Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

Be prepared to work hard, but also to enjoy life and try to be more social with people on campus so that you can make some life- long friends.

I would tell myself that time management and study skills are two of the most important qualities to know about college. Studying in high school and studying in college is a huge difference. For college, you must study at least two to three more hours for each hour you are in class. It is not like high school where you can just skim over the notes and not even open the textbook to pass a test. Every detail counts, so you have to study your notes and actually read the textbook to be able to understand the concepts. Time management is going to be hard to adjust at the beginning of the semester. You will learn how to adjust your time wisely by just going through the activities. After awhile, you will know how to balance out your time between school and your social life. With making the transition, remember to also have fun. There will always be different people to become friends with. It's a new chapter in your life, so be who you want to be.

You're on your own!

College is your big chance. It is the chance to broaden your horizons; meet and interact with new people and cultures; and most importantly, expand your mind. There are endless opportunities for not only learning, but also to gain new perspectives on the world and come into yourself with a sense of purpose and definition. Every person you meet, no matter how much they may differ from you, can be a teacher and a student. Waste no opportunity to set aside differences and learn from others, and do not be afraid to impart your own knowledge and views on others, as long as you do so without force and contempt. Have no fear of the world around you; there are beautiful experiences to behold and great learning opportunities inside and outside of the college classroom. College will be like no experience you have ever had, and one you will never have again. This is your license to explore yourself, your surroundings, and the world. Take everything as a learning experience, delve deeper into the meanings of everyday interactions and occurrences, and most importantly, be yourself! This is your chance to live it up and shine, and others will support that!

I have come to realize that college is more than about excelling academically, but it is also about exploring various extracurricular activities, interest groups, community service projects, and getting involved with the institution. Academics have always been a priority for me, but I think that the most memorable moments of college were those spending time with friends and putting time into VCU Bhangra, a cultural dance group sponsored by the university. Through this organization, I was able to learn numerous valuable skill sets including group collaboration, leadership, and teamwork. I am fortunate to have joined this group during my freshman year, but I do wish I had spent more time and effort getting involved in giving back to the community through service projects. Also, I believe it is important as a freshman to meet numerous people outside of my immediate academic realm, something that I did not accomplish as effectively as I would have liked to. All in all, I believe that my transition to college life was smooth because I was around friends that were supportive and because I immersed myself in activities that I enjoyed.

I would tell myself one thing: senior year is not the time to take school lightly. I made the mistake of coasting through senior year and it costed me. I was thankful to end up at a great university, but I should not have slacked off my senior year.

I would tell myself to stay on campus. Because by commuting everyday you lose that relationship to make friends and to keep them. The college life is a lot harder when you have to wake up earlier and drive twenty minutes to get to school everyday and you leave to go to work right after class. I think I would have made a lot more friends if i was in a dorm. I just have to put forth more effort to meet new people.

After having spent 7 years and earning two degrees, my B.S. in pyschology and my doctorate in physical therapy, at VCU, the best advice I could give is to live on campus. I lived at home all 7 years and feel I really missed out on "the college expereince." Do whatever you can to live on campus and enjoy!

I would tell myself not to stress as much as I did. It's hard but it's actually something that I can do. I would tell myself to possibly look more into what I wanted to do with my like a little more just so I could pick a major a little faster then I did. But most of all I would tell myself that in whatever I end up doing as long as I am happy and sucessful thats all that should matter. Also that only I can choose my future and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. I have done plenty of things here at VCU I never thought I would.

If I had the chance to speak to my past self, I would tell myself to strive harder with my foregin laguages. Those grades made my GPA drop, and seemed to scare me when I applied to college. The school picks their new students based on grades, what if VCU didn't pick me because of those grades. I don't know where I would be today. I'm making up for those days, making the best of each class I can.

Make sure I have atleast 3.00 gpa and really good SAT results.

I would tell myself to stay focused. Be very aware of due dates and learn about time management. I would also advise myself to pick and outline the things you can and cannot do. For example, going out when there is a paper due; not good idea. Instead finish all necessary work before you go out. I would also advise myself to remember "work now play later" and "let no one and nothing stop you from the goals you are trying to accomplish."

I wouldn't start with just being a college senior. I would go back to the beginning and talk to myself as a freshman. I would warn myself not to slack off, to always keep believing in yourself when you think no one else will. I would show myself the difference between a leader and a follower and encourage myself to always make the beat to my own drum and have "tunnel vision" to be the best I could possibly be. I would tell myself to try harder, and when you fail, try again. As a senior I would let myself know, despite all the stupid mistakes, you have still succeeded. Please keep your dreams, your hopes, your wishes, in front of you. Don't ever let go, even when the path seems discouraging. Stay true to yourself, people in the real world appreciate that. They appreciate authenticity, it shows character. And most importantly, Latessa Miracle Allums, I am proud of you. Stay fearless, stay strong...stay YOU.

Dear self, There is much preparation you must do for the years ahead of you. You will have an unevitable large amount of art projects in every area, even the much dreaded sculpture. There will be teachers that you may not like. There may be food in the dining court that tastes slightly strange, but it is all a part of learning. But make sure you pick a room mate that will be compatible with you-that will definitely take out a lot of stress. Trust me, I know. But if you do not heed my advice, don't worry, there are many brothers and sisters that you will meet who will encourage you and pray with you. It also is a good thing to take only four classes for the rest of the school year after freshman year. But stay steadfast in the Lord, and His peace will be upon you. You will grow very quickly these next four years. Bless you, You

If I were to go back to my senior year in my high school, I would give myself an advice. The advice I would have given myself is to get new study habits because right now I have kept the same study habit which is not a big help throughout my college years. Also, once your are in college it takse time to change your old habit....because the habits become part of you. So, I try hard to change my old habit inorder to fit with my college studies and life.

The advice i would give myself is to stop the procrastination. It gets the best of you and when you hold off on doing something by the time you get around to it then it is too late. I wish i could have kicked the bad habit back then but unfortunately it is still getting the best of me and everyone else i know on campus.

To utilize the help that professors give you. To attend any outside study sessions for difficult classes. By doing these 2 things, your stress level in school can stay moderately level. It's important to also give yourself some down time. Over working yourself can actually lead to a lower performance level.

Go out and do more, don't stay in the dorm so much or else you'll gain weight. Keep grades up and try not to sleep through classes.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to explore all of your options. These options include researching different sources for financial help for college and attending college out-of-state. There are many different sources one can explore to obtain extra money, scholarships or grants, for college. Some of these sources can be found online or within your home community. Even though attending college out-of-state can be both difficult and expensive, it doesn?t mean that it?s impossible. If you really want to leave the state you will just have to work harder to achieve that want.

If you are not already in the habit of studying, start now. It will make the transition a lot easier. Capitalize on the bonds you have with your good friends now. Though you will make new ones, you will need that one friend you can always talk to. Stay in good terms with your family, especially your immediate family. You will need them along the way as well. Whether it's to talk or to put some money in your account, keep them close. If you haven't taken the SAT yet, begin preparing for it, as it is important to have YOUR best possible score. Don't stress about it, but improve if needed and do the best YOU can do. If you know the major you plan to pursue, begin studying bit by bit over the summer. You don't necessarily have to take summer classes or buy text books to memorize, but take some time every week (maybe online or from some educational magazines), to begin learning some material ahead of time. This will help you prepare a little more for what's in store and will make the class material much easier to understand.