University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself so I could've made an even smoother transition, then the first thing I would undoubtedly have told myself was to be prepared for the greatly increased amount of "free" time that I would be recieving. While I knew as as high schooler that there would be lots of extra time in college, I didn't really think about all the temptations that would accompany this time. As a senior in high school, whenever I would think about all the hours of time that I would get away from class I would always automatically

The main advice that I would give to myself would be to not stress myself out with every little thing that happens because as long as I put time and dedication into what I do, my work will not be in vain. While it may seem that your whole life is riding on an A or B in a class, having that mind set will not serve in your best interest. Grades are very important, especially in college, but in stressing yourself out, those grades will become farther away from reality as you will not be thinking clearly and rationally about how to approach the major obstacles that are stopping you from achieving the grade you desire. Along with this piece of advice I would tell myself to be open to any opportunities that are presented to you because without being open, you will never be able to experience college to the fullest. Ambition is absolutely the biggest necessity for having a successful college career because opportunity will not seek you out, you have to take the initiative and take opportunities as you see them.

If there were one thing I could tell my past self, it would be that I must develop some study skills so I can use them in the future. Once in college, I found that I could no longer slide by as I had done in high school. College requires study, practice, and review: things that I had not done in high school. My problem was this: college courses cover material at a much faster rate, and I wasn?t learning the material fast enough. I was attempting to devote as little attention as possible to my studies, hoping it would be enough to get by. It worked in high school, didn?t it? As it turns out, college is an entirely different beast, and different strategies are required to tame it. If I had explored just a little farther than what the classes covered in high school, it would have given me a drive to learn that I could apply to my college courses. As of now, I have a hard time putting down my video games down to devote myself to that one extra hour of study. My past self can't fix this problem, so I will.

Just be yourself. I know it's completely cliche, but it's true and I never understood how true until attending college. In college, you find people who accept your flaws and you realize all those people who brought you down continually throughout high school were never true friends. The effort spent trying to fit in and homogonize yourself was never worth it. While it may be hard to stay true to yourself, you'll come out on top in the end. You'll find people who love you for who you are, not who you have made yourself become. Just remember that it gets much better when you find the place right for you and remember that high school is never easy for everyone. Even the most priviledged students struggle, so don't waste time comparing yourself to them.

The first piece of advice that I would give myself as a senior in high school would be to relax! There were so many things that I stressed out about that were simply out of my control. I would tell myeslf that yes, the school work is much harder than it was in high school but I am prepared and have the tools it takes to focus and study yet still have fun. I would definitely remind myself that being myself is the best way to make friends and that people will like me just for who I am. I would tell myself to make sure I spoke to my family and best friends in some way at least once a day because it is amazing how they can make me smile no matter how tough my day was. Finally, I would tell myself to just calm down and not worry about things like my roommate, what sorority I would be in, or being homesick. I would tell myself that I only get to experience college once, and to take in absolutely every single minute of it because once it is gone, I can never get it back.

As a high school senior, I honestly didn't know what to expect out of college life. I didn't have too many expectations, but I did have one large one. Along with it's excellent academic reputation, I had always heard about how many activities the UW- Madison campus had to offer, such as different clubs, various guest speakers, and exciting concerts. I expected to be doing all of these things, along with studying hard. But now that I have been in college for nearly two years, I rarely have time for such exciting activities. I always knew that college would be difficult and I would have to study constantly, but I felt that I would have time to do all kinds of things, even volunteer. Reality is, I spend most of my time studying and working. If I could give myself advise as a senior, I would say to try not to create any expectations. Just be postive , excited, and keep an open mind, and you will find your place in college, and do your best to find what works for you.

If I could go back in time and give my senior self some advice, I would let myself know that the transition from high school to college isn't as hard as teacher, counselors, and books have made it seem. Going into college I thought that it would take forever to make new friends. That for the first few weeks I would have to experience all these new things on my own. But in reality within just hours of saying goodbye to my parents, I had already made at least four friends, not including my roommate too. Another thing I would tell myself is to not be scared to experience new things. Because I think that I missed out on some things. Like I wish now that I would have joined a couple of clubs or an intramural sport. I feel like I have missed out on things, but at least there is always next year. Lastly I would tell my senior self to relax. I stress out about many things, that now looking back I didn't need to be stessed about.

I like to think I made an easy transition from high school to college. I was lucky that I was an independent person in high school. I was used to basically being in charge, I got up when I wanted, went to sleep when I wanted, made my own meals, that kind of stuff. I did a lot of my daily things for myself, I didn?t rely on my parents for that much, and they gave me a lot of freedoms. So in that sense I think I was ready for the day to day activity of taking care of myself. However, there was nothing I could to prepare for the emotional side of living by myself away from my family and friends. The first couple of months of college can be very lonely. So if I could go back in time and talk to myself in high school, I would tell myself to enjoy my time in high school with my friends and family and stop wishing I was already in college. College will come soon enough and it will be a lot of fun, but it?s different then high school so enjoy it while you can.

There is a ton of advice I give myself to make the tranisition into college life easier. The first thing I would tell myself would be that the college homework load is like nothing you have ever experienced. Not only is there a ton to do, but it also very challenging. You will definitely not be bored in college because beyond demanding homework, you need to have a life. You need balance between school, work and play otherwise you might just go insane. I would tell myself that excerise is vital and that no matter how bogged down with homework I may be, going to the Natatorium regularly is a necessity. Another important thing in college is sleep, so despite the fact that staying up late and hanging out with friends is fun, it's not something you want to every night. Overall I would tell myself to enjoy college and remember that the reason you are there is to get a education.

The biggest advice I would give to myself is to practice more discipline. I did not realize until I went away how much I still relied on my parents and other external influences to effectively manage my time and activities. At college, it has been difficult for me to study and keep other healthy activities up as these external influences are no longer there. I would tell myself to learn how to go to bed even with distractions and wake up with plenty of time to get ready for the day. Most importantly, I would tell myself of the importance of studying, something I underestimated until finals, and by then it was too late to do that most effectively for me. And so my grades are nowhere near what I wanted or expected for my first semester.