University of Oregon Top Questions

You won't see some of these people ever again, so connect with the ones who matter to you and keep them in your circle, or they will become just someone you were friends with in high school. You're going to become completely distracted by college life and your studies, so it will be very easy to stay on campus with your friends who are there with you. At the same time, be open to meeting new people. They will have new perspectives to share with you, and it will be refreshing to meet people who think the same way you do. Most of all, have a blast!

You do not need to be friends with everyone; just a few are great. The things you learned in cheerleading--that more friends are better--forget all that. There are those that help keep you from being bored, but they don’t truly make you into a better version of yourself. There will be a moment in your freshman year, when the majority of your co-ed house goes to a bonfire, and you spend the entire time trying to be a part of a “huddle for warmth” with your “friends” Vanessa, Michelle, and Heather. You’ll later realize you could have been studying chemistry with Patricia, bonding over your recently developed weird obsession with Le Chatlier’s Principle from Dr. Herrick’s Inorganic Chemistry class. Patricia, like your physiology friends, will always be there. You’ll learn this, and you’ll do your best to ignore it to fit in with the crowd, but don’t. Only four will remain to provide comfort when you don’t do as well as you wanted on your Tissue Injury and Repair oral exam. That’s okay. They rejuvenate you and you’ll know it. Focus on the friends that matter.

If I could go back in time and talk to high school self, I would say to enjoy school. A lot of people like to think that you become a completley different person, and in a sense you do, but its because you are becoming aware of who you as an individual are. In everything you do you have to prioritize, its okay to have fun, just make sure you get your work done. College is fun, it is an experience you will never forget. Do not be scared to talk to your professors, they want you to succeed. In a way college is the same as highschool the only difference is you are paying for it, so there is no room to fail any classes.

Pick a school that has a diversity of cultures and race, there is much to be learned from others. Enjoy the classroom and soak up as much information that you can, remember it is a process, a marathon and not a sprint. Take time to enjoy and discover everything that the college environment has to offer.

I would tell myself to put more effort in finding scholarships and not just wait around for one to find you because it's hard to pay for college but there is tons of free money out there you just have to go and look for it. I would also let myself know that my family will be okay without me because they are strong enough to sustain themselves and that I won't always be there to help them when they need me. I would also tell myself to go out and do things to make new friends because that is something that I regret not doing when I got to college because I always focused on my school work. Sometimes you do need that break from studies and do things that are fun to meet new people because that is what college is about to make new friends and also get an education.

Don't go to a school because of it's perceived status. It may be popular opinion that a school is of a higher caliber but that does not mean that it is high caliber for you. Do your research, do you actually like the aspects of the program? Or does the school offer many different things that interest you, because it is inevitable that you will change your mind about your major or career path. Don't worry about it, it is normal. Just make sure there are options available for you so you aren't stuck being unhappy in a program or institute that isn't the right one for you. Lastly, research the professors. Find a professor who's life work inspires you and reach out to them, even if you don't have a class with them. Ask them what they studied in school and how their career path went. You never know, they could be a lifelong mentor and friend.

Eugene is not terrible, it isn't a big metropolitan city but while you're here you should enjoy what it has to offer. There are great independent cinemas, parks, rivers, cheap or even free arts and music events in the city. The library is the largest in the state and has so many resources for academics and entertainment as well as being the best option to save money on books. The KIDD creative writing year-long program will be the greatest opportunity you will have, start working on your poems now. Don't worry about making lifelong friends as a freshman in the dorms, you won't talk to most of those people after you move out, concentrate on joining activities and going to events that interest you because that's how you'll make your real friends. Safe Ride is a great free service to use to go to off campus activities, go to more of those than I did. Get used to people trying to force football and school spirit on you constantly, they don't care about ethics, they just care about belonging to a group. Be careful who you choose to live with.

If I could go back into the past and talk to myself as a senior, I warn him of the consequences of procrastinating. With the quarter of my university, I cannot afford to procrastinate, which I had a terrible problem with during high school. i would proceed to tell myself to become more organized. In college, organization is key so that you know where all of your essential items are, while I struggled with the sheer though of organizing my binder and backpack in high school, for though it was mesy I could find all of my items. In closing, I would tell myself to begin to open myself up to essential responsibility that I had procrastinated to learn, such as washing landry, for these are neccessityies that I would need to know in college, for i cannot just go home and have parents do it for me. I need to know how to become my own man and learn how to make the right decisions even in overbearing predicaments. I would confide in him my confidence that he could do all such things for I have already done it and told him that I believe in him.

Andrew, I want to start off by saying that you went to one of the best high schools in the state for preparing students for college. Jesuit in Portland helped you academically, emotionally, and physically. With that in mind, the first piece of advice I give to you is take the SAT seriously. Even though it may seem like an insignificant test, it represents your work ethic for consistently trying to work towards a long term goal. Once you have confidence in your work ethic, you can achieve anything Also, millions of dollars in scholarships and grants are given to people who do well on their SAT scores for another motivating factor. My second piece of advice is start writing down specific dream jobs as soon as possible. This way you can work towards them and know what it takes to get there. Be polite and persistent when you pursue these dreams because it is difficult to accomplish goals on the first try. You have a plethora of friends and family who will support you in every move you do. Make use of your connections! In the meantime, stay happy and always look to improve. Good luck!

I would tell my high school senior self to enjoy the time that I spent with my friends, since I wouldn't talk to them a lot after graduation, to finish high school with good grades, and to apply for a lot more scholarships so that I wouldn't have to take out as much money in loans.