University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

My college experience has shown me what the real world is all about. I came from a high school that, quite frankly, babied me every step of the way, so arriving at college and learning the unforgiving ways of the real world, as well as several handy tricks on how to survive and thrive in it, has proven to be invaluable towards my growth as an adult in society.

As a college freshman, I now understand what college life is really all about. As my 1st semester comes to a close, I came to realize how much I acquired from attending. Meeting individuals who eventually became my friends was the 1st part of my college experience. Also, getting the help I needed such as going to office hours and receiving resume-building advice were other ways I got from my experience. Furthermore, having the determination and will power to receive excellent grades was what kept me focus when distractions such as parties came my way. One last lesson I learned from my experience was how much fun I had by joining various clubs on campus that captured my interests. These clubs brought many wonderful opportunities that I have ever imagined. Having a college education is greatly valuable for me. Going in with an undeclared major, I hope that this higher education will provide me with help to figure out what I want to pursue after graduation. Also, a college education will lay the tools that I need to succeed and be better prepared for what the ‘real world’ holds.

The University of Illinois has offered me more opportunities inside and outside of the classroom in order to succeed than I could imagine. At first, I was nervous to attend such a large university (over 40,000 students). However, this past year and a half has been the best time of my life. I've never worked harder in my life (I'm double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Spanish), but the friends I've made here (all with varying majors) make every stressful moment worth it. Also, although U of I wasn't my first school choice , it was the best choice I made because it provides the best education at the best price. As a pre-med student, I acknowledge that I'm doomed to be knee-deep in debt. The in-state tuition helps immensely. Plus, the University has a phenomenal faculty. Once a child in and out of hospitals, I decided early on my goal to be in the medical field. This school has world-class, published science faculty with infinite undergraduate research opportunities. These professors know me by name and give me the reassurance that I can't get a better education elsewhere.

My first semester college experience has exceeded the expectations I held for my freshman year. I am currently attending the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and it has quickly become my new home. I believe that a phenomenal college experience begins with the people you meet and the relationships and friendships that you build. Attending a school with over 30,000 students roaming the campus adds variety and personality to the campus environment. With this number of students I was able to find a group of friends that share the same values and beliefs that I do. This large school also allows for its students to become fully active and involved with hundreds of student organizations, intramural sports, and programs to choose from. In addition to volunteering, I became a member of a sorority which has allowed for me to meet my best friends and make the huge campus feel like home.

Attending Delaware Technical and Community College for advertising design has been one of the most rewarding choices I have made. Like most schools, It has provided me with the technical abilities, professional contacts, and education that I would expect. However, the atmosphere of learning has proven to be far better than I ever could have expected. I became part of a collective of students who fell in love with our career paths and would spend countless nights awake , long after our projects were A-quality, just so we could make them perfect. Any doubts I harbored about my potential career path during high school were destroyed during my education at Delaware Tech. By being in the midst of teachers and students who were all passionately devoted to the same career I have been mentally prepared to dive head first into the future.

I've gotten everything I could ever need from the University of Illinois. An Asian American student from a low income family, hoping to pursue her passions in East Asian literature and cultures and international law, I expected nothing less. I learned valuable skills about time management and discipline which helped me ace my first semester. With hard work, I've been utilizing the school's resources such as internship and study abroad opportunities in Japan and got to talk to different law professionals about their fields. My professors who are experts of their field are kind and are always willing to impart me with wisdom as well as support me in my research. I've joined different clubs such as Taw Kwon Do and the Asian American Student Housing Organization executive board in order to try something new and help spread awareness about the Asian American community. I love how the school is always bustling with ambitious students, many active in clubs and sports. With a student body of 40,000 students, I've never felt out of place. My dormmates in my living learning community have become my family together we have fun! "I" am proud to belong!

I have a worthwhile career.

I have grown to new heights and gained a wealth of knowledge.

I have gained a better sense of how the world works and it has helped me see who I am and who I want to be as well as how I am going to get there. It has been valuable to attend because of the knowledge I have gained and how it has helped me shape my life.

It opens up your mind to the many different thinking that other people may have and help discover your true identity. There is not a better place where so many young minds are brought together from all over the world and made to work together and share their ideas. In the beginning, the path ahead of me was all indecision. However, in college I got to get in touch with all the different options and found that material science and engineering is where I belong. In this major, I am brought to much of the studious group. I discovered that they not only had the ability to memorize their textbooks, but most also have artistic, musical or athletic talents. This encourages me to also invest time on these abilities and become more well-rounded as a person. I got to get involved in a martial arts sports club, and volunteered at a performance arts center. These are some things I had never considered to attempt in the years of high school. Now I am so glad to be involved in these activities and they have become an inseparable part of me.

Blinn is a great college for undergraduates. It has the highest transfer rate in the state of Texas. and is also one of the most affordable in the state. This is a good option for students coming into college unsure of what they want to study. It's a smaller campus, which makes for a better transition from high school to college. Though Blinn is a 2 year college it does offer many different associates degrees, such as nursing, dental assistant, physical therapist assistant, etc. I have personaly made many friends on campus with not only the students but the faculty as well. The faculty at Blinn are very professional and understanding. I have yet to come across a teacher that did not fulfill my educational needs.

To this point with only one semester of college attended I have had many valuable experiences. In college I have learned much more about managing my time and the importance of attending classes and giving proper attention to lectures. Being away at a large univesity I have become more independant and self reliant. Living in close quarters with roomates and other guys on my floor has created strong friendships that will be valued for a lifetime. Also, in joining a fraternity I have created even more strong friendships that will be useful and valued for the rest of my life. The experience of going away to a big public university in extremely valuable and I am happy that I have been given the opportunity to experience it.

The biggest thing I have gotten out of college has been self-actualization. Living by myself and not having my mother or father to support me was a very simple transition. When I first arrived i thought that I would become homesick, however I had made so many friends with the same goals as I and have had no one to depend on, but myself. My parents were never on my back about schoolwork and it has paid off in the end. I don't need to be told to do my homework. I know it needs to be done, or else I will cheat myself out of my education, which I cannot afford. I want to become successful and I always put my best foot forward. As I succeed, I feel better about myself because I did it by myself. I know who I am after 18 years of searching. I am a man who wants to do good for himself so that I may convert this energy into benefiting the world someday.

I have met many people from other countries and cultures. I have gained significant knowledge in languages and different persptectives both here and abroad. I know that graduating from University of Illinois will lead me to fabulous career oppertunities.

My college is a continual experience of growth and improvement. From college I have a better understanding of how the world works, and what it means to be an adult. There is a lot of reflection time and personal choices. The choices made can affect you long term and you learn that independence and self acceptance and betterment are essential to making good decsions and a good life for yourself. College has been valuable to me, not only because I'm recieving a great education, but because the oppotunities it has given me. These opportunities range from meeting someone of a different socio-economic or cultural background, and learning about the world around you outside of your perception of it. College has made me more well rounded, more open, a better thinker, and much more brave in the social, professional, and academic world. I think I would be a completely different person if I did not have this eye opening experience, which has already taught me so much. It truly is a self improvement time period, and probably one of best things I will do in my life, because its providing me with assets I could've never attained otherwise.

My college experience has enabled me the opportunity to explore a new field of study, beginning with the most basic elements and moving up toward more advanced concepts. In addition to allowing me to learn the nuts and bolts of an entirely new area, one which I knew nothing about a mere year and a half ago, attending college has shown me that I can continually broaden my horizons. I am reminded on a daily basis that I can not only learn new things but also excel in new areas. I have also learned that my ability to succeed in my classes and to reach my ultimate academic goals is dependent entirely upon me and my own willingness to work hard and to prioritize. Although my ultimate success depends on me and my work ethic, there is always help and support available. However, it is again up to me to seek out that help and support, to connect with my professors and to seek their guidance. College experience is a precursor to life experience, showing me that, ultimately, my success in life is dependent on my willingness to set goals, to work hard and to seek help when necessary.

I have been in the university for only one semester. However, what I have gotten out of this semester is immeasurable. Being away from home has taught me to be independent and responsible. Looking back, Independence was my weakest skill. Everything that I did was under my parents' helps. I had to ask them for every decision that I made. Now, in college I do my own laundry and I make my own decision. No one is consistently reminding me what to do; I understand that I am the one who is responsible for my life- not others. Secondly, I have met my good friends. We had shared our lives in the first semester and I believe that we will continue sharing our lives after college, no matter where we live. Besides, I have learned the valuable skills that it takes to succeed in any career. My writing skills and public speaking skills became more developed after my first college writing course. In other words, without the experience in college, I would not learn new things and make new friends. If I have not attended college, I believe that my future life will not be a complete and successful one.

So far, I have received valuable experience from college. I am a part of the Air Force ROTC program and this has helped me become better able to communicate and have more of a professional attitude. I have found friends from many states and countries as well as majors and economic situations. I have found more about what I am interested in and have learned that this is part of growing up; that I now have responsibility. I have learned how to handle myself in a way that makes me proud, that I have a thirst for knowledge; and how to challenge myself more. I have found what I want to do with my life, and what I believe in; service to my country and a belief in the goodness of people. I see a place where I fit in, and where it is as big yet as small as I make it. I have ultimately found friends, a job, an education, and an eye opening experience where I have grown as a person and as a professional already, and I still have three years left.

For my time spent in college so far, I value the sense of growth I have developed. For the first time in my life, I am living on my own and making decisions without the watchful eye of my parents and judging situations based on my knowledge. I cannot say everything has gone as smoothly as I would have liked, but I prefer learning this way. I know I am still young, but the opportunity to prove myself capable of handling situations like where to live, how to pursue my major, future career options, what to do with my free time, etc. really allows me to evaluate my poise see where I measure up in comparison to my older siblings and my parents.

As a returning adult, I hesitated to take the time from my career to come back to school full-time, but it has been a rewarding experience that has allowed me to stretch my comfort zone and do things like acting, writing award-winning research papers, interviewing and researching interesting people, and leading student groups. As the leader of as veterans student group, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with campus leaders in developing programs for veteran students who have served in combat and in humanitarian efforts around the world. I have definitely expanded my horizons by studying foreign cultures and literatures, as well as through taking classes in the science and math departments that I thought I would dread but found to be really interesting and informative. I have also found some inspiring teachers and mentors who have helped me to think about my future career options and direction. Aside from academics, however, I have had the opportunity to meet some great people who are all intelligent, accomplished, and driven individuals -- these are friendships I will maintain for a lifetime. Having a strong network of fellow alumni will also be helpful in my future career ambitions.