West Virginia University Top Questions

Out of my college experience, I have learned that school is one of the most important things that someone goes through in their life. Not only does college educate you in the things that you need to know for you're career, but you also grow as a person. You learn more about yourself; not just you're likes and dislikes but also the way that you respond to situations and stress. You learn more about the world around you and the situations of others. When we are at home, we are around that same things daily. We don't see much of a difference. In college, every day you meet someone or learn something new. You expand your horizons so much more in college than I believe you do anywhere else during your life. That is why I believe that it is important to attend college. Not only because it educates you more than most experiences that will happen to you but also because you expand as a person and learn more about yourself.

Taking one year of classes at a community college helped me by being a transition phase between being homeschooled since I was three and going out of state this fall. It helped me adjust to being in a classroom of peers, being taught by someone I never met. It made me very aware of what I did and did not want in a college so that I was able to make a clear choice about where I will be studying this fall. Community college has also stretched my thoughts. My teachers and peers have taught me much about human nature. I have learned how to discuss my veiws and beliefs with people very different from me. This helps me to see the good and bad in matters I have never considered before. This year has introduced me to many things all college students need to aware of: textbook prices, finding and applying for scholarships, unflexible deadlines, and midterms. It has shown me my own good points and weaknesses under pressure and in a totally new environment. I advise everyone who is unsure about doing four years of college out of state to attend a community college for one year.

I attend Butler Community College. Butler is a great school for students just out of high school, trying to get back in school, or any one thats not ready to pick thier major. Butlers inexpinsive which why i chose to attend. After a year at butler i got more than general ed. classes out of the way. Butler Community College has been a transistion stage for me. It hasnt been too difficult that all i have time for is class and homw work. It felt like high school with out the busy work. A university will be much more difficult but i wouldnt give up my time spent at butler. I feel like it has prepared me for my college career.

High school students are constantly told that they must attend college to do well in life. There is a constant pressure to succeed and do well. In high school I did every extra-curricular imaginable. I was: captain of three varsity sports; president of SGA; senior class vice president; an active member of the recycling club I started; the student conductor in my school's top choir, and an active volunteer at the local elementary school, just to name a few. My life evolved around my college application. I need to stand out against every other applicant. Then, due to a family crisis, I could not attend a four-year school. I was devistated. My extra-curriculars suddently meant nothing. I was always running around, but for what? To attend community college? It took me a long time to realize, but it is not about what you can write on a piece of paper-- it is about the life experiences. WVU has been full of experiences. I have: met people from all over the country, even the globe; learned how to balance my social and academic life; but most of all, to live every day to the fullest.

I have only attended WVU for a year but they have prepared me very well in that year. I feel that I am leaps and bounds ahead of my peers at other colleges, and that upon my graduation in 2013 I will be as prepared as possible. The environment of the campus, is freindly and excepting, and has allowed not only myself, but the rest of the student body to exceed the levels of other college students.

What I have gotten from my college experience is a reality check. Before I came to college I assumed that by simply attending a University it would automatically ensure me a job in the real world attached to a big pay check. What I have learned is that not only do I have to attend college, but I have to work hard and get involved with the several things that the school has to offer, in order to excel to a point where I deserve to get the jobs that I want in the future. College is valuable to attend because it teaches you to be responsible, hard working and to work well with others. College is also valuable because you get to experience the pride and joy of being part of an academic institution. Within this institution you gain an education, sense of pride and lifelong friends, all of which will be a grand impact on your life forever.

As a result of scholarships and grants from WVU, I have been awarded the chance to travel globally and to expand my mind further than any lecture or reading would allow. I have witnessed first-hand the disparity of wealth and poverty throughout Europe and the United States. I have lived in rural poverty in the Sahya Mountains of India and on the underdeveloped Yucat?n Peninsula of Mexico. Because of my experiences abroad, I have begun to change the world. I have held interactive lectures with high school students about studying internationally, becoming globally aware, and transforming into a world citizen. With each lecture, students become excited by the prospect of studying abroad, especially when presented with my background of being a first-generation, low-income college student. My wish is to inspire students with a similar background to attend college and to make a global impact; I am the indication that it is certainly possible. The most influential people in my life thus far have been those dedicated to education. Just as they have, I intend on opening the eyes, minds, and hearts of students. Without the support of WVU, I could not have fully realized my potential.

What have I gotten out of WVU? The better question is, what HAVEN'T I gotten out of West Virginia University. I love it here. It may have its downfalls, but every school does. However, I am 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} convinced that there is no better school out there for me. I have gotten a one of a kind experience over the past three years. I have learned how much pressure I can take, and just how much work I can handle. I have experienced the thrill of living on my own, and the ups and downs that it can bring. I have made more friends than I could have ever imagined, and for the first time in my life I feel like I fit in. Even though I may not have the same ideals or views as these people, I can always call them my family. Finally, the education I have received here is top-notch. I have learned so many new and exciting things here at WVU, and the lectures and discussions have opened my eyes to greater things than what is going on, on campus. I would never change my experiences here at WVU because they mean too much.

First and foremost, I would caution myself with taking the easy route when it came to my senior class schedule. For instance, instead of being an office assistant, I should have taken chemistry to help with my major, which is pre-pharmacy. Next, I should have worked on perfecting my study habits before I came to West Virginia University. In high school, we were given study guides and in-class study time, but in college it is up to you to read and learn the material on your own time. Third, I would tell myself to make sure to take advantage of all the resources West Virginia University has to offer earlier in the semester. It would have benefited me to attend tutoring and study groups. Also, I would tell myself to participate in various college activities to meet new people that have the same interests as I do. Lastly, even though the cafeteria is all you can eat, don?t eat all you can eat.

If i could go back to my senior year of high school I would have to tell myself to get ready for a long road. I would also tell myself to start putting your head into it and study and get ready for college. I would also say that college is going to be a great experience and that I need to do everything possible to have a smooth transition from the high school way of life to the life that is like in the real world, because the real world doesn't care if you have a few cramps, or if you have a bad hair day, life keeps on going and doesn't stop. So get prepared for a long row to hoe and a lot of ups and downs.