University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Top Questions

Check out the college's financial aid website. Don't slack off. Study hard and use your time wisely. Make a master schedule so you know when your free time is.

If I could go back to when I was a senior in high school I think I would tell myself to stop worrying about things that aren’t going to benefit me as a college student. As a senior in high school I was a little too focused on my relationship with my boyfriend instead of my grades, applying for scholarships, and getting ready for college in the fall. Not preparing myself for college was one of the worst decisions I have made. I had to resort to private loans because I wasn’t awarded any scholarships. I would tell myself to be more involved in my school work and work life in order to succeed in my future.

I would tell myself that nothing is impossible! As a high school senior, I thought there were too many things holding me back from going to college. My family had no money to pay for it, I felt the need to work and help support a younger brother who still lived with my divorced mother, and I was of the idea that my future husband should get the education. After all he would be the "bread-winner" and I was soon to be a "house-wife". These things should never have been a deterrent to continuing education. So why did I wait until I retired from work to pursue my dream? Perhaps it was really my own fear, perhaps these other things got in the way; but I know now--nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

Looking back, I wouldn't change anything I did, or do anything different. I have met some of my best friends while at college, and if I would have done something different, those people would not have come into my life. I would give myself the advice to put more time into my school work and to utilize the resources on campus to help with classes and homework. Another thing I would tell myself is to not be afraid to try new things. College presents so many opportunities that were not available to me in high school. Starting out freshman year, I wish I would have joined more clubs or done more intramural sports. But after reflecting on my past few years in college, I would say I'm not doing too bad.

Do not take a class just because you have a friend in it with you, take something that interests you and hass a good professor. I know it is hard because you are friends with them but taking classes you like allows you to make friends with people who have similar interest as you.

If i could go back and talk to myself before going to college, I would tell myself that college is exactly like you think and nothing like you think at the same time. There are tons of parties every weekend, but they're not really that fun. The thought that having classes later in the day sounds great and waking up later than in high school is going to be so much easier is completely false. Even though you'll wake up two or more hours later it is no easier. Also it is not as hard as most movies and other people make it seem. But that's only when you first start out. Don't slack in the begining. Start strong with the studying even if you think it is an easy subject. Do everything possible in your first few weeks to make friends, it gets harder as the year goes on.

I would tell myself that I need to get more involved. By getting involved, you meet new friends and you have more fun. Try out for sports becuase it does not hurt you. Join clubs and participate. Be a part of something so that you don't regret your high school years.

If I could go back to my senior year I would tell myself to try my best so I could get good grades. I would try to learn as many things I can so I wouldn't be clueless in college. I went into college not knowing a lot of things that I wish I knew so my first year would be better. If I could go back I would search as much information about careers so I would be decided when I started school. I would just try my best and apply to great colleges and save up my money and talk to councelors since I didnt do that my first semester of college.

Knowing what I know now about college life and making that transition from high school into college I will bestow upon you the encouragement and passion to continue that flight on the education path. It is way too easy to take the break or leave from school to just do the so called “spread your wings” and test the waters after high school. I did that and I currently pay the price tied to taking a break from college. Promote a discipline driving desire to finish your education after high school. Life is filled with stages. You go through developmental stages as well as social life stages finding that are constantly continuing to learn new things throughout life. You will find that your mind will take flight through the wealth of knowledge found in education. Your training, education, development and growth won’t come easy but you will find great rewards at the end. You must continue to look at your education in the viewpoint of not how long it will take but view it as in how much you have learned and accomplished.

Dear Emily, Yes. This is you a year after high school when you thought you would have everything figured out. Well guess what, you don't. I know how you think, after all, I am future you. You think you're invincible and you can't wait to get out of that small hometown. Let me give you some advice, moving away is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Yes, you will cry for a good forty-five minutes after driving away from your childhood home. Mom and dad will say you don't have to go just yet, but you know you do, therefore, you leave and drive twelve hours to get to that school you thought you would love. But college life is not what you expected; it's hard to make new friends, and even harder to stay on top of all your classes. My best advice for you, Emily, is to embrace every moment and know that as long as you try your hardest and give it your all, you will succeed. Work hard and you will do great things. Love, Future You

This is a concept that crosses my mind on nearly a daily basis. High school to college was truly a massive shift in my life, and I wish I could have told myself to never allow any form of discouragment, no matter how big or small. College courses packed a much bigger punch than any of my high school classes, including the numerous college-credit courses I completed my junior and senior year. Mathematics have always been a struggle to me and I was heavily beaten down by my first college-level math course, eventually ending it with a D. But in response to this I recieved department consent to retake the class and aspire for an A! On top of that, I would have also recommended to research new and different studying tactics rather than waiting until the middle of the semester, because remarkably enough my parent's and teacher's advice really did eventually pay off! If only I had listened to them right away then maybe I would have scored higher in math... But this has left me with a more open-mind to new advice and success strategies!

If I could go back and advise myself senior year knowing what I know as a freshman now I would mention a heads-up in two fronts: first to review as much content as you learned in high school to be appropriately placed in courses through examination and second, that it is never too early to apply for financial assistance. I took calculus my senior year but did not do so well. I expected to get placed in basic calculus as I had already passed pre-calculus, though to my surprise I got pre-calculus and no matter how much I tried to explain my situation to the math chair (being one point off from being allowed to take calculus), he did not care. It made me realize that, while college staff would work best to meet my needs, in the end I was just another number. However, while maximizing on knowledge helps, college does not happen if there is no money. Getting tuition and fees paid is not enough, as there are inherent costs (e.g. food, transportation) that folks fail to mention. Had I applied for non-academic scholarships and grants, I would truly have a "free ride."

I know you are just turning 18 and you think you are finally an adult. But I am here to tell you that your life is only beginning. Turning 18 and going to college is like being born again in a new life. The changes and growth you will experience every year will be just as drastic as a baby leaving the womb and and watching his body and limbs expand out into the world. Everything you learned back in high school will no longer apply. You will learn how to crawl, walk, and stand all over again. It may sound disappointing, but I am not here to give you some magic words that will allow you to transform from a baby to an adult instantaneously. In fact, I am here to tell you to embrace that new infancy and grow up as a child would, because it’s okay to be young. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to be “immature”. Those college freshmen who claim they are “mature” at 18 and 19 are only kidding themselves. Once you accept your newborn status, it becomes so much easier to allow yourself time and space to grow.

Work harder at learning how to study. Learn as much as you can so you are prepared for the things you will learn in college. Don't stress about the transition to college. It is just a different setting. Be ready to take full responsibilty for your academic career. Be patient and take care of your health. Being healthy will go a long way toward being able to study well. Absorb as much as you can and truly learn, don't just memorize.

I was one of those students in high school whom really enjoyed the experience. I liked my classes, my teachers, the people, and I felt pride in the school itself. I was third in my class and had the opportunity to be a leader in my class, as well as, in many different clubs. I felt good about myself and thought I had set myself up really well for my future college career. I applied for a lot of scholarships, and was honored with receiving a few of them. I worked myself really hard to achieve the things I achieved in high school, but I was extremely hard on myself. When I did not achieve what I hoped for I thought really negatively about myself. My advice to myself now would be to learn from your failures and relax. Things are not always going to go the way you wanted and most of the time how those things go is not in your control. You can not beat yourself up for things you did not achieve. Someone is always going to be better and it is your responsibilty to try to be better than them next time.

My high school years start in Haiti, and end in the United States. In both countries, I was utterly insecure about myself and my abilities, mailnly trying to fit in. In Haiti, I was the one who stays quiet in class, and even with her friends. I was a average student because I did not believe I could do better. In 2010, I experience the earthquake that hit Haiti and my parents found a way to make me come to the United State. I had an idea of what high school was like in the US based on what I had seen on TV, but it was not as crazy in real life. I also tried to fit in in that school but my confidence got better because I was in an appreciative environment. In contrast, my experience in college surprised me; I took initiatives that I would not have in High School. I ran for Student Government Association and won, I became an Orientation Mentor speaking in front of many people. So if i could jump into a time machine I would comfort myself and say “Be proud of yourself, and disregard what people think 'cause YOU matter!”

If I could rewind to the first few days of school, I think I would have told myself to be more outgoing when it came to joining organizations and clubs. My reasoning for this is showing commitment on job applications is key to aquiring a job that relates to communication oriented skills.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice on my freshman year of college, I would say to never give up. High school is so different than college is. I met so many new people, and had classes larger than my graduating class, and was living by myself, so it was a big adjustment. I would just tell myself that no matter how hard it is to just not give up. It doesn't sound that important but its true. When things get tough you just can't give in, you need to push through all the long nights of studying for finals, asking questions even if you don't want to be the only one to raise your hand, and not being nervous to speak up and talk in class. Another piece of advice i would tell myself is to go make new friends, and try new things. I would want to get more involved in activities and go to sporting events or other social events to try new things and meet new people.

To my high school self: Don't worry about making the transition to college, and don't let your uncertainty about what you want to do with your life hold you back from accepting every opportunity that comes your way. Take full advantage of your last year in high school, and don't look back as you move on from high school and start the next chapter of your life. Decisions you make will become more important for your future, but you have the ability to make those decisions. Trust yourself. Get excited for your college years, it is your last stop before you join the real world, but if you follow your heart and do what you love, the real world will be as rewarding and fun as college is going to be. Remember: You have the control, and life is as fulfilling as you make it.

I would tell myself to work as hard as I possibly could. It may sound cliche, but I have had more than one class where the difference in a letter grade came down to one or two points. Every little bit of preparation for a test or effort put into an assignment will add up over the course of the semester and I wish I had remembered that for my classes. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to communicate with my professors. They are there to clarify material that I don't understand and I should make sure that is what they do. Professors also remember students that try getting to know their teachers which can only help. The last thing I would tell myself is to not stress too much. Worrying about school doesn't accomplish anything. It just creates anxiety that gets in the way of getting work done.