University of Northern Iowa Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Ashley

I wish I had known about other financial options before I came to school. I wish that counselors had prepared me better for the financial aspect of college. Student loan debt is a huge burden that seems to haunt me daily. A significant portion of my paycheck goes to student loan payments every month and it would have been nice to really know all the options. Scholarship and grant applications are time consuming, but it would have been wonderful to have those options available to me when I was getting my bachelor's degree.

kayla

the cost per semester

Megan

I wish I would have known everything about financial aid. I wish I would have known that there is no air conditioning in the dorm rooms. I wish I would have known about the professors and classes. I wish I would have known all about the campus.

Traci

I knew a lot already since my sister attended college at this school.

Lauren

It is the best year ever to make new relationships and the best time to get good grades, because once you establish a GPA it is pretty hard to move up or down from it. Freshman year is the most important year to get a good GPA so you can start high and maintain it throughout college. I started my Freshman year with a 3.5 and average between a 3.58-3.44

Mackenzie

I wish I would have known that student involvement is a major determining factor of your perception of college. When I started my first year, I only had a few friends from high school. It was really difficult for me to have the entire college experience without meeting new people. As the semester went on, I decided to join an organization, TOMS UNI campus team. The following semester I applied for a job at the campus bakery. Just with these two added activities, I have met numerous new people. I plan to volunteer next year to become even more involved.

Megan

I wish I knew how to be more outgoing. I have missed out on a lot of opportunities to meet new people. I decided to sit in my room with my girlfriend and have bonding. I don't regret the boding, but I do regret that I only have two friends that I hang out with now. I am a junior.

Hannah

I wish I had known more about opportunities for scholarships. However, when I applied for one scholarship, the committee for that scholarship recommended me for another scholarship that I had not applied for. I ended up receiving both scholarships, so I am very grateful to the faculty at this university.

Kate

NA

Courtney

I wish I would have had better study habits, and had better notetaking skills before making the transition to college life. It would have also been beneficial to have been more knowledable about correctly citing informaton in research papers. The most imortant piece of information I would like to pass on would be developing good time management skills and having good organization. Knowing what has to be done, and when it has to be completed by plays a huge role in good organization, which then also helps with time management.

Carolyn

That it is the second windiest campus in the nation, and that the Stud yAbroad program didn't have an option to go to Germany, though Austria is pretty close.

Sydney

How competitive programs would be to get into a graduate school.

Robin

I wish I had known to keep my dorm room door open. It is the best way to meet people. Knocking at a closed door to meet your neighbor is intimidating and most people won't do that. It is easy to pock your head into an open door, introduce yourself, and strike up a conversation. I also wish I had known to take initiative to get to know people and not let shyness get the best of me. Most college students want to get to know others, they are simply waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Emma

I wish I would have known how to not procrastinate and use my time effectively to do the things that needed to be done good and not having to rush through everything.

Jordan

That teaching wasn't really for me! But I'm glad I realized that with hands-on experience in a class room.

Kelsey

I wish I had known to take college courses in high school and take more AP classes, because college is expensive and everything you do not have to pay for helps out.

Lee

How to write an effective paper. I have found that most high schools to not prepare their students for collegate writing.

Eric

that i would have known my major

Rachel

I don't know that I find anything wrong with UNI; it was a great school.

Jordan

Look at junior college before attending 4 year college

Amber

More about technical theater and costumes than just acting, and wish I would have taken more college gen. eds before I came here.

Kristine

The weather... It gets very cold, windy and snowy in winter.

Abby

I knew everything important before I came

Brooke

how little financial aid they give

Randyl

I wish I would have been better informed about my degree program and the types of classes I would be taking.

Angela

nothing

Carolyn

How much of a suitcase campus it is. Everyone goes home on the weekends. And eveyone has a car on campus. I live too far away for trips home on the weekends and I don't have a car on campus.

Matthew

Better study habits.

Leah

I wish I would have known how much I would like it here. I went to the University of Iowa my first semester and did not fit in. There is always someone smiling at you while you pass here in contrast to UI where I found it hard to meet friends (because of large class sizes).

Melissa

More about the classes I was suppose to take and about my major.

Mitchell

What I really wanted to do in life.

Brittany

Going to a University, I thought that I'd be just another kid on campus. However, it surprised me how easily you can get a reputation and how often you see the same people. I also didn't expect the courses to be so difficult.

Kevin

I wish I would have known not to worry about making friends or being accepted. Everyoneis really friendly here.