Linfield College-McMinnville Campus Top Questions

Overall, I believe that attending my college has been a valuable college experierence for many reasons. First off, I like the fact that most students that attend my college are athletes. Me, being an athlete myself, seem to relate to these athletes very well because we share a lot of the same things. Most of my best friends on campus play a sport(s) so it's easy to relate to them. Second off, I believe all the professors at my college are very helpful not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom as well. Since all my classes have approximately 30 people and below, the professors get to know the students not only on an academic level, but also a personal level as well. I believe that attending my college has been valuable because I found out who I was as a person just by the experiences I have gone through. I mean, yeah, there have been some tough times both academically and athletically, but those tough times made me grow as a person by talking it out with people that live on campus. Pretty much all the students and faculty on campus are willing to help.

If I were to be able to step back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to take advantage of everything that is offered to you. I would tell myself to still go to college in a different state to experience the independent life and use my resources as much as possible. I would persuade myself to develop the confidence to still make new life-long friends with all different groups of people. I would tell myself that if I do not know what I want to major in right away, that I should try different fields of study until I discover the best fit for me. I would want to tell my high school senior self that asking questions is always helpful and branching out to others is a great way of knowing that you are not in this transition process alone. But most importantly, I would tell myself to work hard, but have as much fun as possible while being in college and take up as many opportunities as possible. Take risks because you will never know until you try something new!

If I can go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, the advice I would give myself would be when the time get rough don't quit and if you really want to be successful in life strive for it. Your senior year in high school is more then just completing high school, and it's more then just dealing with the teachers and students that made it hard for you. It's just preparing you for your next step in life. Have you even thought about what are you going to do after you walk across that stage and recieve your diploma? What college you going to attened? Your major? or what career your going to persue after college? These are the main questions you should be asking your self now because after high school your life begins. College may be a little more challanging then your previous school years, but your strong you can handle it. As long as you stay focused nothing challanging should get in your way, all your hard work will pay off. Who knows, everyone just might be looking at their future doctor or lawyer .

If I had a chance to go back in time and give myself advice, I would actually say very little. Choosing a college is never easy, but the whole process of deciding is part of the adventure. The one piece of advice that I would give is one that I received from my dad as I was struggling to choose between my top two colleges. He told me this: "Sierra, no matter which of these schools you choose, it will be the right choice, because in the end, your college experience is what you make of it!" His statement has remained true for me throughout my now 2 1/2 years of college. There are many, many wonderful colleges and universities to choose from all over our country and world, but stressing about the choice is not a good idea. In the end, if the college seems to be a good fit for you, if it has a strong academic emphasis, and if it works out financially, go for it! In the end, what you get out of college is what you put into it. That's the advice I would give to my 17-year-old self!

When I was in high school, I was fairly shy. Even though I often had questions about things, I was generally too nervous to speak up. I was worried that I might bother someone, and didn't think that people would really want to hear what I had to say anyways. When I first came to college, although I attempted to be a little more outgoing, I still generally waited for others to ask me what my thoughts were. As a senior in college, I have finally learned to come out of my shell a little more, and it has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. If I were to go back and talk to myself in high school, I would tell myself to allow my voice to be heard. I have learned that in general, professors don't mind having a student ask questions if it means that as a result they really understand a class. To them, an uninterrupted lecture is not worth the price of confused students. College is a time to learn - a time to get questions answered. But a question won't receive an answer until it is asked.

Danny, you can do it. I know you are satisfied with graduating as the valedictorian of Coupeville High School class of 2008, but don't slow down now ? build off of the solid academic foundation you have formed these past 4 years and strive to do the same thing in college from the get-go, because you can. The reason I say this is because right now you are accepting the fact that you will no longer be able to be at the top of your college class ? it will just be too competitive and all those other students are coming from high schools that offer numerous AP and IB classes. Well Danny, about midway through my first semester, I realized that I (we) can have the same level of success. Your hard-working attitude can conquer any "disadvantages" that you are going in with. Never expect less than what you are capable of. Make your family, friends, and your hometown proud of you! On a more personal note, realize how much Mom and Dad have done for you and please help them in return (I wish it didn't take me so long to figure this one out).

I would tell myself to remember who I am and to be true to myself. Don't make friends with people just because they're "cool" and stick to your personal beliefs and morals. If anyone tries to get you to do something you don't believe in, that person is not worth your time. Also, I know it's easy to start out strong doing your homework and studying everyday, but don't get into the habit of spending ALL your time with friends and neglecting your work. Yes, it's cool to be able to hang out with people whenever you want to, but you do live with them, they'll still be there on the weekend, and they have studying to do too. Instead of hanging out playing video games, get together with them and do your homework together. It's the best of both worlds!

The main advice I would want my high school self to know is that the transition to college is a life changing event and not to be worried or scared. I'd tell myself it is fine to take chances, actually it is what helps you grow, and that there is no need to cling to old habits like in high school. In college there is much more around you if you are willing to experience it and take a chance to discover something new and different, it might become a great influence on what you think. To open your mind and allow every opinion to effect you, even if it something completely outside the norm or something not within your knowledge. Allow yourself to grow, you may think there is no more you could build into your own database of a brain, but there is much more that will help you to become someone that you want to be. I'd describe the great experiences to come if I will allow myself all of these.

Save your money from your summer jobs and work hard to obtain the grades you want. Remeber that making friends is not hard as long as you are active in your student community!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say the road ahead is tough but to keep pursuing my goals and dreams. I would buy a planner and write down important dates, test, classes, and appointments. Learn how to budget money so that when you are in college you don't need to ask your parents all the time if they can loan me five or one hundred dollars. Learn how to relax and take time to breathe so that when your in college you won't get stressed out over the little things. Keep an open mind and try to meet as many people as possible no matter what age. Making connections with peope before college will allow you to have references for jobs, study abroad, and scholarships in the future. The most important advice I would give myself is take every opportunity that is presented to you and run with it. Even if it is new try it, beacuse you will regret not doing it later.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior there are only a few words of advice that I would tell myself. First would be that gaining control of my finances and searching for financial aid and scholarships is an absolute must in the beginning and shouldn?t be left to the last minute. Then and now I know that my education does not have a price tag however if I had known how stressing college finances really are I would have done more before my freshman year to try to win more scholarships to ease my worries. Second would be to do all you can to manage time correctly. It is extremely important to plan out time in the day for studying, socializing and the various other extracurricular activities involved in as well as personal time for sleep and basic necessities, such as eating and bathing. I believe that if I had known these two pieces of advice prior to my freshman year at college I would have done better and learned some lessons an easier way and college life would be even greater.

I was so worried about making friends and fitting into the social scene at college. I was worried that I would have to change who I was to fit into the "college standard." If I could go back I would tell myself not to worry about that, because once I got involved in my Major department (the Art Dept., in my case), I was able to meet people who had similar world outlooks and priorities in life, and I made almost instant bonds and friendships. It was easier to meet people since you didn't have to start from scratch, you already had the same major. I ended up finding people that I could be myself around, and didn't feel pressured to go to frats every weekend in order to meet people.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry so much. Worry has stressed me out far more than necessary. In order to not worry, I would tell myself to trust God more, since He is bigger than my worries, and is capable of handling them. I would also advise myself to begin the college searching process earlier, and to visit more colleges during my senior year. Visiting more colleges would have given me a better perspective on the different types of colleges. Worrying less and college searching earlier would have decreased the pressure I felt during my senior year.

Dear Jenny, You may think that yellow Post-It Notes are the perfect planner, but great organization skills in the form of a planner book will become one of your best friends in college. Invest in one and use it. There is nothing greater in life than cherishing time spent with family. You are an adult in college. An independent, who has to balance time, money, your school work and a job on campus. Learn to appreciate the simple joys of watching a movie with your mom at home, without a care in the world. Give unconditional love to your family. (North by Northwest is a good movie, Jenny) Dedicate your time to the things you enjoy most in life and do not let anyone discourage you. The more effort you put into your music, the better your experience in the college bands will be. Keep practicing, but practice efficiently and hard. Fear is the only thing that can hold you back from what you want to achieve. Be bold, be confident. Most importantly, besides family, is to remember to keep your faith alive. You're going to have a great year, so have fun! Love, Me

Assuming going back in time to talk to my high school self would not upset the space-time continuum, the main advice I would give to myself, and any aspiring college student for that matter, would be to relish every moment of college and to be proactive about fulfilling your dreams. Anything is possible, including having the time of your life. So make sure to live! Do some soul searching; this is the time where you will discover what kind of person you want to be for the rest of your life. Make friends! Choose an area of study that you truly love and are interested in, and start to think about what you can do with that degree. Think about what you want out of your career, and decide which tracks you need to take to make that happen. If a community service opportunity, guest lecture event, or particular course looks interesting, then attend! Don't just sit around playing video games telling yourself you can just go to the next one. Pretty soon, you will be a senior and you will turn around and discover you have created valuable memories and grown into a wonderful person.

Dear Self, Hi! I?m you in your freshman year of college, and I have to tell you a few things you definitely want to know. Attending college is hard, but leaving home is harder. High school is a world of it?s own, and don?t expect college to be anything like that twilight zone. You need to be ready to go to a place where people see what you do more than how you look. Be ready to leave home and high school life with no regrets. Put down the gameboy, turn off the television, and step outside. There are so many things to do that you won?t be able to in college. Hug your parents goodnight. Go to church with your mom. Have lunch with your friends; the girls you?ve known since middle school. Listen to those strangers you go to school with when they try to tell you what?s bothering them. Kiss that boy you like so much. You?re leaving soon anyways. Go shopping?once you?re in college you won?t have any money to spare. But most of all, relax, because you?ll do fine. I know. Love, Rachel

I would first and foremost emphasize the importance of prioritizing activities on a daily basis. Freshman year can be overwhelming because of your new personal freedom and new friends you will be making. It will be easy to put off studying and homework to watch TV or go to a party with friends. If you take care of your school-related work first, you will be able to enjoy these extra-curricular activities more. Finally, meet as many people as you can. Your 4 years in college will go by faster than you can imagine, and it will be 4 years surrounded by some of the smartest and most interesting people you will ever be around. Get to know as many people as you can. This will not only enhance your college experience, but create a valuable social network that you will be able to take advantage of for the rest of your life.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior, I would tell myself to relax. I would tell myself not to worry about fitting in and that no matter where I may go I can make friends when I get there. I would advise myself not to worry about classes being to difficult because as a senior I was already prepared for any class that came my way. I would end by telling myself to enjoy myslef. The next few years are going to go fast so live them actively.

To be successful in this huge transition from high school to college it is essential to form a support system when establishing yourself as an adult and a student. You must prepare yourself to be open to everything, including change. Changes in time management, extraversion and confidence may all be necessary. These all prove invaluable when you have 5 paper due in the same week or need to ask a question in front of a class of 45 or making decisions about your education without any guidance outside of yourself. All these things may violate previous habits that allowed you to get by or take comfort in high school but college is on a whole new plane and it must be entered with an open perspective to such: the new.

First of all, my advice is for students. Parents should be involved in the planning process, but the student needs to take responsibility for his or her actions. By taking responsibility for choosing a college, applying for financial aid, and paying for my school, I gained ownership of my college experience and it is worth a lot more to me than it would have been. When looking for a school, students, don't be afraid to shop around. I wanted to go out of state and I wanted a private school. That's fine and dandy, but now school is getting expensive and I wish I had looked at state schools in surrounding states, if only for comparison purposes. Don't make a hasty decision. Look at all aspects of a school and find out which are most important. Use that data to decide. When you get to school, focus on school. Not parties, not your M.R.S. degree. College is for learning. However, don't get bogged down and overwhelmed by school. Take time to enjoy college, to meet people, to try new clubs and experiences. It's cliched but true- college is the time of your life!