Texas Southmost College Top Questions

College experience has brought me to a new understanding of the meaning of life. I do not attend a socially oriented university so when I'm not working, studying, or in class I have time for inner reflection. I'm sure it's a natural part of life but the way in which I interpret the world has changed drastically in the last 8 months of attending a university. Things have more of an impact and feel more real to me. It could be survival instincts, I have more skin in the game; the rewards have gone up but so have the responsibilities. I have been struggling emotionally for a while to figure out why my parents won't support me in my endeavers, my school cost is minimal at well under 7000$ a year. My father is the CEO of a new R&D company in Algal Biofuels, Photon8. School has been valuable for me to find and define my inner self.

Out of attending my college I have really been able to be more independant. You usually hear that the first year in college is really tuff and thats when most students loose hope and drop out. I really feel that UTB eases you into the new rythm of college life. It is very easy. They have great teachers who really know their subject, but they also provide side help with history, math, wrtiting, and other labs that provide help for people like me who like to have a one on one time with a tutor to fully grasp the concept of what is being taught in my classes. I;ve just started my second semester at UTB, but i have come to really love it and look foward to my upcoming semesters and maybe joining some clubs to meet new people with some of my same interests.

The experience that I've gotten out of my college is priceless, I've matured in so many ways, I believe that I 've become a much better person. I'm much more responsible then what I used to be. I am much more respectful to my parents because I know realize how hard it is to be an adult and the struggles they had to go through to allow me to be where I am right know. Attending college has been valuable to me because I feel that if I graduate I will not only accomplish my goal I would also hopefully set a trend in my family and prove that anyone can do it, with effort, willpower, and determination.

If I would have the opportunity to talk to myself when I was a high school senior, I would definitely teach myself how to look for information in all the different degrees and programs that universities offer. Also I would explain my young self all the opportunities that students now a days have to get financial resources to pay for college such as scholarships and essay contests. In the academic issue I would convince myself to not slack off in homework and studying and always be prepared before class, also to have a positive attitude everyday at every class and have at least a phone number or email of a classmate in case i needed any help. I would also advise my young self to be more open to diversity and different point of views as well as to join an association or club and to really use the college gym and other recreational facilities.

?Assume you could go back in time and talk to yourself as a high school senior knowing what you know now about college life and making the transition, what advice would you give yourself?? As you plan to go from high school to college, plan to allow yourself to grow above and beyond your own expectations. Set yourself a calendar or time line of goals and deadlines that fit your dreams. This gives you something to strive for and sets boundaries for accomplishment. The feeling of accomplishment encourages more growth and higher expectations. Plan financially for self care of housing, transportation and food - remember or know it is costly for textbooks and supplies. Work and save for ownership and responsibility of maturing and development of discipline of study, action and successful achievement through reading, writing, research and testing of subjects of future expertise and experentional sharing cooperatively with others. Implement a daily regime of utilization of prior Educational Skills, adding new knowledge and developing new skills and levels, thus accomplishing graduation and degrees.

The transition from a high school student to a college student seem to be world's a part. I knew from day one of high school that college life was going to be a relentless academic pursuit. I thought I had to "live it up" in high school while I still had the chance, before college would ruin everything. I was so intent and adamant about my beliefs that I did not push myself hard enough to do better in school. Day and night my entire purpose revolved around the social scene of being a high school student. Then, when I entered college I discovered the simplicity of it. However, that is not to say that it was easy by any means, but it was not at all what I made it to be. I made college life sound so demanding and horrendous, when in fact it was a more liberal form of high school. If I could truly go back in time to my senior year, I would literally open my mind and eyes. The transition from high school to college knowing what I know now would have been so much easier.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the first piece of advice would be to believe in yourself. The capacity at which our brains can function is remarkable. The lack of self-confidence when I was younger led to my weak start in college; however, with time, my confidence grew as I learned that you can achieve anything with hard work and discipline. Yet, another important characteristic I would advise myself to have going into college, academic discipline. Discipline is something I was certainly deficient in, especially in mathematics. Now I am working on a minor in mathematics, my senior self would have never believed that if you told him. The last and final suggestion to my senior self would be to sign up for all the scholarships and grants you could get your hands on. You certainly don?t want to be neck deep in debt by the time you graduate with a Masters in Computer Science. I will end with a quote from Carl Bard. ?Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.?

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would encourage me to excel in my basics in college. The grades that are obtained in the early years greatly impact your GPA. I would also advise myself to get a job on campus so I could form a stronger connection with the college,. I would tell myself to join clubs that pertain to my field and get involved in community service projects. Grades are important; attendance is important and so is networking and forming good relationships with the professors. The GPA will be important when you are applying for your program. If you form good relationships with your professors it will be easy to obtain good recommendation letters. It is always important to know people in your own filed so, you can share the different experiences you have in your classrooms and you can form good study groups that will help you excel in your studies. These are the things I would tell myself if I could back in time and give myself some advice.

It has been almost five years since I entered college but I can still remember the troubles I had coping with college life. One goes from being a dependent person to becoming all independent the first day of college. If I could go back in time and give myself advice I would tell myself not to be afraid. "I know it might me hard the first few weeks but you can do it. Do not be scared or shy to ask around. People are there to help you. This is not like high school anymore. Be sure to sit closer to listen better and not get distracted by everybody else. Keep good notes from the beginning and be sure to not wait till the last minute to start on a project. If you do not understand something, ask the professor. Do not go home and forget to study. Focus on understanding a class and getting the best grades not just trying enough to pass the class." These are all small advice I would have like to have known the first years of college.

If I could go back in time to my senior year, I would tell myself to have better studying skills, to be more prepared for classes, and to always think of what will better my education. Speaking as a freshmen, I know how hard it can be to put these things in the back of our minds and well, most just dont have the discipline to leave that high school mentality that everything will be handed to us on a silver platter. I believe that as long as you brace yourself for what college life has to throw at you, you can excel at every expectation you have.