University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

Dear Rita, I know that you have no idea where you want to go or what you want to do with your life. But to be honest, a lot of college campuses are going to be very similar. Everywhere you go, you're going to meet people, you'll take interesting classes, and you'll have to make decisions that will force you to grow up and mold you into the person you will become. Don't stress too much about the college you choose. Although I don't know if St. Thomas is the ideal school for me, I know that it is a great college that has provided me with many opportunities and will continue to do so. The Career Development Center has many resources that can guide you and there are many activities you can get involved in to meet friends you might keep around for the rest of your life. Just remember: college is what YOU make of it, not what it makes it makes of you.

I would tell myself that college is actually a lot of fun and immensely rewarding, and that working hard to keep my grades up pays off. All the socializing is important too, because you take on so much responsibility as you grow up that you no longer will have those opportunities, and so live life to the fullest before you have too much responsibility. I also would say to remember to treat everyone with respect and to always remember those who work for you and treat those people especially well. Also, there's no problem with taking your time in deciding what it is that you would like to do - it's better to gain life experiences than to be going to school for something that you don't feel strongly about. Lastly, I would tell myself to not sweat the small stuff, that life will work out, and there is more support out there than we can conceive of. And, as Garrison Keillor says, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to take college seriously. College is not like High school, even though it's only my first year of college I learned a lot. You have a lot of freedom in collge but with freedom comes a lot of responsibility. My first semester in college I recieved a 3.44 GPA and I was very proud of myself. College Isn't that hard if you stay focused. In college they give you a lot of information so I would also tell myself to pace myself and dont procrastinate. Procrastination is a problem a lot of high school and college students deal with but if you start the work when it's given and not wait until the last minute you wont run into that problem.

I would have told myself to study harder for my first few exams. Also time management is key in college, and I wish I had realized that a little faster than I did first semester. I wish I told myself to utilize Sundays as homework days more effectively.

Knowing what I know now about college life and transitions, two pieces of advice that i would give myself are take your grades seriously and save your money. Grades have never been so important untill i began applying to colleges and learning about the addmissions requirements, so to ssave yourself stress later on, work harder in the early years. Another piece of advice that i would give is to save your money. You never realize how expensive your secondary schooling will be untill you recieve the bill in the mail, and depending on your school, not all financial aid will cover it. The more money you save, the easier you can breath when the time comes.

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would remind myself to stay true to who I am. During high school, I found myself to be a self-sufficient and extremely academically focused person. In my first few weeks of college, I found it difficult to be the independent, hard working person I was in high school because of the drastically different environment in which I found myself. I depended on others to help me explore my new world of college. However, once I was acclimated to the college life, I found it easier to be myself and to properly prioritize my life so that I could achieve a successful first semester. Finally being true to myself made for a satisfying semester both academically and socially.

highschool is the step before college and ultimately it really comes down to u and how hard u work for the grades. everything is done for u they pick ur classes and tell u where to go and the teachers are there to teach u what they know but dont forget about the fact that college is no different its the same as going to high school but this time u go for what degree or career that u want and u will de deciding on the classes u need and the ones that u actually take but hey thats life this is where your future begins and starting from this point your life starts dont screw up its not a joke its your time to prove yourself set a goal and work towards it and keep on moving till youv'e reached the end of the rope but what advice im really trying to tell u is high school is a transition into the real world of education thats where the knowlege from over the years and it this is the ultimate test you have the option of securing ur status in life and highschool should start u off

A year of college experiencing is not much, but it’s enough for me to realize how much my attitude toward education has been changed. I used to be a high school senior so I know how that feels at this important turning point in my education life. Frist thing first, a best way to start my college life is be positive! I know most of high school seniors were really nervous for this new journey because I was as well. I was told and pushed to believe that college would be so hard with tons and tons of works such as papers, reading, projects, and I still remember how frightened I was hearing all that stuff. But a year has gone by, and it’s shown that college isn’t that tough and scary as I was told if myself know how to organize time, and give my whole concentration to the work that I’m doing. A planner should definitely work for time organizing. Be attentive in class, focused in schoolwork. And all I need to do left is a positive attitude, believing and putting my whole effort in it.

At the moment I am a junior in high school, but as I am also a freshman in college, I believe that the most important skill in college is to prioritize time. As my duties have become more extensive the older I get, it seems that the days get shorter and that there is less time to accomplish tasks. Because of this, I've learned that planning out my time and setting up certain hours for specific duties has helped me tremendously. I believe that with the technique of prioritizing I have been able to use my limited hours to study more efficiently and therefore to get better grades. I have been able to get more sleep, as well, so I feel less stressed.

Dear 12th Grade Lauren, Congrats, you're almost done with high school! Although high school was fantastic, get ready because college is even better than you could imagine! I have some advice for you; First of all, DON'T STRESS! Grades are important but there is more to life than grades.Don't cram the night before tests-- you might remember the info for the test but you won't remember it long term. Freshman year is amazing because everyone is looking to make friends-- take advantage of this by being friendly. Support sporting events and promote St Thomas pride! Search for genuine people to become friends with. It's important to be surrounded by people who don't party and drink alcohol. Be a role model to others by showing that it's possible to not consume alcohol and still have a fantastic college experience. Most of all, enjoy every second and make the most of ever opportunity. Reap the benefits of your hard work and never forget to smile. Going to college is a blessing-- cherish it!

I would tell my high school self to take more Advanced Placement courses. It would have helped tremendously to have those credits coming into a four year university. I also would have told myself to volunteer with some local organizations. I personally believe that I was ready for the transition to college/dorm life because of the way I grew up, but if I had been more involved in things throughout high school it would have helped me tremendously.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself when I was a senior I would say to be involved in school clubs. I regret not taking part in extra curricular activites at my high school. I went to Wayzata High School which is located in Plymouth, Minnesota. I participated in all my classes but I never though of doing something extra. It felt unnessesary for me because I tought the required basic classes was enough for me to be accepted to a great college. However now I know that its hardly the case. Therefore If I could change my actions in high school I would definately join school clubs like Chineese or German club.

With the life situations I've faced since graduation, I'd have to say that I would challenge myself to go to college and do the best that I could while there. To be focused, encouraged,and determined not to fail. I'd also encourgae a good strong work ethic to establish a solid foundation. Now that I have a daughter, I realize that I can only give her the best as I do my best to get the best education available. She is my encouragement, and knowing that I set the stage as she watches me go to school a bring home good grades it motivates her to bring home good grades also. It has also motivated her to want to go on to college. She has asked me numerous times how soon could she start college if she works as hard as me. That makes me want work harder just so I can provide her with ample opportunites to do what ever her heart desires. Its just the two of us, so all I have is her and with the proper education I can encourage and show her how hard work pays off.

I would go back and tell myself not to stress out as much. College was a much easier transition that what I thought it was going to be. Making friends was easier than I thought because people are also searching for friends. I would go back and advise myself not to room with my friend. Living with one of my friends is not easy and I would go back and advise myself to live with a random roommate. Not only does it give you an opportunity to meet someone else, but you can avoid arugments with a friend that you otherwise would not have. I would advise myself to take later classes. I had eight o'clock classes everyday and it took a toll on me. I would advise myself to take later morning classes becasue then you can still get classes done early but you aren't sleep your day away. Those are just a few things that I would go back and advise myself to do and anyone else.

If I could somehow turn back time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to keep pushing forward, to not give in to "senioritis." I definitely worked hard in high school and that is demonstrated by my academic record (was valedictorian in a class of 168 students) and heavy involvement in extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, I think I could have done more in regard to receiving outside scholarships. I procrastinated and didn't even think to apply for more than I did. I would also tell the "high school me" that taking every AP and college level course available was a great idea and to never hesitate registering for them. Not only did I challenge myself at the time and learn a lot, but the rigor transferred into my college experience. If I hadn't taken upper-level courses, I think I would have felt much less prepared. And, as it turns out, college has been going just fine. Lastly, I would tell myself to enjoy the time while I could. Senior year was my opportunity to have a little relaxation before the pressure of college and growing up ensued.

Looking back at my senior year, I would advise myself to try harder to receive a higher score on my ACT. Although my score was acceptable, I now realize that with a higher score, I may have been elegible for more scholarships, as UST is very expensive. I would have also researched UST more to find out which courses transferred here from the college I took PSEO classes at, because I now realize that I took a few unnecessary classes my senior year. I also regret not doing more volunteer work, as I see now that colleges and communities really appreciate volunteers and I did enjoy volunteering. I would also advise myself to take more math classes, as I choose not to take trig and calc in high school, and I found these courses at St. Thomas very challenging since I had no previous background with this. My goal is to graduate from UST with a great GPA in as little time as possible so I can begin my career in the business world.

I would tell myself to not overwhelm myself with courses. To not only be involved and excel academically but take time to invest in freindships. To seek out early on like mided people on campus who I could see myself being friends with for years past college. To truly enjoy my non major classes and try to learn and grow in the required religion and philosophy courses.

Never ever let anyone influence your decisions. Stick to your gut and your passions and you will end up in the direction you want to go. And read, because I always wish I was able to add more to conversations with others. I wish I were more knowledgable in a variety of subjects and a better writer. If I were to suggest anything to myself, those would be the two things.

My advice to myself would be to talk more to the guidance councelor and get everything I needed for the scholarships that were available.

I would encourage high school students that are preparing for college to think a lot about what they may be interested in studying and pursure a school with this program. I have seen a lot of students waste a significant amount of time and/or money at college becasue the school they went to didn't offer what they desired to study. Also, I would suggest being very attentive to the courses they choose once they begin college. I have wasted money on taking classes that end up being fulfilled by a different class I have to take, when if I would have planned out my course plan more in advance I could have saved time and money. Lastly, I would encourage students to be bold in finding a group of people right away who share the same beliefs and morals as they do. Having support is very important to help you maintain what you hold to be true, but also to grow stronger in character. It is also significant for you to be able to support and encourage others in what they believe. This will help you be the best student and person you can be.