University of California-Merced Top Questions

I have learned to be more responsible, and have more time management. I have joined alot of clubs and sports, and have become more outgoing. I've learned to come out of my comfort zone and ask for help. UC Merced has alot of professors and tutors that are helpful.

My social networks and living experience have broadened my horizons for my future endeavors. This campus feels intertwined just like a huge family.

My college experience has been amazing the time I have spent here at UC Merced. There are just so many opportunities that UC Merced has to offer since it is a new campus, setting its roots in, creating a foundation for itself here in the Central Valley. I have gain a new outlook at life and also new persepctives. The relationships that you build with your professors and also with your peers gives more meaning to learning. The professors here make is so that you have the chance to help them on their research project. Being a small campus, it is really easy to know everyone, including your professors. Unlike big campuses, the students here really don't find it hard fitting in here. Since I have been here, I have made many friends and have gotten a chance to participate in studies on campus. There is just so much to look forward to. Every year there is alway something new that is added to the campus, whether it be a club or more choices for classes, my college experience is a journey that I will not regret attending UC Merced.

Knowing what I know now about college, I would tell my senior self to relax. College is not hell. My senior year, I worried about failing my classes, and leaving my ?best? friends and family to a new city. It is not bad! College courses are just like high schools, the only difference is that I needed to buy my own books and the professors do not make sure I do my homework. The professors does not come to me if I am failing, I go to them for help. The whole ?Oh my gosh, I am leaving everything I know and love behind, how am I going to make new friends?? story is not as bad as it sounds. Making new friends is not hard, all you have to do is smile and say ?Hello my name is so and so? and that can be the start of a new friendship. Family and friends back at home will always be there. They are not going anywhere; they will be there when I go back home to visit.

As a high school senior, I had a lot of fun. If I could go back, I would tell myself to have fun, but also to apply for more scholarships, so that I could pursue my dream of going to New York. I would tell myself to go no matter what, even if money stands in the way (which it did). Money matters a lot in college, so save every bit you can. Buy all the things you need first (including books) before shopping for anything else. Keep track of how much you can spend on food each day so you don't run out at the end of the semester. And most importantly, visit my father more, because now I am actually close enough to him to be able to spend time with him.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself plenty of advice. First, I would tell myself to not wait until the last minute to apply to colleges and for scholarships. I would say, "Do your research and make the best choice." Second, I would have told myself to get more involved in school activities, so that I would have more to say on college and scholarship applications. I would also tell myself to get a job. When I was a senior, I didn't want to get a job, because I wanted school to be my top priority, and I didn't think that I could handle both. I should have at least tried to. I would educate myself about my college choices and the financial aid that could be offered to me. I graduated as a valedictorian, so I'm sure I could have gone to a school for free if I had done my research. I would also tell myself to appreciate my parents. Even though I wanted to move away from them, I realized that they have done a lot for me. I appreciate that.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself while i was a senior in high school the most important advice i think i could give myself was not to procrastinate and take everything i attained in school and turn it into things or skills that i can do in daily life. I also would recommend myself to learn about scholarships and grants because now that i have attended college it is hard financially and i now have a hard time looking for different funding in order to continue school to attain new knowledge. I would make sure i take my SAT test prep as well as the main test seriously and make sure i got all my work, applications and any other forms that has to deal with school in on time.

If I had the ability to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would make sure that I understood the importance of reading. As a college junior, I have realized how much reading has benefited me. Not only does it help me develop a much stronger vocabulary, it helps me participate in class discussions on a more intimate level. These two benefits have resulted in much needed self confidence, which has helped me become a more successful individual.

When I was in high school, I was worried about College. I wondered if I'd be able to handle the workload, and if I'd be able to make friends. I would be living in a dorm, 6 hours from home. Would I be able to accept and handle my responsibilities if I was on my own? If I could talk to myself then with what I know now, I'd tell myself that the adjustment would take some time, but the overall experience at College is great. I had a few close friends in high school, but have become a leader of our community service fraternity in College. I am one of the founders of an Engineering Club on campus, and have mentored new students and volunteered at the Special Olympics. I also work on campus transcribing notes for disabled students. These are all experiences I wouldn't have dreamed I would have done. I guess, I would have told myself to relax, take a deep breath, study hard and get involved in Campus Life.

I would give myself the advice of being more open to trying new things, making new friends but to focus as hard as possible on learning every ounce and nuance of the educational material. I would also have told myself to take more initiative at finding research opportunities during the first year rather than waiting until sophomore year. These, I believe, are the only pieces of advice I would give. The rest should remain a surprise and be left the same.