University of Nevada-Las Vegas Top Questions

This is something I think about often. My parents always stressed the importance of accademics but, being a know-it-all teenager, I did not believe them. Now looking back I wish I would have listened. If I would have put more effort into my school work and made better grades I would have many more opportunities than I have at the moment. I come from a low income family and they could not afford to send my anywhere else besides the local University. If I was more focused on my grades in high school I would have qualified for more scholarships and I would have been able to go to my dream college. Now that I am in college school is my top priority. I have cut back the ammount of hours I work a week and studying has become second nature. I have finally found passion in school. This is something I wish I could have found four years ago as a freshman in high school.

The advise that I would give myself is to do everything on time and dont be afraid to ask questions.

If I was a high school senior again making the transition into college I would tell myself to apply for hundreds more scholarships. I'm an out of state college which means my tuition is more. I'm on my own financially and live alone. I pay my own rent, bills, food, gas, tuition, books, and every other little thing. I worked through high school so I had money. During high school however, I didn't have these expenses that I have to pay for now. Now, as a poor college student trying to make it on my own, I wasn't prepared for all the new expenses I had for myself. I figured it out quickly to budget everything I buy. Living is expense. My books alone for classes are over $500 a semester so I have to save even more money than I did in high school. I had to make more adjustments from high school to college than just financially. College is hard, but it's also part of the growing up experience. I made good decisions and I would tell myself to be excited about this new journey I choose. It's going to be fun.

Regret. That is the one, reoccurring word that has resonated with me over the past two years. I look back and think of how foolish I was. Now I’m not trying to be harsh on you, but the fact of the matter is, you aren’t very intelligent, and hopefully, my future self will say the same thing about me. I’m hopeful that my future self will say the same thing about me because I place a great amount of value on regret. It’s important for me to think you are comparatively dim and have made some awful choices because that would mean I’m improving upon myself. As far as improvement, you really haven’t been working very hard to improve upon yourself. Pay some attention in class because you’re going to be wasting an awful lot of money if you don’t! Take all the opportunities you can even though you’d much rather play video games instead. You can’t give up what you want most for what you want now, so give it your all. If you take my advice everything will turn out better than it did the first time round.

If I could go back to the year 2005, when I was a high school senior, I would shake myself and shout “WAKE UP.” Every decision you make shapes tomorrow. The lackadaisical approach to school is not going to suffice in college. Cruising through your education and achieving the minimum passing score will no longer be sufficient. Success requires hard work. In terms of academic performance there is a lot of competition, so it is important to strive for excellence. The “I didn’t study when I was in high school” excuse will not work in college. You have to study, and that does not mean cramming the night before an exam. You need to take the time to prepare for class. When classes are over review your notes and reflect. Your academic record becomes even more important as an undergraduate student. Although you may not know what your career pursuits will be post-graduation, it is imperative to make superior grades. Maintaining the minimum grade point in college is not going to help you get accepted into graduate school; you have to go above and beyond. So “WAKE UP!”

As I peered through my watery eyes and stare shamefully at the pile of notecards, I asked myself, “Where did I go wrong?” It was a few days before graduation and my high school principal told me that I will not have to prepare a speech because another classmate is the new valedictorian. I wanted to restart senior year, studied harder, and ensure valedictorian status; however, graduating was already an accomplishment. Reflecting on this day as a sophomore in college, I wished that I could have spent my innocent days enjoying myself instead of living at the library. I learned that there is more to life than being number one. In college, I met people who can play uncommon instruments, have competed in sports nationally, and are YouTube famous because of their funny personality. Moreover, they were just as dedicated in school as I was, except I did not have anything to be passionate about. I finally learned that being valedictorian was not a trophy, it was a lifestyle where I’ll continuously do my best and take advantage of the ‘lemons’ that life throws at me. Nonetheless, if I could go back, I would tell myself, “Live a little.”

I would apply myself a great deal more in the classroom and talked with my guidance counselor about attending college

I was fortunate to go to a high school that I felt actually over-prepared me academically. However, if there was one piece of advice I could give myself, it would be to get more involved in extracurricular activities. During my college career, I had my own apartment, worked two jobs during a period when both my aunt, who was staying with me and my boyfriend lost their income at the same time. I truly believe in my current school's moto, "FInd a way or make one". I would have made time to get more involved and build stronger relationships.

I would tell myself to follow my own passions instead of doing what other people wanted me to do. I am an individual and what I am doing is for my future not for anyone elses so I need to choose my major based on what I like to do not what everyone tells me I should do because they will not be leading my life for me. I would remind myself that I need to play on my strengths not trying and do something that focuses on my weaknesses. To succeed in college you need to play on your strengths and go with what you are passionate about, because picking your major based on what others want will not help you succeed in school.

If I were to go back into time and talk to myself as a senior I would explain that it was a whole different ball game. The first tip I would give myself would be to not slack off and think things came as easy in college as they came in highschool. I would tell myself that studying everyday is essential and that cramming won't help me in the long run or during finals. I would tell myself to take the first year of college seriously and to start off on the right foot so it wouldn't bit me in the butt during my senior year of college. The most important advice I would give myself would be to learn how to prioritize, become more organized, time manage, and stop being a procrastinator. If I had another run at college knowing what I know now, I would be much better off!