Pacific Lutheran University Top Questions

Dear Self, In the next year you will get lots of advice about following your passion, going to office hours, and trying new experiences. All of this is great advice, and you should take it to heart. However, I want to offer you a piece of advice that no one ever told me: learn the public transportation system. Gone are the days of Mom driving you to the store or cruising around town in your car. You will be stranded in a strange city with no way to get around and no one to ask for help. The first six months of college are hard because you don't know anyone yet. The stress that first year caused by struggling to get home or even to a nearby store took a few years off my life. Before the insanity of college hits, I suggest you learn how to navigate the bus and streetcar around college. Trust me, being able to make it to the ATM seems like a small affair until you have only your own two legs to get there. Good Luck, Me P.S. Don’t try the dining hall’s pot roast. It isn’t worth it.

Although my end result in education is completely different than what I had imagined as a Senior in high school, there is not much that I would change. However, all the education I received here at PLU has only led me to develop more unanswered questions. How did the crisis develop? Why hasn't Universal Health Care in many European countries become a breakthrough as they had expected? What are the arguments for and against economic inequality and does it make sense economically to simply tax the rich? These are very political, yet economic questions that I still haven't found answers to. If I could change my history, I would make studying political economics a requirement, or possibly even change my major from Political Science to a BA in Economics with a focus in politics.

If I were to go back in time when I was a high school senior I would have told myself to find a away to save every cent you have ever come across, even if it means that you might be living meal to meal. Also, to enjoy what a weekend free or a full nights rest was. On that note I would throw in to never loose that childish curiosity or put family aside for a letter grade.

I have a few pieces of advice. First, be open-minded about the university, the program, and the possible majors. For example, I intended to be a biochemistry undergrad student. However, I realized that I had the passion for Political Science as my major. Secondly, do NOT even thinking about rushing through college. Realize the fact that going through college with maximal life experiences is the key. Right after high school, I followed my "plan" to rush through the first and second year of college, in order to save some time and money. However, the quality was lowered as a result; eventually I still had to spend 4 years to complete college.

I would tell myself that there are many distractions when transitioning to college life and you can't lose focus of why you are there. There are going to be time when you don't want to study or some outside forces are going to make it difficult, but you need to push through and create a better surrounding for yourself. Also don't worry about hurting your friends by not wanting to go out with them because an education is why you are all there, so they will understand. Most of all remeber who are and where you came from don't let people influence you stay true to yourself.

Believe in yourself, although these words seem so cliché there is such a power that confines within. As a senior year in highschool I became scared reality was coming ,this was the real thing it was not a test that you could retake one mistake meant a change in the course of life followed by effects both good and bad associated with any given decision. As I began to transition into college I was surrounded by people that were ridiculously talented and smart enrolled as full time students while tackling three jobs. I began to look at myself and them and wonder what the difference was.After conversing about this a friend he told me “I’m floating just like anyone else. It’s all hard work and lots and lots of prayer.” Then I realized the only thing that was separating us was his faith. While I was filled with self doubt and pity; He was filled with confidence and belief that expanded beyond his dreams; it was engraved inside of him. Believe in yourself Teryn is what I would have told the highschool me because if you don’t see yourself there no one else will.

I would tell myself, “Katie, you need to do what you love. Society will put really weird pressures on you to make you think you have to do certain things in a direct order to make you happy and successful. Graduate high school. Go to college. Graduate from college. Go to med school. Graduate from med school. Get a job. Get married. Have children. Life isn’t a stay within the lines kind of ordeal and you are not a stay within the lines kind of girl. Embrace that! Only you can make yourself happy and you need to listen to yourself. Everything you do you need to do with passion and purpose. College is great! Be ready to study. Surround yourself by people who share the same goals as you and who want you to be successful. Popularity isn’t everything. Don't think that the only way to be successful is to be a doctor, lawyer, or some other high salary job. You are amazing and unstoppable. The only thing that could ever stop you from being happy is yourself. Be confidant. Travel with your sister more. Eat your vegetables."

Dear Self, You are a senior and you have worked hard to get where you are, but the work is just beginning. The fall will be emotionally and mentally draining. Hang in there, you'll be just fine. Here's some advice, kid: Don't be in such a rush to get out of the house. The family dinners you complain about are the one thing you will want most when you are sick of the dining hall. You will get a new pair of running shoes in September. I would kindly suggest that you start using them the first day of school and hit up the gym. There are cute boys, if that's any incentive. It's inevitable that you are going to feel lonely at times. It passes, but you can fill the void with the good book, or a quick Skype to your best friend. You’re still a kid, growing up is a process; don't try to do it all in the first semester. Don't be afraid to let go of good high school memories. You had some good times, but the best is yet to come. Sing your heart out! Love,Me

Don't give up. Always remember you do belong!

Dannielle, you are in the process of discovering who you are and the plans you have for your future may not be the intended plans for you. It is okay to change your mind and not have a plan while you discover your own pathway. As hard as it is, you do not need to be in control and working towards a whole all the time, it is okay to live in the moment and be young. Nursing may be the plan talked about for four years, but it is not you, working with people, especially children, and working to protect them, that is who you are inside. Finding your true pathway in college is not the only struggle, you are used to people coming into your life and leaving and because of that you have built walls to keep people out. Let people break down those walls because the ones who do will be the people you share your laughs and memories with throughout these years. They are your support system, your second family. It is okay to let people in, because you learn quickly who you want in your life and who is best left as an aquantance.

If I could go back in time and give myself advise about college, I would make sure that I applied for, and mailed in any scholarship opportunity that came my way. Thinking about having to pay off college loans for the rest of my life, gives me grey hairs. I want my hair color as long as possible! Also, I would tell myself to take as many Advanced Placement classes as possible, in order to impress any college that cared to peek at my transcript,. Then I would avoid receiving the dreaded letter stating, “We’re sorry to say, but we feel our institution wouldn’t be the best fit for you”. You tend to hold a little grudge on those schools the rest of your life, and make excuses to your friends like “I didn’t want to go there anyway”. You just sound dumb saying, that…..so take AP classes! With these two key pieces of advice, I feel like I would be a better educated young man, and I would be happy knowing that I didn’t participate in the “senoiritis” epidemic my final year in high school. Now if I could just invent a time machine!

If I could talk to myself when I was in high school, I would remind myself to stick to what I'm passionate about and not let other people, financial situation, etc. change where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to do with my life. I noticed so many of my peers putting aside the school they wanted to attend because of what their parents wanted for them, and at times I wanted to do the same. In the end, I did go where my vocation and heart led me, and I'm glad I did. I'd also assuage my nerves about living in the dorms with a roommate and that it would be easier to adjust to college life than I thought.

I would say take advice from your peers and family but I need to decide what to do on my own. Do not be afraid to fail because not trying is not any better. Also do not procrastinate not even once, because than it becomes something that you cannot handle. Also do not stress; ways to not stress included applying for college earlier than later. The most important thing you can do is use your voice yes you are a bit shy but it feels so good to ask for help and to know what you are doing. The rest you cannot really prepare for and all the new students are lost to so all you can do is be a student, a good student.

DONT WATE TO GO TO SCHOOL

Senior year is not the year to slack off, Marie. Everyone is out and going to parties? So what? 'Senioritis' might be hitting you, but don't let that slow you down. It may seem like a cake walk, but college comes right after and don't you dare treat it the same way you're about to treat this last year of high school. Make good, lasting habits now rather than struggle through college. Learn to say no to the plethora of invites to go hang out, and learn to actually study well. You have the potential be great and make your family proud. Just know that, when you get that letter from your dream school, and if your best wasn't enough, don't panic. You can go to community college, but don't take it lightly! Work hard and strive to for that dream school of yours. There is nothing wrong with transferring. Whether you were accepted from the get go or not, just believe in yourself. I can't emphasize it enough, though, but keep working!

I would give myself the advice of change. I would tell myself to actually get out there and experience as much as I can that the school has to offer. With all of the opportunities that the school offers, I'd actually be missing more than I would gain if i didn't participate.

I would tell myself "Calm down! Don't stress out so much about choosing a school. When you find the right one, you'll know. Also, don't forget to have some fun! Yes, it is important to do all of your homework and study, but you need to relax too, or you'll be too stressed. (Even though you'll get a 4.0 your first semester :) ) Get involved on campus. If you sit in your room too much, you'll get lonely and miss out on all kinds of school activities. However, if you don't feel comfortable in a situation, you don't have to force yourself through it. Remember, you don't have to declare a major right away and you can change classes at the beginning of the semester if the schedule you carefully planned out does not work at all! Remember to keep loving and respecting yourself. Don't doubt your abilities or your right to be at the college. You worked hard to get there, and deserve it as much as everyone else.

Go to college! The atmophere is so much different. Teachers are more understanding and the other students are excepting. Having your daughter shouldnt stop you from going to college. In fact going to college is easier then you think. There are many oraganizations out there will help with the expences with plenty of time to pay back the loads once you graduate.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would suggest that I take as many difficult level classes as possible. That would have allowed me to become better prepared for the work load that is required to excel at my university. Challenging me more would have enabled myself to grow as a student and would have given me a better chance to succeed in my first semester of college. I would also suggest that I develop skills that help me plan school projects and assignments. By developing those skills in high school, I would have saved myself from leaving assignments I have been assigned this year until the last day. This would have helped me from becoming stressed this year, as well as producing work that was of a little less quality than I could have created. Overall, I would suggest that I build the skills that would have greatly helped me succeed in college.

Going back I would tell myself one thing: “Live your life, be brave.” High school, for me, was a time in my life where I thought I had to figure everything out. I thought that coming out of high school I was going to know who I was and what I wanted. However, when I left high school, I couldn’t have been more confused. I didn’t know what I wanted to be, and I had no clue “who I was”. The thing that I realized later on, is that figuring out who you are, doesn’t take four years. I was so concentrated in trying to just figure myself out, that I didn’t take the time to appreciate those four years that I will never get back. I’ve come to recognize myself as a unique, complex being; I am never going to fully figure myself out. If I just live in the moment, appreciate the life given to me, and love myself for who I am at any given time, I will be happy, and after telling myself all that I would then ask, “What’s better than being happy?”