University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Top Questions

In my time at the University of Minnesota, I’ve learned an incredible amount. I’ve learned a great deal about my course material of course, including organic chemistry, calculus, material science and the basics of chemical engineering, but I’ve also learned quite a bit about myself: my motivations, my hopes and dreams, and my abilities. I’ve learned that I really do enjoy chemistry; right now I am doing a theoretical research project into a certain reaction. I would explain it, but it’s rather technical and dull if you aren’t interested in chemistry. For this research project, I will be earning over $1,000. I’ve learned that I enjoy chemical engineering, and I want to be able to use it everyday. This semester, I was finally really challenged. I emerged victorious, although not in particularly good shape. The school has really helped me grow as a person… before classes started my freshmen year, I knew that the U of M was my home.

I have found that going to college means more than studying and learning course material. It is also about learning how to grow up and learning how to be a productive member in society. College has provided me with an excellent home where I can open my mind to new ideas and people. I believe that having so many different types of people in one place like the University of Minnesota has taught me more than my classes actually have. I have learned more about life and people in one year of college than I had in my entire high school career.

I believe that the University of Minnesota has all the benefits of a large school, but still has much of the sense of community of a small school. Every adult that I have talked to has made me feel like an individual, not just a number. I became involved in activities right away and made lots of friends, both of which has made the school seems much smaller and like a close-knit community. I was worried that with such a large student body that I would not be able to find a sense of belonging, but now I usually see about five people I know just on the way to class. Being part of the Honors College has also aided in this. I live in the honors dorm and this opportunity to live with other people like me has made me feel at home very quickly, but their differences have also made me a more understanding person.

Throughout the first two years in community college, I strongly believe that all the knowledge I have learned in all the GE and pre-major classes is a great tool for every student to be successful later on in life and also in their career path. For examples, in the Business Law class, I learned about the U.S. Law and how it applied to personal and business situations. In the Economics classes, I have learned and finally understand how economic system works in the U.S. and also in the world besides many other basic economic terms such as demand, supply, interest, GDP, the "invisible hand," and economic principals. The last but not least useful information is what I obtained from my Accounting classes. In these classes, I learned how to manage my own family finance through internet banking, spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, and tax filling using software such as Turbo Tax. All in all, I think it's worth it attending college/university not just to get a degree but also for learning experience that can help me in life.

I think being able to attend college is a blessing to me. In my freshman year, I studied in Lawrence University, a tier one liberal art college in Wisconsin. Now I transfer to University of Minnesota at Twin Cities to enjoy a world class education. All of these college experineces have widened my own horizon and my intelligence. I began to view the world in a new perspective that among all other things, only knowledge is the most useful and valuable thing to change the world, to promote our civilization and to make our life better. Some people might think that a college experience is both a waste of time and money, for you need to pay a high tuition to the school each year for up to four years. But the world has changed, and the world today is mostly shaped by the accumulation of knowledge. High technology, scientific advances in all sorts of field and new inventions by human intelligence play the most important role in this new world. Without a college education, one cannot understand the powers that drive the world ahead, let alone mastering these powers and apply it to a happy life.

What my college experience has taught me so far is that life is hard. It takes a lot of self-motivation, determination, and perserverance to make it through each and every day. Without that, you're just drifting along but not really going anywhere. College is the long, rickety bridge from high school to the real world. It is up to you to figure out who you want to be in that world and to go out of your way to become that person so as to get safely across that bridge. Attending the University of Minnesota has helped me see what lies on the other side of the bridge: a career in nursing. I understand now, what it is that I need to do in order to get to the other side. Winning this scholarship would make my journey across this bridge a lot smoother.

My college experience so far has made me who I am today. I have made friendships that will last forever, I have found what I want to do in life, and I have discovered a discipline and independence I was not aware I had before. I have put myself through college with various jobs and whatever scholarships I could find. Being on my own since I was seventeen with no family nearby has matured me and helped me to really think about what I want out of my schooling. I hope to become fluent in Chinese language and represent the United States by working as a Foreign Service Officer overseas. I believe my college experience will set me up for a successful career. Without my school, the University of Kansas, I would not be able to pursue my dream. The foreign language department alone has been more valuable than I could have imagined. The university as a whole however, is needed to accomplish the full collegiate experience. The spirit here makes you excited to learn and fulfill your dream. I couldn’t imagine a better experience than the one I have received here at the University of Kansas. Rock Chalk!

For me college was not so much about finding out what I want to do, but more about defining my skills more precisly and determining the types of projects I want to work on. On that note the classes at the U have been immensly helpful in determining what areas are more or less my forte. Learning how to deal with professors has had mixed blessings, it has taught me not only how to work with people that encourage me and want to see me suceed, but also how to deal with people who dislike me. The labs have been especially helpful in honing my skills and enjoyable groups.

The thing that I have learned the most in my college experience is that the quality of the education that you want is not based just upon the school that you attend but also on the amount of time and effort that you are willing to put into your education. College is a challenging yet very rewarding part of your life. Many people fail to realize how monumental completing college is and what it means for your future. For me, completing my college education will be an enormous task because I will be the first person in my family to graduate from college. Through my college experience I have learned the value of hard work and persistence. I understand what it means to work for something and have an end goal in mind. I know realize that I can put my mind to something and achieve it; all I have to do is believe in myself and be willing to put forth the time and effort it takes to accomplish that goal.

So far, my college experience has been incredible to a certain extent. I am excited to go to college and learn more about my carrer. I have not struggled so far with my work. While I enjoying going to school and finally starting to work on my career, it has not been easy paying for my classes and books. Currently, I am unemployed and struggling to find a job. I feel overwhelmed and stressed because I worry about paying for my education. Financial aid does not cover everything for me, and I am disappointed that my college experience is being ruined by this. Everyday I worry if I will have the money to pay for my education. I have thought about dropping some classes, but that would mean I would spend at least an extra year in college. While I am in class, I forget about this issue and I am focused on my work. I have met new teachers and peers that tell me they are proud of my work, I appreciate their support because that is one of the things that keeps me motivated. I have promised myself that I would never quit and to keep fighting.