Carthage College Top Questions

If I could go back and give advice to myself as a high school senior I first off would recommend saving more money and maybe taking a class on budgeting and loans. I also would tell myself to just be myself and not worry about what others think, because I have made friends at Carthage I know I?ll have for the rest of my life. Organization is very important, both in the dorm room and for academics; life is easier when everything is easy to find. The most important piece of advice I could give would be to not be afraid to try new things. Not only is it a great way to broaden your horizons, it?s a great way to make new friends.

Knowing what I know now about college life, I would definitely reconsider my expectations. First and foremost, I expected the workload to be drastically different than that of high school. The workload seems very close to the same amount except the work is much more hard. The professors also are not as personable towards you unless you are a person who participates as participation is a big factor with grades. I would also tell myself to manage time better as school, social life, and work play a huge part in college, especially social life. Meeting new people is always a struggle and I would tell myself that you need to open yourself up more and meet as many people as possible during the first few months at school because after that people have their groups especially because Carthage is a small college. I have great friends here, but I would warn myself that people in your life will come and go, and you will realize who your true friends are and who actually cares about you because they are the ones who will keep in touch while others will just wither away.

Assuming that I could back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give myself about college life and making the transition would be make sure you choose the right college, decide your major and minor before you get to your first, take many deep breathes, make a lot of friends, get to know your campus, and just relax, it is four years! Knowing that you have four years to complete what you want to do is a relaxing feeling. College life is not everything you think might be. There is a lot of reading and work to do. If you get behind, you have to pick yourself back up. Some professors may be kind and talk to you about your work, but others leave it to you because you are an adult and should be able to accomplish the assignments. The transition into college is not that bad. Orientation helps a lot. Orientation explains every detail you will need to know for your first year, and you might even meet a friend. Being able to start new is not the challenge, but being able to accomplish the challenge is.

I would encourage myself to take high school a bit more seriously. I would tell myself to work harder and get my GPA as high as it possibly could be. The higher I can get my GPA, the more opportunities for financial aid and scholarships will open up and become available to me in college. However, in college my GPA is a 3.8 cumulative and growing by the semester. I would tell myself to just be the same person I have been all along and to enjoy everything college has to offer. I would also say to make sure to take a look around every once in a while because before you know it college is over and your out in the working world.

Dear Self, It is human to fear the unknown but wise to confront the challenge. I write to encourage to aim high to accomplish greatness on the next stage of life. Enjoy the family that is the structure of life, and remember that the roots is what nurtures the tree of life. Challenge yourself and don't take no for an aswer, after all you alone are what makes or breaks the now and the future. The key for success is determination and those who persevere are the ones that achive it. Brake and don't conform to the patterns of life and the norm. If they cover your mouth scream so your voice could be heard, because no one can step on your liberty. No one could stop you if you have faith. Work hard without a mesure and don't stop believing. But if you forget everything that has been writen always remember not to stop dreaming, because that is how everything starts. Do not fear to spread your wings and fly. Don't make barriers in your heart, because everything should be done with love. Get ready to be transformed! Dream Big! Irma Rodriguez

There are several things I wish I could tell my Senior self in highschool! I've always been a good student, but I wish I had learned to study better, more efficiently. I never had to study in highschool, the knowledge and learning came so naturally but college taught me fast that the textbooks were required for a reason and note taking was more than words on a page! I also wish I could tell myself to lighten up a little bit and have fun. I always worked so hard and was very competitive. I put school and extracurriculars first, I didn't get the chance to develop solid friendships that would provide me with the neccessary people skills that would carry me through my adult life. Lastly, I'd tell myself to just simply enjoy the experience, more than anything. You'll never get the chance to repeat these years, so make them worth every minute and every breath! Be a kid, a little reckless, enjoy the times, go where life leads you, and absolutely take every opportunity available no matter how crazy it sounds and make the most of it! \M/>.<\M/

Fear had always been present in my life. The fear was internal. I feared that people would react negatively to me; in what I would say, how I dressed, the way I presented myself. But today because of college and the wonderful experiences that I have had, with new friends I have made, I have grown out of this fear. I have found that I am not the only one who feels insecure about who they are. What others think about me does not matter because I live for myself, not to be controlled by what others think. If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself all of this. I would encourage myself to go out and get involved immediately, don't wait to see what others do first, because it is likely that they too are nervous. Be strong and kind, following your heart, for the true friends will stick by your side in the good and bad times, so there is no reason to be afraid. Most importantly, put all of my fears and insecurities with God. Trust Him, he loves you beautiful and will be there for you always.

When I first came to college I was sheltered. I had previously always had to come home before midnight and be in bed by One. My parents always had a very strong presence in my life, so it was hard to be without them for the first time in my life. Because of this, I did not know exactly what to do with this new found freedom. My social life became more important that my studies and as a consequence i ended up on Academic probation after my first semester at college. After I realized that i neeed to have a balance i fixed my GPA and learned how to balance my social and studious lives. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that I cannot let the freedom that I will experience in college get to my head. I would tell myself that I need to have some sort of plan in order to create a balance between the social life and the Academic life. I would also remind myself of my heritage, and advise myself to remember where i came from because it is a big part of who I am today.

Go out and have an adventure. I had the opportunity to take a class in India last May/June and was able to hike in the Himalayas and study the religions of India. It really was an invaluable experience. There will not be too many opportunities for me, or anybody else above college age, to travel after they have settled into an adult life. But before one reaches that point, they need to live their life to the fullest. There is no time like the present to explore the world. Your life is what you make it so if it is mundane, there is nobody to blame but yourself.

During my final years of high school my family and I found out that my Dad had been diagnosed with a chronic lung disease called scleroderma. This was a traumatizing time in my life as I began to witness my Dad/best friend?s health slowly wither. If I could give me some advice while I was in high school it would be to do everything to your best ability and try everything while you have the option. You never know how long you will be able to participate in activities that you can easily participate in high school.