St. Mary’s University Top Questions

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.