University of Toledo Top Questions

I currently have a sister as a high school senior. I speak to her almost everyday and her college application process is very exciting for her older brother. I have repeatedly told her that although school choice is important (distance from home, demographic statistics, financial aid, etc.), the success by which you measure yourself is dependent on how hard you work. The time and effort you put in to make yourself who you want to become is more important than school prestige. As for myself looking in retrospec,t I would have studied harder during my freshman year. In high school, studying was easy because I had a strict studying regimen. During the transition to college, I experienced more free time than I ever had in high school. Therefore, I spent less time studying and consequently I did not perform as well (in the classroom) as I would have liked. Having said that, I tightened down beginning my sophomore year and have been doing great since. I would tell high school seniors to not allow college get to their heads. College is intimidating, yes. However, it is more than managable if you set your priorities right.

I would tell myself to continue with my good study habits and get out and meet as many people as possible. Before choosing what school I attend think about everything that I like to do.

Join the basketball team! Join a fraternity like i have. Don't be shy talk to people.

I would tell myself no matter what you can reach the stars. Dont let anyone take that away from you. Never for any moment stop working hard for your dreams. You have the ablity to reach your goals with the work that you are willing to put in.

First and foremost don't live on campus and don't get a meal plan. Schools try to make it seem like living on campus is the absolute best thing in the world and makes your life oh so much more liberated and fun. This is an absolute, out-right, lie! It's not easier, it's not better than living in an apartment or at home, and it certainly isn't more liberating. The rules are worse than those of even your parents! People set firealarms off at 1am when you have class the next day and they have no respect for quiet hours. You might get horrid roommates that try to boss you around, smell horrid, steal, constantly bring their lovers over & lock you out of your room, or are just downright untolerable for your own style of doing things. It's also way more expensive than just staying at home or living off-campus, where you can choose who you live with more so than a dorm room. Go to class everyday and take notes, you never know when you'll need them. Study like crazy not just the night before a test/exam.

I believe that I made the transition to college very well. One thing that I would tell myself is to study a lot more for exams that I have to take. I usually do not prepare as much as I should and due to this my grades are not as high as they should be. I would also tell myself to be careful of the friends that you make. These friends have the ability to make or break your college career, so pick the ones that are not going to pressure you into doing stupid things that can get you in trouble or can cause bad things to happen to you.

If I had the opportunity to talk to myself two years ago, I woud encourage myself to study more, and not get caught up in partying my first semester. The parties were not worth the decline in my g.p.a. I would also tell myself not to waste my summer vacations and to try to learn more and workout more to better prepare myself for my freshman and sophmore years. These experiences did help me to learn from my mistakes though and sometimes that is the best way to learn how to live the right way.

If I could go back and tell myself something, I would tell myself to take things more seriously when it comes to schoolwork. I would tell myself not to worry about some of the drama that goes on through high school, because once you hit college it all changes. Opportunities open up such a community service, lots of student led projects and organizations. I would tell myself to enjoy everything and be more focused on what career I want to pursue or what area.

If I could give myself some advice about college life, it would be to stay organized and make school one of your top priorities. College requires a lot of time and dedication if you want to earn good grades and slacking off is not an option. Do not be afraid to talk to professors, faculty, other students, etc. because it helps make the transition more exciting and stress-free. Make the best of every day and don't hold back on grabbing great experiences and opportunities. Just go for it!

I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships prior to entering the University. They tell you that you will recieve so much scholarship money but then they do not give you all they say. I would also inform myself to schedule classes later in the day because morning classes are hard to attend because I know I have the "option" of attending. As a comuter, I would also inform myself to try to live on campus to get the whole college experience that everyone speaks of.