Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Top Questions

I've gotten so much out of my college experience so far. I have met some of the most incredible people, including someone that I hope to spend the rest of my life with, as well as friends that I know will always be close. The education that I have received from Saint Mary's University has allowed me to consider careers that I never thought would be an option for me, especially considering that neither of my parents graduated from high school. I have learned so many social skills that I wouldn't have learned if I hadn't found myself on a college campus. I've had to learn time management, self-control, and most importantly, I've learned to take complete responsibility for my own actions. Being on a college campus turns you into an adult and provides you with the tools, education, and support to allow you to go into the world and become what you've always wanted to be, and I am sincerely grateful that I was given this opportunity.

It took me a long time to get used to the college life. I come from a small family with only one brother. I have never had to share anything for the most part. Moving to a college dorm room and having to share with another girl was a learning experience for me. I had to learn to communicate my likes and dislikes to her without causing conflicts. That was a challenge at first. Now we have become good friends and confidantes. College has also taught me about organization. I have learned you do not procrastinate when it comes to homework. I am sure these skills will be very valuable when I go out into the real working world.

The advice that I would give myself would be to apply for EVERY scholarship that I could get my hands on and to expand beyond what my high school offered so that the financial aspect of college would not be so daunting. I would also tell myself to take more classes for college credit so that I could gain priority in selecting my classes and where I want to live. I would proabably also consider telling myself to take the ACT until I achieved a much higher score than I did. I did not want to spend my mother's money to take the test over and over again to I settled for what I had. What I didn't know what that if I had achieved a score that was two points higher I would have qualified for another scholarship that would have helped me out significantly. I just needed to focus more on the financial aspect of college and less on what I wanted to do once I got here. I would also tell myself to take music theory classes so that my music classes would not be so difficult.

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior and talk to myself I would tell myself to stay focused, and to work hard . That taking harder classes in high school may require more work, but that they can be truely beneficial to making college classes a little easier. That choosing the wrong college the first time around is not a big deal, to keep presisting forward and eventually you will figure out what is right for you. Seriously nobody knows what they want to be when they grow up, I know everyone says that, but it is true! Finally that enjoy college and being young because it can truely be some of the best times of your life. The friendships you make and the knowledge you learn can make you who you are.

My suggestions for students in high school is to be as active as posible in clubs, athletics, and service learning projects. It is important to have independent study skills because you only have yourself to rely on in college to get your assignments complete. Stay close with friends from high school because they are a good support group when you need to talk to someone who knows you best. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Get into study groups and ask for tutors if you are struggling. My motto is study hard, work hard, and play hard. All of these can be accomplished with dedication to your goal.

Dear Self, College is a place where you will grow in every aspect providing you allow yourself to do so. The fun and games along with the popularity will pass and only be a memory yet the education you recieve will help provide for your future. Study hard, what you don't understand speak up. Don't give up so easily. It does make a difference. There are no stupid questions only the ones that are not asked. Don't be hard on yourself but be hard enough to pull through. Take each class assignment one day at time. Do the assignment s as soon as possible and don't wait till the last minute. Prioritze, your courses, play time, and your life. Allow yourself for enough sleep and have good eating habits. Don't allow yourself to be talked into something that you do want to do. Accept 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} responsibilty. Remember, the more you want out of life the better your resources need to be. Reach higher than you thought you could. Don't procrastinate. A man isn't a man until he masters discipline . Live life on purpose. And be kind to others.

Don't be afraid to reach out to people you don't know. Work hard and you'll be successful at anything. Don't give up or give in, and don't let anyone stop you from doing whats going to make you who you are. Make sure you appreciate what you have in front of you, because sometimes it won't seem as wonderful as it actually is. Make sure you study abroad and see the world, and don't let anything stop you from finding yourself. Don't be afraid to be creative and share your ideas. Make sure you get involved with a group, a club, or whatever it may be. Engage with people from another country or culture, you'd be surprised at what you can learn. Enjoy every moment, because it goes by so fast!

If you don't know what you want to major in, I wouldn't advise you to choose a four year school right away. I am a sophomore, half way through the year and still do not know what I would like to do. I am just choosing something I think I'm interested in. Everyone encouraged four year schools, and I never even thought about going to a 2 year school first for generals and then transfering after. Visit a lot of schools so you know which one will suit you best. I visited only two, and wish I would have taken that time seriously and looked around more to see what is out there. I do not regret my decision I made, but do look at a variety of schools. Also, don't go where your friends from high school are going. You need to move on from high school and make new friends. It's always better going home to high school friends than seeing them every day at college.

If I could go back in time to warn myself about college, I would tell myself not to take my classes for granted, and even more, not to take my art for granted. As a dancer and an actor, I would have told myslef to be more prepared for college auditions'you need to take this seriously if you want to perform as a career. It's not always the best thing to be at a school with the biggest name; sometimes there are small schools with programs that are just as good. But if you don't do your research, you'll never really know what school is the right school for you. And even if you don't get into your top school, don't stop trying. There's not a reason in the world you should settle for anything less than the best. Finally, always take risks for the sake of your art. Don't think you have to conform to what people want to see. If they don't want you for who you are, you shouldn't want them either.

Visit and apply to as many schools as you can. Do an overnight visit to your favorite schools to get a real feel for it. Once you get to school jump right in, meet people, and just be yourself. You are bound to meet someone like you, so don't be afraid to be yourself.

Finding a college in not all about finding the perfect program that will get you the farthest in life. That is very important, but it needs to be paired with what feels right. If a college does not feel right, you will not be as happy living and learning there. If a student is not happy, then they will not do very well in school. A person needs to find a school with a perfect balance between giving off a good feel about themselves and having good academics. Then they can successful in spirit and the rest of the world.

The best advice I could give to students about finding the right college is visit all the colleges you are thinking about going to. Pamphlets are just pamphlets, you need to go there and get a feel of the school because every person is different and needs to find what makes them strive to become the best they can be. Advice for parents: let your son or daughter pick out the school they want to go to, because if you choose the school for them they probably will not want to do well because it was not their decision to go to that school. Advice for making the most out of the college experience would be to figure out what you like to do and find clubs or organizations that interest you and then join them. There a variety of people and things to do, so take advantage of them in college because that makes the college experience a great one.

The most important thing would be to find the school that is really right for you. Not everyone fits into a small school, or a rural school versus a big city school. Make sure that you see the entire campus and talk to as many different people as you can, particularly students because they will be the most honest with you. Really talk with the students about how teachers are because you will be seeing them more than anyone so make sure there is a good, strong teaching staff that earnstly cares about your education and future. Also, take a deep breath and don't worry because you can always transfer if the school is worse than you ever could have expected. I really think there is just a feeling you get when you walk around and see the campus that you just know it is the right school. I would heavly recommend choosing a school that is strong in academics not sports or extra curricular activites because you are paying a lot of money every year to get an education that will benefit you for the rest of you life so that should definitely be your primary concern.

Students - Go somewhere where you feel at home the minute you step on campus and take a tour. See what the school has that you are interested in or that have your hobbies available to you. Just make sure that you aren't going somewhere because you're best buddy is going there, or your girl/boyfriend is going there either. Make it about yourself. College is a time to find your own voice and to find out who you are and who you want to be. Have fun, it's only four years before you hit the real world. It goes by fast, so live it up! Parents - Breath. They will do just fine, they'll call home every so often, they're growing up. Time to let them fly on their own.

I would let tell parents and students to visit each school that they have applied to. Everything looks good on paper, but you aren't going to be sure it is the "right" school unless you go and visit and talk to people there. A lot of schools offer overnight visits and time for the prospective student to spend with current students. Talk to the professors in the field you are thinking of, look at the course catalog and see if there are classes that interest you. Do the same thing with the list of extra-curriculars and student groups. Theres no sense in not getting excited about what you could be spending your time doing in a year or two. One really good piece of advice for parents is to let their students explore the options and get excited. Let the student tell you what groups they think they will join, or what sports they would like to play and what classes and majors look interesting.

The best advise I could give a student going into college is: Visit the campus and stay over night with a student, see what the campus is like outside of the tour. Sit in on a class that you might take as a student. If you are going to be an athlete spend time with the team make sure you get along with them and the coach (maybe even practice with them) to make sure you fit in with their style of play. Get involved in as much as possible including sports, clubs and volunteering. It's the best way to keep busy (in a good way) and make friends. If you need help in a class, talk to the professor in person. Emailing them may work but going and talking to them is the best way to get help. Take advantage of the services the offered by the college or university (writing center, disability services etc.). Don't start projects or papers the night before they are due! Procrastination leads to a stressfull semester. And most importantly, have fun! Make the most of your college career!

Choose the college that you feel the most comfortable at. Don't be afraid to ask orientation leaders or other current students about what REALLY goes on at the college, because obviously the University tends to sugarcoat what it's really like. If you say directly to a student, "Please don't sugarcoat it, just tell me what ________ is like here..." they'll probably tell you the truth. Make meetings with professors and have at least a vague idea of a major prior to choosing a college, because if you decide after you're in college and the school you're at doesn't have that major, you're screwed for a while. It's okay if you change your mind while you're at school, because most people do. Just get into intro classes that you're interested in RIGHT away. HAVE FUN! These are going to be the best years of your life, so if you don't like a college after a year or two, TRANSFER. It's not worth missing out a good college experience because you're scared to admit you made the wrong choice!

Parents should allow their children to visit as many colleges as they please, because this is the place where they will be spending some of the most important years of their lives. When a student steps onto the right campus, they will know it; they will feel instantly at home. Each student has different criteria for a suitable college, but I think that many people would agree that the perfect school reminds a student of home with more freedom and opportunities to get to know others and experience the world. A good school offers many internship and job training opportunities, and have excellent academic advisors that do their best to help the students figure out what major and career choice will suit their traits the best. Whether a student wants to take part in Greek life, music or theater, sports, or just focus on academics, there is a college that will fit all of their needs. Small or large, near or far, all college options should be explored. The saddest thing is when parents force their child to go to a college that the student is not completely in love with, because they probably won't ever truly enjoy it.

You should know what kind of campus and community surrounding the campus you attend before you attend the school. make sure you have a good understanding of what is expected of you and if you have free time take advantage of it , not just with your friends, but also in the library. When it comes to homework do it right after class it will help you retain the information better and also give you and your friends more free time at night to enjoy eachothers company. Best of luck and make good decisions this is a time in your life that passes by fast so experience what you can so you can tell your family and future colleagues what is was like.

I would tell them to explore all of their options and to not settle. Do not worry about financial matters because that can all be resolved. Put your everything into school and become comfortable with uncomfortable situations.