Wartburg College Top Questions

The biggest piece of advice I would give my high school self would be that it is perfectly fine to not know what you want to do. In high school, I was caught up in how I had envisioned my future. From the car I would own to the career I would hold, I had every ounce of my life planned. I entered into college, and my life did a back flip. I realized I no longer wanted to be a physical therapist, but on the other hand, I had no idea want I wanted to do because I had never considered an other professions. This made my transistion into college even harder and more stressful than it already was. To put it lightly, I was lost. Now, I am three months away from completing my first year of college, and I realized that somehow I ended up on the right track from me. College is an eye opener, and it changes your points of veiw on life. Be open to change, and be happy living in the unknown for a little while.

Going to college has given me plenty of opportunities to learn and acknowledge my bad habits, strengths, weaknesses, and fears. It made me grow up from the immature qualitites that I possessed in high school. If I were to give my high school self a piece of advice, it would be to take advantage of the people who are in my life, and to get out of my own way. What held me back in my first year of college was my low confidence. It interefered with my performance in my courses where I am not strong in, and it held me back from so many opportunities. I guarantee that if I practice being more confident and stop fearing my own success, I will be much happier and mentally stronger in college. It is all about your mindset when it comes to being independent. Your mindset reflects on your actions. Having a strong mind allows you to defeat those obstacles and fears in college. Sometimes you have to just "do it" and do not be afraid to fail. College is all about making mistakes, but then learning from them and applying what you learned to your life.

If I could give myself advice about college, I would tell myself to take more time to visit colleges and to be more open-minded on my college visits. When I started my college search, I had a few schools already picked and it was just a matter of narrowing down those schools to find the one that I wanted to attend the most. However, I think there were some really good schools that may have been a better fit for me that I never even took the time to look at because they weren't on my initial list. I would also tell myself to do a better job of making friends when I first got to school. I have always been quite introverted, and making new freinds has always been tough for me. However, I now realize how important a good group of firends is. I did make some friends, but I wish I had forced myself out of my comfort zone in order to make some more friends and to establish a good network of relationships in all sorts of different areas on campus.

I would convince my younger self to push through the AP classes along with taking more diverse classes. Im would also convince her to have taken many more college level classes in order to meet some of the general education classes. Another thing that I wished I had known was that I needed to do a lot of volunteer work, sports, and many other extracurriculars ontop of having an impressive grade range. Another thing I would have told myself would have been to work a lot less and to save a lot more. The next thing I would tell myself is that I need to worry less about what I am doing and worry a little more about how to plan out my future a little bit more. Instead of going with the flow in my senior year, I would have planned somethings out all throughout high school. Lastly, I would tell myself not to be so harsh on myself and to work through problems a little more creatively.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell her to take the college credit courses seriously. I would tell her to go through with the college tests to get credits for in when coming into college because it really helps. As a senior, I would tell myself to change my schedule and replace the easy classes with more challenging courses to better prepare me for college. The biggest advice I would give myself if I were in high school would be to prevent procrastination. College gives you a set date telling you when assignments are due. Seeing this in high school, I would procrasinate my work until it was close to the due date. In college, you will learn that it takes more than just one night to get your work done. You will find yourself sleep deprived if you continue to push your work off until the last minute.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would have a lot of important advice to give. First of all, I would say to get involved. Whether in music, athletics, or drama, there is a lot more free time in college and it is important to actively participate in a club or organization. For me, soccer was a way of having instant friends who I knew I could trust, and this took away an extreme amount of stress and anxiety. The second piece of advice would be to stay true to yourself and never forget your values or where you came from. There will be moments in college where you are pressured to do something against your morals because people are coming together from diverse backgrounds and communities. However, you are accountable for all of your actions and must remember what you have been taught your whole life. The third piece of advice is to apply yourself. After all, you are in college to learn and gain an education. Push yourself, study, and go to class (you are paying thousands of dollars for this purpose). Lastly have fun, because four years goes fast!

The advice I would give myself is to do more research on the school I pick and not to hesitate on asking questions about any concerns or issues. Furthermore I would tell myself to apply for more scholorships, and take more visits to different schools that have my major. In addtion I would tell myself that you will make mistakes no matter how you try to avoid them but the imporant thing is to learn from them and ask for help if needed.

When I was in high school, I was extremely focused on my academics and activities that I hardly allowed myself to sit back and enjoy life. Because of this, my high school career flew by and I have few memories of my experiences. I continued to have this mindset through the majority of my first year at college as well. My advice to high school seniors is to get involved in as many activities as possible that may be of interest. It's important to strive for experiencing college rather than passing it. Experiences with on-campus programs and internships develop connections that could be helpful in the future. However, academics are vital to success at any institution. What also contributes to a meaningful college career is making connections with others. These experiences and connections can last a lifetime.

My biggest piece of advice would be to get involved from the start in college and try to make as many friends and connections as possible. There are a number of outstanding groups and organizations in college, and it is very beneficial to join these groups because you will meet lifetime friends this way. Plus, it is a great way to connect with people in the workforce for future occupations. I would also advise myself to maintain a positive attitude throughout college and enjoy the time. It can be very easy for college students to become stressed and forget that college can be the best time of your life. It is important to balance schoolwork with your social life and enjoy time at school. Finally, I would advise myself to keep my options open at the beginning of my college career. It is not a requirement to know what field you want to study right away as a freshman. Therefore, it is beneficial to explore and find your true passion in life.

I would end up telling myself to quit slacking off and prepare for college homework so you will be prepared to work on homework for hours along with studying. I would inform myself that the life I have once known will soon be coming to an end as you are going to start a new journey, so mentally prepare for the first month of college. Be willing to accept change because your friends will no longer be by your side. Your parents will not be able to help you, and the environment around you will be totally different. Lastly, I would tell myself to work hard and get ahead of college while you can. Whether it is learning or when it comes to money.