Spelman College Top Questions

Dear high school Kyra, congratulations on graduating from high school and choosing to go to college to better yourself! I hope you realize that this is only the beginning, so here are some tips that could make your transition to college way easier. First, be confident in yourself and everything you have to offer. You will have to interview for internships, study abroad opportunities and extracurricular activities, so learn what makes you special and highlight it. Second, when applying for scholarships choose quality over quantity. While it may be tempting to rush through every scholarship before the deadlines, instead focus on a few at a time and do them excellently. Third, build positive relationships with employers, professors, mentors, community service leaders or anyone who can validate your character and achievements. Fourth, when oppotunities present themselves, just apply. You never know you could be the exact candidate they are looking for, so never talk yourself out of it. Fifth, familiarze yourself with college fees such as health insurance fees that could be waived and make tuition cheaper. Sixth, keep a planner for important deadlines and events, stay organized! Seventh, save copies of your work. Eighth, study hard but have fun!

High school can only prepare you for so much when it comes to college. In high schoool I did not have to study very hard, things came to me almost naturally so I had a terrible study ethic. As soon as a got to college I realised that if you dont study or read the assigned material you will become way behind everyone else. I had to learn to study and actually write down my homework to remember it because it was so much at one time. I also had to learn to keep a calendar not just for homework but for class times, volunteer work, and campus activities. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself "Jazmyn you need to learn how to be organized, write down homework and actually do it. You also need to learn how to study and make sure you stop procrastinating because it feels so much better to have everything done in advance than to be worrying about what you still have to do."

Oh darling, you will make it. Stop screaming to the sky. You will get to Spelman. Your tears are now messing up your make up. The scholarships may hurt; paper cuts on your fingers, bags under your eyes, more tears on your cheeks than words in the essay, but you will make it. I know the fear is crippling, but keep fighting for your dream. Spelman is the love of your life. Even though you will have to continue the scholarship process once you arrive, you will make it. You will walk through Spelman’s ebony gates; you will sing it joyful song, “Spelman, thy name we praise”! Let the weight of financial insecurity and family disappointment drop from your shoulders. You will make it. I know the strength inside of you and you now must believe it too, for faith and hard work are your only funds. I know you have what it takes because I need to recall it myself. I have returned to the financial aid mountain. But I know, now writing to you that all will be alright. You will make it!

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to not worry as much. I worried so much my senior year of highschool and freshman year of college. I did not really take a second to enjoy the transition of going into college. I have now learned to enjoy every moment because it all goes by quickly. Things are not going to work out the way I always want them to, but everything really does happen for a reason. I cannot imagine not being at Spelman College, even if I tried to fathom it. I have grown so much, intellectually, emotionally and consciously. This is why I have chosen to be in public policy. I believe what I have gained in my courses and in many experiences will be important in changing/affecting policy.

Dear Future Me, Make sure that you balance your social and academic life responsibly, because it is very easy to get off of track. Time management is an essential aspect in surviving at a prestigious college such as Spelman. You will be challenged by teachers, the course load of work, and the intensity of various assignments. However, this is only a method to benefit you and enhance your skills. Also, do not judge or stray away from topics you're unfamiliar with. Keep an open mind. You will learn a lot of new ideas from around the world and be well rounded. Community service is imperative and participating within school organizations will aid you in adjusting to the college lifestyle. The most importanat thing is to APPLY FOR SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIPS!!!!! You will need them all!!!! Try not to stress too much and remember to keep God first.

If I could go back in time and speak with my high school self, I would give her a lot of helpful advice about college and what to expect. I would first tell her to get more involve with high school extracurricular activities. I would tell her that because it gives her more practice with dealing with other people in a semi-professional way and to learn how to network with others. I would also tell her to that she has four years to experience college so she does not have to do everything fun and party everyday her first year at college. Lastly if would tell her that hard work will pay of so those long nights and stressful days her senior year will allow her be more studious and better prepared for college and its work load.

Work hard now. You don't know what you want to do with your life and you have the ability to take classes that will exempt you from classes you have to take later on. That will allow you to take more classes that may help influence what you want to do for a career. Also, do more community service. Work with people who are less fortunate. It will open your eyes and help you become the person you truley are/always hoped you would be.

I am a first generation college student. I wish that I would have asked more questions to current college students. I went into college blind. I did not know that textbooks were expensive. I also entered college with an arrogant attitude. I graduated second of my class, I was Prom Queen, Class President, I had my own apartment, and I was an internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. I did not know that everyone at Spelman had similar credentials. I did not the different between high school teachers and course work and college professors and course work. I did not know Spelman's grading scale and I felt insecure about my academic abilities. I wish I was confident and could redo first semester. I sat in class and did not know what was going on and did not attend office hours. I ended first semester with the worst grade point average of my life. I wish I would have taken full advantage of my education and each of my professor's knowledge. Now, I am struggling to boost my GPA, so I can apply for organizations, scholarships, and internships.

I would definetly tell myself not to slack off. I took several AP classes and I started strong, but I lost steam throughout the year. The slack I took senior year, travelled into my freshman year, and it reflected in my grades. Also, I would get into even more extracurriculars so I could get used to having a full schedule. Lastly, I would have told myself to apply earlier, and fill out more college applications and scholarships because that is not something you want to be worried about while in school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I'd say that the hard times will only last a short while. I would tell myself that the temporary stress from having to prioritize work and social life and from the late nights studying will all be worth while in the long run. The hard work of right now will allow for a prosperous and successful future. I would tell myself to channel all negative energy into positiviy. Experience as many activities and organziations that I can so that I may discover what I like and dislike. I would tell myself to stand firm in my beliefs because they will keep me on track. I am the architect of my life and even though some things are uncontrollable, I can still control how situations affect me and how I act as a result. I would tell myself that I am filled with light and by investing time to the improvement of myslef and future will allow my light to shine brighter than ever.

There are so many lessons that I wish I could share with you. For the sake of time, I’ll just go with the three that have proven to be the most important. 1.Know yourself. And if you don’t know yourself quite yet, it’s okay. Who you are will change throughout the years and that’s normal. Just remember to always stay true to the morals and beliefs that make you, you. 2.Be yourself. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the images on television and in the media, but originality is priceless. Don’t be afraid to let the inner you shine, no matter how weird or strange other people may think it is. The greatest prison people live in is fear of what others may think. 3.Love yourself. This one may be the toughest out of the three. You can’t truly be yourself until you love yourself, flaws and all. Loving yourself isn’t about loving the material items you have or the image you put out to the world, its about loving what is fundamentally you. Love yourself, or nobody will. Goodluck Champ!

Having an older sister whom just graduated from college, I thought I knew all there was to know about college life, but I soon realized I knew nothing at all. I did not know anything from how to balance my academia and social activites, to how to fill out a FASFA application every year. I experienced an extreme cultural shock within just the first week of college. A part of me wishes I was personally more prepared for college but I know that all the mistakes I have mad thus far have only played a role in my self development to becoming a free thinking young woman.

I know you...well me...or is it we? We were/are worried about the future. We had realized early on that there was nothing for you in Brick, New Jersey. Let me say this, at Spelman, you will find a home. We will finally be confident that we made the right decision, this school is everything we had anticipated and more. I know high school was certainly challenging but I know now that we are stronger because of those four years and as a senior, I think you are starting to realize it. Your time at a PWI was a learning experience, which makes college life at a HBCU truly rewarding and entirely enriching. Soon you will meet people who understand, appreciate, and challenge you. Continue to stand tall and hold your head high, for you will begin a life-changing journey next fall. The transition will not be a cake walk, nothing ever is, but you wil adapt without compromising. You have been prepared in all areas for life at Spelman College and you are perfect the way you are. Most importantly, believe in yourself and stay grounded, your life is just beginning.

Take a breath. Right now your blood pressure is going through the roof and you're having heart palpitations over a college application. One thing I can promise you that everything is not going to go your way and there's nothing you can do about it; therefore there is no need to stress. Now, a healthy amount of stress is good for helping you make that scholarship application deadline, but don't let it take over your life. Soon you will learn that when things are out of your hands, all you have to do is take a nap. Seriously, just take a nap when all of your work is done. There is no better way to declutter your mind and reduce your stress level than to relax without going over your future with a fine tooth comb. There are no cooincidences in life, and everything is going to work out that way it is supposed to. All you have to do is the footwork and focus on the things that are under your control. In a few months, you'll start feeling this wild sense of freedom and responsiblity, maybe evenfear - just remember, dont stress!

Dear past Loren, There are a few aspects of college that I believe you should know to not only be progressive in high school, but to also make college less complicated. To start off, use your time wisely now! The workload of high school cannot compare to the workload of college; specifically the workload of a Chemistry major. All the extra time you have when you are at home, use it to apply for scholarships! School is expensive, especially Spelman college. In fact, I believe seventy five percent of the problems you have in college can be solved if your school payments were decreased. The other twenty five percent can be solved if you stay focused and manage your time! Managing your time is crucial in college. Unfortunately college professors aren't as sympathetic when it comes to the number of assignments they give. Do yourself a favor, get started now. Trust me, there will always be a party, event, or get-together with friends. You could make this college experience a pleasurable one if you follow my advice. Good Luck, Future Loren

Relax. If I could go back in time to the beginning of this year, the second half of my high school senior year, I would tell myself to relax. One of the biggest obstacles I had to face in my transition to college was getting over anxiety in anticipation. At certain points this anxiety drove me to act pre-maturely on things that I should have allowed more time on. In retrospect it was uneccesary for me to be so anticipatory of college because I had so much time at my expense. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that in a few months, I will be having the time of my life and not to worry. I would tell myself to never give in to doubt and to keep my hope and faith alive.

I have grown to see that knowledge is the key to many things in this world. Without an education, things aren't easy to grasp. I had to remind myself that my dreams could now become a reality as long as I stayed focused. Being focused is a key factor to have because eveything doesn't come as easy as it did in high school. You actually have to THINK. College is fun and free for adventure , but it is also a time where you grow and find out who you really are. It is a time to find your purpose and buckle down on what you want to do for the rest of your life. If you are not focused on yourself, you can be distracted by many fun and usless things that sometimes won't be worth it in the end and can have you sent back home to where you came from. College is the real world; full of knowledge, experience, love, friendship, and more. It can make you, or it can break you.

College is quite an upgrade from high school. High school for many students of this country is free of charge. College is not complimentary unless you worked for it to be. Knowing what I know about college life now, I would advise my younger self to have taken better advantage of scholarships. Scholarships are free money for students to go to school, why don't students take applying more seriously? I know for me, I looked at them as lotteries. I thought to myself, out of all these students applying how could you win? I didn't have enough faith. I applied for what seemed like many scholarships as a high school senior, but it was not enough. You can never apply for too many. College is very expensive, especially the private institution I attend now. If I would have been awarded more scholarships, I would not be in the predicament I am today. I have fallen short thousands of dollars for my tuition and I don't have the money to pay. You have to work; put in work for what you really want and believe in. Scholarships are not awarded to students who do not apply.

College requires a well-trained mind and a set skill set to conquer the classroom. You simply cannot commit the taught material simply to memorization. You must process the information into long term memory and apply information to do well. If you do not know how to apply the topics you will not do well on the exams and will find yourself scrambling to bring grades up towards the end oft semester. Also change the way you study, sometimes the mind needs to learn in different ways for each course. Whether its study groups or meeting with a professor, work with others and do not be the lone wolf when it comes to some courses.Also, start learning how to be responsible with money. College takes a person who knows how to use and save money. I have learned the hard way about money management. I have spent all the money that was in my account at one point. From that point on I have not created a budget and the budget restricts my social outings, food, and miscellaneous purchases. Also, with continuously putting money into my savings, I will be more of a frugal student.

College requires a well-trained mind and a set skill set to conquer the classroom. You simply cannot commit the taught material simply to memorization. You must process the information into long term memory and apply information to do well. If you do not know how to apply the topics you will not do well on the exams and will find yourself scrambling to bring grades up towards the end oft semester. Also change the way you study, sometimes the mind needs to learn in different ways for each course. Weather its study groups or meeting with a professor, work with others and do not be the lone wolf when it comes to some courses. Also, start learning how to be responsible with money. College takes a person who knows how to use and save money. I have learned the hard way about money management. I have spent all the money that was in my account at one point. From that point on I have not created a budget and the budget restricts my social outings, food, and miscellaneous purchases. Also, with continuously putting money into my savings I will be more of a frugal student.