University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

Do not underestimate the up-coming demands on your schedule. With the right time management techniques, you can handle anything college throws at you. Daily to-do lists are super useful but prioritization is KEY. Do what you least enjoy FIRST. Just do it! Not only will this save you from the trap of procrastination, it will keep your stress levels from soaring. Tackling the difficult stuff at the beginning of a homework session provides you with a sense of achievement. Nothing drains your mental capacities like procrastination. It is impossible to perform well when you are under the weight of avoidance; but if you conquer that dreaded task, you free up energy to apply to other work. Once you feel that boost of accomplishment, all other assignments seem to flow easily.

From elementary school to middle school to high school, I never thought the transition to college would be so difficult. Coming from a family of three sisters, I have a close bond with each one of them and not having them around all the time was the most difficult transition. Going back in time, I would tell myself to not be so nervous about finally being on my own and venturing away from relying on my parents for everything. Having a twin sister, I immediately had a best friend. Leaving to a city that is 8 hours away, I now know she is only a call away and no matter what I can always rely on her. I would tell myself I ned to budget my money and not splurge it. I need to focus on school and only hangout with friends when I have all my school work done. The transition to college is the first step to being on my own but I know my family will alwyas be a phone call away.

Knowing what I know now, I would have definitely told myself to choose a different school and to do more research on what really goes on at each college campus. I didn't want to go to Christian college because I didn't want to have to do bible study as a class and they were also too expensive. But I would definitely tell myself to find a school that had outreach programs for people who don't want to party and want to focus on living a life of purity.

One would think that if I could go back in time and talk to my senior high school self, I would say something inspiring and amazing that would motivate me to no ends. As tempting as it sounds to help past me to be a better student and have a better transition into college, I would not do it. This may not be believable but I can tell you why I would not tell past me anything. It is cliché to say everything happens for a reason and in my case this is partly true, because we all know giving your past self some future advice would help immensely. This is the real reason I wouldn’t give past me advice about the future. In high school I wasn’t the coolest and I wasn’t a nerd, if you will, but I was floating there in my own world. It took me failing at college and joining the United States Marine Corps to find myself. If I were to have change my first attempt at college I would not be have joined the Marines that made me the man I am today. Life forms the person we are.

If I could go back in time and advise my high school self, I would tell her to put forth her best effort in everything she does. I would remind her to appreciate her time with her friends and family, and to take nothing for granted. I would remind her the importance of asking for help when needed, and the important of never giving up on herself. I would remind her of all the people that are rooting for her to succeed and believe in her. I would tell her she shouldn't be nervous about college, it'll be the best experience of her life. I would tell her that she will miss her friends from home, but she will meet new amazing ones. Most importantly, I would tell her to focus on school and remind her of the goals she has for herself. I would make sure she knows that her future depends on how she does, and that her number one priority should always be her health and happiness. I would tell her not to be scared of what the future has in store for her, her future is beautiful.

Whatever you do, just calm down and breathe. College at first may be overwhelming and stressful, but once you get the hang of it, you will be successful. Yes, ditching class is a lot easier in college, but that just means more responsibility for yourself. Go to class because every class you attend will help. Second, the test are worth more than the ones in high school. Dont procrastinate and study for them the day before, study little by little everyday. Your brain will take in more information and wont be overwhlemed by all the information you try to crame in one night. Oh, and try to get to know your professors. They may be intimidating at first, but they are nice and willingto help you. Enough about school, lets talk about the social aspect of college. Remember, be social. College will be one of your best years, and its your time to experiement and find who you are. Do what you want and find yourself and the friends you will have forever. Last, dont get discouraged by others and dont let them judge you. Be who you want to be and just be you.

After attending the University of Nevada, Reno for a semester I have come to realize that there is a lot of advice I would have liked to have given myself before school started. The primary thing I would have told myself was to be aware of how fast time goes by in college, meaning to make sure to get my work done earlier as opposed to last minute, because the quality of the work will be a lot better and will result in overall happier grades. Next, I would have told myself to focus on my mind more than my body, to devote more time to studying over working out. More studying would have allowed me to feel a lot more confident in learning the material, even if my grades were still good. The last thing I would have told myself is to not stress so much about how I will perform. The first semester of college is a lot like high school, and the material and tests, as well as work load, are not much different than that of a high school senior. I would have told myself to make sure to have a little more fun.

It’s amazing how fast my first semester of college flew by. Just a few short months ago I thought that everything would be different now that I am in college—perhaps I’d be more organized, more school-spirited, make more friends... The list is endless. I did not realize just how actively I needed to pursue these goals in order to achieve them. If I could tell my high school self anything, I would urge her not to be complacent, but rather to put her entire, wholehearted effort into making the most out of her college career. Want to be more organized? Set a study schedule and stick to it. Want to have more school-spirit? Go to as many school-sponsored events as possible. Want more friends? Talk to other people in lectures, join different organizations, and spend a semester in the dorms. I wish I could go back to my high school self and tell her that just because you’re a college student does not magically give you an amazing social and academic life. To obtain these things, you must step out of your comfort zone.

If I could go back in time and give advice to myself as a high school senior, I would say, "Try everything!" That is uniformly the advice that I would give. I am talking about trying the clubs, trying the contests, trying the food, trying the events, the social groups, the courses, and even trying the readings. Yes, even those. I can't tell myself how many course readings I skipped to play World of Warcraft. I have since had to go back a reread Camus, Frank Miller, Balzac, Finney-Boyle, Sherman Alexi, and so many other authors. I can't believe all of the things I skipped! I could have gotten into anime sooner, fixed my essays at the writing center, studied abroad, or learned how to actually dance! I could have actually learned about modern art instead of drinking in the back row. I could have done summer internships instead of hanging out with alcoholics. I could have discovered a passion for social justice instead of spending six years worth of time and resources on food and the pursuit of sex. I learned a lot of life lessons at UNR, but I missed out on knowledge. Try everything.

Don't give up, Kim. I know it's hard, listening to all these different people everyday telling you you won't make it in the collegeite jazz world. They're all telling you to find something more useful, and I know sometimes their words may be convincing, but listen to me. It is all worth it. Every struggle and speed bump you've encountered (and trust me, you will continue encountering) is well worth it and I assure you, you'll learn and grow from them all. You will find a healthy balance of knowing what to shoot for and what to wait for. Keep up your dreams and be really excited to get to continue your education, I'm telling you, you're gunna love it. Stay strong, - Kimmy Rubio