Bryan College of Health Sciences Top Questions

Dear high school senior Nicole, college is intimidating and nerve-wracking I know, but there are so many wonderful things about it. You will meet some pretty cool people and have some great opportunites that will help you in the future. Some advice for you is to stop being so worried about meeting new people, not fitting in, not knowing where your classes will be at, or how hard the classes are going to be. Step out of your comfort zone and show everyone how wonderful you truly are. People will be amazed by who you are on the inside. You will survive, so stop worrying, relax, and begin a new chapter in your life because it will be the best four years of your life.

I am currently in my third week of undergraduate classes at Bryan College of Health Sciences and I graduated at semester from high school about 5 weeks ago. I still consider myself a senior somewhat because I am still graduating in the spring with my friends and classmates. On the other hand, I am trying my best to adapt to my new college lifestyle while still being 17 years old and living at home with my parents. I would like to reiterate to myself as a high school student how important being involved is and developing excellent studying habits. My second biggest adjustment in college is having to create exceptional studying and learning habits because in high school I didn't have to study very often. It's very important for me to do well in the Bachelor program I am in. Hopefully in the years to come, I will be admitted into the Nurse Anesthetist Program and look forward to earning my Master's. Something else I would like to tell myself as a high school student is that other students in college don't care how you dress/act and compared to high school, girl drama is sparse.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to become more aware of my future schooling options, and to make the decision for myself. I first attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for two years after high school because that's what all my friends were doing. I'm now paying the price for not digging deeper into what I really wanted to do in life. I've always wanted to work in the medical field, but I wasn't exactly sure what to become. There is such a wide variety of careers within the field, and I would tell my senior self to do research, and to go do shadowing experiences. This would've shown me Nursing is the field I want to be in and would've allowed me to choose Bryan College of Health Sciences sooner. It's a four year program, so most of my senior classmates will graduate this year, but I still have two and a half years left until I will graduate. Making the decision to go to Bryan earlier would've left me more satisfied and with less debt.

Trust yourself and stick with it! As a senior in high school I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I took a course, received my CNA license and decided to go to Midlands University for nursing. Then, I had decided that Midlands wasn’t for me. I applied to UNL and was accepted but would receive no financial aid or scholarships because I missed the deadline by applying so late. While at UNL I had thought at one time or another that I wanted to do Occupation Therapy, Oncology and Physical therapy but soon realized that none of them were not for me and I went back to nursing. I now know that I am in the right place but I would give anything to tell myself to trust what I know, that nursing is for me! I would also tell myself to trust that everything will work out and to stick with it. I believe that if I would have stuck with nursing I would have realized that I truly love it and I would have been one year shy away of my BSN rather than three years away and in my third year of school.

Darian, Most high school seniors are concerned with what to wear to prom, homecoming theme, and making varsity all-conference in sports and academics. I know that you are more concerned with financial problems, living on your own, and getting enough sleep, but memories are important too. Do what you can. Go to that bonfire on Saturday night when you get off work. Grab a smoothie with your best friend on your day off. There is nothing wrong with getting your sleep at a sleepover/ movie night with your gal pals. You have your whole life to worry about how to pay your bills, and guess what worrying won't make you any richer. Although family life is rough, God is still present as ever. There is nothing wrong with asking for a little help through prayer. Most importantly, through it all, school is the top priority. Wake up early and get to Spanish on time. Soak up everything you can in class, and take better notes. Then study those notes thuroughly. If you get good grades when you don't study, imagine what you can do when you do. My message is to: pray, study, and relax.

Have you ever had that moment where you think, “Man I wish I had known that before..” or “Why didn’t I know this sooner?”. Being a freshman in college I find myself with these thoughts, if only I could go back into time. Whenever I would have a test or quiz in high school I would barely study for them and I would still pass with an A. From taking my first college exam I didn't do as well as I hoped. I realized I need to study a lot more almost to the point as everyday to understand the material. I wish I would've know about the importance of study skills. it would've helped me a lot in college. Most high school students want to go out with their friends every weekend, I’m someone who loves to go shopping or go out to eat with my friends. Going out cost money especially shopping. I didn't save as much money as I would have liked in high school. I wish I would've had more motivation to say no to those things so I could have saved more money for college.

Really think about what you want to do with life and follow your dreams. Make sure you agree with the views of the school and trust your gut when you find a school to go to. Although it may be more expensive, sometimes in the end it is all worth it. Just be happy and make sure that you stay happy.

The world out there is unforgiving. Harsh, I know, but true. You’re feeling pressure now at seventeen to make tough life choices. Don’t do that. Wait until you grow up and figure out who you are before deciding what you want to do with your life. I won’t tell you where you ended up because it’ll be fun to see if we come to same end point. I will tell you to live and laugh and go on adventures. Do all that while you’re young enough to not worry about the repercussions. Life is tough out here, but just know that every curve in the winding road that is your life is leading you to great things. Follow your heart and your gut because in the end all the decisions you make will be worth it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough. Also, you know that book that is simmering on your brain? Put it down on paper. Trust me. Take chances but still stay true to your values. Always be proud of yourself even when other people can’t or don’t say it because you are amazing.

If I could give advice to my high school self about the transition to college it would be to set realistic goals and to use time management skills to achieve them. It is harder to get good grades in college than it is in high school. It takes more time and effort inside and outside the classroom. So it is important not to take more than the recommended credits because it is better to succeed with a few classes than to fail with a lot of classes. Allow yourself time to adjust to your new life so you are not overwhelmed and begin to feel discouraged. You will have more freedom in college than you did in high school, so you will have to stay on track with studying. You will also have more independence, which means more responsibilities such as washing clothes and cleaning up after yourself. All these factors play a major role in college life so make sure you know what you need to do and how to make it happen.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to be more organized and to learn how to study effectively. Something that's really helped me in college is keeping a color coordinated planner. It keeps me focused and it helps me determine what I need to do each night. In high school I would have practiced better study habits. I didn't have to study much in high school and I didn't really know how to study in an effective way. The first semester of college was rough because I didn't know how to study for these tests. I've learned to start studying in advanced. I finish my reviews ahead of time so the next few days before the test I can review the material. I also meet with my teachers every week to review material. If I would have done these things in high school I would have been more prepared for college.