University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

I woud tell myself that everyone is different and not everyone will like you. I would tell myself about men and the damage that negative relationships can have on all aspects of life and I would also councel myself to wait for the right guy and not just jump into something because they show interest. That I should wait until I find someone who I am compatible with, someone who doesn't want to control and/or change me. Also I would tell myself that drinking and drugs are not cool and just lead down dark paths. I would explain that even if you aren't imbibing and you have friends that do, watching them traverse through those shadows is almost as bad as doing it yourself and all that pain and disappointment can wear you down. I would tell myself to be as bright, happy, and responsible as I can be and to surround myself with people who mirror and facilitate these qualities. Oh and of course, STUDY STUDY STUDY.

I would say keep working hard, it will pay off.

If I could talk to myself as a senior, I would warn myself that I will get very homesick once in college. But I would also tell myself not to give up or be discouraged because it is all going to get better and be worth it in the end. I would tell myself to look forward to the opportunities, friendships, and challenges college would bring but also to cherish my time at home with friends and family. The little things are what matter. I would tell myself how proud I should be of myself for all I have and will accomplish.

Ryan, take the time to realize what you want in life because it will make the next 4 years, the best you've ever had. Reflect on what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing. Take some time to research a field your interested and ask general questions to a professional in that field about their work. Think about your moral values that were instilled by your parents and how important they truly are when deciding on a university. These are the factors that should make up your choice in a university because everything else will come naturally. Knowing what you enjoy doing will help decide on a school that offers YOUR kind of program, but the key is to find the school that also gives you the impression of upholding moral virtue. In the end you made the right decision in choosing the University of St. Thomas. As a catholic institution they provide both the religious and moral values that you are looking for in a university. This, along with their well-known academic programs will allow you to form life-long friendships and guide you to a long fulfilling career.

If I could back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that the most important factor when deciding where to go to school is what the school has to offer. The location, size, and majors are all other important aspects. However, the first priority I would want myself to have in a school is their reputation and how challenging it is. You get out of school what you put in, so I would want a great school that is academically challenging and one that encourages me to do more than just doing homework and taking tests.

Preparing to make the significant transition into that of a college freshman is one that in high school, no individual is fully prepared for. After being subjected to this experience, it is easy to go back and tell myself as a senior the essential requirements to ensure that this dramatic change is one worth every piece of effort that goes into it. The most crucial piece of guidance that I would advise to myself would be to choose which college I will attend based solely on my own personal happiness. Making a decision based on family and friends may leave them pleased, however, it is one of the easiest ways to start off your college experience undesirably. Although deceiving with all of the publicity, this process is not a contest. Comparing your wishes to one of your peers’ is only cheating yourself. If you envision yourself more pleased here than anywhere else, your decision is simple: go there. It may not be the highest ranked school on your list, or the most suitable to your academic needs in your parents’ eyes, but don't lose sight that your biggest concern is to ensure that YOU are happy.

I would give myself the following advice: Get involved and meet a ton of people right when you get there. If you meet people you get along with well, don't solely hang out with those people. Have them as friends, but don't be afraid to branch out and talk to new people. The people you surround yourself with are very crucial to getting a well--rounded education. If you are always around the same kind of people, you will never learn and experience new things or get differing perspectives. Go out of your comfort zone and get involved.

College life is difficult; there's no getting around it. Once you get to college, you are given freedom, responsibility, and independence all at the same time, and it is hard to find your balance. Classes are ten times more work and you actually have to read the material in order to do well. If you want an A, you need to learn how to take good notes, create healthy and consistent study habits, and pay attention in class. One of the biggest lessons you will learn in college is how to get by on very little sleep. You need to prepare yourself for all this and more, because learning how to live on your own, do well in school, participate in clubs and organizations, and balance a social life on top of all that is going to take its toll on you. It sounds horrible now, but when you get there and learn how to balance all these factors in your life, it's going to feel great. You will learn so much, not just in class, but through your experiences, that will help you in life. Your life will become much more enriched through the college experience.

Dear JP, You are doing a terrific job with keeping up on your academic work and putting together your applications. I know you feel pretty confident about the schools you've applied for, but take a leap and apply for a well-known school from the Ivy League or West coast. Don't let fear hold you back. I know that applying to schools and having a great senior year can be complicated and intimidating, but you have so much potential that can be put to good use. Wherever you go, you will do great and wonderful things. Put yourself out there and take the leap. Challenge yourself! Push for change you see that needs to happen around you. Don't fear what others think; stand up for what you believe in and don't back down. Your natural leadership abilities are needed to make a difference in the world. Again, don't hold back and let yourself be intimidated. Get out there, and get it done! Sincerely, Jackson

Dear High School Senior, Although you feel mature and experienced, you have yet to discover the vast opportunities and experiences that lie outside of your bubble. College is going to open your eyes to so many opportunites, you may feel a little overwhelmed! Just realize that it is alright to take your time and figure out what it is you want to do, you do not have to figure it all out right now. You are at the beginnning of something great and you CAN do whatever it is your heart desires, the sky is truly the limit, please remember that. Please go out and make friends your freshman year, you will meet a lot of very different and unique individuals from whom you may learn a little more about yourself. Stay focused on your goals and keep up with your school work, but make sure you reward yourself with some time off the books and out with friends discovering new things together. You are going to learn a lot about the person you want to be and a lot about life. Enjoy your independence and amongst your schoolwork always make time for family and friends, they're worth it.

I would give myself so much advice. First, I would apply for more scholarships and then apply to more schools and compare financial aid. I am kicking myself now for not doing that! I would try to look at more schools and see what their graduation requirements and core class requirements were; I might not have to take philosophy or other required classes like at UST. I wish I had visited more schools to get a better picture of what it's like on campus. I would have gone to more overnight visits on campuses to get a feel for what it's like to actually live there. I'm happy here, but I feel like I should have started earlier and should have done more when I was shopping for schools to make sure I was getting the best deal and would be in the best place for me.

I would tell myself to really review my choices. As a high school student I listened to the admissions recruiters word for word. This often lead me to apply to the schools with the best admissions presentations. Over the time I have spent in college, I realized that these recruiters are no different than any other sales representative. It's my responsiblity to really check out what life is like at each school. Although I am happy with my college, I believe that if I had understood better what life was like at each university I may have made a different choice.

I would tell myself to take more college level courses and get as many credits as possible. I would also tell myself to apply apply apply for scholarships. I would also tell myself to take my time in choosing a college, because it's very important that I know where I want to go for sure.

Increase study habits

Be sure to pick a college that fits you. It's not a problem if you choose the wrong place right away because you can always transfer. People transfer everyday and they often find themselves in a much better and happier place. A very important thing to do in college is not be afraid to reach out to people and make new friends. College is a great opportunity to develop new friendships with people from different backgrounds than you. Who knows, some of these friendships could become lifelong. Another important piece of advice would be to challenge yourself to be the best person you can be. It's ok if you make mistakes but learning from them will make you stronger in the future. A final thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy the ride because college goes by so fast. Always give yourself time just enjoy living, learning and being youself because this is one of the most amazing opportunies you will ever have and many people in the world never get the chance to earn a world-class education.

As a high school senior knowing what I know now I would have applied myself more. Through applying myself more I would have taken more A.P. classes ; as well as, working harder to obtain better grades. This woluld have given me a better option for class availability and given me less college debt in the long term. A considerable amount of high school seniors decide to take the easy road by taking the classes that are the least amount of work. If I would have taken and worked harder on more A.P. courses I would have set myself up for better success. Also knowing what I know now I would have worked harder on my ACT. With a higher ACT score I could have bypassed certain classes and been given a bigger grant at St.Thomas. All these previous actions are ones I would apply as a high school senior knowing what I know now.

College is an overwhelming and scary thing to think about. I know you don’t want to choose the “wrong” school. Pray about it. God has a perfect plan for your life. Trust that you’ll end up where you are supposed to be. I know one of the things you’re looking forward to most in this next chapter of your life is meeting tons of really dreamy college boys. Trust me. You’ll meet plenty. Always remember that no relationship is worth sacrificing your dignity and self-respect over. You’re going to be faced with some difficult decisions. Stay true to yourself. Go with your gut. It’s always right. Time goes by so fast. Live in the moment. Next thing you know, you’ll be looking for internships and thinking about leasing a house. Enjoy every minute of high school. Yes, even those extra killers you have to run at volleyball practice and that nasty "pizza" that you have almost every day for lunch. Believe it or not, you're going to miss all of this someday!

The first thing I would tell myself is to learn to take better notes. Just because I didn't need to take detailed notes in high school, doesn't mean I would not need to in college, and I will make it easier on myself if I learn the skill sooner rather than later. I would then prompt myself to, as soon as I find out my roommate assignment, contact her and form the basis of a friendship. I would then remind myself that just because we would live together, my roommate and I don't need to be best friends; you need to get along, and communication is important, as well as being comfortable with the other person's friends being in the room. Also, to lay ground rules which we can both agree to, and to stick to them. I would then say that it's ok to be homesick, and my parents miss me too, and that it's important to keeps lines of communication open with them also. And that pain in the butt sister? You'll miss her. Give her a call every once in a while, and check in.

Knowing what I now know about life in college and making the transition I would tell myself that it's not going to be easy. I imagined that life on my own would be great and I would be care free. Now that I've been in college for a whole semester I know that it's not easy and that a lot of the time college is hard. It's hard to be away from my family, and it's hard to be thrown into a new way of living. It takes time to adjust. Now, I know more of what to expect and I know that this next semester is going to be easier.

I would tell myself to do harder research for scholarships so I would not have to pay so much. Also I would go back and tell myself to take some AP classes so I could try to get credit for college in high school so I have a head start when I get to college. I would also challenge myself with harder classes in high school to prepare mysef for the college work load. Finally I would tell myself I love going to St. Thomas so just apply there and choose to go there so that I could relax and work on finding scholarships for my school.