University of California-Irvine Top Questions

The addvice i would give myself about the college life would be that to turn in all paperwork on time and to keep getting good grades and it will all pay off later on when i get my degree.

Don't take for granted the amount of scholarships available to graduating seniors. Do some volunteer work and get involved with student organizations. Ask questions, get help, and study for the ACT. Make sure you're going to school for the right reasons. You must resist the urge to get coffee with friends instead of studying. Copying homework may seem like a good idea amist the chaos but, what you don't realize is that you are slowly forgetting how to do math, and at some point you won't remember the simplest equations. You'll regret this when you're paying for developmental courses. You don't know what it's like to have to go to school, work, and find study time. Federal financial aid people are like gods. They may giveth but, they may also taketh awayeth if you waste it. Your teachers, the financial aid people, and your parents cannot want your degree more than you do. If this is the case, you're setting yourself up for failure. You have to want it bad enough. Until you do, I suggest taking a semester to figure out who you really are and what makes you tick.

College is definately different than high school. It can be a challenge and you have to motivate yourself in order to do good. You can't slack off as much as you did in high school and still get by with good grades. You are on your own and responsible for yourself. There is no one making sure you go to class or do your homework. It can be fun be a little overwhelming at the same time. You should enjoy college, go out every once in a while but don't gve up on classes and let it slide because doing so can be damaging to your education.

I would tell the younger me to live life with no regrets. I would tell myself to spend less time worrying about the costs of college and the application process, and live a little. Also, I would advise myself that people change and even best friends can turn into the best of enemies, so don't let anyone get you down. Friends change and leave, and it is completely fine. New friends will enter your life, and they will impact your life in a deeper and more meaningful way than the friends who left ever could have. It is no use to cry tears over people who do not want to be a part of your life anymore. Learn to live and let go. Let go of the past, and look ahead only to the future. Trust yourself, and go with your first instincts always, because only you know your limits. And most importantly, listen to mom and dad, even when they may sound like they do not know what they are saying. Trust me, they do. And usually they are almost always right.

Try to do better at school to keep up a better GPA after high school. Do a lot more volunteer work when you can because during college there is less time for that. To save money and to try to have my goals straight before picking a degree. To not procastinate and manage my time better. I would have joined a bit more clubs and educate myself more on everything my campus had to offer.

Although I am happy that I ended up at UC Irvine, I would tell my high school self to apply to more colleges and keep my horizons open. In high school I was very focused on just getting into three schools, when I should have been exploring my options. I would also tell my high school self to not get too excited about college and hold it up on a pedistal, because there is no way my expectations would been met at any school. I would tell myself to pace myself with college classes because they are much harder than high school classes and actually require doing work. I would tell myself to be open to new experiences, and get out of the dorm more often. I would tell myself to go to more sports games and talk to more people. But, even with all that being said, I think I turned out alright for not having any of that advice. The best way to learn is through doing, and that is what freshman year is all about.

I would tell myself to get involved even more than I did and to not get a job at least the first quarter. Although it was nice having the money, it stopped me from hanging out with friends or getting to know my dormmates better. Also, it's okay to not go home a lot. You're in school to meet friends and grow, your parents and siblings will always be there, this is time for yourself.

College is not only about freedom from parents, from annoying siblings, from ex-boyfriend, or running away from past mistakes. College is the place to find one place, build a self esteem, believe that no matter what, one can achieve only the best; learn from others while setting examples for others to learn from you. College is about having A+ and F+ experiences. Those who takes A+ experiences and always keep it A+ are true life achievers. However those who take F+ experiences and bring turn them into A+ experiences are those who know how to succeed in life. A great moto for college is: Never stop believing in yourself because once you do, you end up quitting in life.

As a High school senior I was already pretty good at time management since I have always been a perfectionist but now as a college student I began to realize how important it is to use your time wisely. It is crucial to select your classes as soon as you can because once those doors open for a class many other students are also going to apply for that same class and the classes fill up real quickly. So priorities and don not lack off. From my past experience I would also suggest that during Finals/Midterms you focus on your classes and studying because that test can really screw you over. Just remember to manage your time wisely and to priorities your tasks before you face the consequences.

Since I was homeschooled a majority of my highschool career, I would tell myself to stay in public school a little while longer! Public school would have provided a lot more opportunities for me, in order to prepare for college. I would have done things such as the Tech Center, which would have provided me with college credits & training before entering the field. I also would have advised myself to take advantage of any scholarship opportunities that came my way! College is very expensive and anything would help.