Mount Aloysius College Top Questions

As a high school senior, there were so many unanswered questions about my direction in life and what the future held. Other students or faculty would reassure me that things would be fine, but I felt that until I had the experience of college and made it my own that I would fully never know. As I reflect upon my years, I now would be able to go back to my high school senior self and reassure myself that everything was going to be alright. I would simply start by saying that there is no need to worry about the school work load. It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you make an effort to work on small chunks each night it does not become piled up. I would also tell mylsef, you do not need to worry about making friends. I have had the great opportunities of finding so many people that are compatible with my personality and truly will make life long friends. My last piece of advice would be, not to worry about jobs; if I know I pushed myself to my fullest potential then I surely will find a job.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college I would tell myself a few important things. First, I will tell myself to try my best in everything I do. The grades you make and the choices that you make impact so much more than just what you make on that one particular test or how you make a decision on that one specific opportunity. I would also encourage myself to be more independent. Now that I have made the transition from living at home to living on my own, I wish I had been able to become more independent as a child. That would have made the transition from home to college a lot easier. I would hope that every student has the advantage of hearing this advice in his or her life.

I would tell myself to study and focus on school. I didn't take school seriously. I was just interested in having fun and hanging out. I didn't study in high school because I didn't have to. High school was easy for me. When I started college I didn't know how to study. I had a hard time at first with time management and staying organized. After the first semester I got into a routine. It was hard and I wish I had started back in high school.

I shouldn't have stressed myself out too much in high school, I should have enjoyed school more than just focusing on my academics because college is where the hard academics come into play. Studying takes more than just one day, you need to space out your studying so you retain information more often. Also, you will do better if you study with a group and out loud, because you remember more. Also, apply material to current events, that way you'll retain it! (:

1. Don't room with your friend from high school. Absence makes the heart grow fonder! 2. Stock up on ramen noodles and prepare for impromptu late night Sheetz runs. 3. Bring a TV - free cable, people! 4. Don't bring your whole house - there's only so much space in a dorm room. 5. Bring lots of pictures of family and friends, and expect to take lots more while you're here!

Most freshman come here thinking they are the best (I mean come on, they were at the top of their high school), but that isn't true here in college. Everybody is considered an equal. Also, don't just sit around in your dorm room, there are so many new opportunities out there for you to take advantage of! Meet new people, build stronger relationships with old friends, and partake in new adventures! You never know what you may discover about yourself.

If you don't like harsh winters, or are a picky eater your probably not gunna make it here.

Past self as a high school senior : Listen up! College will not be all you expect it to be. It gets frustrating, difficult, and makes you want to give up sometime. DO NOT GIVE UP! You can fulfill your dream. You will have many opportunities to prove you can "hang with the big dogs", and trust me; you can. Your first year will be pretty rough, you will have experiences no one should have, you will meet people who are not kind, and there will be lots of tears. Your support system will help you through it all, be thankful for them, they do not have to be there. You will also meet a lot of very nice people, have experiences you will speak about forever, and cry tears of joy. Be happy you chose a school close to home. I know you did not believe you would want to come home on weekends, want to be near family, but in the end you did and you are glad you are so close. Finally, I would like to hand you the quote you will soon live by; That which does not kill you, makes you stronger (Friedrich Nietzsche).

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would inform myself to take more classes that had college credits put towards them. Having taken more courses in high school that would have gone towards my college education would have made my work load smaller. I can currently handle the work load I have now, but having less classes would allow me more time to focus on each subject more in depth.

Talk to your professors and don't be afraid to ask for help.