Saint Mary’s College Top Questions

Time management and personal responsibility are the two biggest things I have gotten out of my college experience. Initially I attended college strictly to be educated, but through it all I have discovered and developed these two very important aspects of life. Learning how to balance class, homework, sleep, work, exercise, and relationship time is one of the most challenging parts of college. It is life training. Someday I will have to balance time with my spouse, work, building my relationship with my kids, and sleep. College has been valuable to me because it is more than just class, it is training for the real world. In a time where individuals are so quick to sue and push their responsibility on to others, I am glad to discover the trait of personal responsibility. I am thankful that I can see that when I am at fault or incorrect, I deserve the consequences; however, I also know that consequence too often implies the negative. I believe that the consequences of hard work and great effort over time are personal gain and great reward. I am thankful for my college experience so far and look forward to the next two years.

In my college experience, I have had the ability to find myself in the real world. I am no longer protected by the walls that grade school provided for me. It is up to me to choose the road I want to take and through my college experience I have found that road and discovered who I want to be. It has been a valuable experience to attend college because it has provided me with the knowledge that will help me excel in my career field. My college experience has also taught me personal responsibility and has truly been a growing experience. I have excelled in my studies thus far and I put my college education above all else because I know the tools I will gain from my education are what will give me a great life. I have made a goal to graduate with honors. I am excited to continue my upcoming years in college and look forward to the many new experiences that will aid my personal growth.

Through my one semester at college I havew learned a lot inside and outside of class. The professors at my college have helped me succeed in all of my classes and they have even helped me choose what geades i would like to teach when i graduate in three and a half years. With out going to college i would not be able to teach the future generations of children and be there to help them on their journey throught their educational expirences at their schools. If I was not in college I have no idea what i would be doing right now or what would happen to me at all. College has been great and i could not imagen life with out it.

I have found out that I am ready to become a teacher threw our field placement program. I have been placed in a classroom I adore. I am also in the CAT program which is very amazing. I love tutoring, especially when I know I am making the childrens day. I also am involved in Read to a Child. I think Saint Marys offers alot of different oppotunities within the communitty where students can make a difference. My professors are the best they help and talk to students when they need it. They seem to care about what is going on in our lives.

I have learned to be a more outgoing and flexible person. Living on my own for a school year was definately a learning experience. I had to depend on myself for certain items and not my parents. I became more independent and mature by attending college. Being at schol has taught me so much that I can't explain. I feel like I am a more well-rounded person from just one year of college. I cannot wait for the next three years of college to see what I will learn.

I have learned so much about myself, my family, my faith and my friends. Lessons that cannot be described with words, but will never be forgotten. I have learned not only about science, language, math, and religions, but also about people, faith, and culture. Saint Mary's has a wonderful support system, amazing study abroad programs, and talented, intelligent young women. I am only half way through, but I cannot wait to see what the next two years bring.

I have grown in leadership and confidence while honing my teaching skills. Not only do I feel I will graduate with the best teaching preperation available, I will also graduate with friends for life.

Going to a community college is a tedious experience. Both the teachers and the students are disinterested in learning and are only there to ?check a block? so they can get on with their lives. The only reason I chose to go to community college was so I could take my general education courses at a cheaper price?but at this point I am not sure that saving an extra two hundred dollars is worth my sanity. I am a curious, intelligent, bored student. I wanted to go to school to learn, not to simply review things I learned in college! I will be so relieved when I can finally transfer to a real university because I will be able to start truly learning again. My experience at the community college has been dull, but I am sure that once I can begin attending university, my time will not be wasted.

So far, my college experience has been everything I didn't expect it to be. I come into school with a set plan of what my major would be, what activities I would do, and what I would get out of it. Now in the spring semester of my sophmore year, I have switched my major and picked up two minors, left the varsity soccer team to focus on studies, and really grown as an individual. The money aspect of Saint Mary's was the hugest factor in my college decision as I come from a middle class family and SMC is quickly heading towards the 50,000 a year mark. I knew that this school was right for me though, and sitting down with my family to make a plan has really given me a unique experience in long term money managing. It has not always been easy, but in the end, I know I made the right decision to come here. I will leave Saint Mary's with the experience and knowledge I need to have a successful career and the emotional maturity that will lead to a happier life.

I really do love my college and wouldn't want otbe anywhere else. I think the most benfcial thing about my college is the relationships that are formed with friends and the faculty. You really feel comfortable here at Saint Mary's.

I would tell myself to focus on academics a lot more than I did during my freshman year. I would also say to be more outgoing and make a lot of friends and go out with them to parties to meet people, especially boys, because it limits me now. I would say to move rooms because I had a horrible roommate freshman year and it made me miserable, I was considering transferring for a little bit. I would tell myself to stick with my school and not hate it so much because of certain circumstances, but just get through the first year and it will all get a lot better, because it did. I would also say be more forceful in choosing classes because I have fallen behind in major classes because I was not able to take them freshman and sophomore year. I would also have told myself to not apply to as many colleges as I did because I applied to a lot of reach schools and spent a lot of money on application fees that ended up being easy rejections for the schools in which I applied.

My days as a senior high school student were very tough. My mother passed away from an illness while i was going on my second month of my senior year. If i could talk to myself i would tell myself that I need to trust the people around me and believe i could make it past this bump in the road. I would encourage myself to do my best in high school and to keep my spirit up! With many scholorships i could go to a really good school, despite my lack of money, and loss of my supportive parent. I would remind myself of how great of family and friends i had that would support me through my struggle and help me to make my dream come true of going to college! With the thought of my wonderful mother being proud of me, i made it through my senior year and now i am almost through my freshman year at St Marys! One other thing I would say is college life is great but its not easy; you must stay focussed on your grades and prepare for the finicial part!!

It may take time to find the right friends, but don't let that stop you from looking! Make faith and strong friendships a priority in addition to your school work, but don't let your social life be a distraction to your education. Time managment skills are important skills to acquire, though it may be a difficult process of trial and error at times. DON'T COMPROMISE OR LOWER YOUR STANDARDS! Be smart--don't do things you know you will regret. Give praise and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ in the bad times and the good times, because everything is a gift and an opportunity.

If i could go back and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself to choose the college best for me. Not the college that is closest to my friends or the college all my friends are going to. Think about what is best for myself and where I can be the most successful upon graduation. I would tell myself to pick the college that will make me the best person I can be. Choose the college that you I can see myself calling home. Choose the college that you cannot wait to go back to after being away. Make your college decision based you you and your future that you have ahead of you. College is the time of your life and where you grow as an individual, pick the college that will have a positive impact in your life and in your future. Be proud of your future home.

I would tell myself to go to college with an open mind. Not to judge people or walk into a class thinking "this is going to be too hard". I would tell myself not to be afraid to ask questions. Half the people around me are new as well and there are about 10 other people who have the same question. I would also tell myself that talking to the professors would be the best thing to do. Making a relationship with the professor is the best thing to do. The professors are here to help the studends, not to scare them. I would tell myself that studying comes first. As tempting as going out would be fininshing your studies is the most important part.

Advice for high school seniors planning to attend college: 1. Be grateful everyday for all the things your Mom does that you never even knew existed - you will be doing them for yourself next year. 2. Take only necessary belongings and only a reasonable amount of clothing. No matter how large the grandest dorm room is , it is still a small dorm room. 3. Learn how to study and manage your time, that is unless you want to return home second semester. 4. Don't let high school teachers scare you; college professors are nice people. 5. Practice getting along with you siblings, unless blessed, roommates are only worse. 6. Live and love each day; you don't have to completely grow up until you graduate.

If I could go back and speak with my high school self I would have advised myself to be more social. Academics are important and living by the light of faith, but people are very important aspects of your life. Don't worry what they think, you are an amazing young woman who has accomplished a lot at a young age. Be secure in yourself and be the out-going, funny, intellegent girl that you are. In college it is easy to be focused on academics and conforming yourself to the ideals of those around you, but that is what makes college so great, you can be you and be a part of everything else that is going on. Be yourself an orignal is better than a copy.

I would confidently tell myself to keep my mind completely open to diverse opportunities and options as I consider colleges and majors. One must make no assumptions and one must be prepared to work harder than they did in high school. This is the beginning of a new chapter in your life that will lead to a lifetime of possibilities. The road will be filled with challenges and set backs, but you will emerge as a competent citizen of the world. As you enter the college scene be prepared to socialize and make life-long friends. Meeting new people is a key part to your personal and academic success. Most importantly, the purpose of college is to mold a type of person that is able to take control of their destiny and reach their personal dreams. Although the journey may be difficult, the pursuit is worth the effort as Rudy Ruettiger (ND) echos that one must never give up because "Having Dreams is what makes life tolerable."

When considering colleges for your childrens future, be sure to consider your childrens wants and needs before your own. Many parents tend to push a child toward a college that they themselves have an emotional attachment to, even if that school may not be a right fit for their child. When deciding on a school, allow both the future student and parent to make a list of qualities they want in a college. When finished, combine the list and use it as a reference guide while visiting campuses, checking off what each campus offers compared to the other. This will make the decision much easier because instead of focusing on if your child/you are qualified enough for the school, your focus will be turned more toward if the school is qualified enough for your child/you. Once you have made the decision of which college to attend, go to the college's website and begin researching club/volunteer options. Joining a club or volunteering right away at a new school will open up a doorway to the social realm of college giving you the opportunity to make new friends and thrive in your new environment!

Parents and students, research the schools on your list to find the one that's right for you. It is important to visit the school together as a parent/child team, and I think students really get a feel for each school's unique campus life by staying for a day or night at the college. In this way they can come to see if the college is compatible to the prospective student. As a second semester sophomore I am beginning to see how fast the time flies, and how short the college experience really is. Before I know it I will be thrust into the real world of careers, bills, and responsibilities, and now is my time to both relish my fun, carefree youth and prepare myself for the tasks that lay ahead. I was able to find a school that fits my social needs and integral educational needs, so that once I do graduate from college, I will be ready for the next bend in the road.