University of Illinois at Chicago Top Questions

It has changed my life, and opened my eyes to many things that I had no knowledge of before. Not just academically, but socially as well. UIC was very diverse and it allowed me to gain friendships with people that I never would have been around in any other situation.

My college experience at University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC) not only meant completion of a BSN with honors, it meant personal growth, new friends, exposure to excellent instructors, research and its possibilities, and advancement within my chosen profession. These attributes of my experience attending UIC are above price; the tools provided by the college have been invaluable in the successive years after graduation. Upon completing my degree, I continued to work as a staff nurse in acute rehabilitation, working with spinal cord injury, cerebral vascular incidents, and brain injury patients with a changed view of how nursing should be done. After 6 months I transferred wtihin the same organization into administration and case management for work related injury. Since then, I have worked at adminstrative level positions which required a BSN, including as a Director of Nursing for the past ten years. I now own and operate an adult daycare center made possible by the degree I hold. As an alumnus of UIC, the college and my experiences as a student there have continued to enrich my life with seminars, networking, and mentor-type support.

My College experience has expanded my mind and prepared me for the work environment. With my certification I was able to apply for job's with confidence. I am a Certified Dental Assistant and love my career. I have wanted to work in health care since I can remember and absolutely love helping people. College showed me all of the traits that employer's look for and how to show them I am more than qualified for the position. Without having the education of a college certification, I wouldnt have so many opportunities. I am thankful for my education and I have a postive outlook on my future because of it.

Ive learned how to stand out in a large crowd. I like for my professors to know who I am, so I always make the extra effort to get noticed by my professors. Going to UIC forced me to stop being shy and speak up in my class rooms. Doing that and taking part in my classes help my grade, when a professor knows who you are because you speak up in class they are more likely to help you if you need it. I also ask my professors things and take full advantage of their office hours. My professors all inspire me to work my hardest and not to give up even when things are uncertain. My Italian professors have been encouraging me to study abroad and that is what I am focusing on.

I love school and I have learned a lot of new things. Attending school will help open my horizons and give me many oppurtunities.

My college experience has taught me many valuable lessons. First of all it has taught me to better manage my time and improve my study skills. Before I attended college I would study very sporadically and only before exams. Being in college taught me to organize my time so that I can study a little every day and so that I do not procrastinate up until the last day. Another thing that college has taught me is to study on my own as well as with other students. Since UIC is a large university with large lecture halls it is very difficult to get help when needed since there is one professor for about 300 people. I quickly learned that in order tobe successful in my classes I would have to work with other students. That is exactly what I did, I would set up study groups and organize meetings with different tutors. Most importantly since UIC is such a diverse college it has taught me about different cultures and religions and has made me a better person because of that because now i have a broader knowledge.

Attending college has honestly gave me a taste of the real world. I have learned to do things by myself and on my own, which was something new to me. It made me really grow up quick . Also, the education I receive is great. I've been challenged in and out the class room which is what i like. Though I've only been in college a little over a year I've things and met people that i know will stick with me for a lifetime. Kristen Carr

I have learned alot. I have learned skills that i can utilize in the feild of jobs. I have learned life long skills that will help me where ever i go. School will better my education so i can get a welth paying job in the future.

The advice I would offer to myself as a senior in high school would be to go back and talk to myself in the ninth grade. By the time I was a senior, I realized that my friends and cohorts who were getting into the colleges they wanted, and receiving scholarships, were the ones that had structured their high school careers accordingly. My family did not encourage me to take preparatory tests, participate in extracurricular activities, or tour campuses. I had no early plan. Despite good grades I knew I could only go to college if I could afford to pay. I could not. I have not had any fortune regarding grants or scholarships since I have been in school. It feels as though part of the criteria for being deemed worthy of scholarships is that you must have received scholarships previously. I feel I am caught in a catch-22, and that I am alone in this. So far, I have funded college through loans, credit cards, and the liquidation of my house, my savings, and my penalty-free brokerage accounts. I will be the first in my family to graduate from college, but it won't be easy.

I would say to myself, "Growup and put aside your childish ways. College is not how you think it is!"