St Olaf College Top Questions

I am only a second year in college, but the amount I have learned in the last three semesters astounds me. I love setting out all of my new books on my bookshelf before the start of the new semester, marveling at the thought of reading them all. I love holding a textbook once new, now full of highlighted pages. I love reading Hobbs, Locke and Rousseau and discovering their ideas echoing in modern contexts. My learning has shown me new ways to look at the world, improved the quality of my conversations and helped me find friends who will last my entire life.

I learned more than I was ever aware of at the time. While it was extremely challenging and stressful I was incredibly well prepared to go on to even higher academics. Olaf really prepared me for the next step in my life. I did not know all that I needed when I started at Olaf, but by the time I was finished I knew more than I needed to and felt ready to move on. I made a few friends with whom I will always be friends. I learned about what I need to survive in life. I had professors who were far more brilliant than I ever realized in classes with them. It was worth the massive amount of debt I incurred to have been given such a vital and full education.

I would tell myself to expect to be surprised at the level of scholarship expected. Going from a public high school to St Olaf was a big adjustment for me in terms of how hard I had to work in order to get similar results. I was expecting the work to be hard, but I wasn't expecting to be left so far behind. Going from being a big fish in a little pond to a little fish in the middle of an ocean is always hard, and I hadn't fully prepared myself for that fact. I would also tell myself not to be discouraged, and to make an effort to enjoy the time here. Yes, it's hard to balance a social life with homework, but life is so much better if you invest time and energy into making friends and joining clubs. You only get four years, make the best of them, or you'll regret it.

Follow your heart! Don't let anyone or anything decide what is right for you. That's the only way to be truly happy. I spent months trying to convince myself that I wanted something that wasn't me. I changed my mind at the last minute and I've never been happier! So do what feels right and enjoy the moment!

You are about to feel a lot of things which you have never felt before. You will struggle a lot. It'll be worth it, though. You will be challenged and succeed, though it may not be as easy or as good as you're used to. You'll meet a lot of people you never imagined yourself meeting, and do a lot of things you never thought you could do. One thing that'll help though: don't buy random stuff that you don't need. Money's important, and frankly, you don't have enough of it. Save some of it for important things like books and food. Also, make an effort to overachieve academically. Your best is never going to be good enough at college, so set your goals higher and you might just make it closer to doing what you need to do to get ahead.

Hey, Kristin! It's me (or you) from the future! Just wanted ot check in and make sure you haven't screwed up your senior year of high school! Just kidding. I would recommend avoinding the end-of-the-year drama, though... You get into your first choice school. There. STOP WORRYING. It's not as scary as you think it's going to be. The professors and staff here all work really hard to help you adjust to college life. The other students are fantastically nice, in fact, you'll be meeting some of the people you now trust above anyone else. So, relax a little and don't worry so much about how hard classes will be. You'll adjust academically, so have a little fun and meet some new people! And once you get here, don't take the "America After World War Two" class second semester. Trust me, that class time plus several weeks studying hippies will not make you happy and you know it. So, be good, lighten up, don't stress out, and for heaven's sake, please enjoy your senior year. Or try to. Good luck, and see you soon. Love, Kristin

Relax. No, you do not have ADD. Yes, that guy is a player, forget him. You have the courage and strength to drive through backed- up Minneapolis rush-hour traffic. You can navigate the Mall of America during a scrap-booking convention in time to get to your appointment. Stop to watch the leaves change color. You'll make the right decision, St. Olaf is the place for you. Listen to your mother, she knows what you want.

Although it may be tempting to choose a college based on statistics such as the cost of tuition, the average ACT score of accepted students, and the student to professor ratio within the classroom, the only way to get a true feel for the college is by stepping on the campus. Many students talk about "the feeling" they get during a visit when they just know they have found the right place for them, and I can attest that this feeling is no joke. When I first visited St. Olaf, I felt comfortable and could actually see myself as a student there. I knew it was the right place for me, and although it was expensive, I did everything I could to ensure that I could attend the school of my dreams. Entering this fall in my second year at St. Olaf, I can't imagine going anywhere else. The hard work that I put into finding my school really paid off as I am having the best college experience possible. While there will probably not be one school that fits in absolutely every way, you should be open to new opportunites to make the most your higher education.

When you are a high school senior friends and family always want to discuss college: Where are you applying? What?s your first choice? Have you looked at?? Choose what feels right. So many opinions and so many choices make this decision overwhelming. Step inside yourself: What type of person are you? What college experiences do you want? Where do you want this college to take you? If you find this difficult discuss yourself, your personality, with close friends and family. Reflect upon their answers, does that feel like you? Don't try to please anyone but yourself. Use the resources available to you. Research schools and ask questions to get a better understanding of what the college truly is. This is the key because with the right environment the college experience you dream of will come. Comfortable surroundings will allow for you to fully come into yourself and do the things you?ve always wanted to do. In brief, listen to the advice of those around you: go with your gut. Don?t invent wild reasons as to why you wont like a school, if it feels right, go with it. Stick to the clich?-trust your instincts.

While I do not believe wholeheartedly that there is a "perfect" college for every one student, I do think that there are colleges that will bring out qualities, whether it be creativity, practicality, estudiousness etc., better than others. What personality characteristics do you want to be brought out, molded, and nurtured? Answering this question and others like it will be a great indicator to what type of school (and experience) you are looking for. Visiting the school and staying overnight is one of the best ways to get a feeling of a campus's atmosphere. Even if its flying from California to New York (or in my case, Illinois to Portland), the money is worth every penny and outshines any flyer or advertisment brochure. Once an ideal school is selected, choose a backup school list that the student would feel comfortable with. For financials, look past the Financial Aid office - there are millions of scholarships out there (including campusdiscovery) that will help pay for college. As a final note, remember to always, always be open to new ideas and people - your college won't be high school all over again.