Baker University Top Questions

The first advice that I would give myself if I knew what I know now is that there is a lot of reading in all your classees and you are going to be reading constantly about boring things that is going to make you want to sleep. I would also tell myself that living with a roommate is one of that hardest things that you would ever do because you like things done a certain way and I should loosen up a little and not trying to make everyone do it your way. Also that you will not be alone for very long, it might seem that no one wants to be your friend and no one is around to make you happy and your are going to have a bunch of lonely nights but that there is always your friends to be with and that you will not be alone for every long.

I did not know I would make so many positive changes after my senior year of high school. If I could go back in time to my last year of high school, I would advise myself to step out of my comfort zone. As a proud member of Alpha Chi Omega, I am taught the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. By trying new things that we do not have control over, we better ourselves while making memories that last a lifetime. I did not make the most of my high school years because I only did what I was comfortable with, and never pushed myself to become more. Looking back, I wish I would have known how fun expanding my limits could be. By pushing myself to go to social events my freshman year of college, I know have friends that will last a lifetime. By venturing out of my comfort zone and running for a position in the house, I now hold a non-executive position and am building up my leadership experience for my future career. If only I would have done the same in high school.

Do not try and have everything planned out before you leave for college. College is a time to make adjustments and learn as you go because you can never be fully prepared for the next obstacle. As a student be prepared to study, college is not all about the parties and having fun any chance you get. Take the time to do your best on you schoolwork to get your degree and you will still have plenty of time to go out and have fun with your friends. Be willing to try new things. Do not just sit around in your room because you have never done anything else that others are doing. College is a time to explore and find new and exciting new things to try because you never know you may actually enjoy it and you will meet other people as well you enjoy the same thing. As a student, ask plenty of questions. The faculty is always willing to help because they want to see you succeed and they will be there for you whenever you need it. Finally have fun, you only get to experience college once so have the time of your life!

If I was to give my high school self advice, I would tell myself not to stress so much about the decision of which college to attend. For me it was a very challenging and stressful decision, but I am extremely happy with the decision that I made. In the end I stuck with my initial gut instinct on which university to attend and that was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being an athlete from a small town, I grew up playing three sports and was lucky enough to be a part of a lot of successful teams, which presented me with another tough decision of which sport to play. I would tell my high school self to pick the one that you could see yourself having the most fun doing for four more years. The love of competition is what continues to drive me every day because I made the right choice. The last piece of advice for myself is to listen to those who are closest to me because they have stuck with me through success and failure. My support system was an enormous part of my success.

If I were to give advice to my high school self, it would be given to correct the mistakes I have made and those my children have made. The first thing I would say is not to go until you are ready and when you have the maturity to succeed. A life-experienced college student may have much more to offer, with much less struggle to complete the work required. Let college be your job. My second suggestion would be to wait until priorities are in place. My son is very intelligent, but went to college with everything else in his mind as his priority. He joined a fraternity, had a very involved social life, was involved in wrestling, and seemed to be more concerned about friendships made than school work. He was very popular among his friends, teammates and social circles, but none of them helped him stay focused on completing his school work to the level expected from the school and certainly not to the level of his potential. Finally, when you’re ready, go. For whatever reasons you have to stay inspired, you will then let nothing stand in your way of your achievement or success.

I would let myself know that procrastinating is not the answer. It is always best to do things when you have time to do them. Leaving things for the last minute is not the answer and it never gets you a good grade. I would also say that it is important to keep myself organized. Keep a planner and plan out the homework each day, plan your study time and even your socializing time. Everything else comes before socializing. Set your goals before school starts so you can be sure to know what exactly you're striving for. That allows you to keep looking back at your goal when you want to give up and continue to strive for greatness. Last but not least, I would tell myself to keep searching for scholarship and apply for as many as possible because any money that you can find is valuable. It will keep you debt free and you wont have to worry about paying fees.

Students in high school always wonder: What is college like? What are the best things about college? But when I was in high school I never asked anyone what the professors are personally like. Students just worry about how the professors grade, not how they interact, or how compassionate they are about their students. The best advice I could give myself if I went back in time to my senior year is that professors are not the enemy, they are a student’s best friend. They use red pen to destroy your paper to give you the desire to do better next time. They have study sessions on Sunday afternoons during their free time to help you succeed. They make their tests difficult because then when you receive an “A” you will be even more proud of yourself. Professors make their class difficult to ready you for the real world. They don’t do it because they don’t like you or because they want you to fail, they want you to succeed and be a smart contributor to society when you graduate. College, make of it what you will and befriend those who want to help you.

The biggest piece of advice I would give myself would be to just go for it. It doesn't matter what it is, just go for it. In my first semester I learned that most people don't want to be the first one to do something, so if you show initiative and choose to be that first one, in many cases the faculty will respect you for it and this can lead to some important connections and relationships.

Congrats you finally made it and you're about to move on with your life. Be proud of this change and try not to worry so much because things tend to work themselves out. Change your major to nursing from the beginning so you don't waste so much time doubting your usefulness in the medical field. Don't party so much sophomore year, boys will always be there, opportunity for education won't be. Cherish your time at Zeta because one day you'll wake up and those times with your sisters will be distant memories. Go home more and see mom and dad because they miss you and parties on the weekends can wait. Call grandma more because she gets lonely when you're not around. Ask more questions in class to be more attentive and develop better study habits because you'll need them for nursing school. Go to wellsville in 2013 with sam so you can meet the love of your life, he's everything you've ever dreamed of so try and wait for him. Last thing, stop saying "when your life begins" in reference to after college, life is happening now, so live it.

If I had the choice to go back and tell myself what to do differently. I would definitely advise myself to get a job and work as hard as I can so that I do not have to struggle with the issue of not having enough money in order to attend school. It is one of my larger stressors while i attend school, and I hate feeling whether or not I will be able to attend my university the next semester. I did everything that I could academically for myself but it was a very important key concept for myself and is what allowed me to get the opportunity to attend this college as well as my abilities to participate in a sport. Also to spend as much time with my family while I got the chance. Since I got to college I have not got the chance to see them or spend anywhere near the amount of time I could have when I was a senior. I truly miss that feeling and wish I could go back to have it and experience it again.