University of Louisville Top Questions

I would tell myself not to rush into a decision about a career path. As a student working towards my second degree, I know how important it is to choose a career that will really make you happy. My freshman year, I jumped into the business school beccause I really did not know what I wanted to do with my life, and I didn't take the time to explore my options. I thought business was a broad field and would make me marketable. After graduation, I realized that a degree did not guarantee a job, and it is miserable working in a field that you do not like. I switched jobs 4 times in 3 years before deciding to pursue another career and go back to school. As a nursing student, I am very happy in my classes, and I am sure I will be much happier after graduation. I wish that the first time I had taken the time to explore my options more carefully before making such a big decision. I think all high school students should participate in some sort of career/interest course before going to college.

If I could go backwards in time and talk with myself as a high school senior, I would give myself the following advice: Take advantage of every opportunity. Apply for every scholarship even if it seems as if there is no chance that you will recieve the award. Run for student council even if you never imagined yourself as being a class representative. Start an environmental club even if you do not view yourself as an organized leader. Accept every internship and embark upon as many volunteer opportunities as possible. Taking advantage of every opportunity has allowed me to discover talents that I did not know I possessed. It has enabled me to discern that what I had once thought I was interested in really wasn?t for me. By accepting the above opportunities, I have discovered aspects of myself that as a high school senior, I would have never imagined; I have discovered that I am a leader, I am an environmentalist, I am the Vice President of my graduating class, I am an active member of my community, and I am passionate about my new major in nursing. I am the person I was meant to be.

College is infinitely better than high school. The way you choose to get the college experience is exactly right for you--don't worry about making any mistakes, because you're going to enjoy the next few years immensely.

I think the most important thing to know when coming to college is there aren't second chances. It's better to do things right, go to class, make the grades, and accept the help of the advisors than it is to try and come back after having a rough semester. Living on campus is very important, at least for the first year. Its your opportunity to meet people and network, you can open up and really focus on meeting different people until you find those you want to hang out with. Don't go somewhere merely because all of your friends are going there. My friends now are the best I have ever had and I met them in school. Also, don't sign up for all your general education classes first. It is nice in the long run to throw in some of those basic classes with your more intense core classes.

If I could go back to high school knowing what I know now I would have done a couple of things differently. First of all, I would have listened to Mrs. Wynne, my AP Biology teacher, when she would constantly tell me, "you need to make sure you get some good time-management and study habits before you go to school, because if you don't you will regret it. I totally agree with her..now. In high school I did not have to study for anything and I still graduated with honors. But in college it is not as easy. You have to put in a little more effort, since you don't have two semesters to complete one course you just have one. This means you have double the work in half of the time you are use to! But I have come to realize that if I make sure that I know when all of my big assignements and exams are and stay up with my reading assignments, everything will be fine. But I have to admit Mrs. Wynne was right, you do need BOTH good study habits and time managment skils to do well in college.

If I could go back to high school and talk to myself I would have tried to take up more advanced placement courses that would have allowed me to gain some college credit. I would have also tried to locate more scholarships. In addition, I would have worked harder at raising my GPA, by getting tutoring in some of my classes.

Figure out exactly what you want to study. Figure out exactly where you want to go. Know that staying in the same place is not "giving up" or a bad thing at all. With college comes an entirely different lifestyle, moreso than the transition of any other schools. Things will be different no matter where you are.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to study more and ignore boys! I would also tell myself to not worry so much about what other people think of me because it doesn't really matter in the real world. I would teach myself about organization, and I would ensure that I went to college prepared to learn and ready to accept the challenge of obtaining my degree. In addition to that, I would give myself advice on how to pay for college so I wouldn't stress out so much and end up dropping out in order to make money to support myself.

That's easy. NEVER SETTLE! In high school I had aspirations of attending a university far away from home. New York University was at the top of my list, but I never even applied. I told myself it was impossible and I chose to attend the University of Louisville because it is closer to home and relatively inexpensive. During my time at UofL, I was able to participate in a National Student Exchange program. Through the program I attended Binghamton University in New York for the price of UofL's tuition! I finally got to live in New York! It was the best experience of my life and I learned the most important lesson: never settle. If you want something ask for it; if it's not given to you (it never will be), work for it. Do it all! Get involved in something you're passionate about. Take risks. Don't let your dreams just be discussed, but let them be lived. My college experience started with first day at Binghamton University. If I had known what I know now 3 years ago, maybe I would be graduating for NYU in the spring...

Knowing that you are a night person, do not sign up for many morning classes, especially not 8 o'clock ones. It is going to help you prevent sleeping through your classes, since you will not be able to change your sleeping habits just like that. You enjoy staying up late, so do not make a decision like this. Otherwise, it will make it hard for you to keep up with the material that is being covered. Also, make sure to get involved as much as you can. Get the most out of the welcome weekend, join the resident student association, search for a Bible study group to help you keep up with your religious believes. Search for Christians around you as soon as you get to college. It will help you remain the person you were before you came to a free-thinking environment like this. Start watching what you eat immediatelly to avoid the freshman 15. They are really easy to gain. Occasional working-out is an excellent option. I guess all I want to say is that you should stay true to yourself and don't give it up to peer pressure. You can still have fun.