University of Tulsa Top Questions

Keep a completely open mind. Don't pass down opportunities to try new things, meet new people, see new places just because it seems "weird" or you never thought about it before. But do everything while sticking to your morals, and go with your gut feeling about things, it's usually right. You're mature, you have a great head on your shoulders - but don't get too confident about that - always remember you have so far to go, and so much to learn. Don't try to replace the best friends you had in high school, forge new friendships; once you realize the new friendships are different and uncomparable to the old, you will enjoy them so much more. In conclusion, trust your friends, trust your family, trust yourself, and trust in God.

Pursue more scholarships because your family will be hit hard financially with your brother also going to college then getting a second kind of cancer and will lose over half our business. Line up more medical field shadowing opportunities for the first two years. Take advantage of tutoring for the transition during freshman year. Do not be afraid to talk to your professors the first year, they are very accessible and do not feel intimidated. Do not underestimate yourself because a quarter of your classmates are national merit scholars and that 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of them came from private schools. Overall, do your best but do not beat yourself up if you do not make a 4.0 as long as you did your best.

Erika, I know you want to go far. I know you have big dreams. DON’T GIVE UP. Look around and make sure you breathe. You have done a lot of research on colleges all over the United States. But, you know what? Education is what you make of it. You will go through hard times and you will soar high. Take it in and enjoy yourself. Talk to everyone, smile and soak up anything you can. Never let go of tea, drink, and steep, and read. College is not all parties, don’t worry! You are serious about school but also let your hair down and enjoy a cup at the Coffee house. You will make mistakes, learn from it. Try out for the Vagina monologues and take back your sense of woman. Get to know your professors, they really are human and are so interested in you. It doesn’t matter that you were wait listed at the University of Chicago… education is what you make it to be, no matter where you go, you are your own and you want to learn. That is all that matters. University of Tulsa is full of opportunities, take them!

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would say, "Self. You really need to stop worrying about what everybody else is doing. You need to stop trying to fit in. Pay attention in your classes and really focus on learning because you're going to college! You're not just going to finish high school and not do anything for the next 5 years. After you wait too long, it'll get a lot more challenging and tougher for you to remember all the things you KIND OF paid attention to. Get on the ball and start filling out applications to colleges and for scholarships because if you don't, you'll just be trying your hardest to survive on minimum wage and going from job to job! If you want to live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of your life, go ahead! But I can guarantee you it's not where you want to be. Further your education so you can have a career, not just a job, that'll last you all your life!"

Knowing what I now know about my college and college life, my high school self would have felt very enlightened to have heard some advice like this: Just be confident in yourself and do what you do best. Everyone at a university has their own unique style and they all work together to form one of the most functional communities out there. Also, no matter how smart or good you think you are at something, when you get to college there is always some nerd who is smarter or better at it than you. Practice, study and tell your determined, resolute self within to do whatever it takes if you really want to excel in something.

I would tell myself to find an identity. In college, you have to take ownership of who you are. I would tell myself to figure out what I want to believe, and persue it full heartedly. I would say that my academic success depends on how much effort I decide to put in. Also, I would forwarn myself about how performance driven college is. I am an athlete on TU's track and field team, as well as a pre-med student. The pressures to perform come from all sides. This comes back to the identity issue. If I only knew who I am, and what my worth is, the tresses of transitioning into college would be much easier to handle. I started to realize this by the end of the second semester. Knowing that my self-worth isn't based on how my race goes, or how well I do on a test is very freeing.

Look for more scholarships becasause it is going to get more stressful months down the road. Don't rely on others and take matters into your own hands and make sure things get paid and that there is enough finances to back it. And NEVER give up.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell make sure and tell him to focus on what is important. Do not get caught up in the partying, but rather to take advantage of every opportunity that is available at the university. The world is yours if you take it seriously. It is not going to give you anything, you have to work for it.

"Don't worry about succeeding or failing. Don't worry about where things are or whether people will accept you. Enjoy the ride. You'll find your way around campus. You'll be surprised by the people you meet: the friends that will be just like you, and the ones that are different. You'll appreciate both types of friends because they'll each make your life more beautiful in their own unique way. Some days will be hard, and you'll wonder if you can survive. But you will. You'll rise to the challenges and overcome the obstacles. You'll realize that you absolutely love to learn. You'll find out what matters to you: who you are, and what you want to do with your life. You'll be different... the same kid who had big dreams, but also a new person, confident and sure of yourself. The University of Tulsa will give you that. You'll never be the same, and choosing to make TU your home will be one decision you'll never regret. I promise."

One factor sticks out when asked the question if I could talk to myself about what would ease my transition over to The University of Tulsa and that is stress. I grew up in a small town with a low percentage of peers who were going to attend college, none of whom going to The University of Tulsa. Therefore it was somewhat intimidating because I was taking on this experience blind with little applicable advice from others. Building on the previous statement, I believe that a certain amount of fear is good because fear is a good motivatior as well as a good indicator of integrity and a chance to test oneself in a once in a lifetime situation that cannot be replicated. In conclusion, the most important advice I would give myself would be more relaxed about the social aspects of college and still be fearful of the academic aspects. This advice would have lessened the amount of overall stress without losing the motiviational and focus to succeed in the classroom.

I would tell myself not to worry. I would tell myself that if I work hard and enjoy myself along the way that the challenging road ahead of me will be well worth it. I would also tell myself to never sell myself short, that I am fully capable of accomplishing my goals. I would remind myself that part of the experience of attending college is fully absorbing this special stage of my life that only comes once in a lifetime. I would tell myself to not pass up incredible opportunities and to keep working hard.

I would tell myself to take high school more seriously. Try to push yourself in all of your classes everyday and not to worry about what people may think of you. To ask your teachers for help with anything you need to know and not think that they will not help you that's their job to help. And not to be afraid of failing and if failed know the mistake and apply yourself harder then you did the first time. Also study, study, study.

Some advice I would give my high school self is to do research on different colleges and scholarships. I wish I would have had someone to guide me in the right direction for life after high school and what to expect. Definitely be social and make new friends. They will be your study buddy and best friend during the duration of that class and even beyond that. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to your professors or any other school resource in a time of need. They are there to help you. Study ten times more then you think you would ever need to and always stay on top of assignments and don't procrastinate. College is definitely difficult but with a good support group and a good head on your shoulders you will do just fine.

If I could go back in time and give my younger self advice, I would say to always trust my gut and keep calm. This may seem like a cliche phrase and that it's actually not in refernce to my stomach, but it's a way of trusting ones' instincts. My experiences involving TU have allowed me to understand the importance of my "gut feelings". It may sound weird as an approach to ones life, but it can be very helpful. On my first visit to TU my gut told me that this is where I belonged, that this place felt right. To this day I know thats true, there is something about the campus and the evironment that makes me feel like I'm at home. Along with telling me I'm in the right place my gut has allowed me to recongnize when something isn't right, either with a situation or a person, and trusting myself to fix it. I have also learned that nothing is worth stressing yourself over, and that if you stay calm you can get more done. This may not seem like the most inovative advice, but it has definitly helped me.

I would tell myself that while attending city college to take all of the english and math courses first.

Dear Ashley, High School Senior, This is your future self writing to tell you, do not hold back! I know, you don't really fit in anywhere in high school but in college, everyone finds a place to fit in and friends that are amazing. College is all about getting to know other people and collecting experiences from which to grow. It is always worse to regret the opportunities you let slide by than those you took a chance on and failed. Do not worry about how successful you will be; when you get here, you will see that you had no reason to worry. You make excellent grades and you will continue that in college, so take some time and have fun. Also, remember to apply for scholarship’s early, that’s why you’re getting this letter. Sincerely, You

Relax. College isn't so stressful. You need to work hard and study. Don't get distracted by friends or outside activites when it's time to study. You can still have a social life but school work comes first. Drinking isn't everything. Partying isn't everything. Just make friends and have fun while learning all that you can for YOUR future.

The best advice I would have to say is, apply for scholarships before you attend college. When I was in high school I had no one explain to me about the opportunity of scholarships. Now that I am in college I realize how there are organizations available that enjoy supporting students and their intended dreams. Applying for scholarships before you attend college is less stressful than trying to accomplish this task while attending college. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to not slack off during high school especially during your senior year. Reason being is because your senior year is the most crucial year. It affects your possibilities of attending a prestige college. Becoming involved in extracurricular activities teaches a person how to time manage, become responsible, and develop leadership skills. All these are excellent skills to acquire and present them while in college. Overall, try to get the most out of high school in terms of academics especially because college high school credited classes are being offered. These are some of the major things I would tell myself.

"Self, even though you really like chemistry and math, the idea of majoring in chemical engineering because it involves both subjects is a bad idea. The combination makes for a inexplicably boring major that just isn't right for you. Now, on the other hand, remember how much you hated biology during your junior year? Well, you actually really like it, you just weren't ready for it then. Just wait until you get to college, and you'll know it's the right subject for you. So heed my warning, and don't waste your freshman year mired in something you don't love. On that topic, I know you dread the possibility of being labeled a quitter. Well, loosen up. There are so many things going on in college that you might end up in a class, major, or job that's not right for you. Don't be afraid to just say no once in a while. Believe me, there is nothing worse than knowing full well that you are somewhere you don't really belong. Lastly, if you ever find yourself being pressured into something bad, just stay true to yourself and everyone will respect you.

My advice to my high school senior-self would probably go something like this: "Well, hello there stranger. You've done a lot of things right, but there are definitely some mistakes you need to work out. First of all, going to Chick-Fil-A every Wednesday, even if just to support your best friend who is working there, is a bad idea. Not only are you wasting your hard-earned money, but you're also killing your metabolism and sadly, making Chick-Fil-A hard to enjoy in the future (who would have ever guessed?!). Also, all that stress about what college to choose and what to do with your life- you're going to make the right decision, so stop pulling hairs. You're going to be bald by the time college comes around! Also, learn to study. And do your homework. It's a miracle you've gotten where you are. I bet if you tried a little harder and stopped blaming others, your future would be a lot easier. But I am very proud of you. You haven't died and you're still a fairly nice person. Good job, Kaitlyn. Keep up the good work."