Carson-Newman University Top Questions

I am a much stronger person because of my college experience. I started college at a private school about three hours from home. I had to live on campus, share a room with a stranger, cook and clean for myself, and take responsibility for myself. I didn't have a mom to wake up in the middle of the night and tell that I was sick and ask "What should I do?" I had to learn to fend for myself. I learned that I was a much stronger person than I had given myself credit for. When I transferred to a schoolcloser to home, I realized just how much I did for myself when I was away. Whether I was doing laundry, going shopping, or studying for a big test, I made sure to do it the right way. Besides the surviving on my own part of life, college has taught me that an education is really priceless. No matter what you learn, there will always be more to learn. My college experience has been valuable because I realize just how important it is to learn as much as you can and then in turn teach others what you know.

I have gotten a great education, but have also made lasting friendships and connections with my college family.

I have learned that you have to challenge yourself in order to strengthen your views. This is a trait that can be used throughout life. I have also learned that you need to loosen up a little and have fun every now and again. It helps get away briefly from a stressful situation. Never be afraid to ask for help. If things are bad, get help before they get worse.

Hey, Hannah. I know you're pretty nervous about college. All these people are telling you different things, and you're not sure what to think about any of it. DO NOT WORRY. You'll be just fine. I know you'll keep up the good work as far as studying goes. You've always been the sort of person to give your best at everything, but in the hustle and bustle of academics and class schedules and grade point averages, please try to live a little. Reach out to other people when they offer a kind word or a smile. Seize the day. Do more than just read books and complete homework assignments. I want you to look back at college and know without a doubt that it was a time of growth for you. Don't hold back due to fear of failure or looking silly. Everyone looks silly at some point, but the silliest-looking people of all are those who fill their lives of up with what-ifs and regrets. I don't want that for you. I want you to have a life rich with diverse experiences. You'll learn more that way.

The advicde I would give myself as a senior in college is to just stay focused and not be distracted and work hard. through highschoolI was the top basketball player in my county and ranked pretty high in the state of California. I thought I was just going to play basketball for a living, but as i got older and started playing at the next level, even though i was doing well on the court, seeing a new life of being on my own brought new distractions that I never had to deal with. Now I see people that are doing what I was suppose to be be doing and I just beat myself up over it. But i'm sick of it, so now I'm taking charge and I know that God has blessed me with other gifts. The advice I would give myself as a highschool senior, currently at this moment I am giving myself right now. Not only am I fighting for myself now to succeed in life, but I have a beautiful son and a wife, so I will not fail again.

If I could go back in time I first would tell myself to study harder, choose my courses a little more wisely, become more involved in school activities that would not only enhance my high- school experience but would also be beneficial to a promising career goal for the future. I would make more of an contribution to programs that would greatly improve my life for then and now ; such as community service projects, becoming involed in business oriented endeavors and immerse myself in studies that would greatly improve my chances of succeeding after high-school and into college life. Studies such as History, Math, Science, this alone with extra cirriccular activities such as Basketball, Band , ROTC, Choir in an effort to have a more rounded high-school experience.

If I could go back and tell myself about college life, I would mainly discuss the worth of high school. There were few things I took away from high school, including being able to write an essay and time management. The things that I thought would follow me forever, the important things in high school, did not. I no longer know who Jillian is dating, or if Abbey is still having drug problems. The most important battle that two of my friends were having over a teacher they liked then seem so petty now. I no longer know anything about the social athmosphere of my old high school. I would go back and tell myself to stop paying attention to the shallow culture of pubescent chit chat and more to things that I could use. I should have learned how to manage my finances and my health. Most importantly, I should have known not to waste my time, effort, and emotional stability on a boy when just a month in college I would find myself a man. High school realy doesn't matter.

As a high school senior, I thought I had the world figured out. I was on track to attend Carson-Newman and was more than on top of my scholarship applications. However, once I came to school, I began to understand that there is so much that I do not, well, understand. There are ideas, theories, philosophical notions, and religions that I have never even heard of, and this school has encouraged me to grasp as much of the world's knowledge as I can. I echo Tao Le Ching when he said, "The more I know, the less I understand." I would encourage my high-school senior self to be open to new ideas, even if they contradict your own. Sometimes, it is important to explore the world around us even if we disagree with most if it, if nothing else, for the sake of argument. I am learning day by day, that I truly do not have it all figured out. No, I cannot say that I will ever have all of life understood; however, that is just one exciting part of my journey.

If I could go back to high school there are three major changes I would make in both how my first semester went as well as when I went through the choosing process of what college to go to. First off one thing I would have changed from my first semester is I would have tried to get more involved in various activaties. It is a fine line between over loading yourself and then not doing much of anything. Getting involved helps make the time go faster and helps to relive the stress of the homework load. The second thing is obvious and almost every college student will tell you this do not procrastinate it is the worst thing you can do. As for choosing a college the thing I would change would have been its not nessecary to go half way across the country to get away from home. You may think that you want to leave the state so you can be away from your parents and have freedom living at college you have that freedom even if the school is only an hour away from home. Another thing is pay attention to cost especially if your paying.

The only thing that I would do different about high school is to learn to study. High school was easy for me. The material came natural, but if it didn't I could pick up on the material before the end of class. I never took a book home and still made really good grades. College was completely different. There was so much material that I had to bring my work home. I had no idea where to start. I wish that I had aquired heatlhy study habbits in high school.