University of Arizona Top Questions

The person who I am now is very different then the person I was in high school. Much of the difficulty I encountered transitioning from high school to college could have been diminished by four pieces of advice. First, escape the mindset that high school is the extent of reality, but instead enjoy this period and use it as an opportunity for intellectual and artistic growth while the demands of life are less intense. Second, treat others with respect. Don’t be so self-conscious of other people's opinions. You can be a positive force in your high school by treating people with respect and kindness; they deserve it and so do you. Third, work harder at the course work that is assigned and taught in class. While the material at times seems arbitrary and trivial, there is much to gain from completing projects that you may not enjoy doing. And finally, value the time you spend with family and friends. Once you graduate, it will be much harder to spend time with these loved-ones. These pieces of advice would have better prepared me for adult college life and also would have made high school much more enjoyable.

Dear soon-to-be-college-student me, You've worked diligently up to this point to derive success from your education and have managed to squeeze out straight As for nearly your entire high school career. You should know now, that such grades will not be earned so easily. Don't be too disappointed if and when you find yourself struggling to maintain a high B. The transition into college, non-academically speaking, will be rather painless. As you enjoy your personal freedom though, remember to befriend the right people along the way. Especially with your daring choice to pursue a degree in an artistic field, you must remember that most opportunities will come from your relationships with the right people. It really is "all about making connections" in your field, so keep that in mind as your career unfolds. Most importantly, never let the positivity drain out of your self- image. You are smart, kind, and possess a natural talent that brought you to this point. Do not take too seriously the judgments that others constantly pass on you. No matter what you hear, you will always be worthy of taking the next step forward. Take it for you.

Sober up, start to take life seriously while you are young and strong. The choices you make now will affect your life for many years. Go to college and be mainly focused on your academic work. Work hard, talk to your teachers about what they are looking for in the work you do, after a couple of quarters it will get easier. If a suject is particularly hard seek help, do not think that this means you are unintelligent, everyone needs help with some things and it is smart to get it. Do not let yourself be distracted by lots of fun things, it is important to enjoy life sometimes, but real enjoyment comes as a result of things you accomplish through hard work, yet at the same time, make friends, a good friend will generally give you good advice so listen to what they say. Ask other students about teachers, they will tell you which ones are good. Take some classes that are outside your comfort zone, it will help you be a better student. Allways be respectful and friendly towards your teachers, even if you do not like them. A little respect goes a long way.

The road to happiness and sucess are not always the same road and do not have to be completed at the same time. In fact they are often hard to do at the same time. Do not burden yourself with a significant other your first year of college. Live life and do not almost get married and have your entire family almost disown you. Nothing is worth loosing family, your dignity, and love for yourself. There are many things in this world that I know you want to accomplish, like being a pediatrician, but maybe think of other ways to get there and not the hardest most taxing course. Think of the options ahead of you that do not involve alienating your family which forces you to look for ways to pay for college. It is not worth being stubborn and trying to make grown up decisions when you dont have the knowledge about life outside a messed up family. Live, that is my advice.

The transition to college can get messy, so my best advice would be to use a BIB (balance, involvement, bravery).Balance. Have a balance. Success in college comes from being social while also maintaining your schoolwork. You can always make up a party that you missed, but you can never make up a test that you failed. You’re in college to get a degree, so take your academics seriously, but also know when to have fun. Work hard and focus during the week, but then have fun and relax on the weekends. Involvement. Get involved. Your college experience is rooted in the friends you make and the environment you put yourself in. Joining clubs and organizations is the easiest way to find out what you like, what you don’t like, and who your friends are. Once you find a comfortable environment, you will be able to excel and have more fun in college than you ever originally expected. Bravery. Be brave. College is a new beginning, so try new things, meet new people, and put yourself out there. You will never know what you are missing out on untill you take advantage of all college has to offer.

Looking at what I know now compared to what I knew in high school, I would tell myself to allows be willing to try new experiences and don't back down from an opportunity because it may seem a little intimidating. Enjoy the social aspects of school and college life but never let yourself get carried away. Stay focused on classes and don’t wait until the last minute to try and make a difference on your education. Find a way to study that fits with your learning style quickly and stick with that routine throughout the semester. Never be satisfied with all that you have accomplished. Allows push to be better and work hard for your future but remember you’re still young and these are the best years of your life so find that balance between academics, clubs, and fun and your college experience truly will be everything you want it to be.

Knowing my financial situation would not permit me to go to a California school I wish i spent more time enjoying high school rather than spending nights perfecting my essays for Stanford, UCLA, UCSD and the like. High school and all of its opportunnities would have been better served with more focus on social life than my future college life. Though, I also regret not spending the money to make all my classes in high school a dual enrollment community college class as well because at the University of Arizona I could have used the classes to replace general education requirements.

Don't stress the small stuff, and live life to the fullest.

I would tell my high school senior self to be better at prioritizing. In college there are many things to distract from coursework and from focusing on academic success. The attitudes of college professors are much different than high school teachers, particularly if coming from a small high school. It is up to the student to do work and succeed. In advising my high school senior self, I would try to impart a sense of priority and hope that my senior self would focus more on making academic success a priority. I would try to give myself a sense of empowerment about my future and convince myself that homework really is important. Attending class and being involved in campus activities are also important factors in order to succeed. As a piece of final advice, I would tell myself to always keep an eye on the future and do what must be done in order to have a positive future.

Last year as I was going through the college application process, I was confused and up until a few weeks before my graduation, I had no idea where I was heading to school that upcoming fall. A few words of advice I would give myself would be, most importantly, to be more active and stay diligent in applying for scholarships and finding how I would pay for things in my first semester of college. One of the main problems I face in college is finding the money to pay for the everyday essentials. One other key thing I would tell my old self would be to research more about a potential major at the school I would be going to. I'd let myself know that it would be wise to make a tentative goal to decide a major just so going into my fall semester of school I would be more equppied to succeed in school, and specifically that major, with courses designated around what I wanted to do.