Grove City College Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself an anonymous quote that I read in the past that helped me to get through the first few months of college. "If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we've never really lived". During my senior year, I was anxiously looking forward to making the dream of me, attending college, become reality, however I never expected what a drastic and overwhelming change that really is. I would remind myself not to take for granted the luxuries I have at home: the smell of home-made food, the sounds of my parents talking in the other room, or the knowledge of my brother and sister being but a floor above me. I would prepare myself to feel nervous, but encourage myself to replace any fear with excitement because these changes are what make life uncomfortable at first, yes, but beautiful with time. Every change is different, but one more way to rely on God. I would remind myself that I am right where He wants me, and that change and growth are magnificent.

As a high school senior, I was deathly afraid that I wouldn't get accepted to college, and even more afraid that I wouldn't fit in at school if I was accepted. Fortunately, I was accepted to Grove City College, and upon arriving, I found that people at college are pretty much exactly the same as the ones in high school, just a little more overworked. However, the people at college all have something in common that brings everyone together into a close knit community: they are all here by choice to learn and further their education. There aren't any sullen people who try their best to show their displeasure at being there. People are happy to be here, and academic fellowship allows you to make friends of and form relationships with people you would never have noticed before. If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell my past self that college isn't all fun and games; it is hard work, but the people who attend it make it all worth the trouble.

Knowing what I now do about college I would have had several things to tell myself as a high school senior. The most important thing I would have told myself would have been to stop being so frivolous and to buckle down and give everything that I did, wether it be school, work or sports, my best effort possible. Not that i was not successful or did not achieve high grades during my senior year, but i did take many shortcuts and was lazy just as many other seniors are. I wish I had done this, not as much for the better results that would have been achieved, but rather because it would have prepared me better mentally for college and its many challenges. I would also have told myself to stop being heavily entertainment oriented. Once you stop using good study habits and begin to focus primarily on hanging out with friends and going out at night it is much harder to begin college and regain the discipline which you once had. Overall I would have tried to let my former self know that discipline in every apect of your life is what is needed to succeed in college.

Although the transition to college was indeed very drastic and abrupt, I believe that various experiences in my life (such as my parent?s divorce and our subsequent cross-country move) taught me the ability to adapt and helped prepare me for the changes. While most of the adjustments, such as walking across campus for every meal or living on a hall with 36 other guys, were minor and posed no problem, I did find it quite challenging to develop a structured schedule. In hindsight, I feel that developing a routine before actually leaving for college would have helped me through the transition. Given the ability to advise my high-school-senior-self about the future I would have also stressed the importance of time management skills and self-responsibility, things I have found to be absolutely necessary to a successful college student. Finally, I would have encouraged myself to really learn the material in my high school courses, since I would see most of it again in my college freshman classes. Learning it as a senior would save me precious time in college and would allow my future self to focus on topics that were completely foreign.

What do you think you?re doing? How could I have been so stupid? You are about to make mistakes you are really going to regret. I know that you think it?s all pointless but you are wrong. I stay up at night wishing that I had some chance to go to a University and follow my dream as a Computer Animator, but we didn't even have that goal yet. I want you to learn from your mistakes and listen to people and what they are telling you. I know in that thick skull you think you?re just, but you?re not. Not even focused on college yet. If only you could have lit that spark years earlier. Now all I want to do is to go to school. Become my dream as a Computer Animator. You didn't get scholarships during senior year so you lost a whole year because of it. Do better, exceed everyone?s expectations. Soar high until you touch the stars, because that is where you want to be. You want to be on top of the world, not to own it but to help it and dazzle everyone in it.

I would tell myself to work hard at academics, but not to stress too much about it. I would tell myself to pick a few organizations on campus that I could get passionate about and stay dedicated to them. I would tell myself to try and make a lot of friends from different groups around campus, but once there is a solid foundation, stay and cultivate those friendships instead of just trying to make more and more friends. I would tell myself to be as open and friendly as possible to the people around me. I would tell myself to become a math major instead of a business major, that way I wouldn't have wasted my freshman year on business classes.

According to the Bible, ?Life is fleeting, like a vapor?. A vapor appears for a few seconds, but soon disperses into transparent air. The time available to us has the same nature. Just when we think we have unlimited hours at our disposal, we take a step back and realize how much of our lives has slipped through our fingers. Clocks are not going to stop, so instead we have to make it our priority to not let valuable ticks of the timepiece escape us. In high school, I did not recognize that I had only been given a certain amount of time to accomplish my goals and did not take advantage of the opportunities right in front of me. Now that I appreciate the fact that we have been blessed with a precise period of life I have begun to step outside my normal ?comfort zone? and make the most of the time I have been given. I have found that I have the strength to do things I never considered, such as inner-city tutoring. We are only given a split-second in the large scope of time. Do not ever waste a single moment.

If I could go back in time and speak to my former self, I would say, start applying to college early. Applying to College and Universities late gives you less time to make a decision on a life long career. It will be confusing and a waste of money in the future. All of us want to prepare for our dream job, but in reality very few are in the career we attended school for. I spent two years getting a degree in Computer Technology thinking it was going to be a perfect career once I graduated, but was severely disappointed when the economy went down and I found out Multi-million dollar companies in small towns need only one IT employee to run it. Here I stand, with an Associates Degree in Computer Technology, working a minimum wage job and unable to live in a larger city where odds of getting a job in my field is more probable, but not guaranteed. Therefore, do not wait around for things to fall in your lap. Make decisions on what you want for your future, so you won't waste your time and money in becoming a professional college student.

If I had the unconventional opportunity to go back in time to my senior year in high school, I would give myself many different forms of advice. Mainly, I would strongly advise my prior self to save as much money as possible. When in college, money seems to evaporate between all of the diffferent costs. If I would have saved more money while in high-school, it very well could have made the transition a little smoother. Another point of advice would be to work on being proactive and ditching the habit of procrastination. Many students tend to fall prey to the convenient habit of pushing off their work and the best advice would be to tackle the work head on so that you have time to check and polish your ideas. Finally, I would recommend that I would expose myself to different groups of individuals and steer away from what makes me feel safe. Besides the conventional type of learning, there is an unwritten education at college. It is about meeting new people who think differently and challenge your beliefs and viewpoints. It forces you out of your comfort zone and helps with the change to adulthood.

Deciding to go to a four year college is a big step and can be an exciting adventure. If I could go back and give myself some advice, I would definitely remind myself not to let fear stop me from trying new things. College presents students with so many great opportunities that we may never have again. I would tell myself to look around and realize that once this time is over, I will most likely have other responsibilities that will not allow me to do everything I can do now. Take advantage of every opportunity! Years from now, when I look back on my four years of college, I don't want to be disappointed that I was too scared to try something new. Take on the adventure and don't be afraid of failure. Sometimes, failing can be the best way to learn.

The first advice I would want to give myself is to not take 18 credits the first semester of college or any semester for that matter. College is not all about studying and working. There are many lessons to be learned and memories to be made outside of the classroom and books. It is not worth all the money you pay to go to school if you do not spend time with friends or have fun. Yes, school work is important and honoring to God, but it is not everything. Remember, failing a test is so minimal in God?s eyes. He wants to use you for His glory, so do not hide behind books all the time. Sleep is extremely important. Be sure to get decent sleep, or you will regret it. You will be more cheerful and attentive if you get good sleep. Also, make sacrifices for others and give of your time to help others as much as you can. It feels good. Be creative and use your time wisely. Choose specific fun things to do with your friends and plan accordingly. College life is wonderful. Make the most of every opportunity and trust God in everything.

I would tell myself to enjoy the easy life while it's still available. College isn't fun and games like everyone makes it out to be.

I would advise parents to listen to what their children truly want out of life. If it does not match what the parent's dreams for the child are. Than, they need to work together to find a way to compromise and find both a school and degree that will satisfy both parties. I would also advise parents that often times a student will go into something only to realize that what they really want to do is what you have been encouraging them towards their whole life. But, you need to let them figure this out on their own! To students, I say, to make the most out of your college experience, meet lots of people! This will not only be key to you having a great time at school! But, it also builds great connections and relationships that can last for the rest of your life! Take your college experience as a blessing! Study hard, spend time getting to know your professors( they write great recommendation letters!) and also take time to build lasting friendships with your fellow students!

Finding the right college, looking back at it, is really about a) do they have what you're looking for academically (majors, programs, quality of education)? and b) do you have the money to pay for it in a reasonable way? But finding the "right" college isn't as important as what you do when you get there. That's what will make or break your college experience. And really, the college experience (like all of life) is about relationships. Your friends are what will make the college experience wonderful for you, so choose them carefully. Find people who encourage you, who like and accept you for who you are, and in return encourage and accept them. Get involved in campus groups that suit your interests, or find something new to try. This is not to say that you should ignore your academics! College work is an important stepping stone to a good career, and your friends - the good ones - will understand that. But either way, the friendships that you make will truly be what you carry with you from college, and that is how to make the most of your college experience.

Find a college that is the right fit for you. Make sure that your major is offered. Make sure the size of the college and the classroom sizes are right for you. Find out what social activities are available. You want to feel good about your choices for free time activities as well as class room activities. And remember not everyone knows exactly what they want to do at 18 years old, it is okay to make changes as you develop into who you are becoming.

I would say that visiting the college is the most important part. I know as soon as I visited the school I currently attend, I knew that was where I was supposed to be. It clicked, and I knew it was the right place to be. Everything else clicked into place. Regarding making the most of the experience, all I can say is get involved. Whether it be varsity sports, clubs, intramural sports, musical groups, or any other organization go for it. You will meet amazing people, and have the most memorable experiences of your lifetime, guaranteed. You will love whichever college you pick, because you create the experience, your school does not dictate this.

When looking for a college, it might help to find a site that you can list criteria at in order for the site to narrow down options. As for making the most of college, get involved. It is a surefire way to make the most of your time. If you can get involved in multiple things. If the college you chooses has brother/sister halls, and freshman activities, go to them, those are the places you will most likely get to know people that you will be friends with for life.

the one thing that i would reccomend to parents and students dueing the application process would be to take their time. i took a year off after high school and it was the best possible thing that i could have done. during the year off i worked full time, which worked greatly in my maturation process and gave me a better idea of what direction i wanted to take my life in. without having taking a year off i wouldn't have wound up at the school that i did. the year off also allowed me some pretty cool opportunities in addition to working. one thing that i was able to do was spend 2 weeks in the UK visiting friends. it was great to experience a different culture and see how history is different there than it is in America. throughout my whole year off i learned many pratical things such as discipline and hard work, but i was also able to have fun and experience some pretty cool things and i would reccomend it to anyone who is unsure in their search for a college

Hello prospective college students and parents! My advice for finding the "right" college is to go out there and visit schools! Ask questions! Do you fit in with the students? Are the professors approachable and knowledgeable? What activities and events are available to students, especially on weekends? How important is sports? Theater? Greek life? Volunteer opportunities? Check out the classrooms, library, student center, cafeteria, and dorm rooms. Are they inviting? Modern? Clean? "Shop around" for a school where you are comfortable, a school where you could say, "I'm ready to go home" in reference to your dorm room. Students, my advice for making the most of your college experience is to seize every moment. Regarding your social life, form strong relationships with new people. Experience life, both on campus and off. But DON'T act irresponsibly. And regarding your academic life, work hard by diligently. Challenge yourself to move out of your comfort zone. Experiment with new ways of thinking. Inquire about diferent internship and job opportunites, especially over-seas. And most importantly, distinguish your name from the thousands of students who will soon compete with you for a job. Be risky, but be smart. Good luck!

It's worth the money to attend. It's a gorgeous campus, and I really enjoy it. The professors are amazingly helpful and I have learned a lot in my classes and from my friend.