Grand Canyon University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self about college, I would advise myself to go to college as soon as you get out of high school because you are the daughter of a deceased world war II veteran and you would most likely be able to get some help from the veterans administration if you go while you are under a certain age. Don't wait like I ended up doing and am now having to find a way to finance my education. The experience will be a new and different one, but if you go to the right college it will be a good one. You will learn a lot and make friends that could become life long friends. You also want to consider the fact that having a degree will be very helpful when it comes to finding well paying positions in your chosen field.

I would say: "Jocelyn, make sure that when you go back to school you are awake durring the early morning classes, those low grades will come back to bite you in the rump when it comes time to graduate. Be sure to take as many summer and mini-semesters as you can, it is a great way to power through classes like math and BCIS. ALWAYS

The transition into college is really hard. The work necessarily isn't harder, but it's the small things that are hard to transition into. Going to class, doing the homework that isn't graded, and taking time to study- not just the night before a test. Growing up on a reservation, it was always hard to go into the other side of the bridge and form relationships with people you haven't known your entire life. However, I promise that if you go the extra mile, things will get easier. Step out of your comfort zone, introduce yourself to people, get involved in activities to meet people and you will form bonds that will last a lifetime. It will make going to class and studying more fun when you can do it with people you enjoy being around. The transition into college will be so much easier if you stop being comfortable all the time and take a leap into the darkness to discover what is on the other side.

Dear Senior, You know how you felt like high school meant everything? Well, I want you to know that there is so much more waiting for you. Yes, not everything turns out how you want it to, but that's not always a bad thing. there are so many adventures waiting to happen - you just have to search for them. Seek them out. When people and circumstances push you down, get back up and move on and do your best. Even when people tell you that you can't do something, prove them wrong by persevering and fighting for what you truly want. Don't give up. You have more strength in you than you know, and there will be times that you need to access that strength when you feel like giving in to the lies that you are weak and done. Your life and your dreams are worth fighting for, and there are people who look up to you that are counting on your strength to help them. Be your courageous self and others will be encouraged by you. You are making an impact on your world so learn to live fearlessly. Waiting in anticipation, Your Future Self

The advice that I would give my self, after learning and experiencing college life would be first to explore more options, stay true to what you believe in and stay focused no matter what the situation. A personal note will be to find a friend that knows how to cook. I would also advise myself to quickly get involved into as many programs and organizations that you can handel. Make sure you are understnding the basic methods of good time managment and if you are going to stay on campus then get involved with sports or organizations that will help you become a well rounded student. Look deeply inside your future and choose who you want to be, not what others want you to be.

Hi JoAnn, I am from your future, and life it is NOTHING like we planned. I beg you please stay focused on the future you have planned! those feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, I promise, are just growing pains. Going to college will give you not only a new beginning but a step toward a much more secure future. Don't listen to that boy. Besides, you were accepted to the three (3) schools you applied to. Just stay focused on this last year of high school so you can make the valiant transition to a well-deserved college life! Remember ‘What happens to a dream deferred...' I want you to go to college. Make our plans our reality. You will be inspired and appreciated for you and have that healthy exchange of encouragement you are seeking. You are a clever girl with real ideas and ideals. College will be the opportunity to explore your interests and yes, join the sorority you often dream of. It is so much more than you can imagine. The experiences will be life long and always rewarding. Let’s go tell mom and dad we chose Butler University,… please. Everything else can wait.

I would tell myself that it would be more beneficial to go to college right away. I would tell myself that in only a few hard years I will have a career. I would also tell myself that it would be easier to do college before having children. To give my children the attention that they need, they will need you to not do so much homework throughout the day. When I graduated high school in 2002, I went into the work force right away thinking fast money would be better than no money for a few years. I would say do not settle for a job that will not make you happy. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do but I would inform myself that my heart is in nursing. That way I don't have to think about what I want to do when I graduate. Lastly, I would tell myself to believe in my abilities to get things done and not to questions my educational commitments. Comforting myself and giving myself the confidence needed to succeed will greatly increase my chances of gaining my degree earlier.

Do not make life harder than it has to be. I know that being an independent adult is important to you but there is another way to gain that independance rather than what you are doing now. Indepence has it's perks but it also has a lot of responsibilty (mainly with money). It's true, in-order to live you must pay; everything that you want as an independent adult you must pay for even having a family. I know that you are only thinking about the big picture but in-order to have that "big picture' you must pay for all the little picture details. Go to College! Even if you do not know exactly what you want to do just start with your General Education. A higher education will provide you and your future family with financial stability to pay for the "Big Picture Dream." Also, I know that the "College Life" (aka- partying) seems like a perk while attending College but truthfully it is a lot more trouble than what it is worth. Have fun in moderation and stay focused. A college education will truly bring you happiness in all aspects of life.

I would tell myself to never be scared to take risks or to put myself out there. Then, I would remind myself that in order to have a successful college career, I need to apply myself to my classes more and remind myself I am there for an education. And, although I think I was successful in developing relationships, I now know that I have a lot of flaws that are not exactly considered good friend material. I think I would tell myself that I need to not just be friendly, but I must realize that life is about working with others, no matter their personalities or whether I "think" they are right or not. Finally, I would make time to develop my faith in God more, as well as make time and gain the confidence to go and ask professors questions. To sum it up in two words I would tell myself to "grow up".

Many graduating college students are realizing far too late that there is a huge disconnect between what many programs are teaching and what skills are needed in the working world. In addition to that, many students do not understand that internship and extracurricular activities are not just an option, they are a necessity. Therefore, I would tell my self to research top programs for specific careers I am interested in now, but did not know I was then. Further, I would tell myself to study the courses that will teach the most practical skills and knowledge and less of the theoretical knowledge. The next thing I would tell myself would be to do as many extracurricular activities and an internship within that specific area. The extracurricular activities and internship will provide priceless networking experience and the chance to see what the field looks like. This would have changed my job outlook after graduation and potentially the school that I ended up going to. Now approaching graduate school, I am thankful I now know the importance of these experiences and strategies .

Eliminate unnecessary distractions and things that hold you back: A support system is important (family, friends, some socializing), but eliminate things that discourage or waste time and energy. Learn how to learn; research learning and study strategies—and put them to use. Proactively approach each class: Buy books in advance, and start reading before the class begins; look ahead at future assignments, and do what's possible early; invest in good study tools, but don't waste money on unnecessary props. Participate in class discussions, listen, and learn from other students as well as professors. Be willing to learn and to be taught, because if you already know more than anyone else, why are you in school? Strive for quality, excellence, and honesty in your studies and the way in which you conduct yourself; the process you use in school will become your pattern for life. It will carry over and affect work, life, and relationships. The momentum built in college will provide the velocity to propell you through life—successfully or ... Enjoy the ride: After proactively doing all possible to get an A and do well, smile, make friends, establish relationships. Help other people along the way.

Dear past self, Hope you're enjoying your last year of high school! I know it's impossible to stay motivated because you're almost out of there but trust me you need to hang in there. Once you get to college you'll wish you had picked up some awesome study tips from high school. Make more connections. The people you meet in college will be fantastic, but it will be nice to have a core friend group that you don't see everyday. Finally, have fun. It's your last year of high school. Take some courses that are interesting to you. Don't stress so much. High school will prepare you for some of what you need for the real world, but the rest you can figure out yourself

Dear Dannielle, I want you to know that going away from home and your family will be a good thing. You will meet a wonderful man who will become your husband and you will have a beautiful daughter. You will go to school to become a nurse. Keep on that road. Don't give up. Don't stop. You deserve so much. Your family is behind you! I know you can do this! Studying is hard, but so worth it. You will be the sole provider for your family, but the support they give you is incredible. Be strong, stay focused, and do your best. Love always, You.

I would tell myself not to get to used to the idea that the transition will be easy. This next year is a huge and honestly, I would have never expected that I would be where I am today. I would also tell myself that no matter what happens in the next couple of months, to remember that the most important this is to stay yourself. It's really hard to leave everything you know and grow up in just a couple of months, and at some times it may feel like you are alone but in the end if you stay true to youself and find a way to make yourself smile, you will find the beauty in the transition. College is a whole nother world, but it is also an incredible world. The best is yet to come. So as cliche as it may sound, listen to everyone that says enjoy this time, you really never get it back. Oh ans, don't sweat the small stuff, it makes the big stuff a little bit easier to handle, and gives you a lot more time to worry about the great stuff.

As a senior in college, I stress a lot about what other people would think of my college decisions. I chose programs that I thought would make others proud of me or would make me look good to my friends. I ended up hating the program I chose and wasting a lot of my time. I reversed a little, finished my Associate's at community college and chose Grand Canyon University for my Bachelor's. If I could go back in time, I would tell my past self to just trust yourself and don't listen to other people that try to dictate what you should be doing. People learn in all different ways and methods. Traditional schooling didn't work for me, so I changed to an online program, which was so much better for me. I would tell myself to take the leap and try something new without fear of being judged or disappointing anyone. My parents are just as proud of me even though I didn't choose some bug, "top 10" school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, first of all, I would be traveling into an alternate reality, since I was homeschooled from kindergarden onwards, and was thus not technically ever a high school senior. However, I would tell myself that college isn't such a foreign world - that it is a place where you can still be yourself and conquer what you set out to do. I would tell myself to have faith that I can do it ... to spend less energy on fretting and more on enjoying the experience. But most of all, what I needed to hear and still do: to be open to every possibility and where it might take me. Life leads in surprising directions. As a returning student, I never imagined before my first college courses that I would go into the culinary arts, but I've found a new direction.

My today self would advise my high school self to focus on education and give serious consideration to medical school. The other thing that I would advise the high school me of is to stay away from the parties.

I graduated from high school in 1988 in that time I did not have a lot of experience, and now that I'm going to Grand Canyon University, this school has brought out my potential to do my best in school. The advice I would give myself in high school is that I should have taken the classes that would help me get into college.

In all honesty, I would tell myself to be a complete loner and have no friends and definetly no boyfriends. They are only going to slow you down and get you now where in life. YOu dont go to school to make friends you go to learn. Are they going to help you get to Grand Canyon university? If not, then drop them like a bad habit. Homework and school activities are your bestfriends.

There are a few things that I would change. I would take more chances and follow my heart more. I would take charge and go for the job that I want instead of settle and wish. Move forward istead of wait on the side lines for my life to begin. I would tell myself that there will be hurdles and tuff situations but nothing that could not be handled with strength and passion. To always remeber to think ahead instead of in the moment and things will come your way.