University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

My college experience had created an independent spirit that I would not have achieved if I had not gone. I was on my own for the first time and it forced me to live outside of my comfort zone and make my own decisions. It opened my eyes to people from very different backgrounds while introducing me to a higher level of academia. The learning process that I achieved coupled with the social maturity made my time within college an invaluable learning experience. Campus life was an opening of the world as an adult but in a safe and comfortable setting. It was when I fully experienced that my fate lied in my own hands and I was responsible for the direction of my life.

Growing up I hated school. I remember being in elementary school and saying I wanted to drop out. In high school I wanted to get it over with and graduate. In community college it was whatever for me. I would take 2 classes and not care about the work I did or if I passed. I hated school with a passion and I never saw myself even going to a 4 year university. All that changed when I took my first psychology class. After that my brain was open to absorbing all the knowledge I could. If I was able to get college funded, then I was going to learn all I could. I no longer slacked off. I strived for my A in every class. My heart would break when I got a B, but it just made me strive much harder for my A. When I saw my Grade Point Average go up, it made me happy and I got excited. The increase in my GPA made the hard work enjoyable. Now I am in love with school and I will do everything I can to achieve my goals in life.

My college experience, although it has been difficult, has been rewarding. I am not only learning valuable information to further my education but I am slowly learning how to become more independent. As I am only currently in my first semester of school, I am now stressing more than ever about how to scrape up the money for next semester. I have learned that college takes a lot more that just attending class in this economy, it takes responsibility, hard work and discipline. I feel like I, myself value my education more because I have had to pay for it from my own pocket. I desperately wish that I could go back to high school, listen to my advisors and prepare more for my college education properly. There is nothing like that experience of stress and hard work that comes from college that makes someone more independent and successful.

My main aspiration in life is simple, really. I want to make the world a better place for as many young people as I can. I dream of working in a school, either as a school counselor or a school social worker. Though my broader interests are in the realm of self-esteem and personal goal-setting, I have a special interest in the issues and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teenagers. In light of the recent media coverage of suicides caused by LGBT bullying, it has become clear to me that a middle school or high school setting is where I will be able to do the most good and make the biggest impact. I plan to complete my undergraduate coursework in Psychology and LGBT Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then continue my education by applying to Masters Programs in school social work. It is my hope that this degree will help me to find a career in a middle school or high school where I can be a source of support and guidance for all young people, specifically LGBT youth.

My college experience has just started and I could not be happier with where I think it's headed. I love the students and faculty I have made friends with. The people I have gotten to know within the theatre program have already helped me stay on track and have encourgaed me to keep working on broadening my knowledge of the theatre and my acting skills. The people I have met in non-related theatre classes have also been a huge influence on me. I have learned many things from them that I wouldn't have even thought of if I hadn't interacted with them in class. In my cultural diversity class, I have grown to understand more about the social issues that are happening in our country and in the world. I think this is so important , especially because I hope to use my acting skills and all of the other knowledge I have learned to make this world a better place and change things for the better.

I am very glad that I waited to attend college until after I had worked for 12 years. I feel that I will be better able to apply what I am learning when I have graduated and excel in my chosen field of Graphic Design. SInce I have started to attend school again, I have found a new passion for my art. I am excited to be learning new job skills and have already pursued learning about my chosen job field by doing freelance Graphic Design for different firms. I feel that applying the fundementals I am learning in college with real life experience will give me a greater edge in the future and a fuller understanding of my chosen profession.

I feel very fortunate to be attending University of Illinois. I feel the education I am receiving will prepre me for my future in the business world. The professors and TAs have been extreemely helpful as well as all the special programs they bring in for business students. I have also gotten involved in the Greek system on campus. I have pledged a fraternity and have been asked to be the Philanthropy Chairman. I am looking forward to dong a lot within the fraternity. Another activity that is very much a part of me is baseball. At U of Ilinois, I have been able to get involved in club baseball. Through my classes, Greek life and baseball, I have met some great people that I know will be life long friends. I feel very excited to be attending such a great, strong university.

Throughout my whole high school experience, I have always challenged myself beyond belief, academically, culturally, financially. I was sent off on my own two feet from a very young age, so I had to learn how to survive and realize what I would have to do to be successful. I was absolutely convinced my senior year that I need to leave the city and go away to school to get a full college experience. Once I arrived on University of Illinois' campus, I knew after a few hours this was just not a place for me to grow and expand my experiences. Attending this school has truly showed me that I need to go back to my wonderful hometown Chicago. There, I know I can grow in all aspects of my life. Living in a college town is a very secluded area for my body and my soul. I need to be able to explore and educate myself. Yes, many people believe that everything I am saying can be achieve in a college town, and for some it may be, but for me, attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been an eye-opening experience to my soul.

I have made tons of friends. I tried out for several singing groups after finding out about them at Quad Day. I've found tht I've been abel to help other students academically.

How you deal with college life, to me, really shows who you really are. Though there are many distractions, such as parties, you should be able to balance them out with your school work and with your work schedule. Whether you make the most of your college experience, or ruin it completely, is something that everyone will find out when they go to college. That is what makes attending college a very valuable experience.