Spelman College Top Questions

If I could go back in time and be a senior in high school the advice I would give myself is nothing. I believe that going to college is an experience and it's a time in your life where you must learn to be an adult. It is a time where being responsible is very important, and just receiving the whole college experience I wouldn't take that away for the world. College is a place where you learn not only about who you are, but other people from all over. It is a time where you grow friendships and bonds with people, that would last for a life time. There is no advice to give, except to be assured that the choice of school that I made was the school that I really wanted to be apart of.

If I were giving the chance to go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would advise myself to prepare financially for college. I did well academically all throughout high school, and so getting into college was not a challenge for me. However, due to a lot of unfortunate events and the financial status of my family it has been hard being able to afford college. I did not spend enough time applying for scholarships and I limited my applications to those marked with huge monetary winnings. The advice I would give myself would be to apply for small scholarships just as much as the large ones because every bit counts. It has been a struggle. I realize now that I did not map out my future financially. I would also advise myself to practice good budget habits and not waist the money I did have on meaningless things. I had a job, but instead of asking for more hours to earn more money for college, I worked small shifts and wasted my earnings on thing that would not benefit me in the long run.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would give myself advice on studying and prioritizing. As a senior in high school, I did not have the best studying habbits. It was so much easier for me to just quickly review my notes before the moment in class when we would have the quiz/test, and I would do fine. Well it does not work for me like that in college. I would advise myself as a senior in high school to honestly sit down about two days before a test to prepare. Not only would I advise myself on studying, but also on prioritization. In college it is extremely vital to have your priorities in the right perspective. As a senior in high school, I would advise myself to schedule and prioritize by what is important. In college the making the grades are important, especially since we are paying for it. The fun comes later as rewards. I believe that my advice could really influence a high school senior.

Assuming I could go back in time to talk to mself s a high school senior, I would advice myself that the transaction is not as easy as it may seem. Experiencing my freshman year in college miles away from family and friends it gets hard sometimes because your support system is not in th same house as you, so dont take your time for granted. Academically in senior year of high school senioritis got the best of me. Today I would make sure I advice myself to take my time and better my writing skills, in college there is more writing then you thought it would be. Although the papers may not be lengthy, there are many essays for all of your classes.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, i would probably tell myself to do the very best that i could in high school and apply for as many scholarships and grants as i could because if you can't get anything, that it's going to be very hard to pay for everything that you nee. I would also tell myself that it's not all peaches and cream in college, and that some of the professors don't take any excuses like high school teachers do. Then, i would tell myself to do all my homework, show all of my work on everything that needs to show work. After i have said all of that to myself, i would then tell myself that i need to show up to class on time, and if i am going to be late make sure to tell your teacher. The last thing of advise i would tell myself if that it is alot more harder to adjust to the college life than it is to high school, you have more classes in college, you have to earn your credits.

The advice I would give myself if I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior would be to embrace my learning disability. Once I embraced my learning disability I was able to matriculate with ease and understand the way I processed information and learned to manage my disability. I spent so much time tying to prove that I was ?normal? that I did not use the resources that were available to me that would have assisted me in learning. I now know how I learn and know where and when to go for assistance. I think if I was mature enough in high school to accept my differences I would have not struggled so much academically. The first year at Spelman was the worst for me however once I worked with my disability I was able to excell. It is still difficult at times but I am enjoying every moment.

Dear Self. Congrats on making this far in your academic journey. As a current college student, I would like to tell you that graduating from high school is only the beginning of your academic journey. Although in a couple of months, you will be graduating and will feel like the greatest fish in this big world pond, i need you to know that although you may not see other fishes they are still there. In fact, there will be times where it will be your job to find them. Often times, we as people get so consumed with acheieving our goals we forget there are fishes or rather people there to help them. Similarly, some people will find you before you find them but essentially that is the goal of life; to serve. If you remember anything remember to do community service and help those in need because in the end, you never know when you will need it. Love Always! -Older Self.

Given the experience I have now with college I would say to my high school self that perserverance is key to success. During these last few months I have learned that college is not as nerve wrecking and tedious as it seems, you only get out of it as much as you put in. Hardwork and focus must always come into play. Always remember everything you've learned or have been taught is for a reason. It is all about self control and your ability to sustain from what looks like the right thing to do and what is the right thing to do. College and even life is all about choices, so weigh all options and choose the choices thats best for you.

College life is everything you think it is plus more; you are ready. I understand that you think you have a strong sense of self now, but you are going to experience things that will truly help you to discover yourself. You will be alright as long as you remember all of what you have been taught in your up bringing. Do not be afraid of change, but always maintain your core values. Although you are not use to loosing, prepare yourself to handle loosing gracefully, because everything you attempt will not always come easily to you. However, you must maintain the fight. Last but not least APPLY APPLY APPLY!!! At no point should you stop applying for scholarships. The Country is going to basically be in a recession so that means your financial aid will be decreased due to lack of state funding.

Please be open to the new experiences ahead and don't sweat the little things. Dance, sing, be free, and enjoy the sunshine! Remember to keep your focus, especially during the harder times. Don't forget why you're there, and don't be afraid to speak up about the things that bother you. Confide in your roommates and keep in mind that sometimes they need to be heard too. It is okay to feel lonely or unsure, it means that you're still growing and lets you know that you're human. Sometimes you'll want to cry- for every reason in the world, or none at all; let it out. When people ask you how you like the school or the environment, don't lie. Don't fall in love with him, resist as much as you can. And finally, always remember that things are not always what they seem.