University of Utah Top Questions

What should every freshman at University of Utah know before they start?

Jamie

You will love the University of Utah even more than you think. Pay attention to those flyers in the hallways. The clubs, special interest courses, and guest keynote speakers will be the best part of your experience. Your professors will be some of your best friends, and some of your best friends will teach you more than your professors ever could. Having a monthy girls' night with your roomates will make a huge difference in the harmony of your apartment. This is a time investment that is well worth it. OFalafel has the best food in the city - and the owner will help you practice your Arabic. Take on that extra minor in sustanability- you'll become more passionate about that than you realize. Don't stay so close to campus. Try ALL of the coffee shops, but NOT all of the Mexican restaurants in downtown Salt Lake. Half lemon half honey in a cup of hot water is the perfect mix to soothe your sore throat after those football games when you scream your lungs out. All in all - get ready for the most frustrating, most inspiring, most catalyzing experience of your life.

Danielle

Get involved in activites/groups you enjoy to help you make those life-long friends. It's okay to not know what to study at first. Take the time to explore various types of classes to really learn what you want to do without switching your major multiple times. Take classes that interest you just for the heck of it. Look for internships early on to help narrow your career path and network. STUDY ABROAD. Have and enjoy those once-in-a-lifetime experiences!

Jordan

If i were able to travel back in time and give myself advice on transitioning to college I would mainly focus on convincing myself to get more involved with the University of Utah's community even before attending. The University has so many great programs that I feel would provide a great benifit to my path to a degree in engineering. I feel like I made all the correct preperations necessary for transitioning, just the extra involvement and contacts would have made it a slightly smoother process. Because of my preperations I am excelling in all of my courses to this point and has made college life alot less stressful and more manageable. As far as transitioning to college there is always more you can, should, or sould have done, and I think being more involved is one of the things I could have improved upon.

Brian

Don't give up and just do it. It would make a world of difference to not only you, but your childern.

Austin

So much of your early education has been focused on rote memorization. As a senior, it is time to start learning to think for yourself. Rather than spend your remaining months in high school blindly memorizing factoids, generate the skill to ask powerful questions. Questions that defy normal learning. Questions that do more than scratch the surface; ask questions that breach the basics, that dig deep, that shovel through the rote to find profound understanding. Learn the truth for yourself. Learn the meanings behind the meaning. Because the day you step into your university program will be the day you have to start thinking critically. The purpose of university education is to transform you into the Albert Einstein or MLK of the future. What makes these individuals great is they went beyond normal and discovered profound. They changed the world because they refused to accept life at face-value. Learn independence of mind now, and you will see its benefit play out not just in your university education, but the rest of your life. You will go beyond normal and discover profound. You will come to know what makes you, you. You will change the world for the better.

Colton

Do all that you can be be involved in what interests you on-campus. Although academic success should be a top priority, properly balancing it with a healthy social life will make college more enjoyable and will help build connections that will help you be successful both in school and for years to come. Find what interests you, whether it be sports, volunteering, a certain career, a unique hobby, and join clubs, groups, or organizations that value those same things. If there isn't something available that you'd like to see at your college, start it! Getting involved in existing groups or starting new groups will show your passion, dedication, and leadership skills on resumes and applications. Being involved will help you in your studies, make school more enjoyable, and help build lasting connections to step into the career you want.

Alexus

Do not overwork yourself and get burnt out. Take more time to decide what you want to major in, and be more social during your first year so that you can adjust more easily. Take the time to be involved in school activities while you are able, and enjoy all that college has to offer. It is okay to ask for help, and I encourage you to do so before your problems become overwhelming. The advisors and faculty are there to help you, and you should utilitize them from the very start. They will help you to stay on the path you want to be on.

Henry

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, my advice would be simple: save money for college! Why do you keep blowing money on video games you played for about a week then never touched again? Start applying for scholarships, idiot! Nobody's going to hand out free tuition to you just because you're "awesome".

Richael

If I were to go back give myself advice as a high school senior, I would say this. The most important thing that you can do with your life right now is go to school. Don't put it off or try to go part time and drag school out. You will regret not finishing your degree as soon as possible. You will value your education enough to see that student loan debt is worth the cost. You will come to see the time that you procrastinate getting your education as wasted time. So go to school. Go directly to the University and don't waste time at community colleges or junior colleges. Make your education your primary focus. Study hard and enjoy your time in school. Then you will be better equipped to be successful and enjoy yourself after you graduate. You won't regret it.

Samir

3

Gina

Just because it is your senior year in high school, do not get lazy. Start planning the upcoming college semester as if it were the most important thing. Make sure to meet deadlines! Schedule your classes, apply for those scholarships, financial aid and ensure you have housing figured out. As one who did not have all that figured out, it was not an easy transition. The transition is already stressful enough just with the change of attending a large campus and meeting new friends, no need to add on to that by throwing things on the backburner until it is the last minute or you have missed deadlines and your scraping at the administrative offices trying to work deals to attend. Keep on track and save yourself the headache.

Kellie

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be just a few sentences. Attend all your classes - you never know when professors will give out points for being there. Also it's way harder to catch up on a day in college than it was in high school. DON'T SKIP and you'll do just fine! I would also say don't procrastinate... Us college students are the epitome of procrastination from writing a paper the day it's due to pulling all-nighters in the University library. You don't have to do that to yourself. Work on your time management now so you can better prepare for this! Lastly, be social and enjoy college. Put your academics first and then join clubs, teams, go greek or do whatever interests you. College is a place you can make life-long friends and connections and taking advantage of that opportunity will only make your experience better.

Natasha

I would talk to all professors and counselors about what scholarships I could apply for to pay for schooling to avoid all student loans.

Michael

Take it serious! College is very expensive and most scholarships are only availabe to students going into the college so you must apply for them in high school. Take advantage of the early programs such as high school college get the free credits while you can. Kick the habit of procrastination now! It is even harder when you are not required to attend lectures and you are not required to get good grades, become self dependent earlier. Create a plan, decide and do more research on what college institutions are about, understand that you dont just take classes you have to take classes that are focused on your major. Last word of advice is don't over do it, taking extra classes helps you get through school faster but if you cannot get A's in all of your classes you are either taking too many classes or not giving adequete time to study 4 credit class requires 16 hours of study outside of class per week.

Monica

I would tell myself to always follow my heart, even if the decision doesn't make sense to others. I would tell her and work academically as hard as she can so that she can receive scholarships. I would tell her to try and work outside of school as well, in order to prepare for student loans and other college expenses. I would tell her to be more logical, practical, and to prepare for her future as much as she can. The arts are a very difficult thing to go into and make a career out of. I would tell her that it'll be incredibly difficult starting out, but she'll survive. I would tell her to always keep her head up, stay true to herself, and to not let anyone try to change what she wants to do with her life. I want her to be practical in the way she prepares for her heart's desires, so she can be successful in her artistic endeavors.

Mekayla

It’s scary, I know. You’ve been working toward this for…twelve years. College. It’s right before you. Everyone praises you for graduating on the honor roll…but you honestly couldn’t care less. You smile but you are terrified. Eaten alive every sleepless night by anxiety about failing, about being alone, about having to be an adult. Believe me, you’ll be fine. You’ll fail algebra fall semester and then drive yourself half-crazy in spring with overachieving perfectionism before sinking into a deep depression over summer. Guess what? You’ll pass algebra. But statistics?—failed. Twice. It’s going to take a while to learn that struggling doesn’t label you a failure. That ‘try again’ is more than a phrase—it’s an attitude. You’ll find that grades aren’t the crowning glory of life; take a chance on people. Smile. Talk to students and professors—you’ll make some dear friends that way. Remember that this is your life. How do you want to live it? What kind of adventure do you want? This is only the first step. Be yourself and thrill to this miracle of living.

Alexandra

I would tell my high school self that staying in the dorms may seem like a good idea, but avoiding them is even a better idea. The dorms were filthy, co-ed, filled with drugs and alcohol abusers, and smelled like stale booze and throw up. I was fortunate enough to get an apartment on my own for my sophomore year, and it worked out great. My grades went up (significantly because the distractions and noise was removed), I was much happier, and overall a better student. I would also tell my high school self to take full advantage of clubs and groups on campus that may later have a positive impact on employment or resume building. I attended political debates, but I could have joined an organization. I supported the environmental petitions, but I could have participated in their campaigns. My biggest advice though, would be to not obsess over grades. I spent so much time worrying and distracting myself from my studies because I was so afraid of failure. I look back and wonder why it was such a big deal. I tried and I never failed anyway, so worrying was pointless. Have fun. Study hard. Smile.

Keeyon

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to enjoy the beauties of every moment. To do what felt right in every moment and not to be afraid of what other's thought. I would tell myself to just do what made me happy and not care about what other people think, and not worry so much about doing what I thought would make me look cool. To make an effort to give. To bring special value to every passing moment. To make every experience with other people a beautiful bonding moment. But mostly, to just be happy. To do what makes me happy, and assure him that everything else would fall into place after that. To not live my life trying to impress others, but to live the life that I want to live.

Jean-Luc

I would tell my youngerself to step up his game. You need to prepare for the future and not just focus on the here and now. Start getting scholarships and takeing higher level thinking classes.

Danny

I know that the notoriety of playing football is appealing. They are going to offer you a one-of-a-kind experience, miking it sound like the other way. My advice is for you to not listen to your parents, coaches, or friends. Painting means alot to you, and trust me, you will just end up going back to school five years later to finish the art degree you should have concentrated on anyways. Im already here, reaping the benefits of listening to a deeper part of me. Try to dig past the promises of some worldy happiness, and decide what would ultimately make you your optimal self. Sit in the dark and contemplate before making a decision. Seperate yourself from any distractions. Art will be there long after your knee surgeries have healed. Dedicate more than just a passive interest in it. Dealv into it with all that you have. Rebel. You wont regret it.