Hendrix College Top Questions

College has been valuable since it has taken me out of the enviroment of poverty and allowed me to experience more of the world. Before college, I had never been out of the state of Arkansas. Since enrollment, I've been all over the south and to some of the north. I'm studying abroad in India at the moment thanks to the school's program. I've also become a much more well rounded person. I've become more articulate. College has been the best experience so far in my life.

Life is going to change, and change can be very, very good. Always remember to be true to your convictions. Set your goals high so that even if you miss the mark, you are still making great strides. Think about all the things you will have to do for yourself - like laundry - and learn how to do it. Learn about healthy foods because most of what you run into will be yummy but will add to your tummy. Start an exercise regimen so that you don't get soft. Help your friends because you will need help someday too. Share your thoughts because everyone is not as different as you think. Be open to new ideas, but don't lose your sense of morality. Kindness goes a long way. Call home when you are blue, but don't expect that mom and dad will come to the rescue. Dorm rooms are small. Take less and have more. Learn how to manage your money because when it's gone, it's gone. Discover new ways to buy your books, but always be sure you know what you are getting. Remember that wants are different from needs. College should be about needs.

"Study all of the time.", "Go to every party!", "Be in every club available on campus". These are all terrible advice. Although these phrases may sound like seizing the day or being fully devoted to academic excellence, it is impossible to succeed with any of these pieces of advice. If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, all I would tell myself about college is "Balance". Over the first semester of my new college life, I have had to make a lot of adjustments to find how to best live my life. I have found that balance is truly key when it comes to a time as hectic and exciting as college. I have found it is important to balance studying with having fun, spontaneous trips to IHOP at 3am with eating a healthy diet, relaxation with working out at the campus gym, spending time in the city and spending time in nature. Though everyone's combination for a balanced life is different, it is important for each student to find out how to maintain a healthy balance. For me, balancing my life made my first semester an all-around success.

The first bit of advice that I would give myself is to start saving up money, because everything at college is expensive. Buying supplies needed for the dorms and even quarters for laundry means that with all expenses any money disapears fast. It's imporant to start saving early and to continue to save while in college. Next, I would tell myself to start a healthy sleep habits. It makes paying attention in class a lot easier if you have plenty of sleep. I spent the semester exhausted all the time because I would put my homework off until late and I didn't get enough sleep. My grades suffered at first but I managed to pull off good grades when I changed my habits. It is also important to learn how to manage my time early. Especially when it comes to doing homework earlier and balancing free time with work time. The last bit of advice is to have a way to contact home. The first couple weeks are very busy and stressful and many people get home sick. Adjusting to a new life style is hard, especially away from home and having a familar voice makes it easier.

Dear Nicole, No one will care about what you did in high school. Pulling all-nighters is not scary when done with friends. You will make friends. Learn to use a paper format other than MLA. Drink before the party. Once you figure out what you want to do, do not stop. Study abroad. Smile at strangers when you get here, and always hold the door. Do not cut in the lunch line. Attend hall meetings. Take advantage of alone time. The couches in the library are not comfortable. Make flashcards for finals. If the textbook has an online resource page for students, questions from it will be on the test. Attend class. Yes, every class. You will get in a fight with your roommate. You will both get over it. Sweatpants are ok. So are t-shirts. Cattiness is not ok. Neither is intolerance. Bring every costume you own. You will use these. Be completely honest with your academic advisor. It's ok to drop a class if you have to. It's not ok to ignore what you love. Your parents miss you already. Find every scholarship in existence. Most importantly, Nicole, bring rain boots. Carry on.

Assuming that I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to stress out so much about grades in college because it is a hard transition that everyone goes through. I would make sure to tell myself to keep up with the homework and study everyday otherwise you will struggle in the end. However, I would also tell myself to go and have fun an meet as many people as you can. By knowing what I know now, I would have not taken for granted how easy life was my high school senior year and enjoyed every aspect of it.

I would tell myself to not let college pass by too quickly. It used to be the case that I would laugh it off and say "yeah right" when people told me that college would be the best four years of my life. Now I see that this is the truth! Everything is so amazing, at least at Hendrix College. College is an opportunity to learn as much as you can about anything you've ever wanted to know. College is a time for self-discovery. On a more practical note, I would also tell myself to master time management. It took a while to get used to the heavy workload of a demanding college, but now I make daily to-do lists and schedules. This has allowed me to double-major, maintain a 3.8GPA, and possibly even graduate a semester early. Furthermore, I'd tell myself to get a grip on my finances before it's too late. It is tempting to go out all of the time and spend money during Freshman year, but if you can budget effectively, you will avoid a lot of heartache in the end.

Close your eyes and think about the things in life that make you smile and what qualities about yourself you proud of and would like to develop further. These things are important. As a high school senior, you are interested in a lot of different things and it is overwhelming to think you have to choose just one thing to pursue in college. Don?t worry about choosing. Keep your mind and heart open. Your path will be chosen over time as you do the best you can to explore your options. Answers are not nearly as important as the questions themselves. Take care of your mind and body, but step out of your comfort zone sometimes. You will make friends, and some of them will be there for you your entire life. Life is not a personal fable, meaning that no matter what is happening to you someone else has had that happen too. You are never alone, but at the same time you are never the complete focus of everyone else's attention either. Do what you think is right. When something goes wrong, redirect your efforts. Overall, stay true to yourself!

Being happy with the way things have turned out for me, I would not make any suggestions. Anything I could think to say that would make the transition a little smoother would probably alter where I am today. This may not be an original thought, but I am happy with my life and where it is right now. However, if it would strictly change the transition and nothing else in my life, I would tell myself to be wary of the relationships that my past self would try to maintain as I make that transtion. I would warn myself that in such a community and close knit atmosphere, it will be difficult to keep those relationships as they were before. I would tell myself that I am entering an entirely new experience and that change is for the better in this situation. I would warn myself that it would be best to begin that change before the semester begins. This may mean little to someone else, but to my past self, I believe it would make quite a bit of sense.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a senior in high school, I would definitely tell myself to try every type of class while in high school. Don't be too sure. When I came to Hendrix, I was set on physics. I'd never taken a physics class because well, the teacher at my high school was not a competent teacher. I enjoyed everything physics, though. Now that I'm taking a phyics class, I'm not too sure. It's caused a lot of stress and confusion. I'd also tell myself that I need to learn HOW to study. I never really had to in high school. If I did, it would just be cramming. That is absolutely unacceptable here. My first round of tests were abismal. I realized that I just didn't know how to study. It seems like something you should justnknow, but I really had to train myself. If I'd done that in high school, it would have saved me from a lot of initial bad grades. One more thing I would tell myself would to not be embarassed to hang out with my parents. They buy food.