comes to mind. For the most part I knew what to expect, but there are always those things you never see coming that trip you up. During different bumpy occasions of my college experience I would have whispered into my own ear things like?. ?Staying up late the night before a test to study, or for any reason isn?t a good idea. You should have spent more time working with computers, so everyday tasks would be a little easier. Joining an organization will prove to be a beneficial decision on many levels. Call home more often; so you won?t feel disconnected from your family. Keep your head high when you study so hard for that first exam only to bomb it. Taking the initiative to form study groups will end up helping you out tremendously in the long run. Don?t worry about getting along with your roommate; that will work out fine. Finally, you never know where you may make a new friend; a lab partner can become your new best pal.?

Dear Kiran,As a high school senior, all you are ever worried about is impressions. Another person?s perception of you is more important than your own perception of yourself, and this heavily influences your actions. I?m here to tell you, as your college junior self, to disregard this concept when you begin freshman year. You will not make it in college if you allow others to define who you are. You won?t go after the things you really want; you won?t boldly seek friendships in new places simply in order to comply with how others see you. Shed all preconceived notions about yourself and begin fresh. You are the only person who can create your own identity; do not give this privilege to someone else. Don?t allow your self-created boundaries hold you back: erase them and go beyond the norm. Focus hard in school and learn what is worth learning, but at the same time nurture the relationships that may very well save you one day. Live the college life, but also live outside the college life and remember there is a world out there that is waiting for you when you graduate.

I would tell myself to not stress out so much about transitioning to college life. I would also tell myself to take advantage of every opportunity to get connected to the campus and the people. I would try to have more fun and not focus completely on studying because doing so only makes you burned out and school life then becomes miserable. It is important to have fun and find friends to help you destress yourself. Those are some of the things I would tell myself if I could talk to myself as a high school senior.

"Don't worry. Life seems like it can't get any worse, but it's not the end of the world." These would be the words I would tell myself as a high school senior, if I could go back in time. As a high school senior, I thought I had it rough: college preparation classes nearly all day, a part time job, and a few extracurricular activities. I felt so stressed out my senior year, but that stress is nothing compared to the stress I have, not even three years later. Everyday felt worse than the last, and the idea of college scared me: never being too far from home, and the college I'm at now is nearly three hours away. Move-in day was naturally frightening, and I was stressed. But, as time went by, I survived. IMAGINE THAT!

My senior self wanted to get away from home as soon as possible. So I went to a college that was far enough away and had what I wanted to study. Plus, the scholarship package there was amazing. But once I got there, I found that I didn't want to study what I'd chosen anymore, and that being away from home wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Drunken parties and petty drama are just not my style. So I found something else that I wanted to study, and discovered that it was only available at the main college in my hometown. I transferred back to Columbia. Unfortunately, the University of Missouri does not have a very good scholarship deal for transfer students. The best scholarship packages are for freshmen. So if I could tell my senior self anything, it would be that staying at home isn't so bad, that the University of Missouri has a great Nutritional Sciences program, and that if I go there as a freshman, I could get some pretty good scholarships.

If I could go back to myself as a high school senior and give myself advice on what I considered at the time to be the biggest decision of my life, there would be so much that I would want to say. The number one piece of advice would be, ultimately this is your decision. When I was trying to choose a college, I was trying to please to many people. The one person I didn't try to please was myself, so know that this is ultimately your decision. Do what is right for you. The second piece of advice would be don't second guess yourself. In my mind I already knew what was right but I spent several months second guessing myself until I finally made the right decision. Also I would tell my former self to work hard. Work had in your classes and getting scholarships, because if you slack off now then you have to work twice as hard later. Finally, I would offer the best advice ever. Don't worry! Everything is going to work out for the best in the end and I can say this confidently, since I already know what happens.

Save yourself the money and go to a community college first. Also, it will be hard to make friends so don't have too high of expectations. It will be much harder to get good grades. You will no longer be known as the "smart girl", labels do not follow you to college. People will take advantage of your innoncence.

I would tell myself be prepared to work harder than I ever have, that college is all about self-discipline and being able to manage my time well. There are many opportunities in college, from activities in the at the student rec center to organizations and downtown entertainment. Take advantage of the resources available to you. It's good to get a taste of everything and broaden your experiences while such opportunities are readily available, but not to lose focus, that maintaining a good gpa and getting involved in activites to prepare me for my career are the highest priority. I would also be sure to mention to not be so shy to approach people, you never know what you could learn from them and if they could turn out to be a good, lifelong friend. College is an amazing time, don't be afraid to have fun and take full advantage of all it has to offer, because time flies by and before you know it, it'll be time to graduate.