University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Top Questions

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior is the number one thing I need to remember is SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. I need to save all the money from working over the summer for my college expenses. It is very expensive to purchase books and live on off campus housing without having any money saved up. Also to apply for scholarships that I qualify for early as possible and to apply for as many as I can. I would tell myself as well to make sure I know what my major will be because this will help me while applying for scholarships and being able to apply for some that are based on my major. Another advice I really needed to know as a high school senior is to maybe think about going to a community college first if my grades weren't the best because if I spend 2 years at a community college and get my GPA up I could have transferred to the University of Cincinnati and recieved scholarship money for having an excellent GPA from that college. These advices would have made my life easier in college and provided more help financially.

Assuming I could go back and speak to myself at 18, there are many things that I could and would tell my high school self. Most important would be to realize that who I was then is not who I will be in 10 years. To take each experience, good or bad, and chalk it up to a life experience and understand that it will make me be a better person. To finish school sooner rather than later; I hate thinking some days that "I wish I would have done this 5 years ago...". I would tell myself to live in the dorm room; get the full college experience. Use and abuse the free gym memberships and activities; they don't happen in your adult life. And above all, to pick those professor's brain's apart. Use them for the wealth of knowledge that they are. Take the harder classes in spite of the challenge that they may be; you will probably learn more from them than any other class. Make new friends of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds; don't become a lemming.

If I went back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior the main thing I would want to say is not to be afraid to be yourself and be open to the new experiences available. Transitioning into college life is very intimidating, everything is new, but it is great if you can be open and friendly to the people around you, many of them are feeling the same way so it can be easy to make new friends quickly. Also, get involved early. If you try new clubs, groups, or sports you can have a lot of fun and from there decide what you want to stay involved with or not. But getting involved early really helps you enjoy the school life and exposes you to a lot of new experiences. College is a great time to learn not only about the books but also about yourself and the world, be confident, you'll do great.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell my high school senior self to save money early! Money is the most pressing issue for me and fellow classmates--especially in current economic times. Money is needed for tuition, housing, food, books, transportation, supplies, liesure, and more. College is the first time that most students are sent to live on their own: some are lucky and don't have to worry about money but others are seeing the real world for the first time. Having money saved up before college is the smartest thing one could do because it would relieve stress, would not influence one's decision of a Major, and would allow one to actually enjoy the college experience. Money is not what makes the world go 'round but having some saved up to ease the college transition would have been the smartest thing I wish I would have known.

If I had the option to travel back in time to discuss my current status with my high school self, I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships. Upon graduating from my high school, I ended up with what I thought was a fairly decent amount of scholarship money. Little did I know that it would take a lot more of where that came from in order to satisfy UC's growing tuition costs. I am the first in my family to go to college, and my parents are only high school graduates. We make due with what we have, but sometimes it can get hard. If I could confront my former self, I would tell him to save money like crazy. All of that money from the high school part-time job would have been put into a savings account at a local bank. I would also tell him to purchase all of his books online, as textbook prices and other supplies often cost more than seven hundred dollars per quarter. However, the most important thing to say would probably be that he should join a club as soon as possible. It will help in the long run.

Life is not about the destination but about the journey. Life will take you to places you never expected and plans will change. Life may not goes as you planned it but it is these events that will ultimately make you who you are meant to be.

My advice for any person about to embark on any new experience, particularly college, sounds simple, but is far more challenging than it first seems: Have an open mind and heart; you will witness more beauty in the world than imaginable. Once you have formed your beliefs, have conviction in them. Encourage yourself to grow and change, but do not conform to the status quo. Do not do the easy thing. Do the difficult thing. Work hard. Laugh. Meet new people, and learn about them. Discover how diverse the human population truly is. It is our diversity that unites us. Do not assume you know a person until you have had a completely honest conversation with them. Listen. Read thought provoking books. Liberate yourself by learning. Be inspired. Do not rely on anyone to teach you. Actively pursue your education, in and outside the classroom. Love. You only have one life, do not live it for anyone else. Think critically, establish an informed opinion, and find the strength from within to be your own person. Above all, you must live your life for yourself.

I would have told myself the importance of taking advantage of everything that is available to me at the University of Cincinnati. It is easy for freshman to get caught up in the off-campus social life, which is very contrary to the University of Cincinnati's mission and core values. UC offers every possible organization that one can think of. They make it very easy for one to even found their own organization; and therefore put students at the center of our university. UC knows the importance of enabling students to truly be a part of our university. Once I overcame taking advantage of the freedom given to me by entering college, I was clearly able to see the benefits of UC have been pushed in my face. Everywhere you go on campus, there are opportunities available for everyone, which supports the diverse campus that we have. UC is a very fortunate university for all of it's achievements that have been made, it's outstanding programs including the nationally ranked DAAP, and the abundance of resouces available at our campus that make our university truly, UnComparable.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as I high school senior I would tell myself to focus on my studies, listen to people I have grown to trust and don?t give in to peer pressure in order to fit in. It is so easy to give in to the temptation to take it easy during your senior year. I would tell myself keep working hard, push yourself and strive for excellence. Always work hard in order to put yourself in a better position to receive scholarships to defer from college loans. I would tell myself to listen to people I trust, instead of disregarding their opinion in order to have things I want but don?t really need. Understand that when they tell you something it is because they love you and want to keep you from making mistakes. Most importantly, I would tell myself judge people according to who they are right now, and not who they say they are going to be. Sometimes despite the best intentions people are not able to change. I would tell myself always have fun, but find a good balance between work and fun.

Prepare! The most unrelenting thing that hunts me still today was my inhability to keep good record of my finances and budgets. I knew I had a large size college fund that I was blest with after the passing of my grandfather, but I didn't realized the amount would be gone in two years! If I could go back I would have worked harder, saved and scrounged my money, and taken on a second job. If I could only go back and whisper wisdom in my young ears! The time consuming work that is college, has caused me to focus on nothing but learning and achieving success. I have worked so hard to place myself in my third year with 3.4 GPA in my major but have failed to look back on the finance books! I am blest that my family supports me and have produced the necessary funds to keep my learning in progress motion. And in time the fruits of my labor will pay off to both our benifit. I want to give back to them, who have already given me life, with my own success and the right decision for my higher education goals!