Wofford College Top Questions

I would tell my high school self to listen to my heart. I began college with the desire to major in a subject in which I did not truly find interest. After learning about disparities in the education system, I decided to become a high school English teacher. I realized that education affected me emotionally, and that I would always be happy with this career choice. I would also tell myself to always be comfortable with myself, and to not let anyone ever discourage me just because of my different socio-economic status. If I knew these two facts as a senior, I would have saved my self from having an unhappy freshman year. I took classes that I did not need for my major now, and I was extremely stressed because of these classes, and my lack of passion in them. Now that I have changed my major, I anticipate being a teacher. If my senior self would have known this, far less stress and discontent would have plagued my freshman year of college.

Hey Nick. I know that you are worried about your first semester of college. Well, here is a little advice. Take your first semester and run with it. Do not worry about making a fool of yourself. Stretch out your neck and do not be afraid to meet new people or to step out of your comfort zone. Stop wondering what people think. Go see a play or discuss obscure authors with your English teacher. Take a deep breath and talk with people you?ve never met before. Trust me; although it will be occasionally awkward, you will meet some amazing people. Take the time talk to your teachers and get to know them. Just a hint, study like crazy for French class. Also, call your parents before they threaten to drive three hours to make sure that you are okay. Take some time to explore what the school has to offer. You will find a ton of surprises where you did not expect them, including a private practice room with a piano. Above all remember that you are not alone. There are 400 freshmen worrying and studying. Get to know them and you will have an amazing first semester.

As I look back, the first piece of advice I think to give myself would have been to prepare for the SAT and my AP courses better. But as I ponder, I realize that although that is extremely useful advice, it is not the best. Actually, the absolute best advice is none at all. I believe college to be a time of extreme growth, mentally and emotionally, and no one can prepare you for your individual experience. Personally, I became more confident in myself and my work, became more open minded and aware of others situations, and grew into the person I always wanted to be, but never had the chance to in high school. Making good grades and preparing for tests are vital to a smooth transition to college, but no one can prepare you for the amazing, internal changes that only you experience.

Going back to my senior year, I would take more time to think about where I want to spend my next four years. I looked into a lot of colleges, but I only applied to schools in my state. If I could do it over, I would apply to more schools. I think in the end, I would pick Wofford again, but this way I would compare my options more fully. I did early decision to the colleges I applied to and going back I would do regular decison, giving me more time to compare my financial aid options. If I can give one piece of advice to college seniors it would be to apply to any scholarship you can. The less money you have to pay for college, the happier you will be. Also, really take time to enjoy your senior year. Don't rush through it because the great memories you make will help you through rough patches your first semester.

If i could go back in time and do my semesters at college all over again, I would definitely study more and go and visit the professors throughout the semester to ask questions and get the material explained again if I had trouble with it the first time. I would also try and get involved on campus as well as off campus more so that I could have given back to Wofford even more. The financial aid I received is the only reason I am able to attend Wofford and I feel that I should have given more of my time to better my community. My social life should not be of primary importance, but rather as a way to relax some over the weekends. I also would want to set an alarm for saturday morning so that I could get more school work done that day. Lastly, exercise is important and helps improve my discipline which is then reflected in my studying habits. This enables me to do better in school and feel a greater sense of satisfaction for doing a job well done!

Find the college that will benefit you and your goals. You can choose one that is geared towards academics and tough it out with your social life, or you can choose to have fun all the time and then work hard later. You need to pick a location that is right for you, and a place that you can afford, or work a plan that will allow you to afford it. In the end, your college choice is your own--pick one that will suit your needs, and your need alone.

My advice to anyone searching for the right college is to visit the campuses. Make sure to talk to the students there (not just your tour guide), stay over night in the dorms, go to a sport event, and/or eat at the cafeteria. Also, make sure to apply for scholarships.

To parents, I say push your child to research as many schools as they can thoroughly and to do a fair amount of research themselves. It is very important for the student and the parents to know exactly what they are getting themselves into. To students, I say take your time. Don't procrastinate in looking for a school so that you can take your time. The more time you give yourself to look, the more you are going to be satisfied with your choice in the end, I promise. And to both parents and students, I would advise considering every option. Do not rule anything out right away. Sleep on your decisions and I am sure you'll find that you are happier with them. However, ruling options out eventually is what you are going to need to do in order to make a final choice.

College is awesome but you need to take the time to research schools and figure out where you would fit in the best. I always got mad at my high school's college advisor because he always said, "Visit, Visit, Visit" and that you need to find "the best fit" not the perfect school -- but he was right. There are tons of colleges that you could do well in and have fun at but you just need to make sure you decide what is important to you in a school when you are applying. Don't put off looking at colleges because it becomes time to pick one much sooner than you expect. Seriously I wish I had believed people when they told me this.

Ask any questions that pop into your head: if you're thinking about it, it must be important to you. Visit the campus, tour it, talk to current students (other than the tour guides). Do an overnight stay if you get the chance; sit in on a class. Talk to professors. This is your home for the next 4 years and will shape the rest of your life; you need to be certain that this is a place you will be comfortable with. Enjoy it, and have fun.