Bucknell University Top Questions

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that unhappiness is not permanent . When I was in high school, I was very unhappy. I did not have many friends and struggled with severe hand pain that went undiagnosed for many years. The pain was hard to deal with, especially since I decided to major in music education. When I was in high school, I believed that my condition was untreatable and I would have to live with it my entire life. However, once I got to college, my music professors helped me find a hand specialist who performed surgery on me and determined that I had a rare form of carpal tunnel syndrome. That surgery changed my life. I also have many supportive friends at college who have helped me through this situation, providing encouragement I did not have in high school. Now that I have had these wonderful experiences, I realize that the unhappiness I struggled with in high school doesn't even matter to me anymore. What matters is that I am very lucky; my life has changed for the better and I will never look back.

Cooper, congratulations, you made it through your first semester! With new friendships, wonderful extracurricular activities, and the tough yet fabulous courses taken, you will have a very memorable semester. Luckilly, your transition to college has been relatively smooth, but there are still kinks you have the opportunity to smooth out. First off, don't get so dejected about not making the D1 tennis team; you end up joining the crew team and loving it. Secondly, don't try to be the cool kid in college. You realize the coolest kids are those who are confident in their own skin and are sincere. So just be yourself and I promise that everything will be fine. Thirdly, while the food is awesome at Bucknell (whew!), don't be ambivilant to sit down with a random person and have a conversation with them! You never know who you will meet or what amazing experiences someone has gone through until you get to know them (trust me). Hopefully this letter hasn't created any sort of paradox or altered the time space continuum, but if it has you can make things write by choosing to not to write this letter after your first semester!

It's okay to have no idea what career path you want to take after high school graduation. There's a path of study that is perfect for everyone, and it is solely up to you to figure that out - don't let anyone else tell you differently. As cliche as this sounds, be yourself and your new friends will come to you. College is a clean slate; no one knows your past mistakes or achievements. You must continue to work as hard as you did in high school and people will notice your efforts. Definitely stay involved in any extra cirricular activities that hold your interest. College is a time to find out who you are as an adult and have tons of fun while doing it. Finding a career will always be challenging, but live it up while there's no one yelling at you to clean your room or do the dishes (of course keep up with your workload in between raging parties :) Everyone on campus is there to help, so take advantage of your resources. Money may be an issue, but you can overcome it - keep applying to scholarships throughout all four years!!

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior the first thing I would tell myself is to relax. Yes, college is a lot different and there is a lot more responsibility, but you are ready and can handle anything that life throws at you. And don't worry about the things that you can't change, move on. There is a reason why things turned out the way they did. Now go out and live your life; no holding back!

College is one of the best times in your life. You need to make sure you take full advantage of everything the school and the campus community have to offer. Each day will bring a new experience that will allow you to learn about yourself and your future career. You must take advantage of this experiences both inside and outside of the classroom to get the most out of the time you spend on campus.

Sher, smart is sexy. I know you’re sad that you didn’t get asked to the Homecoming dance by the boy of your dreams, or by any boy for that matter. And you’re taking it to heart when people call you a brainiac. You think that being smart is going to be an impediment. Guess what? In college, you’ll be surrounded by smart people. Once you get there, you’ll quickly find your groove, and a gaggle of friends you’ll keep for life. Don’t worry, you’ll date lots of dream boys. Remember when that popular guy in school teased you for going to a ‘smart school’ while he planned to party his way through four years of college? Your ‘smart school’ introduced you to your fabulous husband. (Spoiler alert: He’s much more dashing than that popular guy from high school.) You’re going to reach your mid-thirties, and you’ll have a wonderful, vibrant son who makes your face light up. You’ll have a successful and exciting career, and you’ll decide to go back to school for an executive MBA. Why? Because now you know that smart really is sexy.

I have dreamt of this opportunity many times, where if I could go back to high school I would pursue my passions rather than settling. Being a high school senior again, I would study harder in order to pass my ACT and SAT with flying colors; I would practice learning the German language at a more in-depth level so as to prepare me for a semester abroad perhaps. There are so many "what-ifs" that I have come across that make me shudder at the thought that I never pursued the life I dreamt of having. Working full-time in a dead end job would make anyone unhappy, but I chose to change my future by pursing a degree in a creative field, something I always imagined in which I would have a career. It has been a long, uphill struggle due to finances and scheduled time, but I have spent the last 10 years working toward my goal. I truly hope that someone, anyone, will see this struggle and reward my hard work and dedication with financial assistance - anything helps. High school self: do what makes you happy, work hard, and you will be repaid.

I would tell myself to be patient, but not to give up. There were certain times this past year when I felt as if it was too late for me to make a change in my academic or athletic performance - but it really never was. I just needed time to adjust. Although I was looking forward to my independence and thought I would not be homesick at all, there were many other changes in my schedule, diet, friendships, and interactions with others. I would want to prepare myself for that. I think that if I had been more organized, both with my belongings and my time, that would have helped alleviate some of my stress. Most of all, however, I would tell myself to make the most of my time in college. This year flew by! I cannot believe that I am already a quarter of the way done with my undergraduate experience, and I only began to really love college towards the end of this past year. I wish that during my first semester I had taken more risks in building friendships and trying out new things, because college provides many ways for you to discover yourself.

I feel very fortunate to have had my college experience. I learned not only about academics, but also a lot about myself. I was given an amazing opportunity to experience what I did and will always cherish the time I spent at Bucknell University. I gained new friends that became my family while I was away from mine, I was able to take on many leadership opportunities, therefore also learning outside the classroom, and in the end, earned a Bachelor's degree that enabled me to now be in law school. College is what you make of it - and I did my best to make the most of it. You need to take chances, learn from your mistakes, and most of all, stay true to yourself through it all. Without those characteristics, the experience would not have been as valuable to me as it was. But, going to college was by far the best decision I ever made - it is so much more than just academics - it is a complete education and an experience that everyone should take the opportunity to participate in.

I always knew that college would be a totally new experience that would alter my life forever, but I never realized the effect it would have on the little things in my life. I now appreciate a simple email from my Dad, who updates me on our favorite sports teams and tells me what's going on at home. I look foward to talking to my Mom on the phone and telling her about my classes, dorm life and all the things that I forgot to pack. And when I receive a package in the mail a few days later with those items inside, I love and miss my Mom that much more. Going away to college has taught me to grow up and do things for myself. There is no one pushing and encouraging me to do my best, I have to be my own advocate. I now know what it means to walk to class in the snow, cook EasyMac at 3 in the morning, and having all-you-can-eat cereal in the cafeteria. Everyone's college experience is different, but mine has made me a more humble and whole person.