University of California-Riverside Top Questions

Be prapared to really hit the books and be on top of your work. Be as organized as possible not only on top of when assignments are due, but also on your finicial aid and your emails. You will propbably feel overwhelmed, but just keep your head straight and take one thing at a time.

if i knew then what i know now i would definitly have studied more in order to take more AP classes. Taking AP classes helps greatly checking off university general requirments.

I would discuss the importance of applying to colleges as early as possible. Most universities have rolling admissions. The sooner students apply the greater the chance of getting into their top choices. Also, I would tell myself that when you get to college you need to hit the ground running. The first two years of college are the foundation for your GPA and if you do not build a solid foundation it is hard to make improvements later. I would also let myself know it?s never too early to apply to internships, work experience is priceless. Being away from home really helps you develop faster into an adult. I would stress listening to my parents more because they really do know what they are talking about. When they ask you to cook dinner, they are trying to help you develop cooking skills, not punish you. College is a place where mistakes are made and a time for growth. Learn from your mistakes as well as look for new experiences. College has so much to offer from educational to social activities, its all covered in your tuition take advantage of it. Hit the gym, the freshmen 15 is a killer.

If you want to be in a competitive academic environemnt, then be competitive when you are in high school. Apply for scholarships, and volunteer so you can have a lot of things to put on your application. College admissions are getting more competitive, and its not difficult to go the extra mile to make yourself stand out. Visit many college campuses, and go out of the box in your search for the schools that may be right for you. Also, start searching for the right college early on, such as in your junior year, if you leave this important search until the last minute, then you could end up wasting your or your parents' money in a place where you are not happy. It's worth it to be aware of many different colleges, so that you have the most choices to choose from.

First of all, no one should feel bad about going to a city/junior college straight out of high school and transferring to a four-year later, so don't. In addition to that, don't believe all of those horror stories about staying at a junior college for ten years, because that won't happen unless you let it. By the time you finish with your general education classes (and yes, you can do it in two years as well as get some undergrad classes for your major out of the way at the same time), you may realize that your first choice college isn't the right one for you anymore. In college, it's about YOUR priorities now, not your parents and not your friends, so you need to focus what they really are. Moving away from your friends and family to pursue what you want isn't a death sentence for your relationships (online networking has insured that). Moving away from your comfort-zone at home isn't as big of a risk as you think it is. New jobs, new friends and new experiences to learn from will come no matter where you are.

The biggest problem in college is the lazy task of procrastinating. Procrastination is the number one cause of failure in college. Whether its procrastinating in doing your homework, studying, or completing any other task, it surely doesn't not help to procrastinate in any way. Keep in mind that their are due dates for everything. The sooner you get a task done, the sooner you can play. There is always a time for everything. Make sure to have your responsiblities your first priority and then you will be able to have fun later. Managing your time well is also a tough task. Therefore, it may be easier to write down the tasks that need to be done and a respective time of when the task should be done. Remember this advice and the college life will be a lot easier to take a hold of.

Don't slack off and work hard. Find things to motivate yourself and think positive. Don't ever let people bring you down.

I would suggest to myself to take harder and more advanced classes, so college would not be such a challenge. At the same time, I would tell myself to work more and applied for more scholarships, so there would be less financial stress during college.

The only pieces of advice I would give myself are ones that were given to me by other experienced college students that I ignored. I would tell myself the two golden rules: never date someone in your dormitory hall and don't room with your best friend. Other than that, live it up, join as many clubs as your schedule allows, and pay attention in physics, because it gets exponentially harder as you go!

The best advice I have for parents and students about finding the right college is to visit them. Only when you are on campus and have experienced it for yourself will you really understand how you will fit in. Also spending a few days on campus as a part of a shadowing program can also see if you enjoy the class structures and professors.