University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

Be involved. Keep pushing through. There's always time to make money, but the longer you wait to obtain a higher education, the harder it will be. Never give up hope and stay focused on your goals. If you "take a break", you run the risk of not returning, and your dreams will seem out of your reach when you want them the most. Education is everything in the real world. Do it for yourself. Do it for your future family. You never know what life will throw your way. Working as a single parent solely supporting yourself and your child makes a higher education seem impossible. Give it your all. You may think I'm too old and that I don't know what I'm talking about, but I do. Mom is always right. Get your education and be your best you for yourself and your family. Keep having faith in yourself, and keep God on speed-dial. Trust in God. Do not give up your dreams. Make your dreams a reality by continuing your education. Don't wait; it will be your biggest regret.

Before applying to the University of Missouri I did a lot of research about the school. I pretty much know all about the Pre-medicine curriculum that I wish to persue and all other questions I had about the University in general. I was impressed by the high ratings the University received in several publications. The advice I would give to myself now is to keep in contact with the school should I have questions as they arise.

When I was a high school senior, I only chose to go to my university because it was the only one in Missouri that had a veterinary program. I was incredibly intimidated by the large size of the school. If I could go back in time to give myself advice, I would tell myself to go into college confident and with my head held high. I would remind myself that while it might take some time, I would find my place at Mizzou and that there were plenty of other people who were also terrified. My last words of advice would be to be as involved as possible and join everything I possibly could.

If I went back in time to talk to my high school self, I would tell myself to take full advantage of resources available on-campus. Looking back, there were several things I did that could have changed. For example, I was awarded a scholarship my freshman year that required a high-level GPA to maintain. At the end of the year, I never got a grade below a "B," but I lost my scholarship. A few years later, a friend of mine who worked in Financial Aid said I should have just appealed the decision and that it was likely I could have kept the scholarship. This example is key to what I would tell myself: don't be scared to go to staff on-campus and ask questions and put yourself out there. I wasn't a shy person; but I didn't want to appear like I couldn't figure things out on my own. The fact was, in many ways, I couldn't and I was worse off because of it. I would tell myself to be okay recognizing that I needed help and then to take advantage of that help.

I would tell myself that I was making the right choice in my choice of school. But to go with felt I wanted to do as my major and not what I thought everyone else wanted to me to chose.

High school me was way too passive when it came to thinking about the future. I applied to only two universities and when I was accepted to both, I just decided to choose the close, easy option because I didn't want to put any effot into researching which school would best suit me. Now that I have attending school for over a semester now, I realize that I do not belong at the University of Missouri. I wish in high school I would have looked at more options of schools to see which school would match my personality the best. I have lived in Missouri for most of my childhood and I always knew that I didn't want to start my life in Missouri, but I thought that after graduation, I would immediately move south. I would tell my high school self to stop being so easy going and look for a school that I would be happy at. I now realize that Mizzou was not the school for me and I would like to attend Appalachian State University to continue my college career.

If I came back to talk to my high school self, I would tell myself several important truths. First, I would tell myself to practice better study and sleeping habits, so I would be on top of my game going into exam days and not feeling tired after early classes. Second, I would also tell myself to never quit. I walked-on to the Mizzou wrestling team and wrestled for nearly seven weeks but ended up quitting because I was falling asleep in classes and feeling sorry for myself because I wasn't "normal" – carefree classes and free time was not a normal occurrence for me during my time wresting. I struggled seeing everyone else smiling and laughing in the lounge when I would come trudging back from the second practice of the day, every day to study for difficult classes. Third, I would tell myself to keep making the right decisions such as I am now. The final piece of advice I would give myself is to be more outspoken and speak to professors/teachers if I have an issue. They will go above and beyond to help a student be successful; silence benefits no one.

I would tell myself that I should plan things out a little bit better. Check for more scholarships, and work opportunities to better pay for this. But, also keep up the work. It is all going to be worth.

As a senior you finally learned to successfully balance friends, family and school work. But, high school me, you forgot one important skill to develop. I implore you to learn how to talk to teachers. In college being respectfully assertive is the key. In a lecture style class, the professor can be in charge of hundreds of students. Make yourself stand out by opening the line of communication, through email dialogue or office hour conversation. Looking back there are three things I wish I knew. One: Before you begin communication, and I suggest doing it early in the semester, address the professor by the highest degree obtained. Respect the years it takes to earn that Dr. title.Second: Learn to sound intelligent when talking. Grade grubbing doesn’t qualify as talking and intelligent conversation is a networking skill imperative to hone. Ask for clarification on specific problems or request additional material to delve into. This reflects well on you as a student. Third: after the class is done, stay in touch. If you succeeded, the professor knows that you are a driven student. In the future they may write you a letter of recommendation or help you secure that job.

If I had the chance to talk to my high school self before college, I would most likely laugh before I could even get a word out. I should explain how people really do not care in college if you succeed or fail; I should tell myself how missing a night out is not as big of a deal as it used to be; I should remind myself of how my grades should always come first, but not to forget about the other experiences one must have in college. College is, without a doubt, a transition phase - a transition that may sometimes be hard, but must be done. All in one moment it can be amazing and horrible. If I had the chance to talk to my high school self before college, I would not tell myself anything. Part of it is the experience, not the advice. Anyone can try and tell someone what to do, but nothing helps a person learn more than learning from their own mistakes, and because of this, I would tell myself "Good luck and have fun" and hope for the best.