Biola University Top Questions

I know you might be nervous about the upcoming college lifestyle you're about to face, and in all honesty, you should be. It's everything you expected and more. You're going to retreat into yourself and be shy in front of some people, but don't be. The friends you meet in college really are the people you stick with afterward. Even though your roommates are fantastic people, it is nice to branch out and meet other people! Don't be afraid to tell people about yourself. Don't be so scared that you just stay quiet. After all, you are a Public Relations major, and even though you don't know it now, networking is a huge part of it, and you need to be able to talk to the people around you openly. Sieze every opportunity, because they go by faster than high school did. Get involved your first semester. There are so many opportunities on campus that you didn't even imagine and most of them are exactly what you need. Also, limit your Netflix use.

Relax. Give yourself time to understand the concepts introduced in class instead of rushing to study the key terms the night before an exam. If you understand the concepts, the rest will follow. Be anxious for nothing. Make sure you set aside enough time to get all your homework done. SERIOUSLY! Enjoy the late nights and early mornings. Make friends with the coffeeshop barristas because you WILL get to know them whether you want to or not. Give yourself time to make friends, it won't happen right away, but I promise-- it will happen. When you do meet those people that match your level of crazy, go on adventures! Go to the beach, go hiking, or don't go anywhere.. stay in and watch movies. When work and school get overwhelming your friends will be your solice and your comfort. Make sure you get your alone time as well, it may not seem like it now, but setting time apart for yourself allows you to rest and recharge in order to keep going on adventures that you'll remember for the rest of your life. And most importantly... don't forget to call your mother often!

Believe me, I know college is quickly approaching and the image of that graduation stage is all you can see as you sit in class. The excitement to be on your own is growing each day. Try to be present in the moment regardless. While college will be great, this last semester of senior year will hold so many memories that will help you as you make the transition, don't let the time slip away from you. Embrace college with as few expectations as possible. College will send you on a crazy and unexpected ride no matter how many pins you have on pinterest telling you what to expect, what to wear, and how to design your room. No one can prepare you for what you are going to experience because each person has an experience of their own. Let yourself make mistakes and do things you normally wouldn't; there is no better time to fail. If you don't meet your best friends during welcome week, relax. You are going to meet incredible people. Most importantly, be yourself and don't be afraid to admit that you are still trying to figure out who you exactly are.

Don't worry about making friends quickly- the lasting ones will enter your life natuarally. Make sure you are constantly checking the syllabus to stay on track with assignments and reading not mentioned in class. Try to work on homework directly after class, while the subjects are fresh in your mind, but study for quizzes and tests the night before so you can remember it clearly. Try to maintain healthy relationships with your nieghbors and get to know them by having meals together or being spontaneous and fun. When people are friendly towards you, try to return their positive emotion, rather than merely absorbing it. This will keep them from becoming emotionally exhausted. Get as much information from your professors as you can, making the price of your education worth it and introducing yourself as an interested and driven student. If you are having problems with procrastination, follow these steps. First, isolate yourself from distracting friends and environments. Second, listen to music just loud enough to drown out your surroundings, but quiet enough to not be a primary interest. Third, work through your homework, constantly changing perspectives when you loose inspiration. Finally, take heart and persevere.

I would tell myself that it isn't such a terrible thing to start off at a two year college to save money. I would also tell myself to apply for more scholarships to decrease the level of debt. One other thing I would tell myself is to introduce myself to new people and make connections with others.

Making the transition from high school to college is always hard, no matter how small the transition may seem to a person. Don't be afraid to explore more outside of your comfort zone and get to meet as many people as you can the first week of school. Also, be sure to check out a variety of clubs because there are a lot of extracurricular activities to participate in. The first few weeks of school is the perfect time to find some friends that will last you a lifetime, so make the best of it and find the right friends that you can trust and depend on. One big piece of advice I would like to give to my past self would be to attend the chapels early on in the semester and to take the time to get to know the professors well and spend some time getting to know them because they love to get to know each and every one of their students not on the academic level, but also on the personal level too.

I would tell myself to never stop trying. That even though it ook me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do, that time prepared me, and instead of freaking out and getting worried I could have continued to pray more faithfully and studied more diligently. I was so worried financially that I woud not be able to pay for school that I took off a semester to work more and save more money. That money ended up having to go to a new car since the one I had broke down. My confidence was shattered because I went from being a great student in high school to struggling in college. I would tell myself to not envy those that get to go to school without having to work to pay off finances, my jobs taught me responsibility and discipline, time management and the reward of working hard. I would encourage myself by telling me that I would meet a family of friends that are always going to be there to encourage me, pray for me and offer words of advice. I would say that even in the tough moments, it will be worth it.

The idea of transitioning from a high school student to a college student was something that simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Though I was looking forward to entering a new chapter in life, I was also very apprehensive about the school I was planning to attend that fall. Cal State University Los Angeles was not my first choice, but it was the best option given my not-so- stellar GPA. If I could go back and advise my younger self, I would stress the importance of gracefully accepting what seems to be failure, and work hard to change what you still can. I would say this because after two years of attending CSULA, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the hardworking, intelligent and driven people I met along the way who challenged and inspired me to do better. I would tell myself not to waste a single minute feeling discouraged that I was not going to a top tier college because at the end of the day, the purpose of a higher education is to absorb all the knowledge you can to prepare you for life ahead. By learning to accept failure in stride, no one can stop your sprint.

To my high school senior self,Remember all the expectations you have for college? For instance, you have high hopes of graduating a four-year university with all of the answers to life. You also confidently believe you will find love in a campus of 4,000 students. In addition, your goal is to find the right major, because you are convinced it will forever determine your future. If you continue to cling to these ideas so tightly, you are going to be disappointed to hear that it will take you five years to graduate, because you change your major three times. Plus, you will leave college single and with more questions than when you first started. Kristin, you have this picture in your head of who you should be and what you should do, but get rid of it, because it is dangerous. You will waste countless days trying to attain this picture. With this advice, you will spend more time enjoying the process of finding out who you truly are and less time blaming yourself for not being the person you think you are supposed to be.

Most people say that senior year is the easiest year of high school, yet for me it was one of the hardest years of high school. Maybe it was the classes that I took or that I was trying to fight the idea of "senioritis". It strikes seniors usually during the third quarter, after students are accepted into colleges and everything seems to be going well. That idea was talked about so much, I tried to fight that idea. I may have had a little bit of this "senioritis", but for the most part I did all that was expected for a student to do and did pretty well. Two pennies of advice for senior year: instead of fighting senioritis, don't get too carried away with it. Do what you usually do, but make sure to say your goodbyes. Compile a list of daring activities that you've always wanted to do or achieve but never did, and carry it out! Cherish ever moment--the good and the bad--and spend time with your family and friends.

The more people we judge, the less people we see. I wish I could go back and tell my bright-eyed freshmen self “Don’t be so judgmental.” When I first set foot on a college campus, it was so easy to judge people prematurely. I just left every friend I knew and arrived at a campus with over 4,000 students living in a few square miles. I wanted so desperately to find a group of friends, that I latched on to the first acquaintances that seemed nice and avoided anyone who exuded “awkward,” “annoying,” or “weird.” However, eventually the people I thought I would hate became my good friends. That gangly kid who hid behind glasses, curly hair, and a giant set of headphones became my lab partner and the only one in class who knew anything about chemistry. The short guy from Oakland who used ridiculous slang words knew the best Korean BBQ restaurants to take our group to every month. That gruff jock with the Mohawk became the co-captain of my Ultimate Frisbee team and my favorite person to discuss Plato’s Symposium with. The more people you judge, the fewer friends you have.

As a senior in high school I would have like to have been told to slow down and enjoy each and every moment. There is something unique about every big event, every small moment, and every day that we are alive on this Earth that should be treasured and appreciated for what it is worth. As a senior, I was eager to be out of high school and into college. Although I would not say that I missed many highschool expierences by this eagerness, I would say that I still wish that I had taken the time to slow down, breathe, and reflect on the goodness of every day. Having grown in many ways over the course of my first year of college, I have come to learn that every moment and laugh will be remembered and that when it comes down to the stressful, hard, and downright chaotic times of school, the reltionships that I have built over the year will be right there with me holding my hand and I will be able to truly appreciate this for all of the moments, big and small, that have led up to this one.

Being a college student is an extremely formative stage of life. Use this time to lay a solid foundation for the person you would be proud to be. Develop a good work ethic by doing your best in your classes. Set goals and remember what you are working for and towards. Manage your time so that you do not miss out on everything that school has to offer you. These experiences and relationships are invaluable and they will help you become you. That being said, you know how you tend to gravitate towards people that are similar to you? Try your best to let go of that. You are holding yourself back from so many great things. College is a season of learning, but do not limit yourself to only learning inside of a classroom. Learn to learn from everyone around you. Do not assume that someone has more to offer because of their age, interests, views, social status, or the people they hang out with. This is one of the most diverse environments you'll ever be in, so take advantage of it. College has more to offer you than a diploma, so make the most of it.

Knowing what I know now, the fundamental word of advice I would give my younger self can be summed up in this old age adage: less is much more. Entering college is an exciting time for anyone! University life is brimming with opportunities for academic and professional advancement (as well as friends and fun of course)! However with so much pressure to achieve societal upward mobility, the aforementioned things can easily become superficial markers of achievement instead of enriching experiences. When we see all of these opportunities as things to be “had”, we focus on getting them rather than cherishing them. Practically this principle can be summed up with these two words: slow down. Relax. These four years will be filled with innumerable opportunities. Seize a few and cherish them well throughout the years. Don’t try to do every internship that you are qualified for. Choose one or two and stick with them. Stop trying so hard to make friends with every person you meet. Instead pursue things you are good at and that really enrich your life, and true friends will come. Work hard at a few things with a few good people, and enjoy the time.

First and foremost, try to not be afraid because this journey is going to be great. In your yearbook you see the sang "don't change", college is not going to change who you are, but it is going to go stretch you and mature you. Be open and allow yourself to question everything. Be confident in who you are and what you want. You may not always know what you want but hold on to any little bit of certainty. You are going to be given great responsibilities so do not abuse it! Pray for guidence when times get tough, because it will get difficult. Do not give up. Embrace the good inside you and show people who put you down (may even be yourself) that you are capable and strong. Meet new people and build relationships with classmates and professors; put yourself out there. Join clubs, get involved with activities at your school, and have fun. Also, have some quiet time to reflect on your day or what you are learning. Balance is so important (and so is sleep!). Discover who you are meant to be. Be patient with time but do not waste it.

Don't take school work to seriously. Grades, tests and homework are very important, but you learn more about life by actually living it, than by digging your nose in a text book. Take plenty of time to enjoy the few years that you have and make lasting friendships and memories. College isn't only about earning a degree; it's about growing up and learning how to live a fulfilling life. It all starts here.

As a senior I wish I would have taken in the experience of high school while I was still there. Once you are a senior I feel like the future of college is at the forefront of one's mind and many forget to be present where they are at in that time. So enjoy, learn, and embrace the last year of secondary school before entering an entirely new experience. I do not think there is one solution or piece of advice to give for those going into college but something I would voice would be to go in with some kind of intention. Whether it is to do your best academically, or to participate in various clubs and activities, or to study abroad, the list goes on and on, but the best advice I could have is to start with a goal or purpose and to be mindful that it might change but it is better to start with something and go from there instead of start with no ambition and lose the opportunities to be shaped and molded by what your university has to offer.

Identity. That would be the one word I would say if I could talk to my senior self. When I came to college I thought I knew who I was and confident in myself, but it wasn't until I came to college, made a few mistakes, and tried to fit in with different cliques of people that I realized I needed to figure out who I was before I started making new friends. I would tell myself that you don't need to try and act like you can do it all on your own because it is okay to shed a few tears and it is okay to have a melt down every now and then. I would remind myself, that I don't have to carry the world on my shoulders and I don't have to try and act tough. I would tell myself that family is there for encouragement and my goal should not be to shun them but instead accept their instruction and remember where I come from. I could have saved myself a lot of heartache and trouble if I just knew what I stood for when I came to college.

If I had the ability to go back in time to my senior year, I would have invested more time durring the summer break submiting as many scholarships as possible. I regret not informing myself more about financial aid opportunities. I have found it challenging to take advantage of all the univeristy's resources for the lack of funds to live on campus. Most of their free tutoring sessions begin late in the evening when I must head home. In addition, I would have taken multiple AP courses that would transfer into the university. Being the first of my family to attend college, I must pave the road for my siblings. Although going back in time is not realistic, I have learned very valuable information that will certainly be passed to others that follow.

I would tell myself to wake up and enjoy the freedom of high school, and better prepare myself for the stresses of college. I lost a family member my senior year, and mourned his death for the entire second semester, missing out on some great memories that I could have made with my friends. Also, because I was in mourning, I did not work as hard as I usually would. I still managed to maintain a relatively high class rank, but I never gave it my all. Attending college the next fall was a bit of a culture shock, and I quickly had to kick it in gear and get back to the hard working student I am. I so badly wish I could have realized that I was missing out on life back when it was so easy and fun to live it up. Death is a part of life, so you must love everyone with all you've got and live to the fullest. Mourn your loved ones passing, but don't let it get in the way of your future. Like the sweet fish Dory in Finding Nemo says, "Just keep swimming." Always remember to stay positive.