University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

Sandra, dont fall behin in school by getting caught up in the party scene. learn that fridays can be dedicated to studying. also, learn that people dont have to like you, its their choice, leave your hood mentality at home. learn how to make time for yourself, take a breather once in a while and learn how to use the Washing machines, dont mix white clothes with jeans. When it comes to missing home, find a close friend to speak with and love your roomates! roomates are supposed to be a motivation not a hasstle. when it comes to financing your education, apply to work the first quarter, makes it much easier to keep a job. stay in touch with people back home, just because you leave home doesnt mean you have to forget those that stayed behind. learn to balance your life, exercize, take a sex ed course! go to counseling when you are habing a rough time. keep an open mind, help those that need help. smile often.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior it would be to relax and enjoy everything happening in the moment. The transtion to college will be fun and exciting and even though you will miss your friends, you will make many new ones in the first few months you are here. While college is fun, and there are so many new things to do, you are a student-athlete which means you wont have as much time as anyone else, but that is okay because your team will become your family and help you with whatever you are going through. Stay on top of your work and dont procrastinate. College is harder than high school. Go to your professors office hours, they are here to help you! But on top of everything, stay true to yourself. They say you are supposed to find yourself in college. I think you build on who you already are. The desination means nothing without the journey.

Be confident in who you are and love and appreciate your abilities. The transition into college really challenges your foundation, so it is important to remind yourself that you are a capable and worthy person and student. Get involved and have an open heart and mind. In order to really learn, you must do much more than just read textbooks. Make as many friends as you can, and realize that you only have the chance to live each day once. There are so many resources on evey college campus that are truly there to help you succeed - take advantage of them! Your professors will be accessible and care about your educational needs. As an incoming student, don't be afraid to challenge what you believe and search for more complete truths. Don't compromise who you are just because you think that is what people want you to do. If you learn to love and respect yourself, others will too. Have faith in yourself, and realize that even though there will be many challenges, you were chosen to be here for a reason, and you truly deserve it.

Make some close friends, get involved, and do things with them. Teamwork with good friends is really a treasure when there are so many things to do and so many people around.

I would tell myself that college consists of a lot of reading. I would encourage myself to expose my vocabulary by reading more. I will also tell myself that college teaches you to become independent, and that once you are out of home there is no turning back, with that being said I would tell myself to appreciate my mother and other family member?s way more. I will also tell myself that some relationships are bound to change due to distance and that it?s ok to grow apart from people that you grew up with, that it is all in the process of becoming an adult.

Finding the right college and deciding where to spend the next four years of your life that be the most stressful thing a high school senior and their parents can go through together. I think one of the most important things to do is just spend time on the campus that you are considering attending. Walking around and getting a feel for what the people are like and what the atmosphere is is invaluable. You can only read so much about a college but actually going there in person and talking with students about their daily life there is the only way to go. As for making the most of your college experience, it's extremely important for you to branch out and just try to meet as many people as possible. No matter if you were the quiet one or most popular kid in high school, in college nobody will know you as that stereotype and you have the chance to redefine yourself. Participate in as many activites as possible: dorm socials, intramurals. . . everything. You'll meet peple you never imagined existed who could just be your new best friend.

It sounds cliche, but in the end, your college experience is your own, and is almost entirely a product of your intentions when applying to your school of choice. If you seek the teaming, techno-thumping nightlife, then you will have no trouble in finding it; if you intend to graduate with honors in an engineering field, you will doubtless discover innumerable opportunities to perpetuate your goal, and helpful and excited professors happy to assist budding new professionals. Thus, in the end, the school you end up choosing is secondary to your own agenda. I selected my school for its academic distinction. However, aware of a 'party school' reputation, I feared that I would never find other serious individuals willing to put up with my chronic bookishness and befriend me. My experience, however, has been that focused, driven students attract ambitious friends: We're all fighting the same battle, and although the competition is stiff, the friends I make fighting it are that much stronger. All this rather militaristic vocabulary might be intimidating, but remember: No matter where you go, if you have a mind to make the most of it, the world, (as Shakespeare would say,) is your oyster.

To find the right college for you, think about what you like to do and what you want to become after college. Pick a college that has a lot of the activities that you like to do. Pick a college that has the right academics to get you the career you want after college. Pick a college that has the right number of students for you on campus and in the classroom. Pick a college that has the right location for you, whether thats right next to the beach, in the city or in the snowy mountains. Pick a college that you know you will enjoy being at and want to attend everyday. To make the most of your college experience, participate in extra curricular activities as long as concentrating on your academics. But most of all, be open to trying new things.

You need to really research the college according to the student's interests, academically, socially and in extra-curriculars. If you can afford it, plan a trip to the top 3 or 5 potential schools after you get acceptance letters. If you visit a college and don't really like it, don't force yourself to go because you won't be happy for the next four years.

Often times we get caught up in names; Which school is the most prestigious or which is known best. But after four years I have come to the realization that it is not about the name of the school, but how you fit into that school. Feeling comfortable is very important to your success. Make sure that you do not base your decision on which school to attend based simply on the name but rather on factors such as: student body diversity, student resources, academic programs, housing availability, and other factors that are often overlooked.

Before deciding on which college to attend in the fall, be sure to visit the campuses that have accepted you. It is of utmost importance that you visit your school of choice before acutally deciding on it because it may not be what you expect it to be. Also take into consideration the selection of majors that are available and be sure that you are interested in a few of those majors. The key to making the most of your college experience is to be open to everything. Be social, be active, and be studious. College is about finding yourself through the actions and decisions that you make. Challenge yourself with stimulating courses, challenge yourself to join an intermural sports team, challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. The more challenges you conquer, the more satisfaction you will gain out of your college experience. But beware, do not overwhelm yourself with too much to handle all at once--not only is it important that you challenge yourself in college it is even more important to find a balance between all the challenges that you choose to pursue. Remember to breathe and take one day at a time!!

When looking for a college, the main thing you are looking for is the right college for YOU. Make a list of what kind of college you are looking for. Do you want to attend a large school? A small one? Do you want diversity? These things will help you research schools that suit you the best. Then go and visit them! Go on a tour of all the schools you apply to. This is the only way of feeling the atmosphere at each school. Every school is different and has certain good and bad qualities, it is your job to decide what school suits you the best. Once you find your dream school, your opportunities are endless. I have found that getting involved in your school is the best way to meet new people and have some fun in the process of graduating. There is no rule saying you cannot have a good time while still studying your butt off to get those good grades we all want. Even if involvement in school is not your thing, then just try to get out of your comfort zone as much as possible to fully grasp your college experience.

Be able to try new things!

I believe that it takes time to find the right campus that fits you and the learning experience you want. Large campuses and small campuses offer completely different learning experiences, but all offer a level of education unmatched by any other level of education. I would suggest visiting the campuses you are choosing between during the school year to see what student-life is truly like. Good luck and enjoy your college search!

It is so important to visit the actual campus of colleges students are interested in. Research all the information needed that appeals to a college experience the student would enjoy. Look for qualities such a social aspects, location, weather, and major/minor studies because these are integral factors that will affect a student's college life negatively or positively for the next four years of his/her college career. When you get to college, be POSITIVE and brave about your new life. It will be intimidating, challenging, and sometimes lonely but you will grow and learn about yourself so try new things, make new friends, have fun, and claim your OWN future. Never let anyone tell you no : )

College is all about academics, but in order to do well in academics the environment has to be right! Check the surroundings of the off campus life! Check what ways people get around, what activities are apart of the outside life. Check how high academics are enforced as well and check the statuses of the professors rank by students that have taken there classes.

I would encourage parents to have their student work part time. I have been working Part time in the campus dining hall all year. It allows me to save money to pay for college and it also gives me a real sense of what life is like. I see many students who don't work, they have too much time on their hands and end up partying all the time. By working 15-20 hours a week I can still maintain a 3.3 GPA and earn money to pay for part of my education. I am also still able to have time to do some community work through the Boy Scouts.

Look into places tou may have never heard of. I hadnt heard of UCSB until I started filling out the application for a UC. Now, I am so happy to be here, we are the only campus with our own beach but we dont have a football team to make it known. There are ups and downs to all universities, but you just have to find out what the other students do about the downs. I mean, did you know that more people in Ireland know about UCSB than in California? Its because our soccer team is bomb and the students who study abroad in Ireland are fun-loving and enjoyable people that welcome people from around the world to just come and visit for a week in the summer! Talk to current students about their experience before you set your heart on a university that could effect the rest of your life:)

I would say that visitng the school is very important. Also making sure that you're going to the school for the right reasons and that it has the major you are trying to study in.

Make sure to try to visit each university or college and get to know everything about the places and people there before making a final decision on where to attend. As for studies, make sure there is a wide variety of studies for students to pursue. Knowledge is limited lately because of funding, so it may be a bit difficult to find a place that fulfill's a person's educational needs.