The University of Montana Top Questions

Follow your heart, even if it leads you all the way to Montana.

Go to class! GPA is everything.

Text books are a huge rip off.

I would tell myself that it is ok to be scared. Being frightened is a good thing but I would say to not worry. Everyone is going through the same thing and odds are they are equally as nervous for this great transition. There are going to be very rough patches and you are going to think that you can never get through them, but they will eventually smooth out. This is a time of exploration and finding out who you truely are and what you care most about. You are going to lose contact with most of your current friends and thats ok. This is a time for you. This is crucial period in your life where you have nothing to tie you down- the world is your canvas and you can paint it with all the colors you'd wish. Go to your classes and pay attention because the stuff they are teaching you will show up time and time again throughout your courses. Get to know your professors and when in class speak up and let your ideas be known. Most importantly get involved and do not just fade into the background.

I would give myself only one peice of advice. Keep pushing on what you want and practice. Practice your French horn and love playing it, because that will get you into school and you will love playing it. Don't give up when times get hard in music because you will push through them and become a fantastic musician. The more you practice the better you'll get, I promise.

I wouldn't change anything !

If I could go back to my high school self I would let myself dress how I wanted, not worry about what click I was in or who I hungout with or even the car I drove. I would be my truest colors and shine bright. Nobody is going to look back and remember those explicit details about you, so why not be who you are and stand up for what you believe in. I would also give myself a pat on the back for gradutating one year in advance and getting through all the obstacles that I was introduced to. High school years are when you go through many different phases and are a little different each year, as you grow older you become more expereinced with your education and intuned with society. You always need to remember you are here to please yourself and nobody should have an effect on it.

Stephanie, it’s your last year of high school and you need to get some things straight. You’re on the right track by looking for schools and possible majors so I commend you for getting a good jump on that, but you forgot about one thing: scholarships. What are you doing? Go apply for scholarships! You don’t want to see the look on Mom’s face when she sees how much money she has to take out with her Parent Loan from FAFSA. It’s not pretty. Keep up your GPA; scholarships love to see a good one. Remember, though, that high school isn’t just a GPA. it’s a social jungle. You are going to be extremely stressed and busy with work, theatre and honors classes and you will lose some friends. Don’t worry about those friends. You’re in a good place in the future at a good university. You will make new friends. College is a new start. Keep working hard and persevering through this last year of high school because they can be difficult. Just remember that college is going to seem so easy compared to this. Don’t worry so much.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the one thing I would tell myself is to not be afraid to explore past my boundries. I would tell myself to enage in every activity that I can participate in and to never say that I cant do something. I would encourage myself not to hold back from making and meeting every person on campus. However, more importantly, I would tell myself to be wary and regulate how much you engage in the night life around campus. Also, even though attendance is not mandatory for class, it is important to go to every class so that you can understand the material and earn a good grade. To sum up all of this, I would tell myself to explore and to have fun in moderation. I need ot know when to get down and work hard on my academics but to reward myself with a good time.

patrick always make sure that you plan your time better, get out of what you are planning on doing, dont do computer science and listen to what you want to do and be a doctor and not and engineer. also get out of your shell and make friends it really makes the world a brighter and more fun place

Younger self, do not be afraid to leave your dorm and explore. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, they may become your best friend. Younger me, studying is important you know, but so is sleep. Don't forget to sleep! Try new things! Sign up for a class you would not normally try. Join a club! Younger self, always remember to take time to smell the roses. Life moves pretty fast when you're not looking. While the fast lane on campus is enjoyable, take time to grab a good book and lay in the sun. Younger me, learn lots but have fun!

Stick out high school. It will benefit you in the long run.

If I were to give advice to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to finish strong. In my senior year I started to get lazy like most seniors do and figured that the strength of the rest of my highschool career would carry me through the college application process and the rest of the year. I stopped putting in the effort, I didn't take the AP tests that I should have and I didn't work nearly as hard as I should have. This is hurting me now because I could be further ahead than I am now, and I wouldn't have to be paying for classes that I basically have already taken. I would also say to get an earlier start on the application process. I missed out on some of the application deadlines and scholarship deadlines in my senior year because I got started way too late in the process. There are many things that I would have told myself but these two are the most important in my view.

College is a huge change and it is scary. Things are good now so enjoy them. The next year will be the hardest one you have yet but you have to remember that things are not as bad as they seem. There will be times when you feel lonely and angry and sad, but you have to remember that you have the power to change your life. If you do not like something then you have to change it. You cannot take everything so seriously. I haven't even been in college for a year yet, but I can see that you are the only thing that can hold you back. So get out of your comfort zone and just let yourself go! I promise you'll be fine.

Choose carefully about where you want to go. Do more research on each college. Apply for A LOT of scholarships. Accept the fact that all applications are going to take a while, so apply early. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Be happy with what you have at the moment, but never stop striving for better. Get a planner and don't forget to write down homework and important events. Don't buy a book for every class, even though it technically may be required. You may not ever use them, and it is a good way to save up money. Even though you are homesick, staying away from home is sometimes a good thing. It teaches you that you can live on your own.

Dear Naomi, Please start college sooner. A year off is fine, but waiting too long will put you further behind in your eventual career than you'll want to be. The years will fly by before you know it and you will look back and wonder why you waited, and why you still have several years to go untill you get the degree you really want. Achieving your degree at a later age will be that much more difficult when you have a young family and are trying to juggle your personal life, work and school still; especially when going to school becomes full time work. Pick a different school, a different major – nursing rather than liberal arts. Driving a little farther to get the degree you want from a school that offers it will save you many years of unnecessary school and will put you ahead financially in the long run. And finally, enjoy being young. Try dorm life and the "college experience" with your peers. You will spend the rest of your life working, and while work experience is important you can make it working part time while dedicating more time to your college education.

I would go back to my former self when I was just starting my senior year and tell him that I needed to buckle down way more than I did. I would have told myself that I need to focus more on class work instead of goofing off. I have matured greatly while I have been here at the University of Montana so I truly wish i had buckled down more in my year before starting college. I would have laid out what I need to do to have success while I am here studying and learning. It is truly an eye opener when you start your first classes and starting the whole college thing at a running start. I would have told me to become more organized and having a planner for homework and such. It really helps you control your life when you have something like a planner. When I was in my senior year I did not keep track of my homework that well so I would have told myself that a planner is the key to success. I would have just told myself that to not get so stressed about things, just enjoy the experience.

Take your future serious, don't wait for a tragic accident leading to vaporization to realize what you want to do.

Reach out to the world and do not let people tell you that you can not do something. Life is about being confident for whom you and who you're going to be. Study, focus, and work hard this school will socialy accept and love you for yourself. Do what you want but be careful. Make sure you have breaks in between classes and studying, also relax man. Don't sweat the small stuff, literally take one moment at a time. For each one you leave behind, there will not be the same even if you try to repeat that moment. The emotions will not be the same, so live and learn, my friend. Enjoy college.

I would convince myself to take the AP classes offered in high school so that I would save myself money, and time in college.