Augustana University Top Questions

I would tell myself to buckle down and study, I blew off a lot of classes I had thinking it could be like high school. College is not like high school. Your teachers are there to guide you in the right direction of learning, but you need to tell yourself you need to study and ask questions. Assuming just going to class and taking notes is not going to get you a 4.0 gpa.

I would give myself more confidence. As a high school senior I was scared to truly branch out and be adventurous and now I wish that I had. Also, I would tell myself to make these life decisions based on only what i want and not what others want of me.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to enjoy my last year of high school and make the most of it. I would say, "be yourself." The most important thing is to find and express yourself. Don't let other people stop you from being who you really are. People will judge you and talk about you, but that's just how people are. You can't let them get in the way of being true to yourself. I would also tell myself to be more confident. You need to realize that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. You will succeed as long as you try your best. Don't get down on yourself if you don't reach the high standards you set for yourself. You're trying your best and that's what matters the most. You will get knocked down, but you need to get back up on your feet. No goal of yours is impossible to reach. You will succeed and you will make something of yourself. Just stay true to who you are.

The biggest advice I would give my high school self is to keep looking for scholarship opportunities. Although it is perhaps the most tedious part of the transition, going to college is expensive and every little bit helps. Additionally, make sure in your classes you are learning to learn as well as learning to get good grades. Part of becoming an expert on something involves a progressive building of your knowledge that is easily sabotaged if you are not retaining information due to poor study habits. As an addendum, don't forget to be patient and pleasant when looking for friends in college; although they may not be present right away, if you continue to look you'll find the kind of people you are looking for.

I would tell myself to calm down. It WILL work out, even if you are a little uncertain at the time of what the future holds. The possibility of choice is a gift, not a burden, and it is not something to get worried about. I would also tell myself to stop worrying so much about what other people think. I have really learned that this just puts the focus on myself, and I am wasting energy and time worrying about someone's thoughts instead of caring about them.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself, do not worry about the future or the past, worry about the present. I feel like I spent a lot of time overthinking what I did in the past and what I still had to do in the future, which created some hardships for the present. Once I got to college, I finally realized that all the worrying had done absolutely nothing for me. Now knowing this, I have learned that I need to focus on the present and the challenges that are presented in front of me. If I worry about things that I have no control over, they problems will just make the present worse. Knowing what I know now, this will help continue and finish my education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.

Dear self, In order to better prepare yourself for college you need to be able to read quickly and efficiently. Read as much as possible! Do not read simple reads, but rather something that will challenge your intellect. In college you might need to read 200 pages in one night! That is insane to imagine as a high school student but trust me, it will happen. Read the book Mosaic of Thought, written by Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmermann, the methods will help. Practice summarizing and synthesizing information you have just read and monitoring your understanding while you read. Understand that going to a tutor does not mean you are stupid, it actually shows you are a responsible student. You are involved in almost every extracurricular activity there is to offer. Realize that in college you need hours dedicated to school work. You cannot be involved in everything you want, narrow it down to the ones you enjoy the most. Dedicate one hour of every day to do something you love, start everyday with breakfast, and you will be amazed at how much happier and less stressed you will be. Also, call your parents, they appreciate hearing from you.

If I had the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not stress out about college so much. I spent so much time worrying about whether or not I chose the right college and whether or not I would make friends and get along with my roommate and how I would adjust to the classes. I have learned, though, that college truly is what you make of it. I was worrying about things that were completely out of my control at that point in time, which wasn't doing any good. I stressed myself out to the point that I was actually getting sick months before I even moved in. If I had the chance now, I would tell my high school self that it's really not that bad at all. The classes are difficult, but they're definitely manageable. I couldn't have possibly picked a more perfect college for myself, and making friends happens naturally. I would just tell myself that everything is going to work out in the best possible way, so I might as well stop worrying and actually enjoy my senior year of high school.

Looking back at what college has given to me I realize that I have gotten more than an education. If I could talk to my high school senior self I would definately tell myself to keep this in mind. The reason that you go to college is to get an education and to eventually enter the workforce. But what you may not know is that you are going to meet people from different cultures and religions, and you can learn so much from them. In order to really get the collegient expererience you must go with an open mind and a willingess to open up to people. Some of the most valuable lessons in college are life lessons, and there are many. It is also important to get involved with activities on campus and take pride in your school and the work that you do. Campus organizations are a great way to get involved, and they assist you in forming life-long friendships. Most of all, make sure that you stay true to yourself, work hard in everything you do, and remember to take time for yourself.

Stop stressing yourself out! Take your time making this decision and make it only for yourself. There is no great proven method to making the college choice because there is no way of knowing what you truly want in a college before you have ever attended college. With that in mind, keep your options open! You should really try to visit the schools of interest during the academic year and see what campus is like with students there. Do not be afraid to ask questions, talk to admissions, talk to students, sit in on a class and really get a feel for what going to this school would be like. Most imporantly, make a decision that you feel both comfortable and confident in; as long as you do that there is no going wrong. Besides, you are allowed to change your mind! Like mom always told you, use your best judgement.