University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

Stop stressing it. I can remember going through high school, always looking at the future, worrying about what effect each decision and action I made would have. If my grades would be good enough, if I was in enough extracurriculars, what my references would be. Even after my college acceptance I worried about every little thing such as orientation and what other students would be bringing on move-in day. Looking back now I understand that all those things were necessary and part of the process, but I would've liked to have had the assurance that it would all work out. I know we tell ourselves that it will, but we never really know until we actually make the decision and have to accept the consequences. Another thing I would've liked to known back then was that high school does not define you. Once we set a precedent about our personality, such as with me and being "shy", people tend to treat us in a certain way. It feels impossible to break the stereotypes others form about us, and yet it is possible. In college you can redefine yourself and show others the person you want to be.

Take psychology classes and figure out your major faster. Do more research oriented extracurriculars and join a hotline/ counseling program. Take time out and see the sights during the first and second years because the pace picks up during the third and fourth.

Not to use the word freshman. That screams novice. We say first years. Thomas Jefferson believed you never stop learning, so I even know some fifth years! Also, we say grounds instead of campus. Those two terms are vital.

Do not just speak up but speak out. Act on initiatives where the outcome is yet unknown and make it your own. Be electrifying. In your fourth year of college, your mentor, Dean Muth, advised you on your Student United: Bring Back the Spanish Minor campaign and put you in touch with a fearless Dean Laurie Casteen in the office of the dean of students. Dean Muth taught you how to fight for your initiative and also fought with you as we weighed concerns about finances and considered alternative options before exhuming the Spanish minor lying in moratorium. With his support, you investigated and spear-headed the cause, assembled with students to hear their stories, convened with both the director of the Spanish program as well as Student Council to develop and draft a proposal for alternative solutions, and published your views and findings in the campus-newspaper, The Cavalier Daily. You trembled with fixed determination to impact student affairs on your campus. Here’s your chance to get involved from day one. There is promise behind your words to cast startling, provocative impressions. Take the risk and dare to stand your ground.

Try harder! World of Warcraft is fun, but college is going to be some of the most important years of your life and you need to prepare yourself. Focus on your classes, study up on scholarships and admissions requirements, and above all else get yourself that Bright Futures Scholarship! It would have helped us out a lot. And when you finally do get into college, focus and make it your priority! If you graduate in the minimum two years, you'll be that much closer to your dream career and you won't have wasted any time. That's key! Enjoy your youth, but make sure that having fun doesn't become your only priority. Always keep your head pointed forward and make a bee-line for your future! And don't slack off once you graduate, either! Always be working forward!

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to explore my options and seriously think about my interests and goals. College should not be something you feel like you have to do, but something you want to do to learn, explore, and to help prepare yourself for the future. I was convinced I had to go, and had to go to the best name school I could get in to for my family and my own pride. I was lucky enough to find a place at UVA, and am much more appreciative of this now, but I wish I had done the research beforehand to prepare myself better for what I wanted to do with my college career. I found myself unsatisfied partway through my undergraduate degree, and it was primarily my own lack of understanding of my college and myself. I would also tell myself to speak up, to get involved in things that might make me feel uncomfortable, and to be open to discussions as much as possible. Attending college should be a very active, engaging experience. The more it is, the more you get out of it.

To High School Julie: Getting the best grades and making sure you're trying your hardest is always going to be important no matter what but don't forget about your dreams. There are going to be a lot of obstacles and setbacks that you're going to face once you start college. Think of being a small fish in a big pond. Don't worry! You're going to find great friends who are going to help you through the tough times that you encounter. You're family will be there for you whenever you need it. Remember to keep doing what you love and you will see that hard work pays off. There will be tears, anger, and long nights at the library but just know that life isn't supposed to be easy. It's hard going to a college where you're competing with the best of the best and it will seem like you're best isn't good enough. That's not true! This transition will only make you stronger and you will be able to get through it. College Julie

Hi! My life at the University is the most important thing right now. It's all about my future and so I wake up every morning for him. Study and take advantage of every opportunity given to me to study what I want. Although I'm going to honest sometimes not so easy to follow and study some classes because they are so strong. Thinking that I'll stay without neurons, bald and lifeless. But I always think I have to see the fruits that grow first, and so was able to overcome all that stress I have. So although I do not give because everything in this life is a process and with it we learn the things we need to move forward in our goal. Finally I want to be like Don Quixote continued his love Dulcinea, but in this case I follow my heart leads me to my dream.Sorry to take you on a literary journey just wanted you know that will not stop if I have to believe and fight for what I also do it although it is not strong or fast as wonderwoman. I am the Heronia of my story are my studies.

As many students from my high school attended the same college as me, I ended up choosing a roommate who I had been friends with all through high school. While other people's predictions of us hating each other haven't come true, I wish I had opted for a random roommate. While it might make me more nervous and shy for a short time, it would force me to immediately start hanging out with a different group of friends.

I would remind myself to get decent grades, and no matter what GO TO COLLEGE and finish!! Find a school where you could do Physical Therapy, and get help with the Anatomy class. Not to blow off classes, when you are going to college! Having fun is good, but when you can't find a job in 25 years, the degree will help you.

If I could see my high school self, I would convince myself to go to college right away and take a range of classes to find out what would interest me, instead of waiting. I planned to take one year off to figure out what I wanted to do, and ended up spending 14 years out of school. While I am excited to be back in class, it would have been much easier for me to complete a degree before I had a family. I would also have told myself about all of the ways that college can be paid for; when I was 19 I decided not to attend school because I didn't know that student loans were an option, and my parents didn't have money saved for me. I would also have told myself about the importance of having a degree, and how important going to college is.

College life is not all fun and partying. In some ways, it does feel like you're finally "on your own", but not in the ways you hope it will. When you want someone to handle all the red tape involved in registration and moving and bills, you'll wish you could have your parents handle it, as they always have. It's not always easy to make new friends. You have to remember, that as you look into a crowd and see people chatting with ease, laughing and having a good time, that the majority of them are probably just as nervous and uncomfortable as you are, and they're just hoping to make new friends too. You cannot rely on friends from home who may attend the same school, to be your only support system. If you lean on old friends too much, you'll never be forced to go out and make new ones. You may often feel like you want to blow off studying, so that you don't miss a great party, but don't. Five years from now, you won't remember the party anyways, but no one can take your degree away.

For the first 3 years of college, I was basically just staying afloat in terms of grades. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that college is about exploration and not about knowing all the answers all the time. I would say that these are the moments that shape you as a person and if you allow other people's advice and criticisms to mold who you are, you're going to have a lot of work to do later on to build up your self-confidence again. I'd also say that it's important to have fun and socialize when you're in a new environment but remember that your main purpose is to build the best possible future for yourself and your family. The best friendships you'll make are the ones that are effortless and natural. I would tell myself that it's OK to be confused. Yes, even if you're more than half-way through college and second-guessing your major and career path. There's no successful person on the planet that didn't have a few hiccups along the way. Believe you can achieve, and you will.

If I could turn back time and talk to myself as a college senior, I would tell myself three things. First, I would say the path ahead is a short term loss for a long term gain. After years of experience, I believe that applying yourself wholeheartedly will ultimately make the path to success shorter. While it may be a sacrfice to chose studying over parties, or scholarship applications over dates, your choices are an investment. Second, I would tell myself to talk to people who can offer guidance. You cannot make all of the mistakes yourself, nor can you know all the answers yourself. If one assigned counselor does not meet your needs, they might know another professor who will spark an interest or introduce you to someone influential. Choose to talk to people. Third, I would tell myself to figure out what you like. It sounds cliche' because it is true and if you do chose not to find out what you like, you will be forced to do something just to make money. I would say everything is your choice now. Later, you will have less control if you do not make the right choices now.

DO NOT PANIC. The words of Douglas Adams have never failed me, but I wish somebody had told me them before going off to college. Going to college seems scary, nerve-wracking, and anxiety ridden. But it doesn't have to be. Go in there with a positive attitude and you can't fail; you won't fail. You got to where you are for a reason, so as long as you try your best you will succeed. Do not worry about wether people will like your or if you will get along with your roomate. Things will always work out in the end and someody will always have your back to make sure your hanging in there. Just don't sweat it. Have fun and enjoy yourself while still staying committed to your education. DO NOT PANIC.

I would tell myself that even though I did a lot of research, you have no idea what college is going to be like until you experience it. When you come across problems (which you will) take a deep breath and look at them objectively. Don't be afraid to ask your parents for advice. Remember all of the other first-year students are in the same boat as you. People will be nicer than you think they will be. Be sure to talk to any and every advisor you can. High school did not exactly prepare you for studying for college, you have a steep learning curve and you will have to spend much more time studying than you are used to doing. Although you are scared of over-loading yourself, you are more capapble than you give yourself credit. Also: go ahead and take French your first year, so that you have more room for other classes later on.

Find Yourself! Often times people will say that college is a time to get ahead in the world and to continue your education. While all of this is true, college has so many other purposes. I wish someone had told me that college is about more than grades and good schools. I wish I had taken classes not to fulfill requirements but to find what I was interested and good at. College is the first experience you have on your own. If you spend time doing what everyone else is telling you to then you will never find who you really are. I wish someone had told me to explore my first year, explore not only the new setting but myself. Dig deep, what do you really enjoy? Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” College can be the best time of your life if you're attending for the right reasons. So go out and find yourself!

So you're a high school senior getting ready to go to college. Get excited, and don't be scared! College is a whole new experience, so don't walk into it expecting it to be the same as high school. Yes, college classes are more challenging than high school classes, and yes, it is going to be awkward when you get to campus and don't know many people, but that's part of the fun, and it's what everyone else is going through, too. Expect the unexpected, try new things, and be positive. If someone in your dorm invites you to go get ice cream, do it! You may meet people who become your best friends. If your sociology professor recommends a book, check it out, and you may find yourself thinking in a whole new way. You are almost on your way to college. Enjoy the journey!

I'm not sure.

Don't get in a relationship your first year of college, study abroad, always measure out your drinks, socialize with people who don't look like you.