University of Maine at Augusta Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would smack the know- it -all attitude out of my young self. As a teenager about to enter adulthood I didn't realize how important education was. I would take the immature version of me on a, "Scrooge-like" flash forward of life. My journey would illuminate the depths of poverty, and the road to riches. I would end with a glimpse of our future daughter hoping to get my message through. In our uneducated minds we believe money just grows on trees, and bills just get paid. As you grow up you realize that education is not only important for financial reasons, but for personal satisfaction as well. Its hard to maintain intelligence without being challenged to learn something new. I would explain to myself that someday I would want to date a man that wears a suit and has intellectual conversations. That once high school was over I would truly be on my own. Changing my path as a teenager would have been great, but the good thing about life is, It's never too late to change your's.

You know all about life, right? You know who you are, how you will turn out in ten years, how your career is going to go, right? Wrong. You have to choose between two colleges, both of which you want so desperately, you worry about it for weeks. They are both equal in every way, except one is affordable, the one you choose. It is the right choice. Often you will worry you made the wrong decision, but that will pass. You love it here. You love the teachers and they love you. You take the classes you want to, and you learn what you want to. Nothing in all the years of your education has felt so perfectly fit for you. So stop worry, stop losing sleep, stop panicking over the decision. Nothing is permanent, but you will find that this school is the best choice. You won't even stick with your original major! So keep going, and keep learning. Keep learning about your society and enviroment, but most importantly keep learning about yourself. You will be surprised at what you find.

First and foremost, I would have to supply phenomenal evidence of identity to the high school me, then once I caught my (her) attention I would tell myself, "It's time to stop horsing around and go full-throttle after your dreams. Leave the boys alone, stop being a clown and concentrate on your studies, on your art. THAT is what's important and no one will simply hand you success, you have to work hard to earn it. Go straight to college from here, don't wait. Yes, it is hard work, a little bit scary and it takes discipline, but it's also the best experience you will have in life. College is surprisingly fun, the new things you will learn are actually going to excite you! Most importantly, it will be the fast track to your success. There's also a strong sense of community between students and teachers that you won't find anywhere else; your peers will become your allies and lifelong friends! College will make you a better, stronger artist and a person. Don't be afraid of the transition, embrace the adventure and you'll graduate to higher achievements."

As I walk up the stairs and into the room, I spot the person I am looking for. She looks frustrated as she tries to figure out how old her imaginary client is so she can determine what his insurance premiums would be. I sit down next to her and introduce myself, “Hi. I’m Katie.” Unsurprised by my appearance, she quickly says, “I know. I’m Kathrynne.” Then she returns to her piece of scrap paper and math scribbles. I sit there for a few moments in silence observing how many times she attempts the problem before calling for help. Once the teacher leaves, I speak up. “You like to do things yourself, don’t you?” I ask. “Yes,” she replies absentmindedly, still focused on her work. “You don’t really doubt yourself until someone else does, do you?” “No,” she says slowly. I can see that I have touched a vulnerable part of her. She turns to me, intent on listening now. I look her in the eyes and leave her with these words, “Let people doubt. Then prove them wrong.”

When I graduated high school, I was offered several great scholarships. I turned them down to help my mother and my six siblings (she was a single mom). Because of this, it took me ten years to graduate college - but I did it! Looking back, I would tell myself that no matter what happens in life, it is important to look at everything as an experience. Life only happens once - so even hard experiences are opportunities to grow. I would also tell myself to take even one class every semester, because I'd have graduated much sooner. Finally, I'd tell myself to stay positive and smile!

Fill out scholarships.

Cameron, The opportunity to be educated at a college is paramount to being self sufficient and a productive member of society. It is easy to get sidetracked and unfocused. Cameron you have to decide that nothing will knock you off of your path. You have to stay around other students that are taking there education seriously. Try to avoid students that rarely go to class but seem to know all the party places. Learn new things from the new people you will be meeting. Some of your closest and dearest friends will be met during your college years. Dont give in to stress or fatigue because there are numerous resources on campus to help you through rough patches, if you seek those resources out. If you have developed smart relationships with the other students in your classes this will help you stay on course because these are the students who will be struggling like you, but they will be determined to succeed and earn high grades. Keep yourself around individuals that want the same things out of life that you do. Go into college prepared to work hard and learn. Master this and college will be all it should be.

I would tell myself to start searching for and applying for scholarships at the start of senior year. I planned on going to community college right after graduation, so I assumed that scholarships weren't for me. I did receive financial aid, but one should never underestimate the value of scholarship awards. I would also encourage my past self to volunteer--somewhere, anywhere. Volunteer work adds immense value to life--and looks excellent on resumes and scholarship applications. Plus, you make some great connections--sometimes with people in your future career field.

Listen up! Going to college is a good thing. It is not too expensive, and you're awesome career will help you pay back any student loans you have to aquire. This will be the smartest thing you can do. Do not wait a year to go it will turn in to 8 years! Go back now, no delaying. You can do this. You are smarter than you think you are. You just need to try and you will do great. Start at your community college and transfer to a university, it will save you money.

If I could go back in time and give my high school senior self some advice I would tell her to wake up and focus on the big picture. I would tell her to look beyond the books and think about what her future will look like with a college education vs. just a high school education. I would tell her that obtaining a degree will open doors for her and create opportunities that she may not have had otherwise. More importantly I would tell her that someday she will have two sons who look up to her and that she needs to set an example for them so that her mantra “high school, college, marriage, babies” never sounds hypocritical in her ears. Unfortunately my high school self would not have listened to its future self in that my high school self already new everything. Therefore I would finish by telling her to hang in there and fight. I would tell her to succeed despite the obstacles. Most of all I would tell her to have faith, that hard work and determination will be enough in the end.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to finish high school, not get pregnate at 15 and that a college education is very importlant to making it in the world.

College is expensive. You don't want to waste that money partying. You want to have a good experience, make friends, and be a good student. Put yourself out there to succeed! Stay focused.

I am very fortunate to have found the University of Maine at Augusta. I would chose this school if i were fresh out of high school. The one thing I would tell my self is not to wait to go to school. Even though this school has given everthing I have needed and is a great fit for me, I think going to school strait from high school would have been better then waiting until I was in my mid thirties and having all the day to day pressure of a full time job, husband, and three teenagers.

Go back to school sooner. Take as many classes as possible. Learn as much as humanly possible. Don't be afraid to change your mind.

Self! Work hard at school and don't party too much. The sacrifice you're making now will more than pay off if you do well. No event, party or girl is worth derailing your education. There will always be events in the future. Parties are overrated. Any girl who doesn't support your continuing education is not right for you. That being said still remember to take time to enjoy your college experience. Take classes you like until you decide what your major should be. If you enjoy your education you will be much more successful. Be sure you'll also enjoy your career after completing your education. No amount of income can compensate for a career you loath. It won't be easy but it will be worth it. Stay focused and don't lose hope.

Never be afraid of dreaming big! When you accomplish a goal that is when you feel the greatest satisfaction in life. Don't underestimate your abilities, and NEVER give up on a dream even if it takes longer than you thought to accomplish it. The only failures in life are the ones that quit! Build strong relationships, because these will go with you throughout your life, and when you need someone in the worst of situations those friends will be there to help. Don't close yourself off to people because you are afraid of rejection. Everyone has to face their fears, but if you face your fears instead of tucking tail and hiding, you will be a stronger person in the end. ALWAYS accept constructive criticism. There are people who know more than you, and have many more life experiences under their belt. Even if you don't agree with everything that is said, listen and you will glean something that will benefit you in the future. A real person is one that can see his own flaws and work at changing them not defending them.

To go back to 2009 and tell my high school senior self about college would have been a huge help to me then. The first thing I would say is that college really is not so scary, the people are nice and helpful, and you will be just fine. As a high school senior there are many important decisions to make and it can be extremely overwhelming. It would have been nice to receive some quality advice from my college self. I have always been a cautious person, never wanting to break rules or get into trouble. I do not like to take risks or jump into the unknown. Going to my first college class was terrifying. But I did it! It was not hard. No one jumped out at me and said "boo!" The only advice I could have given myself as a high schooler would be to chill out and just go with it.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage that student to : pursue extra-curricular activities, make friends from a variety of different groups, and avoid steadily dating anyone. I would have pushed myself to pursue an advanced diploma instead of settling for a general diploma. I also would have pursued a foreign language, instead of letting fear get the better of me. Following this path (and knowing what I know now about college), I think this would have improved my transition to community college...and set me up for better results once I moved on to a four-year university.

My return to college this year has again reminded me that I need to take responsibility for my own choices in order to accomplish the goals that I have set for myself. While it may be helpful to have staff assist me in the choice of courses that I am required to take, it is ultimately my responsibility to decide what major suits my goals and life choices best and what courses I want to take in order to enrich my life. That is, after all, the goal of education: to enrich my own life and allow me to share what I have learned in my life and in my education with others in order to enrich their lives as well.

I have learned quite a bit, I just do not like the non-tradtional setting UMA has.

If I could go back to high school, I would pay attention to what I really wanted instead of just trying to "get out of town." I spent my first two years of college bouncing around in and out of state colleges and wasting alot of time and money. In the end, I came right back home and went to the small campus which is about 50 miles from where I grew up. It fits my lifestyle perfectly, with my full-time job and my two young children. It is also much less expensive then the "fancy" out of state colleges and universities.

Advice I would give myself would be to not stress about the small things throughout highschool. Once highschool is over, those things are just not important. Focus on your grades and learn to write well because there are going to be a lot of papers, so writing well is a nescessity. I would tell myself to not be nervous because you can do this, it may take a lot more work than you're use to but all that hard work will pay off when you get my first paper back or first exam and see a great mark that you know you deserved. I would tell myself balance is key. A social life is important, but remember why you are here and the money you are struggling to get to pay for this school. Don't waste this opportunity because this is an opportunity that a lot of other people would love to have. Use it for the best, be the best you can, and live in a way that you won't have any regrets. You can do it!