University of New Mexico-Main Campus Top Questions

If I could go back in time to my high school self, I think I would tell myself not to wait to go to college. There is so much about college life to enjoy when you are young. Do your best in school because good grades will take you far. When you can do well academically it opens so many doors that it is unbelievable, from opportunities to study abroad, to membership in organizations that can advance your future, to scholarships; it is well worth the effort. Study hard, but don't forget to enjoy the time as well. Be a friend and make memories.

Convince my high school teacher to grade a little harder so that it required me to put more effort in my work. If you struggle in your class go to tutoring to help the transition in the amount of school work and difficulty a little easier. Never, think you are unable to do anything cause you can.

I would tell myself not to take more than 15 credit hours for my first university semester. One should be conservative and get to know the flow and rhythm of the teachers and your own performance towards the academic demands before you increase the load. I would remind myself to reflect on what I am learning everyday, not only academically speaking, but also with respect to my social interactions or lack thereof, and the way other people impact my life and how my input may impact their life. I would advise myself to try to help transitioning students because, as someone who has received support by tutors and encouragement from friends, I know how important it is. I also would tell myself to not lose perspective about the competition, because the main competition is myself. I would say that my focus should be on the constant improvement of my own capabilities and that the letter “A” should be a reflection of my understanding of the material, not just an artifact that allows me to move forward. Retaining what you have learned is the foundation that you will continually build upon, so don’t just study for the test.

To take harder classesduring high school and to get to have a better idea of the different colleges and scolarship opportunities. To get as much contact with the professional field in order to have an idea of the concentration you would like to pursue in college and to avoid switching classes and waisting years of your life. ( taking summer camps...) To read more books in order to improve your vision and your cultture. To take a lot of professional writing worshops in order to get ready to the college assignements.

Do not get held back by that stupid religious notion that women should only be raising kids in the home. Realize that you love learning about the brain, you are good at math and have natural ability to understand psychological concepts. Apply for the best programs and push to succeed. You will love it and you will not go to hell.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to work hard in any classes because G.P.A. is very important to scholarships. It’s important to manage time carefully too because you must make time for your homework, assignments, and friends. Remember to always study for each exam because unlike high school you can’t blow off a test and hope for the best. Each exam is important and every grade matters. When it comes to making friends, just be you and be opened to meeting new people. You are going to meet new people who are different from you and different from what you are used to. Do these things and college is going to be amazing, fun, and very liberating.

I would tell myself to stop being so afraid. College gave me so many more experiences than high school ever did. It is a fun thing, not terrifying. Also, put yourself out there more, don't be so withdrawn. Become part of more groups, push yourself out of your comfort zone. And lastly, don't let people tell you what you should or should not study. Study what you want, and you'll be so much happier for it.

I would say take full advantage of the experience. If you can just go to school, just go to school. You have a lifetime to work, just enjoy all the oppourtunities that will come your way. Get involved in campus clubs and activities. The friends you make and the fun you will have is what you will remember 20 years from now...not what history or science class you had. Not to say party and enjoy your social life but not academics, no learn like a sponge, take it all in. The four years will be gone before you know. Think about what will happen after school, after you graduate. Talk to others that are in your field of study, is this something you are going to want to do on a daily basis? Do summer internships, make valuable professional contacts. It's who you know, not always what you know that will get you ahead in this world. Never give up on that dream, even though sometimes you will want to.

Never let the fear of the future or the expectations of society kill your love of learning. I've walked in your shoes before and I know that you're worried and torn. I know that right now studying business seems like the safer choice, the only plausible one, but history inspires you - it feeds your imagination. You can share that joy with others. YOU can choose. Let that enthusiasm for learning drive you, but also try to remember that there is a world outside the spines of your books. Experience all aspects of life as fully as you can. Try to find the balance between learning and living. Always do the best you can in all your endeavors, but remember that in the end you are more than the university you attended or the job you had and the money you made. Yes, those things matter, but there's more to learning than books and classrooms, there's more to life than being comfortable. There's more to you than what others can see. And after all, in your imagination you can live an infinite number of lives, so why be limited to one that others chose for you?

Frankly, "making the transition" would be at the bottom of the list of advice I would give to my past self. I had a lot of other things going on at the time which resulted in my attendance of college at a later age than most incoming Freshmen. However, since that's not the prompt, I suppose my advice to myself on "making the transition" would be to ignore distractions, budget my time wisely, and make a serious commitment. I would also encourage myself to move out-of-state sooner, as this was the decision in my life that was a really pivotal change for me. It removed the safety net, so to speak, and forced me to succeed. It also eliminated those distractions I was talking about earlier.

Pursue what you want. It's your life and you want to be in a career you love, are interested in, challenges you, and you can see doing the rest of your life. If you're good at calculus or other hard courses you took in high school, that's great! You challenged yourself in something you're good at and succeeded! That doesn't mean you have to be an engineer. Don't let anyone make this decision for you, you'll regret it and waste time and money. Find something you're passionate about, make the decision before college or during college, at least YOU'RE making the choice. Even if your choice isn't a doctor, lawyer, or engineer you can still be happy with life and make a great living. You just have to have the motivation to work hard and love what you're doing. Don' lose sight of that. You can go far in any field if you love it and are wanting to succeed in it. It's hard to make the decision now, I know. You might let down some people. But you won't regret it, I promise!

If I could go back and give myself advice in high school I would tell myself to learn more about what colleges you can afford that also have the degree program you are looking for. I was wanting to get a business law degree and applied for the college I am in now strictly because it would be slightly easier to afford. What I did not know was that it did not have the degree program that I really wanted. I changed my degree program and enjoy it, but wish I could be doing what I really wanted to do. I would also tell myself to force myself to sign up for more activities my freshman year. I did not join clubs and I wish I would have. I feel like it would have been more motivation to put that extra effort and enthusiasm into my studies.

I feel that I made the transition from high school senior to college freshman quite easily. I would like to give myself the advice to be more open to change. School and grades are important, but enjoying the college life and socializing is just as important in some aspects. I would like to see myself relax a little more and enjoy being a young college freshman. I feel I was a little too consumed with my studies to really fully enjoy the other aspects of being a college student.

I came to UNM without knowing many people. I spent the first few days feeling miserable, alone, and with the fear of becoming another washout who would return to the local college after a semester. So what changed my outlook? Simply getting out of my dorm room. No matter what school you may end up attending, opportunities will abound to become close to others. Every face you meet could end up being the face of a new friend. With this new attitude, I decided to try again. There were dozens of chances: free tickets to the local minor league baseball game. A drive-in movie night. Midnight breakfast. I quickly was drawn to new people, and acquaintances turned into friends as our conversations turned from "what's your major?" to the adventures we would soon make reality. The bottom line? BE OPEN. I was one of over six thousand new freshman at my university. Most were in the same situation as I was: a new, unknown setting. My one piece of advice is to simply make the most of this and IGNORE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. College is for new experiences, so never turn down an opportunity to try something new.

Dear Tara,

In order to establish an ideological foundation, if I could go back in time and tell myself the following, it would probably help me understand the implications of the profession, architecture, I was about to delve into. With this knowledge, it could have help mold my beginning architectural projects in school to have a completely different and probably better outcome. The exact words I would state are the following: “Architecture has the power to change society and human behavior, but it should do so for legitimate reasons. Society counts on us to make those decisions. We, as designers, should not forget the impact our design decisions make. I believe the best education can equip me with the professional background to know when to ask the difficult questions and how to answer those questions effectively. It is said that it is impossible to learn anything until you are ready to learn it. Make sure you are ready and continue on when your drive for architecture only gets stronger as you move forward, because it won’t be easy.”

Firstly, I would advise myself to apply to as many colleges that interested me as possible. I would recomend this simply because I went out of country and was short on time, so I settled on UNM merely because of financial reasons. My second recomendation would be to more thouroughly brainstorm my degree interests, their potetial careers, and establish a yearly plan to guide my progress and educational decisions to graduation.

The best advice that i would give myself is to focus on time manegment. It is what can break or make a person. I would also tell myself to take schooling more serious because although a lot of this time is fun i can catch up to you and you need to keep your focus on what is the long term goal. Looking back now i understand why so many people find it hard to make it through all the years of college. I would tell myself to be ready for a lot of freedom, but to be careful how that time is used.

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living,” Gail Sheehy. Looking into college and the changes it will bring can be overwhelming and even scary, but rest assured the experiences you will have and the friendships you will make will be rewarding and invaluable on so many levels. High school is a time where we tend to follow the herd to fit in, but college is the place where we break free and get to know ourselves. We explore new ideas, gain self-confidence, and challenge ourselves to do better. However these changes don’t just happen, we make them happen- one day at a time, one moment at a time. So try new things! Step out of your comfort zone! Register for a dance class, join a club that interests you, meet one person in every course. Each experience will help you grow on this dynamic road of self edification. Remember that there is never just one right choice in college because it’s about more than education, it’s about learning. Diego Matek- [email protected]

I would tell myself that it is important to have a social life. Of course, school work and grades are very important, but they are not all that matters. It is good to have realtionships and resources with people you went to high school with and with new students in college. It helps to know that you have someone who can take notes for you when you are sick, or who can help you find a quiet place to study on campus, or soemone just to hang out with at lunch time, or soemone to walk to class with. I would also say that it is okay to have responisble fun every now and then. Go to a football game or another campus activity, but be involved. Meeting new people is part of the college experince, and it should be fun, not a chore. Later on in life when you have your dream job and good friends by your side, you will see that it all paid off.