University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

College is the beginning of your life - it's when you can start making your own choices. Listen to your heart, and follow it, no matter how bad an idea everyone else thinks it is. Being an adult is better than you can possibly imagine. Even parts that are awful are so much better than high school. Breathe deep, and know you're almost there, you're doing a great job, and it's going to get so much better.

Similar to most freshmen, my biggest fear was being alone in a new school. The number one advice addressing this fear was to get involved. This is great advice, but my recommendation is much more compelling: Take a Risk. Most freshmen do get involved, but I have seen firsthand that many retreat from more competitive and demanding activities, including joining sororities or applying for leadership positions. Well, I followed my own advice; I took a risk and it paid off! While visiting the University of Pittsburgh, I met several students who were “Pathfinders”- students who represented the school by running tours, giving presentations, and mingling with potential students. These Pathfinders were not only knowledgeable of the University’s resources, but also exhibited the camaraderie and school pride that I found essential in making my decision to attend PITT. I was eager to join this organization but heard it was very competitive. So, I initially decided to wait until sophomore year, but later, felt a surge of confidence and applied. After writing two essays, creating an infomercial, and completing several interviews, I found out I was accepted. So, never be afraid to take a risk; I’m grateful that I did.

If I could go back in time, I would have told myself that high school is important! When I was in High school I was too busy doing drugs and hating everyone I came in contact with. Maybe the real problem was I hated myself. I have suffered from depression most of my life and because of that I usually don’t attempt to apply myself, for I am afraid to fail. I never understood that my grades would be affecting me almost ten years later. I usually slept in class because I was too tired from staying out the night before. I’m still not quite sure how I managed to graduate. I am now a single mother working a dead end job, realizing how important an education is. I now aspire to be a Registered Nurse and I hope that I can inspire my daughter to want more out of life than I did.

Hello, high school self, I’m your college future. Trust me when I say it doesn’t turn out anything like you think it will. So you know that move that mom and dad have been threatening for years now, well guess what, it happened. Yup, right after you graduate you going to be up and moving out of this state. Yes, yes I know that you think you wont be going with them cause your going to go to 4 year college away from then. I’m sorry to be the one to burst that bubble but you don’t. your going to be going to community college for 2 and a half years. Yes I know that that sound like it sucks but trust me you get some pretty good perks out of it. You do move out of mom and dads place, and into the Florida house and live there for a year and a half. And finally you decide to go to Pitt, yes that school mom always talks about. My only advise is get out there and don’t be afraid of being in new situations. You will eventually find your place, you always do.

If I could go back in time, I would emphasize the importance of time management. I struggled with the course load at first and it took me a whole year to really adjust to it. It is important to make a weekly plan for assignments and get them done in a timely manner.

A friend once told me “the easiest way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans.” Well I guess to Him college is 4 years of stand-up comedy. When I entered college I thought I had it all figured out. Yet, as the years went on things started to take on a different form— in both my academic and personal lives. What I thought I knew about myself and where I wanted to go in my life ended up being challenged. College is a time to learn who you are as a young woman. In the midst of classes, friends, and having a good time you will be faced with many different obstacles and presented with many great opportunities. There are times were you are going to want to give up and your near the point of just throwing in the towel. It is in that time that you begin to develop what is called character. It’s what defines you as a person and answers the ultimate question “who am I?” I’ll leave you with a few words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

If I was to go back and talk to my high-school senior self, I would tell myself to listen to my mom. She knew exactly what major I should go into, but I didn't want to listen to her and went into one which made me struggle. Once I figured out that she was right in what I should study, my grades and GPA soared. It took me a year to realize what my mom realized a year before I did. Another piece of advice I would give is to do whatever you want (within reason) and don't hesitate. Take the classes that seem interesting to you because you'll regret it if you don't. If you want to study abroad, go. You'll definitely regret not being able to go to Europe by the time you graduated. Go out and make friends; that way you won't be stuck with the crappy roommates you had your junior and senior year. Stay with band, you won't regret it. Most of all, enjoy yourself. You only experience undergrad once, make it memorable. Make it fun. Most of all make it count. You won't regret anything.

don't be scared!!!