Rockhurst University Top Questions

Given the chance to hop in the Delorean with Doc and head back to 2008, when I was a high school senior, I would have a chat with myself about location, campus size, and course difficulty. First, I would want to let young Samantha know that it's okay to leave home. It's okay to be more than a few hours away from your family because college is the adventure of a lifetime and your family will always be there no matter how far you travel. I would also tell myself that I don't have to go to a small university to get the attention I want from proffesors. Small universities don't always have the research opportunities, facility equipment, or student diversity you want. Many students want small class sizes and close contact with professors because they are nervous that college level coursework will be difficult and intimidating. It's not as hard as it looks! The course work is not as difficult as it seems and many campuses offer tutors or other help if you get in over your head. I promise you will be fine so go have an adventure!

I would tell myself to be ready to face challenges to my faith, my beliefs, and my morals. I would tell myself to be ready to trust God when my time is crunched and my money is spent and to step out of my comfort zone to explore opportunities. But, I would also advise myself to pursue scholarships and work opportunities in earnest and to attempt to obtain at least a few, as it will become extremely important when I leave Running Start. I would also encourage myself to not even try to do my scheduling alone and to seek out the help of an advisor after the first quarter of Running Start so that I can pursue my AA more directly. Besides that, I would simply advise myself to press on towards the goal to win the prize for whish God has called me, heavenward in Christ Jesus and to keep my eyes focused on Him as I purse my future career in computer graphics and animation through college.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself to trust myslef more and not second guess my actions. I would tell myself to have faith and trust my decisions, because they had gotten me as far as I had gotten then and they would continue to help me succeed in the future. I would tell myself to not be as hard on myself and to learn to find the balance between pushing myself to work hard, and expecting the impossible. I would also make sure to tell myself that it is not about being perfect, it is about being happy, and that all things happen for a reason. I would tell myself to not be upset about staying close to home for college, because there will be days where you are happy that you can drive home for the weekend as oppossed to have to fly or drive ten hours. Finally, I would tell myself that, as long as I know I worked as hard as I could, then I should be proud of myself becasue that is all I can do, whether it produces the outcome I hoped for or not.

The advice that I would give myself is, I need to stay focused an to study study study.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be more easygoing, to go with the flow more, and to learn to take myself a little bit less seriously. I would remind myself that a meaningful life is one in which you find happiness and not necessarily worldly success, and I would try to emphasize the fact that even when things conspire against you and you think your life is over, it isn't. I have learned that life is about finding balance, about learning to work hard AND play hard, about being willing to try almost everything once, and about not being afraid to take risks, to meet people, and to put myself out there and make myself vulnerable. But most of all, I would tell myself to stop worrying so much and try to find some inner peace, because after all, we already know that it all worked out in the end.

I think about this question all the time. When I graduated from high school, my intentions were to attend Ohio University in Athens, Ohio because at the time they had the best Journalism program. Thereafter, my dream was to attend law school. Secretly, my career path was supposed to be the same as Star Jones. Whenever I would see her on the View, I always believed that she had my job. However, when I told my father about my decision, he told me that he did not want me to go to Ohio University, but first attend the local community college and we will consider after the first year. If I could be transported back into time, I would either attend the community college and transferred to Ohio University or alternatively, attended Ohio University without my father's permission . It is important to follow your dreams and not listen to what anyone else has to say about. it I have learned that It is important to follow your heart, your vision and do not let any road blocks stand in your way. In the words of Nike, "Just Do It."

I would tell myself to relax. College is an exciting time. Moving away from home is a great experience, but going back home for breaks are just as enjoyable. I would also tell myself that I do not change as a person, and the relationships that I want to work will. It takes some extra effort, but the experiences and memories are worth every extra effort. I would also tell myself to get involved but not to stretch myself too thin. It is really easy to want to do everything, but sleep is necessary and people are ok with you taking naps. Just get out and get invovled. It makes the transition process so much easier. I would also suggest to enjoy every minute of it and to not take anything for granted. Before you know it, the semester is over. Enjoy the late nights in the lobby and with friends. They make some of the best memories, and they create friendships that will last a lifetime.

If I got to meet myself at the beginning of senior year, I would tell myself to start visiting as many colleges as possible. I would want to open up my options and find the perfect school. I also woud have let myself know that applying for scholarships and grants is very important to help pay for school. College life is going to be hard to get in to but if you work for it, you can finish and begin your career.

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to have more fun! Knowing that I'd always be a studious person, working hard in school would not be the issue. To have a healthy social life is just as equally important as doing well in classes. I would've told myself to speak to more people! That would have made the loud girls in the dorms a little less annoying because I would've been a part of that laughter. I would've told myself to not procrastinate! That opens the doors for regrets! I would say that the high school me should talk to people about classes to take and teachers to avoid. I would've said to look harder for those scholarships! If you don't have enough funds, you have to pay out of pocket, stupid! "You don't have that kind of money!" High school was a breeze compared to college. They trick you because there's less work given but the still needs to be aced! The high school me thought she could do it all without studying much. Think again!!

Looking back at my college experience, I wish I would have taken more initiative in learning the daily tasks and activities that my mother had always done for me. My mom washed my laundry, cleaned my room, payed my car payment and insurance, made my doctor/dentist appointments, and prepared most of my meals. I had it made easy. Unfortunately she could not go to college with me. Had I taken that initiative before setting out on my own on campus I feel that I would have done a better job of managing my finances, I wouldn't have ruined as many clothing items as I had, and would have been able to avoid "the Freshman 15" (I actually gained 25 pounds my first year). So if I could go back in time I would tell myself to take notes and listen while my mom shopped, payed bills, and washed clothes so that I could do so for myself with ease. The most valuable lesson I learned was that a mother's wisdom is priceless.