Utah Valley University Top Questions

Okay, I'd pull myself aside and after the initial shock of seeing myself, I'd tell myself: Don't give up. Don't give in. Get to it. College is a whole new ballgame and unlike highschool, where you have to go and you have to do all these things, here, it's all up to you. You have to be determined and ready to do what it takes. I dropped out of college, there was a lot of things on my plate, and that's the worst decision I've ever made. Get in college and go with it. See where it takes you. You don't have to understand WHY things are the way they are sometimes. Just do it because that's what is important. You need this education to become what and who you want to be. Don't let it slide. Yes it's hard. Yes teachers can be mean and sometimes VERY opinionated. Roll with it.

When the subject of school is brought up, so many different emotions run through my head. There is happy, sad, annoyed and stressed. I love school because I love the atmosphere of my school and the people that are in it. I am sad because I know I will be leaving shortly. I get annoyed because of all the drama that comes along with high school. I of course get stress because of the work that comes along with it. I will be graduating with my Associates degree so my high school experience is very different from everybody else's. If I could go back in time and talk to myself, the first thing I would say is, "relax." To many of us freak out about school. When we get to stressed we end up getting less done then if we were not stressed at all. Also the transition into collage is not as hard as you would think. Personally I think they way I did it was the easiest, because it was a slow transition. By doing collage in high school it also saved me time and money. Thank you for your time and reading my application. -Alexis Laws

As I think back to my college career so far, I find that I started off great keeping up my 4.0 and impressive attendance record, but am finishing off with less interest in my education. However this is most likely due to the fact that I am currently finishing up my general education classes. Therefore if I could talk to myself before the transition happened, I would encourage me in keeping up my best efforts regardless of the required classes dwindling my interest in school. I would also encourage myself to get more involved in campus activities so I felt like more of a part of my school. Lastly I would tell myself to save more money and apply to more scholarships. College education is expensive and I am beginning to struggle with getting the bills paid. Overall I am somewhat pleased with my experienve so far. Education is vital and I look forward to actually getting into my major next semester.

Hey! Karen! I know you hate school, and I don't blame you for that. High school is pretty lame. Most of the teachers treat you as if you need constant supervision, when what you really need in order to succeed is teachers who trust you. I know Mom and Dad are breathing down your neck, trying to force you to do homework. None of those things are pleasant, but it gets better, I promise. I know everyone says that, but it really is true! In a few years you?ll have some experience under your belt and you?ll know what you want to do with your life. Believe me, that makes a huge difference! Remember Morton and Duycinck? Think of the reasons you loved their classes. You can find professors like that in college, and you can choose them yourself! There?s an awesome website where you can see what other students think of professors at your school. It?s pretty accurate, and you can search for the personality types that YOU do well with. Even math isn?t so bad once you have purpose to your schooling. It gets better. Just trust me.

As a high school senior, I thought I knew more than I really did. I thought I was prepared for the real world, most of my preperation was watching the real world on television, little did I know that was nothing like the real world. As I prepared to go on to college, I was unsure about anything and even though I knew the person in charge of helping students and even work as an assistant for her, I personly never went to her for help. I never asked her for help or advice; I never asked anyone for help to be quite honest. I am not sure why, maybe it was a deep insecurty that I wasn't worthy of it.

You are getting ready to embark on the rest of your life, it's going to be difficult at times, but don't give up. Think about what you want to achieve in your life and then find out what you have to do to accomplish those goals. Don't let anyone else tell you it's not realistic, or you may not have what it takes to get through college and those tough classes. Study each day outside of your classes and don't try to cram it all in to the last week of the semester. Remember we learn line upon line; if we try to learn information all at once we most likely won't retain it. Get to know your classmates and form study groups with them, you can be a great support to each other. When you are feel scared and afraid of this new life and it's challenges, look around you; most likely you are not alone in the way you feel. Try not to get side-tracked from your goals, but if this happens do not quit. Our dreams and goals are always worth fighting for when they make us better.

Get involved in as many activities as you can and meet as many people as you can, but manage your time wisely so you get your studying done too! You won't do well in school if you aren't well balanced both educationally and socially. Find time to exercise and eat right too!

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would have let myself know that boys come and go, as do friends and parties but that education is for life. I would have encouraged creativity and assertiveness. Creating anything of worth (i.e. something that helps you look at yourself and other people in a better light) shapes character and in that way we, ourselves are being created through our own efforts. In the same light, asserting our will positively gives way to opportunity for progression. Gandhi once said "Learn as if you were to live forever". I believe that it is possible to learn without being enrolled in school, however I have found it to be an invigorating and exciting thing to be able to share and hear ideas from teachers and peers. I have every intention of following the advice of that great leader previously quoted. If I were able to speak to a younger me, I would have shared this love of living and learning and hoped with all my strength that my enthusiasm might have persuaded a young girl to be actively involved in her own education.

Assuming that I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say so much, especailly being that I moved halfway across the country my senior year. I would strongly advise myself to take any and all concurrent enrollment classes that I possibly could instead of taking an easy ride until graduation. By taking these classes it cuts back on college time, and it also will save quite a bit of money. I would also tell myself to be social, make more friends, have fun, truly enjoy life, and prepare myself for the "real world." I would highly advise myself to apply for every scholarship that I possibly could. Having college paid for would make such a difference. The biggest advice I would give myself is to be decisive, make up my mind on a college, set my dreams in place and go for them without holding back. I have one chance at life, and college is one of the biggest decisions, so I wished I would have gone into it much stronger. By going into it strong I could have truly been ready for anything that was coming my way.

I would just have to say when the going gets tough get going. You will never make anything of yourself if you don't try. Then again don't work too hard, because you will never enjoy what you are doing. Just continue to learn and grow and that is all that really matters.