University of Iowa Top Questions

I have gotten a world class education, some amazing friends, and the will to take the innitative to do my best and pursue my dreams. I love the sense of community and the Hawkeye spirit that follows you no matter where you live. I moved to California and people always comment when I wear Hawkeye gear. College was the best four years I've ever had, I'm going to have life long memories with the people I care most about in the world. I learned how to do research, write papers, and speak in public at a professional level. These are skills I have continued to use since I started Graduate school. I honestly don't know any other school that has this fan base or loyalty to the school. I loved the University of Iowa.

college has taught me a lot about time management and how I study. In college, I experimented with a lot of different ways to study such as in a coffee shop, in the library, or at home. I found out where I can concentrate and where I can not. For example, I found that I could not concentrate at a coffee shop but I can concentrate at a particular library. I also found out I could not study 24hrs, and it's better for me personally to have frequent breaks and that helps me concentrate more when I am studying. I think I found out a lot of things from the hard way, through bad experiences. Highschool was a breeze and I did not think college was going to be a lot harder. I did not study that much and cramed a lot my first years of college . I learned that no one is interested in whether I finish my homework or study 24 hrs and I need to do that for myself. I figured out if I wanted the good grade and to graduate from college, I needed to put in a lot more than I was doing now.

I have always made the effort to make my life a success, and education is my way to that positive path. After high school, college was my option for continuing on my path to success. College has given me knowledge in all areas of life. I am more knowledgeable in the art of language, the history of the world, and the connections of society. College will give me a more successful and happy life. The most valuable experiences I have recieved in my past college years were the oppurtunities to make the world a better place. I was able to benefit my community by providing services and able to participate in activities and clubs that would support the advancement of a great cause. I want to have a happy life but I also want the memebers of the community I live in to have one as well, and college has allowed me to achieve both goals.

There are so many diverse personalities from all over the country attending college, that I honestly believe the most valuable thing I have gotten out of my college experience is a better sense of "me." My convictions have been tested and I now know the strength of my character. Before college, you stay mostly with the same group of friends; everyone knows you, your likes, your dislikes, and you are not habitually pushed out of your comfort zone. Once you’re in college, you experience such an array of different individuals that there is bound to be major conflict eventually. It is when this happens, that you really find out what you're made of and how strong your will is. Your very nature and moral fiber will be tested, but if you come out doing what you know is right and sticking to your guns, it's a worthwhile feeling.

Although it is the summer before my freshman year, I have still realized that college is a defining, or maybe rather, revealing time of life. Peoples motivations and ambitions are fully released and shown to the world with no inhibitions. There are many people who drink their college years away, even without any morality, this is sad. People in college really have the time and freedom to explore and to concentrate both on new and familir thing. For me, this preparation process has been extremely valuable in defining my identity. I am more confident of who I am and where I am going than I have ever been, and that is far more important than any degree or job offer.

After attending college I really learned the value of accepting others and looking at events from another person's perspective. My undergraduate experiences also showed me the importance of connecting with your field of study and enjoying what you are doing. The most important thing that I learned was that my undergraduate degree, while helpful and interesting, was not the career path for me, but it has allowed me to pursue my dream of teaching. After seeing how little teachers cared about students in my undergraduate program I will strive to teach others with compassion and the willingness to help students learn.

Even in high school I knew that college was going to be a challenge, even going to a junior college. This is now my fourth semester going to school and I am very proud of my self. There were many times when I thought twice about quitting school and getting a job because of the fact my dad lost his job Jan.'09. It effected my family a lot, but I knew I had to stay in school so that I would have a better chance of getting a better career. My college experience really gave me the push I needed to stay strong meantally and emotionally. I learned that the world is not going to stop because my family was going through a rough time. Some of my teachers and counselors really help me build up motivation to keep pushing. My college experience is kind of like my transition phase to the real world. It is so important to attend college because it helps build careers. It might not be the right choice for everyone, but I KNOW is the right choice for me and when I become a doctor, I'll be too thankful for my college education.

My college experience has given me irreplaceable memories. Memories are the basis of everyone?s life; they give people skills and hope for a future. The University of Iowa has been valuable for me because of each memory I make here; the memories of college are the building blocks for a successful life. Through my engineering classes at the U of I, I have gotten real world experiences. I have been able to create computer programs, and whole job pitches. Each experience is now a memory that I can draw from in the future. The memories are part of a foundation of a high tower that I will be able to build for the rest of my life. Not only has the University of Iowa created memories, they have been strong memories, the memories of friendships and brilliant ideas that will stay with me forever. As the saying goes, memories last a lifetime.

I would recommend that I focus more greatly on gaining scholarships as well as putting the work into their application processes. I would also tell myself to relax as that is the hardest thing to do. The transition is made easiest by making friends; especially if they live close by.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to have more faith in me. I would have encouraged myself to take more than just the minimum amount of units to be considered fulltime and I would have applied for as many scholarships as I could. I would have also told myself to sign up for the Honors program at my college instead of waiting until now to consider it. So, in the end, the one thing that I would really like to tell my high-school-senior-self is that I am smart and I need to believe more in myself; others already know it so it is time for me to recognize it too.