St Catherine University Top Questions

I have learned to manage my time and money well, to balance my social life and schoolwork (I tend to focus on the latter), to expect to be challanged by professors to do my best, to solve conflicts efficiently, to make compromises, that I get the grade I earn, and most importantly to put my health first. Professors are very understanding of special circumstances and are willing to make exceptions to policies if you just keep them informed about the situation. I had first hand experience with this when I was going through chemotherapy and attending school at the same time. After the hard year I've had, I'm more motivated than ever a get a degree and pursue my goals. My life is officially a gift and that experience has taught me more than any classroom ever will.

What I have gotten out of my college experience is me, just better. I did get an education from St. Kate's, and that education has helped me to find gainful employment. The thing that I most appreciate from my college experience, though, is finding my voice and my courage. It's almost cliche to say that one discovers one's self in college, but for me, that is very true. Before St. Catherine's I didn't have the courage to live the life I want to live, to study what interests me, or the conviction to follow my dreams. I learned about myself and another way to live while in college. Finding myself has changed my life dramatically. It has also changed my daughter's life dramatically. The value that education has added is immeasurable.

The last time I attended college was over ten years ago and since that time has come and gone quickly, the world with technology has evolved quickly. My duration of attending two difference education institutions I have experienced independence, advance knowledge of the business world and how organizations expand and collapse. Of course all depending on the leader's prospects for the company and it's employees. I have learned that I know what my limitations are and not to have someone else dictate that to me for I know myself. Attending college has rejuvenated my spirit to explore and research hobbies of interest and live out my curiousities. I have noticed through out my career and consistant changes of employment, depending on the situation, that there is not longer a sense of human nature. From what I have read and viewed on the television, what is reality? Life not a reality from what they portray on the media. Reality is being educated , having a degree or more to show you are ready for what they place in front of you. Therefore, to me it is more than valuable to attend college, but a necessity.

From my college experience I have learned the value of hard work. I also realized the value of money. I learned that from what I am paying I must try my best. Because of that, I have earned better grades my first year at St. Catherine's than all four years of high school. I am very gratefull that I was able to attend St. Catherine College and plan on staying there my next three years because they really care for their students. I have goten a lot out of my college experience so far, and I plan on getting even more out of it my next three years here.

I absolutely love my school, I have a few new friends that I know to trust and are very knowledgeable. The teachers here want to help you succeed and are available if I have questions. Also, there are no boys attending this all-girls school, which has it's positive aspects, like no distractions and the not-very-enlightening remarks or questions. I feel like I'm getting the educational experience I'm paying for in a school that isn't it's own city but also not super small. It's a Christian-affliated university, which I think is great because the sisters who started it had a vision of sprituality and education, and I'm proud to be part of that vision in getting a well-rounded education that will have great impact on my life.

The two things I have gotten out of my college experience would be that I know when to push myself and when I need to back out and step aside and who my true friends really are in my life. I did a lot of partying my first semester and I hung out with a not so great crowd the first few months of college, but I realized I wasn't going down the right path and it took a lot for me to break off ties with the old crowd and break my old habits. But my friends encouraged me to get back on track and have fun in moderation and not settle for anything less than I want and always listen to my gut feelings. Those experiences havebeen valuable in that I've been able to regroup and focus all my efforts on the more important things in life like school, work, family, my boyfriend, and my friends. I'm only 2 semesters into college and I've already found a part of myself that I always knew was there, but I just needed a little from my friends to see it.

Don?t burn your bridges. You never know when one of your teachers or parent?s friends could be helpful to you. Their advice and letters of recommendation could make the difference between getting accepted or not. On the other hand, don?t sweat it if some of the people you were friends with in high school don?t maintain contact with you. The summer after graduation will make it obvious who your real friends were the whole time, and it might surprise you. Take the time to apply for scholarships, and make the effort to have some money saved up before you go away to school. You never know when a huge project will make it difficult to make rent. Having that extra $50 stashed away can make all the difference. Explore your housing options. It might be easier to live on campus, but it could end up being more expensive in the long run. And finally, keep your body healthy. College keeps you busy, and your body can fall into disrepair if you aren?t paying attention to its needs. There?s nothing worse than being sick during finals, so do everything you can to prevent it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would say," Don't sweat the small stuff and stop worrying so much! Everything will be okay if you work hard and be honest with yourself." I had such a hard time with home sickness because I worried about the people I was leaving behind (mom) and I was scared about the future. It's been five years now and I am growing up to see that I really didn't leave anyone behind; I brought them with me on my adventure.

There are many things in my life that i wish i could change. If i could go back and talk to myself as a senior, i would tell my self to relax and that everything will be alright. As a senior i was scared of the changes that were happening. I wanted my life to stay the way it was. I was afriad to leave home, have to make new friends, and learn how to live on my own. This year i leanred that the change was a good thing. It showed me that i can surrvive on my own. I now love the independence that i have gained. In high school i was afraid to speak my mind, and to leave my comfort zone. leaving for school was leaving my comfort zone, but it ended up making me a different and more happy person.

if I could go back and time and give myself some advice ; I was ready for college , look for scholarships and prepare myself for what lies ahead of me. If I would have been given the advice to make sure I was ready for college, my transition would have been perfect. I felt as if I was pressured to hurry up and go to school like my fellow peers. I wished I could have taken some time off to figure out my major and know what I wanted to do. Knowing to look for scholarships would have been helpful to. Being in school and having to take out numerous loans, paying out of pocket is very stressful. I wished when I was a senior I would have been more serious about college , how I was going to afford it and using the options I had around me. Another piece of advice I would have given myself was to be prepared mentally and physically for what college has to offer me.