University of Alabama at Birmingham Top Questions

To answer this question I have to give you a little more background information on myself. Coming out of high school I was ranked as the number two kicker in the nation. I went to Auburn on athletic scholarship and chose to study Marketing. I graduated in three years even though I had no intention of using that major. My goal was to play in the NFL. Unfortunately I tore both sides of a muscle in my kicking leg in successive years, and that has taken that dream from me. So I've spent the last two years trying to figure out what it is I want to do with my life. I've finally settled on being a Orthopedic Surgeon. This way I can still be near sports, and also help athletes who are dealing with injuries and setbacks like I've had to. So back to the question. If I had this opportunity, I would tell myself to make sure I'm prepared for life, and not just football. To not take for granted all the time when I was on top of the world. Oh how the mighty can fall, but only the mightiest can survive it.

College is not just about getting out of your parents' house to join an elite demographic of young adults. That may be what you're most excited about, but the most important part of college is figuring out who you are and remaining solid in your foundational standings. There are so many extracurricular activities to get involved with in college that guide you in a panoply of directions, that it can confuse you about what you expect to get out of your college career and out of life in general. Don't let those activities confuse you. Use them and your time wisely to investigate new experiences, and stay true to the ones that better your life & that you will want to carry on with you to the next phase of living. Don't do things you'd regret later. Take those experiences to solidify your motives and who you are, and channel that motivation toward your academic career. College is meant to prepare you for living the rest of your life, not skating through the next four or more years to wonder what you're going to do with your life once you're finished living it up.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would explain to myself "The Three D's to Success." Upon graduating high school and entering college, I began to really think about what I want in life - about what I want to accomplish and what can help me obtain my goals. So, at the beginning of the Spring semester at UAB, I thought of "The Three D's to Success": Diligance, Discipline, and Determination. Many people believe that college is the time in life where one should really enjoy their newfound independence from their parents. While in some respects this is true, I believe that college life is an opportunity for us to really mature and grow into the adults that we will be in life. College life is an opportunity to prove that we can be responsible and hardworking on our own, without our parents having to tell us what to do. "The Three D's to Success," I believe, are the most important traits one needs to really be mature and hardworking. I would tell myself as a high school senior to follow these traits, and continue to succeed.

Personally, i would convince myself not to take time away from school or to wait until the last minute to get into the school you wanted to because it might not work out the way you want it to work out. As soon as opportunity arises that would allow you to make all the necessary movemnts to attend college, take them.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would not know where to start. I would definitely tell the high school me to take everything seriously. College classes are much different than high school classes. I would definitely tell myself to start studying sooner-waiting until the last minute to study does not work in college like it did in high school. I would also tell high school me to try not to get caught up in everything that goes on every single day. There is always something going on in the dorm and in every other part of campus. I did not know what to expect from the whole ?college experience?, and it has been nothing like I could have imagined. The main thing that I would tell myself is to focus on classes, getting involved, while still making time for fun and meeting new friends. This is supposed to be the best time of your life, so make the most of it.

Why are you not studying? Don't you think you should really make sure you know all of this material, because you really will need this in college? I would make sure I knew that college takes a lot more work than anything else i have done thus far, and that it is completely worth it.

One of the first things I would tell myself is to start studying at least 2 week before a test. Review your material daily so when we do start the studying process it should just be an easy review for you. Do not cram because you will be hurting yourself in the end. Learn how to mange your social life. Do not fit every party into your life because remember there will always be a party. Give back to the commuity because you will feel better at the end of the day and make some great friends. Having a gret set of friends will help keep you sane in college. They are there when you need a good laugh or a shoulder to cry on. Lastly try to enjoy college because you are only here for a short time before you have to enter the real world

Life isn't a game; study hard, do your best, and aim for the stars. Don't settle for less than you think can do, don't be afraid to fail. Get up and try and try again. Worry about yourself once in awhile and stop stressing out so much.

My senior year of high shool was a blast! However, if I could go back I would tell myself to focus on college and the decisions you make involving college instead of only focusing on the here and now. I would also tell myself that highis not exactly what it seems to be at the time.

If I could go back in time to my senior year I would focus way more on college realted matter such as AP courses than Homecoming and who has the nicest car The transition was really hard and the most important thing I could tell my friends, if I could go back, would be to learn how to teach yourself to study. If you can teach yourself a chapter without the teacher and do well on the test you are ready for college. Teaching myself how to do well without a highschool type teacher would best prepare the average guy for college and the college load that comes with it. This would be my words of wisdom if I could go back.

Some advice that I would give my highschool self is to be open minded, try to network and also meet new people which can really help as you progress on in college. Also get more involved and make better study habits try to let the teacher know you care about the class by asking questions and talking to them after class which also helps them to know your face and name. Most of all I would have said really think about what you want to do after you graduate college because these 4 years go by so fast for you to decide in that time what you will want do for the rest of your life. Last I would encourage myself and say to stay positive the whole time I am making my highschool to college transition.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that college will be hard work, but with dedication and hard work, I know that college will help you achieve your goals and put you into a great career. I would tell myself that college isn't as hard as some people think as long as you work hard and put enough effort into your learning. I would tell myself also that too much free time is good, but I must put it to good use. Do not go partying because all great students do not have to party to fit in. I would tell myself to make a lot of friends at college so that I have a good social network so that I can form study groups to increase my learning. I would tell myself that a great education comes from hard work and perserverance, so get as much education as i possibly can. Teach yourself how to be a great student and please attend class everyday. A good student always goes to class on time.

I would stress to myself the importance of applying for scholarships. The later you wait to apply for scholarships, the harder it is to obtain one. I had over a 3.8 in high school and a 27 on the ACT, and I am still having trouble paying for college. I would also stress the importance of being organized. I would make a schedule for my activities and make sure that my schoolwork and leisure activities balance out.

I would tell myself to stay focus. My major mistake during my freshman year was being distracted by the numerous things that were going on in my life. I would tell my high school self to not let whatever was going on to throw me off and whenever I needed to, to just put the situation on the back burner and return to it when I have handled all my school workload.

Assuming that I could go back in time and give advice to myself as a high school senior, I would most definitely begin to teach myself to better manage time and to keep a planner. I would also tell myself that in a short period of time I will have lots of responsibilities that previously didn't exist so, I would better prepare myself for this by taking initiative and accept some responsibilities that weren't mine. I would also explain to myself the importance of tenacity and teach myself to be a self starter.

Attending college is a great experience. Campus life allows you to experience the most independence you have ever had. Campus life can distract you from studies so keep in mind your true objective which is to complete a degree. It is okay if you are not sure exactly what you want to do but in deciding on a degree make sure that it is marketable. You can get a degree in a number of fields but that does not guarentee you a job upon graduation. Explore prospective job growth and determine if any fields are of interest. The chances of getting a job after graduation will be much better if the field is expanding with job growth. It is also beneficial to start making contacts. A lot of job searching is determined by "who you know". Making aquaintences with those that will be great future references will give you an extra edge.

I need to make sure I study harder for the AP Exams so I can get out of most of the core classes and also make sure money is available to Klept just in case. It is also a wise idea to practice history and math online as I get ready for school because then it would only be review when I began class. Last, but certainly as important, make sure I look at the Department Scholarships offered by the University. Many people overlook the inner-school scholarships and focus on external scholarships or the inital entry University scholarships. I wish I had known because I could have easily picked up some extra aide from the School of Public Health or Psychology. It is just as important to look at some of the programs offered byt he University instead of waiting on them to find me. Finding programs and applying them allows me to get the foot in the door before others and opens opportunities to become an official or an imprtant figure within the organization.

Were I able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I do not believe I would give myself any advice about college life. I feel that half of the thrill of a freshman year comes with learning about oneself and discovering what college life is really like. I received advice from teachers and former classmates about their college experiences, and the one thing I learned is it is a different experience for everyone. College life is what one makes of it, and the transition from high school to college can be as smooth or as difficult as one chooses to make it. I believe that it builds character to go into college with great expectations and see how realistic one can make those expectations. College does not have to be scary. After all, it is usually not a fear of failing that most freshman experience. It is a fear of the unknown. It is also more fun and gratifying to conqure fear on your own. However, my advice to every high school senior would be to never sign up for eight a.m. classes unless you are a morning person!

I would tell myself that college isnt easy as I think. Besides school work, there are other things I have to consider like my social life and other distractions.

I would tell myself to have researched exactly what I want to do before attending school to facilitate the process of choosing a major. Since the best way to choose a particular field of study is to actually have experienced the lifestyle that comes with it, I would tell myself to have accompanied individuals in the fields I had in mind to gain an understanding of what they do. As a result, this would help me realize what I want in life and do what is necessary to gain it. In addition to researching a particular major, I would definitely remind myself to become more responsible. By reminding myself that I am becoming an adult, I would more likely watch my actions and make sure they correlate with what a mature adult would do.