University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

take more college credit classes, it will save you lots of money.

Transitioning from high school to college life is quite the experience, but remember to be where your feet are. Yes, you'll meet new friends, and try your best to keep in touch with your ones from back home. Yes, you'll end up calling your parents after you realize it's probably a good idea to let them know you're still alive and need your bank account refreshed. Above all, being where your feet are is of high importance. Planning ahead for your career and future is important, don't get me wrong, but being present and enjoying some of the unforgettable moments you may never get to experience again will build you into the responsible adult you were sent off to college to become. Everybody makes mistakes, don't be afraid to change your major if it's something you aren't enjoying right now. Live in the moment because your future will be created by all of the experiences you live in the present by making conscious decisions instead of planning your life out on a piece of paper. Enjoy the next four year and remember, be where your feet are.

I would definitely tell myself to not worry. I made the transition a lot harder than it should have been and I would definitely tell myself to take it easy and not to be afraid of meeting new people and getting involved in things on my own. I'd probably have this conversation: "Stephanie, take a seat and listen. You will be fine. Go to class and take good notes. You are going to have to study a lot more than you may have had to do in the past. Your classes are goingto be harder, but you've always been up for an academic challenge; never forget that one day you conivnced your math class to take calculus instead of college algebra during your junior year. If you do find yourself in a slump in one of your classes, don't be afraid to talk to your TA - THEY ARE THERE TO HELP YOU. With all this aside, you will do just fine. Even if you don't do as well as you want, you are just in your first year."

If I were to travel back in time and share the tips and tricks I learned throughout my undergraduate experience, I would tell my high school self that taking college seriously early on opens many more doors in the future. If someone would have stressed the fact that college is about studying for the career I want to have for the rest of my life, I would have flourished earlier on, saving myself the stress of playing catch-up in the latter years. The second tip I would give myself would be to get involved early on. The easiest way to make new friends in college is to join a club sport, volunteer organization, and/or work on-campus. The people you meet participating in these activities are going to be the people that help keep you sane in the eleventh hour of studying for a final that your whole grade depends on. Being able to have these people to fall back on was one of the main reasons I was successful, we held eachother accountable, and watched eachother succeed. College is purely about balance, and with perfect balance, comes the perfect college experience.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there would be a few things I would tell myself. As a student that is still working for his undergraduate degree after 5 years of college directly out of high school, I have taken a strange path to get to where I am. The first thing I would tell my high-school self is to evaluate my expenses and determine if a fully funded community college experience is the best financial and timely choice. I believe that I have spent more time for my undergrad degree and possibly more money catching up with the classes from community college that did not transfer or count toward my degree. The final thing I would tell my high school self is to heavily research the subjects that I want to study. I am currently studying landscape design and horticulture, turfgrass management, and architecture. I am happy with my final decision to study all of these; however, I am unsure of where my career path is going. Because of this, for now I plan on continuing my education by doing research for my graduate degree in turfgrass pathology.

If I could go back, I would have gotten involved sooner. I would have joined more clubs when first arriving because I have had amazing experiances, made lifelong friends, learned a lot about myself, and more in the clubs I joined.

If if could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would definitely tell myself to ALWAYS stay focused. People always say how hard college is, but really it's only hard if YOU make it hard for yourself. Go out and have good time. If you get too comfortable and have too much fun before buckling down on studies, it can really backfire on you. Time management is definitely as HUGE part of college. You have to know how to have the right amount of fun without it getting in the way of your main goal. College is about new experiences, making good & bad decisions, metting new people and working towards getting your degree. Don't have too much fun to where you lose focus and don't work too much to where you can't have a break sometime. GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSOR ! Having your professor know who you are is a big deal. Trust me, it'll help a lot. Join some clubs , make plenty of new, life-long friends and make the most of your experience because a lot of people choose not take advantage of this.

The halls of my high school contain memories of freedom, sadness, confusion and joy. I think of those four years as four completely seperate entities. For example, I would tell my freshman self not to get caught up in a boy who wasn't compatible with me. I would tell her to stop straightening her hair and let her natural curls do their thing, girl! My sophomore self was an entirely different monster. I had been dumped by said boyfriend and was drowning in my own pity and anger. I spent that year fighting depression and heartbreak, trying to figure out which way was up and who I was supposed to be. Sophomore me needed to hear that everything was going to sort itself out and that the best was yet to come. She needed to know she was strong. Myself as a junior had established a close ring of friends and had fallen in love with my best friend. I would only advise this person to take more pictures. Unfortunately, senior year was defined by falling outs and stress. That girl just needed to know that she was going to become exactly who she was always meant to be.

The advice I would give to myself as a high school senior is to start applying for scholarships ahead of time, instead of waiting until the last minute. I would also tell myself that it is okay to step out of my comfort zone and to experience and try new things.

It seems unnatural at first because you aren't living at home and are now living with someone you have never met before. Trust me, she turns out to be one of the best friends you have. Things may not always come easy, but you manage it. You don't have to be everywhere at once. So, focus on the important things and the rest will work itself out. You find amazing friends and join some awesome clubs. Plus, you go to some really cool classes and have the opportunity to meet and connect with people that you would anywhere else. Remember, everyone else is just figuring it out too. You may not know exactly what you want to do, but you're on the right track with choosing to go to college. You have plenty of time to decide what you like and don't like and even who you really are when it comes down to the wire. Don't worry so much and have some fun along the way, this is the best time of your life. Keep your chin up and stand tall, kid, you're fine.