University of Arkansas at Monticello Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Mykel

Stop. Relax. Take a deep breath. Listen, girl, things are about to get a little crazy for you, and I know you're scared, but I need you to be brave. I need you to gather up all of your courage and do what you know is good for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't just follow along with what everyone else is doing. Don't be afraid to say no. Forget how the very definition of the word "procrastination" and do your homework! Make friends, don't let yourself be lonely. Make a playlist for everything you do: road trips, cleaning, studying, homework, partying, whatever. Do what you do, and love what you do. Get a job - I'm not kidding, get one fast - student loans are not fun. But, most importantly, be yourself and love yourself and keep yourself happy. Promise? You sure you can do it? Positive? I know you can. Good girl. Get out there and change the world for me now, baby. You've got a long road ahead of you.

allyson

The advice that i would give myself is that you have be confident about your education. without education, where would you be now? Education is important in our lives and it helps us learn what is required in our lives. Also, i would tell myself to make good friends such as the ones that could help you throughout the school year. In addition, you must study more than you do in high school. These are the advices i would give myself.

cornissa

School is my number one priority and my only option. I would return to explain to myself that education is the key to success. I would apply myself to the best of my ability,shout when I've done great and smile when I've done poorly. I come from a low income family, neither of my parents graduated, nor did they attend college, but they both still encouraged me to attend college, get a better education, and chase after my dreams. If i could go back i would encourage myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible because loans will kill you in the long run. I applyed for as many scholarship as i could and didn't recieve one. I would highly appreciate it if i could recieve this award because it would help make my life a liitle better and a little loan free.

Harry

I know that if I could have gone back in time and had a talk with myself as a high school senior, I would have encouraged myself to do better in high school, and take the school work more seriously. This would have helped me make the academic transition to college so much easier. I would have had a long talk with myself emphasizing the importance of preparing myself for college, doing more difficult subjects in high school and being more mature through the whole process. While college has often been difficult to balance, as I work full time and go to college part time, it would have been so much easier if I had gotten an earlier start right out of high school. Now over 25 years later, I am earning a degree. I am glad to be doing it, but I sure could have used a wise voice to mentor me back when I made the decision to wait.

elizabethE

i would tell my self to prepare my self better to enter the college life . i would have started college the year thar i graduated because now that i have a three year old son it's alot more harder to take care of him and payatention to his needs and keep up with school at the same time. I would tell my self to work harder and try to get some kind of schoolarship for collerge becaude i dint really think of how much college would cost. I know that it will pay of in the future and that wen i am though my AS degree i will want to go farther and tell my self that i can do it.

Kim

I would repeatedly tell myself that college isn't about getting a degree. A degree may be the main goal of all college students, but it shouldn't be what it's all about. I would tell any high school senior now that college is, most definitely, working on who you are or discovering who you really are. High school often becomes a mask to some people because you try too hard to impress someone else or you try to fit in to all the groups for popularity. I had a lot of trouble with this coming into college because I've always wanted to do what my parents wanted me to do. It actually ended up setting me back a lot, and I wish I could go back and start over with what I wanted to do in the beginning. While in college, do things to find yourself and develop of who you are and what you can do; find your strengths and weaknesses both academically as well as mentally. This will help you imensely in your future in all that you do.

Kim

Since I've been here I've changed my major once just recently. I learned, through that experience, that not everything is what you expect it to be in the end; not only that, but people you trust with your education can also digress from the pathway of education and then fail to recognize their purpose as a guide. I do understand now, however, that the path I'm on now feels right for me. Everything that happened within this past semester happened for a reason, and I'm still able to finish a degree because fate has determined that I will succeed in this country as a citizen. I know that my parents worked too hard and gave up too much for me to fail now.

Katie

what i have gotten out of my college experience so far, is that it isn't easy. When I graduated high school, i got my own place, and started paying for my own bills and things like that. Working 35 hours a week, being a full time student, and still trying to make time for family and friends is extremely hard. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I always remember that there will be great things waiting for me at the end of this college journey if I stick it out and finish it. None of my siblings went to college, so, I am the first one of my siblings to go to college, and I am proud of myself.

PRISCILLA

WHAT I HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE SO FAR IS RESPONSIBILITY, PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION, TEAM WORK, GOAL STEEING, AND SO MUCH MORE. I THINK IT HAS BEEN OF GREAT VALUE TO ME BECAUSE THESE QUALITIES CAN TRANSFER INTO MY ULTIMATE GOAL OF BECOMING AN R.N. AND GIVES ME THAT MUCH MORE COFIDENCE. BEFORE ATTENDING COLLEGE I ALWAYS DOUBTED MYSELF DID NOT BELIEVE I COULD HANDLE COLLEGE. I HAVE BEEN ATTENDING COLLEGE FOR OVER 6 MONTHS AND HAVE OUT GROWN THAT LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND HAVE ALSO PUSHED MYSELF TO SET EVEN BIGGER GOALS THAN WHAT I ENTERED COLLEGE WITH. I HAVE LEARNED THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND THE SKY IS THE LIMIT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR PERSONAL GOALS, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE DEDICATED AND HAVE THAT DRIVE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT NO ONE CAN STOP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND BECOMING WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME BUT YOURSELF. ONLY YOU HAVE TO POWER TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS, JUST LIKE ONLY YOU CAN STOP YOURSELF FROM ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS. I AM PROUD OF MY SELF TODAY FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR AND THE MANY MORE THINGS TO COME.

shelby

I have learned more then i ever thought could in these past two years. i have made many friends who i know i will keep for a lifetime. College has taught me to be independable and responsable and i love it

Melissa

My college experience thus far has been wonderful. I have made friends that I know will be in my life forever, participated in service organizations that have helped better my campus and community, and enjoyed being apart of a school that gets students involved on campus. Most importantly, I have learned so much in the classroom and outside of the classroom. I am recieving a first-rate education that will enable me to get a good job upon graduation and will always be there for me to fall back on if hard times appear. I would not change the experiences and learning opportunities I have recieved at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for the world.

Corey

I did not expect college to be so great. I have loved my teachers and classes. The campus is beautiful. I have met many different people from all walks of life. I have even learned alot about myself. I have learned that I have to organize my time, and that I am the one responsible for my grades. I know that I want to be a nurse and that it will take alot of hard work to get there. I have learned that attending college so far has memories that will last a lifetime.

Stephen

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself to think of cost and not the name. I would express to myself that going to the right college out of high school does not mean I have to go to the college with the biggest name. It means going to the college that allows me to get the best education and affordable for my family. Being more considerate to my family and not allowing my selfishness to get in the way of my education and relationships with family. If i could go back in time and talk to my self as a senior in high school, those would be the words that I would say.

Betsy

If I could go back in time when i was still in high school, I would reassure myself that mistakes made only affected me in the future if I let them. I started my college career then stoppped because I thought that I could never catch up to be where I was supposed to be. I started back to college last semester and am hoping to graduate in May 2012! I have surpassed not only my own but everyone else's expectations! It truly is amazing what you are capable of when you don't doubt yourself! Now that I have the right frame of mind there is no turning back for me. A college degree is something I have to achieve for my future.

jonathan

The best advice I could give myself would be to take the time in grammer school and high school much more seriously. Didn't understand how the little things they were teaching in elementary school would translate to college and life. The discipline and study habits taught then will help you later in life. I would tell myself to study harder in high school and that all the fun in high school does not equate to the fun you will have as a successful college student and graduate, especially when you are reaping the success in life of having achieved an education. And lastly I would tell myself to take the testing process in high school more seriously, understanding the high cost of higher education, and the importance of higher grades in helping to defer the cost of the educative process. I will finish college but with debt that I wouldn't have had if I would have just worked harder in school. So myself work hard now so you don't get behind in life.

Amanda

The first thing that I would tell my high school senior self would be "your're doing great so don't sweat college!" The transition is not hard. You are on your own but you will get to know people as soon as you get there! I would say get involved in the campus and get to know as many people as you can. Other than that, I would say enjoy it. College is a once in a lifetime experience and it is what you make it.

Kenyatta

I would tell myself to go ahead and go to college. I would tell myself to move on campus and find a job near buy so that I can raise money to get a job to get a car and pay the bills that need to be paid. I would focus so hard on school to get my education and make my kids and family proud of me.

Alecia

I would tell myself to get involved with an organization of some type. Join a sorority or some club. Get out and make friends. Also study hard!

Alexandra

The best college for an incoming freshman is a campus that introduces you to new people and activities yet keeps you focused on your academics too. Not only do you need to work on that balance yourself, you also have to have the right enviroment to help you keep that balance. You don't need a boring campus with no campus life, although it would keep you more focused on your academics, because you would simply be unhappy without a social life. On the other side of the spectrum, you don't need a campus that pulls you away from your academics too much. Even though you may think you have the drive to stay focused, you may be wrong once your opened up to newer social activites and events you've never been apart of before. My point is that you can't just depend on yourself to stay focused. You should choose a college that you can depend on to support you to stay focused yet keep you socially active by meeting new people and getting out there.

Kenyatta

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would have told myself to go ahead and go to college after I graduated high school. I graduated in 2006 from Eudora High School, located in Eudora, Arkansas. I now have two boys, the ages of 2 and 3. I am a single parent trying to work, attend college, and manage my family. It is hard trying to accomplish all of these tasks being alone. I would have waited to have kids because I see that it's hard on me. I have to drop my kids off at school and daycare, drive to Monticello, go to my classes, when I finish my classes, I drive back to Eudora to pick my kids up. After I pick the kids up, I have to cook and clean, wash dishes and clothes, feed my family, bath my kids, put them to sleep and while they are sleeping, I do my homework if I'm not to sleepy. I think that attending college would be much easier if I didn't have any kids. It would have been easier to find an apartment on campus and a good school and daycare.

Cassandra

To parents, encourage your kids as much as possible to always strive for nothing less than the best, but support them even when they don't always do what's considered best (aka straight A's). Even though we don't always show it, us kids rely greatly upon your responses and if you're proud or not. ALso, be sure that your child is really willing to make the full effort to a degree in their choice, because college is not cheap these day and it would be a waste and huge loss of money if they drop out. To students, try your best to choose a major before choosing a school. It is really difficult to find a school that would best suit you, if you don't look at what the school is strong in. ALways tour campuses, because they determine more than you think, and always think ahead about living arrangements. Find what you think will make you most comfortable so that all you need to concentrate on is school. Don't ever give up no matter how hard classes get, because in the end you will be more proud of yourslef than imagined.

Dustin

One should find a college that fits their needs like financial , social, academic, degree path, as well as carreer opprutunities after graduation. You should decide if a small class size or a big class size is right for you. You should also decide whether or not you want to go to a school close to your parents house. One must determine to go to a in-state school or an out of state school. It is also important to look into the on-campus living and off-campus living. Make sure to see what the options are for meal plans. One of the best ways to find a college is to visit the schools that you are interested in and get a guided tour. You should also check out a few schools that you are not really interested in because the school might have some interesting aspects that other schools might not offer. Be sure to weigh all of your options carefully and make sure to do your research. Make sure that whatever college you choose is really right for you because changing schools can be very confusing and annoying.

Andrew

When someone is trying to find the right college to attend they need to look for one that suites there life style. At UAM we have very small class rooms wich mean that we get tons of one on one with our professors. this also means that the class room is more laid back (not meaning that you can slack) in that you can ask more questions if you dont understand the material. Other colleges have bigger class rooms and you dont have the personal relationship with the professor. this played a huge role in me deciding to go to UAM. you also need to look at if you are an athlete the athletic program. Also you really need to think about if you would be comfortable away from home or be more comfortable closer.

Emilie

My best advice would be you can't be afraid to choose the wrong college because it is never too late to change schools or pick a different town. You will come to find that the friends you make and the people you meet will make your college experience its best.

Casey

I feel you have to choose a college that is right for you based on where you want to be and the type of carreer you choose. If you want to be close to home then your local college would be better for you . Just make sure that they are offering a field you are interested in not just something you can be satisfied with. Make sure you study hard and keep up with your classes and then you can have time for social life later. School can be a wonderful thing if you go in with a positive attitude and stay focused. Skipping classes and not going for extra study sessions can only hurt you in the end. It makes your grades look bad and keeps you from acheiving your goals. You can get involved in sports and activities which can allow for you to travel and experience new things. College is a very rewarding decission to make however, you have got to keep your mind focussed.

Andrea

Although you may think a specific college is the right place for your child, it's always best to let them choose on their own. Students should try to get involved in as many extracurriculars and clubs on campus. It makes the college life a better experience and much more memorable. Students should always FOCUS on getting their education first. It is okay to party, just not excessively. Time management will be the biggest challenge to face.

Kristen

The future student must be interested, responsible, and motivated to begin this next chapter or journey in their life. Tour many different school and as lots of questions. You want to find the best school that fits your type of major, lifestyle, and learning abilities. Stay focused on your dream!

Rebecca

It is important for the student to find a place that just 'clicks' for them. I believe the student will know when they find the right college for them. They will recognize students with similar interests and values. Once at college, it is important for the student to find a way to meet others socially. Don't be shy! Talk to your classmates and you will find people with similar interests as you that you can meet outside the classroom.

Kerry

Find an environment that you think you can be successful as student, receive a good education, and have a good time. You wont have a good college that offers the things that you are interested in and settle for nothing less. Also, apply for every scholarship at every opportunity you get!

Matthew

My advice to parents and students for finding the right college would be to look for colleges that will give the student the most scholarships that the student can recieve. Money can disappear fast, and scholarships help out a lot. I would also tell the parents and students to look for campuses that have great research sources. Libraries seem to look and sound boring but they come in great use if they are big and have a lot of sources, especially for research papers. My advice for the students that is looking for the college experience would have to be to choose the college that have a lot of intremurals, which are fun games and tournaments that are held by the college. University of Arkansas at Monticello have great resources and a lot of intremurals. UAM also have a great hospitality which is very important when a student is looking for help.

Heather

I would definately look at all aspects of the college. The distance is important along with the cost and what is offered at the university. If you already know exactly what you want to do make sure that college is adequately prepared for that particular degree.

Alecia

I would suggest starting to research schools early to see which one would be right for you. Apply for as many scholarships as you can that apply to you. While in college, get involved with organizations and do your best to make new friends. Also, study hard and dont party hard.

Courtney

Try to fid out as much as possible about what the school has to offer in the field your student is interested in, if no field of interest has been established then try to match the students tendencies, art and/or communications may be an area where they are most comfortable, look at the liberal arts colleges. Also, don't rule out a Junior College for those who have not made any concrete decisions as to their vocational leanings. Try to make an onsite visit at least once, to every school your student is looking into, find out about housing, extra curricular activities and campus security, together.

Courtney

I would tell students to apply to as many colleges as possible. I would advise them to visit everyone that they are accepted to and choose the one that they are most comfortable with. Do not follow your friends because more than likely you will not remain friends. You will make most of your lifelong friends at college. The college your high school friends choose may not be right for you. Make as many friends as possible because you will need their help sometime during your experience. My friends have been there for me through the good and bad times, and I would not have made it without them. So, try your best to meet as many people as you can. Plus, stay away from those bad apples in the group, and trust me you will be able to pick them out.