University of Iowa Top Questions

Dear Tony, Go to parties. Go to class. Get in a fight. Aggressively challenge someone's core religious values. Wage private wars on Burge Marketplace. Smoke pot. Go to Summit, find a drunk girl, and have unprotected sex. Ride the Cambus for five hours and eavesdrop. Go to Tobacco Bowl and wax philosophic. Join a fraternity and become a straightshooter.

If I was able to go back in time and tell myself at highschool age what I know now, the most important thing I'd say is to take seriously the saying 'your full time job is to be a student.' It's so easy to get caught up in work, or friends, or other activities, that studying and working as a 'student' is put on the back burner. Transitioning from a two year college to a four year college, I learned that lesson late, having three jobs and working all the time. Because of that, my grades suffered and I have forever been playing catch up through the semester since the beginning. If I could have saved myself from having to learn that lesson the hard way, and to realize the point of college is to truly learn and understand above all else, then a lot of frustration and confusion could have been minimized.

I would make sure to tell myself to study hard because it is easy to lower your gpa, but NOT easy to raise it back up. I would tell myself to make sure I have fun, but not be stupid or reckless, I would tell myself to get involved, be very outgoing, knock on everyone's door, and volunteer. I would tell myself to plan to study abroad because the opportunity to travel, see a different culture, and still be doing something productive does not come around very often. Lastly, I would tell myself to spend a lot of time with my family before I leave because you won't realize how much you will miss them until you are gone!

I would simply tell myself to follow your heart and that I (or you, since I'm talking to my past self) came to The University of Iowa because this is where my (our) dad went to college and I've always wanted to be just like him. I even thought I'd major in business like him but as I took classes at this school I started to see where my real interests were. I am now an environmental science major and I love it. I can see now that this is why my dad wanted me to go here, not to carry on the Kolb tradition but to help shape me into what I am supposed to be.

I would of thought more about what I was looking for in a university. It seems like most people choose to go to the University of Iowa because of the night life. I wish I would of known that before, because it affects the type of people you'll meet and become friends with.

Be open to try anything; you enver know what it will be like until you try it.

its okay to make a wrong desicion, just learn from it and you will be okay. everything will be okay

Don't worry and do not freak out. You are about to make the best decison of your life and have more fun than you could ever imagine. You will learn more than you could have ever asked for and will make friends to last a life time. GO HAWKS!

I would tell myself that I should join the water polo club because I will make some amazing friends there. However, I should try to be more outgoing and talkative in classes so that I could expand my friend basis. Also I would tell myself that I should open the books for classes and keep up with the readings prior to the just the week before the tests.

I would tell myself that I would need to find good friends early, as meeting your friends in the begining of your freshman year is most important. I would give myself advice about my study abroad experience, which greatly changed my view on the world and what I want to do, as well as attending a smaller university for a semester. College is not an easy thing, and there are consequences for every action, whether acacemically or legally, since we are no longer adolescence but young adults. I would tell myself that I need to respect where I came from and my heritage, as I reflect my community and heritage.

I would tell myself to concentrate on school more during my freshman year of college. I would also tell myself to be more outgoing and make more friends while living in the dorms. I should have gotten closer with my roommates freshman year and studied harder. I had a tendency to slack off my freshman year and I am paying for it now, so my number one piece of advice would be to concentrate on my schoolwork and attend classes more.

If I could go back in time, I would give myself advice about study skills. I would make myself critcally think about the topics, instead of just skimming through main topics. The transition from high school to college was a very big shock to me. I do not think I was fully perpared for my road ahead in college. I would also take more AP classes and really challenge myself. I was an overall good student in high school, but I know that I could have pushed myself more in order to live up to my full potential.

Since I am a music major at Iowa, I would tell myself to start practicing my flute even more then. Perform as many recitals as possible within the time I had left in high school so I would be more use to the peformance aspect. But most of all, audition for more scholarships because out of state tuition is high but enjoy every performance I end up doing.

Try harder so you can get into Iowa right away

Get started early to avoid stress. Be organized and optimistic

Join a student group that fits you and find your niche.

Do not panic over every little assignment or test. Take things one step at a time and do you best. Your best is all you can ever ask of yourself. Make sure that you choose a major that intrests you and believe in yourself. Everything will work out in the end.

Don't go crazy partying when you first get to college. Don't be afraid to stay in. Hang out with as many different people as possible, no matter how you initially judge them. Don't procrastinate in class! Don't stay up too late at night.

Looking at myself now there is nothing I would have changed about what I have done so far. I try hard and do my best at every task that comes my way. I look at myself as a leader towards my peers and push myself as much as needed to get things done. I have learned before college to try my best whether im the best or worse at something. Trying your hardest is all I know to do and all that I can do. In the end, im happy with myself whether I greatly succeed or dont do as I planned. Going back and changing something would not be an option fort the simple fact I know that im doing the best I can ask of myself.

Were I to return to myself as a college senior, I would tell myself that I was basically doing everything I could to succeed in college. I would also let myself know that I will fit in better at the University of Iowa than I did in my senoir year of high school. This is because I had gone to China for my junior year, and changed significantly so that former friends were no longer friends, but at the University of Iowa, there is such a large community of Chinese people that I can fit into that social group. One thing I might have changed was applying to Columbia as my first choice. I cannot imagine a college being more perfect for me than the University of Iowa, and I would have gotten an additional scholarship had it been my first choice.