Christian Brothers University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Christian Brothers University know before they start?

carley

The advice I would tell my high school self would be to enjoy high school. I wanted it to rush by, but honestly now I miss it. I would beg myself to pay attention more and take better notes. I would not do this so that I could get better grades in high school, but so that I would be better preparing myself for college. I would tell myself to be more involved in school activities and service projects. I would encourage myself to ask questions more and to know my teachers on a more personal level and seek them for advice and help if needed. I was a quiet student, and I wish now I would have been more vocal in high school and allowed my opnions and thoughts to be known, instead of being the student that just sits in class and listens. I would have loved to have been more interactive in class and in school in gerneal.

Emily

The transition from high school to college is only the beginning of a life-changing four years. In high school, you think you know who you are, what is important to you, what you want to study, and who you want to become. What you will find in college is that everything that you believe will be challenged, and everything about yourself will come into question. My best advice is to make sure you are growing in every aspect of life. Don't spend so much time studying that you have no time for friends, but don't spend so much time being social that you neglect everything else. Balance is key. Find the balance between schoolwork, home life, maintaining important friendships, making new friends, and taking care of your body and your soul. Don't be afraid to take risks. Study abroad, take a class outside of your field, ask someone out. Seek out real-world experience. Spend a day shadowing a person who has the profession you think is for you and ask them how happy they are in their careers. Let the things that you learn help you grow; don't be afraid to change.

Chelsea

Do not settle on one school because it is close to home. Do not settle on one school because it offers more scholarships than another. Go greek. Go to parties. Be involved in fundraising. Give of yourself. Spend saturdays writing that paper to turn in instead of the night before. College is the time to find yourself. Go to a big school with several types of people. If you are going to spend your time and money getting an education, get the one you want. College prepares you for the real world, and without a degree a job will be hard to find. Flirt. You are allowed to in college, because if someone does like you back, there is always someone else who thinks you are awesome. Spend time studying. You are paying for this education, but you are also paying for this experience.

Loan

Hey you, kid with the glasses and the braces! Things do get better after high school and you will attend a university that actually values not only your education, but also educating you. Grades are important; do not give into peer pressure about skipping a few classes! You will run into many obstacles that will make you want to give up. You will hit numerous low points, and some nights, you will just have to cry your eyes out. In the end, it will all be worth it. Take advantage of asking your teachers for help. They really do care and wish for nothing more than your success. Do not slack off; I know how in the midst of exams and research papers, you will want to take the easy way out. Trust me, you do not want to do this! Just take a deep breath, put on some calm music, and you will get through it. Parties, relationships, and frivolous arguments will not be worth it now. You have your entire college life to find true love, truer friends, and much more meaningful outings. Use the rest of your senior year for knowledge. You will thank me later.

dominique

The advice that I would give myself as a high school student is to believe in myself. I would tell myself to take everything I learn in high school seriously. I would also tell myself to find out what my learning style is, because as a college student you need to know your learning style. I would also advise myself to stay focused and pay attention to the advice my teacher give me.

Nateinya

Dear Younger Self, congradulations on making it. Don't be so hard on yourself. You are a fantastic person and the sooner you figure that out the better off you'll be. Research becoming imancipated from your parents since they have no intentions on helping you go to college. Even though it might take you a while to realize what you're most passionate about, it's okay you'll be a wonderful event planner until then. I recommend going to college to get your general studies out of the way so when you decide to go back to school you can already have that out of the way. Don't even bother going to Computer Learning Center for that computer programming degree, it's a waste of time. Just remember, you're great, enjoy each day like it's your last but plan for the future, don't regret anything that made you smile and whatever you do... avoid tequila on your 21st birthday. You'll thank me later.

Devan

I would not tell myself anything about transitioning to college because I feel as if that was easy for me; however, I would tell myself to attend a different school. I would tell myself this because I want to play collegiate baseball for a different university, Bellarmine University. I would also tell myself to stay involved in campus life because I have made friends and have had great times because of campus activities. I would tell myself to live in a better dorm because the cheapest dorm on campus is not always the best dorm to live in. I would also tell myself to not get such a big meal plan because I find myself eating out with friends regularly, so I am paying for a meal plan that I do not use most of the time. Other than that, I would tell myself to stay active on campus and be social because I have met some life long friends at college because I did not sit in my room all the time.

Kristin

The advice that I would give myself is to work on managing my time well. College is all about time management and it is a key to being successful in college. I would also tell myself to study more. I have to study everyday of the week to make sure that I understand each subject well. Knowing what I know now about transitioning I would say get out of my comfort zone early and mingle with different people. It is very important that you start talking to new people early therefore when you get in college it would be easy to go to a person and talk to them. I would also tell myself to get involved in different leadership programs so that your confidence level would be higher when you talk to a crowd people during presentations. You never know when I professor will ask you to stand in front of the class and teach the class.

Keya

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to work harder than the last 3 years of my high school career put together. I had many distractions as a senior so I would avise myself to do whatever I had to to stay focused and make the grade. I would say to start the college application process a lot sooner and not to procrastinate and/or not complete the applications because of certain missing information because you can always go back and edit the information and you never know unless you try. When filling out applications and financial aid information be thourough and ask for information regaurding student housing because dorms can be convienant but sometimes off campus housing can be cheaper.

Antwanae

There is a lot that I would tell myself if I had the chance to go back in time. I would first tell myself to get a summer job because that would help out a lot. Second, I would have told myself to apply for more scholarships. Money is a very big issue for my family right now and it is very much needed. I would tell myself to try to work for a car and to work every summer in order to stay on campus rather than staying at home and have to live with rules even when you are 18 or older. I would have also told myself to take the ACT as many times as possible to get a better score for a better scholarship from CBU. I would have told myself to prepare myself for the campus college life at Christian Brothers. This university's main purpose is to see students succeed so I would have to party more as a senior to have a social life. It is important to step on this campus with a mindset that I am here to earn a degree and to leave with a career.

mame

have all the fun that you want in high school because is not a joke . Do your best in high school so you dont have to take no remedial classes and strenghten all your skills because in college you are going to need every little bit of it.

Takeva

I would tell myself to save up the money that I worked so hard for because the things that you're buying now are not as near important as the books that you will need in college. I would also tell myself to take advantage the the maerial that you are learning in college because it will come up again as soon as you get in college.

Jennifer

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definately give myself some valuable advice. First, I would tell myself not to allow others to get to me and ignore ignorance. Second, I would tell myself to stay focused in school and to not allow myself to become distracted. Third, I would tell myself to surround myself with positive and people who will support me no matter what. Finally, I would tell myself to continue to be myself no matter what and to continue to a be well rounded person just as I was in high school.

Raeshuna

I would tell myself to stay focused on my work, but add in some fun to keep me sane. If you want to go to that party, go., but only when if you are confident that you have studied enough. Do not live your life for other people because it is YOUR life. Never second guess yourself; you are a smart girl and the world should know this. Transitioning to college is not as hard as it seems; you can do it girl! Make sure that you keep a strong support system and do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. It is time to let go of that pride and grow into the responsible, smart young woman that you always knew you were and could be. Remember those big dreams you had? Well, now is the time to make those your reality. Don't worry; you'll be wearing that smart business suit in no time, Mrs. CEO! Good luck and continue to give thanks to the man upstairs. You will make it through, I promise.

Brittany

"College is going to be a piece of cake!" This was the thought that I had in my mind as a high school senior, along with if I could survive high school, then I can survive college with no problem. Now, although I survived my first two years of college, I didn't do so without any problems. If I knew then what I know now about college, my mindset going in would have been a lot different. College is similar to high school, but on a whole different level. College is enjoyable, but is also a lot of work. In high school, things were more relaxed when it came to turning in assignments, but in college things are much stricter. People kept trying to tell me this, but I never listened. Now I realize it all. Unlike in high school, you can't procrastinate about assignments and need to stay on top of things because once you fall behind in college, it is so hard to catch back up. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself all of these things, only this time I would seriously listen!

Justina

If I could go back twelve years and give myself any advice, I would say, "be patient". Everything comes in time, take time to enjoy life, educate yourself. Don't rush, if you work hard and stay focused, all good things with follow. Dedication with lead to success, so don't cut corners and take time to enjoy the short time you are given in this life.

Stephanie

Let’s just say I had this awesome time machine that could place me back into those designer shoes I wore as a high school senior. What advice would I give myself? Well, for starters, I would tell myself to stop spending money on designer shoes, and instead save that money for college! It’s never too late to start saving. Maybe I should spend that time I used to spend shopping doing more important things such as, oh, applying for scholarships! While I’m at it, how about I get out there and explore, and I mean that literally. I dont mean the Indiana Jones' jungle exploring by the way. More like check out those college campuses kind of exploring! Yes, that includes classrooms and campus housing, but it also includes inconspicuous things such as accessibility to tutoring programs and whether campus safety is reachable. Oh, and instead of hopping around in that awesome time machine all the time, how about I take some career interest surveys, and talk to my school about potential college options that pertain to my interests. Just so I know, that will make the high school to college transition so much easier!

Ryan

Besides the wealth of information literally laid before me, I have made several personal connections with a lot of people, improving my social skills and giving me new outlooks on life. I can't imagine how it would have been like if I hadn't started going to college, but I wouldn't trade this time for anything. It really does make one a well-rounded person if you let it.

Brigette

I have gotten more than just a "formal" education by attending CBU; I learned (and am still learning) a lot about life while attending. Attending CBU gave me the opportunity to meet experts in my field, to grow as a person, and develop long lasting friendships. I also got to meet professors who were concerned with my success, and who pushed me to excel. The professors are not afraid to tell you that you are not working up to your potential, and they will challenge you to do better, and reach academic and personal heights, you didn't know you could reach. Also, while at CBU I went Greek, and I do not regret this decision at all. Greeks at CBU are held to a higher standard, and because of this I was forced to grow personally and professionally. When you realize you are seen as a role model for other students, you tend to think twice about any decisions you make and about the way you act.

Patrick

My college experience has given me the confidence to be on my own and to think for myself. I am no longer afraid to speak up for myself or to say what is on my mind. I have developed my personality through college by becoming a more outgoing, sociable, and active person. College has provided me with a positive outlook on the world because I now have a positive outlook on myself. I now see the world as a place full of knowledge, creativity, and opportunity just as I see myself as a smart, intelligent young man that is full of potential. It has given me the chance to meet new, interesting people and to learn from them; I am more open-minded and accepting because of the people that I have met in college. Most importantly, college has helped me realize that education is the most important thing that anyone can have because no one can take your education from you. College has been valuable to attend because it showed me that life is about learning, living, growing, and being happy.