University of Arizona Top Questions

Hello there, previous self! I know you're freaking out right now about moving away, about making friends, about classes and meal plans, about roommates and classmates, about majors and minors, but just relax. No, it's not going to be easy. You are really going to have to go out of your comfort zone to meet people and find that group of friends that fit. Don't get discouraged, don't get frustrated, and don't give up! Just remember to stay true to yourself, love your family and look to them for support, and to enjoy! These are the upcoming times of your life that you'll look back on and smile. Try new things, be bold, meet new people, go out on a limb, listen to your gut, and get out there and live this new college life of yours!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior about college life and making the transition, the advice that I would give to myself would be find the right roommate. It seems like many students have had at least one fight or conflict between roommates and finding the right person to live is the most important thing in college. Speaking from my personal experience, I found my roommate through an online roommate matching site called RoomSurf, and it end up she was not the person I wanted to live with. She is nice and cares about me, but sometimes she does things that bothers me a lot and I have a difficult time telling her to stop doing whatever is bugging me. Residence Assistance are there to help students who are having trouble with their roommates, but some students are shy and not aggressive enough to express their opinion because they are scared that their roommate might get mad or threat them. I am one of those people who are afraid to spek out, so I have not been able to tell my roommate about her issues.

I would say, don't put school off. Take full advantage of the time and opportuinites available to you and apply yourself to getting your degree. Never stop learning, reading, exploring, and experiencing new things. Love and accept people for who they are and learn to listen. Love others and encourage them to never give up.

I would tell myself to grow up and realize that the possibility of flunking out of college is a grim possibility. There are many other Native students that I came into freshman year with, and now they are either at a community college or at home. I would tell myself to take advantage of every opportunity presented, whether that be scholarship, internship or networking opportunities. There are many people at the U of A who are dedicated to making sure you succeed, so make sure to connect with them and ask for help whenever necessary. There are going to be classes that seem impossible to pass, but remember that hundreds of people have taken the class on campus so make sure to ask them for help. Never let your pride get in the way because with pride comes humilation in terms of recieving a failing grade. Also, make sure to not make your life all about school. College is a time for self discovery and without social interaction it will seem lonely, especially at a big school like the U of A. Remember to pursue a major that makes you happy, and not because of the potential salary.

Karina, Although you were an excellent student, all the hard work will amount to nothing unless you put more work into not only getting accepted to your dream school, but being prepared financially. With academics alone you will be able to get into eight of the ten schools that you applied to, but with out applying for some scholarships your parent's college fund and financial aid will only allow you to attend one college (of course the one on the bottom of your list because they don't even have your major). The best advice I can give you is to make connections, talk to people, and apply for as many scholarships as you can handle with out compromising your GPA. You should also spend the time to maximize your SAT or ACT scores and possibly take a prep class. I would hate to see you continuing to live in the desert dissapointed, when you could be living your dream studying animals and the ocean. Lastly when your dad offers you the opportunity to live on campus as a freshman say yes because the freshman experience of emerssing yourself into your education would be worth the price.

If I could go back in time an give myself a piece advice I would tell myself to work as hard I could and to never give up. I would tell myself that things will at times seem difficult but that I have to keep going no mater what. I would also mention that going into the university at first might seem scary and big but that slowly I will learn where everything is and that my priority should be to make need friends, find interesting clubs to help me a long the way but most importantly to make these four years memorable.

College is about having a fulfilling experience—academically and socially. The academics are easy enough to figure out, but bonding with people can be frightening. In high school, you saw the same people everyday for years, making it difficult to not make friends. In college, though, you begin to interact with more people—you are just one sunflower seed in a field of flowers. My best advice to help you take full advantage of the opportunities to meet new people is to live with someone you don’t know, or don’t know very well. It’s easy to hide behind the safety blanket of your roommate friend, detrimentally affecting your ability to fearlessly put yourself out there. Living with a friend means you wouldn’t be forced to make friends, which would actually mean a fairly lonely freshman year. As a senior in high school, you may have a good idea of what type of job would make you happy. But college is about much more than that—it is about what kind of life would make you happy. Making new friends is an important part of that, and something important to consider as you transition into college life.

If I could go back and talk to myself, I would tell myself the importance of taking my parent's advice. I would tell myself that parnets definitely know more about becoming a responsible adult and earning success than would I. I might tell myself to stay close to my family in my heart and communicate to them my struggles, so that they can help me when I feel unsure of myself. I would also stress the importance of finding positive support groups on campus and keeping in touch with the advisors who are there to help me along the way. I would explain the importance of being dedicated to my purpose for going to college and I would tell myself to hang on to that pupose for dear life and to never let anything distact me from my vision. I would tell myself that college is not a place for young adults to get wild and party, but rather a once in a lifetime opportunity to make your wildest dreams come true. Most of all, I would encourage myself to pray everyday for strength, wisdom, protection, and guidance as I begin the greatest journey of my life.

If I could turn back the hands of time, I would sit myself down and tell her that it is going to be hard, but at 17 you have the whole world ahead of you. Don’t be in a rush to move out, stay with family until you’re done with school because going to school is a full time job, even working part time can have a negative effect on your grades. Yes, it can be done. But it is much easier to focus and give your all to your education. You're going to have to be in control of learning because the professors aren’t like your high school teachers. They aren’t going to call home or lecture you about your grades. Set aside at least 2 or 3 hours for each class to work on projects and just take notes to help you. If you keep a nice calendar of all your classes, test or quiz dates and when assignments are due, you will never have surprises. Keep an open dialog with your professors. Most of all do your best and have fun. If you put your mind to it, you can do it.

I would advice myself to get more help from my counselors because I entered college without the right preparation. Signing up the last minute was definitely a pain, and I didn't really understand the aspects of college until my first month. I would also advise myself to get my school paperwork and applications done early, rather than scrambling to get everything done the last minute.