Belmont University Top Questions

If I was to go back in time and talk to myself while I was a high school senior I would recommend myself to start college right after graduation. When I was a senior I didn?t want to go straight into college. I wanted to take a year off. But going out into the real world I realized that you need a college degree to make something of yourself. I feel as though since I missed a semester it is harder for me to get back into the school lifestyle. Missing school for eight months makes learning difficult, because when I was out for that amount of time data got lost, and I can?t remember things that I have already learned. So going back to talk to myself as a senior in high school would have changed my life completely. But now I know that you learn from your mistakes, and I?m going to take what I learned and move forward into my future.

If I could go back in time and talk to my senior self, I would tell her that high school and college are no where near alike. The transition to college life requires so much independence. I would tell myself to not let my mother or my friends do things for me, and learn how to do them myself. College life is about learning to organize yourself and being able to get things done without someone breathing down your neck, telling you to go to class or get your homework done. These are decisions you have to make yourself. There's no one to go to the store for you, or to give you an allowance, or to cook meals for you. The level of independence that you need to make it through college is immense, and I would tell my senior self to get herself in gear and get out there and learn to make it on her own.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself I would make sure I understood the importance of being organized. I would learn better while in high school to manage my time well and I would make sure that I understood the importance of getting up on time and attending each and every class. I think that managing my time has been the biggest adjustment. In fact, I am still trying to improve here. As a music major, my class load is very demanding. I am constantly trying to juggle classes with practice time and study time. I also work at our campus book store and finally try to find time to sleep. While in high school I usually left assignments until the last minute; I did not tend to work ahead of deadlines. Now I must do that and I am proud to say that I do handle this better, but it has been a huge learning experience. I wish that I could go back and teach myself time management skills. My freshman year would have gone much smoother if I could do this.

There are so many steps that I would love to take differently if I could turn back the hands of time! Often times, high school students do not realize that what they do in high school permanently affects their life afterwards. I understood, but I could have worked harder! All throughout my high school career, my teachers urged me to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, take the AP tests, and receive college credits. However, I did not completely grasp the seriousness of these courses- until I arrived at college and realized that I could have had a head start on my degree requirements. I took several AP courses and the accompanying tests, but because I did not make AP my life, I did not receive any college credit? Therefore, I encourage high school seniors, as well as all other high school students, to enroll in AP courses, to take the tests, and to haul those college credits with them to college so that they can seize a head start on their degree! Take YOUR high school career very seriously, because it definitely has an effect on YOUR postsecondary career- let alone life after school. HARNESS A RELENTLESS WORK ETHIC!

I'm not trying to sound perfect and arrogant, but I honestly have adjusted to college life just fine. There isn't anything that I wish I could have done differently. I am very pleased, as are my parents in the way that I apply myself at college.

?Today?s choices shape my future?. This simple phrase is one that I really wish I had taken time to believe as a high school senior. I wish I could go back and remind myself that my choices each and every day can have a huge impact on where I am going with my life, who I want to be, and how I can use my gifts and abilities to change this world. I also wish I could go back and tell myself, ?Jenny, your world is about to get a lot bigger, and you are about to be exposed to new challenges, beliefs, and people in a way you?ve never experienced?. While I had been told this several times, I don?t think I stopped to think about the implications of this and I wish I had taken time to do so. Finally, I would want to tell myself that in the midst of one of the most changing times in my life, it is ok to just sit back and absorb. I am in college to learn, and it is ok to reevaluate my beliefs and question things, that is what college is about.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school student, I would first emphasize how important retaining information is. It is so crucial not to memorize and forget information taught in high school becuase it will be seen again. In college, professors assume that you should already know a great deal of back ground information on the course they are teaching. For example, in a calculus class, the professor is going to assume that you already know about trig functions and pre-calculus material. You are held accountable for so much. I would really stress to my high school self the importance of making each class in highschool worth something. Learning and retaining the information the first time around will make you so much more prepared for college courses.

If I could take a time machine back to the carpeted walls and wool skirts that were my private school, Life Center Academy, I would search for myself and take me to my senior locker to talk. At this time, my younger self would be worrying about which college to go to. Belmont University was her desire but it was very expensive. I would stand in front of her, wearing a Belmont t-shirt, and tell her she would be going to Belmont University. At this point, being the great actress I was in high school, the younger me would fan a hand to her eyes as tears would well up. Tears not of fear of seeing a future self, but tears of relief that she finally would know where she would be headed. I would tell her Belmont is a fantastic place. I would encourage her to always be herself and she would have friends. Journalism would be hard but with hard work comes great success. Belmont is really expensive, but loans would see her through all four years. She would never be disappointed with her choice. Doors of opportunities would open for her and she would lack nothing.

If there was a time machine available in this day of time, I would send myself back to the beginning of high school. My first goal would be to find my younger self to have a heart to heart talk. I wish I would have known many things about what the future was to bring. Those few things would have been how to go about completing assignments and learning how to read comprehensively. I would have told myself that studying was a key to success in college. In order to transition well, I would have to learn how and when to study for everything. I believe that the transtion from high school assignments to college projects is the hardest aspect. If I would have known how to study, I would have had an easier and a less stressful first semester.

Wake up! This is not just a rehearsal. This is LIFE. Embrace it. Study better, ask more questions, and don't make an impulsive decision about college. Take personality and strengths tests so you choose an educatinal and career path that fits YOUR own strengths. Then stick to it. Don't give up. Finish that degree rather than dropping out or procrastinating. Take advantage of the opportunities around you. Make you life count - starting now!