Azusa Pacific University Top Questions

Here is a little advice I would give myself as an incoming college freshman: It can be intimidating to enter a new class full of people that look older than you, but there is nothing to be afraid of. Don't be afraid to speak up in class; ask questions and participate. It is great to hear what other students have to say, so go ahead and ask those thought provoking questions. Do not be ashamed of community college. Some students look down on themselves for not going straight to a prestigious 4-year university. Going to community college is a smart decision because you can save money, complete quality general education courses, and you can try out classes that interest you. I ended up changing my major while in community college. I love all of the arts (Fine art was my previous major), but I found that my true passion is music performance. I did not have to worry about "wasting money" on classes that were unrelated to my major, and I discovered by trial, the major I will pursue at a university. Lastly, have fun. Enjoy every bit of college. It is a privilege so treasure it!

Be yourself and work hard.

As important as a social life may seem, always remember to keep your homework and academics as a priority. I have seen too many students regetting their laziness as they come and go from the university because of academic failures. I have seen too many students who have done horribly academically, look at their friends who have stayed on track and been successful. It only makes them wish they had been as focused as those people as well. At the same time, I have seen the most academically successful students who have learned how to create time for a social life. Time management is extrememly important. If you use every opportunity you have to study and do homework while other people are busy with classes or homework as well, it is easy to know that you are not the only one out there that has work. Keeping this in mind, it makes your free time much more enjoyable and appreciated. This all comes down to time management and being productive whenever possible. Not only will you find that others are in the same boat as well, but you'll find a sense of maturity and accomplishment as well as success!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now, I would have made a completely different decision. It turns out college isn't about going to the best school or the crazy parties, but college is a time to establish a future for yourself. It isn't just a quick decision, choosing the right college should take some thought and research depending on which direction you want to take. The people you meet in college become your closest friends so don't just befriend the most popular party goers. Keep youself grounded with a specific goal in mind, and everything else, including all your friends, will fall into place. Also, avoiding failure at all costs may be the greatest failure of all, so if you want to do something, go through with it!

I would honestly tell myself not to worry as much as I did, but also be more prepared for the many different experiences that I have already had here during just my first semester. I would tell myself to practice my instrument a lot more than I did back then and also to anticipate having a few hard talks with my parents as they learn to let go and give me room to make my own choices. But I would definitely tell myself that it would be hard work, hard but really worth the effort in the end, especially when you do better in classes than you thought you would have. Another thing is the great friends I would make over the course of one semester that would change a little how I look at friendship.

August 2006 finally hit and I was an official senior. The many years of being the under classmen has faded away and I was now the top dog on campus. If being a senior wasn't enough, I had a GPA of 3.2; I was also on the Dance team, involved in the Christian club, Captain of the girls throwing team for track and field, and ASB (associated student body) President. I honestly had it made. I thought school was the easiest and greatest thing and I really enjoyed being there. I knew college was the next step for me! I entered college with a high school mentality thinking it would come so natural. Unfortunately, it didn't. I realized real quick college was much harder then high school and in order to succeed, the work had to be done! If I could go back and tell myself one thing in high school it would be, ?don't expect college to be the same but believe the complete opposite. It's a new battle field, with greater risk and more responsibility. Some of the same weapons but new strategies! And when won, a reward worth the fight!'

Apply to more colleges. What if you got into Stanford? also, join a D-group. And don't do Young Life. Get involved more at Cornerstone Bible Church.

If I were able to go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell me that I don't have to have all the answers going into college. I don't have to know exactly what I want to do or what I expect out of the college experience, and it's okay to be nervous. I would remind myself that college is not only for learning, but discovering oneself and how one will make an impact on the world. I'd say, "The more outgoing you are, the more fun you will have. It is the days where I just sit in my room on the computer that are the most boring." I would also tell myself to spend my money more wisely. Don't eat out as much, and find cheap or free things to do on and around campus. There are tons of places to hike or go running, and you can always play a pick up game of soccer or frisbee. Mostly, I'd make sure that high school me would stop worrying and enjoy the last of her high school days, because once they are gone, they're never coming back.

If I was going to give myself advice about college as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not procrastinate and do my homework right when it is assigned. It is not a good idea to procrastinate because then you lose sleep. If you wait until the last minute to do your homework, you lose sleep and then are tired the next day. Procrastination is a problem that faces most college students. It is difficult to not procrastinate, especially if you live on campus. On the other hand, if you live on campus, you can find accountability partners with the people that you live with. These accountability partners will help you to not procrastinate and do your homework early or before it's due. In conclusion, the advice I would give myself would be to not procrastinate and find people to help me be accountable for doing my work.

There are many things I would tell myself in high school if I knew what I know now about college. I would first tell myself to apply for ANY scholarships you possibly can because even though your family is financially stable at the moment, things can change and the economy is never a sure thing. I would also remind myself to not worry about men and dating; figure out who YOU are at the moment, because you will have plenty of time to meet new people to be interested in. Next, I would say, talk to anyone and everyone about classes and majors you are thinking about taking and meet your professors the first day of class. I would tell myself to expirience life but keep your morals and high standards for yourself. Also, even though you do not need to read one chapter in the text books in high school to pass, you MUST read the text books in college; most of your work is done outside the classroom. And last, I would tell myself to have no fear and meet as many people as you can, because you never know which ones are going to change your life.