University of Arizona Top Questions

Go into the first year with no expectations, join clubs, meet people, live on campus, maybe take some bizarre general education classes. The first year is critical to figure out where you are headed, and the best way to figure that out is to explore. At the same time, come into freshman year with a goal oriented attitude; college can be a blast but if you run off having too much fun you will wind up paying for it later. Don't spread yourself too thin; explore to find the things that matter to you and pursue them. Too many people get caught up with the haze of college that they loose sight of their true goals. Those As and Bs are not as easily obtained and they are so important for future opportunities. That first year is the foundation to the rest of your college experience. Set yourself on the right track so that your next three years aren't spent cleaning up the mess of freshman year. Come into college strong with a an open-mind and a sense of what you you want from college, because time is precious and those four years will fly by.

When I was a high school senior, I was actually already attending college through a dual credit program and it was a great deal of work in order to maintain favorable grades. I had taken high school courses along with college honors courses and the stress was overwhelming. After that first year’s experience, I went through a downward spiral and my GPA suffered. To this day, I am still working strenuously to restore it. If I could go back and give myself any advice, I would tell myself not become over worked and burnt out. I would suggest methods of simple stress relief, better eating habits and efficient time management so that unnecessary stress could be avoided.

I would tell my younger self to go to a community college first that offered undergraduate transfer credits for general education requirements. This would help with the transition from my public high school learning into a university setting. It would have been more gradual and less of a shock. It would also give me the opportunity to mature in a setting that is not costing me thousands of dollars in school loans. This would prevent making any adolescent mistakes that would have ended up in me losing scholarships and feeling depressed. College is just a bit more serious than high school and learning a few things about being on your own and going to school will go a long way in developing into a university level graduate.

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior and give myself advice, there would be so many things I could say! I think the most important would be to get involved in clubs and organizations. That is something I never really did in high school, but have been a big part of in college. I feel that it is an incredible thing, and a great way to meet new people. It also looks great on scholarship and college applications. When I applied to college, it was sad to see that the emptiest section of my application was the section for clubs and activities. I know I made a mistake by not joining clubs in high school, but I feel that I have gotten over that, and started new in college, which is something that I am very proud of! Now, I even encourage my younger siblings to make sure they stay involved in school.

I would tell myself to work harder at the beginning of the semesters, because no matter how busy you are at the start of the semester, you are going to be bussier at the end. It is nice to have a cushion at the end of the semester for the unexpected.

I would tell myself to enjoy college, to take advantage of all that there is to take. Not just to enjoy the academics but also attend more events, join more clubs, try joining a team sport and try to volunteer more.

I would tell my high school senior self to start seriously applying for scholarships because out of state tuition at the University of Arizona is over twelve-thousand a semester. My family and other scholarships will not be enough to pay for anything. You will have to take out a lot of loans to even pay off some of the tuition. I will be starving in college right now. If you want to eat, apply for more scholarships. Apply for scholarships or you will starve.

The biggest piece of advice I would give myself, based on my experience my freshman year, make sure you visit all the dorms on campus and learn as much as you possibly can about them! Don't get a single, it generally inhibits you from making friends your first year, and you're alone most of the time. Do all you can to make friends, meet new people. Learn as much as you can about social events and things to do around the area. Just do all that you possibly can to meet lots of new people.

"Money doesn't grow on trees." As a senior in high school, filling out college applications and scholarship forms, you feel like you have your entire life ahead of you. And when you finally get that letter of acceptance from the school of your dreams, nothing will stop you from attending that institution. But, as you will find out the most important part of the college application process isn't just about knowing a school's credentials, it is also about knowing just how much you are going to be paying for your four year endeavor. Apply for as many scholarships as you feel are sufficient, and then apply for several more after that. Think about this decision in terms of finance as well as practicality instead of basing decisions off of whimsical notions of why you should chose a certain school. Don't regret the decisions you've made, deal with the cards you have been dealt and everything else will fall into place. Never stop being greatful for what you have been given, you can't say thank you enough.

As a freshman entering college, I wish I had known how demanding my classes would be. In high school, I was able to "coast" through all my classes and get good grades without any real effort. I struggled in a couple classes in college because I attempted to use the same tactics there. I also wish someone had explained to me what chemical engineering was truly about; this was my first major, and I found that it had little to do with chemistry and much to do with pipes, tanks, flow-rates, and facilities. If I had known this beforehand, I would have majored in chemistry in the beginning. Despite my struggles earlier on, I have been successful in college thus far. In general, I was prepared, and easily adapted to the new environment. I now know what is expected of me, and I have no regrets about my past mistakes in my last two years of college.