Lehigh University Top Questions

You are about to enter the best four years of your life to date. Note, however, that what you get out of college is a measurable reflection of what you put into it. Your brain power and work ethic will be challenged, but overcoming these challenges will make way for countless opportunities. Your social skills and social awareness will be tested, but stay true to your ethics and morals while keeping an open mind to what others have to offer, and you will emerge with some of the most important friendships you will ever develop. Be driven, be focused, and keep your goals at the forefront of your decision-making. However, do not be so driven that you isolate yourself, do not be so focused that you forego chances to expand, and always understand that goals will inevitably shift and grow. A common phrase you may hear is “Work smarter, not harder.” Bullshit. Work smart, work hard. Know that without making a proactive effort to exercise the reaches of your intelligence and work as hard as you can, you cheat yourself of reaching your true potential. Challenge convention, dare to be better, know your limitations, and then break through them.

Be grateful for the time you have in college. I am not only referring to college in general and how fast it goes by, but rather take advantage of the hour of free time you have and instead of taking a nap, do something productive. One thing I regret about my first year as a college student is that I wish I could have been more involved around campus. Yes, I joined many clubs and organizations, but I also could have attended more events that were being run by other organizations. I am not saying to become more involved only so you can improve your resume, but instead so you can look back on college and know you took advantage of every opportunity you were given. Choosing a major in college not only depends on what courses you excel in, but also what you enjoy doing. Being involved in a diverse array of activities allows you to see what you enjoy doing and what you don't. Finally don't stress. Stress is inevitable in college, but if you know you are making the most of your time at school, you can not do anything, so just enjoy it.

Nervous may not be the proper word to describe how I felt about transitioning from high school to college. More particularly, I felt uncertain about my capabilities of doing well academically and adapting well to the different environment. I was sure that I would make friends, but I was not certain how long it would take me to get settled. Do not let your fear, nervousness or uneasiness prohibit you from enjoying the process of transitioning. You only get one chance at a ' high school to college transition.' Embrace the excitement, awkwardness, nerves and novelty of adapting to a new period in your life. It sounds weird and almost impossible, but it is important to accept the change because you will experience change for the rest of your life. Your ability to enjoy diversity and variation now will greatly influence how you respond to changes in your work environment, living conditions, and more. Embrace the change, because will always be constant.

You’re afraid, I know. You’ve lived in the same small town your whole life. You’ve had the same core group of friends since you were 11. And now you’re leaving all that behind, and you are terrified. It’s ok to be terrified. But it’s not ok to let that hold you back. It’s not ok to get to college and turn your new friends into your old ones, or your new routine into your old one. This is the start of something great, something beautiful, something completely new: this is the start of you. Not you as your parents want you to be. Not you as you think your teachers expect you to be. Not you who wants to blend in with the crowd. This is the time to show them—the world—who you really are, in the purest, most wholesome sense of the word. So don’t hold back. No regrets. Take the risks to meet new people, do new things, and live your life the way you want to, because this is the time to be unapologetically YOU. Take control of your fear, and let it propel you into greatness.

After one horrible exam, I went to my professor's office. This professor, whom I admired greatly, said something that almost made me cry. “You’re a freshman. You shouldn’t even be in my class.” “But I love Organic Chemistry!” “Yeah, well you would have loved it next year.” I talked to a student who'd had him before. “Was he saying he didn’t want me in his class?” She didn’t think so. Except for that exam, I was doing well. He probably meant I was already advanced for my level so I shouldn’t despair setbacks. What this incident showed me is how unexpectedly vulnerable my self-confidence became at college. Away from home and my secure friend group, I was challenged in ways I’d never imagined. When I didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped, I looked to people around me for indication whether this was normal or I was a failure. Suddenly I trusted their judgment more than my own. My advice to my high school self is this: Stay positive. Prove doubters wrong. Only you know what you’re truly capable of. Now is the time to let it shine.

Dear Senior Kayla, 4 Advance Placement classes, The Common Application, and decisions. I know what you're going through. It seems that your whole life you've been working to get into the best college, and the time is getting closer and closer. Don't stress. I promise you that you will get into the school that is meant for you. The tears that you shed last night because of the amount of anxiety are not worth it. You don't need to spend hours on end in the library. Study hard and do well, but take time to enjoy the little things in life. This is the last year you'll spend time with your family. Although the nagging seems never-ending, there will be a time when you miss Mom's singing in the morning to wake you up and of course, her food. Use this last year at home to grow and mature; Learn how to iron a shirt and cook a meal in a microwave. In the end, be happy. You'll have time to stress about academics and make lifelong friends when you're in college. Trust me. Sincerely, College Kayla

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would remind myself what I truly wanted from a college. I truly wanted a place where I could earn a phenomenal education and succeed in finding a job after graduation. Lehigh is the perfect environment to do just that. Priorities are key when looking for a place to study for the next four years. Education should remain the highest priority as you make your decision of where to go, but location, atmosphere, and culture should not be overlooked. If a student does not feel comfortable on his campus, he will not succeed as well as he could elsewhere. These types of these are also extremely important in making a college choice. If I could go back, I would remind myself of my top priorities.

The most important thing I would say to my high school self is learn to develop good study habits. In high school, the level of academic difficulty is not nearly as high as it is in college, especially since I came from a high schoool that was not that academically rigourous. It was easy to get high grades without studying too much and thats why I struggled to adjust to the academics in my first semester. Another piece of advice I would give is to definitely try and meet as many people as I can within my first semester. It becomes harder after that because people form their own groups and you have to make more of an effor later on. Freshman year, everyone is on the same boat as you and noone knows anybody. Remember that you can completely change how you want yourself to be preceived by others because nobody knows you. If you were known to be shy and conserved in high school, you can completely turn that around in college. Lastly, learn to keep a good balance between acadamics and your social life. You are given a lot of new freedom so learn to be responsible.

If I could go back in time and be able to talkt to myself as highschool senior, I would give my self the encouragement needed and the certaintity that everything will be okay. I would tell my self that college has been a great experience so far, and that instead of being nervous about it I should be excited to attend college. In addition, I would inform myself about the many liberties that living on capus gives you as well as the responsabilities that one has to assume as an adult. I would tell my self about all the amazing people I have met so far and also about the great trachers and professors that have helped me on I needed their help. I used to think that college would be really difficult because I would not have anyone to rely on when I needed help, but I was wrong.

Learn to love learning and writing, and make sure that you apply to as many scholarships as you can. Start applying to colleges as early as possible, and be sure to get advice from a lot of different people to decide whether or not your applications will be effective. Nothing is ever "good enough"- make it perfect. Most importantly, never stop working on what is important to you, that is, do something constructive every day. Even if it's as simple as organizing your college choices into a list, adding a sentence or to to your essay, or sending some emails, it's all the little things that count toward eventual success.