Western Carolina University Top Questions

I believe that college is important to attend because it better prepares young adults for the "grown-up" world. I personally have experienced that first hand and know this for a fact. College is valuable as it allows you to learn and develop into the person that you want to be in this world. It teaches you skills and other atttributes that allow you to slowly work your way into the adult world. These are but a few reasons that it is important and invaluable that a person attends college.

I have further reinforced that I want to be a forensic anthropologist and helped me take the next steps towards my goals. It has been very valuable to attend.

While in college, I ultimately grew as an individual. I was able to leave behind my faults and follies of high school and re-create my life the way it was intended to be. Going to college was not only a way of life for me but also an opportunity to expand my awareness of diversity. I had the best times with the people I will never forget. I truly believe that college is not only what you make of it but what it makes of you.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people and to be exposed to new ideas. The process has broadened my experience and my appreciation for the value in other people and ideas.

The college experience has allowed me to find the perfect balance between school work and social activities. Growing up in a small town, I never struggled to keep a balance between school and friends. Many of my friends lived fifteen to twenty-five minutes away providing a distance that created a buffer between the two parts of my life. Now that I am closer and more available to my friends I am learning the life skill of balance. I have learned to budget my finances and save money whenever possible. Coming from a family with less than stable financial conditions I have always valued the importance of money saved but now that I am saving and spending my own money I am finding that saving in theory is a lot simpler than in reality. The freedom of living without my parents has shown me that I am able to survive without depending on them or anyone else. I now believe that I can make changes to the world to better the lives of people everywhere. This empowerment has and will be my drive for success throughout my college and professional career.

I have gained hope out of my college experience. As a homeschooled student from a very poor family, I was afraid that I would never be able to attend college. However, my experience in college has shown me that my mom was right: I am smart enough to do anything I want in life. I'm in the top of my class and it has taught me that with enough hard work and sacrifices to keep my grades up, there is hope for scholarships to pay for it. I'm going somewhere in life and nothing can stop me- not even poverty.

College has taught me how to be independent. In college they don't remind you to do your homework or study for your tests. You have to remember everything on your own and make your own study schedule for every class. You learn to work together with others in the class instead of trying to do everything on your own. You learn time management and responsibility because of attending college. It is valuable to attend college because the skills and attributes you acquire are essential to being succesful in the "real world." Without college, you wouldn't have the skills I have discussed, nor would you have had time to discover the real "you" yet. College is also about finding yourself and growing, not just about good grades (a.k.a. gpa).

I have learned how to use industry standard software when working with Television, web animation and graphic design as well as what would be expected of me in each particular field. I have conquered my fear of speaking in public with Antelope Valley College's fantastic public speaking professor, learned the basics of contemporary art and have grown acustomed to using multiple operating systems as a result of all of the different Computer Graphics courses I have attended. This will all be invaluable to me when I graduate because it is preparing me for the future I have planned for myself. Without it, I could not expect to advance in such a competitive field.

Well I just started school in September 2010, school is going great for me. So far I have gained alot of friends and am joining the TRiO program at our college. I've also gotten more skills in writing and math so hopefully that will help me with whatever career I choose within the next year. It's been very valuable because I want to have a good paying job and be able to provide for myself and hopefully a family after college. I also think its valuable for me to attend because I want to be ther first one to graduate from college in my family, I want to set an example for generations to follow me. I feel if im chosen for this scholarship and I do decide what my career will be, I will continue college and make something out of myself. Also when I become a professional in whatever field I decide, I'm going to come back to my reservation and make positive changes in my community and hopefully inspire young Native Americans to pursue their dreams and know that it is possible for a "Rez Kid" to be successfull in life.

With my college experience so far I have learned so much more than just the curriculum in my classes. I’ve learned time management, how to balance my schedule and how to better focus on my studies. I enjoy waking up everyday and knowing that I will undoubtedly learn something new. I am a first generation high school graduate, and college student; college is a big deal to me so I relish the fact that I get to attend. I am taking classes towards something that I love, Coaching and teaching; it doesn’t get any more valuable than that.

I have experienced and learned many great things at Western Carolina University than I have my whole life. College is a huge stepping stone in your life and If you're not ready to take that step then you are not ready to go out into the world on your own. In high school, you learn the objects of success but in college you learn success and you practice it everyday. College has taught me qualities like responsibility, independence, and moral values that I will carry with me until the end of my days at Western Carolina and the rest of my life. It has not only changed my lifestyle, but has changed my life for the better. I thank my college not only by expressing team spirit, but also when i'm on their website one day for successful alumni.

I have received more knowledge and tools to help me in the business world during my college experience. College has taught me to be more mature and professional. College has been valuable because it has shown me so many more things to use in the workplace. I am happy I attended college because without this knowledge, I don't think I could make it in the real world.

I have gained something that I didn't think would ever exist for me, self-confidence. I am by nature a timid and shy person but can be loud and crazy as well. Here at the university I found a peace of mind and the will power to except myself. Everday is a blessing to me and a joy. Even those eight o'clock morning classes are fun to go to. Anyone who is unsure of themselves or college as a whole will love it here. You are seen as a person and that is something that makes this university stand above the rest.

I have gained new hope out of my college experience. I was homeschooled for the six years of high school and it was awful and lonely. I was never allowed to leave the house unless I was going grocery shopping and had to do schoolwork in secret as my father wanted me to clean and learn my place as a woman. When I started attending a community college, I made friends, gained social skills, and found a job in the cafeteria at my school. My teachers gave me the encouragement I needed to believe that I could be something and my financial aid officer went out of her way to make sure that I had the money to stay in school. I graduated with my associate's degree last year and am now a senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in Forensic Anthropology before moving on to obtain my Master's degree and Ph.D. My college experience showed me that there are kind people in the world who believe in me, and that if a person is willing to work for it, they can achieve anything.

It gave me a chance to grow both academically and personally

I have recieved a wonderful experience at college thus far. I have learned to break out of my shell and meet new people who have become my close friends. Western offers many wonderful activities for me to get involved in. The faculty at Western have been so helpful and encouraging as I have attended Western. I get one on one time with my professors if I need it which most colleges don't have. I have had a positive experience living on my own for the first year. I feel comfortable and safe on campus. It has truely been a valuable experience for me because I have already learned so much by attending Western. I have made positive changes in my life as well. I have found great friends to hang out with. I have found workout partners to go to the gym with. I could not have picked a better school for me to go to that makes me feel like I'm at home.

The importance of earning a college degree has become increasingly evident in dire economic times as these. Every day we see illustrations of the hardships caused by unemployment, and the lack of employment opportunities through resources such as the news, television, and most notably in the lives of others around us. Earning a college degree is important to me because, in the society we live in though a college education doesn?t guarantee occupational and economic success; it unquestionably gives you the upper hand when competing with less qualified applicants for the same position. A college degree also provides the opportunity for social and economic advancement and opportunities that will undoubtedly provide for a more comfortable and secure future. Lastly the time I have spent traveling around different parts of the world due to my father?s profession in the Army has also given me more insight on the importance of education when it comes to obtaining a comfortable and stable life. Though the path to obtaining a good education is not always easy mentally or financially I believe that education is an investment in one?s self that will reap untold benefits.

I've gotten to much out of my first year of college. I've learned so much about myself since I am more dependent now. I've learned that while in college people aren't always on your back to get your work done and go to classes and that I have to do it all on my own. I've learned that I work hard when put to a challege. I have also learned that I can do anything I set my mind to and that when I do try to accomplish something I need to put in 110 percent. If I had made the choice to not come to college I would still be very dependent on my family and not known how much I can work to my full potential when I am on my own.

My Freshman year has been amazing so far. I was able to study abroad my first semester in Florence, Italy. My decision to study abroad my first semester was probably the best decision I have made education wise. I was able to immerse myself into the italian language and live the culture Italy had to offer. The University of New Haven offers so many great oppurtunities it is just up to you the student to take advantage of those oppurtunites.

My college experience has taught me so far that the world is not as easy as some people think. I am a mother of a 8 month year old baby, in college and captain on the women's basketball team. There is many responsibilities that come with each of these jobs and with that being said at times it is very hard for one person to handle. College has taught this young lady that you have to grow up not for your self but for the sake of people around you. College has also taught me that just because something is unplanned that does not mean that you can not continue on your goals and dreams, although it is hard work at the end when everything is accomplished you learn that everything was well worth the struggles at times.