Grace College and Theological Seminary Top Questions

The biggest piece of advice I would give my high school self would be to try not to limit myself. I now know that any school and any major are a possibility. When I was in high school I belittled myself and made myself feel as if I was not smart enough to go to my dream school, when in reality anything was and is possible for me.

Dear younger me, Being at Grace College has truly changed our life. Once you become a part of this community, you will know exactly what I am talking about. You have become more responsible and even more ready to take on the world, but there is only one thing you need to know. Before I start, I know it was really tough for us growing up, but it is what we have overcome that shaped who we are today. It is because of our experiences and growing from them and choosing to rely on God rather than ourselves, that allowed us to grow into a man of God. Now, the most important thing I want you to know is that we must carry our own cross daily, so we must deny ourselves and die daily because Christ lives and reigns in us and he gave himself up for us. Life will not get any easier, but Christ is worth it. God takes us through many trials and sometimes it is easier to just give up, but we are called to be so much more, so do not give up because we are His! Do not give up, Older self

I would tell myself as a high school senior to not stress about college too much. Enjoy the time that you have in high school, becayse college life is very different. In college you have so many things to juggle- work, classes, friends, and family. Take the time to live and love. When you get to college, give yourself some grace. It's a hard transition! Don't be hard on yourself because you think that it should be easier than it is You'll get through it. You will adjust to be surrounded by people, to three hour night classes, to not going to bed until one in the morning. Give yourself grace as you learn all of these new things.

Looking back from where I was to where I am today, I admit that my life has changed in countless ways. It is incredible what a semester of college can do to a student, if he or she allows him or herself to be changed in ways that will help them grow. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high schooler, I would tell myself to cherish every moment in high school. Many times, I had a mindset to always move forward and to reach for college. I never took time and enjoyed the moment I was in. High school was very special to me. I would love to go back and tell myself to take advantage of every beautiful moment. In addition to this, I would also tell myself to not worry about college. I was afraid that I would fail in my academics because of the hard classes I would take. Now I realize that there is nothing to be anxious about if I take one moment at a time and work with all my heart. The teachers really care for their students and want them to be successful.

I would tell myself "Do not worry. Grades are not everything. Go out and have fun with your friends. As long as you learn somthing,because at the end of the day relationships are what last longest.

As a newly graduated senior, I think I would tell myself not to worry so much about the future and really focus on what you are working on right then. I was looking so much ahead of me that I did not focus as hard on my studies and oppertunities my senior year.

In high school, I found education to be exceedingly easy and never really applied myself. Due to this I never really formed study skills. If I could go back and give myself advice I would tell teenage me to work hard, strive to get a 4.0 GPA that I know I could have easily achieved, and to form study habits. I would let me know how much I wish I had done those things because of the various ways it would have helped me in my undergraduate. Firstly, it would have helped me in some of the more challenging courses like genetics and organic chemistry. For these courses, I had to teach myself to study and I wasn't very good at it even though I still received fairly good grades, overall. Secondly, I would have received more scholarships and wouldn't be as buried in students loans as I am now. Now, that I am continuing on to graduate school it is becoming even more difficult to find these scholarships. I know that this advice would have been immensely helpful, both in my education and in my finances.

Do not cut yourself short. Look into all your options; you might find something you didn't even know you were looking for. Apply to all the schools you can, and apply for all the scholarships you can. If at all possible, look into trying to get some experience in the field you think you want to study so that you can know more certainly. Don't be afraid to change your major; you are studying to hopefully find a career in the same field of work. But don't be afraid about picking a major because your options are endless. When you find something that you enjoy, go for it.

If were given the option to go back in time, I would choose wisely. I would sit down and tell myself that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would also make it very clear that no day is sweeter and tangible than today is. I would look down at my 16 year old self and tell her that at the end of the day, it is the simple little details that matter the most. The insignificant book that you failed to read, will one day make your fingers tremble and allow your mind to expand. I would tell her that teachers that you hated the most were the best ones, not because they gave you a lot of work, but because they challenged you. If I would have known everything I know today, it would have been a moment of clarity so overwhelming yet so welcomed I could have made better decisions. Yet, I do not regret any of it, because now I can talk to myself today and be reminded that every second counts.

The world at times can be very scary when you feel naked. I felt like a fish out of water trying to balance my school, work, family and social life. I remember my life felt like a plate was completely full of Peter Pan food I just needed to be able to see someone else lead me to eat before I could believe that it could be there for me all the while I felt people were looking for me to lead them. I lacked support and conviction to implement a plan and didn’t want to go down a wrong direction. I could see several paths of going into professional business however I lacked the understanding of several key life elements that come about with experience which has helped me to clearly see what I am passionate about. My advice to my senior high school self would be to not make life seem so serious that the darkness consumes you and the balance of good is thrown off. Even though you see big things others may not always share them so remember to embrace positivity whenever presented and persevere with a smile even while things seem looming and uncertain.

Be more prepared financially.

The advice that I would give is that I should take classes at the college near by home to get credits out of the way. It will save me money and prepare me better for when I get to be a college freshman. Another suggestion would be visiting where I attend now sooner, instead of waiting hoping to get into my "dream" college. I would tell myself not to be so stuck on going to one place but to focus on all of the other schools that are out their that I can visit and apply to. I also would tell myself to learn more about grammar and the different writing styles. In college you use multiple different styles of formatting and I would have liked to get to know those before I started my classes. The last thing is to savor everytime that I had with my friends because college changes everything.

I would tell myself that being away from home for extended periods of time is hard. You can get homesick. I would also advise myself to try and get sleep and also to take naps. College life is fun but the homework can be hard. However, college should not be all work and no fun. Having some what of a social life is a good thing because being in college is stressful. You can never get away from school because you live at school. Finally, I would tell myself to keep an open mind and to try and learn as much as I can while I'm at college.

If I could go back to the past and talk to the high school senior version of myself I would begin by telling myself, "Stay motivated!". I'd then continue with, "Stay motivated in your school work and be deligent to do your best work you can as soon as possible. If you do this you'll have more time to have fun and you'll be less stressed. Stay motivated in your work. When you get a job be the best employee you can be by being hard-working and reliable. Prove yourself to your employer and you'll be blessed with a more flexiable schedule. Lastly, stay motivated in you friendships. During the up coming years of college the friends you'll make will be life long. They will change you for the better and make you a man of honor, faith, passion, knowledge, loyalty, and integrity. Stay motivated and college will be some of the best years of your life!". This would be the advice I would give to myself.

Professors and Staffs are very nice . They care about students and want to get to know the students. Also, most classes are small enough to interact with professors during classes (asking questions..). It is a great school for people who wants to focus on studying because there are no distractions like partyiing. The school push you to study hard to get good grades. I have been getting good education from Grace College.

Since attending Grace, I have been challenged in my study habits and determination to work hard. I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone and challenged to do things that I never thought I could do. I have found my classes to be very informative, and some have even caused me to become interested in subjects that I have never thought much about before. I have been exposed to different styles of teaching and I've discovered how I function best in the classroom as well as outside of it. I have learned a lot about community and the need for other people to be involved in my life. I have enjoyed, and learned a lot, from the different relationships and friendships that I have been able to build over this past year at school. I have learned to communicate better with my professors and my friends. Overall the experience of being surrounded by great professors, and the ability to build friendships and other relationships, as well as the educational aspect of Grace, have been very valuable to me.

I have become a completely different person since starting college two years ago. I've grown and matured and learned so much! I can't imagine how I would be different if I had just gone into the work force after high school, or if I had stayed at home and attended community college. I've learned about my faith in my Bible classes, and that has caused me to become a more authentic Christian. I've also learned a great deal about myself and others in my counseling and psychology classes. I think I've learned just as much through the friendships I've formed at Grace College, especially my friendships with the girls in my dorm. My friends have taught me how to value people more than my to-do list, and they've taught me how to be more generous and loving. It's difficult to sum up my college experience in one sentence, but I gave it my best shot: Being a student at Grace has caused me to understand myself more, made me into more of a thinker, expanded my knowledge, and has given me the opportunity to form deep friendships that will last.

As a senior in high school I was self-serving and individualistic. This doesn't seem horrible considering most people are very much this way. Still, if I could say one thing I to myself, it would be "Hey Dan! Why don't you quit being so self-conscious and start spending time caring about other people?!" What changed me in college was the fact that people selflessly spent time on me. Curtis didn't mind loaning his car though he would rather be running his own errands with it. Samuel sacrificed homework time to help me study. Andy always checked everyone's room to sure no one was left out of a game of ultimate frisbee. Micheal spent extra time with me before and after practice to help work on running technique. Somewhere along the way, I caught on and naturally began investing my own time towards other people. This turned out to be the most rewarding thing that happened to me during my first year of college. Thinking back to the impatiently selfish young man I was in high school, I realized that instead of being cold and complacent I should have been spreading more kindness and generosity.

I would tell myself to work at the best of my ability in everything, so I can learn what is needed to know for college, and to take as many AP courses as I can during the ending of my Highschool year. College life is entirely different from Highschool. We need to become more mature and be able to handle ourselves. It is our responsibility to get a good grade and learn. Many people seem to get lazy in the ending of their Highschool years and do not get the most out of it. This is crucial to be the best you can be. If you are not faithful in the small things, how could you possibly be faithful in the large things. I would also tell myself to take as many AP courses as possible because it will give me a jump start in my career. Not only would college be cheaper because I would not have to take some classes, but I would finish earlier. This would have saved me thousands of dollars and I would be ahead of everyone in my graduating class. This is something I regret, and if I could go back I would.

If I could go back to high school and give myself advice, knowing what I know now I would tell myself not to sweat the small stuff and focus on the things that really matter. During high school we manage to concern ourselves with small stuff and worry about other people. The truth is no one can define who we are by what they think or say, only we can define who we are. We are all valuable and precious in the eyes of our maker and our worth is in Him. Be strong in your faith and allow God's direction in your life. When the storms arise, remind yourself that "this too shall pass" and we are always where God wants us to be. Our life is like a huge chapter book, sometimes we get stuck in a situation that seems too hard to proceed thru; we just need a gentle reminder that this is just a page, there is so much more out there and the pages will turn and the chapter book will continue. Praise God in all things and show the love of Christ to all.