University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Make sure you get involved in the community in your first year.

I would tell myself to always keep organized and on top of things. Don't stress out to much, there is life outside of school work. Be happy. Make friends. Join groups. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. Try to apply early to college so you have a decision earlier and don't have to worry about the future as much. Remember that in college, you make friends that may last you a life time. These people will help you if you are struggling in life. College is fun, enjoy it while it lasts. And like that song in your favorite disney movie, Hercules, You CAN go the distance.

The next four years of your life will most likely be some of the most memorable of your entire life. So, when deciding on a university, keep that in mind. Try and find a place that suits both your academic and social needs. Visit campuses. Get the feel of what it is like to be a student at each of the universities you visit. Also, don't worry too much about getting accepted to your "top choices." In my experience, your top choices today may not in fact be your best matches. Wherever you end up going is where you are supposed to be. I cannot tell you how your university life will be, but I can assure you that it will be an incredible experience.

"When you enter your freshman year of college in the fall, develop personal standards and goals for how you wish to spend your college years. Get involved in as much as you can in a way that won't inadvertently affect your schoolwork. Think of how you want others to see you: how you want to behave, communicate and interact. This is the time in your life when you change into who you are supposed to be, so imagine what kind of person you may, and strive to become."

Get ready for an amazing time! Don't stress yourself out by being worried about what's ahead. Seize all of the opportunities that are about to be thrown your way. Not everyone gets to do this! Join clubs, meet new people, open yourself up, and take classes that interest you. Don't be shy! It's pointless! And don't fret about the change of pace or the change in scenery. It's a time to experience something new and fabulous! Don?t fear the upperclassmen. They?re not as cool as they think! Hold that map you got from orientation and strut through campus proudly! Don?t hold back! No regrets! Live life and live it to the fullest. It?s college and it only comes around once.

Don't be pre-med and go easy on the partying.

I would probably tell myself, "Don't stress so much! It gets so much worse at Penn!" I would tell myself not to be obsessed over getting straight A's and that high school is nothing compared to college. Furthermore, I would tell myself to choose to live with a random roommate over a friend; I lost a friend in my freshman year that way. I would also advise to really enjoy the summer before college; time flies so quickly here! Take opportunities to meet everyone while it's still possible; after freshman year it gets very difficult! Be careful of that one stair on the day it hails; I fell down the stairs and hurt my knee! Try to get involved in research as soon as possible. Research opportunities are EVERYWHERE at Penn - it's your chance to take it.

Make a more specified schedule for classes.

Things came easy to me, back in high school. I could float through a class with minimal effort. My junior year I never even opened the textbook for my AP United States History class, and I still got a five on the exam. Other students would scoff at my minimal effort, and my parents told me I'd regret neglecting how to study. I simply laughed. That all changed when I got into the University of Pennsylvania. Ivy League. The big time. I thought I could float through classes just as easily as I did in high school. I was wrong. Freshman year was a incredible wake-up call for me. Calculus, never my strongest subject, became the most dreaded class of the week. I struggled and barely passed, all the while thinking, "If only I had tried a little harder at studying in high school. If only I had learned how to focus." If I could turn back the wheels of time and talk to the me from two years ago, I'd tell her to work harder and work smarter. I'd tell her to put some effort into swimming, instead of just floating.

Take it easy. No need to be stressing. Savor college because it goes by quicker than you think. Involve yourself with as much as what's going on campus and with your friends because it's a time in your life that you'll never get to repeat. Don't ever let work just take over your life. Just plain have fun!