University of California-Davis Top Questions

choose a place you want to live for the next 4 years.

When I first arrived at school, one of my dorm-mates went door to door, introducing himself and getting everyone to follow him around the building meeting newcomers. I attribute this one person's outgoing attitude to the cohesiveness of my dorm for the rest of the year. Make sure you meet as many people as you can when everyone is still new, and try to include everyone, especially the people who seem outsiders in floor dinners, Frisbee games, and the like. If you make friends now, you'll be friends with these people for the rest of your time in college. After you've mastered the dorm scene, join clubs, intramural sports teams, or your school's student government. You'll meet people who share your interests in an environment that helps overcome that awkward "why are you talking to me, I don't know you" situation that you get into walking up to a stranger.

When I was a high school senior, I wish someone had told me that being myself is the most important part of college. Alot of times in high school, kids tend to try to assimilate to what their friends like and do the same things, but in college there is such a diverse student body and fitting in isn't as important because its easier to find friends with similar interests. I also wish that I would have known that its okay to ease my way in. The first quarter of college doesn't necesarily have to be the quarter where you take a million hard classes--its totally okay to take 3 easy ones so you can grow accostomed to college life, make friends, an learn how to do well thought out work. Lastly, I think that it is important for incoming freshmen to know that taking advantage of resources will help alot with adapting to college life and learning how to be an effective adult. I wish I had taken advantage of the opportunites available in the dorms my freshman year.

Bring a car so you can leave Davis and go to Sacramento when Downtown isn't enough! Make sure you like reading a lot. It's okay if you don't know what you're going to be doing yet, you have time to take GE classes. Definitely bring a bike so you can ride around with your friends. Be ready for what life is about to bring you. Anything can happen. Love yourself and be confident. Take advantage of the things that are offered to you. Learn to balance study time and social time. Learn to cook because after the DC is gone you'll have to cook for yourself. School should come first because when you're done and have your degree, you can have any job you want that will make you happy and you will love doing it so it would not feel like a job at all. Party with people you know and trust. Bring rainy day clothing. The weather here can be ridiculous. Bring appropriate summer clothing because the summer is unbearable. Be happy and find ways to release stree because there will be days where you will get overwhelmed. However, keep fighting through.

Be open to new things and don't be afraid to ask questions to anyone, whether it be other students or professors. Pick a major that you really like because you will do well in it. Remember to study but have fun. A balance of those two will yield a satisfying college life. Remember to visit the campus of the school of your choice. Make good decisions.

The advice that I will give to myself is that it is important to do well in school. If there are advanced placement courses in my highschool, I should take those courses to give me the opportunity to be prepared and succeed. Before graduating, it is a great idea to start looking for campuses that satisfy me. For example, there are many campuses that will not have the major that I would like to study. It is important to research for all the information that I need before applying to the campuses that I first had in mind . Then, after I have completed the application process, it is important to apply for financial aid and to keep myself informed about all the deadlines because if you miss a deadline, there is a possibility that I will not attend to college. Sometimes there is a family crisis that happens before you attend college. For this reason, many freshmen give up and decide to drop out. Please do not do this, if this happens to you, never think that your opportunity has ended. Always have in mind that you are important and that everything in this world is possible, always think positive!

Skim a lot of the assigned reading

College. Back in high school, that one word would have sprung up images of frat parties and students taking tests in large lecture halls that I'd seen in movies. After now knowing what it's all about, I would tell myself that college really is all about that. However, my advice would be to stay focused. Freshman year, I got side-tracked into the greek system and partying instead of studying when I should've. College is all about a balancing act: classes on one side and parties on the other. You have to stay in the middle to stay on track. Otherwise, things could get messy. It's important to understand what you're in college to do. There's more to college life than the drama and drinking games. An education is important, because college only lasts for four years, but you have the rest of your life to think about. It would be a shame to put this education to a waste, because life rarely gives second chances. For a history major, it's more important to know about World War II rather than who won the last beer pong tournament. Stay on task.

Nothing, because I believe I did my best when I was in high school, and I am perfectly happy in my college now :)

Be sure to be ready for a different life compared to high school. Not to worry about making friends, because that will happen faster than you realize. Focus on studying and keeping it up. Once you fall behind, you cannot catch up as easily as you did in high school. Focus, FOCUS, FOCUS!!!