The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

There is an increased amount of freedom when entering college, but with freedom comes responsibility. It is the responsibility of the student, not the teachers or parents to study hard and maintain the succesfful grades. Sometimes, spending hours in the library studying will only get you a B+ on the exam. There will be people who barely study and still make a better grade; don't get discouraged. Time management is the key compenent to academic and social success. Studying long hours will cause your mind to explode if you don't find some time for yourself. But that goes the same for "social time." Too much social time can lead to a negative academic outcome. A large university like Texas only feels large if you don't put in the effort to make it small. Join organizations that benefit your resume and balance it with a social organization to meet new friends. Get to know all your professors because you will need them to write you a recommendation sooner or later. College is nothing like high school, so don't expect it to be easy. Lastly, I would tell myself to breathe and enjoy every minute of the experience.

As a college freshman, the most drastic change I had to make coming from high school was a change in my study habits. In high school, I felt I was leading a very rigorous academic lifestyle. Here in college though, there are many distractions that have contributed to my existing study habits. It has taken me almost a full semester to realize and fully graps that I really do have to change my study habits to accomodate my new surroundings here in college. I would like to go back in time and tell myself that I have to be open to new things and accept change. I am a person who likes to maintain order and keep the same routine. Coming here to Austin though, I have come to accept very readily the fact that this change isn't only applicable to college. I would like to have mentally prepared myself to accept change from here on out. At this moment, this includes talking to new people, making new friends, keeping myself accountable for my own responsibilities, and in essence everything that encompasses growing up.

I would tell myself that everything I will go through is painful and seems unnecessary, but the growth I will experience makes it all very necessary. I would also tell myself that my independence is the most important thing I can ever attain and have, and it is better to attain it sooner rather than later. Lastly, I would tell myself to learn to sleep better, because class is a lot more fun when you're not 3/4 of the way to unconsciousness.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to only go to school when I know what I what to do in life. I would tell myself to wait and save my money till I know what career I want. To chose a realistic career not just a job and to go to school and get a degree in that field. When I first started college I thought I would major in something fun. Little did I know that it wouldn’t be as fun as I thought. I wanted to do something that I thought all my friends would like not something I could see myself doing for a long time. Therefore, I stopped going to class and started going to parties and working and trying to make money to pay for schooling that I didn’t even want to attend, when I should have been going to school or studying. I now know that without school, I will never get out of these dead end jobs that I am in now. I would tell myself to contemplate what I like that would be realistic for me to do for the rest of my working life.

I'd tell my high school self to apply for scholarships while still in high school. It has been difficult in these past ten years to look for scholarships that can help me pursue costume design. I attended community college first to save money, but it has turned out to be a bigger challenge than I thought to pursue my dream after working full time and being a part time student. I wouldn't change the hands-on experience that I have attained, however, financing the rest of my career/dream has been harder than I expected. When I have children, scholarships will be a priority! Higher education is very important me! High school self, there is no reason to be discouraged; the reward will be that much sweeter when that time comes, even if you have to wait until you're 50 years old. The real life experience in the work world has been wonderful. I can now say that I have ten years of experience in retail and management. There aren't many college grads who can say that! These hard financial times have been proof that it's not easy getting a job, even college grads!

I look back on my high school self and both sympathize with my concerns and, as horrible as it may be, laugh. I was troubled with my nonexistent social life, not to mention the thousands of dollars I was required to pay for school. Once at school, I successfully focused on my schoolwork and maintained a 4.0 GPA. One night, my roommate was distraught because of the workload her classes required of her. After she calmed down, she praised me for my discipline and asked how I managed to get everything done and not stress out. I explained that I did worry. However, instead of spending hours panicking, I simply used that energy to conplete my assignments. Only now do I realize I could have applied this concept last year. Rather than spend summer upset at my situation, I should have taken action. Instead of wallowing in misery about being lonely, I should have gone out and met new people. Instead of wondering how I would ever pay for college, I should have used those hours to find scholarships. I would let myself know to never sacrifice a moment of potential fun or productivity for a moment of panic.

If I were allowed to go back to high school, I would tell myself that studying is the most important thing there is. When you are doing the work sometimes it can seem mundane, or seem like you will never use it again. That is not true, a lot of the material that you use in high school will come back onto at least a few of the classes that you will take in college. Mastering the material early will give you a head start in your college career. Delegation of time is another important factor that you will use in college. There is so much to do and read, especially when you are taking a double workload, that you have to prioritize and sometimes choose schoolwork over things that may be more fun. I would tell my high school self to continue working hard and doing my best and that is what will help me succeed in college.

College isn't like high school where you can blow classes off and still make A's. Start learning now to set limits on your "fun" so that you have time to get your work done. Work comes before fun not after, and if you put it after, you can find yourself with no grades and no money. Apply to all the scholarships you can find now, and don't blow off the essays just because you don't like to write them, you need to try for every cent you can while you have a GPA worth looking at, so that you have savings in your account for school. Just don't let work be your everything either, fun is necessary to stay sane in such a focused environment. Just like in all things, balance is key.

Even though it seems like you are being bombarded with a plethora of college information, don't give up now or let yourself become overwhelmed. Pace yourself. There are plenty of people at the college, called advisors, that will be glad to help you out with all of the technical things you need to know. However, what they fail to mention is that in college, you get back what you put into it. So don't be afraid to put yourself out there and get involved. I know it may sound easier said than done, but there are really thousands of clubs and organizations that you can join to help you make the transition to college easier. For one, it helps you connect with a smaller group of people, like a family, and it also opens up other connections. Also, don't be afraid to call home every once in while in tears. Homesickness is something that is experienced by all. By the way, crying is a wonderful stress reliever! Anyway, hang in there. You WILL make it out alive. Just focus on your goals. Stray away from things that can pull you down instead of help you climb.

Relax. You everthing will be ok. There is no need to pull your hair out, you've worked hard all of high school and your working hard now. Don't let other people discourage you, your on the right path. This is your year. You have a passion for knowledge and learning and no one can take that away from you. Use that passion, make it work for you. If your going to change the world you have to start somewhere.