University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

Back in high school, I took finances for granted, but if I could go back in time, I would advise myself to have taken more advantage of the available scholarships. The recession is obviously having negative effects on everyone, but I never would have imagined this in high school. My parents split up during my senior year, and my father got laid off from his job. In the midst of all of that chaos, I was focused on getting my GPA to at least a 4.0 and being captain of the track team. I applied for colleges early, but I did not apply for any of the various scholarships that were available through my school, church, and outside sources. I took those scholarships for granted, and became more focused on actually getting into a good school, but not the financial part. Now, my father and I are struggling to pay for college. I have already taken out loans, which is definitely something I would never had imagined five or six years ago, and I am going to have to work alongside of my education, which is something I would rather not do. With prayer, everything will turn out alright.

I would advise all my friends to take all the ap classes they offer in high school. I would also advise them to complete all of their foreign language classes in college. Also I would advise them to pick up a good study habit.

I would tell myself not to stress so much about college. It was a relatively easy transistion for me, and I wasted time and energy worrying too much about the seemingly hard adjustment. Also, I would explain that college students are a lot different than high school students. Most of the students that attend my college are at or above my intellectual level, and grades are not enough to get to the top of your class,. In order to stand above the rest, I have to join clubs to ensure a good resume and possibly make networking contacts. Joining groups in college are essentual, because the decision to join one may influence the career I attain after I receive my degree.

The first semester of college necessitates daily adjustments to the radically new life each first year student has been thrown into. As confident as I was on my first day at the University of Illinois, there are three areas where minor adjustments could have been made to allow the transition to be much smoother. Academically, I would have better utilized my academic advisor to immediately begin my career path instead of focusing on general curriculum for the first semester. Taking advantage of dual credit classes to fulfill multiple requirements would have put me a step ahead of my peers and on a more direct academic path. Socially, I would have more intricately explored the school's website to immerse myself in the vast array of organizations and clubs available for me to become involved with immediately in my collegiate career. One, which I chose to join, incorporated me instantly into university life, and joining another could diversify my social outlets. Finally, financially, I would have surveyed many more scholarships and financial aids to ease the burden of the inevitable collegiate fiscal responsibility. Many of these opportunity exist, and would allow me to strictly focus on academic success at the university.

For the most part, transitioning into college was pretty easy. I got off to a good start meeting friends right away and even learned how to get around campus well. Except there are still a few things I wish I knew before school started. First of all, try to be more involved in campus activities; whether it is joining a club, volunteering, going to sports games, or participating in dormitory events. It?s a great way to meet new people and a way to give back to the community. Second, take the chance to talk to your professors and advisors. I always talked to my teacher?s assistants more because it was in a smaller class or I felt less intimidated. However, talking to the professor gives you an opportunity to view the subject in a more experienced way. They could also be a very good mentor for your career. Last of all, time management is one of the keys to success. Keep a balance between studying and your social life otherwise college may seem very stressful.

I think that 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body at my university would like to go back in time to talk to their high school senior self. I personally would make sure to tell myself what major to choose, not to eat too much dorm food, and to be careful with missing class. I would also tell myself to get a job my first year because a job forces a person to organize their time. Lottery numbers and things like that are an obvious consideration also since paying for school is much harder now. Yet I also feel that if I really had the opportunity to go back and talk to my senior self I would not say anything because I am generally happy with the hardships of my freshman and sophomore years. I learned life lessons that I would have never learned had I known to avoid my early hardships. I am now more organized than ever and I have, in my opinion, finally matured.

I would advise myself to not get distracted by my surroundings and to take school more seriously. I would also say to have a plan ready as to where you want your career to take you in life. Had I gone to school with a plan, I think I would be in a better position than I am now.

Going back to my senior year of high school would be very beneficial to my transitional success upon entering my freshman year of college. The one piece of advice that immediately comes to mind would be the importance of time management skills. This cannot be stressed enough seeing as how life can become miserable if a student is unable to manage their coursework efficiently. During my senior year of high school, I decided to take it easy and took a relatively laid back schedule. When I entered my first semester of college, I was hit with a rude awakening when everything from projects to papers were assigned within the first couple weeks. Like any incoming freshman, I wanted to experience the new sense of freedom associated with college but my social life was initially limited due to my procrastination. While there are many words of wisdom that I would like to tell my former-self, the most useful piece of advice I could give would be to find a balance between coursework and social life that works.

I would tell myself not to be afraid of this life transition. Although change can be intimidating and scary, it can also be meaningful and inspiring. Before relocating to college, I spent a great deal of time worrying about whether or not I could adjust to this new environment, and if I could handle being a little fish in a big pond again. I realize now that this was simply time wasted, since I adapted to school just fine. In addition to not being afraid, I would also tell myself to appreciate every moment of college. The time truly passes much quicker than one can comprehend, especially when you are enjoying yourself and succeeding academically. Meet as many people as you can, join organizations that you?re passionate about, and make the most out of every minute you?re there. I would encourage myself to listen to this advice, since it would only enhance the great experience of attending college.

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