University of Oregon Top Questions

You won't see some of these people ever again, so connect with the ones who matter to you and keep them in your circle, or they will become just someone you were friends with in high school. You're going to become completely distracted by college life and your studies, so it will be very easy to stay on campus with your friends who are there with you. At the same time, be open to meeting new people. They will have new perspectives to share with you, and it will be refreshing to meet people who think the same way you do. Most of all, have a blast!

You do not need to be friends with everyone; just a few are great. The things you learned in cheerleading--that more friends are better--forget all that. There are those that help keep you from being bored, but they don’t truly make you into a better version of yourself. There will be a moment in your freshman year, when the majority of your co-ed house goes to a bonfire, and you spend the entire time trying to be a part of a “huddle for warmth” with your “friends” Vanessa, Michelle, and Heather. You’ll later realize you could have been studying chemistry with Patricia, bonding over your recently developed weird obsession with Le Chatlier’s Principle from Dr. Herrick’s Inorganic Chemistry class. Patricia, like your physiology friends, will always be there. You’ll learn this, and you’ll do your best to ignore it to fit in with the crowd, but don’t. Only four will remain to provide comfort when you don’t do as well as you wanted on your Tissue Injury and Repair oral exam. That’s okay. They rejuvenate you and you’ll know it. Focus on the friends that matter.

If I could go back in time and talk to high school self, I would say to enjoy school. A lot of people like to think that you become a completley different person, and in a sense you do, but its because you are becoming aware of who you as an individual are. In everything you do you have to prioritize, its okay to have fun, just make sure you get your work done. College is fun, it is an experience you will never forget. Do not be scared to talk to your professors, they want you to succeed. In a way college is the same as highschool the only difference is you are paying for it, so there is no room to fail any classes.

Pick a school that has a diversity of cultures and race, there is much to be learned from others. Enjoy the classroom and soak up as much information that you can, remember it is a process, a marathon and not a sprint. Take time to enjoy and discover everything that the college environment has to offer.

I would tell myself to put more effort in finding scholarships and not just wait around for one to find you because it's hard to pay for college but there is tons of free money out there you just have to go and look for it. I would also let myself know that my family will be okay without me because they are strong enough to sustain themselves and that I won't always be there to help them when they need me. I would also tell myself to go out and do things to make new friends because that is something that I regret not doing when I got to college because I always focused on my school work. Sometimes you do need that break from studies and do things that are fun to meet new people because that is what college is about to make new friends and also get an education.

Don't go to a school because of it's perceived status. It may be popular opinion that a school is of a higher caliber but that does not mean that it is high caliber for you. Do your research, do you actually like the aspects of the program? Or does the school offer many different things that interest you, because it is inevitable that you will change your mind about your major or career path. Don't worry about it, it is normal. Just make sure there are options available for you so you aren't stuck being unhappy in a program or institute that isn't the right one for you. Lastly, research the professors. Find a professor who's life work inspires you and reach out to them, even if you don't have a class with them. Ask them what they studied in school and how their career path went. You never know, they could be a lifelong mentor and friend.

Eugene is not terrible, it isn't a big metropolitan city but while you're here you should enjoy what it has to offer. There are great independent cinemas, parks, rivers, cheap or even free arts and music events in the city. The library is the largest in the state and has so many resources for academics and entertainment as well as being the best option to save money on books. The KIDD creative writing year-long program will be the greatest opportunity you will have, start working on your poems now. Don't worry about making lifelong friends as a freshman in the dorms, you won't talk to most of those people after you move out, concentrate on joining activities and going to events that interest you because that's how you'll make your real friends. Safe Ride is a great free service to use to go to off campus activities, go to more of those than I did. Get used to people trying to force football and school spirit on you constantly, they don't care about ethics, they just care about belonging to a group. Be careful who you choose to live with.

If I could go back into the past and talk to myself as a senior, I warn him of the consequences of procrastinating. With the quarter of my university, I cannot afford to procrastinate, which I had a terrible problem with during high school. i would proceed to tell myself to become more organized. In college, organization is key so that you know where all of your essential items are, while I struggled with the sheer though of organizing my binder and backpack in high school, for though it was mesy I could find all of my items. In closing, I would tell myself to begin to open myself up to essential responsibility that I had procrastinated to learn, such as washing landry, for these are neccessityies that I would need to know in college, for i cannot just go home and have parents do it for me. I need to know how to become my own man and learn how to make the right decisions even in overbearing predicaments. I would confide in him my confidence that he could do all such things for I have already done it and told him that I believe in him.

Andrew, I want to start off by saying that you went to one of the best high schools in the state for preparing students for college. Jesuit in Portland helped you academically, emotionally, and physically. With that in mind, the first piece of advice I give to you is take the SAT seriously. Even though it may seem like an insignificant test, it represents your work ethic for consistently trying to work towards a long term goal. Once you have confidence in your work ethic, you can achieve anything Also, millions of dollars in scholarships and grants are given to people who do well on their SAT scores for another motivating factor. My second piece of advice is start writing down specific dream jobs as soon as possible. This way you can work towards them and know what it takes to get there. Be polite and persistent when you pursue these dreams because it is difficult to accomplish goals on the first try. You have a plethora of friends and family who will support you in every move you do. Make use of your connections! In the meantime, stay happy and always look to improve. Good luck!

I would tell my high school senior self to enjoy the time that I spent with my friends, since I wouldn't talk to them a lot after graduation, to finish high school with good grades, and to apply for a lot more scholarships so that I wouldn't have to take out as much money in loans.

If I could talk to my high school self about college, I would be sure to encourage high school me to apply for scholarships and work hard in school. The most important thing I learned about applying for and attending college is that college is an investment, and if you make a smart investment, it will pay off. If you invest in yourself before attending college, you will be in a better position to receive scholarship funding and get into your school of choice. Another word of advice I would give to my high school self is to not be afraid to be alone. As a teenager it can be difficult to imagine leaving your friends and going somewhere where you do not know anyone. In college, I learned that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow, and the only way to learn to face difficult situations.

The best advice I would give to myself is, "What I do today, affects my tomorrows". Had I followed my advice, I would have not slacked off during my freshman year of high school. I had to dig myself out of an academic hole (2.1 freshman G.P.A to 3.4 graduating G.P.A.). I would have been able to earn more college and scholarship choices had I had my act together sooner. I take that experience to heart as I am now preparing to enter college.

Be more confident and follow through with your dreams. Don't be afraid.

I would tell her that your college years are the best years of your life, and not because of the parties; they are the best years of your life because you come to find your confidence and your strengths and weaknesses – you truly get to know yourself, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself evolving. I would explain to her that communication with your professors sounds intimidating, but is absolutely crucial in succeeding in college because they will gladly assist you if you are willing. I would tell her to not give up so easily and that even though she comes from a low income family, she has always been strong willed and should start taking initiative in applying for scholarships and grants like a mad woman right now, as opposed to relying on loans once college comes around. I would warn her against trying to find a boyfriend immediately, and instead focus on building genuine friendships – because that is what truly matters and is what will get you through hard times. I would hug her and tell her everything will be okay, because that is what she needed – to let go of insecurities and soar.

Imagine that high school is a game of Monopoly. Whether you win or lose is decided on your tactical skills and little bit of luck from the dice. If you land on a bad square, things are hard for a round or two, but you can always rely on ‘Go’ to pull you up again, just as you can rely on your parents and teachers to help you when you fall. When high school ends, however, the game isn’t over.Instead, you move on to round two. There is no board. You are equipped with the knowledge you gained from round one, but the spaces that you became so familiar with are gone. You become your own ‘Go’ space. When the board is not there, and when there are no limitations, many people panic and begin to doubt themselves. My advice to you is to not fear the independence you will experience, but to embrace it. Yes, the game gets harder when the board is taken away, but use that opportunity to explore. Create your own rules. Have fun. But please avoid the ‘Go directly to jail’ card. You can’t get out of jail for free.

If I could sit down with myself I would say, "You don't have to be a science major to be successful." I would say that just because you're the first to go to college in the family does not mean that you cannot pursue a humanities, social science or art major. I would tell myself not to be ashamed of wanting to major in something I am passionate about because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. I would say that I can change lives in other ways than just medicine. I would make sure to tell myself that I have the power to change the world no matter what my major is and that being successful is not what will dictate my happiness. I will reassure myself about how smart I actually am as opposed to how smart I don't think I am. And lastly, I would say this: "You can be anything you want to be, but don't forget to have fun. College is the only time you will have to be a little selfish, but never use it as an excuse. Remain humble, stay selfless and.. good luck my friend."

I would tell myself not to stress out so much, especially about the transition from high school and living at home to college and living in a different state. You can handle anything that comes your way, and you'll be good at it besides. Don't let your anxiety get the better of you.

Graduate earlier! You had all the credits you needed to do so. So why didn’t you? Taking those extra classes senior year may have made you smarter but they are not accredited like college credits. Sure celebrating senior year was fun & graduating with your fellow high school comrades was exciting, but had you graduated a year earlier you could have been a year further in college by now. But for the most part, do everything like you are doing now. Take those AP and advanced classes. Take calculus and join all those clubs. Participate in decades, pep rallies and sporting events. Be social, enjoy high school and study hard. You will look back on it all with fawned memories and even greater so fawned-ness the harder you work for it and the more activities you participate in.

College is a wonderful experience, and It is almost your last scholar experience if you go to the university or other special school. As an advice, I will keep my same goals. First, be steady because of the constance depend how far and succesful you will be. Second, be always optimistic, what give me the positive aptitudes and encourages to be successful. The last, but not least is that always try harder. Despite sometimes you do not get the grade that you want, do not see this as an obstacle. The right advice in these situations is that next time try harder, with more love and do not get stress. Over all, if you fall three times, wake up four times.

It is your last year of high school: work hard but have fun. Although high school seems all-important now, you don’t have to be sad to leave it behind. Enjoy yourself and prepare to be amazed by the diversity of students, activities and opportunities that await you in college. Contact the admissions office and make contact with other students from Alaska who are also attending your college; invite them to a meet and greet so you will have some familiar faces when you arrive. Attend Greek sorority rush; you get to live in the dorms for a week so you can get a feel for that and you also get to see what life would be like as a sorority member. Living in the house affords a social network and access to more-experienced upper classmen. Academically, always go to class no matter what. Don’t take any classes before 9:30am. Buy the books and do the reading before class. Don’t work – let learning be your only job. Use the GERs to explore topics that you know nothing about. Don’t be shy; go to your professors’ office hours. Get to know them and ask questions.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships. YOU CAN NEVER APPLY FOR TOO MANY SCHOLARSHIPS!! I would also tell myself that staying home the first year to go to a community college is smart because it takes time to decide what to major in. After the first year of college it is easier to decide what to major in because you have a better idea of what to expect compared to your thoughts straight out of high school. Lastly, I would tell myself not to be shy! The proffessors are there to help and you are paying them to help you, so take advantage of it! Most importantly, enjoy college and your education as much as you possibly can!

I would give myself the advice of learning better study habits and working on my work ethics, because college is not as easy as it seems .You have to do a lot of work to succeed.

Dear high-school senior Brittany, there are so many things I want to tell you. I want to start off by saying: everything is going to be okay. I know you are absolutely terrified and sad about leaving your friends and family but you will grow into such a stronger person. I want to tell you that even though your self-esteem is the lowest anyone could imagine, you are beautiful. It is okay that you are frightened and completely confused about your life - please embrace the questions, mystery, and feeling of not knowing anything about your future because there is something so peaceful and beautiful about it. There will be times in college where you will want to give up because you feel so uncomfortable, alone, homesick, and confused but I am here to tell you this: God is walking right beside you. Brittany, listen to me, and I mean really listen: Don't let your fears, doubts, and insecurities control your life for one more second – you are too valued to waste away. No matter how bogged down you feel by other people's expectations, do this for you: you have a voice and you are worthy.

I would say so much to my highschool senior self. The very first is that working on yourself will help you succeed not in academics but also in social situations. I would also tell myself that it would be difficult to make friends but I would be able too, with hard work and dedication. I would want to tell myself to not let my problems with anxiety get in the way of anything. I would say that most of college homework is reading. Reading would be a very important thing to keep up on because falling behind in reading makes classes difficult. The last thing I would tell myself to be happy because that is what matters the most!

College is a wonderful change from high school, and you will make excellent memories and close friends, but there are several things you should know in order for this to go as well as it can. The most importat advice I can give you is to find a balance Firstly, balance fun and school carefully and precisely. It is very easy to let your grade slips with endless opportunities to go out all enticing you to do so. Yet, don't overstress yourself with too heavy of a class load or you will find yourself in an unhappy predicament. Secondly, get involved with a student group. It's the quickest way to make friends and bond over doing the things you have in common. Don't, however, overcommit yourself to these groups. You need to get a better understanding of your limits before you stretch them. Lastly, It is absolutely okay for you to not know what you should be doing, no one is asking you to, so don't feel pressured to. Your entire life is still in front of you. Don't sweat the small stuff, do what you love, and the rest will fall into place.

I would tell myself to get more involved with campus activities. I would also encourage myself to be more outgoing nd make a larger group of friends.

I would tell my high school self, YES, it could happen to you . As of right now I'm going through a huge change. I was sexually assaulted a week ago; I'm trying every day to get through it. I realized that when it happened I didn't want to become another statistic that doesn't report or talk about it. I have shared it with a few close people in my life and my family. They have all been there to support me, except my boyfriend. I have now realized that he doesn't care about me like I thought he did. I've learned that in order to realize who really cares about me and wants me to become a better person after traumatic experiences, is the people that are right by my side the entire way. I plan on going to counseling and get tests done to make sure I'm 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} safe. It's already been a week and I'm starting to realize I can't dwell on this forever; I need to gain back my strength and confidence and improve my life every day.

The largest piece of advice I would give myself in high school would be to be very confident in who you are and to put yourself out there a little bit. Be ambitious when meeting people and remember to stay focused on school, but always make time to have fun and enjoy the college experience. Dont be afraid to meet people, and try to become involved in various school related extracurriculars, like clubs.

I would tell myself not to be so serious and that it is fine to make mistakes. When you make a mistake pick yourself up and move forward. You will exprience college life and it will be the best time of your life. Go out and win.

If I could go back and talk to myself in high school I would tell myself to enjoy those days because they go by faster than you think. Once you get into college you get a taste of what the real world will look like. You aren't treated like a little kid in school anymore and your teachers dont tell you when assignments are due. It is up to you to figure it out. I would tell myself to stay on top of the studies and apply for tons of scholarships! College surely isn't cheap and every penny you can earn adds up and will help. The I would probably tell myself to just have fun don't worry about graduating because college becomes the best four years of your life.

Oh, Senior Ami, You don't know nearly as much as you think you know. Allow me to help: you are valuable, loved, and strong. Don't let yourself be consumed by guilt of the past or be worried about things to come. Continue to do everything you love, date the boy who made you cry, and add too many things to your agenda. It'll make you happier, wiser, and a bit more careful in the future. If you ever wonder if you did something hurtful, step up and apologize. If someone has wronged you, tell them and then forgive whether or not it is asked of you. If you are afraid, remember that you are never alone. Remember to be gracious in both victory and defeat. Work harder at everything and take a little longer to enjoy things like districts and state. Yes, dear, you are good enough to go to state. Save money wherever possible. Do those ridiculous college essays and take those AP tests even when you don't want to. Remember to always be thankful even in the bleakest time. I love who you are! Keep on growing up. Have Peace, College Freshman Ami

I would advise myself to beopen for change. Before arriving into college life I assumed that I knew exactly what pathway my education would take me. However this changed quite quickly. It was difficult but a worthwhile experience. I suppose I would tell myself to expect all the unexpected.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self I would tell my younger self about finacial aid and how easy it actually is to apply for college. This was some of my barriers to going to college in my past. I had the drive and the brains to do the work, but no one expected me to graduate or to want to go to college. However, college was a life long dream of mine. I did not know that I had only been given part of the directions, or that maybe I should have became more proactive in achieving my dream. That is the past, now I am in college, in part because someone told me about financial aid. This is now what I would like to do: assist others with finding the map to their dreams.

If I could've given myself advice when I was a senior in high school, I would of told my self to have a good senior year academically. If you finish high school with a high GPA, you will have a lot of options going into college. It would allow you to pick from a multitude of different universities across the country and apply for many different scholarships. I would've also told myself to make sure you pick a college that provides the best environment for you to succeed. It doesn't matter how academically strong you are, if you can't picture or imagine yourself living in that particular city or walking that campus, then you will have a miserable college experience. I would make sure that you are comfortable with the environment your gonna be in for the next four to five years.

If I were to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior the advice I would tell myself are to never give up on school, life is hard but it gets easy by working hard on whatever you can put your mind to. The best part about the transition from high school to college is knowing and having the attitude to believe that you will make it through any obstacle that life may throw at you and that challenges aren’t to torture you or make you feel like you can’t do anything but there to make you stronger, build confidence in yourself, make you feel like you can take on the world and most of all believe in yourself because before you can believe in yourself you must first have on confidence and a positive attitude. The transition from high school to college is a big transition mainly because you have teacher reminding you about your homework or what to study but the great part about it is when you go to college you learn how to do for yourself, basically all the changes needed to get ready for the real world

I'd tell myself to embrace my love of math and science and leave the literature to my leisure moments because English majors are nigh unemployable right out of the gate. I would tell myself that college is supposed to be hard, so take challenging classes, go to professor's office hours, and really dig in and not just do what seemed easy. I'd tell myself it's okay to take out loans to get through school because all the time you spend at a minimum-wage-earning job is time you could be studying or getting involved, and killing yourself to get through school debt-free is unrealistic and doesn't leave you with enough time to savor college (both academically and socially). I would tie myself down for one weekend a month and make myself apply for every scholarship I could! I would tell myself to order my books online instead of paying a premium at the campus bookstore. I would tell myself to go to school out of state and try something different.

If I had the luxurary of going back to my high school senior self, I would give her a list of things that I never was intimidated by in highschool. I would let myself know of the high work load. In high school, when teachers were expressing how heavy the work load was, I didnt believe them. I would let myself know that it catches up with me, and I wouldnt have the luxury of just taking my time at doing my work. I would also tell myself that I had one chance. One chance to make this happen, and my family was doing everything they could do make my dreams come true. I would make sure to tell myself that college is not just all partying and fun. If I want to be successful with my life I need to put time and effort. I would tell myself that first term would be one of the hardest things I have ever done, so please, please, try my hardest and do whatever I could to do well, or I would get things taken from me. People would be dissappointed, but mostly I would be mad at myself for messing around.

Heather, do not waste anytime! As soon as your senior year begins, apply for and visit any college you may be interested in. Apply for any scholarships you come in contact with. Don't be afraid to talk to your counselor, they are there for a reason. Do not take all electives. Enroll in a few challenging courses, even if you do not need them, so that you do not get lazy. Also, take the ACT as many times as you can. First thing in January fill out your FAFSA! Please, try to know where you will attend college by high school gradution and have already attended orientation! Make sure to meet with a college counselor and get your schedule made. Classes fill up quick! As I said before, meet and talk with your counselor if you are ever confused at all. Don't exclude the choice of taking a Summer school class, at the college of your choice. Study hard, rest, don't stress, and never leave God out of anything. He got you to where you are today.

You have more time than you think. There is no timeclock counting down. Take time to really be aware of every nuance of your daily experiences. Build those memories solidly, you will love to look back on them. Go too fast and you will not only miss out on the experience, but the joy of reliving it in years to come. Be present. When you are worrying about the future and crying about the past you miss all the many fortunes around you. Enjoy your mistakes and failures. They are the only way you learn. In fact, you will only really figure out who you are in the world, where you fit and where to go by experiencing who you are not, where you do not fit and where you dislike to be. Become comfortable being uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable, it means you are being pushed outside your comfort zone . . . and therefore growing. Life is uphill. Either you are striving towards higher goals . . . or sliding back towards death. If life is tough, you are doing it right. How people treat you is on them, how you react is on you. Overall, smile often and laugh more . . .

If I could go back in time and educate myself on college, I would give myself a little different advice. As a high school senior, I was nervous about college and being on my own. I knew I had always wanted to attend University of Oregon, so that was not an issue. Even with my confidence in my school choice, I had no idea what to think about being a college student. I would tell myself to just relax and be way more open minded. Academics are very important, but so is being involved in the school. I would tell myself to be more open minded to ways to be involved , like sororities, clubs, intermural sports, athletic events, concerts, and plays. To get a part time job to meet new people and make extra money to be able to do the fun things. I would tell myself that your first year of college is what you make of it, and to be confident and make it the best I can do and be the best student, friend, classmate I can be, and to simply relax and enjoy every ounce of freshman year because you can't get it back.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to search more on what I wanted to do. To take my time and not worry about what others thought about my decision for a major. Now I am doing what I want to do and with out doubt or worry about my music major. I would also say to myself to save money and search for more scholarships and apply to them. I used to be a procrastinator. I would have said to move quicker because many opportunities are going to be once in a life time and that time is precious. I used to be so stressed about college and worried that if I don't get into a college that my life would be over. I would say that it's going to be okay, community college is not bad. It's a college with many possibilities as any college.

Try to get as many scholarships as possible, they'll be incredibly helpful when you get to school. Make sure to really focus on your school work, especially in your first term as there are a lot of distractions.

I would tell myself that college requires an intensive amount of effort, and even though it is fun, it is only fun if I put in all the effort. I would also tell myself that only I know what is really best for myself, and not to let other people interfere in my career.

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If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself little advice. I believe that the best part about going to college is the process of becoming an independent young adult: taking what I have learned prior and applying it to what I can make of myself as an adult. I found plenty of well-received advice from peers, parents, and teachers that informed me about college, but the best advice I believe I could give myself is just to experience it for myself because that's what becoming an adult is all about.

I would tell myself "take a seminar on how to study or something!!" It wasn't until this winter term ended that I realized I recevied no direction from my high school teachers about how to study. I came into college with great grades, thinking it would be just as easy as high school. Boy, was I wrong. "Learn good study habits, because Mrs. Hillman wasn't lying when she told you college would be more difficult than you ever could imagine."

If I could give my high school senior self some advice I would tell myself to relax, have an open mind, and explore myself more. I came to Oregon to explore a new place, I am originally from Oklahoma and it was a very hard transition for me. I believe that had I known what I do now, that I could have been more successful in my endeavors. I would give myself the advice to study abroad early in my academic career when I could and needed to escape to another country and have another new experience. Telling myself that I needed to keep an open mind while exploring the next stage of my life would have been very helpful, as well. Now, I understand how the university works and am established with a strong support system, I would have relaxed a lot more and just enjoyed the beginning of college career and the evolution of myself as a student and an adult. College life is an experience, no matter what expectations one has, so the most important thing I would have told myself is to take it slow, learn as much as possible, and enjoy myself, no matter what.

Destynie, No matter what happens stay in school do not put it off for 7 years. I know you can accomplish this and have a much better life for you and your children. Sincerely, Yourself

When I first arrived here, I thought I was going to be an economics or business major. I was a shy, quiet, and depressed person with few friends. I studied "heady" subjects like political science, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. A short year turned everything around. I took a freshman seminar with a wonderfully engaging, manic, and witty poetry professor named George Moore who played bass for Allen Ginsberg's band and taught us of Arthur Rimbaud. He wanted us to be ourselves no matter the cost -- no, he forced it. Even those who resisted initially eventually broke down and we transformed ourselves from largely lost and nervous freshman into, by the end of class, a confident pack of brothers and sisters slinging poetry in the auditorium. That class changed my life. It was after that I became hungry for the arts and started to draw, act, dance, sing and play music. I then declared a Theater Arts major and auditioned for two major plays. I sometimes look back on even just that short year and marvel how different a person I could be now. I love my friends, I love my classes, I love my professors.

I have been shown a side of myself I didn't know was there five years ago. I started my college experience at Lane Community College. Armed with a ninth grade education and an uncageable desire for a richer life I passed a goverment test wich qualified me to recieve federal student aid. 112 credits later , and here I am a senior at the U of O. The journey has been filled with challenges, triumphs, and new understandings. I have perservered through a great deal, and as I find myself closer to graduation I can't help but to feel a blanket like surealness. the self confidence I have gained through my college experience is the most vaulable gain I have made. My time in college has taught me that I can do anything I put my efforts into. I have a new, brighter, child like sense of the endless possiblities the world has to offer; wether to accept the calling challenge is my choice, and I have chose to see this challenge through all the way to a P.H.D.