“10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW” CONTINUED//
solved: the financial
aid process
C l ic k h e r e
NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHO YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
They don?t. I?m sorry if you spent four years building your reputation. That?s a thing of the past. Remember how getting good grades was reserved for the losers in high school? Not so much here. People in college want to do well and graduate as soon as possible. When you?re spending thousands of dollars a year, being too cool for school is not an option.
GET INVOLVED.
I know, I know. Your parents forced you to come to UOG. You don?t want to be here. You want to be off island in Seattle or Honolulu or San Diego or somewhere far away from Guam. You know what UOG is? An underdog. We?re underestimated by students who can?t see the opportunities they have at their ?ngertips. There?s a student exchange program that lets you study in the mainland for a semester. This past summer, students studied culture in Bali, practiced Mandarin in Macau, and dug for artifacts in the Philippines. College is what you make of it.
GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
You are the only one responsible for your graduation. You?re not going to get a call from anyone who?s concerned that you?re missing credits for graduation. Many required classes are offered every other year, which means one class could you set back at least a couple of semesters. Keep up with your program.
BE PICKY WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.
Registration is a pain. You don?t have time to plan out a new semester—especially not at the end of the current semester, while you?re scrambling to ?nish last minute projects and papers. Suck it up and register early. For freshmen, early registration for Spring 2014 runs from November 12 to December 6. You won?t regret it. You?ll get almost ?rst dibs on class (seniors have priority), all the professors that come recommended, and a schedule that has slots for nap time. Welcome to college. It?s survival of the ?ttest around here. May the odds be ever in your favor.?
Talk to people.
Look around. These are the future professionals of this island. They?re the future bankers, senators, journalists, business owners. Make connections and start networking. At the very least, grab a homework buddy or buddies in every class. You?re bound to miss at least one. Hint: Professors don?t accept the excuse “I wasn?t in class that day.”