University of Arizona Top Questions

I wish I'd known how independent a student should be in order to survive at the UofA. But at the same time, I wish I'd known how incredible some of the professors are and how inspiring they can be. There are so many kind people at the UofA, and so many opportunities to meet new people.

If I could go back in time and address my high school self it would be to apply for more scholarships and financial aid. The reason for this is because although I'm academically doing well, my parents are struggling to pay for my tuition and off campus housing. Somedays it's hectic; the choice between paying my rent or my parents car monthly car payment is heartbreaking. I have no job and no resources to confide in, so if I could tell myself 3 years prior, it would be apply for scholarships, it could mean the world.

Before coming to the University of Arizona I wish I would've known the dedication that was necessary to succeed and been better equipped. High school was pretty simple for me, I never had to study, I seemed to retain information fairly well. When I came the the U of A I got somewhat discouraged in the beginning and my focus was not where it should've been, I struggled with balancing my priorities. Being a year into going to college and upholding a part time job, I've acquired the skills that it takes to improve my grades.

Looking back there are few things I regret not knowing before I went off to college. I came from a very small town to this big city so I wish I had taken a tour of the campus and I wish I could have sat down with a current student to learn about all the processes involved. The tour would have been very helpful as I got lost 3 times on my first day of classes. There is so much involved with scheduling and finacial aid, I wish I had another student's perspective to help me.

I wish I had known that it was going to be so hot in Tucson. I had heard about how hot it could get but I never really believed it.

I wish I knew about the website ratemyprofessor.com. It really helps when planning classes.

To start being proactive. Arizona is a state school, so your success will be what you make of it. I wish I had been saving money, working, padding my resume, applying for internships, and working for the future after college. Get involved as early as you can. Freshman year is a really easy time to do nothing, because just getting adjusted to the new setting feels like a full plate, but you want to be able to look back and feel like you did enough. Be competitive, apply for jobs, branch out into different clubs and groups of friends, and just work hard. Also, stay in shape, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. No one will make you do any of these things, but it is completely worth it. Your health is so important to how you do in school, and how enjoyable your experience is week-to-week. Don't let your friends blow by you and have a great resume while you just hang out in the dorms.

I wish that I had known that a large portion of the students commute from neighboring areas.

Before coming to this school I wish I would have known a couple of things. For one I wish that I would have been told not to take such an academicly heavy work load my first year because of the transition of living on your own, and the new experiences that are all around you. Secondly I wish that I would have been more aware of the services that the school offers to aid students with their classes and school work, but these things did not hinder my first year in any way.

I wish I knew how much work you actually have to put in. This school's work load is constant. Not having homework at least 4 out of 5 days is rare. I also wish I had known how much it costs. There is always a rough estimate, but there are many expenses not calculated in that rough number.