University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior with knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would give a lot of advice to myself. First of all, don't slack off in class; do all the homework assignments on time and do them to the best of your ability. Due dates are final in college; there is no acceptance of late work. Also, take classes in high school that will help with future classes in college. This will help you do better on placement exams, as well as the actual classes. Keep yourself well rounded by taking a variety of classes and joining varies clubs. This will help with scholarships and help with deciding what to get involved with in college. Lastly, have fun. There is much more responsibilty while in college; you are on your own with just about everything. Of course there is always someone to help you, but at some point there may not be. High school is the time to find yourself, and college is the time to pursue your dreams and live the life you've always wanted.

College is nothing like high school, so don't have that mentality. Be ready to work harder then you ever have before. It's not easy, but you will make it. Don't be afraid to go talk to the professors if you need to- they are there and willing to help, in fact, they want to. Do your work and put the time and effort in and you will be fine!

Upon travelling back in time and seeing myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to be more open minded. Throughout high school, I seldom took part in extracurricular activities and I feel I could have benefitted much more from them if I had taken them. I also would have told myself to not be afraid to follow my passion of acoustics, because back then I thought of it as merely a hobby. Now, I am genuinely excited to learn about it in a learning environment, which took a lot of opening up from my part. In high school, I was also fearing college as a place where professors did not care about one's education and constantly gave papers and exams. Within the first few weeks, I saw it was nothing like that, and was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. College life can be exciting and energizing as long as one cares about their education; it is a place completely unlike high school, but in a much better way. As much as I believe I would have benefitted from this, I realize that mistakes equal experience, and that quality makes the better college student.

As a senior in High School, one of my biggest dilemmas about choosing a college was my living situation. I debated whether or not I wanted to live on campus or off. There we school's where I would have to live on campus and others where I wouldn't need to. I would go back an tell myself not to stress about that. I now know that yes, its a big part of the college experience but it doesn't affect it very much. I believe I made the right choice by choosing UWM. I still get to do everything the kids on campus get to do but I get the accomidations of living at home and having a place where I can study and not get disturbed. I would also tell myself to try and apply to more scholarships! College is not cheap, $500 is better than $0! and the last thing i would tell myself, is to try and absorb as much as I could while still in high school. I would advise myself to try and find what works best for me and what doesn't.

First of all, I would tell myself that this campus is not nearly as big as I thought it was. Although there are many students, the campus is only about 3 blocks. When I made my schedule my freshman year, I made sure there was at least an hour between my classes so that I would be sure to have enough time to get from class to class. Now, I could tell myself that 10 or 15 minutes would have sufficed. Also, I would thank myself for taking advanced/AP classes in high school. Not only did these courses earn me extra credit and save me extra money, but they also prepared me for the amount of workload. When many students start college, they are shocked by the amount of coursework given out and that they won't be able to pass exams without studying. I'm glad that I already had this experience in high school because it made the transition to college alot easier. Oh, and I also would have told myself to buy some quality earplugs for living in the dorms. It would get quite loud....

The advise I would give myself would be to hunker down and study hard. There is always time to get together with your friends, but your studies must come first and foremost. Take some college classes (pre-requiste) while still a senior in high school if at all possible. This too will help you to be able to take more of the classes you desire rather when entering college. And remember only you can make it possible to succeed if you so desire.

Knowing what I know now about high school and college life, the best piece of advice I can give is this: no matter what hardships you encounter in your life, remember that your education is something the no one can ever take away from you. Even if times get difficult and seem hopeless, remember what you are working towards and constantly remind yourself of the benefits of going to college. College courses are much more difficult than high school ones, so challenging yourself early on is a good preparation for future success. Above all, stay positive and focused to achieve your goals, but never forget how you got to where you are today or where you will go in the future.

Dear Hillary, You are a shining star! However, you must remember that not all of your shine can come from your smile. It must also project from your personality, character traits, strengths, and actions. Your shine rubs off on others, whether you see it or not. Be aware of your shine. There will be times when you don?t feel like shining, but you must shine on. Your motivation, self-awareness, and determination will be your best allies; do not neglect them. You are your own best friend. Do not dim your own shine. There will also be times when it seems like others are trying to steal your shine, but they are not. They have their own individual type of shine, which at times may shine brighter than yours. That is their moment; let them shine. Remember: you are a shining star, unique and brilliant. Your are the star at the center of the universe in your life, but not in everyone else?s. You are one of many, and sometimes a combination of diverse stars shine brighter than a single star. Be a part of the world and understand it does not revolve around your shine. Sincerely, Hillary

I would tell myself to apply myself to the best of my abilities, from an acedmic standpoint and from a social standpoint. My college experience has taught me that the best way to transition into college life is to try your hardest to do well in school and take the initiative to be the best student possible. Procastinating on doing homework, hesitating to participate in class, and shying away from interacting with classmates and professors on campus will be detrimental to the transitioning process. Due to the fact UW-Milwaukee is a large and at times demanding university, falling behind on work and a lack of social interraction with your peers can cause you to be overwhelmed and feel isolated. This can cause a vicious cycle, due to the fact feeling overwhelmed and helpless will only cause you to fall even further behind on school work and isolating yourself. By giving it your all from the start and applying yourself academically while establishing a stable social life, you can avoid any pitfalls and the transition from high school to the college life can be accomplished with ease.

If I could go back to when I was a high school senior I would tell me self to always be moving toward your goal in someway. If you're not certain what your goal is at this time keep your options open, but always be productive in moving ahead and never be shy of who you are and doing what needs to be done. I would also tell myself to look into colleges that are further away from my hometown even though it seems hard to distance yourself from friends and family. However, I am glad I came to Milwaukee because of the people I've met but I've always wondered how other schools might have shaped me differently.