University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

Freedom: it happened when my mom waved goodbye. Consequently, I have so much more to do on my own. I am now dependent on myself, and as a result I am learning more and more about my capabilities as a young adult. Freedom has raised my level of confidence significantly. Freedom means being on my own, making my own decisions and learning from them. As I continue to try new things that I never would have prior to attending the University of Pittsburgh, I become more empowered because I know that I can take risks and make accomplishments on my own. I cannot deny that my freedom to make my own choices has put me in some rough situations, but I have learned that all the bad experiences come and go, and as I look back on them, I realize that perhaps it was not as bad as I thought. The most important aspect of freedom in my opinion is that it has led me to experiences that opened my eyes to the complexities of the life. I have learned in a very short space of time that I must put away my childish ways and blossom into an adult.

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Getting and education is very important. It allows you to discover who you are and form new goals, opinions and ideas. You meet people and learn to love their ways. You are paying the university to challenge yourself. It tests your strenghts and weaknesses.

The best college experience that I have gotten was going on the college tours and seeing how colleges are very much different. I think every student should experience a small campus and a large campus. I was able to make a choice from four colleges that I was accepted at. That experience was valuable, because it allowed me to see up close and personnal the likes and dislikes with the campuses and also see the living quarters that I would be possibly living in.

The many things i have gotten from this experience has been, self reliance, self confidence, the ability to look for information, and find it. I have grown as a student, a person, a friend and i am so thankful to be apart of such a reputable school. Each year is a new challenge and a new adventure. I don't just think this university is a great one i know it becuase i live it.

I have definitely learned many things during my first year of college. I think the most important thing I have learned was that you need to try new things. I have always been a shy person my entire life (I was voted "seen before heard" in high school), but when I went to college I was given the opportunity to change that. Trying new things gave me that opportunity. I was able to join clubs and participate in activities that I would have never gotten had I not gone to college. I met new people, saw many interesting presentations that helped me decide what I want to do with my life, and most of all, learned so many things about myself. I have also learned that everything can be fun if it is done in the right way. In high school completing my sixty hours of community service was a chore, but now I am in college and I volunteer for FUN. College has made me look at everything in a different way and I cannot wait to continue my education.

I have really realized the value of a college education: College exposes you to new people and new ideas--neither of which you will necessarily like or agree with. In a somewhat sheltered way, college is a lot of people's first exposure to the "real world", even if the majority of the "real world" doesn't have college degrees. The main thing I have taken advantage of during my college education so far is the study abroad program. I spent an entire semester (almost 4 months) in Havana, Cuba, which is something extremely hard for a US citizen to do without the help of a student visa. If I weren't a college student, I would never have had the opportunity to go legally to Cuba, but under my school's license, I could go and actually live and study there. Colllege has also provided me with a set of values all my own: my Philosophy program challenges students to think outside-the-box and consider opinions and beliefs that they otherwise would have never considered. The opportunities that college has provided me with will continue until well after graduation, there is no doubt in my mind.

I believe that I received more than the typical education. Going to a community college taught me to receive education from all different walks of life. My classmates are the typical college freshmen of teens and early 20s. They're mom's that are going to school and raising 2 or more kids. They're military wives and foreign exchange students from all over the world. At the community college of Aurora I was able to learn as well as discover my future career as well as learn about the world I live in outside the classroom. It's valuable because I'm able to learn my skills and my knowledge to improve and help the world. Which is the reason why I attend college in the first place.

The most valuable – and surprising – lesson that I learned from my college experience has been modesty. Success in high school had always come easily to me; I never felt truly challenged and graduated with near perfect grades. I was given a large amount of awards and recognition from my community for my achievements. This recognition gave me a false sense of accomplishment entering college. I was admitted into the Honors College and the University of Pittsburgh and given the opportunity to live in the honors dorms, a community of other high achieving students. As the year progressed, I was working as hard as many of my peers but wasn’t getting the same results they were. I felt inadequate and at times questioned my abilities as a student. I had never expected to be a student that struggled with the transition to college, but I was. I had a relatively successful freshman year, but living with other honors students showed me how much work would be necessary to stand out. I also learned the value of surrounding myself with others who have high expectations for themselves. Their influence helped me understand what it would take to become a successful student.

Attending college last school year has made me realize how the "real world" works. I've learned that college is an adventure that everyone has to experience for themselves. I had to learn how to provide for myself and not be dependent on my parents. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is that studying is a very important in college and pays off. To be successful you have to pass and learn the material. In my own experience I had to learn the hard way. It took me a few weeks to realize that my studying habits weren't helping me accomplish a high GPA in my classes. I want to accomplish and be the most successful that I will allow myself to be and experiencing college gave me a little sneak peak on what I?ll be expecting in the future.