University of Arizona Top Questions

You’ve been told throughout school that you should pick a career you will love, not what will make you the most money. You will also be told early on what kind of person you are. I was always told I was a great writer. Arizona’s undergraduate writing program was ranked second in the nation, so I decided to attend. As an alumni, I somewhat regret my decision. Writing is a passion, not a career. Because of how I was pigeonholed, I always underachieved in anything besides the humanities, and it limited my career prospects. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are, even if they're parents or teachers. Right now, before you decide on a career, major, or school is the time to experiment with life. I know it's difficult between school and work, but find the time. Somehow in college, I realized I had a passion for genealogy, which led me to explore careers in archives. Next year, I'll be starting a library science program. Though I was scared at first about transferring fields, I can’t be more excited, because I know now what I truly want to do with my life.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell him to open up more. As a senior in high school, I was very shy and did not like talking to others, but this hurt my social skills and made me very depressed in the coming years, especially in college. Living in the dorm by myself with no one I know around, it made me really close in on myself and not open up to anyone, and thus fueled my depression. I am much better now and I wish that I could have been this way from the get go because remembering that first year is heartbreaking to me and my grades suffered from my mental heatlh. Anyone new to college should try to make friends quickly because one your in the middle of a semester it is hard to talk to people because they are mostly established in their cliques. Going through school alone is very challenging and depressing so try to put your best step forward and make an effort to intereact with people.

Don't worry too much about making friends because you are going to make them so easily. Remember to use your school's resources and programs that help with the transition, because there are quite a few. Everyone you meet is in the same boat as you. So if you want to make friends with someone, just be the one to reach out to them because they may be just as nervous about college as you are. Despite everyone telling you that you may hate your roommate in the end, they fail to mention that you may also become best friends instead. So be friendly, constantly put yourself out there and stop stressing about becoming lonely because there are thousands of potential friends that are going to be around you!

Don't slack off on what you need to do. Ask for help and don't wait for another day. Let your father know what you need to get done and if you need a place to use the internet let your father know and he will help you. He wants the best for you. Do not let your negativity of thingd being not being possible. If you do not try you will never go far. Being too poor to provide for your tuition is not a bad thing, there are scholarships that will help provide you of that. Just keep looking for ways to move forward. Transportation is not a problem either. Your fear to drive should not hold you back. Learn to drive now and you will be gratefull later in life. Things may look scary now but its neccessary to over look them for a better tomorrow. There can't always be someone there to hold your hand. It it your own path to walk through, and only you can really make your own future. Do not worry. Everything will be ok.

Hello Aleesha, I noticed that your about to graduate from high school with your two year old daughter by your side. I came here to tell you that you need to stay motivated in college. You have made many mistakes in the past and will make more in your life as you grow older. This time when you enter college, think about your child and the child you will have a few years from now. Think about the role model you want to be and the life you want to give them. Stay in school and work hard so that you don't have to struggle the next couple of years to get by. This is the best advice I can give you, and hope you will take it and make better choices this time around. Remember, do not let peers influence you. You can do this!

In high school, I was confident about college. I attended University High School and I thought I was extremely prepared for college. I was prepared, but not as much as I had thought. I honestly thought that I would go to college and it would be the same as high school, just bit harder. I was wrong. One piece of advice I would have told myself, as a senior in high school, is that I need to start studying for a test atleast a week in advance. As much as you don't want to, you need to. It will improve your grades greatly because seeing the information over and over again will help much more than studying the night before. In high school, you could get away with studying the night before, but trust me, not in college. The last piece of advice that I would give myself would be to branch out and make friends that I did not attend high school with. I attended a college that is located in the same town that I grew up in and I wish that I would've branched out more rather than sticking with only friends from high school.

After experiencing college for myself, I sometimes look back and wish I could have done things a little differently. For example I came into college as an undecided major and that right there is what is hurting me right now, only because I wish I would have right away jumped into my major once I entered college for the purpose of wanting to graduate with the class of 2014. Other than that the biggest advice I would have also probably given myself would be to get involved, get out and meet new people. Socialize, this school is all about networking and meeting new people to create new connections in life, so most deffinatly get out and join clubs, organizations, etc. Sometimes I wish I can go to my old High School and talk my experiences only so I can motivate students to attend college and also take the right path.

There would be many tips of advice I would inform myself of as a senior in high school regarding college life. I would have told myself about how many friends you make just by living in the dorms and that I shouldn't be nervous of a new environment because change is always good and there is nothing to be afraid of. I would also tell myself that studying and attending class is the most important aspect of earning good grades. Being a straight A student in high school I would have never expected to receive anything less in college. But if I could go back in time before I started my freshman year in college, I would have encouraged myself to keep trying and keep my head up no matter the grade I got in college. People aren't perfect and I think you really realized that in college and keeping an open mind helps when you are feeling down. I needed to keep in mind that just because I failed once doesn't mean that I'm going to fail forever. I just needed to keep my head up and work harder next time.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to get my Gen Eds done at a Community College. Don't worry about your core classes until you transfer to a university. Jumping straight into your major costs you a lot of time and scholarship money that could've went to better use other than tuition for classes that are not going to count. That would be my advice, also... It's okay to go out on the weekends here and there, have some fun, find out who you really are, because college.... It goes by faster than high school. P.S. Don't date Megan... that was a BAAAAAAD idea, just FYI!

Do not fret about fitting in to the college lifestyle or trying to impress people. Just be who you want to be. You'll make new friends to replace the old ones and you'll keep some true old friends. Take a chance because if you don't, you'll regret it later on. Everything will okay in the end; if everything is not okay, then it's not the end. Prepare yourself to buddy up with your professors. I know you did not like your high school teachers, but it is almost a must to get to know your college professors. They're there to help you out. It's okay to stand out and be different. Help others and I guarantee that they will help you.