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.

As a senior in high school I recall feeling a sense of urgency to get my life going in the direction I desired. I would tell my high school self various facts. Such as, always put family first; before any boyfriend that you think you may love, any fickle friend, or anything else because it is time you can never regain. Always get your studying done before you commit to plans; there is always another party, game, or whatever. Always take time to enjoy the good, and do not always look for the bad in things. There is no need to ever hold a grudge, it is just wasted time that you could have spent happy. Try to enrich the lives of others any chance you get, you never know what your kind words could do to someone's day. Never be afraid to ask a question with the fear of looking dumb, it will only make you wiser. Certainly never let someone change who you really are or one day you won't know your true identity. Although there are many other things I would love to tell myself, I feel these are words enough to live by.

Hey me from the past! Yea, I know I look older but that's not what I'm hear to talk to you about. I wanted to prepare you on what to look out for in college. First off, and most important, you have to learn to study. Holding things off will make you suffer, trust me. Secondly, try to get to the parking lot fifteen minutes early or you may have to park in the lot across the street, ew. And, the last peice of advise I got for you, get to know your teachers and class mates. Friends are so important, and if you become friends with your professors it can help you when your ready to find that job you've always wanted. The people and choices you make while in college will most likely stick with you for life so be smart! Well, I guess you'll be seeing me in the mirror in about three years. Later!

There are so many things I wish I could tell myself. For one, I would have told myself how important it was at the time to go to school and follow through. That it is important to take school seriously and you will be able to enjoy the experience more when you are young and fresh out of school than waiting until you are older. I am 34 now and am lucky to be able to finish but I can't enjoy the college experience the way I would have been able to had I not dropped out after my first year when I first got out of high school. I would tell myself that it could change my life forever by finishing school and getting a degree. I think it's more about finishing what you start in life that is so important. I can't look back just forward and I hope to finish soon. I may even go to grad school now. The sky is the limit. Age is just a number and I would rather finish now than waiting any longer.

College life is much harder compared to high school. A really good advice would be to develop good study habbits that will greatly improve studying in college. Also, working hard in your senior high school classes, especially Advanced Placement classes, can greatly help you improve your understanding of college material.

Everyone always told me that college is to be the time of your life. I don't think the time of your life should be bottled up into 4 years. Experience, experiment and learn, but don't try to do everything in 4 years. Instead, give yourself time to grow and understand who you are. The time of your life is all of your life. The more exitement you put around being in college the more likely you will do bad. I would tell my self, the time of your life has already been going on, this is just 4 more years to add to it. Spread it out and dont try to conquer all of your bucket list in that time. Oh and of course, study!! Study with a group!

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior about the college life and making transitions, the advice I would give myself would be to open myself up to new people and new ideas. Going from a small all-girl Catholic high school to a large, coed college was a big adjustment for me. Allowing myself to open up to many new people, new environments, new ideas would have helped me adjust to my first year of college more. Instead, I was so afraid of being rejected that collapsed into seclusion and did not open myself up to these things. Another piece of advice that I would give to myself would be to use my college experience as a learning experience and chance to grow. I have become so obsessed with getting perfect grades that I have lots sight of this. College is not only about making the grades but also coming into your own and learning who you are. Stressing what has already happened, such as a bad grade, won't change things; I should just strive to do my best and accept what comes of it.

If I had the opportunity to go back, I would tell myself to learn a better technique for taking notes. In lectures, you have to pay close attention to what the professors are saying and if I had a new way to organize my notes, it would help me when I am studying for exams. I would also tell myself to digest more the knowledge my high school teachers give me, so I will remember that information when it shows up in one of the college courses I have to take. I believe that I knew studying and reading would be the main things I needed to focus on in college, and doing all of my homework in high school helped me keep track of completing my homework now. Homework in some college courses can be easy points and in the end can help when you need them the most. You need to stay dedicated to your goal of graduating and your responsibility will only grow as you become older. The more you prepare yourself in high school, the better you will feel about your performance in the college courses you must take in order to pursue your future career.

I would tell myself exactly what I told myself when I was a teenager. I asked a lot of people what the college experience was like and they gave me all of these stories about parties and drinking, but I wanted to know more about academics. I told myself to never miss class even if I felt like it was unnecessisary to go because participation counts and I also told myself to get up and ask questions, even if I feel like it's a stupid one. I always want to be able to have an open line of communication with all of my professers so I feel as if I can always ask them if I need anything or any help in the class. Also, I would tell myself as a senior to really appreciate everything my parents have done for me, especially in this economic crisis. I would also tell myself that it's okay to be homesick, (I'm from Chicago, Illinois and I'm going to school in Louisville, KY) because it happens to the best of us, family is always one of the most important things in the world!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college I would tell myself to start looking for colleges when you?re a sophomore in high school and don?t be afraid of leaving home. Keep your grades up so you can get good scholarships. Trying to make it in the world by yourself while going to college, with no other little mouths to feed, is a lot easier than waiting. Don?t go with the military route they will say that you can go to school too, but we tried it and it did not work. Don?t be afraid of making a name for yourself and accepting responsibility it will come whether you like it or not. Get loans if you have to it is worth it in the long run.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to relax and enjoy college from the very beginning. Get involved in more activities and don't be so shy towards your fellow classmates. Study and read more than you did in high school but also balance it with excitment, both in the classes you take and how you spend your weekends. Be more independent, don't wait until the end of junior year, enjoy things now. Most importantly, enjoy your experiences and try your best at everything you do, no matter what life throws at you!!