University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

If I were given the chance to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would most definatly tell myself to put more of my energy and thougts toward figuring out what exactly I wanted to pursue. I have always been a dreamer and an artist in a sense and never could fathom the idea of what my future would look like and take the time to prepare for the work field. I was luck enough to live out those dreams, and am now able to focus on my educational asparations as well. I would also encourage myself to really push my abilities to the limit. I did not give myself enough credit for my abilities then, and I would like to advise all young people trying to discover themselves to reach for the stars, because the sky is the limit.

If I were to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely have much to say to myself. To begin with, I think the three major things I would emphasize would be: to be motivated in my upper level courses, practice good study habits, and to be able to time manage to the best of my ability. As a senior, I was involved in basically everything that I could get my hands on. Being employed almost full time, being a varsity athlete, and being a leader in symphonic band were just a few things that kept me busy during those days. It was a sort of "Jack of all trades, Master of none" scenario. Reflecting back on those times, I was motivated to get well rounded, but I was lacking my academic work ethic. I now know that is something that gets looked over when students transition into their collegiate careers. In high school I was the big fish in a small pond. Now, I find myself swimming in an enormous ocean as a little fish. If I had the opportunity to talk to myself, I would motivate myself to become the big fish in the ocean.

I would tell myself to try as hard as I can from the very beginning. To understand that college is much more difficult and time intensive than high school. Don't always get caught up in the moment and become involved in groups early. Make friends as often as possible and hold on to them, aka make connections for later on as well as memories for the time being. Love college because it is so much fun. Work hard, play hard!

As a high school senior, I wish I had realized how drastic the change is from high school to college. It is like living in two seperate worlds. I would have loved to know how important it is to be outgoing, especially in the first couple of months. This is the only way to make friends, because not too many people will reach out to you if you do not do the same. I also wished that I would have known that it was going to be extremely hard, but I needed to give it a shot. The first semester that I was at the University of Illinois, I hated this school. However, once I gave the school a chance, I loved it and realized that it was okay to move on from my high school world. I think that all students in high school need to visit a friend or two in college during their senior year, in order to begin to recognize how different the college world is. Accepting that things will be drastically different is the key to living happily in college, and I wish that I would have known this when I was in high school.

Take your time. College is not just a 4-year-experience. Instead it is an eye opener to the world we actually live in, because it exposes you to so many different people and revenues. College gives you that once in a lifetime opportunity to redefine the way you want to see yourself in the future. You have the advantage to take up so many activities including: sports, religions, clubs/organizations, courses, etc. to choose from, because they are all conveniently at your reach. It?s okay to be open-minded, but you should never feel pressured to do anything that would question the representation of your original character. Remember you are an individual, and college is just an outlet, where you can explore or expand your uniqueness.

I would definitely tell myself to consider drastically changing my study habits. College is very different compared to high school and therefore new study habits must be formed in order to succeed here. I would also tell myself to try not to be so shy because college is a place where one is free to be themselves and free to figure out who they really are. Being shy only inhibits that necessary growth. Most importantly I would tell myself that anything is possible and not to give up on my goals just because things become difficult. Life is full of challenges and only the strong overcome them.

The most important thing is to challenge yourself socially. This will affect your future more than anything that you study academically. The friends and experiences you have during this time will affect how you experience life after you leave, and having close relationships will help you weather storms that you will encounter. They will also help in networking, opening doors of possibility that were previously closed or unknown. Also, do not slack off in your final semester/year, as you will need to push yourself in order to be ready for the rigors of college coursework. Do not listen to those who advise you to shut it down and coast it in during that time. Especially work on your writing skills, especially concerning lab reports. Hone your observational skills, so that you will notice every detail, and teach yourself to describe those succinctly, but noticing enough to meet the length requirements of the class. This will help you better communicate and allow you to do better academically, causing less strain on your mental and emotional health.

Chill out and never stay in at night! The more people you meet, the better college gets.

I would tell myself to stay motivated and don't let thigs distract you so much. There's always parties and times to have fun but what's really important is that you stay focused and make sure you get your work done.

Here is my list of top ten pieces of advice:10. Pack LESS clothes MORE rain/snow gear!9. Go to professor?s office hours - they write the tests!8. Get involved and stay involved in as many activities as you can.7. Get season tickets to the football and basketball games!6. Live in the dorms!!!5. Don?t worry about not knowing your roommate ? it will work out!4. Take advantage of the flexible schedule you have. This is the only time in your life when the weekend can start Thursday at 3:00pm.3. Stay on campus for the summers.2. Yes, it is going to be as hard as you think to get A?s!!! Stay focused on your goals and drink lots of coffee when you need to! =)1. Have fun, the next four years will be the time of your life!!