University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

What I have gotten out of my college experience is that you have to push yourself hard to achieve what you are working for. I think that going to a college is a very big stepping stone in your life. You are at the point in your life where you are making a decision that will merely decide if you are going to make it in the real world outside of your comfort zone. College allows for additional growth and development. It has been valuable for me to attend because I have learned numerous things already that will help me in the long run in the future. I will be prepared for what I strive to do and what I want to be.

I graduated a year early from high school to head off to college. My college experience has been eye-opening in that I have learned better study habits and the importance of organization far beyond my preparation in high school. I have learned that I am one of many students at a large campus and have learned to be responsible for myself and how to function in a large sub community with many multi-cultural individuals. I have also learned how to communicate with professors at a professional level and how to solve issues with a large administration when dealing with financial aid and the business office. I feel that all these experieces are yet another stepping stone to my future. My goal is to study medicine and I feel these life experiences are all great preparation for what any individual experiences in a job, family and when dealing with a crisis. My university puts a heavy emphasis on community service and I have explored and participated in many community projects thus making me a more well-rounded individual and giving me a better understanding of the trial that other face in life.

Although , I am still a first semester freshman, being in college is teaching me the value of an education. Every day, I am surrounded by intelligent, educated people who come from far and near, and I am introduced to different cultures and lifestyles. With an education, I am able to look past my upbringing, and try my best to learn, and understand other people's cultures. As a person with a strong ethnic background, I am included in the many people with different cultures. Therefore, I perfectly understand how important it is for one's culture to be understood, if not accepted. Being in college enables me to share my culture with others, as well as learn new things from them. It also allows me to work with them, regardless of any differences that might exist between us. I am able to view the similarities between a large number of people, and use it to my advantage, especially when it comes to helping out the campus community. With an education, any ignorance or intolerance of different races and cultures I might have is eliminated due to my increased education of the people around me.

The most valuable thing I've gotten out of college so far is a deeper understanding of the world outside academia, ironically. I used to exist in what felt like a small bubble all throughout high school. I didn't realize how competitive the world really is. I thought I would become a rock star and live happily ever after. When I arrived in college, it was a rude awakening because I was surrounded by students that were just as academically achieved as I was. I realized I needed to improvise a practical plan instead of just hoping success would fall into place. This experience in college has made me realized you have to actively plan your own future and then go after what you want. I've also obtained a greater awareness of the world outside of Oklahoma City. Through the international speakers and foreign exchange students I've encountered while at college, I feel like I can relate more to people from other countries. They've exposed me to opinions that I never would've considered had I not went to college. Engaging with them has given me a desire to go overseas to study.

I have gotten the chance to pursue my dream to be in the medical field. I would like to continue schooling to become a registered nurse once i am done with this medical assistant program. I have gotten to meet great people and learn so many things that i did not know before i came here. Now when someone in my family gets hurt they immideatly call me to ask my opinion on what to do. I will be the first college graduate once i am done here and that means more to me than anything. It has been more than valuable to attend because not only have i come one step closer to my dream career but I have expanded my knowledge.

My college experience allows me to meet so many new people and make great connections. I have learned so much about myself by just being around other people who have different views than I do and haviong discussions. College has shown me that I can complete difficult tasks and manage my time very effectively while also having a lot of fun being involved in different activities and organizations, such as American Institute of Architecture Students that goes along with my major in architecure. It has been exceptionally valuable to attend because I have learned how to be independent in taking care of myself and testing my abilities in a wide range of studies. I have learned so much about so many different disciplines that it has expanded my understanding of the world to a whole new level. College has also encouraged me to go out and meet new people and also to strive to study abroad in order to obtain a more global view. This is the kind of experience a person cannot get anywhere else and I feel it has been vitally important in helping me have a better understanding of myself and the world in which I live.

In my first quarter of my freshman year of college at the University of Oklahoma I have gained discipline to dedicate my time and effort to my classes. I failed a few quizes and exmas before I realized that the myth that college is not like high school and you actually have to study, was true. College is a wake up call. I discipline myself because I want to be what I am capable of doing. I am truly greatful for the opportunity I have to be coming here.

I have lerned to comunicate more effectively, how to lead student organizations, how to work well with others, as well as increacing my skills and knowledge in areas in and out of my chosen degree field.

As a full time student and a full time federal employee it goes without saying that I have endured numerous headaches, sleepless "study" nights, and my fair share of nauseating stomach pains associated with too much coffee. In all actuality it has equipped me with priceless, sometimes redundant, knowledge that I will certainly need for my future academic and professional goals. I have also learned that after six years in military service I have matured beyond my years, often finding myself wondering how some students my age even manage to get their shoes on in the morning. Despite all the headaches, sleepless nights, and nausea, I know that I will one day be glad that I have endured, and will be ecstatic when that graduation day comes. I will be the first person in my immediate family to have graduated from college, so the most excitement will come when mailing my parents the invitations to attend my graduation and knowing how proud they are. It is a privilege and an honor to attend college and you cannot place a monetary value on the knowledge obtained, so I can safely say that my attendance has been invaluable.

Attending college has given me, a 26-year-old mother of three, the chance to pursue my dreams. I currently work as an instructional designer designing e-learning and traditional workplace training and educational materials. I am interested in economics and I am attending college in order to get a bachelors degree, and eventually a doctorate, in economics. After graduating I am planning on combining both my interest in economics and my interest in education together into one career by either going into academia or into private-sector financial training. I started my undergraduate coursework at the Community College of Baltimore County and I am looking forward to continuing on to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the spring. Starting at a community college has given me a convenient and low-cost start to my education. Overall the professors at the college have been excellent and I have enjoyed learning both from them and the other students. I am hoping that my transition to the University of Maryland will lead to higher-level learning and more great experiences from interacting with both faculty and students.