Marquette University Top Questions

I would tell myself to stay focussed on my school work. The more you learn in high school, the easier the transition to college is because your classes start out as a review of thing you already know. I would also let myself know that the time I spent I my five AP classes during high school was well worth it. By earning credits before you start college, you don't have to take credit overloads once you get to college in order to graduate on time. This is important because I am paying for college on my own, so an extra semester or year of tuition is out of the question.

I would tell myself that the transition to college life is going to be a lot harder than expected, and not to push away those from home, because they could have made the switch much easier and comfortable. While college is a time to start over and meet new people, having those you already know during the first couple months can really make school feel more like home and take away a large amount of home-sickness. You can have friends from home and new friends at school at the same time. Also, it is okay to feel homesick. You are not weak because of it, and acknowledging it and taking time to call your family will really help, even if it seems like blocking them out will make things easier. It will not. Stay connected to your loved ones, even if it hurts to be away from them. They love you and want to hear from you, and talking to them WILL make things easier, not more painful.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself that being self-motivated is very important, more important than I thought. For example, a lot of times homework is not graded which made me think it was optional. It is not. It helps tremendously and without a grade incentive you have to be your own motivation to do it.

Now that you are a senior in high school getting ready to join the real world of responsibility and higher academia there are a few very important tips that if followed will lead to a better and more successful life ahead. First thing is to put in at least 5 hours of studying every night during the week and at least 8 on the weekends. At the same studying straight for 5 hours is not good either it is more important to break up the five hours with little 10 minute breaks in between. Second, grades and volunterring are the key to success one can't be done without the other. Both need to be done to have a strong foundation and to make a better all round person. Third, not only doing these two things but also getting involved in some fun social clubs and networking is important. Mistakes can't be erased but there are ways to ensure mistakes don't repeatedly occur. College is not only a time for higher education but also a time to realize every step made for this point on will impact our lives.

Knowing what I do know now from prior exposure to college, and what it may entail, would vastly increase the likelihood of me not making the same ignorant mistakes. If I were to tell myself that college is just as life in general and that it should be taken slow and given much thought into, then chances are that i would still be enrolled and not searching for what my options and routes are to a higher education now. I would have had a plan layed out, and carefully thought out, to determine where i want to be at the end of my collegiate stay, then perhaps i would have found college to be enjoyable, however; now that i have found out the hard way what to do, I am reconfiguring a failed idea to support a new idea and a new bountiful future. Also, now that I do see past mistakes that I have been learnt from, I may pass this invaluable information on to my children as well as those still in high school or those seeking further education so that they too may view at an opportunity instead of at a heartache.

Going back and talking to myself as a high school senior I would advice myself to look closer at the classes that I chose to take and when to take them. I would put a very strong emphasis in becoming more than familiar with the agenda given to me as a freshman, which in detailed covered all the required classes for my major and the university as well. I'd also be very stern about looking at time management, the priorities in college, and the purpose of it all. Sadly in the transition of high school to college it is viewed as just another level of education, but on the contrary it is the begining of the rest of your life. As an advise I would try to explain how fast time goes and that there is no room for taking care of it later rather that it needs to be accomplished as soon as possible. Other than academic advise I'd also give advide on being wise in chossing who to select as friends, and who to study with to have the most productivity academically.

The second my parents went into their minivan and waved their hands with tears in their eyes, they faded away in the distance. At that point of my life I realized I am at a new environment with no supervision. In the first semester I went through experiences and distractions that tested my foundation academically and as newly independent person. These mistakes I made in the first semester by myself affected my grade point average and even my social life. But, these mistakes molded the new and independent me. The lessons and the advice I would giver are; never to quit, never to loose faith, and learn from ones mistakes. As the end of the first semester went on I held these three concepts close to my heart and practiced them. By never quitting I realized I could reach anything if I put my mind to it and it was proven through my improvement of my grade point average. Through my faith in my self and in God I became confident and courageous in my social life. Plus, learning from my mistakes made me understand to learn to balance my free time with academics.

Get ready, Nikhita. Oh, I know you think you are getting ready as we speak. You're working diligently on scholarships, turning in your applications on time, and researching piles of information about your top school choices. Still, get ready. Get ready to embrace your "nerd" self as you enter college. Get ready to happily spend every night in the library, even Saturday nights when all of your friends are drinking. Get ready to use words like "precocious" and "ostentatious" during an English discussion. Get ready to debate with a classmate over the arrangements of Dante's "Inferno." Get ready, Nikhita. Get ready for two a.m. coffee runs with your best friends. Get ready for floor meetings and basketball games and late-night chats. Get ready to miss your family like crazy, but learn that no matter where you go, they are always waiting for you at home. Get ready to balance your high school friends, college friends, schoolwork, boyfriend, extracurriculars, and a job. Get ready for college, Nikhita. Let me tell you, it is going to be an amazing ride.

As an incoming freshman, I was nervous about the transition to college. If I was to give myself advice about it, I would tell myself to stop worrying and keep an open mind about what was to come. There are many new faces at college, and you may find yourself becoming friends with people who you would have never been friends with in high school. This is not a problem at all, but is a very exciting experience, because its a great way to try new things. Also, do not jeopardize your values and beliefs just to fit in. There are plenty alternatives to the partying lifestyle at college, and there are people who will not make you change your beliefs to make them like you. College is what you want to make of it, and you can spend it however you would like. It would be great to go and explore the city, and get involved with as many activities as you can without becoming overwhelmed with academics and extracurriculars. Plus, make sure to talk to mom and dad, because it makes the transition easier, and they miss you, too.

The best advice that I can give you is to be yourself. College is a completely different lifestyle than that of high school, but don' sacrifice yourself and your values to fit in or make friends. I didn't do this when going into Marquette University, and you don't have to. Things naturally fell into place, and I found the people on campus that I fit best with. Marquette is my home, and it's one that's accepted me for me, so keep in mind that you will find your place without unnecessary sacrifice.