Villanova University Top Questions

Hey, high school self, It's me: you in seven years. I blame you for these prematurely grey hairs. Remember last year, when you let that girl in computer class do every keystroking assignment for you? Well, you're 24 now and the only Marine Corps officer on base who still "hunts and pecks" to type, so knock it off. In college and the real world, you have to take responsibility for yourself. You know how you think it's funny to sleep in class, because when the teacher calls on you, you still know the answer? That doesn't work in college. It was enough to just "be smart" in high school. In college, though, everyone is smart--much smarter than you, usually. Keep your eyes wide open. Your professors are brilliant and have so much to offer you, so you should never stop taking notes. And when it comes down to twenty more minutes of studying or twenty more minutes of videogaming, make the right choice. It's our future we're talking about, here. Oh, and break up with your high school girlfriend. I just married the love of our life. You'll meet her next year.

Work your hardest, and when you think that nothing is going your way, your efforts will eventually be paid off. Your hard work will make your transition to college so much easier.

Ring, Ring…Ring, Ring…“Hello, Kala speaking." “Hi Kala, this is Kala, calling from the future.”"It’s so nice to hear from you. What’s going on in the future?”“Well, you're a freshman at Villanova University, and midterms are this week. It’s been hectic around here to say the least.”“I’m already at midterms? Time goes by so fast... Well what have I been up to so far? Making the most of my college experience I hope."“See that's why I'm calling. I wanted to offer some advice because college hasn't exactly turned out the way you planned. Firstly, don’t stay in the room so much. Go out and explore the world around you. College is a time to expand your mind and take advantage of all there is to see. Secondly, study! School is important, and the work you did in high school isn’t going to be enough to get you by. Lastly, have fun. Bask in the memories that you make because you can’t get these four years back.”“Wow thanks so much, I’ll definitely remember that!”“Please do, and remember, "GO CATS!"

Christine, First off, you should be pretty happy because your future self successfully figured out how to travel through space and time. And instead of doing amazing things like searching the universe for Doctor Who with my newfound ability, I've come to talk with you instead. What is so important that I felt the need to visit myself right when you are about to graduate high school? Well, this is what you need to know: everything will be fine. Well, maybe fine isn't the right word; your life is going to take you amazing places, through so many bends and ups and downs and leaps and bounds. And I want you to ride through all of it with a smile on your face. College is going to be difficult, but you will do incredibly well and land a job on your first interview. But you'll also be let go from that first job. Don't ever lose that smile from your face. Everything that will happen to you will lead you on the path you will come to love, to a job you love and in the city that you love. Allons-y!

My advice would be "take a break!" I pushed myself to go to college because it was the natural next step after high school, despite the fact that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do, nor was I motivated to make that kind of decision. I didn't think that there was an option other than college, so I forced myself to go. Three and a half aimless years later, I said, "Enough," and have spent the past ten years figuring out what it was I actually wanted to do with my life, and also paying off the tremendous amount of debt I accumulated by going to college full-time. I would've been much better off dealing with the stigma of "not being in college" for a year or two (...or three) vs. being a college dropout and finding myself at 32. If you're not ready, it's okay!

Holly, There is so much that you have yet to discover about yourself. During your most challenging moments, you begin to understand the strengths that exist within you. Reflecting back on this first incredible year of college, my greatest piece of advice would be to take risks. Have faith that the moments making up your life unfold as they are meant to. Face the day not only with an open mind, but a humble heart and spirit of adventure. I will not tell you that this first year will be easy. In fact, some of your darkest struggles pass over during this time, but trust that they will pass, and that you are better because of it. Be gentle with yourself: patient and kind, but continue to work hard as you always have. You fight yourself more than you realize; you worry about things out of your control. Focus on cultivating a new home here. Do something that scares you each day: introduce yourself on a whim, seek out meaningful conversation. In change you will discover more growth than you could have hoped for. Loving yourself starts with knowing yourself. So go ignite that invincible summer within you.

Nkechi, you cant impress everybody no matter how hard you try, so just try to make yourself happy. Not everyone is going to like you but that's okay, for the ones that do, hold on the them and cherish them. Please don't be afraid to say "no" even if it means it cause disappointment to someone sometimes you have to be selfish and live for you. You're smart and strong, keep smiling, you'll get by. P.s DO NOT TAKE THE CRIMINAL CHEM COURSE

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell me to educate myself on things pertaining to college and job searching. I would do this becasue nobody can really prepare you for the real world because it is so unpredictable. Before the economy became like it is now I wanted to be an architect. Now, there is speculation that architecture is declining in importance. I think that I would tell myself to really think about what I want to do, I mean really think. Life can be so great, but it is up to you to make it that way. If you go into college knowing what you want to study and what type of job you want then make it happen. Study hard, stay up late-you have my permission, join study groups, go to career fairs, network and most importantly understand that it will not be easy. But I believe in you, you will be great some day.

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Some advice I would give myself is to let my instinct have more an impact on my application process. For example, I should not just look at colleges from a purely academic and career standpoint. Rather I would tell myself to visit the colleges I'm applying to and really see if I fit in with goals and messages of the University. Another piece of advice I would provide would be in regards to the stress of applying to colleges and waiting for decisions. Evidently, at this point in time, I feel that I not only picked the right college, but I was bound to end up here all along. Thus, I would explain to my high school senior counterpart that it is important to work hard on applications, but then after they are submitted my job is not to stress, but instead figure out which college I would truly like to attend. Overall, my main message would be that almost everyone ends up in the college they are supposed to be at.

I would make sure, when I took college credits in high school, I took them more seriously. Also, I would get into a better study and sleep habit. You still need to have fun in high school/college, but going out should not affect your grades. College, so far, is a wonderful experience.

Looking back, I wish that I had told my high school self to focus more about the general feeling of a school rather than its academic offerings. Of the schools I was choosing from, all were sound academically, but you really have to focus on where you feel most comfortable. This is important because it allows you to flourish as a person by getting involved in things you are interested in and feeling at home in your environment.

If I could give myself any advice, it would be to make every attempt to get to know your school and your career options better. I was never one to put myself in the spotlight, and now, years down the road I wish that I had. I feel that being in a fraternity helps students to connect and to feel like they are a part of the community. I would also have spent more time applying for scholarships and aid, to avoid the mountain debt of student loans. More than anything else, I would encourage myself to research my strangths in order to better plan for my degree. I changed majors twice before I realized what I wanted out of college. By that point, I was already at the end of a degree program. Had I researched my strengths better, I might have found what a caring and logical individual I was, and how that could translate into a rewarding career in nursing, which is my current endeavour. Had I come to this conclusion, I would be done school by now, and already established in my career, taking on the next challenge in my life.

College is a wonderful experience that allows a person to further their knowledge and allow for a better future; it provides more opportunities unattainable by those who have not yet furthered their educational career. If I could go back and advise my younger self, I would be very adament about staying on track and managing my time wisely. It is so easy to get behind when you think that you have all the time in the world to get your essay finished, so you decide to do something fun first. Classes should be your first priority, not your second, or your last. Another major issue is studying; it is a must. I never liked studying in high school and I don't exactly enjoy it now, but it is way more important that I study from now on. Assembling study groups is one way to make it a little more fun and interesting. College isn't impossible, but it must be challenging, otherwise everyone would do it.

I learned and grew so much during my first year of college, and I definitely have some important things to tell my high school senior self. Firstly, I would tell her that engineering is not for us. I went into college as an engineering major and dreaded going to those classes. I spent the second semester exploring different subjects and classes and finally found what I was meant to be. So I would tell her that our true passion was biology and physical therapy. If I had know this coming out of high school I wouldn’t be starting my college major a year behind. Also I would tell myself to keep on applying for scholarships throughout the year. I had a lot of private scholarships coming out of high school so my first year was covered, but this year I am struggling to cover my tuition. Those two pointers would have made a world of difference and directed me in the right direction.

Seek the advice of financial counsel and academic advisors for paying for classes and scheduling classes respectively.

I would tell myself not to get overwhelmed by taking more than I can handle. When I first got out of High School, I would sign up for full time semester and have the best intentions, but I, unlike many of my friends had to work full time to support myself. I ended up dropping many classes and couldn’t handle a full load. It became frustrating and made me feel I wasn't capable of college. Now that I am older, I am doing fantastic in school, working, and going to school full time. School can be for everyone and is essential in today’s world, but some people handle it better at different points in their lives. I would tell myself to stay focused on my goals and dreams and they will indeed be reached. I would also educate myself on all the help that is made available on campus. I never realized how much support is officered. Everyone is more than capable of becoming a successful student, but being a new student can be overwhelming. I would tell myself to take one step at a time and seek help when needed.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would make sure I was aware at that point of the financial difficulties college might pose for me. Two years into my college experience, my parents have called on me to pay for part of my Villanova tuition. This demand is not unreasonable, but when I hold two jobs and yet make less per month than the $375 my father is asking, it's more than I can deal with. Perhaps I should have chosen a different college, knowing how much tuition would cost. Thus, if I could talk to my high school self, I would encourage myself to think seriously about how much school costs and make sure the school I chose was worth that financial burden: if I had done so, perhaps I would not have that question dangling above my head now, when it's rather too late to do anything about the answer.

Hey Jeshipio. Don't apply to the far away, state universities. It isn't your thing and you're not actually going to go even if you got in. Don't mess around and actually take an AP class or two and take the test. Trust me. It's a big deal. Don't just mess around in class. Try to retain some of that information. It will help. Apply to the small schools. You like the small class sizes and one on one you get with the teachers. Oh, and most importantly, relax. You got into college.

There are so many things I would tell myself if I had the opportunity to go back in time. As a high school senior, I would tell myself to pay attention in class and that no, I won't use algebra over the next 15 years of my life but pay attention anyway because it's still important. I would tell myself that college is vital and continuing my education will make a real difference in my life and help me achieve goals that I will want to achieve. Alongside these words I would also make sure that my younger self is aware that I don't have to know right there and then what I want to do with my life because this will change so many times over the years but that what I do need to know is who I am and what I stand for. I would emphasize that college will help me learn this and it may be one of the most important things I ever need to know. Having fun is definitely part of life but knowing who I am going to be and learning who I want to be will last longer.