St. Mary’s University Top Questions

As a high school senior, your days are filled with excitement and the anticipation of graduation and moving on to bigger and better things in college. However, the one thing that no one tells you, is that it will be hard. The transition from high school to college, no matter how prepared you are, will be tough. You have to get used to being on your own, and doing for yourself. And in the beginning, it might be hard, but you just have to keep reminding yourself why you chose the path that you did. In the very beginning, the most important thing to know is that it will get better. You just have to involve yourself into activities. Find people with similar interests, groups that you relate to, and go out do things. Join clubs, participate in events, explore the city, do things to immerse yourself in the culture of your new environment and you will soon enjoy it tremendously.

I would tell myself that professors are not the same as high school teachers. I would advise my self to truly make the most out of office hours and out of talking to my professors. I did not have a horrible transition but if I had utilized office hours more, I would have been able to communicate with my professors more and get the 4.0 GPA I deserved.

If I could go back and speak to myself as a high school senior I would say to listen to my mother. As a teen in high school my mother nagged me about researching and applying for scholarships. Did I listen? Nope, I wish I did. When I started at St. Mary's I qualified for a scholarship, so half of my tuition was paid for. It was so easy to take those student loans and worry about them later. Now as an adult with a family, a mortgage, and an embarrassing savings account I realize that if I listened to my mother and saved some of my paycheck and applied for more scholarships I could potentially be debt free. As I go back for my masters I’m finally taking her advice and trying to find as many ways possible, other than loans, to fund my degree. I now realize that mother really knows best; I was seventeen and immature. Now as a stepmother, I have deeper appreciation for all of her hard work and advice. I hope my children will learn from my mistakes and with any luck won’t be as hard headed as I was.

Self, This is an end to a chapter, friend. A lot from this chapter will not be relevant to you after some time. However, all your hard work and effort will really sprout from now on. Be excited for your educated future. Don't be scared of college admission fees, or any road bumps. Go where you want to go to be the best person you can be. Scholarships and financial assistance are out there waiting for you . Don't let anything bring you down. "When there is a will there is always a way," and every bit of this is true. The school you chose is going to mold you for the better. All you could hope for is to be surrounded by a mind driven class, and you will. These classmates will only make you advance further in life. Your opprortunities are near approaching, and take on every one of them. Your future only gets better for here.

As a college student, never take anything for granted. Parents, family, freedom, help, social life, friends, nothing. We only have one life and we must make the best out of that life. God truly blessed me with the best school and life. College teaches you about your major, but it also prepares you for life. If you have the opportunity to study anywhere you desire, do no one, but yourself the favor and go there. Whether it's too far or too expensive, if you want it that bad, you'll figure something out to make that dream of yours come true. St Mary's is not cheap, but taking out FAFSA loans won't be the end of the world. Sure, I have a debt to pay off, but I also have a life of my own and a career that I chose because I love it. And as a human, do not be afraid of making mistakes along this journey. Walk, trip, run, and, fall all you want because God only granted us one life, and you cannot be scared to live the life you want. Remember, what's worth it, won't be easy.

I would absolutely take advantage of the campus resources such as clubs, sororities, networking with professors, and athletics. This is a huge factor in understanding the tranistion of teenager to adulthood mentality. It also helps to have alot of friends, who can help you with issues, teachers you personally know who can help with problems, and create a life long network.

"As graduation is coming up, I would like to give you some advice. Finish off your senior year strong! Attend all of the end-of-the-year-events. Do not procrastinate, that is SO high school. Enjoy your summer by doing something productive, make sure you keep on studying. Above all brace yourself for the change that is about to hit you. Be mentally prepared. Eat some ice cream and call home. Attend ALL freshman activities to associate yourself with new people and the campus. Don't forget to eat. College students sometimes forget to eat. Study hard for finals."

Knowing what I do now about college life and how difficult the transition was, I would definately go back in time to myself as a high school senior and give some much needed advice. My first year of college was the hardest experience I have ever had to overcome. If I had known then what I know now, I would have been able to enjoy more of my time instead of spending it crying and stressing out. I would tell my high school senior self not to let my friends get in the way of studying. Friends have always been first on my priorities. Not anymore. Friends have to come second to academics. If they want to go have dinner off campus and you need to study for a quiz, then study for that quiz. Dinner can happen any night of the week. I would also tell myself to record each lecture and go over the recording every day, even on weekends. A strong habit needs to be developed early in the year in order to see the grades you had in high school. College is different. Studying the night before a test is not going to cut it anymore.

I would tell myself that first of all I need to calm down and take things as they come. There is no need or reason to worry about things that have not and may not even happen. I was so worried about not fitting in or that I would be alone with no friends for the whole four years. I would tell myself that there is no need to rush things either. Things happen for a reason, and there will always be a good ending in the long run. I would also tell myself that your major does not necessarily dictate which job you will find yourself in. Pursue a major that you will find interesting and that you want to learn more about. You want to be able to get up everyday and be happy about the major you are pursuing. That is what I would tell my younger self in high school.

Apply to St Mary's as a business major instead of science to have the opportunity to be a Greehey Scholar. I am currently a double major.

You are better than you think you are. Never stay satisfied, and surround yourself with the right persons; particularly family, educators, mentors, and close friends. I'm sure you've heard how important education is from numerous people countless times; and how it's supposed to lead to a great career and success. In hindsight is is, but it is far more than that. An education is a portal to your future. It definitely takes you to better places, but it also molds you into the person you always wanted to be.

Go to St. Edward's. Really, go, major in what you like (psychology) and not what you think will get you a job (biology). You will stress yourself out, ruin your GPA, and end up struggling financially if you stick with what you're doing. Go quickly!College can be really fun and interesting, but the previously mentioned things will taint the way you feel about it for a long time. It's better to go with your gut. But don't worry, even if you do mess up, I'm currenly seeing that there are ways out of the holes you dig. Just stay strong, don't give up, and keep moving forward. I believe in you.

I have taken many wrong paths in my life and finally I am moving towards a positive path. I have decided to attend a trade school in a career that is not only needed in any town, city, or state but is excelling technology wise for the future; Heat Vent and Cooling (HVAC).

An important piece of advice I would give myself as a senior would be to take High School more seriously. I feel that I should have applied myself more in school, so that I could have set myself up better for the next phase of my life. Also, having a plan is very important. I might be more financially comfortable now if I had planned further ahead during High School. Even though I failed to do such things in High School, my adivce will not go unused. Being the first in my family to graduate High School and immediately go to a University, I was the first to experience and learn a lot about the transition. My two younger sisters will benefit from my experiences, and hopefully I can help to make their transitions smoother.

I would tell myself to have fun and enjoy my time doing things that make me happy. I didn't appreciate my time away from work and the ability to take a vacation. I would probably tell myself to take a trip and not worry about the small stuff as much.

As i have now attended 3 different schools in 4 years, i would tell my highschool self to know what i want. I would tell myself that college is not cheap, so i'm going to have to give it my all. As someone who has Generalized Anxiety, i would tell myself to try to work through it my first year living in a dorm and not move back home because of it. College is so different from what i thought as a high school senior. Do not stress about it. If i can just worry about me and my grades, everything else will fall into place. Moving away from home for the first time will be scary. I will want to drive home every weekend. I'm going to cry the first couple of nights. Yet, by the end of the second semester, you will become accustomed. Joining clubs will help you make new friends and will halp you enjoy your time in college. Lastly, i would tell my senior high school self to not neglect my school work for my future depends on it.

If I could go back and advise myself about college life, I would tell myself to balance school, work, and social aspects out. Adjusting to an environment where you are responsible for your education, without rules and regulations mandating you go to school, is a large new responsibility. Too many classes will lead to feelings of being overwhelmed. Working too many hours at work will lead to studies suffering. Partying everynight, all night will result in work and school hardships. It is acceptable to do all of these things, but being too consumed with any one aspect will result in problems for the other parts of life. Balance is key to being successful in college. It also ensures that you will be able to continue your schooling, without grades suffering.

Don't put videogames over school, settle for B's or C's and join the math club as soon as you can! I am sort of gifted when it comes to math and am competant in all other subjects, but my weakness in highschool was that I prioritized work over school. I settled for B's and C's that could have easily been A's. Now, I see that with just a bit more A's from my first two semesters, I could have gotten a much higher scholarship to my transferring university. I was lazy and perfered to complete Bioshock then the 3 other essays needed to change my C in History to an A. Math Club at my college honestly changed my life. I was introduced to Actuaries, Physicists, Computer Scientists, etc., and got to meet the people I'd spend every morning studing with for Calculus 2 and 3. The advisor treated me like a son and introduced me to the wonders of math and the possibilties a simple student was eligible for. I would have never been able to stop being a dishwasher, attend conferences, and volunteer were it not for the math club.

I would tell myself that you should not just sit back, that you need to keep at it no matter how hard or how long the journey may be. It is only going to get harder if you wait. You may have to jump through hoops to please those who have a deciding factor on your ability to attend collage but think how you'll feel when you have to jump through those same hoops at 44 with six kids and a husband who recently had a stroke. That your worst fear is that your husband might not be able to support the family and you cant find a decient job because you didn't finish your educatuion. Going back to college will not only give you the means to support yourself and your family it will allow you to get the career you always wanted, you always talk about. Stop talking and start doing what ever it takes to get that education. Trust meyou wont regret it. Hopefully I take my own advice.

Relax. Yes, the end of this year may determine a lot of things, the pressure to cover every aspect from money to major will continue to be there, but relax. Take in every moment, enjoy the process and be thankful for the opportunities you have. Sieze every day and opportunity to succeed, to prepare and to enjoy the final memories you have in high school. The one thing that makes success in high school so thrilling is that there is a clear measure of success. Whether it be class rank, acknowledgements and future scholarship for college. But trust me, when you get to college success is not all that clear. It's going to be ok to fail, to learn by mistake and to try different things. Senior year is about closing one chapter and starting an entirely different book. In college many things change. Success is defined by the individual, failure hurts more but teaches more, everything is up to you. So take your senior year to start to get to know yourself, to do things you love and really analyze your career goals. Once you get to college, your life takes a winding path.