Iowa State University Top Questions

A more in depth look at offered classes and strength of the programs.

That no high school relationship can withstand long distance if you go to colleges more than an hour apart. I made the mistake of staying with my high school girlfriend and we were two hours apart - it got ugly when I found out she had cheated on me multiple times just in the first few months while being at school. I'm really trying to say that it isn't likely that the person you want to end up with for the rest of your life went to your high school. Don't be afraid to get a fresh start.

I wish I knew where everything was located. I was completely lost the first two weeks, as to where I was even at.

Before I came to Iowa State University, I wish someone would have told me that college is nothing like high school. With all the new freedoms, you cannot abuse them; you have to quickly adjust and keep up with your academics otherwise you will fall behind fairly quickly. Once you have fallen behind, it is almost impossible to catch up with all your classwork.

I wish I knew just how fast paced college courses, especially engineering courses, really are. There is no slowing down, because the material needs to be covered and is crucial to continuing on course within your desired major.

I had actually not visited Iowa State before my summer orientation as a new student. The only thing I wish I knew beforehand was what I wanted to do with my time at Iowa State more fully -- with every class I take, I learn how much more I want to know and how much more I want to be involved with on campus. I guess, ultimately, I wish I could have foreseen the balancing act I'd have between school and extracurriculars.

Nothing, it was what I had expected.

One thing I wish I would have done is a campus visit before coming to this school. For myself financially, this was the only school I could attend that had a great program for what I wanted to major in. However the small city of Ames takes a little getting used to when you're more of a "city" girl. It is a very small town, so for all schools that any student applies for, I think it would be worth it to visit the campus and make sure you would be happy living there.

I wish I knew about all the different activities and clubs that exist on campus. There are so many things you can do around campus like fitness classes and sports teams, art and music clubs, as well as club for pretty much every major that exsists on campus. There are also a lot of activities going on such as talent shows, job fairs, movie nights and such.

I wish I would have known how to organize my schedule more properly as to not feel overwhelmed by the different thing going on between classes and campus life.

Something that I wish I would have known before I came to school is to become involved in everything that you can. The more involved you are the more you are helping to enhance your social and acedemic life, figure out what best suits you, and add experiences to your resume.

Freshman year is going to be much easier than your remaining years. Do not let it set the bar for your last 3 years.

I wish I would have know the difficulties I faced as a transfer student. GPA's do not transfer so it was quite difficult filling out scholarship applications when I didn't have an official GPA on file. It only drove me to work harder on the semester so that once I did have a GPA at Iowa State it would be a great one but I wish I could have known so I could have prepared.

I wish I had known how to study.

Before coming to school here, I wish I would have been informed more about involvement on campus such as, Homecoming, VEISHEA, Clubs, and living in the dorms. I have noticed that some dorms are more involved and social with each other, while the dorm I live in is quiet, and not involved at all. It would have been more beneficial to know the best ways to get to know others on campus. My set goal when coming to school was get educated and meet a lot of new people, which I am continuing to do just at a slower pace.

I wish I had been reassured how awesome it was going to be! I never knew college was going to be this cool or that I would love it so much!

I wish that I had developed the capacity to act upon what I actully wanted. I think that being forced to go to high school, regardless of my feelings on high school itself, turned me into someone who seeked to please others and I lost the ability to act in a way that truly reflected what I wanted. I'm in school now and people tell me to "do what you want," and I really have no idea how to do that or even what that means.

join many clubs when you first get here (go to clubfest or look online) and get involved in leadership positions early on because it helps your resume later on.

I wish I would of known about all the hidden fees there are when it comes to registering for classes and buying books.

I wish i wouldve known how to adjust to living on my own before moving in. It took a while to get into the swing of things if you have never been idependant from your parent before college.