University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships, focus on studying ten times more than I usually do, and learn about the GRE. Money is important in paying for college, studying is similar to AP and honors classes, but ten times harder, and GRE is similar to the ACT, but for those who want to go into graduate school. I would encourage myself to learn deeper about what college is, not just what is on the surface of it. College is very complex and difficult, so I think it's best to learn about deeper things related to college.

Assuming I could go back in time, I would sit myself down and have a serious talk. First and foremost I would say to stay with your career choice of enlisting in the Military. Second, would be to use your benefits as soon as possible enroll into college courses ahead of time. Get your eduacation out of the way, you'll have all the time in the world to get a job and start a family. College will actually be easier than you think all the skills you learned from the military set you up for success. Be smart as well with your money, save and get a degree. After school is done you will get the high paying job and all the traveling you want out of the way. Take the time to sacrifice a little time now to get an eduacation so you can have the world at your finger tips. Make yourself and family proud and get an eduacation it will take you far and you will prosper. Because I know you are hard headed no one thinks you can do it, so prove them all wrong and give it all you got.

The advice I would have given myself would be to remain calm. There are many new friends you will make that will be able to help you and parents are only a phone call away. There is no need to stress out so much. Keep calm and focus on your studying but try to have a little fun as well.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a senior in high school, I would tell myself to bring less clothes. In all honesty, I think I have done well in college. The one thing that I could have change would be not to become a hermit, as most of my friends say. I need to get in the Nursing program, so I focused all my attention on my schoolwork, which led me, at times, to become too overwhelmed. I would turn down great opportunities, like ice skating or watching a movie with friends, so I could study a little bit more on how the brain processes vision or hearing. So to my younger self, I would say to live a little and do not stress yourself out over the little things. Too much studying can, in fact, make it harder to study and obtain the grades you want. Bring less clothes and take those opportunities is all I am saying to myself.

If I could go back in time to visit myself as a senior to tell myself some advice, I would say many things. I would talk about classes, and important events at the school. The advice about classes would be, “make a more serious deal about assignments”. I say this is because I had a little hard time in senior year about thinking that some assignments aren’t as important as big projects. After a while little assignments that I forget to do because I didn’t take it seriously built up and made my grades lower and had to do them in limited time at the end of the year. Now I know that it could happen and I'll never do it again. My advice to myself about events is to go to the important ones, for example, college and scholarship events to help my future. I learned that if I went to the events I would already have scholarship money, and a better future. The advice I would give to my senior self would of been very useful and I wouldn’t have problems I have now. If I knew the advice I would be more prepared.

Don't worry too much. I mean, by all means prepare, apply, work and all of that stuff but just try not to worry so much. Life is difficult, and it is not going to work out according to any plan. You won't get the scholarship that you think you deserve, and you won't get the exact experience you were looking for, but you will get something much better. You will get something that is real and new and unexpected. You will start something that is honestly a little scary. Don't waste time worrying if you did the right thing or made the right choice. Regret is for the past, leave it behind you. Hope is for the future, but bring that closer to you. Your future won't be what you expect, but it is there. Have fun, study hard, work, and all of that other stuff. However, please, if you can do this one thing for me, just don't worry.

I would tell myself: "Self, get your act together and pay attention the first time around! Picking up good study habits and working harder in higher level high school courses will help you SOOO very much in the future!" I believe having good study habits and KNOWING how to use them is the biggest hurdle any college student faces. Yes, having the smarts pays off, but knowing different study habits for different subjects is the key to being a truly successful student in college. For example: you may not be able to use the same study habits for your Spanish class as you might use for Chemistry; they are totally different subjects! I have tutored many students in the sciences, and I would use that experience and knowledge that I gained about study skills and tell my high-school-senior self to learn those study habits and use them. Once you know how to study the right way (and be flexible in your study skills), you can learn anything in college and be a huge success in everything you do.

If I could give the high-school-senior version of myself advice the first thing I would tell her is to take the college selection process seriously! While I'm very happy with where I ended up, I didn't consider all of my options and my first semester was rough. Think about your future goals and where you would like to be four years from now, because your choice in schools will greatly impact your journey. Figure out your priorities, find a school that shares these and more likely than not it will be a good fit. The last thing I would be sure to tell my former self is not to worry so much! Your more than capable of everything thats going to be thrown at you whether it's academics, your social life or moving away from home. The things that you do struggle with, there are people there to help, don't be afraid to ask your RA, your friends, your advisor or anyone around campus. Put yourself out there, have fun, keep your priorities in line and you will get all you can from this experience!

The butterflies in my stomach are a good thing, and to not be so nervous. Once I'm in college there is less stress about the money aspect, and the grades, and fitting in...it all just falls into place. There are thousands of other people who are in the same boat I am, who fear that they cannot pay for college, who think classes will be too hard, and think that they won't make any friends. All of these things are not even close to being a worry. There is financial aid, and I have always worked very hard in high school, and college classes will not be that much different, and I just can't believe I was worried about making friends! I have determination in high school and that only becomes stronger in college. I am now, as a college student, more driven, outgoing, and more successful than I could have even dreamed that I would be.

The biggest thing to remember as you make the switch from high school to college is just to be yourself. Coming from such a small town, it felt like you had to be what everyone else wanted you to be. That doesn't matter in college. You will find friends that will welcome you because you're you. College is such an experience and it allows you to see that there is more to the world than the tiny home you had in Minnesota. There are people and places that will blow your mind, but you have to be open to those new experiences and the changes they'll bring. Put yourself out there--you, not the person you were trying to be--and you'll find yourself right where you belong.

I would tell my high school self "Even though you are currently uncertain about what career path you want to follow, you should enroll in a community college and start taking your general education courses. You can be undecided until you figure out what you want to do with your life. During your time in school, you should sit down with yourself and really think hard about what inspires you and what interests you the most. This will help you make your decision. Apply to scholarships when you have the time, because you never know if you might win. And lastly, dream big. Pay no attention to the naysayers.

Sometimes life throws problems your way. No matter what, don't give up. Take a minute and realize that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, it just may take time.

Dear 18 year old self, You’re almost to the point in your life where big things are going to happen! As I am looking at you from the future, here are some pointers to help you throughout your last year in high school. 1) When you feel like “senioritis” is setting in, just remind yourself that although there are fun things other than schoolwork to do, you still should finish your work to the best of your ability. 2) Prepare for college, but don’t stress out about the new experiences to come. You will enjoy them! 3) Spend time with your friends and family, because soon your precious time with them will be limited. 4) Open your mind to the new experiences you will soon be having. For every opportunity you are given-take it! You will become the person you want to academically, personally, and socially if you work hard and keep an open mind. Love, Future You

Keep true to yourself. Work hard to go to school and raise the daughter you will have next year. It will be a struggle, but studying the environment and conservation will be worth it. It will be easier to get your undergraduate degree right the first time through. In the future you can go back and take graduate courses. Marrying your high school sweet heart is the right choice. You will be happier in the future. Even though you will worry about getting home to pick up your daughter, take the time to get to know your classmates and go out once in a while with them. Pray every day and don’t forget who you are. Don’t take people for granted and say thank you often. Help others often. Don’t use credit cards. If you don’t have cash you don’t need it. They might seem like a good option at the time, but don’t do it! Keep working out and stay in shape. You really do look good now! Don’t forget about making yourself happy. Life is scary but everything works out in the end.

If i could go back to myself when I was in high school, the first thing I would tell myself is to start thinking ahead. When I was a senior, I wasn’t worried about things like how to pay for college or making friends. I was very closed minded with the fact that everything would be taken care of for me, just like it was in high school. I would tell myself to save as much money as I could so I wouldn’t have to stress out later. I would also tell myself to try and be as open as possible to make new friends. The first week of school seemed to fly by with ease. After midterms I realized I needed to step it up. That is why the second thing I would tell myself is to learn how to study and focus more with school work. Although my grades in high school were good, my first semester, I really struggled in my classes. I didn’t realize I actually needed to work for my grades. I can’t go back and change the past, but I can learn from it to benefit my future.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college, I would have a lot to say. First, I would tell myself to spend as much time with my family and friends as possible. The community college that I attend is five hours away from my home town. I have an extremely close relationship with my family, especially my mother. I miss seeing my family everyday and I wish I took more advantage of seeing them before I left for school. Second, I would make better study habits for myself. I had fairly decent study habits before, however, college is a completely different educational environment. I have learned to really discipline myself which is something I appreciate. Lastly, I would tell myself to make sure I stay close with old high school friends because I have, unfortunately, not stayed in touch with some of them. Though I have tried keeping ties with old friends, they are busy with school, jobs, etc. I completely understand that they are busy. If I could go back to my senior year I would create as many memories with friends and family as possible.

If I was to go back and talk to myself about collage life and the transition, I would tell myself to not to rush and to take your time. I would tell myself not to feel bad when he couldn’t get into UWEC right away, and to not to sweat it when the times get hard because just when it was really sucking it got better and everything turned out in the end. And finally I would tell myself to keep your guard up and let no one use you for his or her own benefit.

Dear Kayla, I know you're anxiously planning ahead for college and trying to get throught the last year of high school. However, just because you are already accepted into college, don't give up trying hard and putting forth your best effort. It is still worth the extra mile. That being said, don't stress out too much about school work. Be sure to enjoy your time with family and friends too. Soon you will be living in another city and will only be able to see them once in a while, so enjoy your time now. Do you remember how nervous you were before you started middle school and high school? Well there was nothing to worry about was there? Everything turned out just fine and you loved it! Well, college is no exception. Just enjoy every moment and know that there is no need to be nervous. The negative peer pressure won't dissapear so be aware of that and make friends with the right people. College is a time to forge lasting relationships and learn as much as you can about this big world of ours! Take advantage of the many opportunities availible! Love, Kayla

The main advice I would give myself is to continue to work hard. College truly is nothing like high school. The work load is a lot more difficult and takes a lot more time to complete, but it really is managable if you just take the time to sit down and do the work without procrastination. Unlike high school, believe it or not, almost every single student studies for finals. Every study lounge and floor of the library is completely filled. Although your coursework is your top priority, don't forget to take time off to spend time with friends and do things your love. College is not all about getting black-out drunk and high. There are several activities each weekend that don't involve these substances, and college students are very accepting even if you say "no". It is easy and comfortable to go to parties without consuming a single drop of alcohol or doing any drugs. Stay strong, remember your beliefs, and you will do just fine.

If I could go back in time to myself as a high school senior, I would make sure to tell myself that I need to learn how to study because biology classes are hard. I would also tell myself to be less shy and try harder to make friends at college because this is a place where I can start over and not have to worry about what people thought about me in high school. I would tell myself to save money and apply to as many scholarships as I could. I would also tell myself to just have fun.