Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

I wish i had known that grades are primarily based on exam grades. I came from a small private high school with a lot of homework, but in the big school environment it is hard for professors to grade homework.

How to be more outgoing. I came into school thinking everyone would just be social and come up and talk to me, and some did, but not as many as I expected. I was afraid of just going up to random people and talking, but after a few months I learned that they don't mind at all and most people are always open to new friends and will talk back. So I wish I had known that being outgoing and talking to random people was not a bad thing at all.

I wish that I had known how easy it was for me to make the college transition. During the summer after my senior year of high school I was really nervous about all of the aspects of college life and I wish I would have known that I had the skills to succeed in college so that I didn't needlessly worry so much.

I wish I would have known how to manage my time better while participating in wrestling. I did not know how much time the sport itself took up. It is alot different than other D-I sports on campus, considering we often put in multiple workouts a day. There is no comparison to it either, considering you have to mentally prepare yourself for an actual battle every day in the practice room. Sleep, nutrition, and time management are the keys to success when participating in college sports. I know this now, I wish I had implemented it sooner.

I wish that I knew that I had to take travel expenses into consideration. I didn't realize that it was going to cost so much just to go home. I don't desire to go home often, but when I need to go home for breaks it is a bit difficult to find the money. It's okay to go away to school; I feel that it is a learning experience since you are on your own. However, travel, and even personal expenses have to be considered when going away.

How much time school work required.

I wish i would have known the major that was for me...Also the resources availble to me at school....

I wish I would have been prepared for how large the campus is. Walking times between buildings can sometimes be twenty minutes.

How expensive everything really is.

To try harder in high school because a lot of the material is used in college.

How science orietned all of the classes are

I wish I had known that joining a sorority could be a wonderful way to make friends and that it's worth the time to give it a shot. I also wish I knew more about the scholarships that were available to freshmen so that I could have applied to some of them.

I wish I had known how much harder the school work load is and how to manage my time a little better. Also that you have to put in a lot more time and you have to go the extra mile to get the grades you want to get. You might have to do more than just what your professor tells you that you should do and its important to get help when you need it.

I wish I knew the size of the dorm rooms, since the furniture took up so much room!

How little self expression there is here. I got a much more artsy feel when I visited. I also wish I knew there was a significantly diminished music scene here as well. I also wish I knew what I wanted to pursue academically because I am now having second thoughts on my major.

I wish I had known that academics would be more challenging than high school. Other than that, I was pleasantly surprised by everything else.

The people are very cliquesh. I don't recommend transferring in. Weekends revolve around drinking, but there are many other activities students can get involved with. Almost everyone is from northern VA.

That taking summer classes is a good thing.

I wish I had known more about the teachers and their teaching style that way I could have adjusted easier.

How much I should mentally prepare myself for a culture shock and the crazy weather.