University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

I would tell myself to apply for more Scholarships, take more classes in High school that will transfer to college, not take a science class and a math class in the same semester.

I would tell myself not to worry so much and to not try to control the future. As a senior in a small high school in Mahtomedi I was so worried about how different college would be. I feared not knowing the personal history behind every face that I saw on campus, getting lost, having to ask for people's help, and the freedom I would be granted in starting over as a freshman. Being the oldest member of my family feuled my misconceptions about college life. I was marching into the unkown, with only the half-remembered experiences of relatives at my disposal. The anticipation of what college life would be like ate away at me until my first day arrived. At noon I went into room 106 of McNeely hall and sat at an empty desk. Not long after, I struck up a conversation with two other freshman beside me. After a few sentences were exchanged two things became clear to me. The first was that they were just as uncertain as I was, and the second was that I had just wasted my entire summer worrying about something that now I can't get enough of.

Don't ever slack off. There are always consequences and they are not fun. So focus, focus focus!

Be yourself and don't be afraid to step out of your shell when you go into college and meet new people. Its a time to grow, learn, and become the real you.

It is not what you expect. Just stay positive and it might be hard at times, but that truely is the key. It's a much larger transition than you ever imagined, but you'll learn a lot about yourself in the process. Some good things and some bad. But by experiencing these things you better prepare yourself for the future, so you don't make the same mistake twice. Half the battle is recgnizing the mistakes, the other half is taking the initiative to correct them. And above all don't be afraid to fail, because all those failures can lead to a great success!

Advice I would give to myself as a high school senior is to realize that things will never go as well as you plan. Things happen in life that we have no control over, and we just have to be tough and plow through. The transition will be difficult, but it is not impossible. As long as you stick to who you are and do not change yourself for others, it will be ok and soon you will forget that it was ever difficult. In regard to classes, know that it is ok if you do not do as well as you did in high school. Receiving a B in a class will not kill you, and do not stress yourself out because of it. No one is perfect, and no one expects you to be. Have fun, be responsible, and never forget to enjoy every moment because you never know when it could end.

Knowing what I know now about college, the single-most important bit of advice that I would give myself would be to take as many college level courses as possible. College is very expensive, and the more credits one comes into college with, the better. Coming in with credits, I would have more flexibility with class scheduling if I did not know my major right away, and I would also save significantly on classes. I would also give myself the advice of maintaining a balance with working hard, and giving myself time for fun and relaxation. College can be very taxing, and it is important to give yourself time for a nap, or movie night with the girls.

Knowing what I know now about college, there is really just one thing I would tell myself. I would tell myself to try to live on campus at least for freshman year. I know it's a pretty big added expense, but I think it would have been well worth it had I actually made that decision. Living on campus would have allowed me to make friends more easily and be more involved in campus life. Other than that, I have really enjoyed my time so far at St. Thomas and the decisions I've made and look forward to my remaining years.

Be prepared to be alone. Be more outgoing. Work harder now.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to take more time during the decision process. I think I made the decision on what school I was to attend without doing enough research on it. Knowing what the classes were like, what the social scene was like, and knowing more about the campus would have helped a lot.