St John’s University-New York Top Questions

If i could go back in time knowing what I know now, I would've studied harder, taken my course work more seriously and been more active on campus life. I could have done alot better in school but my mind was distracted. The reasons for the distractions are so unimportant now. For the rest of my time, I will give it all I have. I now understand the importance of education and the value it adds to life and role it plays in future success. I would also not be so wary and nervous about things so much and just fully enjoy the experience. I would also be more open with people and make more friends.

Knowing what I know now about college life and how hard the transition was. I would tell myself as a high school senior, don't give up. Beleive me when I tell you it took me 21 years to get my GED and enroll in college. It is really hard going to college as it is, let alone waiting so long. Getting into the daily routine of going to classes, doing homework, as well as dealing with fellow students takes a lot of getting used to. Along with the demands of college, I also have to juggle the demands of my husband and daughter. I feel I have to work twice as hard as everyone else because I have decided to go back to school after 2 decades. Education is important to get a good job and to help your children when they are in school. My advise to my high school self is you don't know what is in your future weather it be children, your health or just finacial stability. Please work hard and don't give up.

I would say: do not be afraid of changes: not because something is different that means that is bad; just try to see it in a different way. You are going to live in a new place, you are going to meet new people, new school, new language, new cultures and all those new experiences are going to enrich you. Learn from them and you will be a better person. During your journey to self-discovery and knowledge; please, do not be shy: if you do not say your opinion, who is going to hear you? if you do not speak up for yourself; who is going to represent you? If you do not ask questions, where are you going to find the answers? I promise you that nothing bad is going to happen if you talk a little bit more; nobody is going to judge. Do not believe that you are alone: new experiences can be overwhelming, but just open your eyes and you will see supportive parents, and an oldest brother that is willing to give you a hand. You family will always encourage you to never give up and keep going.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior i would emphasise how important it is to apply for scholarships.

I'm going to be very blunt with you, young man. Get ready for the most challenging four years of your young life. If you're not prepared to do a strenuous amount of work, then don't bother coming here and don't bother wasting mom's money. You're going to be put on the spot, and you're going to have to grow up. But do not fret, young grasshopper. You are built for this! You have the power! Your spirit is strong, so let your spirit guide you. Remember, as it is written, he that endures until the end shall be saved. So if you endure and put forth your best foot, young grasshopper, you will be just fine. Keep the faith, be consistent, and work hard.

GET INVOLVED! I learned this the first semester of my freshman year. Joining clubs, greek life or organizations go a long way. It looks good on resumes, helps you meet people you would of probably never talked too and keeps you involved and busy. But at the same time, only take on what you can handle because you will be stressed out ! Learn how to manage your time, study first party later!.. or like i did, study as your getting ready for the party; unless you have a midterm/final. Also i learned that don't let one HORRIBLE grade discourage you. College workload is much heavier than high school, and it is a transition. Once you do bad on that one test or in that one class, make it a lesson learned. Don't give up or change your major because all of a sudden you think you cannot do it because of one bad grade.. Try Harder!

Even though it senior year, it dosen't mean it's time to slack off. When it comes to college application don't choose the school that your parents expect you to get in. Choose the schools that fits your current gpa because applying to these schools cost money and you want to have has many options available if one school rejects you. Apply for scholarships. Tutions is expensive especially in a private college. Talk to your past teachers and ask them to write a reccomendation letter. This will increase you chances of getting into a better college.

If I could go back to my senior year I would tell myself that I made a good decision in starting college a year early. During my senior year I enrolled in a running start program at Edmonds Community College, honestly the best decision I ever made. I was never a fan of high school and I knew starting college a year early would give me ajump start ahead of everyone else. The only thing I would have changed is taking more advantage of the low cost of the running start program compared to the cost when you become an actual college student. I took the minimum classes I needed and even though the work load was easier I wish I would have pushed myself to take more classes and learn new things. Other than that my senior year was a great experience and I am very happy that I chose to go to college a little bit earlier, it prepared me for what was ahead and made the transition much easier.

I think the best piece of advice I could give myself would be to apply for scholarships. For some reason, in high school, I thought that scholarships would just fall in my lap. Now, I am a junior in college desperately searching high and low for more money, so that I do not have to take out any more loans. I think I would also tell myself to have more faith in myself. There were a lot of schools that I did not apply to simply because I did not think that I would get into them. I am happy with where I am at now, but it took a lot of self-discovery to figure out that this is where I need to be right now. One last piece of information that I would tell my high school self would be that no matter how alone you feel, there will always be someone, somewhere who cares about you. I dealt with a great deal of depression during my first two years of college. There were many times that I felt alone and it took a lot of therapy and love to get me where I am now.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not let time slip away from me. I was afraid to go off to college right after high school. I lived a sheltered life and my family was close knit and my mother didn't want me to go away from home so soon after high school. I skipped college, got married and started a family. Going back to college after so much time has passed is more difficult than I imagned. I do believe that since I am going back to school now that I know I want to be a Network Engineer, I can appreciate the experience more so now and it gives me a good feeling to know that you are never to old to learn.