Xavier University Top Questions

For starters, when you are moving in you do not need to bring your entire closet and especially clothes you don't even wear. But more importantly, I would tell myself to apply and visit more schools to see what the world has to offer me and my education. I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships. I would tell myself that leaving and transitioning will be hard, but everyone goes through it. I would tell myself I don't know what hard classes are yet. I would advise myself that college is what you make of it, so in order to have a good experience you need to be positive and life in college gets better with time and experience. The most disappointing thing about first arriving to college is that everyone already has these pre-set expectations of college life and I would want to let myself know that I shouldn't have high expectations and that I need to let college be the experience that it is.

Study hard, and stay focused.

As a track and field athlete you've learned how to hurdle. You're at the starting line of your college career and the reality is there will be many hurdles. But you must learn how to become a great hurdler if you want to finish the race. Hurdlers are flexible, determined and graceful. Learn how to be flexible. Things won't always go your way. You may get assigned two giant papers in one week. You may have a hard time getting along with your new roomate. In order to succeed in college, learn how to bend your plans, priorities, and preferences. Stay determined. Determination means forging forward in the midst of failures. Just like in a race you may trip over a hurdle, you may trip over an obstacle while you're in school. Learn how to get back up despite the difficulties. Be graceful. Learn how to withold judgement; be empathetic with others and willing to walk in their shoes. Open your mind to all the different people you'll meet. And be gracious with yourself. Forgive yourself in spite of your mistakes. Stick with it. Finish the race strong. You'll do great.

Go to a cheaper school and work really hard, also apply for more scholarships!

College is not about a set number experiences or a laid out for year plan. It is okay to embrace change and not have everything figured out right away. Take time to discover your true interests, even if it means changing your major a few times. The uncertaintly and unknown is worth it when you finally do discover your real passions. Embrace not knowing and enjoy every minute and experience college has to offer. Join a club you would never have joined in high school, accept every opportunity that comes your way. Hardships are what make you a stronger person and show you who your true friends are. You can never have too many friends. Accept your friends for who they are because you will meet people from all walks of life. Work hard and stay focused, but make sure you put just as much effort and time into having fun. The experiences and people you meet in college are what you will remember forever. College is the experience you choose to make of it.

I am attending college as a 53 year old man. If I could go back in time to talk to the "highschool" me I would say..."Jimmy, just because you got a good job right after highschool does not mean that you should not go to college. Somethings do not last forever and this job is one of them. Please go to college and get a degree. By the time you are 53 you will have been laid of twice and you are working at minimum wage jobs while you are finally going for that business degree. Please go now."

I would beg my past self to get more scholarships, since college is a lot more than I thought it would be. Also I would warn myself about all the reading in college. Being in AP classes I thought the reading would be easy, however, it is often long and even more often due the next class period, which forces me to read that night. This advice would probably help make the reading seem so long.

"What if no one likes me?" This was my biggest fear as a high school senior, particularly during the summer. Knowing what I know now, I would tell my past self to "chill out!" It was so easy to make new friends at Xavier--nearly everyone I have met I have something in common with, whether we're in the same major, or if we like the TV shows. Being myself, and not stooping to pretend to like or dislike certain things just for the sake of others' affection, is truly the best choice to make. In college, everyone is in the same boat: we are all trying to figure out who we are and what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Everyone's guard is down, and the best way to make friends is to find those with whom you share something. Try new things! Have new experiences! The adjustment to college life is certainly much easier than you think, too, past self. Knowing that your life is different and that you have a new home allows you to put that behind you and quickly get into a new routine: the college routine.

My advice I would give to myself, honestly, would be to go to NKU. It's a lot cheaper than Xavier. They also have a wider range of course selection, and you have more space in your schedule to take courses that interest you, instead of filling those spaces with a bunch of theology, philosophy, and spanish classes that Xavier forces all students to take.

As a high school senior, I was preparing to move to Haiti. I spent a year there before I began college. Although, I was confident in my decision to move to Haiti, I was definitely insecure about it. Most of the other students were talking about colleges, majors, and acceptances. I was not able to partake in any of this and I felt like others had a condescending attitude towards me because I wasn't making the transition to college right away. Looking back, I would tell myself to stand tall and proud. Everyone has a different track and not everyone needs to attend college immediately following high school. Spending a year in Haiti was the best decision I have ever made. I believe that is a great thing to know yourself and your purpose before entering college. My time in Haiti gave me confidence and vision of what I want to do with my life. My time in college now is focused and I am sure that this what I am supposed to do. I would love to be able to tell my high school self this.

In high school, I did not practice good study habits. I would have practiced better study habits so that in college, I would have already had the study skills to start my first year of college strong. In high school, I would have wanted to be more involved in school activities. I was involved on the track and football team but I would have been involved in different club organizations to allow me to be apart of diverse things and so that I won't be single-minded to being involved in things that might seem different. Lastly, I would tell myself to practice better time management skills. In high school I did not have that much school work to do, so there was not really a need for time management. In college, my work load increased, in which I had to balance my school work and the various club organizations.

Looking back on high school, I wish I would have applied to the Govenor Scholar's Program and National Honors Society. Being accepted by these prestigious organizations would have possibly given me more financial aid for college tuiton.

I would tell myself to relax and be confident. In college it does not matter that you were the student who was picked on or who didn't fit in in high school. In college, there is a place for you. Everyone is unique and has special talents. College offers activities for everyone and is open to all students and their beliefs. People care about who a person is and how they treat others. Also, if you have worked hard in high school you will survive college. Yes, college is hard, but if you work and focus you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. College will be hard, but you can succeed. Put your best foot forward and college will be the best expereince of your life. Embrace it. School work is important, but remember to join activities that you enjoy. Those extracurriculars are what help define you and help you grow. Don't waste a single moment in college because they are the best of your life. Savor every minute.

Work hard, but don't stress over everything. It is crucial to make a huge effort in each class, but it is equally important to stay stress free and not get bogged down worrying about every little thing. Stress just makes things harder, so you need to take time to relax and have fun. You go to school to learn and work towards your future, but you also need to be happy and spend time doing things you like so that school doesn't become something negative. Don't procrastinate because that only increases the stress. Work out and exercise several times a week. It helps to relieve stress and help you to beat the "Freshman 15" weight gain. Talk to your family often! You do not want to separate yourself from them because you need them to help you get through everything that college throws at you. Be friendly and make tons of friends and try not to make enemies. College is a fresh start, and you don't want to start with people already not liking you. Most importantly, be happy. This is a new step in your life, embrace it and LIVE!!

Psychology is a multifaceted field that yields the opportunity to help humans on a mental, social, and biological level. As a psychology major, I enjoy observing and investigating human behavior. Questions such as “Why did this individual respond in this manner under this stimuli?” as well as, “How can this behavior be explained?” fascinate me. Although I have a tendency to be shy, attending college has given me the ability to explore different aspects of psychology in a more meaningful social setting. Challenged by the idea that human behavior is not simply the byproduct of genetic predisposition, but also the influence of a vital environmental component, encourage me to participate. Learning what I enjoy most while surrounded by a group of students who share an equal amount of enthusiasm for psychology is an exciting prospect I look forward to continue experiencing. Being able to attend college has given me a guide towards creating my future and the possible opportunity to help others with my future investigations in the field of psychology.

I have learned that some people will never grow up in life and those who are willing to grow up and become more diversified will be the ones who succeed.

A whole new mindset. I think that's self explanatory in and of itself why it would be important, but it's incredible to me just how much I've learned about the world, history, and fellow students in just one year of college. I think about things now in ways that would've gotten my mind in a knot in high school. I'm able to see a problem from many sides, and analyze it in the context of the conditions of the time it's occurring in. Not only does this make me better able to write essays and participate in class discussions, it enables me to relate to fellow students and professors in the context of a bigger picture, and realize that reactions and events are ALWAYS influenced by outside factors.

I have gotten the confidence to go out and do what I want to do for a living. Before college I was looking at a life as a guy with a diploma. I was working entry level jobs, moving around all the time, and holding two or three jobs a year. I thought that was going to be the rest of my life. Then I got my act together and my mother offered to help put me back in school. So I applied on the very last day and signed up for classes. I did not really apply myself untill I took my psychology class. My teacher inspired me to continue on with my education and take it seriously. She had told me about how she knows other people who tried for a P.h.D. and failed, multiple times, and they kept trying. She said even after four failed attempts, this one friend of hers made it. That gave me hope, not because I am not smart enough, but because it showed me that if I really want something, like my P.h.D., then I can get it no matter how many times I fall down.

In my college experience, I have grown into the woman I have always wanted to be where the first time in my life I get to choose my own destiny. In my college experience I, like many other students, have had multiple internships and a great GPA. But that is not what college is for me. Since I was young, I have always wanted to be independent and make my own choices. It wasn't until college that I figured out that growing up into an adult was a lot more than just a great GPA and independence. It is learning that there is more out of life than just getting a great paying job. That happiness in a career, a lovng family, and great friends are more important that money could ever be. It is learning that worrying about the little things that go wrong in life are really insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It most importantly though taught me to love myself for who I am and to follow my aspirations and to not loose sight of them for a second. This is the most critical and fundamental part about being a college student graduate.

This college experience helped me to grow further and become a strong student. I am proud to say that I went to college and that I will be continuing with my programm at PSU.