University of Evansville Top Questions

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school self before I went to college, I would tell myself to not over stress about meeting new people and to be open to every opportunity. I was the only person from my high school go to the University of Evansville and I do not have family in the immediate area, so I essentially felt isolated. However, by joining clubs that interested me both socially and academically, I quickly found my niche. Instead of worrying about how others would perceive me, I would tell my high school self to advantage of every opportunity to expand my comfort zone. College presented a lot of opportunities for learning new material that I previoulsy did not even know existed. Instead of fearing not knowing something, my high school self should instead embrace the opportunity to expand my knowledge. By giving this advice to my high school self I feel that my current self would be much more open to learning new things.

I would tell my high-school self that it is more than okay to not have everything figured out before heading to college because I would be exposed to so many new opportunities and life-changing people in college that would help me figure out what path I wanted to take in my future. Additionally, I would tell myself to not worry about making new friends because there are so many people with different personalities and interests on campus that I was sure to meet many new and interesting people that I would feel grateful to call my friends. I would also advise myself to get to know my professors outside of the classroom because they are an invaluable resource for academic support and career guidance. The final piece of advice that I would communicate to my high-school self would be to make the most of every moment. College is a unique time when students can explore who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to get out of life, and it is important to take full advantage of this opportunity.

If I could go back to my senior year of high school, I would have worked harder to have a high GPA in order to secure more financial aid and scholarships. Money doesn't really make sense to you until you are a senior looking at all the loans you will be paying back for the rest of your life. I could have gone to a state school, and saved a ton of money, but I wouldn't have grown as a person like I have here. The students, faculty and campus made me who I am, and the money spent will always be worth it, despite the stress of loans.

Hello 18 year-old Jenna, My advice to you from the future is everything will work out if you keep trying. Stop second-guessing yourself because you have done everything you can to prepare for the unexpected. The clichés of making sure to be yourself and having fun are true. Everything works out and there is no need to worry about not having enough money or the right friends. Maybe work on your handwriting so your note taking isn't sloppy in college. There won't be enough time in the day to do everything in college but try your best to get to know people and try new things. You will make the best of friends and the meet the most interesting people that will soon reassure you that you're at the right school. Advice for your homework: never ever procrastinate! After the first time, you will learn to do a little bit each day so that you don't have to deal with that horrible all-nighter again. Ask for help when you need it, whether it is dealing with your homework or the stress, someone will be there for you because you're pretty awesome!

I would tell myself to work harder on getting scholarship. Procrastinating is not good. It only sets you up to rush, panic, stress out, and in t urn you don't do your best. I would tell myself to learn how to organize my work and to learn time management. I would have told myself to join more clubs like SGA and to participate in more activities in my community. Read, read, read.

I would tell myself to never give up and keep striving for good grades because they will pay off in the end.

Since I graduated in 2009, I have learned to “roll with the punches” and I followed the most outlandish dream that I thought I had no chance at achieving in high school. That dream was to graduate from the University of Evansville, the university that I currently attend. In high school, I thought that I would not be able to afford my nursing education at UE, let alone get in. I never applied, never had the chance to get accepted, and I put that dream of earning my diploma from UE on the backburner. I attended a community college soon after receiving my high school diploma and I disliked almost every minute of it. I would tell my 18 year old self to risk rejection, apply to my dream university and worry about the money after receiving word of acceptance. I would also tell myself that no matter what happens, keep working and fighting to achieve that dream. If I would have followed that advice back then I would be graduating this year with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, instead of graduating with the class of 2015. I haven’t given up and am still fighting for that dream.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, my advice to myself would be that sometimes it is okay to not know. When I was a senior in high school, everyone always asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I never had an answer. To me, it was extremely frustrating to not know and to not have a plan when there was so much pressure on picking a major. I started my freshman year as an undecided student. However, now that I have completed one year of college, I have realized that sometimes it is okay to not know because college is a learning experience. Eventually, I was able to decide on a major. However, even if one has a plan, life has a way of being unexpected and sometimes does not go as planned. It is hard to have an exact plan for tomorrow when no one even knows what tomorrow has to offer. In the end, it is that not knowing that is leading me to where I need to go.

Knowing what I know now about college, there is so much advice I would give myself as a high school senior. However, I would mainly emphasize the importance of trying to find a major and career path to explore. When I was a senior in high school, I did not explore potential career paths the way I should have. I thought the right major would eventually come to me; everyone said it would, but it didn’t. I entered my freshman year of college as an undeclared student. Being a freshman is stressful, but not having a major made it more complicated. I was constantly stressed about trying to choose the right major while I made this huge transition in my life. If I could go back and tell myself to explore possible career paths as a high school senior, I would have made my first year of college a little less stressful. Choosing a major that is right for you is extremely important. The number one thing I would tell myself as a high school senior would be to find a potential major. It would have been beneficial to my future and made my life a little easier.

I would tell myself to study more. Know exactly what helps myself understand material better and retain that knowledge as long as possible. Also i would tell myself to use all the study time I have now and to never slack or procrastinate on anything. Find out what distracts me and take those factors out of my focus when I do study. Lastly I would tell my high school self just to be yourself and no to fret over going to a new place and meeting new people.