University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

Within the first month of college I learnt to do laundry, spent hours on a single homework problem, and sat in lecture halls bigger than my high school auditorium. Yet, if I had known this my senior year, nothing would have changed, besides maybe avoiding shrinking a few shirts. Instead, I would tell myself to learn and absorb as much culture and knowledge from my parents as possible. My parents have spent extended periods of time in four different continents which has given them the ability to analysis situations with unique perspectives. This summer, I have been fortunate to spend a month at home and am using the time to learn Gujarati, an Indian dialect, more about my family’s history, and Indian culture. This information has been passed down from generation to generation in my family and will continue to do so as long as I learn it. By being blessed with such knowledgeable parents; it is as I have an encyclopedia full of this knowledge waiting to be learnt. However, unlike my textbooks which I will have access to forever, I only have this encyclopedia for a limited time and must continue to learn from it.

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior, I would encourage myself to be braver. I was so afraid of the Admissions process for college. I would say, they are there to help, not to hinder. I would encourage myself to have more fun, to relax more. When it comes down to it, I am a good student with excellent study habits. Getting stressed and worried over that essay I rewrote three times was a waste of my time and energy. Energy that would have been spent better on scholarship and job applications. I would tell myself to stop being silly, and worry less over things outside of my control. If I have learned nothing else, which I have learned numerous new things, since beginning college, it is to just let things go. Sometimes, I do not have any control. I have learned to deal with it, I would offer my younger self the advice and wisdom in these areas that I gained on my own or was bestowed on my during college. Then, maybe, I would have experienced a smoother transition to college and adult life.

Don't be afraid to get involved. There are a ton of great people on this campus - Go join a club and meet them!

Before you get freaked out that you're seeing your future self, just listen to me. I know you're not so excited about going to U of I. Get University of Chicago out of your head. They refuse awesome people all the time, and you don't have the money anyway. What I want to say, is that you are going to truly love U of I. The people are great: you're going to meet so many amazing people. The classes and professors are awesome. You're going to love the campus, the restaurants, the buildings, the grass, your dorm, your floor, your room, and your roommate. So get over yourself and get ready to love it. But I need to warn you - Be smarter with your money, and don't spend so much time thinking about boys. Make a budget, and keep it! Also, you're at school to study, not to get hitched. Leave the boys alone. You know you come on strongly. You would really have more time for homework if you spent an ounce less of time with your friends, and more in your textbooks. God'll be with you!

The most important bit of advice I would give myself is to not sweat it. I went to a college where none of my best friends went. This really bothered me since I always considered each of my closest friends really important and wanted them to be there physically by me as I made this important transition. Fortunately, the moment I got to college I started making plenty of new friends. Sure, it took me a bit to settle in and find my niche, but by the end of the first semester, I had a good number of close friends. Of course, I also still had my old friends back home, with whom I could communicate easily through the internet and on the phone. I never considered how close it is possible to be to someone, even when you're hundreds of miles away. College has already taught me many very important lessons, the two most important being that friendship knows no boundaries and that there is no need to fear the future, since there is always something bright on the horizon.

Considering I was well prepared for college from an academic standpoint, I would devote the majority of my advice to my younger seld to the importance of building a social network while at school. Lacking a strong network of friends and acquaintances can be damaging to a student's entire college career as the majority of relationships one builds in his/her first year will last all through school. Unfortunately, I made many mistakes in attempting to build a social network for myself at the University of Illinois. Being naturally shy and having just entered a relationship with a girl still in the state of Florida, I dedicated the majority of my beginning months away at school to time spent on the phone or skype. This was a mistake; but four months into the school year I was single, lonely, and lacking friends. This made for a difficult end to the first semester, but, a happier second semster than anticipated. Free from relationship, I dove into student activism, becoming one of the most active student senators in student government, joining several student-groups and coalitions, attending student rallies, pledging to a professional fraternity, and building friends all along the way.

I'm going to be brief, clear, and to the point. If i had to give myself one piece of advice I would tell myself to open up. Dont be so closed minded that if someone is different from you, you write them off completely. College is about making new friends and experiencing new situations. That wont happen if you refuse to move out of your comfort zone. Either way you'll make new friends, I did, but it will always leave you wondering, "What if?" What if I went to that football game? What if I joined a sorority? What if I tried to get to know the people on my floor? What if, What if, What if. You dont want to ask yourself questions like these while looking back at college. It can haunt you. Take advantage of the opportunity to go to such a prestigious university and make the most of it. After all, isn't "remember when" better than "what if"?

I would tell myself to never give up on your dreams. Always put your self first do things that work best for you. Dont let others influence a negative side to you continue to do you and make your parents happy and most importantly yourself. Coming from a single parent household growing up on the low in decide to make a differance in your life. Don't be like your friends and family better yourself because you know you can do it. Don't play around in school get in and show them what you are made of. Dont be a people pleaser please yourself because in college no one will look out for you like you would for yourself. HAve a potitive attitude and make it your best experience cause onces you graduate its a different ball park.

Hey. Some day soon a collection of your friends are going to ask you to come to a movie with them. A movie that starts at 2am. Go. Don't worry that it is late, or that you won't get any sleep. Sleep can be made up. What can't be made up is the time with those dorky, nerdy, ridiculously tall guys who take up most of your time now. Spend some final hours with them before they change, before they like to drink and smoke and talk about how much sex they're getting and failing classes and binge drinking and skipping class and dropping out of college. Before you have to watch them tear their own lives apart, reminding yourself that there's nothing you can do, that everyone (or almost everyone) is an idiot in college. Hug your mom. She'll help you through a lot this next year: crazy friends, difficult classes, bad roommates. Give her that last hug before all you hear is her distant voice through a three-year old cell phone. Oh, and try to enjoy these last few months of high school. You don't want to miss them.

I would tell myself that everything will be okay. You will not flunk anything, you will get through all your classes, and the stress will not take control of you. I would say you are a great student, you have worked hard, and all that hard work will transfer over even if you think it will not. Do not be pressured by the bad habits of others and keep to yourself. Ask teachers and professors for help because in the end, it makes such a big difference. Go ahead and make friends and try new things, as long as you keep your head about you. Make sure to leave in plenty of time for class so that you do not get lost and have place to park. Make sure not to overload yourself and plan accordingly. I know you can be a procrastinator, so make sure you think about that when it comes to taking on big assignments and tasks. Pack good lunches - food is expensive on campus and is not always that great. Whatever happens, just know your dedication to your education will pay off, and everything will most definitely be okay!

Don't be so hard on yourself. Take fewer classes each semester so you can focus on them better and enjoy some extracurriculars as well. Be more assertive in getting help/treatment for the migraines. Be more assertive in asking for help from professors- do not feel like you are bothering them, instead feel like they owe you their time.

I would tell myself to not be so concerned with meeting friends and to avoid only hanging out with people from my high school in my first year. I would tell myself how I will make so many new friends and that I should be more open to new people. I would also tell myself to not be as sad as I was to leave my friends, family, and boyfriend of the time when I left for my first year. I would tell myself that everything worked out just fine. The best thing I would tell myself is that I would figure out who I was while studying abroad all around the world in Australia and Europe. Knowing that I would become such a happy and satisifed person who is continuelly so thirsty for knowledge would have been great to know coming into college.

If I were to give myself advice about making the college transition when I was a senior in high school, I would offer the simplest advice: always follow your heart. The best career for you is what you are most passionate about and love. Do not let the pressure or negative opinions from people and peers intimidate any of your college decisions. You worked so hard in high school, now it's time to follow your dreams.

Some advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to make every experience worthwhile. There have been times in my personal life in college where I have passed up great opportunities, academically and socially, that I wish I could have back. I would tell myself to not be afraid of failure and to put my best in everything I attempted. I believe that this would be good advice because I feel as though there were some things I did where the outcome was good, but it could have been better if I had put more effort into it. Transitioning from high school to college is a step that is more mental than physical and it also takes a mature person not to get caught up in leaving home and having authority figure dictating your every move. It is a process that is rewarding if done the right way. The best advice I think I could give myself is to be myself but be open to others.

The most important thing I got out of my experience is a balenec between my social and work life. The options of fun activities both on and off campus pushed me to not just excel in the classroom but in my social life too. From the different clubs offered within your major to the hobbies I was able to enjoy on the way. I was motivated to get my work done well, so i could enjoy the fun activities that make up the rest of the campus. If i had not attended the University of Illinois I do not think i would have endded up the same person I am today. I would not give up the knowledge I gained, or friends i made along the way for anything.

I really enjoy attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign because of all the people I have met here and things I have gotten to try. The very first day, during one of the events my University had for Freshmen, I met my good friend and current roommate and we just immediately got along. During Quad Day, where all the clubs are handing out flyers and recruiting new members, on a whim I decided to try out rowing. It was one of the best decisions I've made because being on the Illini Rowing team has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It was something unique, it kept me in shape, and it has lead me to a solid group of teammates and friends. The academics here are challenging, but for me, it is great to be surrounded by people who meet these challenges, hold themselves to high standards, and are willing to work hard. There are times where I am stressed out and tired, but at the end of the day, I am happy because I know I live a good life and I have a good future ahead of me.

I've been attending Brookdale Community College for the past semester, and up coming semester session. Although I've only been in college one semster, I've had some astounding accomplishments,within myself. Throughtout my semester I've both, learned and gained benefits within my life, based upon my college experience. I've experienced liberation, excitement, and knowledge during my college experience. When you're in highschool there's always someone looking out for you, those who want to ensure you do your work. College has given me a sense of iberation, where I work on my time, anytime. It feels amazing to be independent and work on my own, I feel accomplished. I get excited to know what my day will bring, as well as the knowledge I will gain that day. It's extremely valuable to attend because I am apart of a program that I can put to use in real world situations. Having enthusiasm and intelligence has helped me create a thusfar, fulfilling college experience. It's benefical to attend to become who I want to become later on in life. Attending and experiencing college will help in the sucess of meeting my goals.

My decision to attend the University of Illinois has been by far the best decision I have made. I love having the opportunity to choose my schedule from a curriculum of hundreds of classes, because it allows me to balance out my harder core classes with fun electives, such as a ballet class I recently finished. I have also decided to get involved within the campus by joining a sorority, something I never thought I would do, but am extremely glad I did, because I now have added 200 sisters to my family who are always going to be there for me. Being here, and on my own, has allowed me to learn more about myself, and what it takes to be responsible in all areas of my life. I feel that here I have been given everything that I need to succeed, and knowing that encourages me to do the best that I can, so I can have the future I hope for.

What I have gotten out of my college experience is learning more about myself. I orginally planned on getting my general education courses out of the way to make room for other courses. However, even though many of these classes seemed random at first, I discovered interests that I never knew I even had. For example, I took theater my first semester and absolutely fell in love with the subject. I enjoyed learning about the histroy, watching a performance, and even being a part of a play. I also learned a lot about myself socially. I have met a wide variety of people with different backgrounds, personalities, and interests. However, many of the people I've met are completely different from me. Through meeting new people, I have forced myself to become more extroverted and have greatly stepped out of my quiet shell. It has been valuable to attend college because I have grown as a person academically, emotionally, and socially. I have developed as an individual and matured by attending college. Finally, I am gaining real-world experience, forming long-lasting relationships, and becoming more independent.

I recived a lot from college. But what keeps me coming back is my professors ans classmates. Everyone on campus is nice and all are motivated to do well. Being around positive people leads to positive things. I know that when you have something due its no procastinating its get it done or be done.