College of the Holy Cross Top Questions

College has been quite a rollercoaster over the past years. I was always a great student in high school but I was not ready for college at first. I ended up dropping out for a few quarters until I was able to get my head on straight and develop some sort of plan for where I wanted my life to go. After the little break, I went back to take an EMT course which I completed but then decided it was not the path for me either. Just this fall I finally graduated with an AA at a community college after 5 long years of stress, tears, and frustration, but it was all worth it. I learned how important it is to always try your hardest even when you think there is no way to succeed because it feels amazing to complete a goal and move ahead in life to reach another one. College has given me the life skills to get out on my own, be independent, and think outside the box. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and I fully intend to give my remaining college years everything I have.

I have gotten the opportunity to pursue a higher education at a prestigious college that has also afforded me the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with my peers that I know will last a life time. I have worked hard and committed myself to community service while also managing a full course load. I recently learned that I made the deans list for the fall semester. I am proud of my academic acheivements and will continue to strive to continue my sucessful journey while at Holy Cross.

Having been at Holy Cross for a year and a half now, I feel like "time management" would be the go to answer for any college student. But really, I think the most important thing I learned and would advise me and anybody else on is to really just be yourself. Don't try to fit in because it's the cool thing to do- join a group because it intrests you, even if you don't know anybody else joining it! And don't be afraid to try new things. This is an experience you'll only have once, and you will really want to make the very best of it. It will be hard at first, but as long as you stay true to yourself, you will find happiness someway, somehow.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to remember to time manage. It is easy to get lost in the transition and realize too late you do not have time to finish a book or go to that movie. Also, remember to call home a couple times a week- just because you have freedom does not mean your family does not miss you! Take an hour to yourself every night to relax and watch a television show or read a book. Do not stress over other people- college students are much more mature than high schoolers, meaning there is not all the high school drama. Make sure academics comes first, but have time for friends and acitivites too! Get involved not only in the school, but the community around it- you are a resident there now. Do not be afraid to ask for help and meet new people. Some of your closest friends could be the upperclassman you asked where the library was. Go to your professors' office hours- they are there to help you learn, not to flunk you. Lastly, do not forget to have fun!

If I could go back in time and give myself advice after having experienced college life, I would tell myself not to get too wrapped up in the social aspects of college and to utilize the office hours professors provide. Since starting college in the fall, I have noticed that the students who go out and party all of the time tend to not do as well in school, so I think that it is important to find a balance between your social life and your academic life. Of course, it is important to be a part of the social life on campus, because everyone needs a break from the stresses of school work, but taking part in social life should not be what you spend the most time doing. I have also found that the professors are really want to help you and the only way for them to do that is in office hours. When I took biology this past semester I had a difficult time grasping the material, but after going to see the professor regularly, I was able to better understand the material because he explained things to me in greater detail and more thoroughly.

As a high school senior, I got through school using my natural smarts, instead of working my wa ythrough things. I never had to try very hard for good grades. I studied, and went to extra help sessions, but I never really stressed out about tests because I always knew I would do well, or at least pass them. When we learned a new concept in class, I usually understood it pretty quickly. In my heart, I knew this could not go on forever, but it was working for the time being, so I decided not to change anything. When I got to college and enrolled in the intro chemistry class, I realized what a mistake I had made. Senioritis was fun in high school, but I had forgotten that the most important part of my schooling, college, was yet to come. And my GPA suffered for it. Because my first semester I had to teach myself how to study all over again, and had to find a work ethic that was never really there before. If I could give myself any advice, It would have been to think of the future, and change my behavior now, and not wait.

Grades are important, but getting the most out of your school is more important! Holy Cross is an incredibly demanding college, with a monstrous workload and professors who truly challenge you. As a former straight-A student, it was difficult to adjust to the idea that I was working harder but getting lower grades - it took me some time to accept that a 75 was a good grade on an organic chemistry exam. It took a semester or two, but once I allowed myself to believe I was still excelling academically with a 3.4 GPA, I was much happier. I allowed myself to pursue my passion - music - by participating in six ensembles over my 4 years at Holy Cross. While this took significant time away from my studies, it also allowed me the well-rounded experience I was looking for, including once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like singing at Lincoln Center in New York City and the Vatican in Rome. At the end of the day, I still got into my first choice graduate program - the highly competitive Accelerated Master's Entry track in the Boston College School of nursing, where I got my nursing license in 11 months!

I definitely give myself the following tips: Manage your time wisely Academics before extr-curriculars Get involved in AS MUCH AS YOU CAN to implement diversity!!! Remember that although your college selection maybe a culture shock from high school, this is the REAL WORLD!! Make office hours whether you need help or not Form study groups with kids you do not socially interact w/ all the time to get work efficiently done Above all, dont be a hermit!!!! Take a break from the books on Friday and go out!!!! You have an inifinite number of things to do on campus

The key to having a successful college career is to get involved and being true to yourself. When picking a college make sure the school has programs, classes, clubs, and activities that incorporate all of your personal areas of interest and give you room to explore new avenues. Unlike high school college isn't about building up a resume but rather finding out who you are by doing what you enjoy. Over the past two years I have not only learned a lot about myself but I have met some genuine people whom I could relate to and connect with on a deeper level because of our shared interests. Therefore, my advice is to not only study hard and focus on academics but participate in extracurricular activities, because they are what will make your experience most fulfilling.

Communicate. Students, I know you're convinced that you're an adult and can make decisions on your own, but it won't hurt to get the advice of your parents. When it comes down to it, you really don't have to take it anyway. Parents, if you're really concerned about the way you see your child's life heading, voice your opinion. Again, that doesn't mean they'll take your advice, but you won't have to live with the notion that you could have prevented them from making a huge mistake. The college process needs to be a collaborative effort. Everything will go much smoother if it is.

Visit!!!

Choose a school based on your personal academic interests and abilities. Don't choose the school with the best name or reputation, because in the end the name of the school has nothing to do with your individual self. Take your time and look at and apply to a multitude of schools, and then research further into the ones you were accepted into. Don't choose a school just because of one particular aspect (i.e. great sports teams), choose a school with various aspects well-suited to you. In the end, your college career won't be about the name of your college, it will be about the classes you took, the ways in which your mind was expanded, the friends you made, the various organizations you joined, and your overall connection with your college community.

Go to a school with a good program for the field you are thinking of pursuing but make sure that college also provides you options for a backup plan in case what you thought you wanted to do isn't exactly what you thought it was. Don't get caught up in the social drinking and partying scene because there is always much more to a college than that. Definitely be sure to be active and participate in student organizations and other campus activities because you never know where new inspiration may come from. The final thing is live on campus and be prepared to open your mind, please learn to become independant too, it is part of becoming an adult and living at college and taking care of yourself from the most part is a good transition point. Good luck.

Visit the colleges so you can get a real feel for the students and the community that you will be living in for four years. And don't be afraid to ask questions!

Size matters. Find a school with the appropriate class size. I knew I wanted a smaller school and I really appreciated the accessibility and class size at my school. Don't worry about funding if you're smart enough to get in. If you belong at that college they will give you what you need to be there.

When choosing the right college, it is important not to worry about what career you would like to pursue, since many graduating high school seniors will change their minds several times. Rather, choose a school which will encourage you to develop socially as well as intellectually, which stimulates discussion and debate.

College is about a lot of things, but most importantly it is about learning and growing into a more educated adult and finding a job that allows you to follow a passion, yuse your mind, and add value to society. When choosing a college you need to find somewhere that allows you to both be comfortable and stretched. You learn as much from the students and professors that surround you as you do from the courses and curriculum. It is important to take each lesson you learn in the classroom -- be it political, historical, lingual, or technical -- and find away to incorporate it into your life. The opportunity to work volunteering wih refugees in Worcester allowed me to use skills that I learned in French course, in African politics courses, in psychology courses, and childhood education courses. You need take your classroom growth and make something tangible out of it in order to cement your knowledge and figure out which skills you like to use outside of the classroom. Whatever college you choose, you need to make sure that there is an infrastructure that will allow you to gain practical experience through alumni connections, internships, community service, and your peers.

Students can be happy most anywhere as long as they're not dead-set against a place from the start because it wasn't their first choice. At most schools, you can find ways to be engaged. You won't love everything about a place, so just look for things and people that you can love about it.

In finding the right college, a student will immediately find a sense of comfort upon stepping foot on the campus. A sense of pride in the school should be felt and the student should believe he or she will be challenged in the classroom. The parent will see the excitement in the eyes of their child and know that their child is excited about his or her decision, thus giving the parent reason to support the student's decision to attend the school.

Parents: Watch and help your children through the process, but the choice is up to them. Even if you're helping to pay for college, if they are at a university that they are miserable at, your decision will not have been the right one. Students: Stay overnight at the college and sit in on a few classes to get a better case study of the college. This will give you a more realistic impression than any admissions-created pamphlet. Both: Enjoy the process and think the whole thing through. It is the student's first major life-changing decision, so make it count.