University of Illinois at Chicago Top Questions

With most of my young life being spent in a secluded suburban neighborhood, it was truly an eye-opening experience to attend an immensely diverse and urban campus such as the University of Illinois at Chicago. The greatest gift and lesson I received from my college experience was the understanding of how the real world lives and operates. To be surrounded with classmates who hail from all different regions of the world was truly a unique opportunity. Myself, being a man who loves to travel, it was remarkable to be able to chat with a few new friends and learn about their culture without me needing to hop on a plane. Mix great classmates with a very intelligent and professional teaching staff and you have four short years trying to absorb more than the mind is capable of. What I learned from classmates and the professors greatly improved my chances on being successful in the real world. The campus is a hidden gem located within walking distance to the heart of the city.

My college experience so far has been a long and odd process. College life and high school life are on two completely different levels and it's quite hard to adjust to the changes. In high school, all of the schools staff would tell us what we need to know and help us no questions asked. In college, it's the opposite. Not only do they wish for us to do things on our own, they expect us to do it right the first time. We also get to pick our class times and schedules so we can go to work and take time between classes for breaks. Really, it's great having all the responsibility for once, but it can also be a curse when we are expected to remember everything we ought to be doing or things we need to take care of. College is a blessing in a cloak. We think it's our ticket to adulthood when really it's reality here to bite us on the bottom.

Like many freshman students, the first year of college can become quite challenging and overwhelming. Though personal accountability and responsibility factors in academic success, many times, adversity and personal struggle can contribute to an unsatisfying academic career. Although I struggled quite a bit in the beginning, I found that joining a sorority and becoming actively involved in my community helped me to persevere. Though some would say the motivation was ?too late,? I have learned that it is never too late to learn from the past and become a model student. With the knowledge I have gained through life as well as academic experiences, I know that I can succeed in both life and my academic career. Because I am a motivated individual, I will do whatever it takes to complete my education. Whether that means working full time, while on a full time class schedule, in order to pay for my education, then that is what I intend on doing. If I do not put forth the best that I can, then I will not be the best that I can be. I intend on becoming the best that I can be.

I am enrolled in college and will only able to talk about my experience after I am done with it and relfect on my experiences I have had.

Education is essential. It is what you make of it. I've been able to make a lot of mine at UIC. because of the spectacular resources provided to me.

My whole life I have lived in Springfield, Illinois. Having gone on many volunteer trips around the world, I knew that there was much more to the world than what I was able to find in my hometown. Based on this conclusion, I decided in the fall of my first year of high school that I would be the first in my family to attend college. Since heading off to college, I have come to value my experience there. From the diverse group of individuals that attend UIC, I have learned invaluable lessons about life, different cultures, and working as a team. Over the passing months, I found myself calling these 'individuals' my family. It is comforting to know that I have a fantastic support system residing mere minutes from me (and sometimes just next door) even though my real family is hundreds of miles away. Through UIC, I have been able to make lifelong friends and have come to value the diversity that each person has to offer.

I've gained a lot out of my college experience so far. I've met many people, learned a lot, struggled, and overcome obstacles. I started off at STCC my senior year of high school for dual enrollment and transferred to American International College as a nursing major straight out of high school. I stayed for 3 years struggling to get the required C+ for certain courses and eventually returned to STCC when the loans got too expensive. I changed majors and schools only to be returning to STCC in the fall as a nursing major again. It is what i want to do, without my prior college experience I would not be so sure. College and the idea of a stable future give me a sense of purpose. I enjoy learning, broadening my inellect, and applying it to everyday life. I don't regret a thing. I now know what it is like to live in the real world and appreciate education for what its worth. Without these experiences I wouldn't be the same person I am today.

I have gotten alot out of my experiance so far, I do everything on my own its hard and when i step foot into school i feel like i have accomplished what everyone said i couldn't. In high school i was a bad kid, bad grades, and a bad attitude and thats because no one believed that i could do anything. I stayed home for almost 2years doing nothing with my life and i got up and said its time for school. I value the respect i get from all the people who had very little belif in me and i value the way my little sister tells me when she growa up she's going to school just like me. Im greatful for everyday i get to learn and every experience i am going to have.

FROM MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE I HAVE GOTTEN THE ABILITY TO DESIGN AND BUILD SMALL MODELS OF BUIDLINGS. MY MAJOR IS ARCHITECTURE AND I HAVE LEARNED MANY THINGS THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD NOT HAVE TO KNOW, AND EVERY SINGLE PEICE OF INFORMATION I HAVE LEARNED IS VERY VALUABLE TO ME. THE INFORMATION I HAVE LEARNED WILL HELP ME IN THE FUTURE WITH ANY OF MY DESIGNS AND PROJECTS. I LEARNED THAT YOU HAVE TO STUDY TO SUCCEED AND THE MORE YOU READ AND STUDY THE MORE YOU LEARN. I REALIZED THAT THE HARDER I WORK AND THE MORE I PUT INTO EVERYTHING USUALLY THE BETTER THE OUTCOME IS. i HAVE LEARNED THAT COURSE WORK AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS WHEN NESSESSARY IS VERY USEFULL AND VERY IMPORTANT FOR GETTING GOOD GRADES AND PASSING NEEDED CLASSES FOR MY PARTICULAR CURRICULLUM. FROM MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE I HAVE GOTTEN A TATSE OF WHAT ARCHITECTURE IS LIKE AND WILL FURTHUR MORE CONTINUE MY STUDIES TO LEARN EVERYHTING THAT THERE IS ABOUT BEING AND ARCHITECT.

My college experience has allowed me to reconnect with the world. Somewhat of a misanthrope, I have come to realize that even my worst pessimism still results in a pleasant surprise when the world does NOT blow up in my face. Forced to interact with the awesome diversity of this campus, it has shown me that just because things might be hard, not everything is necessarily bad, and that just a wave from a friend on the quad really can change your outlook on the day. Suddenly, the world stops blowing up, even if only for that moment. Returning to school with ten years (or more) on most of my classmates, I now know that not only was I certainly not ready for this at their age, but that I am certainly ready for it now. I truly needed the struggle of doing it all on my own, and the satisfaction of knowing that I have created the life I am living. Perhaps I don't have all of the "things" that one shows off at high school reunions, but doing it all "backwards" has done more for me than tradition ever could. And put me back into the world.