Sonya
Make a practical choice and realize the career potential in the major you choose. Also, if you plan on graduate school, get the appropriate research and work experience ASAP.
Nicanor
If you thought high school was a breeze and you're gonna do the same throughout college, think again. Not only is college very different, but 1 semester in college = 1 year of high school. This means it's twice as much work in HALF the time. If you were the student that studied the night before exams just to get by, change right now. Exams and quizzes require days of studying and you will find yourself practically living at the library, so pack a lot of energy drinks and coffee. You need to be prepared for the enormous workload, so maybe take summer classes the summer before your first semester if you already have an idea of what you want to take. Exams aren't measurements of "if you can plug in the equation or know the definition, then you'll be fine." You need to have more than this "superficial" grasp on material and REALLY know it. College exams make up most of your grades in classes, usually 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} in math classes, and are very conceptual-weighted. for every hour of class per week, study twice that amount if you want to "get by."
Caitlin
Looking back, I was only concerned about the academic aspects of attending a university. I've discovered that there is so much more to the university experience. While your classroom learning is very important, your personal growth is more important. Knowing this, I would have taken more opportunities to participate in new things coming into the university. I've found that there are too many things on this campus that I now wish I would have tried. Take a risk and do something new.
Kristin
I would give myself the advice to really learn how to study in high school, it really pays off in college. In addition i would tell myself that college cant be completed in a day, take everything one day at a time and do not rush. It is important to not feel overwhelmed and ask for help, if you give up to easily you will not be able to be successful. I would also tell myself to hold onto my passions because thats what drives me through school.
Taylor
My feedback on the great advice covered in the 'Inside the Admissions Office' Webcast
Matt
stay motivated, and keep up with all of your course work! its easy to fall behind
Adam
I would tell myself never to slack off. I worked hard in high school, and started my college career by taking it easy. Additionally, I would have taken a variety of classes to make sure I knew what I wanted to do. That is key. It is no fun going through college in a major you are unsure about, especially when the work load is so high.
Katelyn
Join clubs as a freshman and small schools probably aren't so bad.
Maggie
If i were able to do so I would honestly go back in time and pat myself on the back. I was very determined to succed in High School and I am proud of all that I accomplished in my four years there. I would most definately reassure myself that college is where you go to discover exactly what you want to do and who you are going to be for the rest of your life. I was worried that I did not know exactly what major to choose, or if I was choosing the right University. I think there is something to be said for intuition, because when I came to visit the University of Illinois and walked around on the campus, it just felt right, I could visualize myself as a student. 3 years later, I still get that same nervous excited feeling walking around campus. I wish that i could have had a bit more confidence in myself coming into the University, I let my nerves get the best of me at times, but I could not be happier with my situation today.
Abby
Be prepared to move from an extremely small town to a huge campus town. It was a huge adjustement for me to come to this campus. I would tell myself to learn how to study for exams more than the night before because even though that worked in high school it does not work at this Unversity.