University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

My first semester, I was severely depressed. I fell behind in classes, lost 15 pounds, and suffered panic attacks. I was put on anti-depressants, and spoke with a psychologist. For a while, I considered quitting and going home. However, I realized I was sick of feeling the way I did, and only I had the power to make myself feel better. I began trying to be more positive and to talk to people. After a while, I noticed the sadness diminishing. I successfully finished my first semester with a 3.8 GPA along with some new friends. If I could go back and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would be honest. I say that this transition is not going to be easy, and that I must go into this with an open mind, or I will never survive. I would tell myself to be serious, but not to stress all the time. I would advise myself to be outgoing and happy. Overall, I would tell myself to make the best of the situation and those to come; if things are bad, they won’t be forever. No matter what, I'm going to make it.

As a senior in high school I made the decision to go play softball at Northern Illinois University. After my first year there I knew it wasn't the right fit for me and I decided to come to the University of Nevada-Reno and play softball. If I could go back in time I would tell myself to think about my decisions and make sure it's really what I wanted. I took the first offer that came my way because of my dream to play college softball and instead of being true to myself, I got excited and settled. I learned that not challenging your ability in one area can lead to not challenging yourself in all areas. I needed to take a challenge and strive for something better. I needed to be confident in all the work I had put into school and softball. I would tell myself to never settle for anything less than what I deserve and to always strive for more.

Knowing what I know now about college and the transition, I would tell myself as a high school senior to be wiser about saving money, to just relax, and to study hard and make good study habits as early as possible. I would tell myself to be wiser about saving money, because finances are a big part of being in college. The struggling college student stereotype is definitely reality at times. Learning to relax and just have fun sometimes is also very important in college and in life in general, because if you don't, you're just going to break down at some point. The statement I would emphasize the most would be to buckle down on studying, because as a high school student, I didn't have very study habits, but I got away with it and had very good grades and an amazing GPA. But I've learned that, in college, a person can't just slide by. I passed all of my classes with A's and B's without studying much. But I know that I could have done so much better if I had buckled down and studied my hardest last semester.

Challenge yourself! As a highschool senior, I understand that you want to get out of the petty highschool stuff, but this year is extremely important in your future, although I know it may not seem like it. Once college starts, you'll wish you would have taken writing essays or practicing good study habits in highschool more seriously. But it's not about just passing the classes or having an amazing essay, it honestly is about getting the most out of your education as you can. I look back at my senior year and remember just wanting to finish, but I had teachers who were willing help me pursue my passions and not just pass or stay in my comfort zone, but actually challenge me with the sole purpose of me learning something and stretching my education. Take AP classes, even though they are hard you'll absolutely have the upper hand and understand the pressures that come along with college. Knowledge is something that nobody is able to strip you of and the earlier you start pursuing what you love, the earlier you are able to actually use that knowledge to tangiably make an impact in someones life.

I would advise my high school self to wait to get married until college was done. It is a hard process to work and go to school all at the same time. Family life doesn't interfere that much, but having to work, makes it very difficult to find time to complete classwork. Since there is the ability to do online classes, there is no need to even be near a school, but you do still need to have time to complete the required assignments. Make school your first priority, and once that is out of the way, even if only with an Associate's degree, it's better than being middle aged and trying to scrape out the time, or energy, to complete classes.

The main thing that would be told to my past self would be to not listen to a word that anyone says about college academics or the college life. College in itself is nothing at all like high school, whether it be the social aspect or the academic side of college. The classes are much, much harder, and getting up for those classes is probably the hardest part because if you hit the snooze button on your alarm, there isn't anyone there to make sure you got up. As a college student, you are literally on your own. When it comes to the social aspect, college isn't like it is on T.V. If you go out and party hard and get caught, there isn't a special someone you can talk to to get out of trouble, there are consequences to the choices you make in college because your an adult, not a child anymore. I think that is the main thing that I would try to get across to my past self. Make your choices wisely.

If I could go back in time,the advice I would give myself would be that; YES! in College you have to take things seriously, apply yourself, set up your goals and achieve them, but that is not all. Another very important aspect of going to College is to learn about life, intercat with other people with different backgrounds, grow up as a person, and to get to know yourself better. Once College starts you learnto make your own decisions taking into account the priorities. Each student decides how to manage their time between school work, social life, and jobs. College life also teaches you how to appreciate things and understand that hard work eventually pays off. While being a student one also has the opportunity to interact with people from different countries, people with different backgrounds and experiences. These people can be either a professor, a college advisor, or even one of your classmates. One wil always learn something from other individuals and more importan; you can always finds that something or that someone that inspires you and encourages you to be the best version of yourself.

If I was able to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have a whole day conversation about many things. Some of the things that I would tell myself are about financial, academic and to not give up. At first I would start by encouraging myself to enroll in at least 9 or more credits. Second, I would show myself how apply for scholarships because this is actually the first time that I have applied for a scholarship. Third, I would recommend to keep those grades up in order to qualify for university financial aid. The last thing I would tell myself is to keep my head up because there are gonna be some tough times ahead but that I will make it because I have faith in myself and know how much I can accomplish with out any one motivating and showing me the path. Remember that there is no greater motivator than myself because no one knows me as well as I do.

Go ahead and go to a four year university. Most of the scholarships out there are targeted to graduating seniors. You can’t do anything with associates except transfer, and by that time it gets harder to find scholarships.

"Remember this vitally important thing: the only person at the university that's going to care anything at all about you at the university is your advisor. Study and stay on top of your work."

I was homeless and taking care of myself by the time I graduated so I would go back in time and tell myself this: "You will go through a lot of heartache and a lot of trials but do not let them get you down or stop you from following your dreams. You will feel like giving up, but don't! You will feel like there is no one out there that can help you but there is! Seek help! Do not go it alone! There are places and people out there that can help you keep a roof over your head and keep food in your belly. Find the help you will need, it is out there. You can and will be able to follow your dreams. I am only telling you so that you do not start too late in life like I had to. You feel like giving up but DO NOT GIVE UP! You will prove to yourself and others that you are not a failure; that you are a very intelligent and indendant woman."

Hi, Gabby. I'm sorry to be so abrupt, but you won't complete senior year right unless you listen to my advice. Make more of an effort to look for scholarships, because if you don't, you're guaranteeing yourself more stress in the future. You've done a good job of that so far, but I need to give you a push. Also, when you get there, use moderation in everything. In the future, you don't go to many parties, and you don't lose control, but you lose sight of grades for a little while. And, even though the semester ended with good academic standing, it was stressful the last few weeks. Make use of the libraries early on, because they definitely saved me during finals week. Also, call your parents every week when you're there. They miss you terribly, and you should really make an effort to show that you miss them, too. Don't be as selfish as I was with that. But, otherwise, you survived your first semester decently, but there will always be room for improvement, in the both of us. Work hard, like always. Love, Gabby.

There is far too much I could tell my past self in order to aptly prepare me for my first semester of college. I would have liked to tell myself to get on board with a club or group immediately after getting onto campus. My goals lie in studying abroad in Japan, and have since I was in high school. If I had joined Japanese club, then I would be in a much better position now to study in a country I still know little about. I've also been held back by my work and monetary responsibilities during my early college career. I would have advised myself not to focus so much on working, and focus everything it took to succeed in school, so that later in life, I won't still be working full time at Starbucks. However, most importantly, I'd warn myself that the end of high school is the end of having my life set before me. My schedule, transportation, and my books and tuition would all be my responsibility. I'd tell myself that, in college, there is no guarantee that everything will fall into place, like it does in high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be so incredibly nervous and worried about college life. I would tell myself that the trasition is not terrifying and nerve-racking like I assumed it would be. I would let myself know that making friends instantly would be easy and that I do not need to worry about being homesick. I would tell myself that the classes are not as difficult as I thought they would be as long as I keep up with the school work and the due dates. I would let myself know that receiving a high GPA is possible if I keep everything well organized and if I planned out days to study and get my homework finished. In order to save money, I would tell myself to not buy expensive books for my classes until I knew for sure that I needed them. Lastly and most importantly, I would let myself know that it is okay to not be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure of what career path I want to take and to not rush into anything.

When asking myself this question a few things come to mind. Some are more serious than others but I would have really appreciated if, future Travis, would have sat me down and shared his knowledge. This advice would have saved me a lot of time, effort, struggle, and maybe most important a whole lot of money. First, don’t waste our money on a laptop. There are several reasons for this but the most important is the cost/benefit. You will spend two thousand dollars on a great machine, good for you. However, what no one tells you will need to buy a lot of expensive software to make it practical. Also, laptops are heavy. Once you get all your course books and notebooks in your backpack the last thing you want is another ten pounds weighing you down. Use the University's computers because they are really nice and they have all the sofftware you will need. Second, carry a stapler. There are not staplers in the classrooms and your professors will not accept your work if it is not stapled. Third and most important, go to class. This is the big leagues and you need to focus.

Jen, I realize you're having troubles at home. You're trying to figure out who you want to be and who can help support you in your decisions. You just want someone to believe in you. You are strong enough to accomplish anything. You are incredibly capable. Your life will be amazing however you decide to lead it, just be sure to stand behind your decisions. Fulfill your dreams. Don't let the naysayers tell you that something isn't possible. It's not your life they're leading; you're leading your life and it can become whatever you will it to be. Start with the idea that everything is possible then you can go anywhere. College isn't any harder than the high school you have attended. Don't let the money intimidate you. You have resources available of which you're unaware. Talk to your principal or your teachers - all of these people want you to succeed and they're all good, trustworthy people. Let your guard down and you will find the help you need.

I would tell myself to try a little harder. Although I was an AP and Honors student, I still don't feel that I really challenged myself. I would tell myself to focus on science more and take advatnage of the smaller classroom setting to learn. Because once you're in college, you're in big lectures with teachers and professors who care less about you. I would tell myself to get straight A's because it would've mattered. I would tell myself to audition for more solos in choir because I didn't end up participating in music in college. And lastly, I would tell myself to participate in more volunteering experiences while I still had the free time, because working and going to school isn't fun!

Dear younger version of me, In order for you to adjust more easily to the University of Nevada, Reno, you must know that you should take more time to be more social for your first year on-campus. Don’t be afraid to express your opinions and make new friends with those around you. Don’t focus entirely on school work, which will frustrate you from time to time. Learn when to take a break and blow off some steam by working out or hitting the slopes. You only have four to five years to spend at this beautiful university so take advantage of what it has to offer. Stick to the extracurricular activities that you started with such as Intervarsity and get to know everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to meet new people because chances are, they like you for the honest guy you already are. One thing you already have going for you is your honesty and the fact that you don’t have a mask to hide behind. You are real with people and people like that, so just go with it! Don’t sweat the small stuff, concentrate on the bigger picture.

If I were able to make a visit to myself back when I was a high school senior, which wasn't more than a year ago, I would first deeply commend myself for choosing to take the Advanced Placement courses I took. If it weren't for that literal advancement, I wouldn't be in the perfectly-paced courses I have taken last semester. I would also greatly urge myself to focus more on community projects and scholarships because I feel that would have made my financial transitioning from high school to college easier. I regret not utilizing every scholarship opportunity that had been presented to me because, in retrospect, for every hour I could have devoted to working toward earning scholarships that I hadn't has costed my parents a great deal of money. However, I find that knowing how hard it was for my parents to pay for my education envigorates my motivation to do well in school. Finally, I would tell my former self to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for the impending distance that will separate her from her loved ones. It will be exceptionally difficult at first, but eventually she will definitely overcome it.

The advice I would give myself or any senior in general moving forward to college would be to live, to live a life that's worthy to look back on with a smile on your face, to live a life where success outweighs regrets, and to live a life where failures are taken into account and turned into lessons. Life is too short to be too concerned about the opinions of shallow and uneducated people. I would also add that one should do his or her best in everything that he or she strives to acheive in life; the only person that suffers from not giving his or her all is that same person who gave up too soon. Nobody wants to admit that they put themselves first almost all of the time and everyone is selfish in some way or another, but it's true. Why else would a realistic love story be so messy and unfair? Because everyone puts their feelings first, not everything goes as planned. So therefore, to sum it all up, I would tell myself to focus on yourself , to respect yourself, and to love yourself first and foremost.