Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

It’s not the same. Yes, yes, I know you went to a residential high school. Living in a college is different; you have much more freedom, so do not let fear of the unknown deter you from leaving campus and exploring. There were restrictions before. Now the world is your playground. You had very close friends in high school – stay in touch with them. It isn’t as easy as you expect to make good friends, so don't make my mistake and let them drift. Finding good friends in a place this big doesn’t come naturally to you, because you’re introverted. Exert yourself in this respect. I know, I know, I was there too. School at a magnet school was absurdly difficult. Back then, you worked hard merely for the grades. College will change you so much that you will put effort into educating yourself because you will fall in love with the material. You will see calculus and biology and chemistry everywhere in the world around you, and will revel in this knowledge; don’t groan that school is invading your life, but enjoy the enlightenment that education is bringing you. And please. Carpe diem.

Don't obsess about the rankings and work as hard as you can at the beginning of the year, both academically and socially. Ultimately, any top 30 university will give you an equivalent education (and, in many cases, a lower ranked university in the t30 will give you a better education than a higher ranked school because of legacies and grade inflation found at some of those schools). That means that the real thing to be concerned with in applying to colleges is how you fit into the student body. Student body stereotypes are almost always true to an extent, so make use of those. Additionally, if you put in as much effort as you can at the beginning of the year in your school work and in making friends, you will be happy you did later. Your grades will be significantly better than your peers who went to top high schools in the country and you will have many friends and acquaintances whom you will be able to get to know better throughout the next year (and three years after that!).

Hey there! Who am I? I'm you...from the near future! No this is isn't an ominous dream, I'm here to help you. You must be wondering what college is like. After all, I can tell, it's all you're thinking about this whole year. The main detail I want to disclose is that college, and even life in general, entirely depends on your attitude. Lifestyle can range from several types but in reality, they're all the same; whether one is preferable to another depends on our interpretation, and out attitude affects that. I know throughout high school, you've adopted a stern and uptight attitude, taking everything much too seriously. This attitude certainly does not fit college. While having determination is necessary to achieve goals in college, there's not point in going to college if you don't enjoy it. Truly enjoying college means being laid-back and friendly; this sends a message to your peers that you are a person they like and to the faculty and alumni you are a trustworthy person who will achieve great goals in a work environment.

When looking back at making the transition to college life, I would advise myself to get involved in as many activities as possible early on. It is often said that you can join many different groups or clubs to find out what it is you want to become involved in. In my opinion, this exploration is incredibly important and I wish I had taken advantage of it more. Different activities are not only a way to get involved in school but also to meet new people. Unfortunately, I was somewhat late in finding my clubs at school and while that has not exactly hindered my involvement at school, I feel it would have been incredibly beneficial to have been involved earlier as knowing more people would have helped the transition to the new stage of life. Clubs offer many initial meetings meant just for this purpose - getting to know the club and finding out if it is right for you. I would advise any new college student to take advantage of these and try to find their own interests.

Dear 17-yr-old Margery, I know you're frightened, I've been there and done that. But don't stress out, college is amazing. Stop worrying so much about little things, like pairing the color of your towels with your bath rug. Calm down, take a breath and enjoy your summer. When it comes to it, here's my advice: don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Smile and make friends with as many people as you possibly can, especially during the first week of college. You'll meet some amazing people that share the same interests as you and will laugh at the same silly jokes as you. Also: put down that extra donut, trust me, you don't need it. Much Love, Margery

Study more , more responsible , take college more seriously my future is here and make sure what I want to study to be in the future,

Be ready to not be ready, prepare yourself to feel like the most unprepared, and understand that the some best and hardest years of your life are about to happen. Right now you're tired of high school and extatic to leave and start this new life where you'll be independent and mostly awesome, but cherish those last days because you will miss them. The transition will be difficult and, as you will learn, it'll go from a screaming "YES, I'M SO EXCITED" to a tearful "I want to go home" to an optimistic "I can do this and it's going to be great." When doubtful about whether you should apply for something, the right choice is to do it. When doubtful about a decision, go to the people that get paid to advise you. Eat when you're hungry, cry when you need to, laugh every day and meet everyone. Learn from the "ups and downs," appreciate each lesson gained from each mistake, and forget about the word "regret." Just enjoy it.

I would tell myself that it will all work out. All my life I have been very organized and hardworking, but also a bit controlling. So, when it came time to apply to colleges it was hard for me to not control the process. I did not know what schools would accept me, and even worse, I had no way of knowing which school would make me happiest. When I did not get in to my first choice school I was heartbroken - usually my hard work gets me what I want, but this time it did not. I felt like I had failed and was certain that I would never be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} happy at another school. However, I am now a sophomore at my second-choice school and I am so unbelievably happy here. In fact, I am glad that I got rejected from the other school because that is how I ended up here. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to relax - it all works out in the end.

I would tell myself to take high school more seriously and start thinking about what career you want to go into. I would tell myself make sure you really want to attend school and finish the major you begin. I would tell myself to take the SAT or the ACT. I would tell myself that the right college education is worth so much. I would definately tell myself to appy for scholarships because college isn't cheap. Making the trasition was not that hard you just need to be dedicated to you college work. Paying attention to your professers is very important. Also making sure that you give yourself ample time to complete assignments even if they do give them to you at the begining of the year. Most of all : "Creating your adult life is had but if your work hard and keep your head up anything is possible."

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, the only thing advice I would have would be to stop worrying so much. When I was a senior I was a nervous wreck, worrying about whether or not I would make friends in college, how I would adjust to living on my own, and if I would be able to keep up with the course work. After completing over a semester at my university, I know all of that stressing was for naught. I have made wonderful friends, love all of my classes, and although it is different living away from home, I enjoy being independent. In truth, I really don't know anyone who isn't happy with their lives now that they have begun college. So, for all of you out there still stressing to make those final decisions about college, step back, take a deep breath, and get ready to have the time of your life.