University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

I would say to apply to more schools. Take more challenging classes and try to get a leg up on the competition. Just give more than i did, When it comes down to it how well you do in college is based off how you perform in highschool, your study habits and personal behavior you learn in highschool also translate to how you will you do in the future. At the time i didnt think highschool was that importnat but now looking back at it, i wish i did more.

Be open to every opportunity, be ready to push yourself academically and physically more than you have in the past and be ready to meet some great people who will shape you into the person you are today.

Myself now: "Hey, younger me!" Myself as a high school senior: "Hey, older me!" "You know what you should really think about before you go off to college?" "Ummm...money?" "Well, that too. But what I had in mind was... What are you REALLY interested in? What's the best thing you could be studying right now?" "Well, I really want to do engineering. I think that would be best!" "I remember thinking that too. But don't do any specialization just yet. Do something that you'll really enjoy... something you'll get a lot out of, too!" "What do you mean, older me?" "I mean take time to study the liberal arts, to delve into the classics, to really cultivate your mind. Study the humanities, man!" "Really? Well, if you say so. I mean, you're the older me, right? So what should I major in?" "Don't worry about that just yet. You'll have plenty of time to decide before you make the decision. Eventually you'll be a philosophy major, but focus on taking classes that really grab your interest for now." "Alright, will do. Thanks, older me! I'll see you in the mirror."

College is not like high school so, it is very important to extinguish any of those thoughts. You may have a lot more free time with your class schedule, but that time isn't "free" time, that is the time that you must use to study. Do NOT let yourself get behind, because keeping up can be hard enough. Make sure you have a good balance between school and social life, or you can find yourself getting stressed out and going into a downward spiral. Do not buy books from the book store if at all possible, because it is a huge waste of money. Do not think that you can spend money like you did in high school, save it. A lot of people go to college and have to false idea that they can go out to eat and drink all the time, but when it comes to paying the bills they find themselves in trouble.

After my junior year of college in 2006, I transferred schools. I had two years left in an Art degree. When I moved I started working at a bike shop which opened me up to bike racing, and for the last five years I have competed in 35-45 races per year. Through bike racing, I developed an interest in sports nutrition but since I was already so far along in school, I didn’t want to change my degree to something so different from art which would probably have required at least a few more years of school. If I could go back to talk to my high school self, I would advise myself to either transfer schools earlier, or look for a job at a bike shop sooner. If I would have gotten into cycling even one year earlier, I believe that I would have changed my degree to Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology instead of settling on an Art Degree. This I believe would have fast tracked the route I am following right now; I would probably be working on a Masters degree by now instead of just getting started on a second undergraduate degree.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would inform myself of how much I really will enjoy being a student at the University of Saint Thomas. However, I would give myself the advice that I should work even harder to get more money to pay for my education at the University of Saint Thomas for in the future I would have to pay for my education out of my own pocket, for my family cannot support me and I am at risk of only attending the University of Saint Thomas for one year. I will also make sure to point out the importance of making sure that all the college credit that I will receive through the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option at Anoka-Ramsey Community College will transfer to the University of Saint Thomas in addition to still obtaining my Associate’s Degree before I graduate high school. I would also inform myself that I will eventually come to realize how enthusiastic I am about learning and teaching others and to keep my same motivated and optimistic attitude for, my seven younger siblings look up to me.

If I could talk to the slacking senior Dan McQuillan right now, I would tell him to stop slacking and finsih strong. I would also tell him to take as many math,science and english/literature/writing courses as possible in highschool so that you can get some college credit or at the very least be prepared for the amount of work in those fields to come in college. I would also remind him that talking to alumni of colleges is actually a great way to find out which schools suit your personality, even if it does seem lame or like a waste of time. Also I would say play sports as long as you can if you still love them, especially at a school that supports athletics it is a great way to meet people and stay motivated. That is just about everything I would tell myself, and since I can't go back I will use my own advice to tell other highschool students I know about what I just wrote. Thanks for the opportunity to take this survey!

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior is to relax and enjoy the experience, but at the same time work hard because it is hard to get your GPA up once it is really low. The first year, living in the dorms, is a big change, but it's the best experience you could have. College is stressful, but very exciting, so don't rush the 4 years because they already go by really fast. Also, studying in college is not like studying in high school, so learn good techniques that will get you through each exam. Lastly, get to know the library, it's where the cool college students hang out.

If i could go back in time, i would tell myself to stay focused. Destractions are there to test how strong your will power is to stay intuned to the presented work. I would just tell myself how important a good education is.

If I were to go back I would make sure to just be myself and try to be outgoing to meet new people early on. I would also give the advice on how to make the most of my financial aid. The first year of school I took a considerably larger loan than the next two years. I have learned to stretch my dollars further and I am even studying abroad in spain this coming semester and it is even costing less than it would for a regular semester at school here. It is important to know what you are getting into when you sign your loans, make sure that you feel comfortable paying that amount of money back after graduation.