Cornerstone University Top Questions

The thought of college can be very scary. I know my senior year of highschool, I was very nervous for that process to start happening. I watched my mom drive away after drop off day, and I knew I was by myself here. Determination was flowing through me at the time. I was ready to conquer these next four years. I soon realized that I had a lot to do in these next four years; that realization started to weigh me down. Looking at my college career all together was a strategy that was not woking. This is one peice of advice i would give myself: take one day at a time. Dont look at every class and credit you need to take over a span of 4 years. Plan your day, go out with determination, and finish everything for that day. Setting smaller goals helps to keep me on track, and working towards a realistic accomplishment. Don't overwhelm yourself, but instead encourage yourself by accomplishing what you set out to do each and everyday.

My advice to me back in time, would be pretty simple. Don't stress so much about where you are going to college, if it is truly terrible you can always transfer. Be yourself when you get to college, don't worry about what other peole think and find the friends who will be there for you and who you enjoy being around the most. Use college to help guide and figure out what you want in life and feel free to be somewhat selfish. In regards to athletics, start lifiting because everyone is bigger, faster and stronger and get in shape!

Hey senior self! You are about to go to college, congratulations! When you get there, it is going to be intimidating and you might even feel a little uncomfortable- that's okay. College is an intimidating place- living with a bunch of people you don't know, having more homework than you're used to, and for you especially, you have to handle playing soccer at the same time. Concerning dorm life, don't be afraid to leave your door open when you're in your room and to venture into other open rooms; it will really help you make friends quicker than you might expect. Concerning academics, do what you have always done. Be diligent, do your work well, and ask questions. It might be scary asking questions in a big class, but don't be afraid to put yourself out there. It will be worth it. And concerning soccer, it is your job as a teammate to make your teammates better and the team as a whole better. Be the best teammate you can be and be the best example you can be. Have fun, and remember to do everything you do for God's glory.

I wouldn't give myself any new advice. I didn't go in expecting college to change who I am already. It hasn't changed me and I wasn't blown away by anything when I got there. I didn't go in with any expectations so I wasn't bummed out when they were wrong. So to go back in time to advise myself, my advice would be to keep thinking the same thoughts.

Pace yourself with your academic schedule and if you plan on doing a sport realize the commitment that it is and be prepared to give your team, coach, and school everything you've got.

Dearest, Nieve Kimberley, Work hard. Work for what you want, and when you don't know what you want, work hard for the inevitable: finding your dreams and striving for goals. Study hard, don't procrastinate, and don't let funds stop you when there are endless opportunities. Make a transfer to your dream university a possibility right after graduation! Finances can't stop determination! Nothing in life gets simpler, but why let laziness or procrastination dash your dreams? People say you can do whatever you set your mind to, but they are wrong. You can do what you set your mind on and work hard to obtain. Work hard towards your future, so that you can love it. Blessings, A Wiser You

You're going to be thrown into a world full of those who do no believe in the same things as you and that's alright. You need to keep an open mind and look at both sides of every decision, belief, and counterblief you or someone else may have. The transition will be rather simple, since you were always good in school and adapt well to learning enviroments. Do not fret about the little things, such as leaving friends behind in your hometown. By the time you get to Grand Rapids, you will be glad that you decided to go away to school here you will meet plenty of open minded and spiritual people who are pursuing more than a college education. Your senior year may have let you down, but speaking to you from the future, you will be just fine in college; so much so, you would rather repeat the first semester of college than the entire four years of high school. It's perspective that you've never had before. Keep on going and keep the faith that your future is more than an acceptance letter and diploma.

Good lord, I don't think I could put enought emphasis on how much I would change my high school years. If ever a time machine is invented (which I would love because my major is history) and I could tell myself a few things, I would be overjoyed. And my advice would go a little something like this: The most dangerous weapon in the world isn't tanks or guns or knives, it's your mind. Your mind will decide if you're going to pull that trigger or put the gun down. Your mind decides if today will be a good day or a bad day. Your mind is mainly in charge of everything. However, even though your mind does most of the tricking, there are ways you can trick it as well. For instance, when that fear of what people will think if you wear this starts to creep into your mind, move on. Block it out. When that fear of what people's response will be when you say that one joke starts to take over, keep smiling and say it anyway. When you find yourself in a state of crippling anxiety, fight back.

Looking back on my high school senior year, I would tell myself that the study habits that I created freshman year of high school should still be carried out through senior year of high school because having to restart study habits in college is harder then simply continuously carrying them out. I would tell myself that the transition of high school to college isn't as steep as others have told you it is, especially if you continue your hard work ethic. I would also give myself the advice to create a ballence between school work and friends because even though my high school friends all went to different colleges, the qualities and importance of friendships makes a world of difference when you make the transition of stepping onto a new campus, that you will spend the next four years at, not knowing anyone. I would remind myself to not be so self absorbed into my future but to look up and be thankful to those I surround myself with.

If I could go back to the high school Delaney I would tell her to work harder. College is hard, it really takes a lot of you and you have to learn how to push yourself. College is not impossible, you just have to have the mental mind set that you are going to push yourself and continue to fight for the degree you want. I know in high school I didn't really care what I was learning and didn't want to study ever! But I think that if I would have cared and studied more I would be better off in college. So I would tell the high school Delaney is work harder, study more, and care about the things you are learning.