University of Iowa Top Questions

You will be okay. Everyone who has loved and supported you will not leave because your in college or going away. You're going to experience some tough things at school. Living with roomates will be hard. Especially when they are suffering and fighting and you just want to make it all better. You can't fix everyones problems though, everyone's burden is different and yours is not to make broken people whole again. You try so hard to be there for everyone but you can't fix peoples' depression, or domestic violence issues. You can't go back in time & tell them not to go to that party where they got drugged. The best you can do is tell someone that your friend is hurting, explain what their going through and try to help them heal. Even though you want to save everyone who's suffering, you just can't it's not in your power. Just help them the best you can, remember their stories and look out for them. Sometimes people can't ask for help. You always were good at noticeing when people need help the most even if they couldn't tell someone themselves.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice I would say follow your heart and passion. Get involved as much as possible. One of the greatest satisfactions I have gotten at my time at Iowa was creating a food drive for my local community and donating over 1,000 pounds of canned goods for families over the holidays. I've stayed true to myself and what I believe in and i'm 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} satisfied with my time at the University of Iowa.

As all the movies say, college will be the best experiences of your life. That is, if you let be. College is the very definition of you get out, what you put in. Life experiences are not just going to fall in your lap, so get out there and make it happen. Easier said than done right? Wrong. College is this magical place where you can put yourself out there judgment free, because every single other student is in the same position as you. Everyone is trying to make friends, get good grades, and get involved. The most important thing to remember is to try, putting effort into everything you do will help you get the most out of this experience. This is a chance to reinvent or improve upon the person you were in high school. It’s a beautiful place where you should take things seriously, and lightly at the same time. It’s a place to find your true self, but it can only be this magical, beautiful, eventful time in your live if you let it happen. Remain open to new experiences and you’ll navigate this crazy, simple, and memorable college world without a problem.

Enjoy every moment. There are so many things that I wish I would have done in high school that I didn't and I regret it so much! I wish I would have worked harder and got more involved.

If I had the opportunity to go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would say enjoy the two-ply toilet paper and drinkable tap water while you have it. Thats probably the worst part of going to college. The loss in comfort of going to the bathroom and not being able to drink from the sink because the water tastes gross. This is the common theme I would stick with, enjoy the time you're in now. It goes by faster than you want it to so make sure you enjoy it. You're laundry isn't always going to smell like your mom did it. Dad's french dip sandwiches won't be waiting for you at your dorm, and I'm sorry, but you're going to have a roommate that likes watching E! News. Yes college is great, but don't forget to stop and look around once in awhile. Take your last months of high school in because theres no going back. Once you've done that, make sure you do the same for college, because it goes by just as fast.

As a high school senior, I was extremely anxious about my impending transition to college life. I was terrified of leaving behind everything familiar to me and moving to a completely new place with all new people. On top of that, I was not even sure I could handle the college course load. Looking back now, none of my fears were justified. I wish I could tell myself not to worry because college is a completely different world than high school was. In high school, students are far more concerned with the actions of the peers that they see every day and compete with for grades and friendships. In college, your setting constantly changes; you are constantly bombarded with new people, places, ideas, and worldviews. As a senior, I felt extreme trepidation because I did not realize that such enormous change could ever be so positive. I would tell myself not to stay in my high school mindset, afraid to experience the fast-paced, ever-changing environment that is college. In summary, I wish my high school self knew that if I just changed my attitude and set my mind to it, I could easily adjust to college life.

Not trying to be vain or state how brilliant I was, but as a high school senior I was a very bright student. I achomplished many things varying from excelling in my studies, to working two afterschool jobs, and still find time in my very busy life to continue volunteering around my community. By doing all this I made alot of people very proud of me like my family, teachers, peers, and myself. I am very glad that I was able to do all this, but there is one thing that I have learned after living on a college campus for jsut one semester. I have relaized that I never really took anytime out of mylife for me. So I would give myself this simple advice to live life while you can because life is to short and tomorrow is not always promised. So don't waste any time living a way thats making you unhappy or a way that will make you regret tomorrow, because each day that you get is a precious gift that should be cherished and spent wisley.

As a high school student you think grades and your social life are the most important time consumers. Don't get me wrong, they are important, but spending time with your family is going to be the most rewarding for the little time you have left at home. I know that playing with your siblings isn't the most entertaining night when you could be with your friends but unless you are staying in the same town as your friends in high school, you most likely are not going to be the same when you get back together the next summer. Your family however is not going to change, plus you will have to like them the rest of your life so making memories with them now will be something to look back on later. My family adopted two children two months after I moved 13 hours away. I wasn't able to grow up with them and make memories like I was able to with my other brother. Now I am trying to cram as much family time in over winter break as possible in order to have some connection with them. Just remember family is forever.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself not to worry that I was not one hundred percent positive about what I wanted to do with my life. That I would be surrounded by people and resources who would be able to guide me to finding the career path that would fit me perfectly. After two years of being miserable over a major I hated, I finally got the courage to use those resources. I would tell myself not to have so much pride that you won't admit defeat, and don't be afraid to ask for help. I would tell myself to relax, that I was about to dive head first into a community that taught me so many things, not only in the classroom but about myself. I would tell myself that I would emerge from my four years at Iowa no longer afraid, nervous about the future. I would leave Iowa with self confidence, and be heading into a graduate program that could not be a better fit. I would say that none of it would be possible without help from the people at the University of Iowa.

College is better and worse that you expected. You are independent and able to make your own choices, but you are independent and able to make your own choices. The freedom to become who you really are without the leash of a parent or the strict school dress code is exciting and allows you to become independently you. However, freedom comes with a few strings attached. You parents may not be a big part of your life anymore. However, the love your parents give you is can not be replaced with lots of friend. The comforts of home are now a thing of the past, Also, talk to your brothers more. They may seem annoying and smelly at the moment, but you will miss the daily interactions you had with them. College can be emotionally and academically straining. You will hate it, but you will become stronger in the after math. You won’t know who your true friends are until second semester. If they can put up with you for that long then that is love. Last but not least, you will need a thicker coat and studier walking shoes. You are now free to be you.

I would tell myself to apply for scholarships like no other. The transition is very hard on you at first, but in due time, you will have the best time of your life. Dont't worry about what people say in high school, just focus on yourself. Focus on your grades, focus on scholarships, focus on work, but most importantly, focus on your friends and family. You will soon come to realize how quickly you are growing up as soon as you wave bye to your family, and some goodbyes to your friends. Make the most out of high school.

I would tell myself to start the process of self love, because getting a bad grade isn't the end of the world. A bad grade does not determine your self worth and putting your mental health at the bottom of the priority list for academic marks is only ever detrimental. Your mental health should be at the top of that list. I would also tell myself that fitting in with the "cool kids" won't get you anywhere in the real world. We all become different people and we all change after highschool. Do not try to conform yourself into a person you don't recognize, stay true to your feelings and personality. Shine, shine, shine, as best as you can.

We all worry about who we are going to be in high school, and many times we do not really see who how that effects us once our adult life officially begins. While going into college, I believed that each person I encountered would still treat me terribly, much like what happened in high school. Unfortunately, with thinking such as this I was unable to truly break free from who I was as a high shooler and did not get comfortable in my new environment until the second semester of my freshman year. I started to talk to people more and believe in myself as more than just the person that everyone bullied previously. Throughout my transition into college life, I truly realized that this time was an opportunity to become who I really was and who I wanted to be, not what others wanted me to be. My advice is to simply break free from the mold that society has placed upon your shoulders thus far, and to truly realize your potential on that first day of your new beginning instead of watiting.

Hey High School Megan, It's me. You're about to start college and I know how excited you are to move on the next chapter. Home is good and high school is great, but we both know how much you love a challenge. A few small words of wisdom to get you started; always bring an extra pen, keep water and granola bars handy at all times, and buy a voice recorder. You will thank me later, I promise. But the biggest piece of advice I can give you may not seem very important. Be yourself. Not everyone will like it, not everyone will like YOU. What is important, however, is that you like who you are. It is way too early to forget your morals and throw away everthing you are passionate about to follow the crowd. And when have you ever wanted to follow the crowd? Last time I checked, you wanted to lead it. All my love, College Megan

Be prepared!! It's not just about finishing school, and getting the degree. Yes, that is the ultimate goal but more importantly you're in college to become a better, more well-rounded individual. Focus on your education and yourself equally. Try new things, get out of your comfort zone!! It's very important to embrace the actuivities that involve meeting new people, and doing things with people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds! Most importantly: Enjoy it, savor every moment, and always keep an open mind.

Joining the Hawkeye Marching Band is the best choice you could have made for starting school. The amount of quality friends you will make will open up doors throughout your entire college career, like joining a music fraternity, attending social gatherings, and making artistic friends that are involved in all sorts of different lifestyles. Also, don't sacrifice your studying time for a social life. B's are good, A's are better. Make sure to make time for studying and for friends. And the most important thing, get to know your professors. You will meet a lot of interesting people that have followed similar or totally different lifestyles, and they all will teach you something, whether it is related to class or not. Some of these people can help you more than you will ever know with career goals and figuring out who you are as a person. And lastly, don't be afraid to take risks. Only those who dare to fail greatly will ever achieve greatly.

I thought life was going to be smooth sailing. We all have so much potential, and we are all told that we are special, but it's hard for us to locate our niche. The truth is life is a lot like evolution. We have a track, and there are plenty of advantages to being you, so the you you are is the best you you could be. The choices we make can be eye opening, but that doesn't mean they have to be made. I know this seems like one big, over exaggerated lecture, but the truth is the future is expensive. You definitely don't know what is best, and the amount of effort you put forth is directly linked to the success you will receive in the future. It seems kind of silly to worry about finances and future well-being when you are about two-ninths through your life, especially when you are working towards being put in the ground, but ,and I know this is over used, but it is about the journey, not the destination. Since I was you, I know it's going to be tough, but your future is grand.

Don't sweat the small stuff. I worried about everything when I was younger. Getting good grades, staying out of any trouble or worrying about what I said that could be misconstrued. Looking back, I would tell myself to relax. Stressing myself out over getting an A wasn't worth it. I would tell myself to take a breath and realize a B isn't too bad. I also would tell myself not to worry about what others think. My dad used to always tell me to "consider the source" when someone said something I didn't like. I never really got it until I became an adult. Now, when someone has something negative to say about me or my work, I decide how it affects me. If I respect them and their opinion, I'll take their comment as constructive criticism and try to learn from it. If not, I let it roll of my back. This attitude has caused me to mellow out. I feel I am a stronger boss because of it. I don't let every little thing get to me. I focus on what is needed of me and how to get it done.

I would tell myself to find a course that is useful. i would also say no matter what happens in life that just keep head down and keep working on it

Hey Stephen, in high school you never studied and got by with decent grades. Unfortunately in college it doesn't work that way, studying is the key to success in the class room. Also remember how you were always nervous making new friends and being open and yourself. It is time to throw your shyness aside. The number of people here who are nervous, shy, and lacking confidence just like you are is way too high. The key to being noticed in college is to have self confidence, now I am not saying let's get cocky. I am saying that it is time to accept the fact that you have a lot to offer to the world and it is time to begin in our contributions. We know we want to change the world but in high school you said you'd wait until college to start and in college you got too distracted. If you want to change the world for the better, then you sit down, buckle up and get to work! We only have one life to live here and wasting four years in college is not an option. It's time to get going!