University of Puget Sound Top Questions

I would tell myself to take my time, don't rush, and don't stress. It's not important to choose a major right away, so find the one that fits with what you want. Make more friends! Be social! Waiting for someone to come talk to you doesn't work, and you could be missing opportunities to meet some amazing people. Make sure you study all of the course material. You never know when something might show up on a test. Above all else, work hard! Don't wait until the last minute to study and do homework. A social life is important for keeping your sanity, but keeping good grades and doing well is important too! Make sure to keep in touch with your teachers when you feel like you're falling behind. They're there to help you, not hinder you. Good luck!

First off, I would strongly encourage myself to choose a college where my intended field of study was one of the college's well-known fields of study. I would then advise myself to attend a college that is in a great location combined with favorable weather conditions year round. After my choice on a college, I would tell myself to get to know some of the people in the same class as me attending the same school I chose. I would also advise myself to find ways to get to know as many people as possible, which helps make friends and get through college. Then I would tell myself to have fun, as long as I keep my grades up and are making the most out of my schooling.

You won't regret the University of Puget Sound. Your big concerns of having any college debt at all? Yeah, you'll have it, but based on how much I've enjoyed going to this school so far it will be worth it. You will meet plenty of great people, but it will take you awhile until you find your real friend group. You'll grow decently close to some people, but then you'll grow apart. Don't worry though, you will find your friend group and it'll be okay in the end. As far as studying goes you do pretty well. ADHD is something that does add some difficulty though, so listening to mother's constant nagging to try and meditate might actually be a good idea. Also, try not to start taking naps. Naps may seem like something absolutely amazing, but they are addictive and they mess up your sleep schedule. Instead of naps just try to stick to a proper sleep cycle as it works a lot better. Overall, college is great and the smaller college was definitely the right choice. You're going to love it. Do your best with no regrets!

I would give my sophomore self advice, because it was the first year I began the Pre-IB program. I would make my advise clear and to the point. This is your education and you are responsible for the grades you earn. Throughout my high school years, I followed the advice of my parents and compared myself to my three older siblings. Not till Junior was I tested for dyslexia. After discovering my dyslexia, I finally began to understand why I was unable to read or understand assignments in the same time as my peers. To this day I wish I had understood my disability earlier so I wouldn't have compared myself to others as severly. I would advice myself to be self-motivated to do my best job, because it will not affect my parents as much as it will myself. Responsibility over one's own actions is a strong trait of mine now. As a college student, I have come to realize what responsibility is. Responsibility at the end of your day gives you the ability to look at your actions and recognize that you are the primary individual that has created the future you have today.

Dearest Younger Kara, Look at yourself. You want so many things. You're lucky in that aspect. However, there are a few things you need to note. The first being if you idly walk along waiting for those things to happen to you, you won't be far from where you started. You create your own opportunities by putting your name out there, emailing the right people asking for what you want, if you don't ask the chances of not getting something are much higher. Things are going to change for you. It's important for you to keep your eye on the prize but the journey there is not a race. Take each and every opportunity that passes your way. Study abroad, go work for Disney World, and do it all again until you feel content. Happiness is created, not found. Enjoy the rest of your year. Education Isn't A Race, Future Kara Snyder P.S. Jade, your sister, is right by the way. Now is the time to really apply for scholarships, especially as a high school senior. You know it too. Jump on that wagon before it's gone.

Dear 16-year-old Chloe,It’s your 22-year-old self, here. I've been given the unique opportunity to guide you with a sliver of wisdom, so that when you find yourself at college for the first time, nervous, excited, and perhaps a tad awkward, you might consider yourself even the slightest bit more prepared for the transition. Of the many things I learned in college, this one I’ll take with me throughout the rest of my life: Choose to devote your time to whomever and whatever is life-giving, and never to what is life-sucking. In a world that is so competitive, fast-paced, and often centered around building the perfect resume, obtaining the perfect career, and creating for yourself the perfect life, I want you to simply stop. Chloe, what brings you life? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What brings you unquenchable joy? Do those things. Surround yourself with those people. Yes, focus on your career and on building a life for yourself. Never, however, lose sight of passion, of joy, and of love in the process. Choose what gives you life, and your life will most certainly be full.

Not everything on the internet is true. The word “sonder” was invented by a website, “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows”, and represents the epiphany that everyone you meet has just as much complexity and personality within them as you have within you. But somehow, a word created by internet mavens has grown to have meaning. Once you get to college, this concept of understanding will be endlessly important for the happiness of yourself and others. Meeting new people, leaving behind important people, and navigating new personalities will be the most difficult part of college. Yes, despite all you’ve heard about college homework and parties, laundry and finances, the people will prove the challenge. But it will be okay. If you can remember that long-distance is hard, and give your loved ones credit for being complex and trying to make it work, you’ll be okay. If you can remember that everyone in college is meeting new people for the first time, just as you are, you’ll be okay. And if you give yourself time to allow yourself to find those who matter, the payoff will be enormous. And you’ll be okay.

Even if the school you end up attending was not your first choice, it's okay. College truly is what you make of it, so as long as you make an effort to meet new people and keep an open mind about the school and the programs, everything will work out fine. While the first few weeks (or the first month for that matter) may seem painfully awkward, as long as you try to put yourself out there and approach people it will all be okay. It is the people who get ridgedly stuck in their expectations that seem to struggle the most with the transition; go with the flow and have a good time. It is also important to keep an open mind concerning your new roommate, because you never quite know what to expect. So long as you are able to make concessions and work together with her (especially when making the roommate agreement), it is easy enough to get along with just about anyone. And even if you aren't the best of friends, it is very possible to live with someone you simply tolerate (although that will not be the case for you).

Kelsee, Take a look around you. Seriously. You are doing amazing things. Not many other high school seniors can hold three jobs, take five AP classes, somehow manage time for a social life, and graduate top twenty-five. Shoot, you even dated a guy for a little there. That, my fair lady, takes skill. What I am trying to tell you is that you aren't going to disappoint. Don't get hyped up on nonexistent problems. Except for that freshman fifteen. That is real, but I swear it is unstoppable and sneaky. I am not going to lie, the transition to college is extremely difficult. You are going to a place where you don't know anyone and family is no where in sight. You will miss Grandma and she will only continue to get worse. You will feel guilty everyday. Just remember that two years ago, she would support you. She is proud of you and always brags about you. Don't fret about class. Class is challenging and teachers expect more from you. Keep your work ethic. I promise that it will be okay even though it feels like its not. We are strong. Love, Me

I know that college is an important obligation for you in your life considering you will be the first in four generations to attend; however, I also know that you believe everything will fall into your lap. As I begin college myself, I can tell you it is not true. Life is about working hard for what you want and working to get everything you deserve. Please, stop worrying about what party you will attend this weekend and realize that your friends will not get you any further in life than where you already are. There will be plenty of time to enjoy life later; right now you need to worry about getting an education and finding who you are as a person. You are so much more than what you see yourself as and you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. Enjoy being a kid but remember who you want to be as an adult. Keep your mind focused on school and realize that you cannot slide through college. Everything you earn from this point on will be because you spent endless hours working to attain it. You worked hard for nineteen years, why stop now?

As a senior I wish I had gotten more help with my writing skills. This is one of the most important parts of collegiate academics, and although I felt prepared, I could have gotten a lot better, and refined my skills a lot more than what I came in with. Also resource that was not always available in high school, which was asking for help in areas I was struggling in. My high school senior year I was under the impression I had to figure things out all on my own, when in fact I should have gotten help in some more areas. For example, in AP Statistics, I should not have waited half way through the year to receive help. But one thing that I realized was when I did it payed immense dividends. Lastly, time management in high school and college is completly different. In high school I could get away with starting my homework really late at night. Now after spending a semester in college I learned that, starting late would make it extremly difficult to finish my work at hand.

Knowing about college life and the transition, advice that I would give myself is to take a chance and try and do something that you have not done before. Academics are important and you shouldn't procrastinate but don't be afraid to go out and introduce yourself and meet new people, it will all be worth it in the end. Continue to try hard but do something spontaneous.

If I could go back and talk to myself from my senior year of High School, I would not only lecture myself on taking school more seriously, I would have smacked some sense into myself. I now realize that while at the time, it seemed like I just wanted High School to be over, I miss High School now more than ever. I would have told myself that grades do matter. I have always been a very good student and have received high grades all of my life. Senior year, however, I just wanted to get out of high school and no longer cared. My grade point average suffered, and I received my first C- mark. I often wish that I could go back in time to warn myself about the troubles I was headed for. I wish that I could go back and redo my senior year and get much higher grades. Even though it didn’t seem so in high school, grades really did matter and I could have been given a much better start in college if I had only realized that a little bit sooner. Thank you for taking the time to read my application.

High school self, you are more ready to go to college than you think. Try not to worry too much about academics. You have always done well in school, and that is not going to change any time soon. Instead of worrying about academics, it might be time to worry a little bit about your social life. College is not all about the grades, despite what you may think. Grades are important, and you should not neglect them, but remember to have fun. Join a club! Try something new! Go out of your comfort zone, because that is where you will really discover who you are. Also, try not to stress about not fitting in. You will find friends, as long as you forget about that little comfort zone of yours. This is perhaps the best opportunity you will ever have to go into a new space with new people and a clean slate. Sieze the day, and discover who you are outside of the classroom. It is just as important to be social as it is to get good grades, and it will make your life infinitely more enjoyable. Self, take a chance, because you will not regret it.

Hey, Old Me. You’ve got so very much going for you and you have endless amounts of good in you, and for that you need to take a deep breath, quiet your mind, and grant yourself a deep and serene gratitude. With that done, I have one piece of advice: Analyze yourself. Strip every bias you can, uphold as many external, objective perspectives as possible, and find a way to illuminate every part of your personality. Do not be afraid of the ugly things you see. In fact, embrace and run with these things. They are part of you and cannot and will not be neglected out of existence. In your analysis, try to tend to these antagonistic components of who you are. Gently identify instead of harshly accusing; be kind to yourself, and strive for bravery in your self-correcting ways. Imagine you are your own, ideal, personality-parent. A parent and guide with mature vision and a gently firm way of correction, rife with rewards but grounded with firmness and honesty in noting failures. Be kind, and have the courage to constantly improve what you see in yourself. Good luck out there.

It is A LOT cheaper, easier and more fun if you can really take the time to research what you truly want to do for yourself (not for mom and dad or your friends!) I changed schools 3 times, and eventually picked a major and graduated. Now I am trying to decide if I want to take out more loans to attend a different school and get a Bachelor's in photography, which is what I should have done in the first place. DO INTERNSHIPS! (In a field that actually means something to you...!) Don't do foreign exchange in high school-you have a lot more freedom and options if you wait till college. Try to always be taking a sport club or PE class -you will feel so much better and be healthier! Netflicks is your best friend! Apply for a passport; take roadtrips and go somewhere new! Explore everything you can! Auditing is awesome! You don't need perfect grades. No matter how much you love your boyfriend, choose a school and major that you would have chosen without him-it will be worth it! Keep playing music! Keep in touch with old friends! Learn to laugh.

If I could go back in time and give advice to my high school self upon coming to college, the main point would be to go to every event. Yes, the floormates you have freshman year are going to be awesome, but meet as many people as you can because that will only make things easier down the road. When people start taking different classes, declare majors, or head out of the country to study abroad, a wider friend group will act as a support system. The more people you meet, the more interesting things you will be exposed to and the more complex your social learning environment will become. You may meet someone that has an inspiring passion for social justice or you may meet a person that can teach you how to do all the outdoor activities you’ve always wanted to do. Ultimately, you may find that one person that reminds you of home and who becomes your best friend. Seeing familiar faces all around campus can be a comfort because in the end, you know you won’t be the only person that feels just like you do. A confused and happily lost freshman.

The advise that I would give myself would be to work harderd and to strive for the best, and try to become Valedictorian of my class. Re-take my SAT until I was able to get the best possible score I could achive, and take the ACT's. Another word of advice I would give is to take as many college now classes as I possibly could, and go to more college visits. To appy to as many scholarships as possible, and appy early. To look at more than one college, and find the best one that would be suited for me and the amount of education I wanted to achive.

"Hello self", I would begin, judging the look on his face to be that of pure astonishment, "I am you of the future, I have come with advice for your upcoming year, do with it what you will." After we had figured out exactly how I invented a time machine and or time lapsed to the past, I would give to him the same advice I have given to many current high school seniors. "Love those closest to you, but don't be afraid to become a true individual." This has been a tremendous struggle for me. I attend school roughly 1500 miles away from home, from a family that I love deeply, lifelong friends, a really awesome dog, and even a girl friend. I have had to really find myself as a person, an entity seperate from my loved ones, yet still maintain the relationships that I have with them. Becoming my own man has been both a challenge and a revelation for me, leading me to hope that each new college freshman has a similar experience. I hope that each does not cling to the past, but develops as a human. That is what college is all about.

Freshman should really look forward to and get involved in orientation. There is a 10 day, 3 part orientation process. There is Passages (group trip), Prelude (group classroom session), and Perspectives (volunteer work). Orientation is such a great way to get involved and meet other freshman before everything starts up. This is a great opportunity and can be overlooked!