University of Alaska Fairbanks Top Questions

My advice would be to not hold back. Do not be afraid to get involved with as much as you can as a Freshman because you think your course load is too large. Get involved with undergraduate research early on and start the student organizations that interest you. Another thing is do not procranstinate and do not be complacent. College is meant to be a time of proactive experimentation, to figure out what you want out of life. You never want to limit yourself by sticking to a single path without considering all of your other options. Take classes that interest you outside of your major. Also, always complete your work to the best of your ability and do not miss out on opportunities because you waited too long to meet a deadline. Whenever you submit a piece of work, realize you are submitting a representation of yourself when you do so. Finally, take the time to get to know your professors and the student your are graduating with. Your professors will recognize your drive if you show initiative to meet them outside of class to ask questions and career advice.

I would tell my self to enjoy my break from college and save even harder. All those trips will sound amazing and you will want to go with your friends but college is so much expensive than you think. To convinece my self I would tell myself that I will be denied financial aid (which is true) and I would tell myself that I wont be able to live on campus so I will have to pay rent, bills and food. My financial obligation would be much different if I would have known all these things prior to going back to school.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I'd tell myself to plan all the finacial stuff out ahead of time. I'm usually great at budgeting however I didn't really prepare for college finaces. It's a confusing process and I wish I had prepared more. Planning out exact steps would have helped me immensly. I'd also tell myself to sign up for chemistry instead of geology. I'm an undeclared major and thinking about majoring in a science. The problem is I don't know which science. I really want to get into a biology class, however you need chemistry as a prerequsite. I would tell myself to not waste my time with earth sciecne (turnes out rocks were not my thing), and get chemistry out of the way.

Traversing my past, I solidify a theory. Pain precedes promise as turmoil and talent stem from the same gene. I am myself, destined to significance because of my history. High school is a bleak moment to acknowledge. Yet between shadows dance lights of hope. I’d tell myself "focus on moments of fortitude rather than fault". But I now know problems are akin to cracked concrete between bricks on the most magnificent building. Despite these, onlookers and architects are continually amazed. The past resides in my core. Rather than separating myself from the qualms of my history, I’d note these occurrences as my being. My cyclic thoughts lack logic; a place where I write my best works. I mirror myself in others to overcome our strife. And through a persevering patience to witness better days, I’ve learned to never give up on dreams. The dark is the teacher who awakened me to great lessons. If it weren’t for my mind’s construction, I’d never surpassed struggle to encounter talent. I’d tell my high school self to be proud as I am of myself now. We are who we are amidst trials, talents, dreams, and genes.

Be stubborn. Don’t back down. When people tell you that you must want to be a teacher because you are majoring in math, tell them to walk of the pier at Gibson Cove. I know you think children are sticky; besides, there are so many things you can do with math. For that matter, why did you give up on your engineering dreams? You don’t have to choose, you know. You can have your cake and eat it too. There are plenty of Computational Engineers out there that make way more than you ever will teaching snot-nosed little pip-squeaks their times tables. To that end, take Java Programming second semester, you’ll need it if you want to jump right into CS 201 as a freshman. Lastly, when you get assigned the head of the math department as your academic adviser don’t chicken out and register for classes down at Rural Student Services. You’ve been given a great gift; he will force you to see yourself in a whole new light, one you just can’t appreciate yet. Good Luck!

If I was to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would have told myself to live a little. To realize that you are only young once, and even though the high GPA and taking more than usual classes was a successful feeling, I should have taken the time with my friends. If I could go back to two years ago I would have told myself to spend time with loved ones and take special care of my friendships because after we all split and went to college nothing has been the same. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it is one I know ver well now. To always pay attention to academics and take it seriously but to also remember that I am human and mistakes happen, and there is never such thing as not having time for the ones you love because of the school you have to do.

There isnt anything that I would change about transitioning to school. The only advice I would have given was to possibly have started searching for a job earlier.

If it were possible to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to start saving a majority of my paychecks for years like this one when taking 15 credits just isn't an option (meaning I don't get the scholarship that I depend on to pay for textbooks and supplies), and to not put all my eggs in one basket by depending on a single scholarship. I would tell myself to attend those after school classes on writing college essays or introductory scholarship essays so that when I'm 22 I don't feel like an idiot as I'm bumbling around trying to figure out how I'm going to pay for textbooks, or supplies or gas in the winter when my truck seems to take double the gas as in summer.

The advice that I would give myself is to look first for classes that will be something you enjoy, even if it's not specifically in your major or minor, such as recreational classes or ones that are for hobbies in which you are interested or actively doing (i.e. dance, sports, arts, or writing). These type of classes give you something to look forward to taking over the semesters, and give you a reason to continue going to school during the times when more academic and other required classes might be stressing you out. After finding a few classes that will help keep your interest, next look at the advanced classes in your major, the ones that you eventually want to take and the ones that interest you most, and look at the requisites for that class, and start planning out what classes to take so, one day, you can end up taking the high level classes you want. Most importantly, though, remember that college is a learning experience; it is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and the field you are interested in, and classes should help you grow, as both a student and a person.

If I were to go back in time as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be more outgoing and join as many on-campus clubs. I would tell myself to express my feelings and not be afraid to put myself out there. Having a social life is important and when you're away from family, it's important to have people to go to on campus. I would tell myself to not judge people or worry about people judging me. I would also tell myself to work and save money, as well as applying for as many scholarships I can. The last thing I would tell myself is to not forget about what your going to school for, to stay focused and manage your time wisely.