Dominican University Top Questions

As there are many things to be prepared for when entering a university for the first time, I would tell myself to expect people to be just like you. As Valedictorian of my high school class, I chose a university that could offer challenges in the form of coursework and competition amoungst my peers. Little did I know most of my peers would have the exact same expectations as I. In truth, my biggest expectation was to have the same success I'd had in high school. Though I did not look for ease of success, I found myself discouraged when facing certain challenges. I should not have been down on myself or my abilities, for I found over time that though we were competing for the same academic respect, my peers were also my future colleagues. Therefore, just as I aimed to be successful, I came to admire their ambitions as well.

High-school is only a stepping stone to the rest of your life. Do not become fixated on one dimention. Explore your interestes in order to learn more about yourself, including interests and abilities. Always remember that failures are valuable tools to learn how to overcome obstacles and they help one to improve him/herself. Do not judge yourself by other people's standards. They do not walk in your shoes and they certainly do not know what is best for you. In a few years their opinions will not matter and you will be stuck with the consequences of the decisions that you make. Although they may give good advice, and it is always good to listen, they may not have all the facts pertaining to your situation. Be true to yourself and your maker, then all thing that you do will be the tools to make you succeed.

I would tell myself that it is very possible to change your mind about your chosen career. Because of this I would recomend that I keep an open mind for the first two years and take a variety of coursework to ensure that I find the best fit for my career.

The advice I would give my former self with the knowledge I know now. Is that college will change you and that being socially is the key to making friends and colleagues for the future. Be yourself who cares what others think it is our life our decision to make mistakes and learn from them. Leave your dorm room and explore Dominican you are paying tons of money to be there anyway. Friends will come and some will go. Some will bring out the best in you and at times annoy you but that’s the point. The teachers there will be amazing they will open your eyes to new things in which you never thought of before. Doing theater will be amazing and you will not be type casted do not hesitate just do it! The Basic Skills will be a drag so study now you will need it. Love will happen but not in the best way better to have love then lost so they say. Overall your first year will have its share of bumps along the way but you have 3 more years to change everything and make it memorable.

I WOULD APPLY TO AS MANY COLLEGES AS POSSIBLE AND ALSO VISIT THEM AS WELL. I WOULD APPLY FOR AS MANY SCHOLARSHIPS AS POSSIBLE AND NOT DEPEND ON MY FAMILY SO MUCH. BECOMING AN ADULT IS SCARY, BUT SOMETIMES, FAMILY CAN INHIBIT YOUR FULL POTENTIAL. NOT EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGING WHEN MONEY IS AN ISSUE.

If I was to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student first I would tell myself not to drop out. Dropping out was the worst mistake I ever made. Secoundly I would have told myself that in order to be able to take care of a family and not become a crack head like my mother I need goals and dreams and to go after them. I would tell myself not to listen to the people who told me that no matter how hard I try I would never amount to anything. I would tell myself to start being the person I am and stand up for what I believe in and be the strong person I am today. Going back to school and becoming a college student and getting my education is the best decision I have ever made. I am not only doing this for myself but for my children. I love how my children look up to me now and can be proud of their mother. I didn't have that as a child and it's not a good feeling. I am the person I want to be now.

I would tell myself to definitely study abroad my sophomore year. I didn't know that you could take most, if not all, general education requirements in Spain, China, Ireland, what have you. I would tell myself ask as many questions as you can. Even if they seem like the most obvious questions. That way you stay informed about how things work in your school. I would definitely tell myself to take different courses of things I liked in order to decide on my major. I think there are a lot of things students are interested and they don't take the classes because they want to graduate on time; there's loads of time, believe me when I say this. If you like art, take an art class or if you like cinema, take a cinema class. You have the right to enjoy your college experience. I think my best advice to myself would be pace yourself, take it slow, and most of all enjoy the ride. College is tough no doubt but there's nothing like it ever again in your life. If I could go back I would take different courses and study abroad.

I have gotten a lot of out of my college experience. When I applied to Valencia Community College, I had an expectation everything to be difficult and felt I was not ready for college. The professors made me feel at ease and ready for my upcoming years of college after Valencia. You meet so many people different in your courses, and in turn you broaden your knowledge of the diverse types of people. Learning this can be used in every type of field in the workforce. College is valuable to attend not only from what you learn, but from what you learn about yourself. You may enter thinking you want to major in one field, but end up loving another. This may cause slight issues depending how far you are into your picked major, but at the end you're into a field of work that you love and enjoy. You meet many interesting people from across the world and learn from them as well. You learn from your professors who some have worked in the field and can give you advise that you might not find researching the career yourself.

I have learned many things from my college epereince thus far. For one, education is a privilage and a rightfully selfish journey. For me attending Dominican is an extereme blessing and privilage considering that my family would not have been able to afford for me to attend school had I not recieved my scholarships. With that I have also learned that I am my greatest inspiration and motivator, that college is a job that pays well in the long run. College is the opportunity to be selfish in one's educational pursuits to find truth in whatever it is I am curious about, using those answers in my career for the rest of my life. With that there is work that I must not let be interupted by any means; I must be selfish with my time and dedicate it mostly to my studies. I have also learned that in all the new ideas that I am exposed to by my professors, peers, and classmates I must stay true to who I really am. At the heart of it college is the prime time to find "who I am" and want to be, carrying it with me to the world.

Central Arizona College has allowed me to find my true calling in life. The honors program has allowed me to do further research and develop my academic abilities. Attending CAC has allowed me to be able to reach my future goals with less expense and in a friendlier setting. My experience has given me many opportunities that starting off at a four year school would not have. I know what direction I want to take and am aware of how to get there because of attending CAC.

My time at Dominican University has taught me how we are all responsible for each other. My university is a small catholic school, with the motto of Caritas Veritas. In translation it means love and truth. My first experience with this university was with a retreat to Lake Geneva with 40 of my classmates. In this retreat I learned the extent of the faculty’s and student’s kindness. Each event after this was filled with love and understanding. There is no place for hatred at our university, just love and respect. Because of these experiences, my outlook on the world has changed. This is very valuable to me because my future goals have now changed to better fit plans of helping those in need. Thanks to Dominican University, my understanding of my responsibility to this world has greatly improved.

I have learned so much about myself and solidified my passions in life. Although college is expensive is the most valuable thing you can purchase. It is the foundation for the rest of your life. In college you can learn more about yourself and the subject you loved in high school. You can also form some great friendships and find your true love. You make mistakes and you learn from them. All this is possible from the college expierence.

So far in college, I have learned a lot about myself. College has taught me who I am, but more importantly, who I am not. It has really tested my morals and luckily they haven't changed much from when I got here and I am very proud of that. Sure, college gives you classes and the possible responsibility of living on your own for a while, but the real value of college comes from the atmosphere: the people, the new location, the extra-cirriculars. College has taught me to prioritize and deal with stress. Also, that everyone is human. I recommend college for anyone because it gives you a glimpse of the real world before you are actually thrown into it. It prepares you for what is to come.

I haven't had a chance to fully experience college yet. My first class starts in about three weeks, and I couldn't be more excited -- and nervous! My friends that are already in college have been a great help to me. I've gotten a bit of a sneak-peek into the college world. I know that attending college is going to be a very valuable experience for me, both in the degree I recieve and the experience I earn. Going to classes among fellow students that I've never seen before will be a huge step up from seeing the same people I've always seen for the past four years. I'll gain maturity and wisdom I simply couldn't gain in high school.

I have gotten out of my college experience that working hard does really pay off and with the help of your friends you really can achieve more than you think. It has been valuable to attend because I feel in this one year I have grown up and changed as a person for the better. I value my education more and also my relationships with my friends and family. Without my experience in college I don't think I would've valued my life as much as I do now.

I have learned more about myself, more than I realized, from my college experience. In addition to the courses I have taken for my Gen-Eds and major, I have learned to be more independent than I already am. I have formed many relationships and through those relationships, I was shown unconditional love and how to trust, in addition to other valuable life lessons. I have taught myself different study skills and how to balance studying with dance team and down time. I have also learned valuable leadership skills. I've always been a leader, but once I got to Dominican University, I further improved on those leadership skills. It has been valuable to attend Dominican University because this place has taught me much more than I could have imagined, and I feel that because it is a Catholic institution, I was able to get a different approach and insight on the things I learned.

College thus far has been breathtaking, full of soul-searching and discovery. I never anticipated that it would be as eye-opening as it was. The way I view myself and the world has changed dramatically. I have begun to appreciate the process of self-discovery, the laws of the harvest, and the value of fellowship with your peers. It has been valuable to attend because there was no other way way for me to gain such a grand perspective on the world around me, or to appreciate my friends and the people around me at the deep level I now do.

More than just the knowledge and skills I have studied in school, I have also gained an understanding of the basics of education and the complex relationship between teachers and students. I can see now that things like different learning styles, test administration, and readiness to learn can play a huge role in how students soak-up the material. I have also learned how invaluable my fellow students and faculty can be when they are needed. They make everyone feel welcome and when there is a problem, everyone sticks together and you don't feel like a needle in a college haystack. Personally, I have been able to realize my potential and take-on one of the hardest professions mentally and emotionally. I have been able to prove to myself that I can do anything I want as long as I put a consistent effort into it. There are things I have been able to comprehend that I thought were only left to academic elites like rocket scientists and brain surgeons. The rush of excitement I get when the lightbulb clicks on is like nothing else in the world.

This school has given me so much value to my life, to express it in just 200 words is nearly impossible. I had a tough time adjusting the first year both academically and socially (concerning my parents). Once I moved out of my abusive household, I was told I wouldn't graduate highschool; I did. Then I was told I'd never go to college; I am. I want to be able to prove to everyone that I, even through the struggles that I have faced in the last three years, am able to continue with the education I need in order to be successful in life. I want to be able to graduate this school without the worries of finance in my mind while studying. I want to be able to afford to continue going here so that I may attend Pharmacy school. I don't want to be like my parents: in debt and angry. I want to have the education and success that they thought I'd never get. I, then want my children to be proud of my accomplishments through all the struggles. Thank you.

Apply to more than one. Even if you don't want to go there, they may offer money and you can make a deal with where you do want to go to get more financial aid. Don't be afraid to be 'undeclared' until you know what you want to do. Get the core requirements done while you decide what to do. It's okay to tell people "No."