University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

Although my highschool was what many small town Wisconsin folks may call "large," it was nothing compared to the massive community at UW-Madison. I say "community" because while the undergraduate population was around 45,000, a day never goes by where you don't see a familiar face. Regardless, the vastness of the campus and particularly my classes, sometimes as large as 400 students, became quite overwhelming when I first started college. It became difficult to ask questions in class or to address my professors in office hours. I struggled through several classes my first couple years of college because I, not once, went to office hours. I, rarely, asked for help from classmates. This behavior was completely uncharacteristic of myself as I was in high school when I always asked questions and frequently communicated with my peers and teachers. It was all out of fear that I lost that community that I was used to in high school. After four years at UW-Madison I realize that there is a strong sense of pride among generations of Badgers and if I could only talk to my high school self I would say "reach out and LEARN!"

As an adult who has now returned to college to earn a degree in the field I had originally wanted to pursue, I would encourage all high school seniors to not give up. Do not let anyone stand in the way of what you really want to do. Explore different career paths and if one door closes on you, keep knocking. I wish I would have kept knocking instead of simply opening another door, which led me nowhere. Stay focused and be proud of who you are. Get involved with activities at school and utilize the resources available to you. Most of all, enjoy the experience because it will go by so fast.

Enjoy college life and not rush through college just to finish very fast. Also, I would say to be more involve the many different organizations and athletic teams.

My advice for anyone entering college for the first time is to do everything you possibly can. All too often people slack a bit and take their new found freedom for granted. This is a time in a young persons's life to experiment, this especially true for big universities and urban schools. There are too many events to attend and people to meet to justify sitting in a dorm or apartment. Living life to its fullest also help a student determine who they are and what sort of career they want to pursue. The sooner an individual can figure that out, the better. Attending a university for a fifth year is usually not desirable or financially responsible. The people a person meets at college will often stick with them for the rest of his or her life. There is so much growing up and self reflection during this phase of life, make the most of it!

In retrospect, I would definitely tell myself to make more of an effort socially and to take less classes. I worked really hard my first two years in college and did not focus too much on meeting new people. I was the first child out of my whole family to go to college (not including the adults) and there was a lot of pressure to succeed and make good use out of my parent's funding of my education. I would also tell myself not to stress so much and to enjoy my time here more.

If I could give myself any advice as a high school senior, the most important thing I would tell myself is to never take family for granted. It is one of the very most important things in life and is also one of the only certainties in life.

Don't be afraid! UW-Madison may be ten times bigger than your high school, but you are going to have so many opportunities and are going to meet so many awesome people that will make UW-Madison's huge campus feel like home. Don't be afraid of trying new things! Going outside of your bubble is totally worth it and it helps you discover things about yourself that you may never have realized! Don't be afraid that no one will like you! It is 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} guranteed that you will find someone who has similar interests to your own! Not only will people just like you be your friends, but you will meet people who you are friends with just because they are so much different than you and can help you learn about different cultures. Don't be afraid of getting lost on campus! There's an app for that! Don't be afraid to be yourself! College is not high school. No one will gossip about you for wearing things that express your crazy sense of style. No one knows about all of those embarassing, akward high school moments. Don't be afraid, college is awesome!

I would tell myself not to pack and bring too many things to my dorm room. It may seem like it is a difficult transition to make from living at home to a single room, but it's not. There is no need to hold on to a large amount of possessions to ease into that transition. Life in college is an experience that is interesting and intellectually stimulating. I would tell myself and others to be sure to prepare for introspection on life, convictions, opinions, and feelings. Studying and obtaining a degree are the most important components of attendance at a university, but discovering yourself as a person is very important. It is critical to embrace figuring out who you were, who you are, and who you will become to be successful and fulfilled in life.

I just have a few things for you so pay attention. Number 1: For the love of God, please turn everything in early. I know you got your applications in with plenty of time but now, it is all about scholarships. Every scholarship you see that you might qualify for, apply for. What is the worst that could happen? You might not get it, but what have you wasted? A couple hours of work for a possible scholarship is far worth it. Number 2: Adults you meet in college, no matter how scary, sincerely want you to succeed. They do need to who you are, however, to help you. Make sure your academic advisors and professors know who you are. Do not be irritating but also do not be afraid to answer questions in class. Number 3: Do not load up your first semester with 18 credits. Relax in the courses you take. There is nothing wrong with taking generals if you need them. However, just because your classes will not be insanely hard, you cannot slack off. Focus on the classes you take and create a strong foundation to build on in coming semesters.

If I could talk to my high school self, I would tell her college is as awesome as I thought it would be. College is a time to reinvent yourself because no one has known you your entire life. You are free to take what ever classes you want because they were created to help you discover yourself. And definitely do not worry about making friends. It is cliche, but everyone is in the same boat as you, looking for someone awesome to hang out with. During those awkward ice breakers, be the girl who goes first and has confidence. Do not limit yourself to what you were in high school because you will definitely be missing out on new experiences. When you are in the dorm, keep your door open, you never know what will happen. Someone could ask if you want to go lake jump at 2 am or take the city bus (gasp!) to a free concert on the otherside of town. Live life with no regrets. Also, forget all the cute shows and make sure to pack some comfortable ones. When you rely on your feet for transportation, fashion no longer matters.

If I could go back in time as a high school senior I would tell myself to take more AP and college credit classes. I would say this because I think having those few extra credits from high school would’ve put me a little ahead of my fellow students. Plus, those harder classes would’ve helped me prepare for the hard and fast paced classes at UW-Madison. I feel like I would’ve had a smoother transition from high school to college if I would’ve just challenged myself a little bit more in high school. Another thing that I would tell myself if I could go back in time would be that I should’ve applied for more scholarships and I should’ve started applying for them sooner. When I was in high school I started my scholarship applications pretty late so I missed lots of deadlines or I didn’t have enough to fill out all of the applications that I wanted.

Step outside of your comfort zone and try new things and meet new people.

The advice I would give to myself would be to stay on top of the ball and have fun in college. When you stay on top of the ball, you are in the sense prioritizing yourself so that you can indeed have a good college experience. You can only live college once. Generally speaking, I wasn't the type that always had fun because I was too "business like". Then I realized that the time I will be in college will not be forever, so I wanted to have memorable moments so that I indeed can tell someone what the Wisconsin experience is all about. When it comes down to having fun in college, it doesn't have to mean getting drunk. You can have fun at a party and not have any alcohol. Fun can be going out to eat with some friends, watching movies with floor-mates, or playing a sport that you love.

Study hard and see your work through even if it seems impossible.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to save money and slow down. The first realization I had when coming to college is that it is expensive. I have to pay for housing, books, and food which rounds up to more than five thousand dollars. I would make myself apply for scholarships if I could go back. It is stressful enough as it is now. I'm almost half way through my college year and the unbelievable fact hit me; I miss home. I miss spending nights with my friends, driving around town, and sleeping in. Most of all, I miss my family. I miss talking, laughing, and fighting with them. I would tell myself to stop trying to grow up and live life as it is. When you're in college, no one will tell you that "you shouldn't do this" or "be careful"; you're on your own. I would tell myself to listen to my mom more and to be grateful for her support (not to mention her cooking) and for my crazy yet lovable eight siblings.

Everyone starts college thinking that everything is going to be perfect: straight As, amazing social life, etc. That is as far from reality than it is going to get. As a matter of fact, while the movies make college look like all play, it is actually a lot of work. The best advice I can give is to go into college with a realistic view. If you go in thinking that you are going to conquer the world, you are only going to overwhelm and stress yourself out. Take things one at a time, Rome wasn't built in a day. Set goals and follow them. Make sure to join clubs to make new friends and be social. Don't be intimidated by the large class sizes, sit in the front and pay attention. Go to office hours to get to know professors. And whatever you do, DO NOT stay up too late. Get plenty of sleep or else you will end up looking like a zombie!!

It is hard for any first time college student to be completely prepared for one of life's hardest and most abrupt transitions. If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior and give myself some advice, one valuable lesson I would include is finding the balance between working hard in school and having a fun social life. As a student, the most important thing to remember is that you are attending college to get a degree, and your education should always come first. However, there are a lot of distractions that can get in the way of studying or attending classes. It is exciting to be on a campus full of students your own age and meet thousands of new people from all walks of life. Because of this, at any time of day there are new activities to try and new people to meet. It is important to remember that school work takes precedence over all other activities and if you need to forgo a basketball game for a night of studying, it is a necessary choice. Balancing school with fun will make any college experience successful and rewarding.

If I could advise my high school senior self in the ways of college life, I wouldn't need to remind her to work hard and study often. I've always enjoyed and been very good at school. What I struggle with, however, is direction! Fresh out of high school, with so many interests and so many opportunities, I didn't know where to start. I hesitated and lost momentum. If I could tell my high school self anything, I would say pick something and run with it! Don't be afraid of making the wrong choice, or making a mistake. Set a goal and run towards it, you never know where it may take you. The future is always unknown, but that is no excuse to be fearful or timid of it. I've finally chosen my major and I'm determined to reach my goal! What happens after that is all part of the adventure!

I'd tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible because anything helps when trying to afford college. Also I'd let myself know that it's better to buy books online and used because the book stores sell them for as much as they can and only buy back if the book is still in use; whereas, you can sell them back online to other people who are in need of the books.

If i could go back in time as a high school student and talk to myself then I would tell myself to finish high school instead of taking the GED. I would also tell myself about each college and instead of going through the hassel of transfering credits and changing schools I would stick to Edmonds Community College. I would also tell myself to just relax and ease into college life instead of rushing to make friends, that I need to focus on grades and getting my homework done. Thats the advice I would give myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself.