University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

The advice I would give myself would be to get involved with the school clubs and organizations as soon as possible. Getting involved now I see that I have missed many opportunities to create bonds with people that have similar interests as I have and also being able to go to events held by these organizations the last two years of my college experience. Another thing would be to become more organized and accountable to deadlines. Its not like high school where the teachers tell you whether you are missing things or you can easily check your grade online to see if you need to get an assignement in or make up a test. I would have to become more accountable to myself. Also I would get more interaction with the teachers and go to their office hours if needed and somtimes if I didn't need it because I still might help. College is an experience in itself and if I could go back and tell myself what to prepare for these would be the things I would focus on to prepare myself for my road towards a career.

The thing that I would tell myself first is to not wait to go to college. I told myself I would take a year off after graduation and I actually took seven years. Getting back into the habit of going to class and doing homework after so many years of not doing it is very hard. My first semester of college was like being a freshman in high school all over again. I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going. I forgot a lot of things that I learned in high school. From my senior year of high school taking Calculus, I had to start over again with Pre-Algebra. It's not fun to go back to school feeling dumber than when you left high school. Another thing that I would tell myself is that, even though most professors don't neccessarily care if you are there or not, going to class is crucial to understanding the material and passing the class. I skipped class when I was lazy and didn't feel like going to class and failed a class my first semester of college.

Sacha I know you don’t want to go to college, but you will have a better chance in the future. You keep saying that college is not for you, but you are wrong. College is for everybody. You have a one year old daughter and you should want a better future for her if nobody else. A college education is something that nobody can take from you. You will do great in college because you have so much support from your parents. There are a lot of people who want to go to college and can’t. You have the advantages that some people dream of. You need to stop given excuses of why you don’t want to go and go. If you don’t get anything, but a degree to hang on the wall, it will show how you finish something. It depends on what college you go to, whether or not you can write your own ticket in life. At least think about it. While you thinking try looking into your future and your daughters’ future if you have a higher education than High School. Always live to better yourself and your future.

There have been times when I thought of the things that I would have done differently if I could go back in time. Out of those things one thing that would change my life today would be the choice I made for my high school senior year. If I could go back to being a high school senior, I would chose to stay in America instead of going to India for that year. By staying in America, I would have been able to get the Millennium Scholarship which would have been a strong financial support for my academic career. I would have gone straight to the university instead of attending the community college. I tried to save money by attending the community college and now I understand at what cost. If I had better financial support I would have graduated and gotten a job in better economy environment. I would definitely be saving a lot more than I saved by going to community college only if I had finished my senior year in America. The only advice I would give to myself as a high school senior would be to “Look at the big picture and plan for long term.”

When coming to college as a freshman I definitely had no idea what to expect. If going back in time to give myself a heads up, there would be a lot I would say. First would be to save more money than I did, because everything in college costs more, especially when being on your own. Also I would mention to not ponder on the little things like "what's going on with my boyfried?", because once you get to college there won't be time for one.

The advice I would give myself is that I should have had a stronger mindset in the beginning and sticked with a goal. When I was in high school, I was confident and ready to go to college and strive. I didn't realize how seriously I didn't take college and that it was just supposed to be this independent, great experience everyone deserves to be part of. In my freshman year, my major was Chemistry and it was tough. I didn't study too much, spent more time outside with friends and didn't take college too seriously. To pay for my actions, my GPA went down and I was still the same next semester and the semester afterwards. Finally, I decided to change my major because I wasn't happy and wasted more than a year for nothing. If I was read from the start, I wouldn't be going through this difficult right now. Now I can't think of volunteering and helping out my community, but worry about the grades for this semester. GPA is important for graduate school, so one thing I definitely learned is that I should have been ready from the start.

If I could tell myself something it would be to not take anything for granted and to not slack off in high school. If you work hard and never slack off then things will be easier in college. College is not easy. I would also tell myself to start saving money instead of spending it. College is not cheap, but it is neccessary to succeed in life. I would tell myself to make the right decisions, stay strong, and don't let anyone push you around or push you off the road you are focused on going down. I belive in myself!

Don't get comfortable. Be willing to change. Meet new people.

Dear Yesenia, First of all, don't stop excercising just because school got stressful... that's the most important time TO excercise! Even fifteen minutes of just walking around the park helps. Next, stop stressing over your parent's problems. When they vent to you it seems like you have to take care of everything, but don't worry about it... everything will be OK. Making it your problem is the perfect recipe for an unhappy senior year and a rough start to a freshman year of college. BREATHE and let it GO. Also, don't set goals for yourself that seem overwhelming... break them up into smaller ones you can manage. Prepare as much as you can and then expect the unexpected. This will help you go a long way in not only your studies, but also life. Don't get obsessed over numbers, stop and smell the flowers from time to time. Don't get caught up in disappointing grades, learn from the mistakes and move on, there'll be more opportunities to excel. Take care, The Future YOU

I have found an accepting and inviting place at my college. Many social/ethnic/racial groups and more are represented and are inviting to all students--even if you are not a part of that group. The amount of school pride is contagious and makes me happy to be a member of the Wolf Pack! The faculty members are supportive of students and readily available to help out when needed. They create an enthusiastic learning environment that makes me want to attend class and learn more about the subject matter. My love of learning has grown by going to UNR. I am proud to be able to give back to my university through my role as a resident assistant in the dorms. Not only am I able to impact the lives of many students, I have the opportunity to be a role model, mentor, and leader for incoming freshman and my fellow staff members. The friendships I have made throughout the years are ones that will last a lifetime.