University of Arizona Top Questions

If I could tell myself something while I was just a senior in highschool, it would have to be to do scholarships and be prepared, because college is expensive and exciting. Tution aside, living expensives are a lot. It is hard to keep within budget when there is so much to do. Also, it is crazy how much I want to do with so little time. I am in two clubs and five classes so it is hard to balance time between work and pleasure. I would also tell myself to learn good study habits in high school, not hope that I magically know them when I get to college. I am still a A and B student, but I got B's in a couple classes that I could have easily aced. Overall, even though I have made some mistakes in college so far, they have taught me a lot about college and myself so I would not necessarily choose to change anything. I am happy with where I am now and hope that this fact does not change in my future.

GO TO CLASS! If you never study or do any homework (in most classes) just learning in class is the most important way to understand the material. Reading the textbooks and doing the homework assignments isn't enough to understand the material. If you go to class the teachers give helpful hints and make sure the students have learned what they need to for the exams.

I would give myself advise about college to my high school self with expressing the importance of time management. Managing your time is the key to not only college, but to a successful life. Being on top of your time and making time for your poriorities will put you on the road to succes. Being on time and attending classes with out constant reminders is the hardest part about college. With hours in between some classes, it is your responsibility to plan accordingly with your free time. Do homework, go to a study group, take a shift at work, or run errands you never have the time for, but make sure you have enough time to get to your next class. Time managemen is a tough skill to obtain but once you have it, its there for ever with long lasting benefits.

I would say, " Apply to schools early in order to recieve an early response. This is very useful in applying for scholarships of which most ask which college you will be attending. The list of scholarships you apply for may change due to confirming which school you will attend. Overall, its best to do everything as early as possible so you have a direction and your senior year has a purpose aside from graduating high school. DO NOT GET SENIORITIS. Procastination will damn you. There is a time for fun and parties, your senior year is not the time for it. Its one of the most important years in your life where your desicions will affect the rest of your life and dictate whether or not you will have future financial hardship due to loan debt, or be able to breath easy because of sufficient financial support. College costs money and your whole life changes. You will not be prepared if you procrastinate and will have an overall better college experience and significantly less stress if you receive enough financial aid. Work hard from the beginning so you can provide a foundation for your college/career experience."

I would tell myself “You are going to make it, thought it be trying and tiresome, but by the grace of God, sleepless night, and the support of family you will succeed. It is okay to take a semester off, but instead of doing nothing related to college, get working. Apply for college and financial aid; check out what classes you’ll need. Don’t let others doubt throw you off track; you know when that door is open to you. You know you have wanted to be a teacher for such a long time, don’t waver or stray from that. Don’t try to become something somebody else wants you to be; it will only stress you out. Pray, sing, smile, stay happy; things are going to get stressful very quickly. You need to be ready to take them on, and find which path is the correct one for you to follow. Remember that your path is already set in stone by God; you don’t have to form it yourself. Don’t forget all good and perfect things come from above; this is just another one of those things. You can do it, I know you can.”

It is completely okay to not have one's dream college experience right away. My senior year of high school I was a top honors student and president of my school. My family and friends were very dear to me and I cherished every moment. Life was great and I continued these high expectations for myself going into college. However, I ended up getting dicouraged and hurt when I did not achieve my goals and aspirations right away. College can be really tough at first. The transitions are tough and change is tough. However, for most college students, including myself, it does end up to be a wonderful experience of self-discovery and life long friends. But day 1 of my college career was not, neither was day 2, or week 1 - and that is okay. High school seniors get ready for an amazing journey in college, but always remember that Rome was not built in one day.

I wish I could give my highschool self a stern talking to. When I was a senior, all I cared about was friends, school, and of course my boyfriend. I made good grades (A's and B's) and was in advanced placment classes all things to look good on my transcript. In addition I had extra ciriculars, like sports and a job, and a decent SAT score. All the things I knew colleges wanted however I did not put nearly enough effort, time and thought as to what I wanted out of the college I went to. Looking back I regret not spending more time researching and touring. Instead looking into all of my potential schools, I just settled on U of A because I knew a lot of people also attending and it was close. Don't get me wrong, it's a great school with auspicious programs but I still have a feeling of "what if". I wish that instead of settling I had considered all my options of places to attend so that the feeling of "what it" would be none existent.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are many things I would say to myself. First, I would tell myself to not give up on myself, there were many things I held back from simply because I thought I would fail. I would also tell myself to go that extra mile, to stay after school for an extra hour to get help on an assignment, and always put in my best effort. Next, I would tell myself to make my own decisions, regardless of what anyone else says. I almost did not attend the University of Arizona because my friends and family said it was too far away and they did not want me to go. Lastly, and most importantly, I would tell myself to not get upset with little things because once you leave the town you live in, the bad memories are erased forever. If I could go back in time and tell myself these things, I would not say them. What I have learned came with great strength and helped me realize who I truly am, and I would not change any of that for the world.

Dear Self, Plan on walking and/or biking to school more often. Plan on staying after class to ask for help and to set appointments with your professors. They are going to help you out exponentially more when they give you individual help. Plan on going to a few school events, even if they sound silly. Plan on seeking out friends that care as much about school as you do. Plan on meeting people from backgrounds and cultures that you've never experienced before. Learn as much as you can from these people; what is learned in the textbooks is only half of what you will take away from the college experience. On that note, please read your textbooks. Take it upon yourself to discover your personal interests, hobbies, weaknesses, and strengths. Also, do your own research on places/things/events/people that are of interest to you and are pertinent in your field, this background knowledge will help you out in future debate and discussion. Finally, make sure to call mom more often and give her peace of mind in knowing that she raised a kid that is capable of tackling the challenges of college life.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time in order to give my high school self advice I would tell myself to get started early, get more involved, and get organized. The first piece of advice I would give myself would be to get started early by taking general education courses at the local community college throughout my senior year. Doing this would help save time and money by allowing you to take care of requirements earlier on and pay less for classes. Next I would tell myself to get involved in more clubs and organizations. Getting more involved in clubs is important because it allows you to find people with similar interests which could later on become close friends and help make you feel like you belong at the university. Lastly I would advise myself to organize my life with a planner. By having a planner you would be able to keep up with my assignments, due dates, and appointments; which could help me keep track of things and maybe even prevent stress. Knowing this information has helped me get better acclimated to the university with my studies and social life.