Stephens College Top Questions

In high school I didn't do my best. I didn't think it was important and would slack off on my work. I got below average grades and am lucky I even got into college. If I could go back in time, I would let myself know that those grades do matter. That if I would've gotten better grades in high school, I could have gotten more scholarships for college. If I knew that I would love college so much I would've had myself apply for more scholarships so I could stay in school.

Hello past Sandra, I am your future self and I am here to talk to you and maybe save you from a life of meer survival and encourage you to choose life of success. I know high school is full of drama, choices, friends, boys, excitement, and craziness but do not give in. Yyou love school, do not ever let anyone tell you, you are silly for wanting to get good grades and do well in school. You will be tempted with social situations, remember what your parents taught you and do what is right. Despite what think, they really do love you and want you to live a full and happy life. Stand up for your beliefs and stay strong. You will get your feelings hurt and you will cry, but know that this is just a moment and it will pass. So press on, get good grades, and perservere. You are an intelligent amazing woman. Do not let any convince you otherwise. Good luck and perservere!! Best Regards, The future Sandra

Back then, when my senior year first began I was definitely thinking that I would be able to make my choice really quickly. As time went by my senior year had really taken a toll on me, the scholarships were just frustrating and to just apply to so many and not get them really started to discourage me. I knew before my senior year that schoalrships would be hard to find, but I didnt know that it would be as hard as it was. What I would love to tell my old self back then is to keep on pushing and doing all that you can. Your capable but you just have to believe that you can do it. I would also tell myself not to get overwhelmed with everything that was to come and to make sure that you are ready and willing. This is the time where your life begins and your future is definitely in your hands and you have to be the one to mold it into what you want it to be. Also, just make sure that you dont let anyone tell you that you cant do something anything is possible with determination.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student I would encourage my younger self to be more involved in programs and activities in and outside of school. Whether high school student realize it or not the people you encounter on a daily could possibly be someone you work with in the future. It is definitely a good thing to keep those connections and network with other people so that you stand out as an individual.

Defining the value of a college experience with no real relativity against which such a gift can be measured – impossible! Yes, perhaps, there’s an “official transcript” that suggests a result, but the success of any worthy venture can really only be realized in the integrity of the journey. To hold a degree in hand knowing a clear delineation was made between right and wrong, and purely for the purpose of the greater good substantiates the rudimentary stirrings that inspired the original transformation. Logically, one cannot help but emerge "not as before." And, more importantly, not because it was inherited by default from those empowered to influence, but through the process of allowing expansion to move the mind, mold, shift, and infuse every cell of ones "being-ness" until it’s intoxicated by this new moral compass. Could anything be more satisfying than arriving at this leading edge destination via individual merit rather than the gratuitous virtue of imprinting? No. Yet, the real evidence lies in the conveyance -- having endured the obstacles and beaten the odds, can my gift of education inspire enough to affect universal change to unrealized potential? My response resides in the opportunity to continue this path.

Attending college has been the best experience of my life so far. I decided to attend school outside of my home state, Arizona, to study theatre at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Leaving home was the most terrifying thing I have ever had to do, but it has also been the most rewarding. That decision has allowed me to become more strong-willed than I would have been if I had remained close to my family. When I first started college, I felt lost and had trouble adjusting to my newfound independence. Eventually I settled in, and now Columbia is my new home. After only one year at Stephens College, I have learned more about both the world around me and myself than I ever thought possible. I’m highly involved in my theatre program and I even made the Dean’s List! While I still have my moments of insecurity and homesickness, I know that my education at Stephens is invaluable and it is making me a better artist and a more well-rounded person. I am proud of my accomplishments and I am anxious to see what the rest of my collegiate career holds for me.

I went to college to gain a valuable education. I received more than that at Stephens by also gaining invaluable experience in my field. I graduated school cum laude and a resume I've been told looks more like that of a graduate student than an undergrad. My time at Stephens has prepared me for a job as a professional stage manager and also allowed me to choose my own destiny. Now I am able to continue onto graduate school to gain even more education on the next level.

I have gotten pure knowledge through education and learned many things about myself. I've learned to work in places and enviroments that I am not use to. I also learned about myself and ways to improve to become a better person. It has been valuable to attend because you learn so much and meet new people who you will later run into in the future.

I am not a tradition student at this point in my life. I graduated with my associate?s degree in 2002 and worked in the industry of Interior Design and here I am seven years later back in school to finish my bachelor?s degree. If I were to give myself some advice I would recommend walking away from credit cards. It is very easy as a poor college student to get the immediate gratification credit cards provide. I would suggest only buying what I had cash to pay for. It is no fun to pay on a credit card with up to 32{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} interest. I would also advice myself not to be as judgmental of other people. Looking back on life now I realize that a book cannot be judged by its cover. Being friendly and putting yourself in a position to meet new people and get to know them opens up a whole new world of opportunities.

I had a rough time transitioning to college. I had a roommate that was big into partying and I'm not. She started to complain to the other girls in the dorm about how I liked to go to bed before midnight and was always in the room. I was having a hard time making friends with the girls at my school. I remembered that one of the upper class men told us incoming freshman to smile at everyone you pass on campus and they will smile back. I tried it and out glared at by majority of the girls. This caused me to consider transfering to a different college but, one day, I was met with a group to do a presentation and this is when I met my two best friends and made me feel more at home. I'd tell my high senior self to keep your head up, converse with as many people as you can, and keep a smile on your face. And remember that better days are coming, it just takes a few hard ones to begin. The most important of all, get a room to yourself.