Cornell College Top Questions

Choosing Cornell College was probably the greatest choice I ever made. I’ve only finished one semester, and I already feel more at home at Cornell than I ever have before. I've met so many people who are all so different from me, and it’s really opened my eyes to things. I can’t remember how many times I’ve said “this isn’t something I thought I would ever do” and found out it’s exactly what I wanted to be doing. I’ve gotten involved in so many extra-curricular’s; I’ve really found myself at this school. Of course, academics are the reason I’m at school. I was able to realize exactly what I want to major in, and I’ve already started to look into graduate schools I might want to attend. All of the classes I’ve taken are so interesting and diverse, and I’ve learned more about my learning style in the past few months than I did throughout all of high school. I went into college not knowing what to expect, but what I've gotten out of it is better than I could have imagined.

I wish someone told me to be patient with regards to friends. It takes a while to get to know people and you should not jump to befriend someone just because you are homesick and lonely. The best advise is to relax and be lonely for a while, this allows for time to observe and see what the people have to offer, and to find your way around. Having a roommate is not easy if you have not had the expereince of sharing a room with someone before, or maybe even if you have. I wish I would have taken the "roommate" survey mare seriously and had asked more questions. There was a question about sleeping schedules. When there is a question that says" Do you go to bed at a regular time?" It is a good idea to find out what this means. I have learned that "regular" has many meanings. Be confident about what you do not know. You are in school and having an open mind is what will allow you to learn. You do not have to know what you are going to be " when you grow up"., take your time.

Everything passes in a blur as i walk through the crowded lunchroom, bumping into people wrestling over food. My head is spinning and confused at all the faces i see and voices i hear. It has been a long first day at college. I am feeling homesick and hoping that the lunch i ate will stay in my stomach where it belongs and not become seconds. I make it through the crowd somehow and am pleased to see i somehow got food on my tray. I breathe. Now for the part i dread... finding a seat... alone. I quickly claim my spot in the back of the dining hall by a window. I wonder how i will ever make friends if i am shy. I slowly eat my food...waiting for something. An answer to my prayers i guess. I almost give up hope when a cheerful girl sits next to me and introduces herself. She is all smiles. She tells me she is going to help me. How did she know i needed help? How was she so brave and outgoing? She is very blessed. She is my miracle. If only i had learned to be like her sooner.

I think I would try harder to find out what I wanted to major in, do after college, and succeed in college. It is hard to go to a small school that is isolated and goes through very harsh winters. I feel disconnected from the outside world at times and that it might be hard to enter back into it after college while trying to find a job. I do think that it has fostered my personality and made me an incredibly strong person who will always stand for the things I believe in. I have learned what is good for me and how to live on my own even though this school does not really foster individual living like a school would in the city. I feel like a very comfortable adult but if I had known what I wanted when coming to this school I think I could have gotten more from the first few classes I took for a more cohesive education. Although, most of us were not sure of ourselves at that time and did not have knowledge of what would come in the future but Cornell was a very open place to do this growing.

When you get to college you need to make sure you are outgoing. Don't be afraid to try new things and meet new people. A job needs to come second, school is what is important. You are only going to be at you part-time job for a few years, but you are going to get an education that is going to be with you for a lifetime. Take advantage of the resources available to you, go to the writing centers and tutors, they will help! But most importantly don't procrastinate! This is not highschool, this is college, so go out there and do you best, and have fun with it!

When you get to college relax and try to put yourself out there as much as possible. Once you start making friends school will be a lot more fun and you'll get a lot more out of it. Few classes will be very hard, but those will be worth it. Take classes that will push you, because that's when you'll shine.

My dad has probably given me the best advice for college: talk to people. And I did. And it helped. Talk to people. Talk to everyone, doesn't matter what creed they go by, Satanist, Muslim, flower child, doesn't matter. Everyone has something to contribute. If people don't seem to like you, don't bother with them. If they don't care about you, then they don't deserve to talk to you. Also, focus on your work, but don't bog yourself down. Balance between school and social life, and figure out which one means more to you. Join a club (or two), but you don't need to join them all. Figure out what you want to get out of school, not what you think you need. And figure out what things mean the most to you: does it matter more that you got a good grade, or that you completed a project? etc. And learn what good things are in a class, even if you hate it. There is always something to learn, even from the worst class in the world, taught by the most boring teacher. You're in college to LEARN.

Visiting colleges before you make a decision is really important! I had my heart set on a school until I visited the campus. It was awful, totally not right for me. I wasn't even interested in Cornell until I visited the campus.

If you pick a college based on its reputation, be prepared to suffer through to get to put that august name on your resume. It is by far better to find a school that fits who you are, where you have met some of the student body and feel as though you are amongst your friends. The school having an impressive name is not a bad thing, but picking where to live four years of your life should include a few more factors. Academics are important. It IS college after all. However college is equal parts education and gaining the life experience you need to become a fully functional member of society. College is the brief period of our lives where no one is going to look down on you, or even ever know, what you did last weekend. So write those papers, but remember that academics are not everything, and attend social functions, make a few mistakes and some great friends, and enjoy life to its fullest. After all, when it?s done you have rejoin the real world and pay off your loans =P

When I started the process of selecting a college, I began by narrowing schools down based on what I did not want. This helped me focus myself on what I was truly looking for (i.e. a smaller school that was co-ed and near a city of sorts). I would encourage any high school student to do the same, as the college decision can be overwhelming at first. The second tip I can offer is visit, visit, VISIT! I toured Cornell once and I also spent the night, which truly sealed the deal. I was exposed to the community and got to know the students - their attitudes and hospitality solidified my decision. Another piece of advice in my opinion is to understand that college is the place to discover what you want to do. Students should not feel as though they must have careers picked out in advance. Last but not least, do not be afraid to ask questions! Email students you meet, contact administration, ask around about anything. The only way to get to know a campus is to investigate it. Once you have answers, you can join groups and become more involved. Enjoy this time! Be yourself.