University of Portland Top Questions

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

Matthew

I wish I had known how hard it would be to transition to life in college. Everyone only mentions how fun and life-changing college is, however I never really realized until I got to school that I was leaving behind family, friends, and the comfort of home to come here. I am not trying to say that the transition to college life is miserable, I am just saying that the struggles of transitioning should not be ignored. It is often cloudy and rainy here in Portland, and that was hard to adjust to coming from Hawaii.

Samuel

I wish I could have known how much I would be doing! Since I've been here I've had opportunities to get involved in almost every club or organization on campus. It really was a shock compared to the small, rural town I grew up in. I would have prepared myself by being involved more in things at home and in high school. Because here, you get exposed to so many opportunities to grow and to live life. Almost anything you are interested in is available, and if it's not you have the power to make it happen.

Chloe

I wish that I would've known I wanted to be an environmental science major from the very beginning, and that I wanted to go into that field so I could research internships from the start.

Darielle

The transition to college from high school is a tough one, especially if you are not from the area. I wish I knew how homesick I would become, or how hard it would be to adjust. Another important lesson to know is while college is a time for new experiences, it does help to have someone you know with you. If you don't, then it is important to make friends. While college at first is difficult, it does eventually get better.

MADDISON

I wish I would of know how kind and caring the professors really are, they really just want you to try your best and succeed. In high school teachers are always telling us the negative parts, if your late to class you get locked out of class and if you are sick you never get a chance to make it up. At time you may get a professor like that but a lot of the time they just want you to do your best. If I had know this about my professors they would not of seem so intimidating.

Ashira

I wish I would have known about the orginzation of the school and how the food system works. I also wish I would have known how to get a job in the libarby because that was the job I really wanted. I also wish I would have known how kind everyone is and how focused the University is on nursing and engineering and how many credits each class is worth. They are either worth 1 or 3 credits not 4 so students need to take more classes to earn enough credits and it can be overwhelming.

Amanda

Before I came to this school, I wish I would have known that there would be a lot of attractive young men on campus. I never knew how hard it was to focus on my studies until now. On a more serious note, I also wish I would have known that I would have to take 9 credits worth of theology. I was mentally prepared to handle one class, but now that I realized I need 9 credits, its making me a bit apprehensive.

Allison

Before I came to the University of Portland, I wish I would have known how important it is to develop good study habits. I am one of the kids that made it through highschool with only minimal amounts of studying, so I lacked the skills that would help me succeed on tests. I've learned the hard way how important it is to turn off the music, sit somewhere quiet, turn off my phone, and focus only on what is infront of me.

Alex

Something I wish I would've known was to not buy textbooks before the first day of classes. A couple of the books that were purchased ended up not being used so it was a waste of money when the money could've been used toward tuition.

Ivy

I wish I had understood exactly what "Catholic University" entailed. I was unaware of the manner in which Catholic morals would be imposed upon the students. I had assumed that with only 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students identifying as Catholic, it would hardly affect my time here.

Thomas

Not really anything I didnt already know

Goutham

I think the biggest thing I wish I had known is that there is truly a place for you here at U.P. Whether it is a club or a group of friends with a common interest, you will definitely not feel out of place. If I had known this, my anxiety for college would not have existed!

Cassandra

I wish I had known a little bit more about what types of field excursion happen. I am majoring in Environment Sciences but I am also doing an emphasis in social work. They love people very very well, but it would be awesome to get out in the great Northwest a little bit more.

Amanda

I wish I had known how much all the faculty members at this school really try to do everything they can to help every single student be as successful as they can be.

Rylee

I wish I had known that living on a college campus is a lot like summer school with classes, and that professors and other people who work on campus aren't scary. I would have initially felt better about asking for help and been more comfortable meeting new people.

Teresa

Looking back at my first few years of college, I wish that I had known more about what I wanted to study or the career path I wanted to take. I am starting my junior year and just chose my major this past semester. Fitting in the rest of my required classes is going to be a challenge and I wish that I had more clearly planned out my four years when I first started.

Melissa

I wish I had known and remembered that I would need school supplies! Sounds silly, but it completely slipped my mind as I prepared for college... I didn't even have a backpack. Luckily a friend let me borrow hers, but just remember--you are going to college and still need basic school supplies in order to succeed!

Kyla

I wish I had known how difficult and financially stressful choosing a private college could be. I am so thankful to attend this university and appreciate the financial package I was awarded, but I wish I would have paid more attention to the details and understood how loans worked. I feel if I had known earlier I could have made a more knowledgeable choice and planned accordingly. Learning how the financial game is played would have been beneficial earlier in my college career.

Sean

Before attending the University of Portland I wish that I had known better organizational tactics. Being organized is one of the most important things one can do to be successful in any university.

Morgan

I wish I'd known that some programs aren't as personalized as they claim they are --they try, but it's not as helpful as they made it sound (Ex: field experience placements for Education majors).

Austin

I wish that I had known how much it was to attend. I know that sounds straightforward, but when I chose to attend this university, I didn't actually realize what money really meant. It didn't seem real to me, but after holding 3 jobs I don't recommend going into debt for this school.

Madison

I wish that I had known how the dorms were set up and where my dorm was located on campus. I was lucky in that my dorm, Corrado Hall, is very nice, but the rooms are also very small. It's location is prime for getting to all of my classes, but it is a little bit of a walk to get the gym. I advise future students to visit the campus and scout out all the dorms before you make your decision and find the dorm that fits you.

Sara

I wish that I would have known about some of the courses we are required to take. I did not realize coming in to this school that we were required to take two theology courses during the course of our time at the University of Portland. However, the classes are actually quite interesting and it was a pleasant surprise at how much people enjoy the theology classes that they are enrolled in.

Mariah

I wish I would have known how much networking was necessary. Even when it comes to professors, we're still expected to drop in just to chat. I'm used to going to teachers to ask academic related questions so this was a culture shock.

Tori

Honestly, I felt like UP did a great job of informing me as to what the university offered. I would have liked to know more, however, specifically what activities were offered and how to get involved.

Junna

Before coming to this college, I would have loved to know all of the different services that the school has to offer. As weeks gone by, I kept finding out the different help centers all around school. Some of these centers include the Career Center, Health Center and different things that the Pamplin Business school offers. It could have been due to the lack of research that I have conducted on my end, but by knowing some of the services that they have, I would have started my year a little differently.

Alexander

best place to live

Sky

I wish I had known it rained so much! I would have brought much more rain gear. Really though, I wish I had known that no matter what everyone says about college being the hardest academic experience you will recieve thus far, that when you love what you do, learning isn't a chore! I absolutely love learning about the human body, and I cannot wait to use this information in real life. I would have told myself to not be afraid of the work, but rather throw myself whole-heartedly into my academic endeavor.

Noel

I wish I believed all those people who told me that Portland rains a lot because then, I would have purchased more waterproof items and saved myself from being soaked from those liquid filled days

Abigail

I wish I had known to participate in all different types of clubs and groups until you find your niche. Not only will the club become a family to you, but it will benefit you in the long run.

Sarah

Before I came to the University of Portland, I wish I would have known my major. It is difficult as an undeclared student to stay on track, even though I came in with extra credits from high school. If I later decide to become a nurse, pre-med, or engineering major, I will be far behind my classmates. I wish my high school would have offered more opportunities for students to discover their passions before I came to college.

Brooklyn

I wish I had known how much money I would need to attend school. If the cost of attendance was not high enough (50,000+ dollars) there are many other expenses related to living in Portland. Transportation is expensive. Outings are expensive. I wish I would have known to apply for more scholarships and to get a job the summer before attending school.

Sarah

Before I came to school I wish I would have known how to mamage my free time. The difference between the amount of time you spend in class vs. out of class in college is drastically different than high school. It can be quite tricky to find ways to manage you time and get all course work done, while still having time to spend time with friends and in clubs/ orginizations.

Courtney

Before choosing to attend the University of Portland, I wish I would have known about the lack of dorm community. Part of me really counted on making a lot of my friends through my dorms. My dorm feels like a hotel, where no one comes out of their rooms and not many people attend the dorm activities. A few of the other dorms have a more communal feel, but overall most students stay in their rooms. Thankfully, the University of Portland offers a required freshman workshop which really helped me make most of my friends.

Larisa

I wish I would have known that the weekends are somewhat dead on campus, you have to make plans to ensure you have something to do.

Kianni

I wish I knew how other people enjoyed the campus, food, and social life before coming here. There is a lot of free activities and are usually hosted every saturday. There are also free movies every Friday and many things to do on campus.

Nicole

If I would have taken more AP exams, I could have gained credit for a lot of the core classes and then would not have to take the classes at the college.

Benjamin

I wish that I would have had a better sense of the community at the University of Portland. Community is one of the corner stones of the University contributes to the positive atmosphere on campus. The unique community is created in the small classes, through campus events, and especially in the dorms. I feel that the community at the University of Portland is one of the University’s greatest strengths and effectively compliments its innovative business curriculum.

Marcus

That tuition gets more and more expensive every year and they still can't give out more financial aid. Almost every student at the University of Portland gets financial aid from the school and some private scholarships, but financial aid does not increase with tuition. I wish I had known how much work coursework is involved for engineering classes. A majority of high school is very easy and does not take nearly as much time as college homework. In college, you really do spend two or more hours doing homework for every hour you are in class.

Austin

I wish I would have known exactly what I wanted to study before I came to the University of Portland. I have switched majors a couple times and I am currently double majored but if I were to go back and start school over I would probably be in a different major/field altogether. Also I wish I would have known how important it is to establish productive academic and social habits from the beginning. It is important to extend beyond your comfort zone, to participate in activities, and meet as many new people as possible.

Makena

I wish that I had known that the Psychology program mainly focused on reasech rather than a split emphasis in clinical and research psychology. I really appreciate having the research background, but personally I am more interested in clinical psychology. I also wish that the school was a little bigger. I find that University of Portland is too close to the size of a large high school. I would prefer to go to a school that has about 5,000 students rather than 3,400 students. This characteristic is more prominent as I become an upper-classman.

Samantha

I wish that I would have know that college was going to be a lot more studying than high school and that course would be far more challenging. You have to spend a lot of time getting outside help because there is a lot of material that cannot be covered in class. It is important to find outside resources to get help from and form study groups with your classmates for the best results. It takes a lot of dedication and studying to get good grades.

Samuel

I wish i had known more of the importance of getting good grades in college.

Amy

I wished I had actually set foot on compus before coming here. I would have then realized how a small school actually feels and how the Catholic tradition and conservative majority permeate the academic and social environment. One one hand, I do like having small class sizes. However, being in a campus with a small population of students, I found it hard to reach out to those who have similar interests. I sense with the conservative attitudes people display, they may find it hard to consider and even accept traditionally liberal views.

Larisa

I wish I would have known that UP doesn't seem to be very active on the weekends. It seems to die on saturday's and sunday's with not much to do besides study.

Kelsey

I wish I had known that the work load and the amount of studying would far exceed the high school level.

Ashley

Before I came to this school, I wish I knew that college really does cost a lot. I wish I learned how to save more money and to apply for more scholarships. ..to truly exhaust all financial options before loans.

Sophia

To be honest, nothing really. I had done a lot of research beforehand. But if I had to point something out, it would be the neighborhood my school is located in. It's residential so there aren't a lot of close restaurants or places of that sort.

Kayla

I wish I knew how much of a joke my high school was and how extremely bad of a job Scappoose High School in Oregon does at preparing you for college.

Tiffany

I wish I had better known the amount of coursework that would be expected of me before I came to this school. Also, I would like to have had previos connections with some of the students, faculty, and staff before coming here to ease my transition into the college life.