Seattle University Top Questions

The most important thing I have gotten from my college experience, other than a higher education, is learning how to be my own person. I had always been independent and thought of myself as a self-reliant person but it took me moving out of my comfort zone and into a new enviornment to understand that I was never really independent. I relied on my teachers to help me catch up, I relied on my parents for keeping me out of trouble and for my basic nessicities. College has taught me to depend on myself first instead of hoping someone else will fix the problem before I have to. It taught me to question what I believed in and why I believed in it to begin with. I was no longer just listening to others ideas and spitting them back out, I now formulate my own opinions on things. Basically college was the last stage of growing up. I no longer need to depend on others for success, I make my own success.

Since I've been enrolled in college, I have experienced and accomplished many things. What I have gotten out of my college experience is that working hard leads to success. Considering my background, I never thought that I would be able to attend college. I really enjoy the experience because I've had the chance to meet unique people and made new friends who are devoted to their education. I rather much have friends who are determined to graduate from college because they are a motivation for me to do the same. Attending college is valuable because it increases an individual?s marketability. The way the economy is now, the majority of employer's prefer individuals with college degrees rather than high school diplomas. Once I receive my college degree, I will feel that I would be an inspiration to others who have had a troublesome past. Despite my shortcomings and mishaps, I didn't allow the negativity to through me off course. The experience and the value of attending college are for everyone, no matter what upbringing or troubled background a person has. I will remain determined and motivated to reach my goal of completing college and becoming successful.

Attaining my degree on line has been an invaluable experience. It gave me the chance to raise my family while my husband served in the military and attain my BS in Business without having to change schools, lose credits and take courses repeatedly. I have learned to be more successful in business situations in commmunicating through emails and be a beter business professional as a whole. I have used my training in school to better myself in all areas of my personal ife and strive for my goals I have set forth for myself professionally. I have decided to return to school to attain my undergraduate degree in Accounting and continue my professional growth while working full time.

For me, college has provided far more than a simple education. While most people, including myself, obtain the standdard knowldedge we've come to college for, I have gained far more. I have learned about myself in ways that I never thought I would, from my beliefs about people and God to the ways in which I live in the world. I have gained a new amount of freedom and extroversion with people of all walks of life, and see my new self develop every day. I do not think that without college I would have developed in the ways I have in such a short time. What occured in only a few months could have taken years, or neverhave occured at all. I believe that college is to thank for how I have found myself in new life.

If was able to give advice to myself as a senior in high school I would encourage myself to get a job off-campus. As an out-of-state student it can be hard to connect with the community outside of my college campus. I currently have an on-campus job and live in an on-campus dorm, both of which have helped me to make better connections with my college community, but I am not as connected to the city of Seattle. A job off campus would encourage relationships with people who have a different perspective on the area I am now living in. I do not feel disconnected from Seattle because I have made a point of venturing out and finding local places while meeting new people from my community. However, I do think that having an off-campus job from the beginning of my freshman would have made that connection much easier. Knowing this as a high school senior I could have researched local businesses close to campus, but separate from the campus community.

I would tell myself to ultimately not fear the unknown. What would make me fully understand this? I would have to bring my trumpet, good ol? Bessie, in the bigger picture. When I accidently play a note that is not on my sheet music, I assume that it was wrong. But, there is no such thing as a ?wrong? note. When you meet people from all different walks of life, whether you are in college or not, everyone has their own rhythm. When you are in college, it is ok to try and find your own rhythm; in the end, all of your experiences, varying from friends you have found or lost, late nights working on papers, conversations with professors, and so much more will be the foundation of your harmony. All of the notes you play connect s to the whole song. Don?t worry if you don?t know your major right away, or if you feel alone from time to time. Everything that you encounter, both the good and the bad, notes that may or not be on the sheet music, will flow and is meant to be part of your life journey.

Transitioning into college is a big step in a person's life, it shapes a person and their future career. Before deciding on a school I believe that it is important to make three lists; list one should contain potential majors that the student may want to pursue, list twoshould contain specific values that are important to the student, and list three should contain important location qualities that they want the school to contain. The first list is important because a student should choose a school that has several of the student's potential majors available to them. Many students begin college set on a specific major and then within a year decide to change their major. I believe that making a list of values that are central to who the student is is also important because some schools are better qualified than others to help a student maintain these morals. Lastly, the location of the university is very important because a person cannot be happy unless they enjoy their surroundings. As you can see there are a lot of considerations that need to be taken into consideration before deciding on a university.

If I could go back, I would tell myself that transitioning from high school to college is going to be scary but immensely rewarding. Growing up is a big part of the transition and learning to depend more on yourself and your own thoughts and morals is key, especially in the beginning when you are just meeting people and feel alone. Calling home is not a sign of weakness, instead realize your parents still appreciate being needed and are willing to help or give advice with anything. You will meet people who want to be your friend for exactly who you are, even if you are not quite sure of who that may be. One of the most important things to remember would be that it is all right to not know exactly what you want to do, or where you want your life to end up, college is to help you figure that out. I would tell myself it is okay to let go of some things in the past but keep the memories; just because moving away and growing up may cause some friendships to dift apart, those friends were still important influences in my personal development.

I would advise myself to just do it. I am now a full time student with 4 children, and it is a struggle. Had I done it when I ws fresh out of high school it would have been much easier and I would already have a career, rahter than just getting into the schooling for the career. College is a wonderful experience and also very challenging. It is twice as rewarding as it is difficult. WIth a 3.95 GPA now, I know I could have done it then and been just as successful, if not more successful. Even being a young mom, I can show my children how much you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. It truly is a wonderful experience that you should not miss out on!

Being given the ability to go back in time would first of all break the laws of physics, but I would definitely do it if I was able to help myself by giving myself advice. The first thing I would tell myself is to take my education more seriously and stop worrying about my image, because in another 2 years I won't be talking to the same people I now call "friends." Time changes things so quickly, and we grow up and move on, faster than our minds and bodies have time to catch up. Another thing I would tell myself, is, "The most important thing is your future so you need to focus on that. You need to keep your mind on your goals, your dreams, and you need to always work your hardest and try your best so you can achieve that." Going back in time, I'd know what I know now, and that's that I let too much time go by without working towards something or being productive, I was too busy acknowledging things that are now meaningless to me. The one thing that stands the test of time is my education.

If I went back in time to tell myself about my college experience thus far, the first thing I would say is how difficult it is living away from home. I did not realize how difficult it would actually be. Coming from Hawaii, it was more than just leaving my family, I was leaving everything I had ever known. I would convince myself that even with the difficulties, I would get through them. I would talk about the great friends I made and the many things I have done that I would not have had the chance if I stayed home for college. I would talk about the trips down to Oregon, snowboarding, and bonding with my family living in Seattle. And finally, that this is all a big learning experience; in the classroom, living on my own, and the discovery of myself. Looking back to how I was as a high school senior, living away from home forced me to grow up and mature. The last thing I would say is, despite all the challenges, I will get through them and become a stronger person.

If I could go back to my senior year of high school, I tell myself to enroll into a running start program to take college credits. Optimally, this would mean time and tuition savings. The average college student does not have enough time to explore all the available possibilities for majors, and neither did I; that is why it makes sense to get core classes out of the way. Another important idea is to spend quality time pondering my major, other academic interests, and ultimately my career. Also, writing out a four year plan, setting out my goals and how to go about achieving them, would top my list. I would then choose the best college that would prepare me for my specific field. College is a time to transition from high school to a career, which allows one to grow and defines character. The point of my advice is that I am concerned that the average college student does not have enough time to explore different fields. After all, college is about personal exploration so taking your basic credits at a much lower price makes prudential sense.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would change a few of things. First, I would tell myself to take my school work more seriously. I received good grades but, I know if I applied more hard work I would have received excellent grades to achieve an academic scholarship. Second, I would tell myself to join more clubs and participate in community service. I worked part time and was on the cheerleading team so; there was not much time for anything. I wish someone would have stressed to me how important it is to have some leadership experience and community service for college applications. However, I think if I managed my time better I would have been able to join more clubs and extracurricular activities. Third, I would have started a saving account just for college. College is very expensive and if I prepared myself better I would not be struggling to pay for text books. There are a lot of things that I would have done differently during my senior year from being more active in school events to starting a college savings account.

If I could go back in time talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to plan everything carefully to not waste time. I would tell myself to take all the tough classes at my running start college because tough classes are even tougher at a university. Instead of working, I would tell myself to there are many loans available and money would not be a big issue. Lastly, I would tell myself that the transition to a university will be tough, but perseverance and time management is needed to endure through it.

I would want to make sure I was completely sure about where I wanted to go, despite where other people I would be graduating with were going and despite the cost of the school. Both of those factors impacted my decision greatly, but looking at it now I have come to realize that I came to higher education for just that--education. Peoples motives for going to a university are going to vary, and I just wish I would have assessed exactly what mine were about before commiting to go somewhere.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to relax and have fun because the next four years will be very tough. I would tell myself to find my passion and stick with it because that is where you will find joy during the rest of your life. Another thing I would tell myself to do is to focus on getting better time management skills. As an athlete, managing classes, practices, travelling, and still trying to have at least somewhat of a social life is one of the hardest things to do. The most important thing is to have fun and try new things because time goes by very quickly, and sooner than you think, high school and college will be over and it will be time to step into the real world and start the rest of your life.

If I were to go back in time to talk to myself as a senior in high school I would begin to research more about independent living. I became a fully independent student once I left for college, I had to start college with no support from my family while starting something new and exciting in a completely different state. I also would have visited the colleges before I chose which one to attend. This was difficult for me to do because of financial restrictions in high school but it would have changed the entire move in process and new student experience. i would also warn myself not to become "overly involved" in extracurricular activites that take away from my studies. I would encourage myself to continue the programs that meant the most to me and that gave back to the community.

I would tell myself to make the most of the time I have in college because I can only do it once. Join more clubs, study harder, make more friends, and enjoy myself because the working world is nothing like the college world!!

Jump in as soon as you get the chance. You're going to have to get out of that comfort zone because keep in mind that you're going to be a long way from home. Keep focused, you're going to college to study and finish your degree first and foremost, that is your priority. But, don't stress, find the time to do something you like, take a walk or go see a play or concert. The city is your campus, don't limit yourself to official campus boundires, expand your horizons! Remember who you are!

Much of our education not only belongs in the classroom but also from life experiences outside of the class. The oppurtunity to pack up and leave your own comfortable environment and venture off into the unknown is an experience that one should take no matter how scary it sounds. College helps us through that process of helping us leave a known environment into something more that will help us become a better person and understand the world a little more each day. Taking a risks is part of the college experience. Take a chance and prove to yourself what you can do because not taking that risk will only limit your abilities. College prepares us for the future and it is okay to be uncertain of what the future holds because that is part of living. Life is an adventure and always seize the moment to surpass your current limitations.