Keia
College is not as easy as high school was. It is necessary to pay attention in class, take notes and study before tests. There isn't as much required homework in classes but it is still necessary to work on classwork every night and it's harder to pass a test without studying. It's also important to make friends when the school gives you the opportunities during orientation because it's hard to make them once the semester begins.
Alison
Nothing, the university seems great and I love learning all about it through orientations.
adriana
That some classes are unnecessary to take. They may be fun/easy but don't help you with your major.
Katie
Be ready to grow. You can achieve whatever you want. Sometimes it is easy to get into a fixed mindset and feel as if there is no chance of improving because you have to inheriently be good at something. Keep trying and know that you will improve at whatever you are struggling with. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Saron
That I was going to have to push myself harder than ever. I've always been ambitious and driven but living on my own and not having that support of my mom there with me was hard. I think I knew that this time would come but I wasnt expecting everything to become a big reality check. Also the transportation is something I wish I would have known about. The campus is huge and not knowing how to ride the campus connectors can also be a great hastle. My classes would be so far apart and walking is tiring.
Jonathan
Though I already knew a fair amount about the University of Minnesota by taking some high school courses there, I was pleasantly surprised that the overall rating of the University is not representative of each individual college. I learned that the College of Biological Sciences (my college) was by far the most selective, and during Nature of Life (a summer course required for all CBS students), I learned that the professors were incredibly approachable and knowledgeable.
Ted
I wish I had known what it was going to take sooner.
Jenessa
I wish I knew more about the campus. I kind of attended it on a whim and you should never do that when choosing something that is going to have a big part in the rest of your life.
Alysa
If you don't get to know people right off the bat, it can become really cliquey and hard to form friendships outside of the ones you made
Melanie
Become involved in activities that you care about right away. The University of Minnesota is a huge school and joining extracurricular activities is a greast way to make friends and to make yourself stand out. There are so many things to do on campus that cover every area of interest that there is no reason to not be involved in something.