The University of Texas at Dallas Top Questions

"Get into great study habits!" This is the first thing I would advise to myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself. I discovered that studying regularly improves efficiency in a course. Also, read material that's advised by professor at the scheduled time and not try to "cram in" everything at the last second. I would tell myself to research every single aspect of the career I choose to take and not wait until college to figure it out. "Learn to be VERY patient." Do not expect to go to college and make friends the very first day. It takes time, do not rush things. Also don't get involved in so much that you forget that you are in college! Parties and extracurricular activities are not everything. Academic excellence should still be your main intended goal. Advise on making the transition, do not wait until the end of the final deadline to apply for a college because there are further steps after it that require time. The quicker the better. Do not make the mistake of waiting to apply for on-campus housing and later discovering there are no more spaces available (me)!

I would definetly learn more time-management techniques and ways of effective studying. Having to juggle a full load of classes as well as a full work schedule can be very hectic at times. Also, in highschool I would have put more effort into keeping up with my school work. Never needing to study in highschool made it a harder transition to college since I wasn't used to studying on a regular basis. College is more about learning the information as well as keeping it in your mind for more than just a test. The information we learn on a day-to-day basis is information that we need to keep with ourselves for the rest of our college career. In highschool, most of the time we would study the week of a test and learn the information for the test and forget it until finals came around because there wasn't as much of an emphasis to study and be able to retain what was taught everyday.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to have a plan before entering college. By plan I mean a career path. Having an idea of where one would like to be after college would help guide one to their goal. This does not mean that one must follow the plan all the way through. Changes can be made and different paths may be selected, but atleast having an idea would help. Having a plan is not enough. One must also be able to execute it. If you do not work hard and focus on your goals then your chances for success for drastically decline. Be ready to work hard and focus would be the best advice I could give myself.

If I could go back to my senior year, I would advise myself to apply for financial aid as close to January as possible. It would have saved me from having to take out loans. I would have told myself to apply to more schools and to check out my options. I only applied to three schools; two of which I didn't really want to go to but simply applied because I received an application fee waiver. I did not apply to the school I had been looking at because I wanted to stay with my boyfriend. I did not think I could make it on my own at a large school but luckily the school I am currently at seems to fit me pretty well. I would also tell myself to not worry so much about high school drama. Leave all that behind you and make a fresh start when you go to college. Settle any issues with friends beforehand so that you can enjoy your last summer together. The bonds between you will help you keep going and will make it easier to transition into college life.

I would tell myself to finish all my school work before you decide to hang out with your friends. You will still have time for your friends after homework, but you will not have time for homework after hanging out with your friends. Getting even a little bit behind in college is the worst thing you can possibly do as everything will landslide from there until you are struggling to pass your classes. It is truly fun being on your own and away from your parents, but remember to be responsible and prove that you can handle it by staying on top of things. College will definitely be one of the funnest experiences of your life, but make sure to keep that way by keeping up with your academia. Schedule, plan ahead, and try not to get too stressed when things don't go as planned!

I never knew that living with complete strangers would be as difficult as it is. The constant noise and people can sometimes drive me to insanity. If I could go back in time, then I would tell myself to just relax and do not take too many things seriously. I would tell myself to take the days one at a time instead of looking at them in months to the point where I believe myself not capable of escaping. There is enough stress in college with the work load and the odd feeling aquired after moving to a new place. There is no need to make where you are living as much of a mess at the outside world may seem. Home is supposed to be your haven and santuary. I would tell myself to remember that during the times I would want to cry and scream, but also, to remember that you should not keep what you feel bottled up inside. Keeping what you think and feel to yourself will only tear you up, not anyone else. Express yourself with your roommates and do not let them take over your world. It is your house too.

One can?t fully understand the implications of living at home and commuting until it has been personally experienced. But if you have ever been in a place where you feel limited on living to your potential, you can definitely sympathize with me. If I could go back in time I would not have sacrificed what I wanted in an attempt to make the wise choice according to parents, old people, statistics, and journalists. In the end, the most important lesson I learned was to willingly listen, consider possibilities and advice, then ultimately follow my own freaking heart.

I would tell myself to work hard! I really wish I worked harder in my courses and volunteered more.

If I could go back in time then I would tell myself many things. First I would tell myself to take at least one semester if not a whole year to really evaluate what I want to do. I would tell myself to think about what I want out of life, and what I want to achieve. That time off is a good thing for myself, because the lack of interest is what made me end up quitting several times. After having returned after a long break from school, I understand why I wanted to be there. I would tell myself to not attend school until i had this will to want to be there, not out of lack of anything else to do.

Make sure you didn't choose a college based solely on your first choice of major. Many students end up changing their majors. If you switch majors will the college of your choice have majors for your secondary interests?

I would tell myself that I had everything in my life to look forward to. In high school I was absolutely miserable, I had few friends and thought school was pointless. College aspects for me seemed just as bleak. I thought that if I didn't get into a wonderful school in some ideal location that I would never be happy, but I've found that my happiness is not location based. I would definitely tell myself that college students are different than high school students, they're more open-minded, more mature, and easier to talk to. Most everybody starting out in college is in the same boat, with the same worries and anxieties, so don't stress it and have fun.

The major advice that I would give myself is to research everything that is expected of me so that I would be able to graduate. I naively believed that this college would look out for me. But how could they? They have thousands of other students to attend to. You have to be an informed student. Don?t leave a question answered. You have to know the expectations so that you can earn your degree in the correct time frame. In my opinion, planning ahead is a critical college skill. You have to have a clear path in mind so that you don?t stumble around in the dark trying to catch up when things go wrong. When you?re academics are in order, you can plan around it with extracurricular activities. Don?t over-schedule yourself?that?s why you have to think ahead! Taking part in too many classes and activities will only overwhelm you and the stress that you get from each will only snowball and ultimately affect your overall performance. You have to know your strengths and set limits for yourself. College can be scary, but not if you come prepared.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advice myself to focus more on my social life. I did not have trouble with school work and grades when I was in high school, but I did have a difficult time being sociable. I would advice myself to join as many clubs as possible, such as History club, Spanish club, Math club to make positive and smart friends. It is important to make excellent grades while going to high school or any kind of educational institution, but it is also important for one to easily approach others to have a conversation. During my two years in community college I learned that high school would have been the most fantastic four years of life if I was more sociable.

If I could go back and talk to my highschool senior self I would tell him, school only gets better when you enter college and its nothing to worry about, except for the cost of it. I would of liked to of applyed for more scholorships so that maybe I could of gone to an out of state college or attended SCAD one of the more well known art schools, but do to cost and living cost I wasn't able to attend. Another thing i would of told my old self would have been to join more social groups in college, because once highschools over most of my friends moved away to other college. Where then i was forced to make new friends and lost touch with all the old ones, so my suggestion might of been to stay in touch with my old highschool friends aswell.College seems to be a place for a new start, yet maybe we should keep intouch with a little of our pasts.

Try everything. Don't be afraid. Even if you think you might not like something or may not be good at it, try it. You might surprise yourself. This is the beginning of a new chapter in your life where you can do anything you want. Be more adventurous. Take an art class. Go to the library more. Play frisbee golf. Don't skip class. Appreciate your teachers.

Prepare yourself, my dear. There's a way ahead of you. It won't be easy, like you expect. You will have to work harder and longer than ever before. You may not make all A's like you're used to, but every grade will be well earned. Study and do your best, child. Once you pass through the doors of your university, you are no longer a normal girl. You are a grown university student, willing to learn, work hard, grow, and expand on all aspects of life. Choose your associations wisely. Not all those you see are friendly. Be yourself. Stay calm and relax every once in a while. University is not all school work; it is also about building life long relationships. Be sure to be courteous to your peers and professors. Give respect but don't always expect some in return. Keep your head held up and be proud of who you are. Know yourself and know your roots. Know who you aspire to be and what you aspire to do. Keep your goals in mind and focus well on them. Prepare yourself, my dear. You have quite a road ahead.

In my senior year of high school I had undertaken tons of Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Despite doing so, however, "senioritis", a dangerous disease whose symptoms involve extreme laziness and a carefree nature regarding grades, had taken the better of me. By the end of the year all of my grades were in the low 70's and I did not pass even one AP exam I had taken. Due to my low grades I was unable to recieve adequate financial aid, because of which I have to commute to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) every day. Needless to say, if I could rewind back into senior year I would advise myself to keep my grades as my top priority. Throughout my high school career I never seemed to understand the value my grades could have and the impact they could have towards my future until I reached college and regretted it.

I would have done nothing different. Joining the US Air Force out of HS was a great decision. It help me mature and become a better man and college student.

The best advice I could give you is to try to take this time to be independent and responsible, wherever you decide to go. Know there are consequences for everything you do, and try to not be too foolish. Grades are important, especially if you are striving for more than a bachelor's degree, but that shouldn't be hard if you have a good work ethic and focus on something you enjoy. Don't decide to do something just for the money, but actually have passion for the subject you are focusing on. If you don't know what you are planning to do with your life, it's okay. Just have an open mind and take those classes you think you may find interesting. It could turn out that your school actually has a good program for that subject. If you have any problems, don't hesitate to talk to a professor, because most of the time, they are excited about you visiting them. Also, find some friends that are willing to study late nights. This will come in handy when you have a big exam coming up and you need some company when pulling an all-nighter.

As a high schooler I was not exactly "academically focused". I wasn't getting into trouble or anything, but I just didn't care too much about doing well...even though I still DID do well. However, if I could turn back the clock to those weart, wayward days, I would tell myself to buckle down and LEARN HOW TO STUDY. We were never really taught that in school, how to study effectively that is, and it really would have helped us out to be honest. But, I learned it the hard way and once I did, my grades improved. I would have also told myself to not give up hope for that perfect man, but that's another story. The bottome line is, college is tough but can be very rewarding if you apply yourself in the right places, and I'm glad I finally rose to the challenge.