Mercer University Top Questions

I would tell myself to work a little harder in the last year before college, if I had done that I would have gotten more of a university scholarship possibly. Also, that I should be more proactive on applying for scholarships. If I didn't wait so long to apply for some I could have applied for more and had a better chance at maybe getting some, since college tuition is so costly I don't have many means of paying for it.

I woudl advise my high school self to be patient and take life one step at a time. Striving to get a college degree is not something to take lightly. You may feel like you're ready to take the leap into college but don't be so fast to grow up. In college you wil be faced with many obstacles that may distract you, and get you off track but you must stay diligent. Do not lose sight of your goals and get caught up in your newly found freedom. Getting into college is the easy part. The hard part will be not falling victim to being a part of a generation that feels like they must live the full sterotypical "college experience." I know you can do it! You are a very intelligent young man and you can reach any goal you set for youself. Just remember to stay focused, be diligent, and never give up. P.S. Do not get that job at the shoe store. The discount may be great but it definitely won't be enough to help pay tuition. P.S.S. Procrastination is bad! DO NOT.. I repeat. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there is not a whole lot I would tell myself. The main thing i would tell myself is to remember what I want. Remember why I made the decision for the college and major that I've chosen, and to not let others bring me down. I would tell myself to learn to study as well, because I've needed it. If I had mastered studying sooner, college wouldn't be quite so hard. And I wish myself the best of luck.

I would have told myself to save more money I made from my part time job at McDonalds. I spent so much of it just goofing off or on clothes I really didn't need, when I should have saved it to help pay for my freshmen year. I started college with less than fifty dollars in the bank, and now I have to find a way to pay a monthly bill to the college of my dreams. I also would have picked up more hours at McDonalds so that I would have more money now, instead of waiting until I got here to pick up extra shifts.

Dear Jennifer, As a high school senior, you are getting ready for your college years. They are definitely some interesting years. However, there are some things you need to know before you get here. One of the biggest and probably most important things you can do for yourself, and me, while you are still in high school, is to develop good studying habits. I know you hate studying but it will help you, not only in college, but also where you are now. Another important thing to remember is not to worry or be anxious about things you just cannot control. If you study as much as you can and still end up making a bad grade, do not worry. You did your best and you cannot control what happened - let it go. One more thing before I go. If you ever feel like college is overwhelming or you just need someone to talk to, call your mom. I know for a fact that you really will not want to because you feel like you should not need her, but just call her. It will make you feel so much better. Sincerely, Your future self

Don't wait to start taking advantage of all the new resources around you! You've finally graduated from the (sometimes coddling) atmosphere of high school. You now get to design a class schedule fitted specifically to YOUR interests, and sleeping patterns! You can choose from dozens of extracurricular activities and organizations. This new level of individual agency can be intimidating at first, but you cannot allow the worry about making mistakes stop you from joining the fun right off the bat - dive in headfirst and see how far you can go!

There is nothing that can prepare you to be three hours away from home, and stressed out about grades, friends, family, and so much more. My best advice to give to you is to stay true to yourself and never let go of what you know to be right. I am not saying to not accept people who do not agree with everything you believe because I know you have a tendencey to do that, but never fall into peer pressure and do not forget where you come from. It is so hard to get caught up in everything happening, but remember that God is always with you, and prayer is very much needed to get through the long days and the good ones. If you get overwhelmed just rememeber that mom and dad are always going to be proud of you, and just try your hardest in everything that you do. You are so blessed to go to Mercer University, and there are great things in store for you here. Also...with the relatioship adivce, do not settle, and do not ever be desperate. God has someone specially made for you, and you will be happy no matter what.

There are many aspects of advice I would give to my "high school senior" self. Most would expect for me to say " focus on your studies" but for me, the most important advice would have to be " just be yourself." I say this because I know that when it comes to college, that it's a whole new world. It's as if it is a "fresh start" so to speak. You are able to show what makes yourself unique, or you can follow what the "crowd" is doing. I strongly believe that I am a hard worker determined and drivened to make my dreams into reality and as long as I just remain myself, I know that distractions will not be an issue for me during my college career. This, of all, will be the advice I would give to my "high school senior" self.

College is much harder than high school. You will have to commit alot more time and effort into your college coursework. Also you need to speak up and ask questions if you are unsure. The instructors will not accept any excuses for late work or work not turned in.

Knowing what I know now about college's obstacles and stress, I would tell myself as a high school senior to be involved early on; that time never holds still. Ever. I always knew in my heart what I wanted to accomplish, but as a senior just graduating high school, it felt so far away and impossible -- just as it felt to get through high school, I never thought it would end. Unfortunately, time can be cruel and may fly by without realizing. As I went through community college, I found myself set back due to feeling very unprepared and obtaining little help towards accomplishing my goals. I did not truly know what it meant to be a college student. I would go back and tell myself to work hard right away, but if I did feel like it wasn't the right time, to not waste that time either . I would tell myself that it is not the end of the world to not finish school in a traditional manner and that it is just that - traditional. To tell myself that I will be stressed, but that everything will be okay. Keep your head up, Elaine.

First thing younger me is apply apply apply. You got all these expectation of how college is going to be and you forget people are not just going to give you a scholarship for graduating. In the short run its boring, time consuming, and some are completely oblivious; nevertheless, do it. In the long run it will pay off and you won’t have to worry about it so much in a couple years. Next younger me don’t not; and I repeat do not forget deadline they are important and forgetting one an be detrimental to you and before you realize it it’s to late. Lastly, but not less younger me continue to do what your doing. It may not look this way now, but your making a lot of family, friends, and people you hardly know proud and they just want to see you succeed. After all we still got a long way to go if were going to be the first millionaire in the family.

I would advise myself that this is the real world. Mommy and daddy are not here to tell you what to do. You have to make your own decisions now. It will be difficult at first, but it gets better. You will make some mistakes, but that is the part of life. It is up to you to learn from them. College is about growth. There are some people here who are immature and still think they are in high school, therefore they are doing high school stuff. Just ignore those people. They are not worth your time. Most of all, always walk with your head held high.

I would tell my high school self to try hard and develope better study habits. The ability to study well is the most important skill a high school student could take to college.

I would tell myself to be more aware of the challenges and diffculties present in going to such an expensive school. Even though your intensions are good, the road is going to come with some challenges that will seem impossible to overcome, so keep your head up, stay focused, and keep faithful to your desires. You should also look for as many scholarships as you possibly can cause it will certainly help out a lot. And make sure that you are sure about what you want in life. And keep in mind that there are numerous people that want you to succeed so know that you're not alone on this journey and don't be afraid to lean on others. And when times get rough remeber that you have those people as well as God that will give you support when you need it.

I would tell myself that one of the first things I should have done was visit the school more and actually get to know the place in and around campus. I would tell myself to make sure to participate in the various events offered during the summer as well so not only would I have been able to get to know the school but also meet some new people. Visiting and getting more information and getting things done sooner and on time would be the first important things that I should have done and would tell myself to do to ease the transition into college.

If I could go back through time to give advise to my younger, high school, self, I would have a lot to say. I cannot really say I was ever caught off guard by the transition to college life, but before actually going to Mercer I should have pursued more scholarship opportunities. I would sternly tell my younger self, "Jonathan you listen up! The first year you'll be alright financially, but after that Mercer will be a jerk and will withdraw some of its financial aid. Don't get fooled into thinking the university will pull through for you all four years." Besides that... I would tell myself to enjoy freshman year a little more. I had loads of downtime from taking general education classes and introduction courses. I spent most of it mindlessly on facebook and xbox. I needed to live a little more. I would push my younger self to not slack off on getting my license. I actually just got my driver's license a week ago. My younger self needed transportation that first year on campus and ended up being a burden to people. Also I would have told myself to take more AP courses.

Study harder for calculus in the ACCEL program. Make sure you do not take anatomy at Georgia Military College because it will not transfer to Mercer. Take Spanish and some businesses classes for when you transfer your credits after senior year. Mercer is not like Georgia Military College, it is much harder. AP Physics and AP U.S. History classes from junior year are more accurate for Mercer’s expectations. Study harder. Do not accept a 3.8 GPA at Georgia Military College. Strive for the 4.0; it counts more than you know. Do not take Chemistry since you will not need it when you transfer because of the biology classes you are considering. You will change your career path to Marketing, so strive for that when you consider the classes you decide to take at Georgia Military College. Do take New Testament with Dr. Nash your freshman year at Mercer, he will change how you view religion and enrich your overall college experience. Pay attention to your notes. Learn to write less information and write the key points instead. This is probably the most important thing to do. Second major in Spanish, it will enrich your life.

I would tell myself to stay in school and plan for the future by applying for many scholarships, researching the internet for different colleges and most of all looking into financial aid for college money.

I would make sure that I applied for a lot more scholarships than I did because college is very expensive, and the price is steady inclining every year. I would also make sure that I applied to colleges that I can afford because it is not so great to have loans that you have to pay back. I probably would encourage myself to apply to public colleges only because being in a private university is very stressful, especially when you come from a low-income family. Another piece of advice that I would offer is to find a balance between studying and my social life because college would be extremely stressful if you don't at least have fun. Based on my experiences at Mercer University, I am not having fun here because I am always studying and I am too shy to get out and get involved. The final piece of advice that I would offer is to break out of my shell and become more outgoing and involved with the school because being shy doesn't get you anywhere in life.

Don't take things so seriously. Enjoy the time that you have here with your friends. I promise that they're nice people. Don't let others opinions sway your own intuition. Trust yourself and work hard for what you want. Don't stress so much, it won't be as scary as you believe. You'll do great.