Augustana University Top Questions

I wish I had known the condition of the upperclassmen dorms.

I wish I had known how to have good study habits and how to manage my time. I never really learned that in high school, and it's definitely been an even harder lesson to learn here at college. I wish I had known the difference between a "Christian" college and a Christ-like college; there is a big difference. I wish I had known that I am loved and worthy and respectable, firstly by God, and then by others; this would have saved me a lot of heartache and depression. I wish I had known how insecure people are.

I wish I knew how important it is to take notes before, during, and after class. I also wish I would have known that it is ok to not be sure what you want to be when you start college. Take a year or semester to figure it out.

I wish I would have known to study more than I thought I would need to. I wish I would have known to make as many friends from the beginning when everything is new so that I had a strong friend-base because I have learned that the more people I know, the more I enjoy my college experience.

I wish I would have known more about the poor decisions being made about underage drinking. I've heard a lot about students coming back to the dorms and being drunk. I also wish I would have known more about campus ministry. I think it would have been beneficial to be informed about how much students are involved with campus ministry and other events.

There are a lot of activities here, but don't dive head-first into all of them, you will become overwhelmed; check out the ones that sound interesting and be committed to them. Be open and friendly to everyone you meet. I know you'll be scared when you first start, but everyone is in the same boat and nervous about first impressions. Reach out to others who seem distant. Grades are important here, but not to the point of exhaustion; give yourself a break. College may seem daunting but it really is fun; it's a community (AKA family).

I wish I would have known the number of general courses that I have to take in order to graduate from Augustana. If I would have known this, I would have taken more AP classes in high school.

That it wasn't going to just be a cookie cutter college, it takes acutal hard work and dedication to make it through some of the classes. Even for those students who passed high school with flying colors wil have to work harder at Augustana to maintain the same grade point avereage as they had in high school.

I wish I would have known how drastically I would need to change my study habits. They do not hold your hand at college. It is all you. I also wish I would have known when to switch teachers when you have the chance. I got stuck with a teacher for chemistry that I could not understand. I wish I would have taken a different teacher. I also wish that I would have known that different organizations aren't as active as I thought they would be. Some just sort of start off with a boom, and then fade.

I wish I would have known that I needed to have good time management skills; to be able to balance school work with extra curriactivities and social life. I feel that being able to manage everything that's going on around you is an important skill that every high school student should work on before attending college.