Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

If I were able to go back and talk to myself as a HS senior, I would tell myself about the transition from HS to college classes, as well as remaining more open when meeting people. In high school, I was top 10 of my class, but when I came to college, I was taught that college is much harder than I thought. I came with the mindset that I would get straight A?s, just like HS; however, if I could go back in time and talk to myself I would inform myself that I must develop study habits and study many hours a week to succeed, nothing comes easy. I came to college away from friends and family, out of my comfort zone. It took me time to break out of my shell. I would tell myself to bring my outgoing self from home to here- just be myself and find those who accept that. If I knew these two things, I would do even better than I am doing in college now. These were learning experiences and only made me stronger. I love college and being able to continue my learning for my future endeavors.

I would tell myself to stress out less and focus more on the people/relationships around me.

There are many things I would have done differently as a high school senior. I would give myself advice about my classes and my study habits. Now that I am in college, I know that you must put in numerous hours of studying for each class. In high school I didn't study at all and still got good grades. When I got to college I quickly learned that I actually needed to study for my classes, yet I found out I didn't even know how to study. I would tell myself to study for my classes in high school and learn time management to help my transition to college be easier. I think that if I knew the amount of work I would have to do in college I would have tried to study more so I would be better prepared for college.

I?ve learned many things since senior year. I?m understanding what kind of individual I am. I?m now independent, no longer have my parents there to wake me up, make my lunch, or help me with school work. You're on your own. I?ve learned in college there?s no extra credit. If you don?t study for a test, you fail; period. You have to apply yourself. I?ve always been a hard-working student, but I can honestly say that I?ve never worked so hard before. In High School you had to do your homework, if you didn?t do well on a test it?d be okay because you had homework to balance it out, college is quite opposite. There are huge classes. You have to make yourself go to class, introduce yourself so the professor knows you, and have to control yourself to pay attention. In most classes there are just 3 tests, no homework, no essays, just tests. You have to prepare and study, and not just the day before the exam. You have to set aside and devote time to study days in advance if you want to do well.

"High school Julie, take a moment and think about what exactly you want to study." That's how I would start a discussion with myself. I would rethink my original major and come into Virginia Tech without a major and explore different areas before picking a major. As well I would tell myself to spend more time with friends on the weekends insetad of sitting alone in my dorm room. Yes I made better life choices than other people I know but I also felt alone when I had friends I could have easily hung out with. Other than that I would not tell myself to do anything different because mistakes made, or nothing done at all, help to define who one becomes, especially in their first semester or year of college. A lot of growing up occurs quickly upon starting college and without them people would end up very different.

Dear Self, You are about to embark on an adventure of enormous proportions! As you are a senior this year, I have some tips to help your transition to college be smooth. First of all, the rest of this year be sure to really appreciate your family and friends. You will miss them a lot especially at first, and especially your mom. Spend some extra time with everyone you love and be sure to let them know you appreciate them. Secondly, keep up with the work ethic you have developed through high school. College is really hard and you are going to need all the study skills you can get! Don't be afraid to work hard for what you want, but don't be so focused on being Valedictorian. You aren't going to get it, so lighten up and don't take yourself so seriously! And lastly, it would be good for you to focus on being more comfortable around new people. You are about to be surrounded by a campus of new people! Don't be afraid to make new friends! You are a good person, and I expect you'll do well. Love, Your Older Self

What I would tell myself as a high school senior after having gone throught a semsester of college would be to begin asking questions in class because in a class of two or three hundred people the professor will not be able to tell if you don't understand the material he or she is explaining unless you raise your hand and ask them during their lecture or during their office hours. I would also tell myself to not care or not to be embarrassed about asking a "stupid" question during class because your question maybe simple for some of the other students in the class, but there is a good chance that several other students had a similar question. I would also tell myself as a high school student that once you start your classes make sure you introduce yourself to your proffessor and make sure that they know you or recoginize you. This can come in handy when you need to ask for help from professor on assingments, tests, etc. and they will be more willing to help you if they know who you are.

I would advise myself as a high school senior to get the help as soon as possible from a professor or a teaching assistant once I find difficulty in a course. Also, college is not at all like high school. The work is more demanding at a college level than at a high school level. Also, as a student I would not compare myself to other students since it can be very discouraging when it comes to competition in the major. In addition, even though academics comes first, students must realize they need a break and not to continously study all the time. Students should also make time to relax and have fun. As a student, I would be more persistent to professors in asking questions even though they seem bothered by the student. The student pays the professor to teach them, so why not ask as much questions in order to understand the course. Also, I would suggest students to be wise with their meal plans. Try not to over - eat every day by eating four meals a day or else their meal plans will run out quickly.

College is a very demanding environment. I spend 2-4 hours a day in lectures but the rest of the day is consumed doing homework and studying. In high school I did well and never had to study. The first two years in college I found myself with a low gpa and struggling. I began to go to office hours and speaking with professors and doing well. Now before every test I always go to the professor and ask a few questions to make sure I know the material. When I have tests, the weekend before the tests I dedicate my Friday and Saturday nights to studying. In high school studying on a Friday night is not necessary and probably looked down upon. It is one way I have found success in college. I have also found writing out goals before every semester and placing them on my wall where I see them everyday has contributed to success. Goals give a foundation for something to work for in life. Every semester that I have wrote down a gpa I want to obtain as one of my goals, I have exceeded that gpa. My goal this semester is a 3.7.

Throughout high school, I spent most of my time focusing on extracurricular activities like theatre performances and in-school TV productions. I let these activities take priority over my school work and often experienced a less than preferred result when it came to grades. Don't get me wrong. I graduated high school with a 3.5 GPA. This, however, was not enough to get me into my dream school; Virginia Tech. Instead, I was forced to attend Christopher Newport University for a year. This unfavorable situation forced me to change my priorities and rise up to occasion. Although I know what behaviors I could have altered to perform more successfully in high school, I would not change the series of events that led me to where I am today. In fact, the hardships of my high school years brought me to a point in my life where I had to step up, motivate myself, and pursue my dreams. I always wanted to attend Virginia Tech and I was devastated when I was denied admission my senior year. However, if I had not been denied admission, I might not have become as driven and hardworking as I am today.