University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Top Questions

You are good enough to get into that university you think is too good for you. You are smart, and you are witty, and you are a hard worker and quick learner. These are characteristics that people want to work with. Stop telling yourself you're not good enough, or smart enough. Stop assuming the world is against you. Sure, you will make mistakes. You will mess up. That's all part of growing up. I'll tell you what you won't do: you won't fail. Did you know you were capable of taking 18 credit hours in one semester, while actively participating in two clubs, and a volunteer community theater, all while maintaining above a 3.6 GPA? You do that. You don't fail at that. I know that you think it's a waste of time to apply to schools you know you won't get accepted to. Do it anyway. Some schools will reject you. At least one will accept you. And at at least one school, you might thrive.

"Don't jump into things too quickly Vince! It's okay if you're still undecided, but perhaps instead of hanging with your friends this weekend, research some possible careers and pathways you can pursue with the degree aimed for. This will save you the hassle of changing majors later (which I'm in the process of doing right now!). Also, don't be afraid to reach out to people when you're feeling lonely. Everyone is in the same boat! Above all, stay true to yourself: your morals, goals, and your education should come before all the other schenanigans that will undoubtedly come up in college. Heed my words, as I am the much wiser Vincent from the future and it'll make things alot easier for you. Best of luck! P.S. You don't know everything; that's why you need an education, dummy. Just kidding, but seriously, keep an open mind kid. Everything isn't set in stone just yet."

First I would tell myself to try harder and build strong study habits while the high school teachers are right there with helping. In college it is hard to gain the much needed study skills and habits with the added workload and academic difficulty rising as well as the many events/activities happening around you on campus. In addition, the professors here on campus are not as helpful as a high school teacher would be. Along with gaining appropriate academic skills, I would encourage myself to take as many AP (college credit) courses in high school as I could. It is almost dumbfounding how many free credits I could have accumulated in high school that I would not have had to take in college. This would have allowed me to focus more on my major classes and not all of the non-applicable general credits. I came into college with very little study skills and did not preform as successively as I wanted to and am now working twice as hard to climb back up. Moreover, learning the very useful academic and study skills in high school would have allowed me to be the best college student I could be.

I would tell myself to take advantage of the opportunities for social engagement on campus, such as clubs and sports. I would tell myself to actually go to class, because it is held for a REASON. Also, to review notes after class to help retain material. I would tell myself to relax a little and not worry so much about getting done with school "on time." I would tell myself that everyone goes at their own pace, and it's okay if you don't fit into the four year graduation plan box. I would say to take your time and enjoy school, rather than constantly stressing about taking too long to finish.

I would tell myself that developing good study habits in high school is so important. Also, time management. If you can't manage your time you will be lost. I would also tell myself that higher education is VERY important. Choose a college that you feel will help you pursue your career. I also would tell myself not to rush into any university without researching everything about it, including graduation rates, retention rates and drop out rates. I wouldn't push myself to go to college unless I was sure about the direction I wanted to take. It's ok to wait. I waited many years and feel more confident and motivated than when I was 20.

My first words of advice would have been, don't be overwhelmed by the amount of students that seem to have their career path in order. It is a false assumption. Everyone is going through the exact same situations I am. Hoping and praying to get good grades so I can get in to the School of Education. Also, make sure to go to professor office ours and have personal, yet professional contact with them. It gives a foundation as to what they expect and guides students to productive learning environment, which will make you more comfortable as to the expectations of the professor. Also, go to all study sessions that are available before tests. It will help guide as to what the test will entail. It is a worth the time to go.

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self, I would warn myself of the difficult road ahead. I would say that, "Things are definitely about to get complicated and many unexpected changes will occur all at once. You may feel all alone and lost for a while like it is the end of the world, but just remember that you are not alone. Make sure to trust in your family and friends because they truely care about you and will be there every step of the way. But most importantly make sure to believe in yourself and stay strong even when it seems impossible. Things will get better so stay true to yourself because as they say 'you don't know who you are until you lose who you are.' Do what you want to stay happy and not what others want you to do. You are your own person and you're about to start your own life. Also don't neglect your studies because keeping your grades up is still very important, but remember to have fun and meet new people too."

I wish I would have known how to manage time better, so that I would have had more time for studying and doing homeworks and to be able to focus on school more which with help me reach my goals and to get good grades that will benefit me in the future. I also wish that I would have looked more into the colleges and got a better idea of what they offered and known how much schooling would cost. I'm a transfer students now and if I would have looked into what schools offered I don't think I would be in this situation right now but after looking through their information I think I made the right choice.

I would try to make me understand why I will benefit from trying hard in high school. I would also explain why you should do your best and not just to get through class by only doing what is needed to pass.

Forget what everyone thinks about you. In high scool everyone makes a big deal about what someone does, how they act, what they like, what they wear, and it just creates a destructive atmosphere for most people. If you allow yourself to stay true to who you are, you will grow so much in college because there is a group out there that will accept you. They will help you grow as you help them grow. There are so many different types of people in college, you will fit in somewhere that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Some people get stuck in the mentality of high school and within a year you will see them start to struggle and resort to going back home. STAY CONFIDENT in who you are. The world is a lot larger than people make it out to be and college destroys that facade. If you keep that confidence you will strive to be the best that you can be.