Northland College Top Questions

I experienced a much different path from most high school seniors begin the journey of leaving home and attending college. I spent two years after graduation playing junior hockey away from home before deciding to come to Northland College. Looking back now, I wish I could give my high school self one significant piece of advice; your family is always the one constant in your life, stay close to them. It is an exciting thing to be able to leave home and start a life of independence, but the realization that you are now on your own is a scary epiphany. One thing I can promise every college freshman is that at some point you will hit a rough patch where you feel alone and scared. When this time comes around remember that your family will always be there for you, even though you are now an independent adult, your grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters still care about you and your well-being. A little advice in your first experiences alone can go a long way. If you are lucky, your grandma might send you a care package filled with those cookies you loved as a kid!

Everything your teachers in high school told you was a lie, especially what your English teacher told your class one day. You know what he said, that the professors in college don't care about you or whether or not you fail? That thing that nagged at you in the back of your head despite telling yourself that he was full of it because if it was true you couldn't fathom how you could possibly survive such a dramatic change without some inkling that the people in this large and unfamiliar institution would stop and offer you their hand should you find yourself completely overwhelmed by all of the new obligations you have to balance on your shoulders? He lied. Don't worry, don't sweat it. You, who cries from being publicly embarrassed. You, who still doesn't have their driver's license because the thought of hitting someone with a car terrifies you into a state of near-paralysis. These people, these wonderful college professors...they'll help you. They want to see you achieve. They'll fight tooth and nail for you... You just have to meet them half way. Speak up, is all they ask.

In high school, I didn't have guidance to help me decide where to go to school or what to go to school for. As a first generation college student, my parents were nonexistent in the college decision making process and I was left to do everything, guessing as I went along. All of my decisions were 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} my decisions. I didn't even know the difference between a loan and a grant (eventually, I figured it out)! Ultimately, the advice that I would give to my high school self would be to take chances. To go out and say 'yes' to things, to everything. Make yourself vulnerable and put yourself into awkward and uncomfortable situations in order to find the deepest certainties about yourself. Take 3 semesters of Ojibwe, experience different cultures, drop out of college, have a child, and then go back with a force. This is the advice I would give to my high school self because these are a few things that I did do during 'college life' and I wouldn't change any of it. I wouldn't change the bad, or the best, or anything.

Well going back to highschool the advice i would give myself would be to work hard. Hard work is the key to succes and in highschool i lacked this with my studies, now in college i have learned this and have worked very hard making it to my third year in college. In college i wish i would have got that studying was more important then just being a sports fanatic and hanging with friends, which i learned my first year at university. Another thing i would have told myself was take it all in the eperience of highschool because you never get that back and i took it for granted a little bit going through the motions some days not paying attention in class. I have learned from these things now but wish i could have told my self then.

I would tell myself to save more money and work more during my senior year. Freshman year was probably the most expensive year thus far, and I did not have the money to afford the transition. Being so far away from home, it would have been more convenient to be more financially independent. It all worked out in the end, but it would have been nice to be prepared for. I also would have told myself to make more time for my family and high school friends. Being so far away, I miss out on a lot of the things that the people that live close to home get to do. I miss out on family events as well. I would love to be able to spend more time with them now, but it is so hard being so far away.

Don't get overly stressed about your work load, thinking that you have to pick between grades and a social life. Stay focused and get your work done for your classes, and time will open up to make friends. Get plenty of sleep. Don't stay up all night watching movies or playing video games, but don't lose sleep burning the midnight oil to write a paper that's due the next day. Begin working on large projects the day they are assigned, so that you are not pulling a ten page essay of fluff out of thin air the night before it has to be turned in. Above all else, don't be a shut-in. There are plenty of fun things to do and people to meet around campus, so don't spend your freshmen year in your dorm room with the door closed. That's no way to live, and certainly not how you want to remember your college experience. These are the years of your prime, so enjoy them.

You need to work hard and do all your readings for classes. Get involved in more clubs and be more outgoing. Never give up on what you need to succeed. Follow your heart and your dreams and you will do fine.

Stay focused like you always do , and learn to relax every once in awhile. School comes first and that is laways important, but its OK to have fun on theweends, have movie nights with friends and go out to dinner. Oh and start dancing right away, you'll miss it but will get back into it like nothing has changed.

If I could go back in time, I would want myself to know that you find out who you really are when you leave your comfort zone. There is a world that you don't even know exists and you shouldn't worry about feeling out of place in any way. You need to worry less and let go to experience life. I'd also tell myself that it's okay to find out that you're very different from your friends and family back home. You are very different and special and that is why you will succeed.

If I were able to travel back in time to talk to my high school self, I would reasure myself that I was making the right choices and that everything I had done brought me to my perfect school. I would then tell myself that I needed to apply for more scholorships to help ease the financial burden colleges often place on students and families.

Stop worrying so dang much, everything will work out! You do not need to spend so much time worrying about finances or which classes to take or what you are going to major in. You will not get anywhere by fretting about this or that, and you will see that whether you worry or not finances and career decisions will fall into place of their own accord. Spend more time enjoying where you are than stressing about where you will end up. If you don't, you might miss an opportunity to go out and have an experience that could help you actively work out passions and desires you're not even aware you might have! A big part of college is about learning and experiencing and saying "yes" to (safe) new opportunities, about being open to suggestion, and about experiencing a variety of new and different people in your life where you may not have had the chance before. So stop worrying, know it is okay to be who you are, accept that everything will work out if you let it, and try to let every single day be a day you experience to the fullest, bad or good.

Little one: By far, the most difficult thing you will deal with in college is communication. You were a quiet person throughout high school, but you will grow and learn to talk with people on a different level sooner than you think. Do not be hesitant to speak up about interpersonal problems you encounter; if these issues are left alone, they WILL come back and trouble you far worse than before. This applies to everyone: your future roommates and residence hall neighbors (especially), co-workers, student association members, every new friend you make... You’ll find that your fellow Northlanders are more open-minded and empathetic than any old high school student. If you have a problem, I guarantee it can be solved by simply talking with them. No more of this passive compliance of yours. These are real-world problems that you cannot avoid by taking the bus home. Northland College is your new home, and it’s where your new family is. So talk with them. Ask them questions, tell them stories, laugh with them. Life will be easier when you speak up.

If I could go back in time and talk to my self in high school about college, the first thing I would tell my self would be not to stress on about how hard it will be. For me college was a step up from high school but it was not as big as a step as I thought it would be. While I was in high school I was thinking that college was a lot harder than high school and I didn't really think that I was ready for college. I would also tell my self that I will make new friends and that I will still be in contact with my friends from back home. I also thought that I would be home sick a lot, but I got involved with sports and was traveling a lot for competition so I was busy and didn’t have time to be home sick, also my new friends and team mates helped me not to be home sick. My first year of college is not over yet and I still have a lot to learn but it was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Dear Senior Self, College is only a pain if you make it that way. No matter what else gets in your way learning something new is always fun and helpful in it's own way. Everything is an experience and everything is a lesson. As time goes forward, people leave and parties get boring but you will always have your smarts to keep you going. College gives you the openess and freedom to figure out what you want to do. And not for others but what YOU want to do. Always do it for YOU. Also, it isn't a race, take your time. Study yes, but do no study, stress, and drive yourself insane to a point you do not want to go to class. Be patient and enjoy the time and people you meet. Get to know the teachers and classmates even if it is just for once semester and you may never see them. It is the experience and memories that help to make it all worth while.

At the time, I was incredibly dedicated to becoming an actor, which in retrospect was not actually what I wanted to do. I really love to write, and my writing has always tended to lay out a plan, kind of like a screenplay. So after two years of not fitting in with the acting life, I stepped back and found that writing was my true passion. I also found that although writing would make one heck of a career, it would be hard to just write because of the lack of income. So at the end of my sophmore year, I thought long and hard about my other more practical interests, and what came to mind was being out in nature, and trees, so naturally I began to look for schools with both an forestry and writing department, and so I landed at Northland College, and could not be happier. So In conclusion, I think that my path would be different had I chosen writing and natural resources when I was a senior, and I learned alot about myself during my time trying to act, so I might simply support my younger self, becuase he would become a happy me.

expect the unexpected, be ready for anything and everything throw your way,be aware of your surroundings, keep an open mind to the people and things you see, don't set yourself up to fail, make the experience an enjoyable one,get your studies but also have fun, like meeting new and interesting people

Stay strong buddy. Don't let other people influence you to do things you know are stupid. So far you have done a good job. Stay passionate about everything you love and hold dear. Give everything 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} even in the roughest times, because in reality, its only a short periode of time and you have all your life ahead of you. Take things seriously but remember to take it easy if your feeling stressed. So far, its about the experiences you have in college that really matter. The grades... Don't fail anything. probably won't happen, but don't let yourself slip, you're smart. A's are nice but they don't make the world go round. You're going to have some tought cross country races. You're young still stay strong and run smart man. Your love for running will keep you going. You will run faster than you have ever dreamed. I have found this to be a good saying to myself lately. "Don't live to run. Run to live." This doesn't just apply to cross country but just about everything. Be patient, and be yourself.

Knowing what I know now about college life, and making the transition, from high school to college. The advice I would give myself would be to start applying to colleges as soon as possible, to allow myself to do plenty of research, on different colleges that I might be interested in. By stating my college search early, I can assure myself of what colleges I like and seem the best for me, and also to eliminate those that I don't like. Make sure that you try every possibility you have , so that you can earn yourself some money or maybe all. It is highly important to focus in school and make sure you earn outstanding grades, just in case you don't qualify for financial aid that way you have a back up plan such as scholarships and grants that may end up paying your whole eduaction. That is I mean about "make sure you try every possibility you have to save money." Also, never get a loan if you're not sure if you qualify for financial aid or scholarships and grants. Always have in mind that loans should always be your last source never your top choice.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to focus more on school work and basketball. Also not to take things for granted and save every penny that I had for it would be needed. Getting help from teachers as well as family is cruicial when picking the right college to attend. Make sure you register as quickly as possible for scholarships and visit the colleges before deciding it is the one for you.

Dear Self: Expect the unexpected. Yes, this is a common saying and you are already advised to do this, but now I am telling you to take it to a deeper level. I know that you do not have as much insight now as you will in the future, but dig deep and find the inner peace within yourself. This inner peace will guide you through your first semester with a much more leveled mindset. Be confident, and don't you dare bother to care what others think of you. Do not expect to fit in. Do not expect that previous friends will stay your friends (and yes, that includes your current boyfriend. You should just end it now, by the way). Do not expect people to be there for you when you need them most (OK, besides your parents). Do not expect things to work out and line up perfectly. And please calm down about the scholarships and feeling that you always have to be perfect. But most importantly: always remember that this too shall pass (it already has, for me, at least), and always take time out of your week to do some yoga. Love, your Future Self.