University of Missouri-St Louis Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to go away to school rather than stay close to the community and home that I grew up in. The college experience is meant to be your own and if you stay in the same place you've spent the last 18 years of your life, then you will not get an individual taste of what it means to be a college student. Whether being a "college student" means that you devote a lot of time to academic work or you spend a lot of time at the fraternity parties, you will make that experience your own if you go to a college outside of your community. The importance of the college experience lies in your ability to become your own person; I feel that you are more inclined to do this if you venture away from the comforts of home and challenge yourself with a new experience.

I would tell myself to stop worrying. College used to scare me to death. How different would the teachers be? Will I know anyone? How will I know where to go? UMSL answered all the questions quickly. Our teachers are really helpful and deserved to be noticed. They are really caring and really understanding. People are very diverse and friendly. It didn't take long to make friends at all; UMSL students all empathize with eachother. UMSL was an easy transition; not on my part but because they are so helpful and have a "get going" attitude.

Among the many lessons imparted centuries ago by the Jewish Sages is the axiom: "Woe is to the wicked man; woe is to his neighbor." If I could go back to my senior year in high school and give myself advice, I would "remind" myself that my friends would not be coming with me to college. After spending our formative years together and bonding through shared experiences, I had not ventured to imagine life without these stationary figures in my life. When I stepped foot into college, however, reality dawned that my friends and I had gone our separate ways. No longer did I see their familiar faces and revel in their positive influence?now I had to be discerning in surrounding myself with only good, positive neighbors. Friends are all-important. If you don't have them, life can be depressing and stunted. If you do have them, you face the risk of detrimental friendships. If I had the opportunity to go back in time, I would eliminate the social distress of my freshman year by reminding myself that acquiring good neighbors requires discernment and effort.

To parents, one of the best piece of advice I could give to them would to be excited for their teenager, and convey that excitement to them as they are navigating their way to finding the right college. College hunting can be overwhelming, scary, and isolating to a high school senior, and while it can be difficult for a parent to see their child leave home, it can be an unbelievable boost of confidence to have a parent be excited, and to help their teenager view their college search not as a struggle or hassle, but as an adventure! To freshman starting a whole new chapter, I would advise them to know that they will be overwhelmed, that it will maybe take longer for them to transition than they thought it would, and they might have to meet several people before they find the right group of friends, but to stick with it. As a Resident Assistant in my university, I have seen too many freshman give up after a week. The ones who keep putting themselves out there are the ones in the end who form a community of lifelong friends that make college feel like home.

The most important thing about finding the right college would have to be researching each college and looking for key elements that fit your learning style and social preferences. Everyone is different in what they want to get out of college life. In order to make the most of your college experience, I highly recommend spending at least one year living in a dorm setting. I would also suggest joining at least one club or fraternity/sorority. These are all things in which I missed out on. If I were able to go back and do it all over again these would be the things I would have changed about my college experience. College should be a very memorable time of your life. It is a time to create life-long friendships, as well as work towards the career of your dreams.

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Parents need to educate their children on the realities of what college is and the true cost of attending most colleges. This is something I wish my parents would have done. My parents helped me through the first year but then abruptly decided they could not. It was only then that I realized the difficulties of paying for college. Students need to learn to importance of saving, building an excellent credit history, and only borrowing what is absolutely necessary for their education. Parents need to teach their children that these loans will have to be paid back and it may not be so easy once you are done with school. Nothing in life is free.

When trying to find the right college, do not pick the one that offers the most money only because it offers you the most money. I started out going to a school that specialized only in pharmacy because they gave me the best financial aid package. When I realized I did not want to be a pharmacist I was stuck trying to find a new school and a new major. That is why it is also important to choose a school with a wide variety of majors if undecided when applying to universities. Once in school, I would advise that students participate as much as they can! It is a great way to make new friends and get new hobbies. Meeting new people at school events could mean finding classmates for a study group or finding a roommate that you can actually enjoy living with. Finally I would suggest that students meet with their advisors as early as possible to explore all options for their intended major and degree. It is important to know if you will need a graduate degree and what you will need to accomplish in order to obtain admission into a graduate program.

The advice that I would give to parents and/or students that are looking for the right fit in a college or university, would be to take their time looking and try to pick the institution that has the most to offer them academically and on a personal level. Making sure that the university or college has the program that the student is interested in is the first step and major key in the decision of where they want to attend. I would also encourage them to go in the direction of an institution where they feel comfortable being themselves and they feel comfortable around their peers and educators. It is very important to be at a college or university where you can be yourself and know that you are around supportive and friendly individuals. I would tell the parents to value their children's decisions in where they want to pursue their education. Overall, the decision should be one that is made as a family with the student being able to voice their opinions and concerns.

make sure you discuss the size of the university/college, what activities are available on the weekend.. how far you are away from home. the type of weather year round.. choice of local transportation