University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

Going to a junior college first will give you the time to figure out what you want to study without costing you a fortune. After you know what kind of education you would like to pursue, then do some research to find what schools offer this type of degree. Know that what you get out of your education is what you put into it. However, faculty can really help direct your education in certain ways. It is important to look at the faculty to see if they share some of your interests. This can be done by looking at what they have published and where they have been educated and this information should available on a given institution's website.. While faculty can help direct your individual education, the college experience is something that cannot be shaped by faculty. It is important to assess your desire for a certain lifestyle. Imagine where you want to be five years from now, who you want to be, where you want to be and what you want to be doing. Once you have a vision in mind, you should make the effort to find a college campus that will nourish your individual development.

College is not going to be like high school. No one is watching you to make sure you turn in your homework, and the professor could care less if you actually show up. No one?s going to get you out of bed in the morning and no one?s going to double-check if you have enough money to make it through the week. In short, you are going to have to grow up and stop expecting others to look after you. The workload will not be like high school. In high school if you sat through class every day, you were pretty much ready for the test. Not so in college. Here you will have to slog through books at home, take copious notes, and then hope you covered what your professor puts on the test. At the end of the day you are responsible for your grades, and the amount of effort you put in will equal the reward you get. Study early and often, and you won?t have to stress in the days before the test. And I don?t need to mention that cramming doesn?t lead to lasting knowledge.

As a time traveler I would tell my teenage self that the most important thing to do is keep my focus on my goal of becomming the first College Graduate in my family. I would warn myself of distractions in my social life and even economically. When things become harder to afford I should simply work harder to maintain and not quit at the first sign of a struggle. Even if I have to attend school part- time instead of full time I should continue to work towards my educational goals. I would warn myself against spending too much money on gadgets that may be able to help but are truly not needed like a new laptop over an older model that would serve the same purpose. Lastly, I would say to myself earnestly " Jonetta, I know you want this degree badly. I know it means the world to you. But at the end of the day it is not the institution or the degree that makes you great. You do!" I

With what I know now about the difficult transformation from high school senior to first-year college student, I wish I had the chance to go back and tell myself one thing: make an active effort to build strong social connections during college. In my college career, I have found much success in my academic pursuits. But I am just beginning to see that social endeavors hold great importance as well. Through social interactions and discourse, one gains new perspectives, experiences new cultures, and explores new ideas. This is the basis for personal growth and creates a deeper understanding of the world around oneself. By building social connections, a person also creates a network of friendship and love that can last a lifetime. Finally, social acts work to build strong interpersonal skills such as efficient communication and the ability to effectively resolve conflicts. While these abilities are important in one's personal life, they are vital for success in a professional career path as well. With such a broad range of benefits, I have come to understand that social connections are of utmost importance. If given the opportunity, I would go back and explain this to myself.

Antionette college is about learning new things in life from another perspective. In order to prepare for college you need to focus, balance, and be committed. The motto for you in your senior year is: "There is no s_ccess without the 'U'". So you have to strive and thrive for the best. I think you should start reading and more to grow your writing skills and comprehension. Take your another year of Spanish before you get into college because it will advance your level in college. When you get in college you wouldn't have to take another languge so that's is an advantage to your education. You will be able to focus on other things to explore in college. Remember to keep your eyes on the future and not past. Education is the key to your success in the real world. Wisdom is better than any knowledge that been installed in you. So make wise and useful choices as you finish this last year in high school. You don't have to be afraid of college, it's what you was born to do.

The one thing I would tell myself is that college is not just a huge party. It can be if you want it to be, but that will get you nowhere in life. In order to be successful in college, you must remember that it is all up to you. You decide how well you want to do, how much you want to get involved, how much you want to take out of possibly the best 4 years of your life. Do not just sit back and let it happen to you because then you will lose sight of the big picture. Join a club, take interesting classes, do that extra work. The only thing that will happen to you by doing more than just getting by is that you will discover how complex you are as an individual.

Annie Jao, do not doubt your own abilities; you have what it takes to succeed. As much as you complained about how stressful senior year is going, that hard work and effort you are putting in now will only pay off by making the transition to college that much smoother. Your good work ethnics and dedication will get you the grades you are looking for as you are willing to push that extra mile some people may not be willing to take. Believe in yourself, your potential and personality will help you succeed as a business student, both in the classroom and in presentations. However, do not be afraid of putting yourself out there as the great person you really are. You will regret not meeting more people due to just being complacent with all your high school friends at the school with you. Socializing with both people in the same classes as you and people who live on your floor will make you a happier and more balanced person. You will not feel like your first semester is just a repeat of high school but instead a new chapter of your life story.

I can honestly say that I would love to go back in time because I've had the greatest difficulties adjusting to college life. My first semester didn't go accordingly to my expectations. The first advice I would give myself would be to have better study habits. In high school I never studied and still did well which is not the case in college. I never learned how to study and therefore I'm having lots of trouble. The second advice would be to practice note taking, college courses are just lectures and then taking exams from the lectures. If I would have practiced taking notes in high school, I would know how to take better notes in college. The third advice and a very important one would be time management and keeping a schedule. Senior year was full of procrastination, doing things last minute, something that does not work in college. Getting distracted and not staying on task just doesn't work. It just leads to endless nights of working and no sleep. I 've tried keeping a schedule but since I'm not accustomed to this, things always come up and I give up on the schedule.

Stepping into college life is a whole new transition from the high school world. In college your pretty much on your own stepping into the "real world." I look at college life as a "freestyle of life" basically meaning; free to say, do, and overall being highly accountable of everything; from your actions/behavior, attitude, goals, carreer and future. Since college is considered the "real world" things like drinking and partying are two of the main things students do for fun, so it could be very distracting, if you let it! When I first arrived at the Univeristy of Illinois in Urbana Champaign I knew from the start It was time for me to be mentally and physically prepared for every new obstacle coming my way and most importantly; had to make it happen academacally! With this said, if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the best advice I would give myself is; 1. Be ready to make smart, "grown up" descions. 2. Know what your there for, so Study, Study, Study! 3. Have fun ,but not too much! its very important to balance play time from "work time!"

Make sure you try to find out what your interests are for your future even if you're not sure about what you want to be. When choosing the right school, make sure the school you choose will have a variety of programs that you could see yourself to pursue. Talk to counselors, friends, and parents to figure out what you could be interested in so that could help narrow your choices on the right school. Have at least 2 schools that may seem to be your "out of the league" schools and at least 2 safety schools that for sure will accept you. Then apply to 2 or 3 schools which you just see yourself attending. Once you have decided on your interests and school, consider the tuition of that school. Consider how much of that money will be coming out of your own pocket and really try to find out more about the school's financial aid. Don't get lazy about this! Seek out scholarships websites or from a school counselor and apply to as many as you can. Consider the location of the school as well. Think about the distance of commute to and from home.