University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

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

Gregory

Details on expenses!!

Treyton

I wish I knew how much free time I had. I probably would have gotten a job.

Arie

I wish I had known how competitive it is to get into your desired major. With thousands of students, it is not gaurenteed you will get your first choice major.

Rachelle

I had already been to a two year college, a Junior College and a year in a California State University, so going to University of Washington was not a new experience, just a continuation.

Lisa

You have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone in order to make the most of the opportunities here.

Kirstin

I wish I would've known what was most important to me for my educational experience before I attended.

KueiTi

Some instructors are bad, and it is better not to take these instructors' classes.

scott

I would have really wanted to know what I was truely interested in. When you are graduating high school a lot of time we focus on what careers will make us lots of money but it is very important to study something that excites you and gives you inspiration.

Ashley

During my first couple years at university, I was experiencing great feats of personal development while working through my general education science courses. The introductory science classes were extremely competitive while covering difficult material. Theses classes never failed to remind me of how I compared to the other 200+ students in the course. This did not inspire any self acceptance. If I would have known that is was acceptable to ask questions and share my concerns with others around me, whether I wanted to discuss my lack of faith or about thermodynamics, I would have been more successful and involved.

Alex

I wish I had known that college would have been harder than it was in high school. I thought it was going to be fun like everyone else and it turned out that I was home sick and recieved lower grades than I expected. I also wish that I could have known that there are people here to help you when you need help with school work and emotionally.

Paige

It's a big school. This is good and bad. Be prepared for large classes, and seek out personal attention from professors if you need it. Classes are large enough that it's usually not offered. Campus is very large, with many interesting things to do. Find clubs or groups that share your passions; get involved! Work if you need to, but find time to enjoy being in college, not just time for work and homework.

Russell

I wish that I had known to stay active on campus and to not take any time for granted at college. During the fall quarter of my freshman year, I got so absorbed in my studies that I had forgotten to make the most of my college experience. It is important to recognize that college is far more than just classes and grades, but also an opportunity to get involved with your school and community. In short, make the most of your new adventure; join a club, go to sports events, and make experiences that will last you a lifetime.

Chelsea

To not be afraid. There are thousands of other freshmen just trying to figure out who they are at the exact same time. Don't be afraid to try something different, to dress however you feel and to act in a way that makes you comfortable. No one is looking at you and no one who matters cares. Even if you do make some sort of "scene," anyone who saw isn't going to remember at the end of the day, and if they do, it's because they're your best friend and you're awesome. Just do everything, because your responsibilities are as minimal as they will ever be again, you have the time, energy and naivety to do anything. So just do it.

Michelle

I would have liked to know some of the students here first so that I could have gotten tips for when I was registering my first quarter, schedule tips & studying tips.

Jonathan

One of the most important aspects of college is lifestyle. Being from another state, adaptation to the lifestyle in another state becomes even more difficult. Seattle is an urban environmental-friendly state where the general means of transportation for college students is the bus. Luckily the metro system is advanced to the point where getting from class to class becomes easy. The routes created by the college keeps students close to everything they need. Especially with the weather, I wish was better prepared for getting around campus and have used the metro system more.

Julia

I wish that I didn't focus so much on getting a job because now that I have a job, I have no time to attend the many activities that are on campus because they are always planned during my work hours. I also wish I knew that many of the events are planned only a week in advance so it is hard to clear my schedule even if I wanted to go.

Matthew

Community college does not compare to the difficulty level of the classes at this school. College level language (through 103 req'd to graduate) is much harder in college than it is in high school, so take your three years in high school to get out of this requirement! AP courses are a waste of time in my opinion, because the courses they substitute for are all low-level 100 courses that are much easier at the college level, however, AP courses look good on a transcript so...

Laira

Before coming to UW or even college in general I wish I had developed more effective study habits. High school was significantly easier for me than college therefore I had to learn the hard way that college does indeed require hours of studying and reviewing notes. Had I developed these study habits earlier I feel as though the transition from high school to college would have been smoother and I could have done better my first quarter.

Leila

How many people attend. How great it actually is both academically and socially.

Sora

I wish I would have known how different people were going to be, (based on the areas they came from). I prepared myself for people of different backgrounds, but I never would have guessed that there were so many. People from higher/lower class neighborhoods, geniuses, different religions, and ones that are politcally involved. I have met people I disagreed with , some that were accepting. I have met some of the best and worst people on this campus, but I would not change a bit of it because it opened my eyes to the world.

Linda

I wished I had known the whole campus! University of Washington is a VERY big school if stepping onto the campus for the very first time. I was scared on the first day because I did not exactly know where I was, but luckily there were Husky Leaders around to ask, and they were very nice and helpful.

Brian

I wish that I had better known what opportunities for study were available to me prior to my attendance at the UW.

Kendra

I grew up believing that after stepping into college, l would magically have everything together. I would be an independent adult ready take on the future confidently and with ease. My first week of college the illusion crumbled: getting lost before classes, caught in a rain shower, stepping into puddles, struggling through a heap of laundry, missing home and old friends, while trying to connect to WiFi and decide what to do with my life. After realizing that independence isn't perfection, I wish I'd earlier embraced the adventure of mistake making, laughed more, and took myself less seriously.

Emily

I wish that I had known how much of a toll college life has not only on your body physically, but on your mind as well. There are few things to prepare you for college life - every class and professor is different and I wish I would have known more study and test-taking tips in order to help me adjust from high school academia to college. Knowing how to manage time is a must in college. I wish I would have known that you cannot put studying off and expect to automatically understand concepts just by sitting in lecture.

Ajith

I wish I had known about proper time management, how to study effectively and efficiently, which major I wanted, and what topics I was really interested in. I wish I had understood more about the department admissions process and how likely I was to get admitted to a particular program. I also wish I had known proper study, note-taking, and listening skills which are all very important. I wish I was more aware of particular scholarship deadlines. I also wish I was more aware of intramural sports tournaments.

Valentina

I already knew about the school.

Marisa

One thing I wish I would have known before I came to the University of Washington is that you can only take a specific number of credits before they ?kick you out?. I was a Running Start student who graduated high school with my Associate?s Degree, and that meant that I only had one quarter to decide on a major. I decided to switch majors, and therefore needed to extend my credits. If I hadn?t been accepted in my program now, I would?ve had to transfer. This is a huge inconvenience for people who change their major.

Daniel

I wish that I had known how much effort I would have to put in, as a commuter student, to meet and make friends. In particular I would have told my high school senior self to make sure to be as friendly as possible and reach out to as many people as possible, particularly during Welcome Week. I feel as if I really dropped the ball on that one, and I wish I could have had a second chance.

Brian

The campus at the University of Washington is truly amazing. It is a city within a city. I must say I was naive to its size and all the opportunities and services the university provides. I wish that I had looked into alternative modes of transport around the campus; mass transit, mountain bike, or moped. The campus is very well designed for these modes of transport.

Hailey

How big some of the lecture classes are and how many distractions there can be

Linda

Honestly, nothing. Before coming into the University of Washington, I had already known most of what University of Washington has to offer me, and also what it would be like going to the school. I knew UW was going to be a big campus, with big class sizes. I knew UW was diverse, and very competitive. I also knew most of the resources UW offered for us.

Karin

I would have applied sooner if I knew how supportive everyone at the school is to each student to help them achieve their best.

Alison

How big it is.

Brandon

I would have liked to know what classes I sshould take to fill up minimum requirements for multiple majors. I was undecided coming in so it would have been nice to take classes that would set me up for a major before I knew what I wanted to do. I also would have liked to know that going to the library and studying a lot was necessary. Studying in college is much dfferent than high school and you really need to engage with the material to do well.

Rebekah

I wish I would have known more about the science programs here, expecially chemistry, and how hard they are.

olivia

I wish I had known how expensive it really is. Tuition, supplies, cost of living, additional class fees, it all really adds up. Seattle is a big city so the cost of living is incredibly high compared to other places.

Junko

Transitioning into college life is a little difficult from high school.

mina

registration dates and a list of clubs

Kristen

Don't take Spanish 203 at the community college - take it here.

Katherine

Before coming to the Univesity of Washington, I wish I had known more about the city the school was located. It would have given me a better opportunity to take advantage of everything the school offered including its location in a major city. Instead I have slowly discovered what Seattle has to offer, but I know it must hold so much more. So I wish I was given a better idea of this diverse city, in order to fully appreciate the culture that surrounded me.

Adina

I wish I was sure of what i wanted to major in so that when I registered for classes I would not have trouble deciding what to take. I also would have wished I knew more about financial aid because it was a little difficult figuring out how loans worked.

stephanie

my major

Tyson

How the finanacial aid system worked.

Madeline

How cut-throat things really are. Getting into your major probably won't be easy unless you're very, very good at what you do.

Spencer

I knew everything

Wayne

That it's very difficult to really get a feel for what you want to major in, because there's a lot of pressure to pick a major immediately. It helps a lot to know what you want to do before you come to college.

Kailey

I wish i had come into college with a major and career in mind. That way I would have extra motive and drive to excel in my studies because I would have a goal I was working towards. I took a lot of classes that were uninteresting and that I had no passion for, which was a waste of time and money and took a toll on my GPA.

Carly

I wish I knew how to study correctly.

Victoria

I wish I had time to figure out how to plan my 4 years to double major, be athletic, and have an internship every year to get work experience

Jane

I wish I had realized what a big school it would be. The dorms are so far apart that I didn't even see my friends from high school very often. Compared to high school, it can be really lonely.