University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

Mary, stop worrying about the FAFSA. You?ll figure it out. But don?t blame your parents because they can?t help you with the form. You know they?re working hard and their only dream is to send their daughter to college. Relax. When it?s time to make a decision, remember that the school's quality matters just as much as the financial aid packages you receive. Schools are prestigious for a reason and the networking opportunities are priceless. Even if money is an important concern, consider all factors equally. Above all, don?t judge a school based on its perceived stereotypes. You might be surprised by the diversity that exists within a seemingly homogenous student body. In any case, explore your past and make your voice heard. This means be proud of your background, and use it to change any negative attitudes at your school. Don?t be afraid to use your personal experience as the daughter of immigrants to take a stand on critical issues- in a classroom, a student organization, or among friends. After all, college is a time to discover yourself?and to use your personal narrative to inspire others to do the same.

Dear High School Senior Self, Congratulations on your accomplishments and near completion of high school! The first piece of advice I'd like to give you is to work hard your last semester. Yes, Self, you are probably thinking you are entitled to a little slacking off. However, unless you crack open that Calculus book, your future university might demand an explanation to your grades--stress you don't need. During your first year, the simplest, easiest advice I can give you is this: to be yourself. Certainly allow yourself to grow,; change is fundamentally what molds us and makes us into the adults we become. Be flexible and nonjudgemental in your views on others. But most importantly, also be true to yourself. The first year you may wish to fit in with your peers, but once you leave the freshman dorm you will realize that people like you for who you are, and not for whom you imitate. Do not be afraid to explore multiple areas of your personality. Study abroad! Take risks! And don't you dare take your college experience for granted. Now I only have a year to go, and I miss it already. Carpe diem!

Be committed to being who you want to be and doing what you want to do. With the transition to college comes a great deal of freedom as well as responsibility, and it takes a lot of courage to be undecided, and pursue all interests wholeheartedly. In high school, college was the next natural step in my life, I didn't think about it. You owe it to yourself to THINK. Consider things you have never considered: regardless of how "impractical" or "ridiculous." The transition to college grants you more freedom than you can actually fathom, so take life seriously, but not so seriously that you become afraid to live it exactly as you want. At the end of the day, the only person you are accountable to is yourself, and why not try everything you possibly can? In college you are in pursuit of much more than a degree, you are in pursuit of what is the beginning of your concept of self. The college experience can be taken advantage of in so many ways: it can help you discover who you are, what you love, and what you want to become or do. Let yourself experience your life.

I would tell myself first not to get too excited for college that I miss out on the end of my senior year and spending time with my friends. Next, I would tell myself that the transition is easier if you know a few people before you come. Take advantage of opportunities to find a roommate before coming, and make the most of relationships at orientation. Also, try to rekindle friendships with people you know that are attending your college but you have not talked to in a while. Try new foods before you go to school and be prepared to try new ones once there, or you will have a hard time eating in the dining hall unless you eat the same thing every day. Be familiar with the area before coming to school because when upperclassmen give directions they often forget that freshmen do not know streets and buildings. Lastly, whatever it is that makes you happy and feel like YOU, whether it be a hobby or a favorite shirt, make sure to take that with you. It will be so much easier to transition if you are confident and happy with you.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that God will reveal Himself to me in more ways than I could imagine. I would express my excitement for how much I will grow in my relationship with Him over the next two years with the help of my fellowship group and my incredible, lifelong friends I would make. After talking about my spiritual growth I would bluntly express how all of my worrying and striving for perfection is like dust blowing on the side of the road; it is pointless. I would say how although I am going to college for an education, the most important things are the friends I will make and the personal growth I will experience. To wrap up the conversation I would sympathize with the ?scared to leave the nest? girl and make me realize that so much fun and excitement is just around the corner. Although it is a sad transition, college will be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will mature into a woman.

Every year a select few college freshman are invited back to our high school to speak to the graduating seniors and give them some advice. My one piece of advice that I would have liked to have is, "give yourself time to adjust and explore." I know lots of people always talk about how college is great and thats all they say. I however, am one the students who is quiet and says everything is fine. The truth is at first I questioned my decision and was shy about making friends. Its not easy to put yourself out there and explore, but with time you gain courage and find that you made your choice for a reason. That reason is different for everyone and it takes time to find. On returning to high school I heard of a girl who left school after two weeks and my friends and I agree that that was a tragedy. Give it one month at least and if you aren't comfortable at first it's okay because we aren't all friendship making machines. College is a time to do what you want and be what you want to be.

There are two things to consider in transitioning from highschool to college. The first is that in deciding on the right college, you need to have a solid grasp on who you are. Why go to a huge D-1 school if you don?t like football? Why go to a small college when you learn better in lectures? Why go to a Southern school if you have no interest in joining a sorority? Your extra-curricular interests, learning style and social preferences are what make you unique. Your choice should reflect that. The second is that you have to go in with the right attitude. It?s normal to be nervous, but don?t let that deter you from trying new things. High school is about figuring out who you are; college is about testing yourself. But I don?t mean seeing how many beer bongs you can do; I mean doing things that you never thought you would and taking advantage of your last four years of freedom. Study abroad, learn a new language, meet all kinds of people and get the very most out of your college experience. College will challenge you; you need to challenge yourself.

If you don't end up at your first choice university, give the one you are attending a chance. The transition from high school to college is difficult, especially if you didn't have to study much in high school and have to learn this skill at university. Take chances on new things and be brave. Get involved in things that really interest you--school clubs, volunteering, jobs--this is a great way to make new friends. Be patient with yourself during the transition and reach out for help when you need it, that's why advisors and RAs are there. Most of all, take advantage of all the things going on around you and enjoy yourself!

Dear High School Kristen, Relax. The classes will be challenging, but you will be able to handle it if you try your best. The girls you will live with next year are going to be great people from whom you will learn a great deal. You are not going to lose touch with your family and friends back home; if anything, you will become closer to them because leaving them will make you realize how much they mean to you. You will also make countless new friends as your college experience plays out. But most importantly, do not worry about that guy you are dating. You are going to part ways soon after you leave for school, but you will realize that a high school relationship cannot compare to a mature, adult relationship. The breakup will hurt a lot, but you will become stronger and learn a valuable lesson. It will take a few months to get over it, but after those months pass you will truly know who you are.

I would tell myself three things: Manage your time, relax and spend your money wisely. I already often look back on my college experience so far and think about the things I could do over or at least wished I had more knowledge of at the time. Managing time is a skill I was not used to in high school because although I was working and involved in clubs and played sports with my friends, I had a lot of free time. I would tell my high school self to practice making set schedules for studying and doing homework and I would tell myself to start reading at least 40 pages a day to get myself used to that kind of reading assignment. I would tell myself that learning to relax is crucial to success in college. Go out more with your friends, take yoga lessons, play more tennis - take it easy and don't be afraid of failure or embarrasment. SAVE YOUR MONEY. This is one of the biggest things I would stress in givning advice to my high school self - budget because you are going to find that this money will be useful in cases of emergency.

Dear Joanna, This is a letter from your future self, who is currently in her final academic year at The University of Virginia. Apply early decision to UVA. You will love this school more than you thought possible; however please reconsider your decision to live off-grounds second year. This will distance you from your friends and from your wonderful social life. Also, really pay attention to the price of on-grounds housing ? it is cheaper than living off-grounds. Go to class and organize your notes as soon as you start your first semester here. Keep track of your books! Sit in the front row of large lectures. Don?t take Chemistry 141 with Metcalf! That lecture is too big and he is a terrible professor who is hard to understand. Try to get credit for you?re A-level chemistry. Apply for scholarships and apply to live in Brown Residential College. Take the classes that seem really interesting, because they might not be offered when you are a senior (a.k.a. fourth year). Have fun! Love, Joanna

"ADVENTURE!" One word summarizes what I would tell myself transitioning from high school into college. Entering a large university at first was enormously intimidating but, looking back now, to my scared and timid self, I would smile and just scream " IT'S AN ADVENTURE!" Meeting new people and learning who you really are is a great challenge for the youth, therefore, by looking at these challenges as an excitement, a journey, an adventure can shift an arduous climb to an enlightening hike. The term adventure, although it implies connotations of danger and unknowingness, pushes one to embrace the transition and a new life, rather than pining for the familiar. The advice I would give myself not only applies to social life and development of character, but also to academical life because discovering intellectual passion is a challenge in and of itself. As such, academic endeavor at a university fits the definition of adventure because I am no longer confined to the structured course schedule of high school and am able to choose whatever I see beneficial to me. It is these academics that will shape the person I am to become.

If I had the ability to go back in time and give myself advice on college, I would definitely reiterate the importance of developing an effective study habit. As a high school student I rarely studied because I knew that the test questions would be fairly simple and easy to answer because they were straight from the textbook, but in college test are extremely different than high school test; professors will take several different concepts from the textbook and form them into one question, and if a student doesn't understand one concept then they can essentially fail the entire test. Another piece of advice I would give myself would be to not confine myself to one group of friends because in college there are so many different people who come from all walks of life and in order to have the best social college experience that I can have, I should associate myself with several different groups of friends and spend as much time with them as I possiblely can. I would tell myself that college is in fact a wonderful experience and with carefully planning I can do well academically and leave with many unique friends.

Hello, there my little friend that is about to graduate high school and enter a whole new world: College. I would like to give you some advices that might lessen your anxiety (if you had any) about college life. In college life, anything can happen. You might meet your future spouse like a lot of people do (it seems like it, right?), you might be the drinking champion of the whole school that everybody respects you (at least in parties for sure), or it might be a sad time because there were so many opportunities out there and you could not grab them. maybe it was because you were not brave enough. There are so many things you can do in college that most of the people are just overwhelmed not knowing what they should choose to do. So what I want to tell you is that if this is how you feel right now, it is totally fine, I'd rather say it is totally normal. The most important thing in college life is to DO WHAT YOU WANT.

There is a lot of inviting people over at college, just make yourself available to talk with other people and find common interests. The people at collge are extremely friendly and are enjoing their lives as much as you are right now. If you find an interest, pursue it because there are many other people that may think the same way and will teach you more than you could have imagined. Dont be afraid to try new things, you are on your own, and can make your own decisions at this point, but always have trustworthy friends that can help you make the right decisions to stay on track, and keep you focused on why you are attending the school, to get an education, and to have a better job when you leave school. So keep your appearance acceptional, and make the right choices throughout college.

Mom?s recipes to frozen dinners, an irritating curfew to constant socializing, sleeping peacefully to listening to your roommate snoring?WELCOME TO COLLEGE! It is apparent that old friends will be missed and newly acquired freedom will be appreciated. There is also, however, a guarantee of homesickness and a drop in GPA. There is so much excitement in thinking about the color scheme of the dorm room that no one really contemplates life without continued nurturing from a parent. The first few weeks of the semester are vexing- new instructors, unfamiliar classrooms and classmates. With time, this homesickness will dwindle away; along with first semester?s GPA. Students at strong educational institutions often come to college with distinguished high school rankings, expecting the same academic results. For most of these bright students, however, that previous GPA is initially unattainable. Despite studying long nights and spending hours at the library, favorable grades do not surface. Although seemingly paradoxical, this is acceptable because first semester is a learning semester. Flaws will be corrected as failures in the fall will certainly reap successes in the spring. Like all great things, college is a phenomenal experience that inevitably involves homesickness and some GPA blues!

Back then, I let fear and the game of applying and waiting for responses rule my college decision. I thought more about academic freedom and prestige than the overall strength and fit of the college program itself. I played it safe because I relied on other people's opinions and thought I would be satisfied because everyone else thought it was a great school. I had doubts about the career-oriented nature of my other school choices, despite the extensive scholarship offers. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to not be afraid of being different and to follow my dream of going to medical school. I would have told myself that by traveling on the nontraditional path, I am independent and truly doing what I want to do and not what other people expect me to do. My advice would be to remember my goals and to believe in myself.

My advice to myself would be to not be afraid to branch out more. What I mean by this is that most students in high school are so comfortable with where they are, that they don't try or care to know what life could be like somewhere else, geographically and figuratively. You've got great friends, got a job at a grocery store that you can always come back to, and that's all reliable, but the world is so big, and there's so much that you don't know about it, and why not take college as an opportunity to explore what could be. This could be done by going to a college farther away, studying abroad, or taking a break from school to see what's out there while you're still in your prime. Seeing what the world has to offer is not only a beautiful and exhilirating thing, it also expands your knowledge and makes you learn more about yourself.

Dear 12th grade Emily, Now that you have finished your applications, relax! Next August, your childhood ends and your young adult life begins, so embrace what little time you have left of high school. At the same time, get excited! I know it's hard to wait so long for those acceptance letters, but you at least you can visit every school and buy car stickers! This is a cheap investment, and by putting them on your car, you will have to think about what it would feel like to truly "own" each sticker. Once college starts, make sure you go to EVERY SINGLE social event. You cannot make friends if you sit in your room. Initially, everyone is super friendly, so take advantage of that! People will tone down the friendliness once they form groups, but stick it out and you will meet amazing people. On that note, do not panic when college is not initially all that you thought it would be. It gets better! And make sure you read the chapters before the lectures. Chemistry makes more sense when you have an awareness of the mysteries surrounding the quantum mechanic model of the atom. Love College Emily

If i had the chance to travel back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior after having experienced college life, i would definitely give myself a huge amount of helpful advice. First, i would tell myself not to worry or stress out about making the transition because it only takes a small amount of time to get comfortable with the college life and environment. Before you know it, you start loving the independence and the home sickness you may have had before is completely gone. I would also tell myself to make sure I know exactly what i want to major and minor in, and the type of job i want after graduating from college so that i could be more focused. It is no fun being unsure about your future while everyone else is. I would also tell myself to be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} confident in my college choice because if you're unsure about it, that unsureness does not go away and you will always be wondering if you made the right decision. The last thing i would tell myself is to always put school work before having fun because with great freedom comes great responsibility.