Luther College Top Questions

College is hard and you will want to cry at times. Be prepared to hate the first couple of weeks of school. Between the transition of living in a new place and the orientation activities you are required to attend, life will be very chaotic. The truth is, you are going to be just fine and love a majority of the craziness. In the midst of this craziness, remind yourself why you are at college. Maybe it is because you want to get an education, or because you are beyond ready to get away from your parents, or maybe it is because you want “the college experience.” Whatever the reason is, you are spending a lot of money to be here so make the most of it! Remember that you can and will make it through. You do belong here! If you don’t feel like you belong, then maybe you need to reevaluate where you need to be and what you should be doing. Be prepared to change your mind a lot. You will have to face the fact that not everything in college is going to be fun. Nevertheless, every minute of it will be worth it.

Do not let anything hold you back. Look into all the things college has to offer before choosing that school. Find out if they have academic support centers and if your professors are available outside of the classroom. Both of these resources should and will want to help you succeed in college. Work your butt off to save up for tuition because schools are money hungry because the goernment forces them to be. Student loans are not going to be fun to pay back and do not rely on your family to help you. Go out there and make friends with everybody. You will be able to find true friends, but you have to put yourself out there first in order to make a difference. Be involved in activities you like, but try one new activity! Be careful of which college you choose. It is alright to transfer, but it would better to be at the right school from the start.

Although you made the most of your highschool years, there was so much more you could have done to prepare yourself for your first year of college such as take some college credit courses and recieve credit for them. Managing your time in highschool was easy because you had school, work, softball, and your social life to worry about and although those are the same things you are focused on now, there is a lot more time that goes into each of those categories. Its going to be tough to decide that softball is no longer your main focus, but its the right decision. You thought you knew what to expect when it came to boys in highschool versus boys in college. Well I'll let you in on a secret... not every boy is going to fall in love with you and thats okay, because you will meet the most amazing guy and you wont have to worry anymore. He will take care of you and support you no matter what. And last but not least, tell your family how much you love them. You don't realize it now, but you'll miss them. Everyday.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are many things that I would tell myself to do. First off, I would tell myself to get a job right away and to work as much as I could not only to have spending money at school but also to start saving for the outrageous amount of loans that you will have to pay back. Second, I would make sure to tell myself to study as hard as I could, to do the best that I could, and be involved in everything, so that I could get as many scholarships and financial aid that my school offered. One of the last things I would tell myself would be to spend time on the campus to see if it really is the perfect fit for you, and talk to other students and see how they really feel about the campus. It makes school a lot harder when you do not thing that your campus is the right fit for you.

I would tell myself not to worry about which college to choose, as I now believe there was no wrong choice that could have been made. You will fit in given time, and you are well suited to the academic life. What's most important in your life is still more internal than external, so just make sure you are in a place that will allow you to figure out your own goals--which, yes, will require something like a leap of faith. Don't be pressured into changing yourself, but be open to and expectant of change.

I think the most important thing I could tell myself as a high school senior would be that I needn't worry about these next four years. Enjoy senior year, make the most of it, and let the worries of college happen once college starts. Don't worry about making friends or looking like a nerd, there's a social group for everyone, and activities for everyone. You don't have to drink to have fun, and not everyone will pressure you to drink. Keep your faith, keep in touch with high school friends, and keep studying. Don't let papers wait til the last day, and try to get over this procrastinating business I see you've started: it doesn't make things easier. Most of all, know that your parents love you and want the best for you. You'll make them proud by excelling at whatever makes you happy and by becoming the best version of yourself.

Before beginning college, I took my family for granted. I didn’t consider us as a close family because we disagreed often, having different opinions on many topics ranging from politics to movies to relationships. However, now I realize how much I cherished the time I was able to spend with my family. During my first week at college, I had a feeling of missing something. I didn’t know what it was or why I felt that way. But during fall break my freshman year, I spent most of my time at home with my parents, sisters, and brother. When it was time to go back to school, I realized how much I missed having my family nearby. I learned that disagreements are part of why we are unique as a family and we will always have each other's back. My advice to my high school self is: Though friends are important, it’s worth spending time with family and to savor every memory. It will be your family who becomes your most enduring friends.

I would tell my high school self that the next couple years are going to be some of the most challenging of your life. Everyone close to me was more or less sheltered coming into college. We thought that we had an idea of who we are and how our lives will pan out in the future. I would tell my high school self that only the most important of these convictions would stay and that nothing is a given. In my second year of college, I am trying to answer questions of the existence and purpose of God, if I love music enough to try to do it my whole life, and whether or not I can even make a living out of doing the thing I love. These are things I would have never thought twice about in high school and now keep me awake at night. I would tell myself that there are no answers, not right ones. All we can do is follow our convictions with bright hopes and an open mind and if we fail, we can always try again. Cliche as it might be, this philosophy is what lets me sleep.

Don't worry so much about the transition and settling in, wherever you end up you will always find people who share your intrests. Everyone is just as nervous as you, whether or not they choose to show it. Being outgoing is the quickest way to get comfertable with your new life. Not everybody has to be your friend either, but getting involved and putting yourself out there is the easiest way to get to know others. There are clubs for everyone, and they help you keep busy while transitioning into college. And DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP! No one expects you to know everything when you first move in, and you shouldn't either. There are people whose job it is to help you if you're unsure of what you're doing. Enjoy the new responsibilities and freedoms, and don't forget to call your parents every once in a while too. Luther is an amazing place, you're lucky to be going there. Study, sleep, make some friends, build memories, and you'll always find a reason to smile.

I would tell myself to be less anxious and to realize that making a mistake is not the worst thing that can happen to you. I would tell myself to enjoy every minute of high school because college is completely different and wonderful world that is great. I would tell myself that it is okay to be different because almost everyone is different and only the most interesting people are different and not all the same. I would tell myself to relax about what college will be like. I would tell myself to make sure you call your mom and dad at least once a week. I would tell myself to be myself and know that good things will be happening in the future. I would tell myself that high school drama needs to stay in high school. I would tell myself to plan and get homework done at night before doing anything else that might be fun but you need to stay focused in order to be successful! Be happy because life gets a whole lot better when you get to college and accept that not everything will turn out the way you want it but thats ok.