University of Arizona Top Questions

Meeting new people is the most valuable experience for college. Educationally the value is not as great as everyone would assume but the life experiences and enjoyability of being a college student is the most enjoyable thing possible.

I knew that being an Arizona Wildcat would be rewarding and exciting, but my college experience has exceeded my expectations. Getting a superior education via my academic endeavors was a large part of why I came to the University of Arizona, but I did not realize the many other benefits I would receive here. The faculty has encouraged me to explore my interests and has provided me with the opportunity to do so, allowing me to be the best “me” that I can be. In addition to this, I have had my life enriched through meeting and becoming close friends with a diverse group of people. My college helped me grow as a person particularly in kindness, acceptance of others, and public service, as well as academically. The University of Arizona has inspired me to learn and add a second major. It has encouraged me to get involved with activities, both socially and academically, including being a teacher’s aide. These activities gave me experience with volunteering and focused my desire to teach while expanding my conception of that vocation. Overall, it has been a college experience that has opened me to the endless possibilities that life has to offer.

Some of the most outstanding, life-changing people I know today I have met in college. Learning to critically engage with the world I live in has been an invaluable privilege, but even more dear to me are the friends and role-models who inspire me on a daily basis to be a better person and give back to my community. The opportunity to learn from these people--professors and peers alike--has been the opportunity to broaden my horizons and see all that is available to me. College material trains you to be critical and college friends teach you to be kind; I think you can only understand this contradiction, and the benefits of it, once you attend.

Surprisingly enough, I have received an incredible education regarding apartheid in South Africa. I had no desire to study South Africa or its tumultuous history until my sophomore year at Arizona when it was briefly mentioned in one of my political science courses. Since then, I have been taking virtually every class that I can on the topic or applicable and related fields. My professor's at Arizona have given me great scores of information, experience, and their professional opinions about apartheid in South Africa and all of its attachments. As a result, I wrote a twenty page research paper this semester that was accepted for publishing in an undergraduate journal on international relations. Before attending Arizona I attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. I realize that transferring to a more liberal school allowed for me to study something as fascinating as apartheid, which I intend to study in graduate school. Basically, going from a conservative to liberal model of education has opened metaphorical doors for me that I never knew existed. This nexus between what I thought was out there and what I know now has been invaluable to me and my education.

I come from Orange County, CA. The majority of people I went to high school with cared about two things- money and popularity. As I grew up and got older around there, I realized that many people did not change that mentality. My biggest decision I have ever made was to pack up, get away from Orange County (at least for a little bit), and discover myself and people who could be a positive, motivating influence on me. It was the best decision I have ever made. I believe in the few months I have been here, I have already learned so much. I've learned how to let myself be my own individual. I've learned how to be more independent then I already was. And most importantly, I learned the importance of bettering myself as a human being, not only for myself but for my friends and family as well. When I graduate, my five little brothers and sisters will have one more reason to better themselves- because they saw I could do it too.

I have met a lot of great new friends and I have had some amazing opportunities to explore my field of study. I think that since I have been a college student, I have learned a lot about myself as far as my limitations and a better sense of responsibility.

Let me start by saying thank you, scholarship commitees like yourself have made it possible for me to fullfill my dreams. Growing up without any parents has made it very difficult for me to even think abut pursuing an education. When I came to The University of Arizona I learned many things which helped me to realize that it is possible for a girl like me to become successful. I have gotten so much help from staff and other outside sources to help with my tuition which has made it possible for me. I am very lucky and I will cherish every dollar I get for school and invest my time and curiosity to learn the most material I can, and use it for my future. By receiving this help I have learned that I will give back to my community when I am successful. I have gotten support from my college experience so far, with subjects, tutoring, being involved, and financially. I believe support is the most valuable thing i have received, because without support in any area, you cannot be successful.

It has been valuable to attend to this university for the education they have offered me to success in my life along following my dreams. Education has given me chances to discover what I want for myself. I love and enjoy studying languages such as French, Italian, and English, which I have learned over the past years. Spanish is my parents first language. Today I can communicate with people in these four languages. Languages are my passion because I can speak, read, and listen to music in French, Spanish, English, and Italian. Thanks to my grandmother and my parents who have inspired me, I believe that education must come first before other things in my life such as worrying about having a new car or marrying. This is the reason I am studying in the University of Arizona which is givinge a good experience and make me feel comfortable with what I want to reach my dream of studying Linguistics in Foreign Language, that is, the study of a language in details. Learning more about languages, which are so much part of culture, are my passion. To fulfill my dream I must have a good education.

Not only have I grown intellectually at The University of Arizona (UA), I have also grown as a person. The UA surrounds me with wonderful, intelligible, kind and helping people, which helps me to succeed in the future. All of the courses that I have attended in my college career have been nothing but beneficial. The environment on campus is uplifting and urges you to get involved and become a better person. Before attending the university, I was never apart of non-profit organizations and rarely did volunteer work. There are many opportunities to help out in the community. Through the experiences both academically and socially, my time spent at the UA has been overall amazing.

That's a tough question. As a freshmen it's hard to decide what I have gotten out of just one semester. On the other hand, however, I know what I need to get out of it. Fresh out of high school I was very enthusiastic about getting involved, I expected to magically make friends in my classes, and coast right on through my studies. Then reality hit. I realized that I had no idea what I want to do, you don't just "make friends" in college, and I didn't get accepted to a freshmen student coucil club. I stopped trying to get involved. I went to class and came home. I've learned my lesson; in the fall I'm planning on participating in a program that allows me to exchange to another school, and I'm hoping to go to New York. What is so valuable about attending the U is now I know what to expect. I know what I have to do to get the most out of my experience--and that is to try. I've learned that you have to offer yourself to the University in order to recieve its benefits.