Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

As a high school senior, I was very worried about picking the right school. Or so I thought. Really though, I was most concerned with picking a school that is well-known and socially acceptable to attend. I was so worried about going somewhere prestigeous and well-known because I was worried people would think I wasn't smart enough for certain places unless I went there. So I picked VT. It's huge, well-known and has good academic standing. Now that I am here, I realize that I would be better off at a smaller school where I could relate to people and professors more on a one-to-one basis rather than in a class of 500 or 3000. I wish I had not been so worried about going to a school that everyone knew and respected. I wish I had worried more about what I specifically wanted in my four years of college and then I would not be dealing with the possibility of a trasnfer. Lastly, I wish I had researched my field of interest more and made sure I attended a school with everything I wanted and needed or might need in the future.

I would tell my high school self to spend as much time with my friends as possible during high school. Yet to keep my same high gpa in order to get into Virginia Tech. When going off to college sometimes you start to really appreciate your friends from home and wish that you had more time to spend with them. Once you go off to school you soon start to realize how most of the stuff you learn in highschool wont help you when you get to college. For most students high school is easy and you would never have to stay up late to finish that assignment so when it happens in college you are taken aback by the enormous course load. Also, although contradictory to my first statement i would have worked harder in the classes that i knew could transfer into college so i could be exempt from certain classes giving me room for error if needed. I woud also spend more time with my parents because i took the time spent with them for granted. Lastly, i would involve myself with more extra-curricular activities because you dont always have the time in college.

If you are signing up for electives that you just want to take for fun but necessarily try in them visit koofers.com to pick the easy class. Some electives though fun take up a lot time and if you already have a good workload and not enjoying additional workload form the elective don't take it. Really, use koofers for everything. You can look up the professor ratings and average GPA to pick easy professors for the classes that you don’t care about. Use daremenot.com to input the class CRN during class registration and this website will send a txt to your phone if spot opens up. Enjoy your first year at college cause it will be your easiest one, but also remember that if it's easy that means that it is an easy A, so don't slack when you are given something that is essentially a GPA booster. College is a place to experiment, but don't try something that there might not be coming back from. DO NOT CHEAT! It varies from professor to professor but sometimes and unconscious look-over at your partners paper may cost you 4 years of your life.

Knowing everything that I know now about college life, I would advice myself to take more risks. I came into college as an intimidated freshman. I should have seized the day and been more outgoing. I would tell myself that college is packed full of opportunities that will never be presented again, so live it up while I can! I’d tell myself that college is going to be a blast, and dorm life really isn’t that bad. I would advise myself to not put off studying, because in college you cannot succeed without time management. I’d tell myself that while my family misses me, they are incredibly proud of all my accomplishments and everything that I will accomplish in the future at college. I would advise myself to seek help when I need it. This could be from my professors, who sometimes give extra credit for attending office hours; or simply from a friend in a class with me. Seeking help is humbling but can be very helpful. I’d tell myself to help others as much as possible, with schoolwork, community service projects, and in any other way I can.

Benjamin Franklin had once shared to the world his secret to success. He said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” But some failed to listen. Maybe it was laziness, the dread of the task, or the constant empty promises to myself that “I’ll do it eventually.” Sometimes the choice to have "fun" pushed me further away from my ambitions. Whatever the excuse was, I even knew deep down that they did not justify for my procrastination. But I learned from my poor time management skills. It was better to have finished my assignments than to regret that I allowed everything to pile up. In the end, it was better to ace an exam than to get drunk with friends. In college, we are suddenly given the complete independence from our parents that we have always hoped for. We’re adults now. But with adulthood comes responsibilities, we must never forget about them and keep our priorities in check. It’s important that we understand what Benjamin Franklin was trying to tell us because if we don’t try hard enough we won’t be able to survive the transition from high school to college unharmed.

Going through the ups and downs of high school with difficult AP classes, balancing friends and trying to get into college really taught me some things. First off, self, your GPA really isn't all that. If you want to get to the really prestigious schools, you need more than a good SAT score. They want people that are well rounded, that can really handle a plate full of anything that anyone can throw at them and still come out sane. That means they also want active people, not people that coop themselves in the room all day doing just homework. People that can do work AND still have a social life. People that can lead. People that care about the community. That can handle not just the mainstream classes, but college level ones as well and still get A's and B's. Another tip: get used to making friends. More than likely, you're not going to go to the same college as your friends in high school. It may even be in another city or state altogether! So you also need to learn how to make new friends fast or college won't be so fun.

Making the transition from high school to college can be a scary because there is so much unknown; however, it is also one of the most exciting times of your life. There are a few key pieces of advice I wish I had known that would have helped make my transition much easier. First off, feeling homesick is normal, and it is a good idea to plan a trip home somewhere between 6-7 weeks after school starts. You don’t want to hurry home right away, but pushing it too long can be just as unhealthy. Those first weeks at school everyone is new and in the same position as you, so take this time to be outgoing and get involved in clubs and activities right away. This is the best time to meet new people and make new friends. Lastly, do not study or do homework in your room no matter what you tell yourself, it never works out. It is truly amazing how much more work you will get done in a study lounge, or the library. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your freshman year of college, because it’s over before you know it!

I would prepare myself for a tougher level of learning. I would tell myself to practice study habits and be proactive. I need to be more open and outgoing, reaching out to meet new people. I should prepare myself for the responsibilty of being on my own and making big decisions for myself. I would also tell myself to stay confident and active to avoid stress and health issues. Last, I would say that I need to stay on top of scholarships, so I could get as much money as I can to pay for my education.

The transistion to college is only as hard as you make it. It's not the easiest thing in the world, you'll cry, you'dd laugh, you'll worry and you won't get some sleep some nights but in the end it's worth it. The people you will meet and the classes you will take will further your knowledge and ideas of others. You will learn to love you life for all that it's worth, and you will forever cherish and remember the 4 years you spent here.

One of the most valueable things I have gotten out of my college experience thus far is perspective. I have always lived within a small community where many people share the same values and viewpoints, so coming into a place where there are so many different people with different ideals was a little scary for me. However, upon seeing the way other people approach problems and share their culture, I have realized that understanding the views of others is one of the most important and necessary things a college student can learn. Through understanding this, I have been able to apply the knowledge that I have learned from others to the way I approach my own life, leading to a greater understanding of the world around me, whether that is in class or outside of it.