University of Arizona Top Questions

College will be a great experience! It is a peak to the real world. It prepares you for the life you plan ahead. You will learn a lot about yourself. It teaches you how to live on your own, budget your money, and make you more responsible. It is not going to be easy. You have to have a positive mind set and work hard. Don't get discouraged and let no one tell that you can't. Block out all the negative people around you and focus on yourself. Make the right friends. Having friends, they will help you in need, advice, or to make time fly. Do not be afrid to try anything new. Learn from your mistakes, failures, and flaws. You will mold yourself as a better person when you do. Good luck!

Dear Caitlin, College life is really fun. It is a lot of work and it is hard to be away from home but, you will have to experience the sense of independence. I didn't realize what it really meant to be independent. Here at University of Arizona you need to do your own laundry, go to all your classes, live with someone your have never met before, and figure out what you are going to eat everyday. I think that the best advice I could give you is to not be afraid of the future. You need to embrace it. Start to learn how to cook now with mom while you can. Man do I miss the home cooked meals. Start to take more responsibility for yourself. Make your bed, do laundry, make dinners for the family once in a while, and last but not least absorb all the love and cuddles you can get. I never realized that you are going to miss the scent of your home, mom, and step dad. When you go to college you gain independence but also lose the self assurance that things will be taken care of for you. Step up. -Caitlin

If I could go back in time to speak to my high school self I would have advised myself to go to class everyday and take it much more seriously. The amount of time and work that goes into college level classes is much more than high school, making the transition from high school to college extremely difficult. At first it was very difficult for me to manage my time with the amount of work I was given my first year of college. Since then I have learned from experience how to better manage my time. But had I put as much effort into my junior and senior years of high school as I do now, I would have had much better grades, had a wider selection of college choices, and been more prepared for the work load that comes in college. I didn’t take high school seriously, but if I had the opportunity to go back in time and do things over again I would stress to myself how important high school is for your future and how it shapes you into the student you will be for the rest of your life.

The transition from high school to college is a huge one and most students are not as prepared as they may think. I was one of those students. My advice to myself would be that college is much more difficult than high school so start preparing and learning how to study. In high school I was able to pass all of my classes without really having to study for any of them. My first semester of college came as a shock to me as the work load built up quicker than I imagined. I never learned how to study and it made my classes more difficult. If my high school senior self learned study techniques, I would have been much more prepared and would not have needed that first semester to realize the effort and motivation that was going to be needed.

As a college sophomore, I would urge my former high school self to become involved in research as early as possible. The University of Arizona is a Research One Institution, so it is very important to get involved in this field and become affiliatedted with faculty heading research projects as well. This is especially true for my major, neuroscience, where the majority of post graduate jobs are research-based. A firm foundation in research as an undergraduate student shows dedication and genuine interest in the subject, which graduate schools and potential employers find impressive. I would also advise myself to not stress about the daunting financial aspect of college and focus instead on maintaining a good GPA. College is expensive, especially when you have to pay for it yourself, and taking out student loans is very stressful as well. However, I would advise myself that excelling in school and making an amazing career for myself will more than pay for it all later.

Grades are important, but they are not everything. Sacrificing meaningful connections with peers and social outings for studying at home on a Friday night might land you that A on your history test, but will that knowledge actually prepare you for life? Your experiences in high school help build the foundations for your future. Start with maintaining a balance in your life. Keeping up with your responsibilities as a student are crucial for getting into a highly ranked school, but attending a well-reputed state school will serve just as beneficial. Take advantage of the opportunities available while you’re still light in responsibilities. Take the initiative in securing more responsibilities. Search for a laid-back afterschool job, ask that boy in your chemistry class on a date, go to that Friday night party. The transition from high school to college is a pathway to independence, and a test to see how you budget your study and free time without any adult supervision. You’re the adult now. The choice is yours, as is the experience. Find connections with others and build relationships with them. The lessons learned from their experiences will only help you create your own, but better.

Over the past year I have learned that God needs to be the main focus in my life. Last semester was a challenge to me and I did not know how I could do it by myself. I decided to hand the reins over to God and I had one of the best semesters I have ever had. By trusting solely in Him opened so many opportunities and gave me courage, knowing that I can do it. No matter what challenge I may face in life, I will put my trust in God and stand firm in my faith.

Stepping onto the university campus as a little freshman, I felt scared that I would be run over by the many bikers rushing to classes. My little beach cruiser couldn't compare with a motor powered bike. If I had known this, and the fact that my classes are within walking distance, I would not have spent money on a bike. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to save the money to buy all the expensive books required for many of my classes. I would also tell myself to not think of myself as one of the most intelligent students at school anymore. I was one of the honors/AP students in high school, with a 3.9 gpa, but college is different. Honors classes in college are like AP classes on steroids. I would tell myself to balance out my schedule when it is time to select one for my freshman year. I would also tell myself to prepare for all the caffeine intake needed for studying. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to prepare for all the wonderful experiences of university- experiments of methods for staying awake.

Relax Serah! I wish my high school self would have learned to relax and take things one step at a time. During high school, nothing mattered more to me than securing a future at a university and establishing myself as a hard working student. However, this determination usually got to me and caused me to panick when things didnt go as planned. I also lost appreciation for the present, making little friends, showing no interest in social activities and even missing prom! I would tell myself that everything would eventually work out the way its suppose to workout and that taking time to enjoy the present was not only okay, but necessary. Looking back, I hardly remember senior year and not because I had so much fun that it flew by, but because i was hardly involved other than attending class. Determined to "make it through" senior year as I had just moved from South Africa, I told myself I could only start over in college. I regret my negative attitude , and would let old me know that would build up regrets in the future. There was no better time to start over than right then!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in my high school senior year I would tell myself to have fun between my spring semester of high school and my summer semester of college. By the time I hit my fall semester of college I felt burn't out and my grades were heavily affected causing me to have to retake a few classes. I would tell myself to save as much money as I could from my part-time job so that I would have been more prepared when I ended up moving around from family member to family member and had to pay out of pocket for school to retake the classes I messed up in. If i could I would have also told myself not to take spanish class in college and to take american sign language instead because I've met new people who need to sign and i ended up failing my spanish class anyway.