University of Kansas Top Questions

My college experience so far has been bumpy and alot of work but still very valuable to me. I came from a very small high school and went to a very large college and that transition has been hard for me but on the other hand has given me a chance to experience more diversity and be more outgoing. College gives me a chance to not only advance my knowledge but to also create a better life for myself and others. One day, I wish to be a middle school teacher and as such I hope to touch many young lives in a positive way. College gives me that chance because it broadens my views on the different types of people and gives me a degree to do what I wish to do. I can't wait to use the knowledge that I have gained through college in the real world and help others appreciate it as well.

I have gotten several things out of my college experience including education, memories, important values, and strong friendships. By joining a sorority I was able to meet new people and make great friends. The sorority has also helped me to become a stronger person by being more outgoing and becoming more involved within the institution and the community. Not only has the sorority been valuable to me, but the University of Kansas has also been valuable to attend by helping me become a more dedicated student. The encouragement of the faculty and other students has helped me be successful in my time at the university, and I believe it will continue to help me through the rest of my years there and also after graduation. KU has instilled in me values that will stay with me and continue to help me pursue my dreams even after I leave the classrooms.

I have been out of school for ten years, and struggling to pay bills through a career in the service industry is difficult. I thought it would be very difficult to get into the swing of things in college. However, after this past semester, I have realized that my work ethic and live experiences give me an advantage over younger students. I finished my semester with a 4.0 grade point average, and I gained a new confidence in myself. I realize now that I am up for a challenge and can compete successfully against other students, and this new-found confidence carries through to other parts of my life! I feel strong, smart, and successful, and I'm eager to face whatever obstacles lie ahead. The University of Kansas has awakened a part of me that urns to be the best, and for the first time in years, I feel proud of myself and my achievements.

To put it simply, I have received a new and addicting dose of life out of my college experience. I have been introduced to a world that at first frightened me, caused me to wince or cringe at the mere thought of leaving home. However, because of people, places, and campus faculty, I've been blessed with one of the most enriching experiences a young adult could ever take part in.

My school has a great reputation and is well known across the country. The opportunities I have received from the Business School are priceless. I really enjoy the school and the faculty in the school. I know I can be successful because of the strong network I joined when I became a part of the Business School. The only thing I want is to receieve more financial aid because my family could really use the money.

To let all of the little annoyances of a highly active academic institution stand in the way of all the valuable life experiences you gain would rob you of all the free learning you did outside of the classroom. I have learned how to live in the real-world, manage my time and money better, and prioritize what has the most importance to life in the long run. I learned how to be patient and diligent in studying for challengeing courses, while keeping a healthy balance of a social life with friends. Variety is truly the spice of life that gives it all its flavor, and college allows you to meet and experience different parts of life and different sides of humanity that I would not otherwise appreciate if I had gone to a technical college, or found a job right away after high school. The foundation that keeps life going are roots that grow deeper and branches that stretch further out, which is a valuable lesson that I am continuing to learn while participating in a diverse array of biology and psychology courses. Truly, the people I met in college are still making all the difference to this day.

I attended the University at Albany for three semesters after I graduated High School and can say that academically, I have never done so poorly in my life. I was honestly not focused on my studies during my time in Albany and the disappointment not only from my family but from myself that followed, was life changing. To make matters worse, I had $5, 000 worth of loans in my name and my parents had loans double that figure and sadly, I had nothing to show for it. I then started to ask myself, "What am I doing with my life?" I realized I needed to redeem myself after such an academic set back so I attended a Community College back home and earned a 3.6 GPA my first semester. My early college experience taught me that the education I am receiving is extremely valuable and should not be taken for granted. It is an opportunity that is given not only to expand our intelligence but to help us reach our career goals and although I went through an academic downfall at first, I'm glad that I was able to have that experience and grow from it.

I have really matured in the six months that I have been away from home and attended college. No one is there to wake me up, make my bed, or do my laundry. I fly back and forth from LAX to the Kansas City Airport on my own and I park my car there and drive back to college on my own as a Freshman. I check-in online a day in advance to get a good boarding pass on Southwest Airlines and have even learned to use my PDA to complete the process. In college I think more independently about my classes, myself, and bigger issues like the economy, politics, and the two wars that the United States are in. I have really begun to personally grow and now am realizing how much my parents have done for me while raising me and preparing me for this moment. They have suggested that I major in Accounting because it is practical and because I can get a job when I graduate. Now that I see how much it costs to send someone to college this seems like a really good major to help me get a good job.

Throughout my college experience, I have learned more about myself than what I have learned academically. I have learned a lot academically, but I truly value what I found within my education. I found the perfect major for me and the opportunities to come with it. My motivators have been my professor and advisors, and without them I probably would have not suceeded in finding myself. Before I entered college I was afraid to be alone or not find my true passion, but in result I have found my passion, my support system and more importantly, myself. I know that when I graduate I will have an open door to a world of possibilities and I can not wait to see what is in store for my future.

What I have gotten out of my college experience so far is as simple as this: a broader worldview. Yes, I have learned a great deal since attending college, but the most valuable thing to me is my newfound ability to think about the world from mulitple and broader perspectives. This last semester is the semester that I think broadened my wordview the most. I was taking many diverse classes, such as Peace and Conflict Studies, Understanding the Bible, Western Civilization 1, Honors Spanish 217 and Honors Psychology. These classes all made me think in a different way than I had ever thought before: from thinking about living in constant warfare, to religion 2,000 years ago, to understanding ancient philosophers, to glimpsing at the poverty in South America, to understanding how parts of the brain function, all of my classes have been valuable to attend because they have taught me things I did not know before and they are helping me shape my current worldview. Since I have been in college, I have also learned that life is full of orthodoxies we all make, and we need to learn to realize how they can be hurtful to others.