Bethel University-Saint Paul Top Questions

You'll do great. Yeah, you'll change majors, but don't worry about it. God has you exactly where He wants you. You'll love your freshman year, and your roommates, too. Don't be afraid to take the steps of faith that God is calling you to. Your sophomore year is going to be a struggle. It'll be your four random roommates, but once again, God still has you where He wants you. You're going to learn what loving someone when it is difficult to love them looks like. You're going to learn firsthand that ministry is messy. But, this is right where God wants you: looking to Him for your source of strength. Don't be afraid to not know the answers to everything in life. You don't need to. Keep indulging this love of learning and learn as much as you can about whatever you can.

I would encourage myself to never hold back. To always make the effort to live life to the fullest, no matter what the cost. I would make sure that I knew fear of failure or rejection are irrational fears and I should not allow any sort of fear to hinder me from striving towards my goals. A general sense of "fear" has held me back from many things the past two years, and I am coming to realize that fear has robbed me of some great opportunities. If given the chance to go back in time, I would let myself know how silly it is to listen to those fears, and I would tell myself to actively live by the old phrase, "what do you have to lose?"

Looking back, the advice I would give myself would be to not stress so much about the transition to college. I was very stressed at the begining of my freshman year because I was so far from home and was extremely worried that I would not make new friends. It is a part of the growing process to seperate oneself from their parents and home. I would tell myself to embrace the oppertunity to spend time being at least partially independant instead of worrying so much. It is a process to make friends and I have made some truely amazing friends so far at school. When I first moved in I was very stressed and afraid that I would spend all four years by myself while everyone else had friends. If I could go back I would reassure myself and remind myself that most people at college are in the same situation and therefore are also looking for new friends. I believe that simply remembering that everyone is in the same situation would have helped me to make a smoother transition and that I would have been much less anxious during the begining of my college experience.

To not be afraid of going to college and the transition it will bring by living away from family and friends that you know so well. You will meet wonder students who will become your best friends and faculty that will encourage you and help you to grow so much as a person inside and out. Be ready to embrace all there is to do and learn at Bethel and strive to be open-minded about the new things happening around you. You will be challenged and you will end up a different person than you were before, but even though it sounds scary and you might want to fight it, trust me when I say that the change and challenge will only make you a beautiful, stronger woman.

I would say to make sure to make sure to get involved quickly with organizations and find friends as soon as possible. I would also suggest not leaving campus for at least the first month in order to make it feel like home and to establish relationships early. Another area I would tell myself about would be lifestyle, I would emphasize that this is a time to change who you are, a blank slate from highschool. My advice on this would be to make sure that you are becomming who you want to be not who others want you to be. I would also say to study early for classes and not wait until the last minute; but more importantly take classes that interest you and take advantage of oportunities that are offered because they are not as easy to find upon graduation

Hold on loosely to things. Keep an open mind. Everyone is in the same position as you, so get to know others and love them unconditionally. Seek out the Creator of our world more than anything. As long as you know God, everything else will fall into place. Knowing him will set you free to live a balanced and disciplined lifestyle. Don't expect any of this to be easy, but expect it to end, and get as much out of it as you can. Look at college as a priviledge, and not as something you deserve. Serve others to see your life as a priviledge. Live among the poor. Spend time with people that are seeking the name of the Lord, and people who are seeking and not finding satisfaction. Never be afraid to share the gift of eternal life with anyone. Pray continuously. Meditate regularily. Emerse yourself in the Word of God. Learn all you can about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Learn all you can about the field of study you go into. Study in community so you can learn, and others can benefit.

Be willing to talk to anyone! Don't get caught up in your comfort zone. The first few weeks at school will help determine some of your closest friends. No need to stress out about not making any friends though, everyone else is in the same boat. Get yourself out there and meet people! Especially boys. You will get extremely tired of only seeing girls, you will live with many other ones. Try not to live too much in the past either. High School was great, but college is a whole new experience. There is so much more freedom and responsibility that comes along with going. You are going to live without your parents, with about 20 other girls very close by. There is not a lot of privacy, so get ready to share your life with these people. College years could be the best of your life. Live it up and learn as much as you can. Not everything you learn from college is in class, a lot of your growing up will happen from being away from mom and having to deal with living on your own. Enjoy it!

This transition is going to be one of the hardest you have ever come up against. Do not lose hope in the fact that home will always be behind you, awaiting your return. Friends and family will look very different in this next year, you will miss people like crazy sometimes and home will never sound sweeter. When selecting a school, look for views that are as closely related to as your own as possible. While attending campus visits, meet some of the kids and ask what they like and don't like about the school. If you ask for the truth, the students will let you know what the fun is about their school and also what has been difficult for them in this drastic transition. Feel out the vibe of the school through the students there and the styles they bring to the campus. You will always be you, find a school that can help you exaggerate your best traits and keep you joyfilled throughout this crazy thing we call college.

I would pry into their knowledge of what they want to do in life. Certainly college is a big part of that for many people. Wherever you choose should be where you think you will be happiest. Be sure to look into a variety of schools, and on your visits be sure to ask students what they dislike about their schools as well as their favorite features. Choosing a school with a variety of majors is good (in case you want to switch). Really focus on what their study abroad programs are like. Traveling for study is an eye opening experience unlike anything. Don't stress too much about senior year of high school. College is the best years of your life.

When I was in high school I didn't know what to look for in picking a college or university. I based my decision on what felt most comfortable. If I could go back I would tell myself that each school has a different culture and way of learning. When looking for a school I would focus on discovering that culture and base my decision on that knowledge. By discovering the culture of a school you can better prepare yourself for what college life will be like there and what to expect from the academic side of things. The transition would be much easier if I knew these things before I even began my college career at the school I had chosen.

Don't stress out! Once you're accepted into a school of your choice, you become classified as one of hundreds of new freshmen in your same shoes. They are just as nervous as you are to make new friends and adjust to dorm life as smoothly as possible. High school as prepared you just fine for the challenges and new ventures found only at college!

During my senior year, I thought that it was "party" time. I did my very best through 9th, 10th, and 11th grade so I figured that senior year I could just enjoy myself. I made sure I was at all school events, spent time after school at the mall, and was always the one to procrasinate when it came to school work. I spent time looking at colleges and doing college visits, however, a year after graduating I am not in college and finding myself working hard every day saving money to get there this year. I regret the choices I made senior year and I take full responsibilty for the consequences. If I could go back and talk to myself I would say, "Desiree', instead of going to the mall go to the library and look at scholarships to help you get through school." I would also tell myself to stop being a procrastinator and that if I ever wanted to be successful during and after college that that word would have to be eliminated off my traits list. I know that I could never go back in time, but the past only makes me ready for the future.

I would have looked into more professions and shadowed people so that I would have had a better idea of what I wanted to do so I wouldn't have to switch my major multiple times and end up going to school for more than 4 years. I also would have chosen a school for me and not have gone to the school where everyone in my family had gone and where I was expected to go. I could have been way more happy and successful if I had gone to one of the other schools I had gotten accepted to. If I could go back, I would have taken the college application and decision process more seriously and would have prayed about it a lot more.

There comes a time when everyone realizes what they want to do or be when they grow up, but I am here to assure you that I have seen it firsthand that the decisions you will make in the upcoming months will shape a future that is not so bright. I know it must be really hard to accept this especially from me but truth be told when our parents said ?Life isn?t always easy and sometimes you have to grow up quick? is absolutely the truth. During your last and final year here at Douglas Mac Arthur, you will be quick to blow off college for an alternate route, but speaking from experience, that is not the route you want to go down. I say this to you to try to spare you the pain I have felt that comes from disappointment and to say, ?Give College a fair chance?! Sure college might not be for everyone but it is for you, you will see trust me. By following my advice, you will be able to start a life full of rewards that comes with a college degree without wasting several years of your life!

Looking back, I do not think I would tell myself anything or give myself any advice. I believe that the experiences that I have had thus far in college have helped shape who I am and my perspectives on life and academics. I have done well academically and socially. There is not a single piece of advice that I would tell myself because I would not want to risk possibly changing a single aspect of my college career thus far.

Undertake more academic work in order to prepare for the class work that is involed in a higher educational setting. Ask more questions of the teachers, and challenge myself to earn better grades. Set goals that are both short term and long term, and strive to meet each one. By doing this, there is a greater chance of success and knowing were I want to be at specific points in time will insure that I meet all the goals. Work at being disciplined and focused, and take all the assignments in college seriously. The best thing that we can give our selves is an deucation, and with that the opportunities are endless. Do not take for granted the ablity of learning and being taught something new; we never really stop learning unless we choose to.

Take time to decide what exactly you want to study and where you want to be. Don't feel rushed to go to college right away. The world is a huge place that should be explored.

After transitioning from high school to college, I wish I would have developed better study habits. Also, I wish I would have been more driven to complete tasks more efficiently. College life can get busy at times and time management skills are key to success. Anyone could attest that if one studies hard and manages their time well they are better off academically. Furthermore, looking back I wish I would have been more outgoing in participating in school clubs and being involved in my high school. Getting involved at college, besides sports, has been difficult for me because I haven't taken advantage of the opportunities given to me. I would advise someone transitioning into college to get involved right from the start and to take advantage of their school's resources. Doing so will help them attain their greatest aspirations.

I would tell myself to work harder in the IB program. My one regret is that I never got the IB diploma and if I would have gotten that then I would have gotten more college credit for my high chool classes. At the time I did not realize how much credit I could earn for all of those classes. I also would tell myself to save the money I made and apply for every single scholarship that was avalible. College is expensive and looking back at my high school years I realize how much I could have been saving so that Iwould not have to take out any amount of loans. The mot important thing I would have told myself is to relax. I would say that yes, college is a big deal and it is important to save money and do well but enjoy the present and not always be thinking about the next stage of my life.

I would advise myself to take as many AP classes as I could and apply myself in all of them. I realize now how much money I could have saved having done so. When I was in high school, I thought that classes were hard and there was too much homework, now I know how silly that was. I have learned to apply myself more in college and take advantage of the learning opportunities.