University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

My name is Ray Moore. I have been attending college at Jones County Junior College for two years now and I have gotten many things from my college experience. The most important thing I have gotten out of my time in college is discipline. My first semester in college I did not take it seriously at all, and as a result my grades declined swiftly, I was put on probation by financial aid, and almost thrown out of the dorms because of my gpa. Luckily I was encouraged by my parents to do better and I managed to get financial aid back and pull up my gpa . My gpa also plays a big part to me valuable to attend college because I have now choosen a major and it requires my grades to be higher. In the long run, it will have been valuable to attend because of the sucess it will bring me in the future.

Even though I have only been at college for one semester, I have grown so much. The people I have met and the experiences I have had are things I will never forget. I am much more independant and I realized that I can live away from my family and I will be okay. I have had to learn time managementand self-discipline. Although trying, learning these things has prepared me for a successful future. I am confident that by the end of college, I will have gathered all the tools I need to live on my own and contribute to the world.

Going to college has taught me a lot of things not only about my major, but life. I have had to learn not to be dependent on my parents and learn to support myself. I grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other so I had to improve my social skills in order to make friends which was easier than expected. Mizzou is a highly recognized and people think they are not smart enough to come here but that is a lie. As long as you are willing to work hard and put your mind into succeeding anything is possible. I am an Ag-Scholar and never dreamt I would be able to maintain a 3.3 GPA with 17 credits plus work, but I achieved a 3.7 plus made the Dean's list by working hard. College is not all about studying however, I have made some amazing memories and friends and have participated in clubs that have helped me develop professional skills. Each student needs to be as active as possible and most importantly have fun while getting your education! The job market is bad so a college education is a must!

College has been more than just valuable to me and my education. College has remodeled the way I live my life, and facilitated me to accept those who lead different lifestyles. In all of my classes there are a variety of people from all walks of life. Ages range from eighteen years old to seventy plus years old. The experiences of fellow peers, as well as their opinions, have made me more aware of the world I live in. I stopped going to college for two years after a major episode of severe depression. I did not think I had the will power or strength to actually do well in college. Instead of allowing myself to fall back into the same patterns I had my first year away at college, I put my best foot forward everyday. I am learning that I have endless potential to unlock inside, and it is exciting. College has allowed me to become more involved in my community as a volunteer worker. The satisfaction and happiness college has brought to my life is indescribable. College helped me to believe in myself again. College has brought me a period of growth in life that is priceless.

My college experience started off really rocky; i was in a new town with new people... i didn't really know anyone. Although i am quite the social butterfly in my home town, being here at first made me curl up into my own cacoon. I had to muster up the courage to make new friends and create new memories. By the second month here i was starting to find myself and find other people alike. I now deeply value the friendships i have made and i feel as if i have grown that much more as a person because of Mizzou.

To date, my college experience has been a stepping stone towards independence. Throughout high school, my life was scheduled around bells, periods, and teachers assigning homework along with the occasional detention. Life was very structured and I was expected to do homework by the next time class met or deal with penalties. College has been anything but structure. I have learned through my first semester that I am responsible for meeting all deadlines, attending classes on time, and structuring my life around my priorities. I feel college is teaching me to learn the skills required to function successfully in society. Many students look at college as a time to party, a time to explore, or even a time to be free from their parents rule. College, in my own personal view, is teaching me lasting skills to balance my adult life. I know that college does not guaruntee a career or even a job upon graduation, but I feel the initiative and drive that is required to graduate will prepare me for the obstacles I know that are sure to come. College has been a true testament to myself of how much I want to succeed in life.

I am still a freshman, but I have already learned so much about what it takes to succeed in college. It is so important to create bonds with your fellow peers so that you have someone to study for hours with in the library, and then when that is finished, to have that same person that you are able to relax with. It is important to take your studies seriously. These are the classes that will shape your mind and help you to decide what you really want to do with the rest of your life. It is time to grow up once you are in college. Yes, you have to do your own laundry, feed yourself, and manage all the ups and downs of life by yourself, but that does not mean you cannot have fun. Join clubs and other social organizations and put yourself out there. It is time to discover who you are and create bonds with some truly amazing people. The world is so much bigger than it seemed when you were in high school. College gives you the opportunity to meet people from all over. My advice: take advantage of this.

My advice to myself is to not allow things to take your focus away from what you really want to do. College is a big scenery that has a lot of things going on every day that can take your focus away from the reason why you are here. Work on not waiting to the last minute to do work or study for a test because college is different. In college you have to study for a full week if you really want to do well on a test or a final. In college you have to fight for what you want through academic accomplishments. Having a lot of experience as a volunteer that has to do with your major will help you in the long run.

If I were able to go back to High School Senior Ashley in the tiny town of Rome, GA I would encourage her to plan, and plan well. During my freshman year I changed my major 4 times! I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but the economy and the people around me telling me I wouldn't find a job scared me. So I changed from psychology, to business, to biology to my major now: Interdisciplinary Studies. I am very happy with my decision now, but if I had came to school prepared, knowing I have to go to grad school to be a psychologist and researching the general requirements and what things I could of gotten out of the way by taking one more foreign language or by taking a CLEP course and maybe a summer course or two before college. I would have warned myself of how expensive it is, and that I don't need to go out with every group or attend every party or concert to make friends. Not everyone is rich and people understand if you can't go out 24/7. They respect you for being honest and real.

You know that joke we used to tell? About how our life was like a movie. There was drama, conflict so unexpected and undeserved it could only have happened to us; twists just when you think you know exactly where the plot is going. But no matter what the situation, we always managed to pull ourselves out of it. Like any classic coming-of-age film, everything always seemed to work out in the end. I've been your best friend for as long as I can remember, so you'll know I'm telling you the truth when I say this: Life is not a movie. It does not follow a defined set of beginning-middle-ends. It is not always glamorous and it is not always fair. But it is yours. This is your life and it is yours alone to live. So stop waiting for tomorrow to do the things you should. Stop standing still when you could be pressing forward. And stop second-guessing your actions. You must jump right into this life and make it one you can be pleased with. But keep your eyes open. You wouldn't want to miss a moment.