Lewis University Top Questions

If I could go back to my senior year of high school I would tell myself to put more effort into finding and submitting more scholarships. Also, I would tell myself the transition from my home town to college is different, but with time it will get better. Within the first few months of school, first impressions are everything. The key to meeting new people is confidence and kindness. Positive personalities are contagious and other people remember the student with a smile on their face who starts a friendly converstaion.

As my freshman year of college was about to begin, I only knew little of what to expect. Knowing what I know now about college life and the transitions I have encountered thus far, I would tell myself to manage my time wisely. Throughout my high school years, I had the time to work, go to the health club, and have some "me" time to relax and watch tv. In retrospect, I felt like I had no time to do the things I wanted to do because I was constantly studying and doing homework. Granted, I got my homework done before ten o'clock each night, but I was so drained that I constantly wanted to sleep. Another thing I would tell myself is not to procrastinate the slightest bit. In high school, I used to study for exams the night before the exam took place. I thought that my bad habit from high school would work in college, but I was not too pleased with my first exam grade. After finishing my first semester of college, I now know I need to strategize better for my second semester to come and am ready to do so.

If I had the opportunity to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself not to go to college right away. When I was a high school senior I was not mature enough for college. I did not understand the amount of money it would cost and the amount of responsibility and effort it would take. Although I knew I did not want to go to college I went anyway to please my parents. It was the biggest mistake I ever made because I did not do well in school and I eventually dropped out. When I look back on it now I am sick about the money I wasted. I would tell the high school version of myself not to worry, that with time and maturity I will want to go to college, and when that times comes it will be the biggest priority in my life. Lastly, I would tell myself that it is okay not to do what people think you should do or expect you to do. People need to do things in their own time.

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the advice i would give would be: to start my search for the right college early, to remember to still concentrate on academics through my senoir year, and to not stress over little battles, college opens many new oportunities. For each peice of advice I have a reason for why, and how, it has impacted me. I started my college search very late in my senior year, I feel that had I started sooner, perhaps applied to more schools and taken more visits, making the final dicisson would have felt easier. Nevertheless, I dont regreat any of the steps I took on my way to finding Lewis. You know its the right choice when you can look back and say that the hard choice was the easiest one of your life. I would remind myself that academics are still important! Many seniors tend to not focus as much on school, this can make the transition very difficult, the college workload is twice anything in highschool. Finally i would remind myself to not stress over little things, college has opened so many doors!

If I was able to go back to high school and speak with myself about college life I would tell myself to make sure I took as many writing classes as one can becuase you will do a lot of report writing in college. I would also suggest getting involved in school activities such as school government so that when you move on to college and you enter into a new school you will feel more comfortable speaking with new people. Taking a speech class is another lovely idea, it will help prepare you for the massive amounts of speeches that most college classes require. I would tell my high school self that I need to apply for scholarships starting right after midterms and not a minute later because there are millions of people applying for those same scholarships. The most important thing however is to enjopy your senior year and not to stress to much because you can't go back and redo it, you need to just have fun being young, once your in college you enter the real word.

I would tell myself to take class serious, do all my work, and don't play around because from what I know now college is no joke. In college you will think its going to be all fun and games, but its not you have to set goals and remember them. Your going to have to seperate school life from social life just like in high school. I will tell myself that college is hard and that high school is suppose to prepare you for college and if its not then prepare yourself. I would say Melvetta don't spend so much time hanging out with friends. While you watching the freshman and sophmores plays volleyball, you can be doing your work. Mel I just don't want to see you give up on yourself and not do your best. Melvetta do your best and try hard don't let anyone take your focus from you. Be smart.

At my high school, we were able to make up test and quizzes that we may not have done well on. With this, I found myself not having to study and as such didn't learn as much as I possibly could have. I would love to go back and study more, so that when I came to college I would have a study routine down and also have more knowledge in various subjects. Also, I wish I would be able to tell myself to enjoy the experience of school. Often times I get too caught up in having to type papers or catch up on work I put off that I wish I didn't procrastinate as much. Similarly, I find myself as shy at some times and this only hinders the experience of college. I wish I was able to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior and tell myself all of these things. It may not make for a perfect college life, but it'd help lead me on a straight path.

Looking back from my freshman dorm I would go back and instill some advice to myelf. I would tell myself to look for scholarships early. The counselors may have badgered us about them but they were right. It is never too earlier to look for scholarships. Scholarships will benefit you in the long run for they will be there when you don't want to take out anymore student loans. Those loans seem little and simple at first but they add up in the end plus interest. Scholarships can also help to make your decision on a school easier. Money is a big issue nowadays and it could be the decidin factor of going to your choice school or settling for the second or third. I know part of my decision to go to Lewis University depended on the financial aspect of the total equation. So start early in looking for scholarships. There are many out there and you don't have to pay them back. It's practically free money they are giving away. All that needs to be done is filling out a form.

When you get into college be prepared to be more responsible. Proffesors put more on you to get your stuff done. Teachers in high school remind you when things are due and are really easy on you. In college it is a lot different. Sure, the Proffesors are great but they are teaching you to be able to do things on your own. Don't procrastinate because you need to be able to put effort in all of your assignments so that you will be happy with your grades and deserving. I would also tell myself to never get discouraged and to try my hardest and to not ever slack off. I would tell myself to pay full attention and to learn as much as I could. What we get out of it is our choice. I would tell myself to look at assignments as opportunities to grow and to learn. It really helps shape who you are going to be and what kind of life you will have after school. I would tell myself to get good learning habits so that the transition would be a lot easier for when a big work load is given to me.

I would advise myself not to get lazy and to keep up with my hard work. Make sure that I have lots of good friends that can help me make it through the years.

As a naturally introverted person, I would tell myself to not be so scared of new experiences and new people. I always had friends in high school, and I never had to venture out into anything new to have fun; however, as soon as I got to college I had no idea how to make friends. Friends had always come easy to me, and it was awkward for me to go to social settings and be outgoing. I was always unhappy about not having friends my freshmen year, and then I finally realized that I wasn't going to make any friends by sitting in my dorm pouting. So, I would tell myself to be more active, go to more events, talk to random people, go to more parties, and not be so afraid of making a fool out of myself because thats how you make great friends and great memories.

Dear Nicole of 2003, You are getting ready for your first semester of college, so I wanted to share some wisdom (if you can even call it that). I am a junior and I have learned a lot along this journey towards adulthood. First of all, stay on top of your work. I know that you are a smart girl, but in college no one is going drive you towards success harder than yourself. It is easy to push work off, but do NOT procrastinate?it?ll be the death of you. I was really bad with this until I learned that I had to review classroom material almost everyday; not just if I had an exam or quiz the next day. The next biggest issue besides the work is the freedom to play. You?ll meet some of your best friends in college, but remember that you are still in school for YOUR future. Have fun, but be responsible. I would suggest making friends in different organizations on campus. It?ll get you involved in different campus activities and you?ll meet people with the same interests. Good luck! I know you?ll do well! Love, Nicole of 2009

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to be such a worry-wart. I had been so scared to leave high school. I thought that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would struggle to keep my head above water. I was afraid of failure, afraid of not getting along with my roommate. I felt that anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. Yet, I had enough confidence to give it a shot anyway, dispite my fears. I would tell myself that no matter what, don't worry. I would say, "Amanda, you'll be okay. You are an intelligent, loving, charismatic girl, and you will d owell no matter what comes your way." As I write this response now, I am reminded of the John Michael Montgomery song, "Life's A Dance." There's a line that says, "Don't worry about what you don't know. Life's a dance you learn as you go." If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to listen to that song everytime I had a worry about my future. I would learn that no matter what, everything would turn out fine.

Leslie, there is a time and place for everything in life. This is your time to complete your education and have the opportunity to open new doors for women of color in four to six years from now. You are a strong young woman that is born to lead. As a future leader, you must learn history of former leaders and the struggles that affected all men and woman. Having your degree will open opportunity that don't exist to people without degrees. The process introduces educational knowledge that you might not appreciate at the time, but when the opportunity arises, you will be well prepaired and diverse on multiple level and able to lead others who lack that mental awareness. It is your destony and the history of women in the Ford family. Don't hesitate this journey and allow anyone to deter or redirect your attention. Your are truly a star and all stars shine. If you have to get a student loan in order to make it happen, then do it. Most important, don't allow the lack of financial aid to stop you. Keep going no matter what, never stop, you can and will do it.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take a little more time in high school and work on those grades a bit more. I did pretty well in high school but a few semesters could have been better and they really could have helped me get more scholarships at Lewis. I would tell myself to go with my gut instinct and pick the school that I think is amazing in every way, shape and form. And that is what I did. They day I saw Lewis I fell in love, and I knew where I wanted to go. I look back and think about where else I could have gone, and I really picked somewhere that I wanted to be for college.

Dear Self, I know you are nervous about college, but take a minute, calm down, and breathe. You've done excellently in your high school classes and have proved that you are ready for college. As you begin next fall, remember that while grades are important, so is the rest of your experience. Do your best in your classes, but don't kill yourself trying to be perfect. Some professors won't hand out any As, so don't put the pressure of getting straight As on yourself. Work hard, but play hard too. As you move into the next stage of your life, you are bound to meet many new faces. Be open to what each person that you meet has to offer you. Just because you haven't heard good things about a person doesn't mean that you shouldn't meet them and have the opportunity to form your own opinions. Remember that not everyone is in your life for its duration, and that it's ok to grow apart from old friends because you'll be making plenty of new ones. Enjoy college and make the most of it. Love, Yourself

Dear Karla, I know you enjoy worrying, but relax. Be very confident and trust yourself. Don't worry about what others are doing or saying, concentrate on yourself and take care of yourself only. You will get accepted into a college, and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get financial aid. Life is hard and it will bring you numerous obstacles, but it will be up to you whether you see them as obstacles or stepping stones. Do not hesitate to ask for help. Don't be embarrassed. Please make sure you plan things out, do not procrastinate it will not get you anywhere. Pay close attention during lecture, take neat notes and if you need any clarifications on anything ask for help. Study for a test with days of anticipation. You are a smart young woman, whether you believe it or not, you will do just fine. Leave the boyfriend behind this is your once in a life time opportunity to succeed, don't make anyone your priority when your one and only responsibility should be school. Time flies and you will have a lot of work to do. It 's up to you to succeed.

I would go back and tell myself that college is a little bit more fun than I expected it to be. It is amazing to learn to depend on yourself and then to develop more responsibility. Transitioning to college is a learning experience, not only from the school stand point, but also to learn about yourself and who you are. I would also like to tell myself that while college is not easy, it feels so much more rewarding than high school. Lastly, I would like to tell myself that living on campus can be a little hard at first to get used to, but you can make some very good friends living on campus. Other than that, I would not have any advice to give myself when I was a high school senior.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a Senior, the first advice I would give is to study even more than I did then. Although I was a diligent student, college curriculums require more studying to ensure success. Also, I would tell myself as a Senior that the type of work in college is different. In high school, homework was mostly questions from the book or worksheets. However, college instructors expect that students will read the chapters that they lecture on. There is more research or formal papers required. Furthermore, I would explain that there is a contrast between how high school and college instructors give the information to the students. HIgh School teachers mostly put their lecture notes on Powerpoint. On the other hand, college professors deliver their lectures verbally. Moreover, college instructors demand that their students make group presentations. While I was in high school, most presentations were individual presentations. There are more individual presentations at the college level as well. Another piece of advice that I would give is to learn how to register for classes on your own since this is how students register for classes in college.

Going back in time, the advice I would have given myself as a high school senior would be to stop looking at the private expensive schools and look more into the benefits of community college. I should have listened to my mother when she started talking about community colleges. But being a high school senior and thinking I knew best I would just blow off my mother's opinion. I wanted to be like everyone else and go away to school even though I didn't like to party. I know now that I should have listened to her. Mothers really know what is best. Together my mom and I would visit the expensive schools but after the visit my mother would always tell me to think about community college. I never did until about April of my senior year. The advice I would have given myself would be to start talking to community colleges around my house earlier because they offered the best options for me. Not only could I run cross country which is my passion I could save thousands of dollars. I wish I would have known that earlier in my senior year of high school.