Knox College Top Questions

Stay Focused and determined on all your goals and never give up.

If I could go back and tell my high school self one thing, it would be to treat myself with more kindness. I spent too much of my young adulthood criticizing myself and comparing myself to others. Perhaps it's because I'm from a generation that's been pressured to succeed, one where success is narrowly defined as "being the best." I tried my best at whatever I did, whether it was a swimming race or a paper; but like most of us, my best was rarely perfect. What I thought were failures--lost contests and grades under an A--were really just shortcomings. By being kinder to myself and more accepting of those shortcomings, I could have learned more from my experiences. Instead of being disappointed, I could have appreciated my accomplishments and tried to understand my mistakes. Success is not based on numbers and plaques. I don't remember my grades from high school or the names of awards I recieved, but I remember being proud of writing a poem and finsihing my first lab experiment. What really lasts is your willingness to grow and learn, and you can only do that by loving yourself first.

I promise you are going to find a place to fit in. You're not abandoning your friends by coming here, and you will make a large amount of new, wonderful, amazing friends who will support you 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. Don't worry about the music either; you're going to be so busy with rehearsals and private lessons and personal practice time that you won't know what to do with yourself. Also I know you're really going to miss Angel (and sometimes the homesickness does get overwhelming), but you do get an awesome beta fish, and your family is only a phone call away. Everyone that you love will still be there when you get back.

I would tell myself to not worry. Life goes quick and risks are meant to be taken. College is hard and school work is important. In order to succeed I need to put in the time and effort. I need to go to teachers and make sure I am well prepared. I need to leave my comfort zone because in college there is no one that wants to be a friend with a non-social person. Be social and take care of school. Parties will be there for the next four years so don't worry about not being cool because you do not party. Parties are the same no matter what, even if you are not there to experience them. Do not worry about women either. They will distract you from your schoolwork so worry about school above all. That is all.

To rephrase a well-known song, a little less thought and a lot more action please. The person you are on Day one of orientation is not the person you will be by Thanksgiving break unless you refuse to do things. So try things- clubs, auditions, classes. Sit down with strangers and start asking questions. Go and try out for a sport you've never done or choir. Join a volunteer group. Just do more than something, do many things. I don't mean overwhelm yourself, but don't limit yourself just because it's your first term of college and you're new to this. College is a four year shooting star that moves so quickly. In one year, my entire self-definition changed drastically and it's a beautiful thing. Just doing things without giving myself the time to think and psyche myself out made transitioning into my new life easy and enjoyable. I watched people transfer out of school after only 10 weeks because they thought too much about how different everything was. I liked high school. I didn't want to change, but that doesn't mean that I didn't absolutely need it.

I would tell myself to strive to be who you are. Do not let the people around you affect the nature of being. There will be great people that will help you in many ways, but there are people in the world who struggle with themselves and unknowingly draw negativity from the people around them. Stay positive and work alone if you have to. Maintain integrity and be a leader. Everything else is just a detail.

To enjoy every moment, and know that even when something seems to be the most stressful desicion in the world, it is part of the best experience of your life. I would also encourage myself to take classes outside of my comfort zone, and maximize the benefits of a liberal arts education to the fullest degree. I was a theatre major and now I am going back to Graduate School at the University of Chicago for my masters in Social Service Administration. Had I not had a liberal arts education, I am positive this transition would not be possible today. I only wish I had opened these doors a little earlier during my time at Knox College by exploring all of the options available to me at that time.

My time at Knox College was an invaluable experience that helped make me the person I am today. Prior to enrolling in college I was someone with a strong set of opinions, yet I was afraid to express them. Knox gave me the courage and the confidence to express my opinions, while also forcing me to critically think about why I held such opinions in the first place. Knox forced me to challenge my own assumptions about the world, as well as those held by others. The end result was that I was able to come away from the experience with a much broader world view that served to strengthen my position on some of my views while totally changing my perspective on some of my other views. Thanks to Knox College I can proudly say that I am a more informed individual with the capacity to undertsand my worldview in the context of other peoples' perspetives.

College is an experience for the better, that's for sure. You get to meet new people which definately helps your social skills. Besides the college social life, the education now a days to get a good job is absolutely a deciding factors in who gets the job and who does not. You learn the reality of being out on your own, with nobody to fall back on. It has certainly been a maturing process for me and I am sure the majority of college students as well.

What I have recieved after attending Knox College for only one year has been so amazing, it's difficult to put into words. Notonly have I recieved an interactive and stimulating education, but I have recieved a deeper understanding of myself. I have always been an independent person, so living far away from home was never a pressing issue. It was the time I spent with others, others who had different life experiences and different perspetives than I had, that made me more aware of who I was and who I wanted to be. Being away from my hometown, family, and childhood friends allowed me to introspect and find different habits and ways of thinking that felt natural to me - I just didn't know they existed. I have found a home amongst those at Knox College and I will be forever grateful that I found an institution that encourages diversity and open-mindedness in such an inclusive environment.

Don't waste your time trying to plan out every single detail; every single class, what extracurricular you will do, what your dorm will look like, etc. because IT WILL CHANGE. Go with the flow of things, take classes you normally would not take, try new clubs, meet new people and watch yourself at parties. And although many college students will maintain their highschool maturity, do not let others stop you from being who you are and doing what you want. Live life for you and enjoy it! Also do not pass judgments on others- they are not worth the time of day and college IS way too short. Be more confident because you will do great things. :)

"Julia, you have to stop being such an introvert. All those orientation events you're thinking about not going to? Go to them. Trust me, it'll make your first night on campus easier. Also, sign up for more clubs. The Anime Club is not only good for watching a great show every Thursday evening, but for meeting some potential friends. They are a very wacky group. You'll love them. Try out the Ballroom Dancing Club, too. You may be a bit awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Plus, it makes for good exercise. I also suggest you get a job on campus your first year. I can't help but feel that getting a job my first year would have made getting a job this year a lot easier. Besides, it's actually quite fun working. The people you work with are patient and entertaining and you feel extremely accomplished. Oh, and maybe learn some computer programming over the summer. It'll be a big help for when you decide to minor in computer science."

Stephanie- try your best, even though it may seem like a better idea to follow the beat of a new drum, stick with the beat in your heart. Don't forget how strong we started in freshman year! I know that all the AP classes might begin to take too much of your time, but please for our sake just keep pushing through it. Start looking for scholarships early, mom and dad will have a rough time in a year or two and we will lose almost everything. Start taking biology classes and listen closely in chemistry class; it will help you so much when you graduate. Most of all listen to the voice inside of you, no matter what anyone else tells you or how much someone tries to influence you-the only person and opinion that matters is your own. You don't need friends that will not cultivate your needs to grow. Let the people that hold you back go, you will make it through everything without their help. P.S. Don't forget to tell mom how much you love her- she needs a little extra support right about now.

I would definitely say to myself remember to have a balance between school, work, and fun. If push comes to shove then ALWAYS choose school, because a degree will look a whole lot better than a dead end job or a picture on facebook. Another thing I would tell myself is that I'm doing this for me not for anyone else, so do your best which is all you can do.

There is some useful advice I would give myself if I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self: start your applications early, learn to take useful notes, practice effective studying, get into the habit of sleeping early and learn to maintain a schedule by making a temporary schedule and following it.

Back then, I would've told myself that mistakes are inevitable, and also that while college might not be the experience I expected it to be, thus far it has provided me with all the tools necessary to go out into the world as a strong, independant individual. I wouldn't change anything I've done in college, even if it did take me until this year to get a grip on what I want to do with my life. The only thing I wish I would've encouraged my younger self to do is to join some of the literary magazines on campus, and get more experience in the writing/publication process. I would also congradulate myself on doing a good job picking out a college that is perfect for me!

I would tell myself not to sweat so much over the small things. I wouldn't have worried so much about fitting in, my high school GPA, and picking the perfect school. I think you can be happy and fit in at most schools if your attitude is open. I would have been more independent and learned to do things on my own (laundry and cooking) before I arrived on campus. The transition was fairly easy because Knox College made an effort to bring the freshman in early to introduce them to college life. I would just enjoy the last days of high school because you don't travel the same path again.

My biggest advice for students and parents that are looking for the best college is to VISIT THE CAMPUS. If the student is planning to live on campus, then it is essential to take a tour of the school, sit in on a few classes, and even stay overnight with a host student if possible. Your college will be your home for the next 3-4 years, so it is important to be familiar with it before you decide to enroll. After you select your college, please be sure to make the most out of your experience. The years will go by extremely fast and you do not want to look back on your college experience and say "Gee, I wish I had done this or that." It is a great idea to fully participate in your college's "new student orientation." This is a great way for you to meet new people and develop lifelines while you are away from home. Also, be sure to join a few extra-curricular activities. Most of all, study hard, read your books and go to class! College is a place for you to learn and academia should be your biggest priority.

To find the right college, it is necessary to visit the college first. If you don't know what it looks like, how the students interact, how classrooms are set up, the odds of you enjoying your experience are so much lower. Know exactly what you want your experience to give you (a proper education or best friends or a career opportunity or fabulous networking) before you choose. If the school doesn't have your major, don't even bother applying or visiting. Take into account what racial, political, and socio-economic diversity means to you, and if it could make or break your decision. If financial issues are a problem, find a school that makes that problem disappear. Remember that talking to students, professors, and alumni helps you get a guage of what sort of school you are considering, and if you fear peer pressure, try to make friends during orientation to keep form falling into the wrong crowd. The goal is to get a great education and have a good time -- otherwise, you can always transfer, but that takes more time the second time around. :)

While the school I chose was not my first choice initially, over the course of my senior year I started to grow more attracted to what my school had to offer. The school seemed to offer more opportunities to acquire scholarships and receive financial aid then did the other schools. And during my visits, I was always encouraged to have individual meetings with the admissions counselors and the faculty members making me feel that the school was looking for my best interest and that they wanted me to attend their school more than I may have wanted to at the time. If I could give a parent or a student advice about finding the right college is to keep all your options open until the final decision deadline and definitely go and visit the college and the amount you learn, see and hear about the college during a single visit is worth more than any information you can find on a brochure or a website. Consider all the aspects the college has to offer when choosing a college. Academics and rankings may be important to consider, but it doesn't mean anything if you end up not liking the school.