Ali
The advice I would give myself is that your going to be your own advocate and that you need to make sure you know how to budget money. Another thing I would have told myself is that you may not get along with your roommate, like the school food and not agree with your professors views and that you also have to be willing to reach out to other people and ask for help. It is also okay that you don't like your college that you may have first picked. I also would adcive when packing for college that having less is more because you can be in a room that is a size of a closet and having too much will make the room cluttered. It's also alright ot say no to drinking and other things you may be pressured into to just fit in with the crowd. Finally, try to work ahead if you can with your assignments and reading over notes everyday so your not struggling or stressed to finish assignments on time. It is also alright to always call home when you just need to release your frustrations or you feel home sick.
Shelby
Okay, Shelby, I know that hte best thing in the world is to get out of high school as fast as you can so tha tyou can "get on" with your life. But listen, this IS your life! Livein the here and now, in the moment. Don't rush this next year of your life ecause if you do you will just keep on rushing to the next best thing, never stopping to enjoy where you are.
To successfully transition into college you have to enjoy the moments you have now. Planning and looking ahead is not a bad thing, but if you start making the future your focus you are going to miss every moment that you encounter. Essentially, you are going to misss your college years. You can never get them back. Trust me, you are going to a great college. One where you will make life long friends. Appreciate the education you are getting because you will come across people who don't. Don't make their mentatily your mentaility.
Finally, I know a part of you is scared. Fear cripples us from doing great things. In this next phase, do not walk by fear, but faith.
Rebecca
“Life may seem simple and easy now, but hold on because everything changes when you go to college.” This is the sentence I wish someone had told me as I finished my senior year and looked forward to starting college with excitement. College is a whole new world that is enjoyable but is definitely a balancing act that takes a lot of practice to master. Learn to manage your time now, so that when you have the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want, you will be able to prioritize and get the more important things accomplished first. It is good to be busy with classes, friends, and other activities, but do not forget to take some time for yourself. Sleep is also very important with such a busy lifestyle, so do not let yourself miss out on at least a little sleep every night. Finally, soak in every experience that happens at college because life only happens once and some of the best memories are made during your college years!
Mitchell
College life is a lot different and more challeging from high school. There are two major things I would tell myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself. The first would be, always make sure you are accomplishing your work and doing your best at it. This is important because in high school you could possibly get away with missing an assignment and the teacher would not care but in college it is a completely different story. Teachers don't want excuses they want your homework done and for your best work. The other thing I would tell myself is, be open to new ideas and be social. In high school your days are basically set but its different in college you have to do stuff on your own and make new friends. Being social is a great way to interact with people and gain friendships that will last a life time. These are the two things I feel are the most important and would tell myself if I could go abck in time.
alina
As a high school senior, I did not prepare myself enough for the college life. I can recall missing an astonishing amount of school days, coming late to my classes and leaving school early. I purposely took mediocre classes so I would not have to try too hard to pass. I definitely slacked off during my senior year, not realizing that just in a few short months I would be responsible for a completely different work load and many new challenges. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to first of all try harder academically. Instead of taking classes that were perhaps even bellow my level, I would challenge myself to take at least one challenging honors course in order to prepare for the vigorous work load that comes with college courses. College professors do not tolerate too many absences or tardiness I would motivate my high school self to try to never miss a single class. High school and college are two completely different worlds and there are many ways a high school student can prepare themselves for the drastic change.
robert
I would have placed a stronger emphasis on education, academic proficiency, and study. I would have read more books and engaged more in various subjects. Also, I would have placed a greater emphasis on computer knowlege and typing. I have been out of school for many years before I came to college but the transition went very well because of my great desire and passion for learning and education. I didn't care too much about college when I was in high school and I wish I would have been more concerned and focused. I would have told myself about the great need for college and the great blessing and impact it would have on my life, maturity, matriculation, and career.
adriana
I am satisfied with the way I transitioned from my senior year in high school to college life. I would tell myself to enjoy all the free time because in college you have none of that, your life rotates around homework and work. I would definitly tell myself to enjoy all the free time I had on my hands.
Krista
I would tell myself to be more dedicated to my school work. I am good at getting things done, but lack some motivation. I would also tell myself to be prepared and not afraid of change. I was very afraid of coming to college, but it has been such a blessing and I absolutely love it here! The professors, administration, and students are all so caring and I have truly been blessed and blown away by them. I would tell myself that God is in control so I don't have to worry about change because he has it in his hands. I would tell myself not to procrastinate. I tend to procrastinate and while I always get things done on time, I normally have at least a couple things in a year that I wait until the last minute to do. I am very blessed to be able to attend Lancaster Bible College.
Christian
I would say: Study hard... Focus on your education and then worry about having fun... There is more to life than just having fun; although having fun is part of life... Love others and focus on them before you focus on yourself... Read your Bible like your life depends on it, because it honestly does... Stay humble yet confident... Find poeple that will help you get through the hard times and will be excited for you in the good... Think before you react or speak... Soak up as much as possible in the lectures and as you study... Do not rush into anything without thinking it through and consulting others... Be patient with others... Love learning... Do everything to the best of your ability... and when you feel like everything is caving in on you and there is no one to run to, run to God and He will help and comfort you.
Jonathan
If I could go back to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would say the following:
Jonathan, you're in for the experience of your life. You are going to love LBC. The teachers are great, the campus is the perfect fit for you, and most important, the people/students are incredible. The people that you will meet at LBC will change your life for the best. College is what you make of it though. Get involved early. Be involved with all that the campus has to offer. It's going to be a lot more challenging than high school though (as you already know). You've heard it a million times, but get into those good work habits early. Also, make sure you find the right balance between staying on campus, growing closer with your friends, and keeping in contact with your family. God, family, friends...keep these things your priorities and you'll do great.
Courtney
Stop trying to find yourself. Life is about becoming. Find good study partners and go the extra mile to be helpful to them. If you get something before they do, spend some time helping them to grasp the concept. Teaching someone else will vastly improve your understanding of the subject, more so than if you focus on learning it yourself. Besides, you never know when you will need a set of notes from someone who does a good job at it. Also, avoid bad company (hard drug addicts, party people - they will distract you and give you nothing in return - , extremely antisocial people).
Rachel
Prepare for the essays. I would also warn myself about the difficultly of transistioning from life at home to college. Keep studying hard, and focus on your faith more. Keep Christ as your center.
Deedra
I would tell myself that community college is good start and to save all the money you can because Arizona Christian University is a really expensive school. Follow your dreams and goals and becoming a nail tech is the best thing you could have done to maintain a good job while in phoenix. It is initally a tough transition no matter how old you are but remember family is always there where you need it. Don't procrastinate ever its a bad idea. Being an Elememtary school teacher will be tough but rewarding when you get down to it. You dont always have to know what you want to be wen you go into college.
Jennifer
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself, first and foremost, to NOT procrastinate as much as I did. Being in college now makes me realize how important scheduling my time is. Also, I would tell myself to apply myself and my knowledge more. In college, I'm realizing how much I can do and I never was able to do that in high school but now I can exceed my own expectations in college.
Akasha
I would reccomend taking jump start classes. I went to a small private college and could not take college prep classes. I would tell myself to take as many college courses as I could before I came to LBC and paid their price for gen. ed. classes, even if it meant a year at a community college.
Grace
Grace, let God work. Stop fighting Him, trust Him. You are going to meet some amazing people at school. They love you and want to be there for you, so let them. Pay attention to the work you do and do it to the best of your ability, you will use it in the future, trust me. Your professors are incredible people who will pour into your life. Enjoy this expirience, it goes faster than you think. Just remember what you are here for, to get an education, to grow closer to Christ and become who He needs you to be. Be open to His leadings and teachings. Never forsake your daily time with Him, it's priceless. You will learn a lot about yourself in the next few years, change what you dont like, and praise God for what you do. You are going to meet an amazing guy, his name is Stephen. He wont be the easiest to love sometimes, but choose love him unconditonally. At this point, you dont know what will happen, but trust God and let Stephen lead. Above all, in growing closer to God, swallow your pride, live for others and live for Christ.
Josh
Learn how to write papers at a college level. Also the biggest thing is time management. Know when to do work and sacrifice social time.
Alicia
I would say that I should work on being more socialable and helpful to my fellow high school classmates. I should not be as intensely focused on academics as I am because part of the college experience is to be socialable. I would definitely tell my high school self that I need to start working on taking more responsibility for my actions instead of always rely on my parents for meals or even wake me up. It is a huge responsibility to be able to interact with those in higher authority yourself than have others interact your authority for you. Working on making ends meet in any conflict is another way that will help mature my high school self for my college self. These are the transitions I would advise my high school self.
Sarah
Dear Sarah,
College can be a big change. One of the things that you can do to prepare yourself is to ask what do I want to be in the next year? What are the changes or growth I need to make to be the person that I want to be? As much as you dream that college will change you to who you want to be, you will still be the same person, have the same quirks and struggles. Sure, you will change from who you were in high school, but growth won't happen unless you make the effort. So go ahead and start making the transition now to who you want to be. If there are relationships you want to keep from high school and beyond, be intentional about them. If there are habits you want to make or break, start now. Growth just doesn't happen just because you go to college, but because you make the effort to change wherever you are. Your years at college can make or break who you want to be as a person. I'm eager for your growth and change to college!
the college student,
Sarah
Anissa
If I had the opportunity to know then what I know now, maybe my life would be a little different. I would tell myself that the junior college in town isn't so bad. It's the perfect transition from high school to a major university because the classes are small, the professors are approachable, and the campus is familiar, making the college experience go smoothly. Maybe then I wouldn't have wasted my time arguing with my parents over not wanting to stay in town for two years. I would’ve told myself that I’m not too good for a junior college, I also would’ve mentioned that several people who left for a major university have already returned to town and have enrolled in the junior college because they weren’t ready for a university quite yet. The main thing I would've told myself is to not worry so much,