University of San Francisco Top Questions

Attending a two-year community college was a great decision. Not only did it allow me to switch from a highschool mindset into a college one, but it also gave me an opportunity to think about what path I want to take as a career. It gave me the opportunity to focus, as well as gain valuable friends that I will take with me throughout life experiences. Attending college gave me the opportunity to grow as an individual, learn about others, and experience a vast amount of culture that I would not have experienced otherwise. Moreover, now that I am transferring to a four-year university, I will take this experiences with me and be able to make new memories and learn new lessons as I grow as an individual.

Out of my college experience while attending the University of San Francisco, I learned that having a solid studying habit is crucial. Also, the ability to have self control, knowing when to say no and knowing what your priorities is very important. During my first semester at USF I did not have good studying habits which did not help me recieve good grades on my midterms, but with perserverance and hardwork I learned to realize that it is possible to get passed those hard classes. It has been valuable attending the University of San Francisco because entering I had a passion to become a Veterinarian, however I decided to take a Physiology course with the help of the Dean Advisor who took the hold off for me, and with taking this course I realized that my calling was in the Nursing field and USF has an extremly good program, but also very competitive. With hard work and determination, as learned through my first semester at USF I know I will get accepted into the nursing program.

I am a first generation college student from a Latino background. My name is Eliana Aguayo born from immigrant workers. As a student enrolled at the University of San Francisco, I am proud to say that my college experience has been satisfied. I would like to continue with higher education, but I am unable to afford it. When I first began my studies as a Pre-Med student at USF I joined numerous clubs on campus and extracurricular activities. My first year at USF was full of excitement, friends, good grades and an overall satisfaction. I have valued my university because of what it has to offer: small classrooms, student resources, safety and recreational activities. Unfortunately, I have searched for value in USF because of the tuition price of $50,000.00 a year. Although, I have enjoyed searching for activities at USF I hesitate to do anything less of excellent because of the tuition price. In my search to find the value of a $50,000.00 a year university I have succeeded. Once I become an Alumni of USF I plan to give back to the students who have faced a similar experience to mine.

I have learned what it means to be independant. Coming from a household with five other siblings has taught me getting through life is tough. It wasnt easy for my mother to make ends meet all the time and when it came to college and paying for it she wasnt able to do anything financially but she made up for it with the amount of support she was willing to give me. She always said "if you want something done, you have to do it yourself" and that was what really stuck with me. If I wanted to go to college, and get through it I had to be willing to put in the effort and time that would help me not only get there, but stay there. It hasnt been easy to learn how to support myself, without the help of my family always a room away, but it has taught me to value not only my family, but myself as well. I know I will achieve my goals if I work hard enough to get there.

In high school, attending classes was mandatory, but the effort was not. I would advise anybody who wishes to go onto college to prepare for rigorous composition classes. This means taking an honors or Advanced Placement english class in the junior and/or senior year. I unfortunately did not challenge myself in taking such courses because of my fear of the workload. I now realize that I would have been more prepared for my college english class. It is essential to develop strong skills in written communication as early as possible. Fortunately, I am currently doing well in my class, but I still would like to have taken an AP course in english.

I would tell myself to be open to trying new things and meeting new people, yet to maintain my priorities. Keeping in touch with family and friends is very important, and staying in touch with my roots will give me support. Also, schoolwork and health are the highest priorities. I would strongly encourage myself to open myself to other people, to be cautious of who I socialize and interact with regularly, yet to allow for others who I find special to get close. IUsing my resources and keeping an open mind for the tools and help provided to me by the campus and surrounding area would increase my chances of success.

The first piece of advice I would give myself would actually come from the words of my grandmother. I would imagine her with her Panamanian accent saying, " Just try everything, you have to try". Not until going through the process of applying and completing a semester in college have I realized how much that really means. I would tell myself to no matter how much I didn't want to, apply to places I would never consider becuase those have potential to be the best fitting. I would also tell myself that the summer before college will probably be the best ever becuase it is the last time to truly be close to everyone you love and I would live it to its fullest and do all the local things I would miss. Finally, I would tell myself that it will probably be the hardest thing I will ever do, but not to be afraid becuase by taking it each day at a time I would be okay.

I know you're just dying to get out of the house and out into the world. And with good reason too, college is amazing. It's every bit as amazing as you thought it would be . You get to be on your own, responsible for your own behavior, without your parents telling you what to do. You aren't accountable to anyone. But guess what? You have the rest of your life to be all of those things. And once you leave home, you take an undeniable leap into adulthood. And that's the beginning of the end of your adolescent life. So savor it. I know the prosect of leaving high school is delightful to you, but you won't ever get that same youthful energy back. Relish in the close-knit classes, even though now your classmates make you roll your eyes. In short, don't be too much of a rush to get to college. It's great, but so is high school. Remember that. Cherish all of these memories because believe me, you'll miss them.

This is your last year! Make the best of it. Choose your friends wisely and stick with that group. Don't dwell on past mistakes, memories, regrets, because you can only move forward. When applying for college, please don't apply to anything but USF and SFSU, because you'll save more money, money you'll need in the future to buy books. Nursing is definitely your thing, so it's a terrific decision that will change your life! You're going to love the USF campus and transition quickly, so don't worry about anything. Live a carefree summer, but remember to buy your books earlier so you don't end up hunting for them last minute. Don't worry about your USF essay either; it's the perfect essay that the Admissions Board will love. You might want to study for the SAT harder if you want the scholarship though. I know you can do it if you study. Spend less time on facebook, because you'll live without facebook for a month. I know, because I've tried. Pray. Spend your time praying so God can guide you in your big and small decisions!

Be financially aware of the city/town where the educational institution that you want to attend is located. Vigourously look into the spirit and social climate of the college. Prepare yourself for the many different types of people you will most definately meet and embrace the diversity and different cultures that your fellow classmates will introduce you to. Embrace the opportunities to be yourself in a way that you might not of been able to in high school.

I can still hear my high school counselor?s voice ringing in my ear, ?in college, it?s not what you know, but who you know?. I pitied his logic, assuming a college history ridden with bad grades had led him to it. Four years down the line and thousands of dollars down the drain, I finally see his point. I entered my first two years of college with a steady regimen: study and study. My GPA benefited and my future was being paved until my third year of college when the economy began to crash and future prospects of a career for business majors diminished. Budget cuts were eating away at my cal grant and I hadn?t made any solid unions to help me find solutions. After a quasi early-life crisis, I decided to expose myself to networks at USF. The outcome was my membership in a life changing organization. My college experience has taught me that in an economy where the future is unpredictable, straight A?s may not guarantee the triumph of a vocation. High school students should be reminded that the connections they make will expose them to more opportunities than pure grades will.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't do anything different, but I would reassure myself that what I am doing is the best route for me to go. I was above average academically, and exceptional in athletics, so if I wanted to, I could have gone to many different colleges. Because I have to pay for my education myself, I was forced to go to community college first. At first I felt like I sold myself short, and was lower than my peers, but now after transferring to a private university, it was the best decision I made. I was able to save money and get pretty much the same education (because its General ED) as if I went to a 4-year university out of high school. A lot of the time students believe that the school they go to, defines who they are socially and reputably, so it skews them from thinking realistically. In an economy like this, we must think realistically and weigh out our options that are really important to us rather than status and what others think about us.

College is a competitive world. Students live in the life of stress and pressure to be the best at their university. Trying to pick the best university for your personality will be the hardest, but it will be the best decision you will make for your future. Do not overload yourself with different activities, but pick your favorite and enjoy your first year so you can get your feet warm and understand your limits. Grades will be the most important and do not let anything get in the way with studies because you will regret your mistakes. Enjoy your every moment in college and you will succeed at your best.

All through high school I was a huge procrastinator and in some ways I still am. However, If I could go back in time I would advise myself in two areas. Try to study earlier and to study harder and avoid procrasination. My goal through high school was to pass the class. I am a pretty good student but had I studied earlier and harder I would have been an even better student. I recently found this to be true when I studied for a Psychology final. I studied very hard and it paid off because I received an A out of the class. I wish I had done this in high school. I might be at my first choice university. I would also advise myself not to put things off to the last minute. Prepare for projects in advance so if complications happen, ie: No ink in the printer, you have time to rectify the problem. College life is challenging so time management is crucial.

My advice would be to work very hard in my academics from start to finish Take your assignements very seriously and ask for help when you need assistance. Its ok to look for help if you dont understand something. One of the purposes to going to college is it to learn new things in life that will help you succeed in the future. Save as much money as you can and dont get yourself into credit card debt. These comanpanies target college students and make you believe that having your own credit card is having freedom. Very big mistake you can make while being in college is having consumer debt. It will be very difficult to pay off and you will be focusing on finding full time work to pay this debt off and less focused on school. Live at home with your parents and dont move out if you are not financially ready. Enjoy living at home while you still have the opportunity, save your money and dont let opportunities pass you by that will get you a step closer to your educational goals. You will have endless opportunities if you follow these steps after you graduate college.

Time management is the key to success in college. You must be self motivated and take time out of your day to study, to do homework, etc. because there is no one breathing down your back forcing you to do anything. Procrastination is something you will battle, but unlike high school, where you can usually turn in work late or explain to your teacher why to need an extension on a paper, professors want their work done on time and done right. There will be many distractions but you must set your priorities straight in order to succeed in college. You have a lot more free time than you did in high school, which you would think leaves you will more time to do your work. This is not the case, it gives you more time to goof around and do everything than what you are suppose to be doing, so manage your time wisely. You should also get involved in college. Become a part of a club or committee and get use to networking with people so you will actually feel like a part of the university, rather than just another number on the roster.

You can do anything you want to do, but you have to apply yourself. Remember even when it feels like life is impossible it is possible, you may need to ask for help, being an adult means asking for help when you need it. All you need to do is keep your grades up the last semester of high school and wait for the acceptance letters to come. When you get them make the decision that makes you most happy, if you don?t choose what makes you most happy you will not have a good experience. When you start school remember to keep your focus, attend class every time and do all of the homework. Teachers are available to help you but they will not come to you, go to their office hours and passing the class will be much easier. Don?t forget to have fun! Isolation is not a good way to meet people. You have to go out of your comfort zone and meet new people, but once you do you will be very thankful for your new friends. Take every chance to learn, college is a time of discovery.

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself a few words of advice. I would first tell myself to not drop out of my AP english class. Even with one semester under my belt I was ahead of most students in my college classes. Even though it had gotten harder for me and I decided to drop back it would have been a lot better to have two semester instead of one. I then would have told myself to follow my heart, carreer wise. To go to school for the major I wanted to do and not the major everyone else wanted me to do. I would tell myself to follow my passion so that I was doing classes I really wanted to do and not ones that I was extremely unhappy in.Nothing else I would want to change becsue the people and teachers I met were amazing and did help me get to where I am right now and where wish I had been two years ago. It is always better late then never I guess! Thank you!

If I had the opportunity to go back and time and give myself advice, I would tell myself to be disciplined and take school more seriously. Once you get into college there are not as many second chances, and you have to deal with the mistakes you made. College is not as forgiving as high school and I would explain to myself that I needed to learn how to take my grades seriously because they are more important in college. There are so many little things in high school that don't even matter in college. For example; the friends you make, the mundane teachers, and the amount of work. In college you start with new friends, the teachers become more exciting, and the workload only gets bigger. I would let myself know that there are many harder challenges in the future and that I should start learning how to deal with the ones that come my way. College is an entirely different world from high school, and I would make sure I knew how to deal with the problems that lie ahead.

As a student now in college I would tell myself as well to other in that same possition, who really care about studing and are trying their utmost effort to be the best student possibel, that it is always important to build a good relationship with your consular and teachers because they will guide you in making better decisions that can lead you to the success of your career. Also it is important to take advantage of the programs offer by the university especially those programs that are aim to your particular career because, that will not only enhance your career knowledge but it gives you a good experience, and sometimes another perspective of how things are on your course of study. it is a good idea to attend the free workshops offer by the college because that as well helps you improve skills. It is always good to be as much involved with your school because one can just go forward with everything that was learned by the institution one chose to be its mentor. How one handles the challenge is on ones hand, the schools are doing their best to provide with the necessary tools to succced.