University of Kansas Top Questions

When I was in high school, my goal was a crisp acceptance letter from an Ivy League school, symbolic to me of academic and social prowess. I felt if I were accepted to an illustrious university, something in its glowing reputation and traditional buildings would fulfill me? but what are those things but names and an organized set of rocks? If I could convey one thing to my previous self, I would tell her college is more about yourself than your environment. Choosing a college isn?t about bragging rights, but where you can attain the most personal growth. I would have taken comfort in the fact that such growth could have been achieved almost anywhere, because when college separates you from your known environment it acts as a catalyst for change. It doesn?t matter how old the library is if you can?t study in it, and the further you are from home, the further you are from a tried and true support system. I would say to myself, use college to learn about the world, to challenge your convictions, and to galvanize your ideals, for this is where you create resolve where there has always been potential.

Knowing what I now know about college life, I would give my senior self a few tips. One would be to definitely live on campus my freshman year. Living in a Scholarhsip Hall was the best way for me to transition into a new lifestyle. Having an instant family of 50 girls to show me around campus, give me advice, go to social events with, and create an academic atmosphere was just what I needed. Coming from a small town, I only knew a few people at KU , so it was awesome to have an instant set of friends. Another piece of advice I would to myself is to get involved in organizations immediately my freshman year. My first semester of college, I thought I would take it easy while making the transition from high school to college. However, living in a Scholarship Hall made that transition extremely easy and I wished I had gotten a little more involved in the hall and campus wide activities. As I was a straight A sudent in high school, I had no worries academically but knew I would have to step up my studying in order to succeed at the higher college level.

Pick where you want to go not based soley on the strength of the program but also the social life that surronds the campus.

As you continue to college, worry not about meeting guys and attending parties. College is not all about being social. Find the things you love to do and the activities and people that make you happy, then surround yourself with those things. If you do this you will not regret it. Also, don't worry so much about working...if you spend all of your time working yourself to death you will miss out on all the good things and you won't have time to spend on those that truly matter, like school and building lasting friendships. You have the rest of your life to work, hopefully in a job that is more than just serving food or running price checks. Take advantage of this time when you can focus on academics. Go to class everyday and read all the time. Make sure that you really care about what you are doing and put all of yourself into each project you work on. Listen to your teachers, talk to them, they are your friends. Read your textbooks, they are also your friends. Write papers with passion, complete assignments before they are due. Oh, and you really do need sleep.

If could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I honestly would not know if my brain could handle all the things I know now. However for starters, I would definitely tell myself the importance in being well prepared and getting ahead in classes as opposed to procrastinating. Due to the fact that classes in college are much more difficult, something as simple as reading twenty minutes a day after class over the material that was discussed in lecture made studying for tests so much easier. By doing this, your mind is already pre-exposed to the material as opposed to attempting to cram all the information in an overnight study session. If I had done this in high school, life would have been much easier and a 4.0 GPA would have seemed highly feasible. Furthermore tying into not procrastinating, another advice I would have provided myself would have been the importance in time management. One thing that I have realized is that although I am doing more activities in college, I actually have more free time because I manage my time so efficiently, something I wish I had known in high school.

I would tell myself to pay more attention to my school work and stop being a slacker. I would also tell myself that college life isn't easy and the economy wont always be good. I started college in 2006 right after high school to persue a degree i did not want so therefore i would tell myself, to make sure i know what it is i want in life. It's not easy going to college especially since i don't have the funds or the credit to get a loan. College is very expensive and it won't get any cheaper. I am a single mother and my baby is the reason i am back in school. For those young women out there that is not a mother, my advice to you is if you're not ready for motherhood don't get pregnant. It is not easy. Education is the key to success, i had to learn the hard way thar without a college degree there is no way i can get a decent job to support my son and i. I have to work twice as hard now than i had to before.

Don't slack off. Not allowing yourself to procrastinate now is going to go a long way in helping you succeed in college. It took me two years to understand fully how important it is to have solid, regular study habits. In high school, they often times let you slide by and rest on your lorels, but college is a different beast. Studying is key. Also, be willing to put yourself out there and meet people early on. Everyone is going to be experiencing the same amount of terror at the prospect of not having friends and having absolutely no idea where to go to move forward. Try different things early and often. Attend various social gatherings and initiate converstations with strangers. You may well find that that stranger that you just happened to be sitting next to could end up being your best friend by the end of your college career. A well-balanced social and academic life is key in surviving at a University.

I would definitely get back in the habit of studying more and managing my time. You have tons of free time in college and if you're not disciplined you can find yourself procrastinating alot. In high school, you're probably used to teachers giving you extended deadlines on assignments if you missed class. In college its hard to get some teachers to accept a legitament excuse to why you were absent. Professors take attendance very serious.

I would tell myself to expect the unexpected. Also to relax and take my time adjusting and to ask for help. The professors are there to help. I would encourage myself to use the resources at the campus. I would say to myself to learn my limits and to take a break when needed. I would encourage myself to take classes I am interested in and not only thosw for my major. I would say breathe and relax this school is a wonderful welcoming and safe exviroment. I would say makr the most of your experience by joining organizations early and to always walk with integrity.

College is a melting pot of decisions. If I would have been aware of their effect, my first semester of college would have had a much happier ending. I missed so many opportunities to study because of a simple lack of laziness or engaging in things that are "more worthwhile." My last two weeks of the first semester I spent entire days studying for final exams and finally "giving my all" for homework assignments and just trying to meet the goals I failed to pursue -- if only I had known that every minute counts.