Stonehill College Top Questions

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to shine. I did not realize the importance of confidence as you go through your college years. I would remind myself that I do have a future. I can achieve my dreams. I can live a happy and successful life despite what others may believe. In the words of Marianne Williamson, "Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do." This is not to say arrogance is acceptable; rather, it is to say that by radiating a wonderful person, wonder will be refracted back to you.

Attending college has given me a new outlook on life. The many interactive, discussion-based classes that I have had at Stonehill College allow me to contemplate multiple issues that are prevalent in today's society. I have the ability to sort through dilemmas that I would not have been able to solve had I not received this education experience. I am also more open-minded and more readily able to consider other views, not just my own. Such an endowment is vital in today's society because there are so many social issues that remain unresolved.

Allow yourself time to adjust to the college setting and life living away from home. It will be hard the first semester of college, even the first year, but once you get used to your classes, the amount of homework and living away from home and high school friends, everything will fall into place. Make sure to allow time for fun as well as schoolwork, for if you spend all your time on academic work you can burn out ,leading to deterioration of your physical as well as psychological health. However, don't allow the fun and new atmosphere of a college campus lead to your schoolwork being affected, for it will only hurt you in the long run. Partying too much can lead to damage of your GPA, which is hard to raise once it is established. College is a place where you will grow up and learn more about yourself as a person. You will meet lifelong friends, learn many valuable things, both academically and personally, and have the time of your life.

The only piece of advice I would give myself if I had the chance to go back and talk to myself as a senior in high school would be to put myself out there more. As a naturally shy person I have never been great at being open and making friends right away and I feel that hindered the first few months of my college experience. I also didn't get involved in too many things on campus during the first semester and I really wish I had. That would be something that I would tell myself to do if I could talk to myself as a high school senior.

The most important advice would be to not worry so much about what you look like. The social life is important but education is far beyond that. Also I would not procrastinate with reading assignments, it is not worth staying up all night trying to get it done. It is much easier to do a little very night than all in one. Another helpfull tip that I have learned is to study the information that you learned in class, as soon as you can after. It helps me obtain the information better, and I don't forget the little details that the professors add in.

When you enter college don't havea set plan. Because you will most likely find that you do not like your plan after takinga couple classes, and seeing whatelse college can offer. Be open to trying new activities and pay close attention to your core classes because you might find a subject that interests you that you didn't know was out there. Don't expect to be ready when you arrive, because there will be a lot of adjustments in your life when going to college. You independence is more than just living away from your parents. You finally need to enjoy every minute of college because it only comes around once and this is the time when you find yourself, what you love to do, and who you will become; but never forget that you came to college for an education so have fun, but not too much fun. This is step one to your new life.

If I was able to go back in time, I would tell myself that volleyball isn't everything and that I should look for schools that really suit my personality and that could help me define myself. I decided early in high school that I wanted to play volleyball in college, so my entire college selection process revolved around what schools I would be able to play at and receive financial aid. I would tell myself that college athletics are not the most important aspect while attending college and that opportunities for internships and work experience are important to develop invaluable skills for your career path. Juggling athletics and competing with other students for important internship jobs is not an easy task. While participating in varsity athletics can be a fun experience, the benefits from working a job in your desired field will be much more rewarding. I would finally tell myself that after you graduate college, it is most important that you are prepared to enter the workforce with as much experience you can learn from.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior there would be a few suggestions I would tell myself for the transition to college. First off, I feel the hardest transition into college has been the step from high school writing to college writing. I would challenge myself to explore different writing styles and better my understanding of writing at a more professional level. Instead of trying to complete the assigned essay just to be done with it, I would recommend thinking about the topic in a deeper way. Secondly, I would tell myself that the trasnsition to college is much easier if you become familiar with the college I was attending. Due to the fact that I was extremely nervous of the transition, I often tried to not think about the next four years of my life. Instead, I should have set goals for myself for the beginning of my college career.

I would tell my high school self to speak more in class, participate more. Participation is a large part of a person?s grade in all classes. I would tell myself to not be so shy, scared or insecure but to be confident and speak in class. To raise my hand, answer questions, and add to discussions, in the end it will help your grade and your understanding of the material. I would tell myself to be careful of how you spend your money. Money goes very fast with all of the different events, vendors, and nights out. I did not spend a lot of money but I wish I was still more careful and selective with my spending. I would tell myself to be more outgoing and sociable. I have done this more in college but still strive to be better; to talk to more people, be more social. I would tell myself to not care what others think, to be myself, and enjoy all of college. The time goes by very fast and needs to be cherished, live to the fullest.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as high school senior, I would remind myself to be open to all kinds of people coming into college. I went to a relatively small private Catholic school, where little diversity existed, so even coming to Stonehill was a bit of a culture shock. Even though I try not to pass judgement on anyone before getting to know them, I definitely has preconceived notions about people based on superficial characteristics. I would also advise myself to hit the ground running when I enter college, and get involved right away. Although I attribute this delay to transitioning into college, I still wish I got involved in extracurricular activities, such as SEA (Students for Environmental Action), sooner rather than later. The final words of caution I would give to myself are: the freshmen 15 is not a myth! It took my awhile to figure this out, but I finally discovered that alcoholic beverages and ice cream every night didn't exactly flatter my figure. It would have been a lot easier to maintain a healthy weight by taking preventative action, rather trying to fix it later.