The University of Montana Top Questions

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to study harder to get a better GPA but also get involved with school activities. The professors in college are not always there for you like high school teachers were. Go out and meet new people and do not get involved with people who have a bad influence on others. Let loose and create a new you. Hard work will pay off in the end of the road. Do not be lazy, make flashcards and your own notes. Writing notes on your own helps a lot more that copying lecture notes.

Do not switch schools! You will lose most if not all of your financial aid. Also, apply for as much financial aid as you can. The school won't pay for much.

You must be your greatest cheerleader and motivator. Please focus on your gifts and make the best of every moment while in school. Getting your degree will help make you more valuable to yourself, family and society. Surround yourself with people who are where you want to end up in life. Life goes by so fast and would of, could of and should of doesn't count. Education is an easier path to success and self-fullfillment. Always stay positive and stick to the journey no matter how long it takes. Don't wait!! Do it now!! Live, never regretting the past but learning from your journey and moving forward in life. If I could do it all over, I would have made sure a positive mentor was in place all during my earlier college days. I have since completed many successes in life, but obtaining my degree in Applied Management would be an accomplishment I've always longed for. NOW is the time!!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to calm down and relax. The hard part was deciding where I would go and finishing all of the financial aid applications. I decided to go to a school that I knew had a good program for my major, but I didn't know anyone else who was going there. The important thing to do is just open yourself up to meeting new people. Many people who are attending college for the first time don't really know anyone else either. When it comes to schoolwork, figure out a work schedule that works for you so you don't get behind on homework. If you figure out a study schedule, you can avoid extra stress during finals week.

To my younger self I would give two pieces of advice. The first would be to start with a psychology major instead of a classical languages major. The other would be not to take any time off school. The break is nice but it's more hastle than it's worth. The only other thing which i would say to my younger self is to make sure I took judo class and joined the club as it is the only true source of happiness which I have had these past few years.

Beth, The only advice that I would give you, is to make sure that all the steps you take in the future make you happy. You are a hard worker and always work to get good grades. The good grades will come and the bad ones may too, but your happiness is what should matter most. Work hard, study hard, and be thankful for all the blessings you've been given.

The college decision-making process is lengthy and usually accompanies heated and heart felt conversations with your parents regarding the future. The future you worked hard for in high school endeavors. While looking and applying for prospective colleges in high school I was a sponge. I read as many college pamphlets as I could and spent many hours on PrincetonReview.com researching my ?best fit? schools. In the end, I applied to nine different schools. If I had the opportunity to repeat the process I would have applied to perhaps five schools at the maximum and devoted the rest of my time applying for various scholarships.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would empart this one crucial piece of advice to myself; relax. Being able to relax is the key to a successful college career. When people start to panic, they lose the ability to analyze problems they are facing and therefore they are unable to solve them. I would tell myself this, "Do everything you can do at the time and then relax. You know you can do this, just take it one step at a time." There is a saying that I have found very helpful thus far in my academic career; "The longest journey starts with a single step". This saying has helped to calm me down on those weeks where I have three essays due, two tests and a quiz. It helped keep me focused on the task at hand while also having a knowledge of what needs to be done. That is why the most important piece of information a college student can have is a single word; relax.

The transition to college can be scary at first, especially if you are a shy or self-conscious person by nature. It will be very tempting to keep to yourself, and surround yourself with the familiarity of your computer. Make sure you don't shut yourself up in your dorm room or spend all your time on the internet talking to old friends. While it is important to keep in contact with all your close friends and family from home, it is also important to get involved with other people in your building or your classes. The more you reach out to people, the more the school will start to feel like your home. Don't be afraid to talk to your professors. It may feel awkward or scary at first, but once you start a convesation, you'll probably find that they are very open and interesting, and they may even be able to point you in the right direction for research oppurtunities or a job. No matter what happens, remember that you are there to have adventures. The worst thing you can do is NOTHING. So, go out and do something awesome!

I would realize AP classes aren't really as amazing as advertised! However, I would have done Calculus at the highschool level to accelerate my math. I also would have started saving money and looking into scholarships a LOT sooner. And when going to a decently priced school, studente loans aren't as bad as you think they are. Working while going to school is very stressful, even if you only work three days a week and especially if you are on the night shift. NEVER work the night shift when you're going to school! Also, almost no one realizes the differences between college in highschool. Whereas in highschool you can get away with not doing your homework til the last second, in college procrastination will lead to failure. It's a tough lesson for freshmen to learn, so just do your homework early and on time and you'll do OK. Also, if you're having problems with math or writing, there's plenty of tutoring on campus. Look around! And sororities may not seem like a big deal, but they could be a good way to make friends. Lastly: be seen! Go to all free events!

The first thing I would inform myself is a little bit cliche, but is also incredibly true. It is NEVER too soon to start filling out scholarship applications and collecting information. Before I had even thought about where i wanted to go, some of the more well-known and prestigious schools I loved already had closed their application dates! I was heart broken. Luckily, I ended up in a school I love, but I sometimes wonder if my life would be different if I had begun the process earlier. Another thing I would tell myself about college is that I would miss home more than I thought I would. There is nothing shameful about bringing ur favorite teddy bear to school! Appreciate your home and your family and visit as often as you can. Another thing I would advise is to put yourself out there. Having great friends, new and old, will make the transition so much easier. Being shy will not make you happier in the end. Have a good attitude and everything will work out. And the last bit of advice I can give, concerning the "freshmen fifteen", stay away from the cafeteria and go to the gym!

If I were given the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior with the knowledge I now have about college life, there are many things I would tell myself. I would tell myself not to be so afraid of the unknown. College is such a great experience with so many opportunities and such a great volume and diversity of people. Take advantage of every opportunity that you get and get involved with different groups and clubs pertaining to things you are passionate about. Academics are important and try to get good grades, but do not make studying your whole life. Get out there and do not be afraid, just believe in yourself and all your dreams will come true.

There are many things that I could advise my younger self on that would have made the transition from high school to college that would have made it go more smoothly. Coming from a small Christian high school with a grand total of twenty nine students and only one teacher for every subject things radically changed when I got to college. I would advise myself that even though there would be five times the number of young adults in just one class and though things would be vastly different it was nothing to stress yourself out over. Next thing, the teachers, they would be different and all of them with different personalities, but try to approach them all the respectfully because you have to show to them that you are willing to go all the way to make that final grade an A. Most of the other stuff that will change needs not be told, but is better off as a pleasant surprise for the upcoming year.

My first piece of advice would be set a goal, aka choose a major! I didn't really even know what a 'major' was my first semester. I was told by my parents that I was going to school. Period. Unsure of even what field I wanted to go for, I randomly picked a school and blindly picked general courses. My first mistake was choosing the major "undeclared". I just went through the motions. Without a goal in mind, it was difficult to feel passionate about school. I did not have the momentum of working towards something. I would advise myself to make a decision and stick with it! My second mistake was 'taking a semester off' to work. I was forwarned about it, that most students don't return to school after taking a break. THEY WERE RIGHT! If you leave school and find security in a steady-paying job, it becomes difficult to give that up to go back to school. In sum, I would tell myself to pick a major, plug into the support systems of the school, such as an advisor, that you can be held accountable to, and don't give up no matter what.

oh boy, if i could go back to my senior year, i would probably think a little more about what i wanted to see happen in my adult life. I would really think long and hard and also do some investigating on a few different career choices i had in mind for myself. You may think you want to do a certain profession and then you do it and hate it and by that time you could be married with children which can make it difficult to better your education. In which you will have to make priorities . You may not be financially able to go or you may have problems with babysitting. Alot of different things could hold you back, alot more responsibilty as an adult than if you were to go right out of high school. I would tell myself to be smart, set agoal and complete it, set myslef up to be independent so that as an adult, i can count on myself.

If I had the ability to go back I would tell myself to slow down. Don't be so anxious to get out of high school or away from your family. Don't focus so much on the future so much that you are missing opportunities in the present. Have fun with your peers and your family, they won't always be so acessible. Figure out who you are and don't let yourself forget it. Expect to grow and change. Don't plan on everything being perfect, you will make mistakes. Don't dwell on them, learn from them. Not knowing exactly what you want to be is not the same as not knowing who you are. Make sure not to think so loud you can't hear your heart. Smile whenever possible. Stress doesn't fix anything, ever. Anything coffee can't cure, time will. You have to love and trust yourself but most of all you have to believe in yourself. And the last thing I would say is, whoever said high school years are the best years of your life, did not go to college. =]

I would encourage them to choose a major they enjoy doing rather than a practical choice for security or money. The idea of working for years at a job you don't like is not worth the money. Do something you have dreamed of doing for a while that makes your heart excited. Get a part-time job so you can save off taking out loan money. Try to work during the summer as well. Make friends who build you up and encourage you. Learn how to swing and salsa dance. Try to make meeting dates a prioirty and keep your body in top shape as you look for love. Spend some money for clothes at a thrift store, there are some cute clothes that save you some money. Look into personal questions that arise about the world from class even if you don't get credit as homework. Searching for answers will expand your mind as your heart guides you. Try to read textbooks ahead of time before the semester starts because it will make it easier to keep up in class. Remember to value and spend time with your family. Stay active and enjoy nature if you can.

Katie, you are preparing to begin your freshman year at the University of Montana. You are excited and nervous. Let me, your older and wiser self; give you a sneak peak of what your life will soon look like. Living without your parents will be as refreshing as you hope for. You will clean your room when you please, and will not pull weeds on weekends. Your parents will not, however, disappear from your life. They will call every day, sometimes twice, to check on the state of your laundry. Don?t worry about making friends though; everyone you live with will be just as anxious to meet people as you. Classes are way harder than you are anticipating. The word studying currently has no meaning to you. You will be pouring over science books for hours at a time, and still struggling. You are so sure of your path in life now, so positive that you will become a doctor. Well, just give that certainty a few months and it will be gone. The classes will challenge you and push you in ways you only dreamed of in high school. In short, your new life is challenging but exhilarating.

Don't be afraid to be yourself. There are a lot more people in college that could share your interests and would make great friends. Also I would say to try everything you can. Learn a few languages, take some art classes, just take advantage of the variety of classes and activities. But mostly I would tell myself to enjoy it and not worry so much. its an opportunity and a beginning. Treat it like the great experience it can be.

My senior year in high school I would have a few things to tell myself. The first is to not stress out and rest up a bit, because I would be taking many more credits than most freshman and also have a job. I don?t always spend my money as wisely as I should when I think I have enough of it, so saving as much as possible and not putting as much money as I did into furnishing my apartment would help me pay future bills. As I watch my savings disappearing like candy at Halloween and with no money coming in and no help from parents, I would need to get a job as soon as school began, quite literally. Since the only thing holding me back from becoming involved with community and fully applying myself to my schoolwork is lack of money to pay essential bills, and working too often to try and catch up with those bills, applying for scholarships would save me. No matter how crazy my life gets in the next year before I go to college, it's not as crazy, cold or hard as my first year in college.