University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to enjoy my time with my friends. All of my closest friends went to different schools all over the state and some out of state. I now do not talk to them nearly as much as I'd like to and I wish I would have spent more time with them when I had the chance. Of course in college you make new friends, but they never know you like hometown friends do. I also get to see them when I am home for breaks and during the summer, but with work and vacations, that can be difficult too. So while you are still close to them physically and through your friendship, enjoy it! Once college starts, everything changes.

Definitely try new things. When the activities fair comes around, sign up for everything you think you want to try because you can make alot of friends by participation in clubs. Don't wait until the last minute to study! Take advantage of community service opportunities.

As a high school junior, I was very ambitious with regard to which University I hoped to attend. I didn't realize that students need not only ambition and good grades, but also proof of social skills, commonly referred to as extracurriculars. I hadn't participated in any clubs for more than two years, and didn't think it was so important. If I could go back in time I would tell myself to lower my expectations and to pick a couple of extracurriculars and stick with them no matter what. I would tell myself that it's more important to find what I'm really interested in rather than to get into a particular prestigious university. Our society places so much pressure on college students to attend an ivy league or similarly esteemed college that when they are rejected and must accept a different institution, students feel a loss of self-worth. I have learned during these two years in my university not to feel guilty about my choice to study here, and to focus on finding a path that feels right no matter where I am.

As I stroll through the courtyard, a mysterious stranger appears. This strange being lifts her head and I am startled to see my own face before me. But how could this be? Suddenly, this other me speaks. "Hello. I am you, from the future." How much this startled me, I cannot even begin to describe. How could I be from the future? "Listen, Ashley, I don't have much time. I know this must seem weird to you, but I must give you some advice. You may think you have got it made senior year, but you don't. You need to apply for colleges, and apply early! Applying early could mean a larger scholarship. Also, start on scholarships now. You have some great teachers that can write great letters of recommendations, so utilize them. The more money you can get now, the less loans you will have to pay back. Believe me, we have enough loans. Oh, no, the wormhole is closing. Listen, just do what I say, and you won't be nearly as stressed." I pondered this statement as my other self faded away. Should I follow this advice? Let's find out!

I would tell myself to apply to more colleges; especially those with grants and scholarships.

We all wish that we could rewind time and "go back and tell ourselves what we know now." As a college freshman, if I had the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would specifically tell me to apply for as many scholarships as possible no matter how long the essays requirements are. I've always heard about how expensive college is but now that I am experiencing it firsthand I truly understand. As I was applying for scholarships in high school I would skim through the requirements and if it had an extremely long essay or difficult topic to write about I wouldn't apply for that scholarship. I now realize that I shouldn't have been lazy because the couple of hours that it would have taken me to write the essays would have helped me save so much money.

As an incoming freshman, I wasn't sure what to expect or how to deal with living in the dorms, studying for exams, or prioritizing my schedule. When it comes to meeting new people, keep in mind that all of the other freshmen are in the same boat as you. They are nervous and want to make friends just as badly as you do. Open up, socialize, and show them who you are. First impressions are lasting. In your classes, don?t be intimidated by your professor or even by the size of your classes. There are many opportunities available to you if you need assistance whether it?s during office hours, tutoring, or review sessions. Managing your time will be the most difficult task. You?re going to be faced with decisions like whether to go to the party at Sigma Alpha Epsilon or study for your biology quiz and go shopping at the waterfront or attend the chemistry review session. There is always a small cost to making the right decision and it?s often hard to find middle ground. Remind yourself that you are here to learn and make the best of every opportunity you?re given.

I wish I would have looked at schools in other states. At the University of Pittsburgh it seems that a lot of the scholarships go to out of state students, and in highschool I was at the top of my class, with a high probability of getting a good scholarship - just not at Pitt because I'm an in-state student. I only applied to a few schools and all of them were in Pennsylvania, I regret this choice now because of all the loans I have already taken out and thinking about how many I will have to take out in the future makes me sick. Other than that, the University of Pittsburgh is a great school for me and I love this city and the people in it, it just may have not been the best choice financially - and I wish I would have known more about that as a senior in highschool.

Do not worry. There is no need to stress. Yes, college life is a big step; you are on your own, and it is time to embrace more responsibility, but there is no need to worry about succeeding. You will succeed and managing your life is part of the process. You need to work hard, always be ready to step up to a challenge, and be prepared to be on top of things. It might be overwhelming at first, but take one day at a time. Make to-do lists in order to get your priorities straight, even if you have to make a list daily. Stay organized because every little bit of organization helps you to succeed in your classes more and more. Study as often as possible instead of cramming everything together. Most importantly, get help. If you are struggling in a class, stop being stubborn and go get help. Whether it is tutoring, or study groups with friends, get help and learn off your peers. Teaching and helping one another assist in your understanding. Of course, have fun too! Get involved. Cheer on the sports' teams. Have fun with your new, exciting, once in a lifetime experience.

I think that the best advice that I could give knowing what i know now and what I have been through would be to tell myself not to be overly optimistic and to think myself the exception to all of the college stereotypes of transitioning. I had three hell roommates and within the first month of school also broke up with my boyfriend. I wish that I could go back and give myself the sage advice to choose a roommate instead of opting for a random assignment. And I would also advize to reconsider having a highschool boyfriend carry over into college. I wish I could go back to rethink some of the naive assumptions I made about how everything simply works out as long as you believe it will work because sometimes no matter how much you try to control or manipulate a situation, you are unable to determine the outcome.