University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Top Questions

I would advise myself to basically continue what I was doing. During my high school career I was already studying hard and doing my homework, but I woud also tell myself to lighten up. College is not as difficult as I thought it would be so I tried a lot harder in high school than I think I needed to, and I also put myself through a lot of extra stress. Finally, I would tell mself to open up. I was so closed off in high school I felt lonely. I would tell myself to get out into the world at college because college can be as fun or as scary as you want it to be.

The best piece of advice I would give myself past self about selecting colleges would be to conduct more research into various schools and to apply for more scholarships. In high school I only searched through 2 or 3 schools before deciding to go to UWSP and I wish I had looked and more. Although UWSP has some great programs in academics they lack in many areas I am interested in, mainly a thriving campus ministry. I wish I could go back and tell my past self to spend more time visting a variety of public and private schools and to also apply for more scholarships than I did. I didn't recieve any more for school so I settled on a public school. I would urge my past self to apply to as many schools and possible and as many scholarships as possible because the only bad thing that could happen would be to still recieve no money. I just wish I had a second chance to explore more options and to gain a greater understanding of other schools so I could have made a more informed decision about the next four years of my life.

Dear Hallie, I'm writing from the future, and I've experienced your life up to a college sophomore, so it would be wise to take this as seriously as you can. First of all, you've been stuck in a rut since highschool started, and you immediately start college with a much improved study schedule. However, there will always be setbacks, and I must warn you to be wary of your new roomate. You've been told so many times how clueless and weird you are, and your new roomate has the same mindset about you. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let her bring you down the same as others have. This will set your self confidence back miles. So the solution might be to ignore her, and remind yourself of your kindness and worth, knowing you can and will learn fluent french, and he science of psychology. Furthermore, find friends who can laugh with you and respect your goals and be there for you no matter what. Lastly, never give up Big Brothers Big Sisters. Volunteering holds just as many lessons as a costly three credits does.

Picking a colleg can be really stressful, and if you do not check out all the options, you can make some really big mistakes. Talk to your advisors- go to all the annoying sessions they hold. Really talk with visiting college representatives. Go to college fairs. Never give up because it is too much effort. It may seem overwhelming now, especially when you have filled out dozens od scholarship applications and never seem to hear anything back, but it really is worht it. Try and keep yourself organized. Set aside a certain time each week to look at colleges and apply for scholarships, and keep a notebook or a word file documenting everything. Trust me, it will make things much easier in the long run. Just remember, college is the first big thing that is up to you- make it what you want it to be.

I would tell myself to be confident and self-disciplined. College really isn't as big and scary as you think. You are not the only freshman starting in a new school. It is a time to make friends and start new experiences while moving on in your education. Never give up on your goals because you know you can succeed in what ever you do. The transition may be hard when moving into a small room and sharing it with a roommate, but you will make plenty of great memories with that roommate. Making friends will be a great experience and they will be some of the people to remain in your life for a very long time. Your family is very proud of you and they will always support you through your decisions. Finally, try to engage in as many activities and clubs as possible while you are in college. The next four years of your life will be great and unforgettable. The college life may be stressful at times, but you will get through those hards times and move on into bigger and better things.

The senior Jackie made some mistakes that could have been avoided if she would have known what I know now. She should have decided what school she wanted to attended by the end of her senior year. Changing schools so much left me with the worst classes when I signed up for orientation. The worst classes with the poorest teachers left me with a poor grade point average. Although college is easy to adjust to if you make friends easy, it?s also easy to spend your money fast. I should have started seriously saving my money my junior year of high school. I wouldn?t be so worried about money all the time if I would have made that simple start. Other than those two issues that are constantly weighing on my mind, I think the senior Jackie and I prepared rather well.

When making a college decision, I would say the most important piece of advice I would give to myself as a high school senior would be to have multiple reasons why you think one school would be a good fit for you. If you rush into a decision just to be one of those kids who gets their acceptance letter in fall or winter instead of late spring, you may have overlooked some key factors that you will later learn to be very important in how you transition into college life. I rushed into a decision to attend college, and I regretted it and ended up transfering to another university for the spring semester. To anyone who is looking at making a college decision, take your time. The more thought and effort you put into your final decision will just make your college experience that much more enjoyable.

The first piece of advice I give to you, Amanda the high school senior, is to immerse yourself as fully as you can in the college community. By this I mean get involved, whether that be in various student organizations, study groups with fellow students, or that impromptu volleyball game that?s occurring right next to your dorm. College is really the one of the only times where you?ll experience a community such as this, so dive in! The second piece of advice I?m going to give you is to be used in direct correlation with the first. It is as follows: go to class. Of course, this may seem so simple to you now, but trust me, when you find out just how much there is to do in this crazy college community, you may be tempted to hit the snooze button all the way through your first class and play basketball through your second. But imagine that every time you go to class, you pay part of your tuition up front and every time you elect to skip class, you still have to pay that cost. Starts to look pretty wasteful to skip, doesn?t it?

If I could go back in time, the first thing I would say is to relax. Things went much more smoothly once I relaxed and got into a routine. The second thing I would say is to stay on top of all your readings, especially in Chemistry. Chemistry wasn't your thing in high school so you have to stay on top of the homework in college. Another thing would be to ask for a little more help from professors, they explain things well in class but the moment you leave the room it's as if some of the things they said didn't really make as much sense as you thought. The last thing I would say is try to be more outgoing. Be willing to meet new people and make new friends. It might seem hard at first, but once you start putting yourself out there it will get easier, I promise.

I had a fairly easy transition to college life. However, I would tell myself to save up as much money as possible because it becomes very scarce in college. I would tell myself to keep in touch will all my friends back home through emails and phone calls and keep updated on their lives. I would tell myself to go to any activities going on around campus and meet as many people as possible. I would also tell myself to not burn bridges because college can get lonely and it helps to have as many friends there for you as possible.