University of Kansas Top Questions

Don't expect too much. College is different from high school in a lot of ways, but also similar in just as many. Be prepared for the homesickness, but try not to let it get the best of you. Know that classes require a lot more work outside of the classroom than in high school. You have to read, and you have to study. Don't put anything off, or you'll regret it. Do your best to acquaint yourself with your teachers; it will make it easier to ask for help, and you never know when you'll need letters of recommendation. Don't ever skip class unless you really are sick or have some other decent excuse. Most importantly, make time for fun... too much stress will affect every aspect of your life in a negative way.

If I could talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to take more community college classes so that I could test out of my general education classes as a freshmen in college. I would tell myself to be ready to be challenged because there isn't anyone to help you along they way like in high school. It's take self-motivation to do well in college and I would be sure to convey that message to myself. On a lighter note, I would be sure relay the message to enjoy home cooked meals!

As a freshman this year, it is a little early for a truely independent review of the transition from high school to college. At this point, I would say it was a fairly smooth step but the fact that I am involved in an organization that wants to help me succeed is positive. As a future KU student, i was fairly set on living in the dorm as it is a good option at KU. My parents encouraged me to keep my options open and I ended up pledging a fraternity on campus. I would say that openess is what really helped me to adapt quickly to a totally new situation. Whether it is a living situation, the less structure of classes, or just the indepence of not living with your parents, being willing to analyze the situation without a preconceived idea of what is right or wrong or good or bad can be the difference between a successful college experience or a failure.

I would tell myself to enjoy the little things. That's it. I know it sounds simple, but sometimes the simple things... the things we take for granted... are the things that are most important. I would tell myself to make the most of my time with my friends before heading off to different colleges. I would tell myself to make sure I appreciated everything my mother did for me. I hate doing laundry. I'd tell myself to make an effort to have a relationship with my sister before it's too late. I'd tell myself to talk more and be a more outgoing person overall. I know most of this should be common knowledge, but I put all this stuff in the back of my mind and never realized how important it all was. Oh, and I might even tell myself to put some money on the Steelers winning the Super Bowl in 2009.

Take as many college-level courses in high school as possible and as many courses during the summer as you can because it is impossible to get some of the classes you need at the University of Kansas. This especially pertains to science classes with labs. Since the labs are offered as a separate course, lots of students get into the lecture and not the lab necessitating that they take the entire course over again at another school to get the lab since other schools combine the lecture and the lab as one class. I would also say to plan to study a lot more than you did in high school.

Knowing what I know now about college life, there are a few pieces of advice I would give myself. First, I would try to drive home the importance of being involved in campus activities. In doing this, I would have been able to make more connections with my peers in a shorter amount of time. The second piece of advice I would give myself is to not worry about the perceptions my peers; they are all going through the same life changes. Finally, I would give myself the advice to relax and enjox the rollercoaster ride of university life. By following these little wisdoms, I would have saved time and energy in my learning experience about university life.

I would have told myself to go to Johnson County Community College initially, instead of wasting two years and a lot of money at a school where my credits didn't tranfer to JCCC.

My senior year of high school, I suffered from a panic attack and was hostpitalized overnight. My breakdown was a result of stress related to the college search. I wanted everything: the $50,000 school, the expensive study abroad program, the perfect grades, the highest scholarship. But, it was too much. I had lost sight of what is really important about college. Now that I have been through my first semester as a freshman, I would go back and tell my senior self to chill out. What makes college life so wonderful is that it's not about your teachers desires or want your parents are pushing you into. College is where you can find your passion and follow it. Follow it to the ends of the earth. I had been misguided by college price tags and famous names. But in the Honors Program at KU, I receive special attention and encouragement to be all that I want to be. To my senior self I would say, it's not about what college you attend, but about what you do at that college. And I believe, now, that I will do great things.

As a high school senior about to graduate if i could go back and give myself some advise on college life and making transitions I would have started making plans earlier on what I wanted to be in life and have a career goal planned out it makes it way easier to go into college knowing what you want to do and how you want to accomplish that goal. In high school I didn't have as many responsibilities as I did in college. I learned your parents are not going to be their to guide you, you have alot to do on your own it's the time when you start to grow up and learn to take care of yourself. Although in college I have alot of freedom and I am able to make my own choices theirs still that responsibility. So knowing what I know know aboout college life and how it can be this would be the advise I would give myself if Icould go back in time.

If I were to talk to myself at the beginning of my senior year of high school, then I would have said the age-old adage "enjoy the ride." Sometimes, enjoying "the ride" of high school does get lost in translation. High school was a very special time for me. I had truly grown up with many of my friends as I was a thirteen-year senior. Then, I would have told myself to make sure and take the time to apply for more scholarships. Everyone tells you to complete scholarship applications, but, in reality, it takes much more drive to legitimately sit yourself down and finish an application thoughtfully. Still, any money helps a college student and completing these applications is a good way to figure more out about yourself. Finally, I would encourage myself to live every day to the fullest. College is where one fully begins to mature and realizes how fast time can slip by. Again, enjoying every day is important in college because it is guaranteed to be one of the most memorable times in one's life.