University of Central Arkansas Top Questions

Dear past self, This year you start college, and with it a new chapter in your life. It is an exciting time, and do not take a single moment of it for granted. I implore you to soak up every morsel of knowledge that a professor or fellow student throws your way, but do not be fooled by fancy degrees or a confident air; people are imperfect. Research what you are learning, and confirm its validity. The effect will be two fold; you will have a greater understanding of the subject and thus be better prepared, and you can know for certainty whether or not the information you are recieving is to be trusted. Information recieved will inevitably been doled out again, and it would be disasterous to lead others astray. Also, participate in more than classes. Get out of your own head, and engage with other students and professors. Many great minds, sensibilities, and personalities saturate UCA's campus. It can only be to your advantage to mingle your own with them. But most of all, do not forget to have fun. Academics is most important, but don't let the rest of the college experience pass you by.

College is hard work. In high school, I just kind of floated by. This is the real world and you have to work hard. The past couple of years have been hard for me because I haven't worked as hard as I can/should. I got slapped in the face recently with the fact that if I don't start stepping it up, my future career will not exist. Don't think college is all fun and games. While you can still have fun, you have to set your priorites straight and stick with them.

The best advice I would give myself is to listen to your mentors. The month I graduated from high school, I got a job in a hospital. My emergency department manager encouraged me to get on the waiting list for the nursing program. I was young and nieve and did not want anything to do with nursing, I wanted to become a paramedic. Not listening to her, I continued on and got my paramedic license. I've been a paramedic for 13 years and have not enjoyed one day of it. It was truly not the field for me. I just spent the last five years, going to school part-time trying to get pre-requisites for a nursing program. I completed everything this last spring and went and talked to the academic advisor, only to be disappointed that they changed the program requirements and I was told I would need to complete three more pre-requisites. Frustrated, I gave up. I was tired of the politics and competition trying to get a spot in the nursing program and changed my major. To this day, I wish I would have taken my mangers advice, and tried for nursing in 1994.

Make sure you meet all deadlines and keep up with turning things in to colleges. You want to have to the best opportunity to be accepted and to go to your choice college. Also, don't worry about making new friends. You're going to find two amazing people to hang around with, and they will be your best friends. It doesn't necessarily get easier or less busy, but you do have more freedom.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to prioritize my needs and wants more wisely. When I was in high school, I was sure that college would be nothing but a bigger school with more people. I soon figured out that I was surely wrong. Going to college is usually a "make it" or "break it" for students and if a person is not careful, it is very like to associate with the wrong crowd, forget about studying and eventually flunking out.

I guess the biggest thing any freshman at my school should know before they start is that the campus is not as big as it seems at first. If you are like me, and possibly come from a small school in the middle of nowhere, when you first visit UCA the campus can feel daunting...but trust me navigating the UCA campus will become a cakewalk! Also if you go on a tour, or go during the warmer months, you will not do all that walking in a short amount of time on a regular basis. When I visited UCA it was in September, and it was a hot day, when I came back to register during the summer it was also hot. Don't let the heat of your visit fool you, the possibility of you doing that much walking and/or sweating is slim to none. Also other things Freshman will want to know is their living arrangements, and what building their classes are in. Simple stuff like that is very important to know. Just make sure all your financial aid, housing, etc stuff is all worked out before you get there or within Welcome Week.

I would tell myself that college is very different from high school so I should let go and open up more. I was not the most popular kid in high school and I let that hold me back when I got to college, but I've come to realize none of that matters here. I can loosen up. People are a lot less judgmental and you have the freedom to experiment and be yourself. I would tell myself not to pick a major like math or business just because you feel that is what is expected. I can just do what I love (art/theatre) and my friends and professors will support me. I know that now and I wish I had known it freshman year instead of wasting my first year and a half doing something I hated.

If I were to back in time, and be able to talk to myself; the advice I would suggest: 1st.--Don't be hesitant in wanting things. Be bold and take charge, accept the skills, and talents you have within yourself in the career you know you have the desire for. 2nd--Contine to be fair and just; give a helping hand here and there to those whom in need, because you never know when its your turn to receive the blessings from another "Pay it Forward". 3rd--Keep truth and honest to yourself, stay away from the bad and runaway from the evil, but stay very close to the good...What an advice I would give myself, if I would be able to travel back in time.....

I would tell myself to start college as soon as I had finish high school. That way I would have been graduated. I would have had a lot of experience in the world pertaining to work.

I would give myself the following advice - Show up at 8:00 a.m. at the latest for parking if you have a morning class. Around 12 for an afternoon class. - Keep a copy of your schedule in the car, backpack, and at home along with a campus map. - Unless you've won the lottery, pack a lunch, because school food is expensive. - Coffee is man's best friend, not dogs. - Don't worry if your present friends decide they hate you for going to school. College is a place for new friends. - Stay on birth control pills

What do you really want in life? What can you see yourself doing as a career choice? This is something that I'm still struggling with today. Sit down and think deeply about what you want to do after college. Once you found that resolution, keep it and never let go. Don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't do what you love. Going back in time, I would tell myself these wise words. I would also advise myself to branch out of my comfort zone. Meet more people, go places, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's going to happen regardless of how much you try to be the "perfect student". Making good grades and a good impression on professors is very important, but don't forget to have fun too. Find the balance between the social life and academic success. Learn to communicate with both students and professors, because you can learn a lot from them even outside of the classroom. People struggle with different aspects of college life, but this is advice that I wish I had received in high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be concerned with what other people think of me. Do not be afraid to show your intelligence. Asking questions is always beneficial and will help you to feel more confident when you make the transition from high school to college. Perseverance is important when you are finishing your last few months of high school. When you feel like giving up imagine the liberty you will eventually have at college, getting to study the subjects you love and pursuing your future career. At fist, it may seem relieving not to attend the same class everyday, buy do not slack off on your studies. There are many ways to gain insight and knowledge; you will be surprised to know all of the exciting new things you will come across when you put all your effort into studying.

Work harder

My college experience has taught me that hard work is imperitive for success. Moving out of the house, away from my parents, I had complete freedom to do whatever I chose. Luckily, I knew that if I wanted to get a good education, and hopefully a good job in the future, I needed to focus on my education. I have worked extremely hard to stay on top of my classwork, and it paid off when I got a 4.0 last semester. College really teaches you how the real world works - it is all up to you. If you want to put in the work, you will get the results that you want. However, if you decide to take your education lightly and blow off your classes and work, then you will have to face the consequences in the long run. College has trained me to be the type of person who succeeds. I know that my work ethic and determination that I have gained in my first year of college will allow me to become the person that I want to become when I graduate.

College has taught me a couple of things in life. Coming into college has made me become more mature, focused and learned a lot of techniques that I will need in the future college life. College success helped me out a lot. Without that class I would be unorganized, off task, and bad note taker. The class was a good experience and gave me a lot of information about the college. Today I am more independent and focused on school. I’ve achieved a lot of things in life being in college. I feel real good about myself and fired up to go into my 2nd semester of college to learn new things. I am glad that I attended college and I will stay in school until I graduate. In high school we didn’t learn anything about the college life. Schools should have college prep class to prepare you for college, so students would know what to expect and to let them know that it’s not like high school. College is a very important phase in life and never give up on things that you might not think you can succeed in….just believe.

College taught me to become the person I was called to be. Friends and professors pushed me to develop my skills, and to become a life-long learner in order to improve the conditions of our world. Now as I am in the working world, I see the drought our country has entered, and that my job is to inspire those around me to pursue their own dreams.

Teachers can be stranglers. They can choke the imagination that used to flow through the five year old selves we once were. Teachers never intend to do this; they just find that it is a very difficult process to relay the wisdom of their experience to the unexperienced without the experience itself. But among these there are some with a unique respect. Like their colleagues they respect the theories for their history, but also respect their students for their future. I have found some of these people among the professors at UCA. They are those who have shown me how little I will ever know by admitting how little they know. Those who teach me patience and perseverance by demonstrating the satisfaction brought by creativity and inquisition. Those who don't attempt to create the experience but help me observe the experience unfold as I mature. Life can be done without college, but is hard without teachers. UCA is its teachers. Some know this. They make it a valuable experience.

The most important thing that I have learned so far during college is that procratination will get you. College is nothing like high school. You practically have to study everyday you are there. Another thing i have gotten out of college is that it is good to make new friends. You will have more fun and learn alot of new things. Also, do not wait until the last minute to get help from a professor. Get to know your professors early. By doing so you will only make it easier on yourself.

College has been an experience unlike any other. Although I have only been attending Pensacola Junior College for a little over a year, it has helped me significantly. I have had amazing professors that are willing to work with you, and help you on a one-to-one basis. I can honestly say that I have learned a great deal from them as well.

It has helped me excel towards my future