University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Top Questions

In attending The University of Wisconsin Whitewater, several concepts have become more important in my life. First, I would like to note that the positive aspects of my prior educational experiences in both High School and Community College have been largely overshadowed by those of UW-Whitewater. Attending this four-year university away from home has endowed me with a newfound sense of responsibility and a stronger desire to achieve academic success. The more specific field of study that I have been able to focus on through my Political Science Major has made me more interested in learning and applying my knowledge than I ever was before. I have encountered a more diverse spectrum of individuals than I did back home, and I have become more open to a new world of ideas and a more objectively-humane way of thinking. In a sense, I feel that because the educational stage here at Whitewater is much larger than I am used to, I am more inclined to "rise to the occasion" and challenge myself to work hard in order to reach my full potential as a scholar, a volunteer, and as a positively-productive member of my community.

Even though I have only attended college for one semester so far I truely have learned more than I expected to in such a short period of time. By living in the dorms I have better learned to live and get along with others. I have also had the experience to explore working with a variety of different people that very from age, race, and cultural backgounds as well. It has been valuable to attend this school and learn not only more about what I am interested in doing for the rest of my life, but also to help me apply the life skills and information I have experienced with other individuals to life around me and the lives of others. I hope that when I leave college and live in the real world and come across obsticles of life be my own or those of people around me that I will be able to apply past eperiences and learned life skills to a solution.

I actually went back to my high school and was able to give the students there some of the advice that I never got. I told them to make sure you start with financial aid and looking at schools as early as possible in high school. I also told them to choose a school that was right for them and not to choose where a boyfriend was going or where family wanted them to go. You are the one going to school so you have to make sure you are comfortable there. Make sure you study and go to class because you are there for school first. Don't lose focus. One more piece of advice would be to get involved on campus as much as possible. Of course grades are important, but if you are also involved, employers will see you as more well rounded. You also learn things that you could never learn in the classroom by putting yourself out there and being yourself.

If I could go back and time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give myself would be "not to panic." My transition to college was exciting, but not the "scary" sort of event that my parents, and some of my peers tried to make it out to be. The result was that I tended to worry a lot about things like making friends, getting good grades, and even waking up on time. None of those things ended up becoming a problem, so it turns out that I wasted a lot of time in my last year of high school worrying about a bunch of trivial things. Specifically, my advice would have been to take the opinions of other people a little bit less seriously. Most of the people who thought of college as a scary or intimidating experience were in the same position as me: looking towards the future, scared of the unknown, and surrounded by the chaos that always ensues during the last few months of high school life.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing before entering college, I'd tell myself, "Don' worry, it will all work out. Don't be shy! Be open and friendly!" Even though I am a very friendly and outgoing person, I think all the fears and worries I had about college - from the finances to being in a new place and on my own, to the workload I would have - kept me from really being myself and putting myself out there to meet new people. Though I do have my close group of friends, I think having more people to relate to and be with when I was first there would have made the transition a little less bumpy and easier to settle into, and the worries less prominant.

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice I would first tell myself that I should listen to my dad when he says that I should save more money from my job for college. He was right, I would need it. I would also want myself to know that there is no point in stressing aobut college, everything will work out. The most important thing that I would want to tell myself though, is to always follow your dreams and do not compromise that for anyone. It is important to always do what is best for you and not what others want you to do because you are the one that has the dreams to live out. Live the life you want to live and do not let someone else change your mind!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would probably tell myself to be more outgoing and unafraid of meeting new people and joining student organizations. Student organizations are a great way of meeting new people and making friends, and it's always nice to surround yourself with good people in an educational environment. I would also tell myself not to stress so much in high school and to just have fun because you're still a kid!

If I were granted the opprotunity to go back in time and visit myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself not to worry so much about the little things that would happen. Such examples would be the Math, English, and Spanish classes are not that hard and are not the end of the world. Don't be afraid to ask other people in your class for help, and that's why professor's have office hours. One last thing would be don't get so homesick. I spent the better part of an academic year being homesick, to which I had a minimal social life. All in all, don't sweat the small stuff and trust your instincts

This is your last chance Joel! I have seen the future and you need to work harder in your classes. With this extra work you will earn free credits for college and possibly et a better score on your ACT. With these free credits you will save money and be ahead when you get into college. You also need to take more AP class so you can bring credits to college with you for waviers. Keep up the good work and dont get lazy, it wont help in the work you have to complete in the future.

Looking back, I would probably tell myself as a high school senior is that I shouldn't worry too much. Everything feels like it has fallen into place now. I shouldn't worry about the transition into college, it's a lot easier than what people make it out to be. Just stay focused on your homework and class, and you'll do just fine. I would tell myself that I need to do all my homework. I can't get away with not doing some assignments like I could in high school. I would tell myself that I should take risks and break out of my shell when I get here. What you get out of college is what you put into it. If you sit on the sidelines and do nothing, you won't make great stories to tell your future children. By becoming an active and outgoing student, you will look back very fondly on these years to come. This is where your true friends will come from. They won't leave you like your high school friends did. You will do great things, and these friends will help you see that. Don't worry.