University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Top Questions

My college experience has opened my eyes to a world I did not know existed. Because of my experience at UW-Oshkosh, I am aware of a diverse world that exists all around me. I have been exposed to different races, religions, backgrounds, and sexual orientation that I was ignorant to before I began college here. By being involved in several clubs and organizations, I have become extremely close friends with people that I never would have thought I would be friends with. This experience has made me a better person. I am more aware of issues that are occurring all the time. My career goal is to be a counselor, and attending college here has prepared me for the issues and people that I will encounter when I enter graduate school and the work force. It has made me much more accepting and empathetic to what people who are unlike me face every day.

I have gotten so much out of my college experience. I have learned to be more outspoken and not as shy. I am naturally an introvert and I have been able to come out of my comfort zone. I have been able to meet many people that have different backgrounds than me. Since, I went to a small, private high school; I did not get the chance to experience the different cultures. Ultimately I have gotten to learn new things and feed off of other people?s ideas. It is amazing how people think differently and how you can learn so much from other people. I knew that you do learn from other people but, I think you get the chance to do that more in college. It was valuable to me because I would not have learned the things I have learned. I would not have overcome being shy and fear of speaking in front of people. I believe the people I met helped me push through and continue on my journey to becoming a nurse.

I have gotten so much out of my college experiences. I have actually attended two different colleges and plan on finally staying at my third one this fall. Since I started at my first school which was The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, I thought I had it all figured out. However, I found there was so many different types of people out there, so many talented people. I learned how to be open minded, because if your not you close yourself off to the amazing people, places, and things the world has to offer. I also learned how to be more independent. I started having to do things on my own like talk to people about things I was interested in applying for, speaking in front of others, etc. None of which are a big deal, but I think it was a step to help me become a more self sufficient person. I plan on attending West Virginia University in the fall and I believe that will only continue to help me become a more independent and intelligent person. College has worked wonders for me and I am so excited to be in school today.

Attending a semester at a university allowed me to see what is important about my education. I've learned that going to college isn't about choosing the major that your parents want you to choose, or trying to get a career that will pay you more than your friends' jobs. It's more than just what your grades are or how many parties you attend. Education is more than pleasing your teachers and being the star of a sports team. It's about making friendships that will last for years. It's about choosing a course of study that you can feel good about, and one that can be useful to you. Most of all, going to college is about learning, whether it's in class or outside of classes. It's about getting to know yourself and preparing yourself for the opportunities will come and the decisions that you will face later in life. And, college is about having fun and learning to enjoy life, because life is too short to be confined to a classroom.

My college experience is not your typical college student's experience, starting with the fact that I started living on-campus and taking a full load of courses at age sixteen through the Georgia Academy of Aviation, Mathematics, Engineering and Science at Middle Georgia College. Over the past four semesters there, I have taken 74 credit hours worth of courses, earned my A.S. in Physics, met hundreds of new people, eaten "the good, the bad, and the ugly" at the school's cafeteria, and dedicated countless hours to both schoolwork and extracurricular activities. All of my experience has not been enjoyable, for example, my Calculus-based Physics class where a good grade on a test is a C. Yet, if I could go back, knowing what I know now, and make the decision whether or not to go to college, I would still choose going to college. The value in my experience is not only in that degree or larger paycheck. The most valuable part of my experience has been discovering who I really am--without the familiarity of family and friends, but with the same decisions that I had to face when they were around.

I have learned alot more about managing a company than I had previously known about it. I had received some managerial training at my current job for about a year, and tying that into what I have learned from my coomunity college has given me a better understanding of how to be a beter manager and leader. I will leave my community college with an associates degree, but I plan on transfering to a university in Florida to keep my college career going and having a better chance at finding a more suiting higher paying job.

I wish everyone could have an opportunity to attend a college. This is not only a chance to become more educated, but living on campus has made me more responsible and organized. I am learning more about myself and what I really want in life. The first two months were difficult; being away from home and family, but I survived. I have learned to appreciate home cooked meals, my double bed, my family and other things that I took for granted. I have made so many new friends and I have also learned how to say no and make good choices. Not following the crowd, especially when you don't know alot of people, can be difficult. I now realize that my family taught me how to make wise choices, which is so important when you are on your own. As I attend classes that I never thought I would be interested in, the world opens up to me more and more. The professors are helpful and I have learned to introduce myself to them and ask for their help. They want you to suceed and they will do everything they can as long as you do your part.

The college experience for me has been very rewarding. In high school I would study a small amount and I received pretty good grades (High Honors). When I attended college and put a little more effort in to studying the rewards were incredible! Now I felt like my studying was paying off, not only was I succeeding but I was learning and retaining the information handed to me. Not long after attending I was inducted into the Honors Program and other academic organizations. All of these rewards helped my self esteem and I felt independent for the first time in my life. Here I was, a small town girl, in a much larger place and no one knew the difference.

Personally I feel like I have recieved direction both from students and faculty and staff on my campus. I came into college with no clue on what I wanted to do with my life. I am currently in my third year on campus and really have my heart set on grad school and entering the field of student affairs so I can have the privilage to give back to college students.

I would tell myself to get out and talk more with people. Get to know more people and do more stuff. College isn't just about the classes, it's also about the people. Don't spend all your time playin video games in your dorm get outside and play some real games. Be open minded. If someone doesn't believe the same way you do, find out why they believe what they do. Don't disagree just to disagree with people. Don't be afraid to try new things, you might like them. Just because something doesn't work out doesn't mean it's all your fault, look at the big picture. Everything happens for a reason, most of the time the reason isn't known until long after the event. And the final thing I would tell myself is to work hard and focus and nothing will keep you from achieving your dreams.