Saint Edward’s University Top Questions

Dear Jacque, Please listen to mom and apply for scholarships while you still have the resources to do so. You have no idea how hard you are going to have to work with only the grocery store income to live off of while also paying tuition. You will do it and succeed, but trust me. You will have a huge burden lifted off your shoulders if you just apply for scholarships now. You have done such a good job trying to make good grades all through high school while also helping mom with your brothers and sister. If only you knew how hard it is for mom to make ends meet while take you all to school, pay for all of your band fees, sports fees all while needing to pay rent, buy clothes and food for you all. You will see how valuable the little things in life are and how hard it is to pay for gas to get to school while debating whether or not you can afford groceries one week. You will succeed with all of your hard work and determination, so don’t give up. Your future self is very proud of you. Love, Jacque

I need to provide backstory for what follows; throughout high school and college I was overweight. I struggled to excel in school as a result of having poor eating and stress habits. In 2011 I began addressing my lifelong weight issue by signing up for a gym membership and hiring a great personal trainer. I also switched careers and moved into the IT industry. Over the last 3 years I have lost 120 pounds, wiped out over $90,000 in student loan and other debt, and I fell in love with information analysis. The one thing I wish I could go back and tell myself as a high school senior would be to develop a game plan to handle stress and find a way to lose the weight faster. My time in college would have been better if I has done so.

I would tell my former self to go out and make friends at least twice a week. Making friends was the most difficult part for me during my first year of college, because I was nervous to go out. All college students are like this, and it's okay! Friends in college are friends for life. In high school, I imagined that college would be full of party-goers, and do not get me wrong, it is! However, it is absolutely fine if you do not participate in such adventures. I felt the pressure, and I now understand that friends will love you no matter how you choose to spend your weekends. Go swimming, go bowling! Do something sober, and your friends will join you just the same.

Be prepared to be the only person who will hold you accountable. Your professors don't care if you sleep in and miss a class, nor do they care that you have the chance to spend the majority of your day idly engaging in fun or leisurely activities. You are the only person responsible for your success, and if you choose to take the easy route, you'll only hamstring yourself in the future. Understand that simply because you can play video games all day doesn't mean it's acceptable to do so. Focus on your studies, prepare for exams, and don't expect to coast through school as you did in High School. The game has changed, and you'll have to rise to meet the challenge or you'll be lost in the herd.

The transition between high school and college was much more difficult than I ever could have imagined. I ambitiously signed up for 18 credit hours my freshman year, had a work study job on campus, and joined any student organization that would let me in. I stretched myself so thin, I lost myself. I became depressed and I missed a lot of class and work because of it. If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior, it would be this: Do not overwork yourself. Your expectations for yourself are too high. There’s nothing wrong with being "good" despite how badly you want to be "great". Mom and Dad love you and will support anything you do. They are your motivation. Do not ever forget that. Study often and study well. Finish all of your assignments at least three days before they are due. Go to bed early and wake up early. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Most importantly, stop feeling guilty every time you need to relax and always remember to love yourself. If you do not love yourself, you will never truly succeed.

I would tell myself to take as many college level classes as possible. I took five courses that granted me college credit in high school. I wish I would have taken more to save money and so that I would have time for more of the classes that I truely enjoy and that encourage me to learn more. I would also tell myself to study as hard as I possibly could, because the grades in college aren't as easy as the ones in high school.

If I could talk to my High School Senior self, I don't think I would have him change a thing. Though I have changed my major and changed my school, the experiences that I've had and the people I've met are not something I would change. I would allow high school Taylor to continue on his marry little way because I know that what he would experience would change him, mold him, and give him the experience necessary to make educated decisions about his professional life and what to do when he hits a roadblock. I am confident in my path now, and wouldn't want anything to change; so why would i meddle with it? Though I probably would tell him to not wreck on his motorcycle!

If I could go back to myself as a senior in high school I would tell my self to move onto campus at the start of the year, instead of waiting till the second semester. I would explain that even though the cost of school would go up tremendously, I would fit in more with the people around me making the sense of loneliness vanish, It would lower the stress I got from having so many classes one after the other. I would have more time to do homework, and procrastination would almost vanish, there would always be time to do my work at some point in the day. I wouldn't have to get up at 6 a.m. everyday to get to class, I could get up at a time that was closer to my class times. I wouldn't have to try to find a place to be between classes, as I would always have the dorm. College life, at least the first year, is meant to be spent in dorm. It brings you closer together with your class and makes you feel like you belong.

"Alejandra you can do anything, don't be discouraged by failure it will only reassure you of what it is you really want." A sheltered life transitioning to conducting everything yourself is a drastic change. Educating yourself about everything your local college has to offer is essential, with this knowledge you will be able to enter the institution with a clear understanding of what it is you want and how to achieve it. Academic advisors are the greatest tool provided to you, an appointment is necessary, through there help you will be able to make a structured plan for each semester. Having a plan will help eliminate time wasted and accelerate your path towards graduation. Deadlines tend to arrive fast, you must stay organized and on top of all deadlines, if the opportunity to complete something long before the deadline you must take advantage. Lastly, you must prioritize, educating yourself is the important thing you can do, it might become overwhelming and stressful yet you must always choose school, there is no regret like that of not having tried. Education is for your future.

Chill the fudge out, everything will be ok. In fact, better than ok. You will feel more free than you ever have before. Friends will not be instant though, and the first week or so will become depressing. However, nothing lasts forever, and friendships will soon come at you from everywhere. Privacy also atill exists even with a roommate; they are in your same situation, everyone is, and everyone has no idea what to do or where the ARTS building is. My biggest piece of advice is to be chill and not to stress out. Do as much artwork as possible before moving out (because you will have NO free time for drawing), and yes, season 3 was awesome.