University of Kansas Top Questions

The best advice I could give to myself is time management and its incredible role in life and in academics, be wise in my time today and I wont pay for it tomorrow. With respect to social life is to hang out with people you otherwise would never meet. Be nice and polite to everyone and it will come back to you double fold.

When you're in high school it is very important to teach yourself independence. The ability to care for yourself, and manage your own finances is a huge advantage when first attending college. There are many college students who also struggle with studying for exams, if you have the ability to make yourself study and possess good test taking skills it will enable you to be successful in college.

I would tell myself not to sign up for a pot luck random roommate freshman year. I had a horrible experience for the first six weeks of freshman because I chose a random roommate. I would tell myself to sign up with someone I know fairly well but am not best friends with. Second semester one of my good friends moved in with me and we had the best time being roommates and living together. I would also tell myself to take at least more classes. I kept my schedule really light freshman year because I was scared I couldn't handle the workload. However, my senior year of high school had more homework than my freshman year in college did.

Nathan, Get involved! Make as many friends as possible! Establish good study habits! All of these things combined, will help you to make a better transition into college. It's hard leaving home. You think it's going to be great fun. Sometimes it is, but then sometimes it's not. But, if you get involved in something that interests you, like sports or a club, going away is a lot easier. You meet students who have the same interests as you, so you then have somebody to hang out with, to have fun with, or to study with. Now, it feels more like home. Lastly, you have to study, study, study! When you get good grades, you feel good. When you feel good, you know that you are in the right place, and that's where we all want to be. Good Luck!

I would tell myself to not assume that I know everything there is to know about myself. When I was a senior I was convinced I knew exactly what I wanted from my life. The summer between high school and college completely changed that. I had an eye-opening experience in South Africa and by the time I started my first year of college I had already changed my major. I learned things about myself I hadn't even guessed at. I knew that all I wanted to do was help those people who desperately needed it. Eventually, after doing some deep thinking about what I really wanted to accomplish with my life, I changed majors again and even transferred colleges. I don't regret my decision to change schools in the least but I do wish I had chosen my present school in the beginning. I could be much further along in my plan to help if that had been the case. If I could go back I would definitely tell myself to fully consider my options and to remain open to all possibilities because they just might change your life.

I would encourage myself to look at the schools that were the top ten for my major.

I would tell myself not to stress so much about what my grades are going to be at the end of each semester. If you work hard, you will get the grades you are looking for/capable of. I would always calculate my grades throughout the semester and they would be projected to be worse and worse, until finals came around, and I would end up surprisingly content with all my grades. I would also tell myself not to ever go out 5 times a week, because there is no need for it. It is unhealthy, expensive, and causes you some anxiety for not putting in much scholastic effort at the time. Fortunately, at the University of Kansas grades are primarily centered around 3 tests throughout the semester. This allows students to just pay attention each class, and then study diligently two or three days before an exam. Many classes, especially lower level classes (350 and below), also have homework due each class. I always thought that daily homework assignments were pretty much over once you graduate high school. Finally, I would let my high school self know that I would be a very successful college student.

Trust yourself. Life is fraught with new, nerve-racking situations, but believe that you will always be alright, and you will. Dive head-first into the unknown, because often they are the most challenging, and rewarding, and certainly the most memorable. Even when you move more than 6,000 miles from your family, friends, and all things familiar, where you barely speak the language and you must now be responsible for all aspects of life, self-confidence will get you through it. There are always people who can help you, as long as you know how to ask.

As I was approaching my last few months at home and getting ready to leave for college, I had high expectations for my freshman year. I thought I was going to leave, make completely new friends, and start anew. I gave little to no thought about being homesick or missing my family and friends. I was completely ready to be my own person. However, I didn?t realize the transitions I would have to undergo and the changes that would take place in my life. If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to, firstly, spend more time with those who I would be leaving. Then, I would advise myself to participate in many different clubs and activities. Making new friends hasn?t been as easy as I had anticipated, and I believe that the best way to meet new people with similar interests is to attend various activities where I will be able to meet people who have common interests. If I had been given this advice beginning my freshman year, the transition from home and starting a new life would have begun with much more ease.

If I could go back into time and talked to myself as a high school senior, I would have a serious sit down discussion. I wish I could go back and have taken advantage of all the AP classes that were offered. I wish I could have pushed myself further and gone to a school that was out-of-state and step outside of my comfort level. I wish I'd focus more on my academia rather then place a lot of my emphasis on my extra cirriculars. I wish I could have put into perspective that college is absolute key to my future. I would have told myself to do my college research and pay attention to my needs and wants from each school. I wish I could show my parents how much I care about my future so they can have higher expectations of me. Right now, I almost feel like they just want me to FINISH school rather than finish AND achieve the best of the best. A lot of it is proving myself to my familiy. I would tell myself to look in a mirror and use the abilities that God gave me.