Utah Valley University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Jonica

All of the choices you make will create who you will become in the future. Learn from the mistakes and move on, embrace the joys, appreciate the strength of your friends. Don't be so concerned about other people's opinions-- discover who you want to be and be that person proudly.

Doug

Don't get caught up with drugs, you can do it just work hard and focus!! You are smarter than you realize it just takes hard work and dedication

Tamarie

Find something that you love in college and get involved. Commit to something good. Don't let other people stop you from doing something you want to do and find friends who will do things with you. Don't go home so much and if your roommates don't have the same interests and don't push you to do hard things or become a better person then change apartments. Save more of your money and make a budget and work plan before you start the semester. Don't be affraid to job shadow and learn as much as you can about the world and keep an open mind about the way others do certain things. Always push yourself to be better but don't take on more than you can handle. Keep a planner and don't forget to do your homework or study. Most important love yourself and love others for who they are and who they are trying to be.

Rick

I would tell myself to make a schedule and stick with it. I also would tell myself that I should be taking the required classes for my field, not just "fun" classes. I would also buy a lot of e-books instead of textbooks.

Sherri

Realize what a gift a college education is. Be prepared to study hard and never procrastinate finishing your degree. Apply early and continually apply for scholarship opportunities. NEVER get down on yourself and think you are not good enough! It will be much easier to get through college in four years right out of high school than 30 years later with debt, a mediocre job, a family, and health issues. Be committed and do it now!

Kolby

I would try to get as many college classes done in High school as I could. It would save a lot of time and money.

Jordan

There are so many changes that are about to happen. Moving out on your own is a little intimidating at times. Juggling school, work, and a social life will be one of the hardest struggles you'll find in college. Even though it will be incredibly challenging, the growth that comes from continuing your education is well worth all the blood sweat and tears it takes to survive. Moving out of the house will be very strange at first. Then it will be exciting, and after a little bit it will get scary and hard. To have the freedom to do anything you want, whenever you want is liberating in the best way imaginable! Not too long after you move out you realize that you need to get involved with campus or dorm life, you NEED friends to hang out with. Sure, a lot will come and most will leave. You don't need many, you just need the loyal few. Get a job as quickly as possible, it will be such a surprise when you find out how quickly a thousand dollars will leave you. It's a scary change. It's hard. But it's totaly worth it.

Leanne

Just do it. You aren't too old or too stupid to achieve your dreams. Don't wait so long, you will do great! You can make a difference in peoples lives.

Nathan

Relax! Life is meant to be enjoyed. Yes, it's true people go to school to receive degrees and make more money, but I would challenge myself to rethink that assumption. School is meant to help us think for ourselves and try new things. Choose what your passion is! Once you gain a desire to learn, that's when formal education becomes lethal for your success. Sure, money is important, but it's not as important as your life. Don't let money govern decisions you make in your career or college education. If you don't know what you enjoy, try everything out with an open mind. Once you know, go for it!

Richard

Try and find scholarships as soon as you can, work hard and enjoy what you can because some things come and go and you miss out. Seize every single opportunity that comes your way.

Dylan

I would tell myself to take as many concurent enrollement classes and AP classes as possible so that I wouldn't have to take them in college. That would save me so much time and money. I would also tell myself to study a career that I enjoy and not just any degree.

Ammon

Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone is the advice I would give. At this moment I am beginning to realize important factors of life. Important factors of life to me include quality human interaction, opportunities to prove ideas, and prioritizing what really matters. All of these aspects require us to step away from what we are comfortable with. Referring to human interaction, I now know we as humans need to communicate to others our feelings and desires. We can talk to our family, friends, even complete strangers. As we do so our borders of imagination and possibility expand. We truly can become something more as we include those around us. After gaining these interactions we still need to put what we feel is right to the test. Ideas from others can be very useful but nothing will happen unless we try things on our own. After we succeed or fail we have begun to prove to ourselves if something is right or wrong. Then the time comes when we must do what we know to be right. We must prioritize our time, talents, and energy. Thus we must get out of our comfort zone.

William

I have actually attended two universities so far in my life. Fresh out of highschool I enrolled at Brigham Young University. After a year I decided I didn't like college (specifically BYU) and dropped out, letting myself fail almost all of my classes. I now attend UVU happily after three years of "self-discovery" and work. If I had the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to wait. I would tell young me exactly what was going to happen, and that he should find some place to work for a few years and then go to any college he wanted. I would tell him that if he continued on his current path he would be unhappy for a long time, and he would waste a lot of time. I would also tell him not to be a pilot, but to read more and take the first step to writing that novel he's always dreamed of but never had the courage to start.

Katie

To my former self, this is you twelve years into the future. My advise to you would be to go to college right away after highshool. You will still have a desire to be a teacher and it would be better to get it done now. The reason I say this is because, I took a different path than that. Right out of highschool I met someone, although I thought I was in love, he had just gotten out of prison and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I ended up getting pregnant and during my pregnancy he was in and out of prison and I ended up having to raise a baby by myself. Her dad isnt in the picture and I am now married to a wonderful man and have another child with him. He ended up adopting Madisyn and I am so happy. But, I am in college at the age of thirty now, pretty much starting over with my career from scratch. I have had a hard life these last twelve years and I want a better life for you. College is so wonderful so Just go. You will never regret it.

Breanna

I would say to my highschool self that finishing highschool strong is so important! I would also say that applying for scholorships is essential! That way you do not have to worry and stress about how you will get through college and most importantly, you will avoid the monsterous debt that follows many college graduates.

Kameron

Remember that no one but you is going to be you. You can't depend on anyone or anything else staying the same, because you have no control over them. All you can do is change yourself, so make sure you become the best you that you can be. Adapt to the changes around you, and if that demands work or discipline, all the better. Try new things, learn as much as you can as quickly as you can. You are only inhibited by lack of faith in yourself. So press on, continually changing, adapting, learning, and eventually become the you that you always try to be.

David

I would tell myslef to apply for scholarships to help pay for school and also to find a job and save money to also help pay for school. II would also like to tell myself that I need to study more and harder to get good grades my senior year. I guess the last thing that I would tell my high school self is don't sweat the small stuff. No matter what happens, you'll get though it and be stronger for it.

Hannah

If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now I would make sure I told myself how different college is than high school. No matter how many times teachers and parents told me that college would be different I never really listened and college was a kind of wake up call. I had to work harder at school than I ever had before. I would tell myself to work hard now so it won't be as dificult in college.

Nicholas

Don't allow the teachers who told you, "You will fail like your brother." bring you down. You have the will to make it through anything that you apply yourself to. Listen to what Mom tells you, because it's true. Your school is your life, it is your job, and it is your duty to succeed. Oh, and stop skipping classes, you'll realize when you attend your courses you actually learn a thing or two! Dance isn't everything, even though I know you love it the most! Don't forget about your math and science studies even though you hate them, I promise you'll learn to love them soon enough.

Spencer

To be able to go back in time and give advice to my high school self iw ould tell myself to stop focusing on football. Football is your obsession, and you need to let it go. It is so fun, but your grades aren't as good as they should be. You need to focus on the things that really matter. Start applying for schools, scholarships, and really have a vision for where you want to go. I would also tell myself to meet more people. Network yourself. Build relationships with people who are going to take you places or who may be able to provide you with opportunities later in life. if not opportunites atleast lasting friendships who will always help you get places.

Melissa

Before your freshman year in college, I, future self, want you to broaden your view on life while you still can. What do you find interesting? Pursue it, learn about it, live it, join a club that revolves around it, and just do it. Don’t worry about the casualties that will distract you or the hurdles you have to jump to get to it. Stay young as long as you can, because college hits you like a brick wall and before you know it you’re 18 years old going on 30. Be responsible when needed come, but be careless in between. Stay up all night and wake up early. Don’t waste another day worrying about the future because the future will happen regardless if you worry or not. Fill the days with laughter and adventures but most importantly, find the perfect balance between reckless and responsibility. You only get one chance, so do something about it instead of worrying about the inevitable.

Eugene

Remember who you are and what you stand for and if you keep on doing what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got. Get it!

Rebecca

As a high school freshman, it is extremely important to live in the moment. I was very scared at that age to go to college; I didn't want high school to end. As I got older, however, all I wanted was for high school to be over. But when it's over, it's all over, and there is no going back. You need to have the time of your life. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks of you because in four years, those people won't matter. Other people's opinions of you are not worth your time. You have to discover who you are, and don't let anyone else do that for you. It's okay to branch out of what you're comfortable with, especially if you are unhappy. Most important of all, keep those friends that you know will stick by you through thick and thin. You aren't going to have the same friends in four years, but you will figure out the one's who truly care about you. Enjoy high school, live in the moment, and discover yourself. Most of all, be happy.

Nathan

Given the chance to go back in time and give myself advice about entering college, I'd encourage myself to focus on the things that are most important but to also live a balanced life. I'd say to hit the ground running and do everything I can to get through college with high grades and the best education and understanding of the principles taught in class as possible. Don't waste time doing things that aren't going to benefit me in the long run. Particpate in social activities on campus and get involved with a club or organized group in order to take a break from studying and rejuvenate my mind. By doing these things my college experience would be fuller and more gratifying.

Ruth

If I could go back in time and talk myself as a high school senior about knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself to prepare for what lies ahead. You see, I attended a community college and that life was hard as it was. Coming out of high school, was stressful but also felt good. I was happy I was done with school but scarred of what was next to come. I had no sense of direction or didnt have anything planned. My parents didn't know what to do and assumed the school did enough to make sure I was ready for the next part of my life which was college. I had no money for school, I didnt apply to any major universities and I didn't take it serious until I graduated. I had to work and take care of my parents while attending community college. It was tough, juggling and trying to be an adult. I did not get to finish because of financial reasons but I am going back to finally finish and retrieve my degree. The only thing is finding finances to pay for school.

W. Stacy E.

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Walt Disney

Kassadi

Don't rush into anything. You have all the time in the world to grow up and become an adult, if you give yourself the option to stay young. Moving out is just more responsibility, if you want to stay with your parents, don't be embarassed! You will just miss them more if you leave. College isn't that scary, don't be afraid to ask for help, or talk to your classmates if you feel alone. Also, spend your money wisely. You can't go around blowing all your college savings on clothes, movies and food with your friends. Scholarships are harder to get than people say they are, even with your grades! Just be very aware of what you want to spend your money on, you'd be surprised how much you save on the little things. Finally-be yourself. If you pretend to be someone you aren't, who's to say who you really are, or really could be?

david

I would tell myself to not make music my one and only option in life and that half the people I was best friends with in high school would be people I don't even associate with anymore. To realize that there's a ton of other stuff I'm good at and that the video classes he's taking pay off because I eventually change my major to film and I love it! I'd tell myself to not rush into a major and take a ton of classes my first semester just for the sake of graduating because that results in us failing everything our first semester and we just suffer the consequences for a while there. The best thing to do would be to just get all my generals out of the way first because from there I could go on to do whatever else. To take advantage of all the resources this school has to offer because the counselors and advisors really do look out for our best interest and that hard work really does pay off, finally to have fun and be a part of whatever you can and to not take yourself so seriously.

Samantha

Believe in yourself. Stop holding back comments and contributing to classroom discussions because you don't want people to judge you. Stop worrying if what you're wearing and acting like is "cool" enough. Stop letting your own insecurities hold you back from reaching out to others and making new friends. This is your time. It is your time to live and make mistakes. Mistakes help us find and grow into the person that you want to become. Don't take opportunites for granted. Go to every game, tryout of every sports team, stay after school to get help on an assignment. Do you want to know who cares if you fail? Nobody. There are no failures only learning experiences. You can grow from every experience you've had. Is it worth missing out on experiences because of fear? The only fear that you should have is regret of not trying.

Lauren

Be who you are, no matter what they may say, because a day will come when they will be gone. A day when their words and judgments no longer echo in your head, when you are blissfully alone with your own thoughts, choices, and actions. That empty space their hatred once occupied will be filled with regret and a lifetime of wishing you had been someone else. In the middle of the night you will taste the bitter poison of self depreciation and doubt and wonder why you let them take your happiness from you, why you gave so much credence to the ideas of people who never cared about the effect of their words. Don't let them. Stand up, embrace who you are and everything that you are capable of and explode into a dazzling constellation of beauty and light. Don't ever believe in what they thought of you, because one day you will look into the mirror and believe it. Don't spend years trying to repair that damage. You can't repair it. Get up and live, let every pent up dream inside of you break free, flooding the world with what you can do.

Brandon

Find work you can do year round. You need more money than you think, sooner than you think. Save as much of that money as you can. Be a penny pincher, and do work whenever you can. The transition isn't too bad, but it is essential to study for tests, do your homework early, and pay close attention in class. If you do this you'll have more time to relax and have fun without anything looming over your head both in college and in the future

Machelle

The movies don't have it all correct, big surprise huh?! The view you're always given of huge, impersonal class sizes and a rambunctious Greek housing system probably applies to many colleges country wide but not to many of the schools in Utah. After attending Dixie State, UVU and sitting in on classes at Utah State and the U, I have found that most classes are kept small. Role is taken and your attendence counts towards your grade; many professors are adjunct and have other jobs outside of instruction. Even at a school with a large enrollment, such as UVU, you'll have a lot of the same students from class to class once you get in to your major. Because of these reasons, the cliquiness of high school is pretty much abandoned. It is easier to make friends, professors view you as much more of an equal and you come to realize that everyone in each of your classes has something valuable to offer. Don't be afraid to go out of your way to meet everyone, those contacts will come in handy.

Kyle

College is nothing to be scared of. Enjoy the time you have to determine what you want to study. In the search for yourself you end up learning so many skills that help you to be a well rounded individual. Your high school relationships will only be a fraction of the great friends you make in college. Most importantly, you will find the love of your life in college, and all of the hard work that you do in college will help you to provide for your family.

Jakayla

To find housing close to campus, such as a dorm with a few other girls. This is a good option because, even though I do not like to have to share housing with other girls I dont' know, it would have helped me quite a bit with financial aid, I would have received more grants rather than having to take out so many loans just because I live with my parents. It would also save a lot of money on gas.

Stephen

Dear Past Stephen, I understand how much you fear moving on to college, and I just want to put your mind at ease. Do you remember how scared you were to move on from elementry school to middle school, then from middle school to highschool? and both times you found the transition to be no big deal? well, colleges is exactly the same way. Yes, you'll have harder classes, but they're only one level more advanced than High school courses--plus, you get to choose when and how you take them. And yes, you will be responsible for most of your own work, for none of your professors are there to babysit you. But you've been very good about being responsible for your own work so far, and if you keep it up during college you will have no problems making the grade. But most importantly, college will be one of the most liberating times of your life. You will discover more about yourself during the next four years of school then you've ever discovered thus far in highschool. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don't pass it up. Sincerely Future Stephen

Madison

I would tell myself not to be so stressed about attending college. I would tell myself you chose the best school for you and it's going to make you extremely happy. I would tell myself that I am about to make some incredible friends and love the freedom that comes with attending school. I will tell myself how much I will enjoy the classes I am taking and know the major I chose is the major for me. I will tell myself to stop losing sleep over moving away to college because sure it's life changing, but it's extremely exciting and it's right where I need to be.

Luis

If i have the opportunity for back in time before go to university, I would use the time to improve my new classmate relations and friends, as I considered it in the past a very shy person. I take advantage of my youth would seek greater things to help the community to which I belong having the energy that I had before. Look after my family relationships even in the distance, maintain communication, the end of the day your family is important.

Jake

Congratulations! You have accomplished something that seemed impossible at times. The truth is, you will continue to amaze yourself! Be strong and don't fear becoming an adult. You have come from humble beginnings but soon you will be unrecognizable even to yourself. I know right now college doesn't even seem like an option for you. In fact you will spend the next 15 years in odd jobs and following in your fathers footsteps. Construction, iron working and coutless other endless jobs. Lucky for you, you see the light! You begin to create and you hit your stride. You will build great things out of nothing. Created out of only your creativity. Stay focused. Your disabitlies have made school a difficult choice but you are proud when you look in the mirror 20 years from now. Stand up straight, talk big, have hope and faith! You are blessed!

Derek

I completed a GED exam at age 16 rather than attend a highschool, and am now at the age one would be as a senior in highschool. Considering that, I will attempt to answer the question for a 16 year old rather than a highschool senior. If I were to go back to the moment after I passed my GED, I would advise myself against wasting valuable free time on unproductive things. There is time for social activity, and there is time for academic progression, but what you do with the rest of your time will be a large part in determining how well you do throughout your educational and proffessional careers. Success in life is all about spending your free time in productive activities; some examples might be anything that will help you progress towards your goals, or helping others acheive their own.

Debora

I would advise myself to push myself harder by taking AP and IB college courses in high school. I would have helped me better prepare myself for the work load. Not only would it help with work load but it would have saved me $$$ by taking the free AP and IB courses that if I had taken some I would have had more college course transfered over when I graduated. Students are often afraid to take AP or IB courses and not be able to pull required scores on the exam to have those course count as credits in college/university.

Kayla

Be thoughtful about how immediate choices affect distant outcomes. The future comes much quicker than we expect; it is wise to plan for school with post-graduation life in mind. You can't "cross that bridge when you come to it". When you enroll for your first semester of classes, you have come to that bridge, even if you think you haven't. Be careful with your finances. Do whatever you can to stay out of debt until you have your diploma. Don't live an extravagant life when you ought to be focused on school anyway. You never know when that extra semester will be necessary, and tuition costs rise perpetually. Take care of yourself. It sounds so cliche, but it is a serious concern. After a few semesters of late nights, skipped breakfasts, and intense studying, stress and malnutrition will start to be apparent in your mind and body. Have a social life. You can't push the world aside because you need to study or practice. Life goes on even while you are in school. Finally, take advantage of the educational opportunities available to you while in school. Enjoy them and invest in them.

Haylee

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Get help from a lab if you need it. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

Karli

If I could go back to myself in High School, I would try to inform me that Secondary Education as a major is not a bad idea and neither is starting at a University. I would tell myself that I can go down to Snow College and focus on getting my generals out of the way and then come back to UVU to get my bachelors and make the same friends I had, or I could just start at UVU and get a job during the school year and start saving money. I had a good time down at Snow College so I would leave the option up to my past self to make but I would strongly inforce working on the correct degree and not wasting time. Both school that I have now attended have been a great experience that I wouldn't give up without a lot of thought into the process.

Taylor

In my high school they had a concurrent enrollment program which I did to some of, but if I were to go back I would tell myself to do more concurrent enrollment classes and use more of that free college courses. Also there was that one college math class that I took and If I had about that class now then I wouldn't have taken it. I guess over all to just do better and maximize my resources.

bryce

The most importatn thing to succeed in college is to be realistic and put in the time it takes. Also alot of classes and extra work can be avoided by being organized early on. That means planning out your entire class schedule needed for the entire college experiance and getting it apporved by a councelor.

Kahea

Knowing what I know now about college my advice to you is please don’t give up, just stay in college and don’t worry about how much it’s costing you because in the end it’s going to cause a lot of hardship on you and your family. The choices you make now are going to affect every choice you make from here on out. A college degree may seem insignificant to you right now but I cannot stress how important it is even if you think you won’t need it in the future, believe me it is going to hit you like a ton of bricks later on down the road when you have seven children and your husband can’t hold a job and you’re trying to pay bills by working at the Wal-Mart for eight dollars an hour. Yes, please, please, please, I beg you stay in school.

McKensey

The advice I would give to myself would be that success does not come without work. I have learned throughout my first college semester that if I want to achieve my goals and be successful in college I have to be diligent and disciplined in my studies. In high school I was able to get good grades with little studying. I soon found out that this was not the case in college. I would encourage my high school self to learn how to manage her time. Learning how to manage time is an important skill to learn as it leads to better results, less stress, and a lack of procrastination. I would also encourage her to make study habits while still in high school. If these habits are already made it is easy to adapt them to your college studies rather than creating them from scratch. It is important to work hard and have discipline to achieve your academic goals.

hayley

Knowing what i know now, I would tell myself to prepare prepare prepare. Stop procrastinating and fill out scholarship applications so you won't have the worries of loans. I would have also told myself to take as many college classes as I could. Get myself ahead because it would save me from debt in the long run. I would have also informed myself how important it is to save money and work. I would laugh at myself and say you think you know everything don't you, but you don't. I would explain the importance of money and how bills keep adding up. Im sure i could tell myself a lot more, but i fell that money is a big issue for me. I could have helped myself out a lot by saving money up and working a lot more so the stresses of tution wouldn't be that big of deal.

Brock

I would have told myself to stay in high school for the final semester instead of graduating early. The scholarship for graduating early was $500, while taking college level courses would have saved me upwards of $3000 dollars; and, I would have finished my bachelor's degree in less than 3 years. For the most part, I have learned enough through what I've done to not want to change things a whole lot. My decisions weren't always the ones that offered the most reward (financially or measurably), but I feel I am who I am because of those decisions. The graduating early story only comes to mind because I had debated severely which decision would be best and ended up taking the advice of a counselor who didn't even remember me a year later.

Ruthie

Oh my goodness! If I could go back. I would say do more math to get you ahead and it will be helpful in the long run. Do well in school now and take as many college credit courses as you can to get ahead. This will give you more time for even more fun and research. Take college seriously, you want time for friends and all the fun activities that will be available, but the grades are important. Get to know your proffesors. Be friends and find time to be a TA in a class you enjoy. Have roomates, if there is drama MOVE. No need for extra silly stress. Go to all the activities and games and dances. It's an exciting time and a time to learn how to manage time a skill that is needed.