Baker University Top Questions

Life isn't about high school it ends and it is completely fine to not know what to do with your life. It is ok to make mistakes and it is ok to take time for yourself and figure out who you want to be. If you want to take time to travel then do it, if you want to sleep til noon do it. Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Be your own person and embrace the fact that you can be your own person. It is ok not to fit in and do not let people tell you that your not good enough to do something. Going back to finish a bachelors degree at 35 with a family is harder than when you are single and in your 20's. Live your life so when your ready to make a decision like what you want to do when you grow up you will take it seriously and take the world by storm. You are good enough for anything and smarter than people ever gave you credit for.

As a high school senior I was nervous to think that I would be heading to a place that was going to help me with the biggest decision of my life. This decision was deciding what I wanted to do with my life. If I could tell myself what to know about college, it would be that it is okay to not have a confirmed decision right now. Once I stepped foot on campus as an enrolled freshman, I changed my major and future plans three times. I would tell my high school self that going to college will confirm my carrier choice, so I know that what I will be doing is something I will love doing my entire life.

Going back to last year at this time I would make sur e I gave myself advice about a few things. First, college is not like high school. It is not easy and you need to study for test as well as manage your time. This took me awhile to learn throughout my first semester of college and would have helped me significantly from the start. Second, do well on the first few test in each class. If you do this you wont have to play catch up with all your classes at the end of the semester or have to stress about finals. Thrid, meet a variety of people; this will allow you to not get stuck with one crowd and open you up to many new experinces. In life the first people you meet some where might not be the person you want to be surrounded by. Lastly, college is about preparing you for your future and life in general. You are going to be stressed, fill over whelmed and face many obstacles, but in the end it is preparing you for a better tomorrow, and most of all stronger future.

I would tell myself to be prepared for the road ahead. It will not be easy, but it'll totally be worth it. The most important thing I would try and correct about my high school self is my studying habits. I would teach myself to study even when I feel confident. Studying was difficult when I first got to campus and I would prefer to have had that under control prior to coming here. Another thing I would remind myself to do, don't be afraid to go outside of my comfort zone. When I first got to campus I chose to engage with people and those people are the reason I enjoy college so much. In the end theres not a lot I would change, but if I were able to go back in time and change something I would teach myself to study, and study well.

I would tell myself that it is okay to make friends. Friends will help you along the way. Being in college is difficult. Being away from your everyday surroundings and your family is more difficult. They are people that will cheer you up after a bad day. They will support you and encourage you to do better. They will lend you a shoulder to cry on. They accept you and understand you. You can be your complete self around them. They bring positivity to your life. They feel like family. They expect nothing in return but they know you will be there if they need you. They will love you because they choose to because they feel like they should. They are willing to stick around when things get tough. They make you smile. They are there to listen.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that finding balance is the most important thing. Being a collegiate athlete, it is difficult balancing schoolwork, practice, a social life, and sleep. Finding this balance early in transition is the best thing to do. Prioritizing these things is also a reccommendation I would give my senior self. School should always come first. Education is what you are at college for. Receiving a quality education is an important step towards starting "life". The next most importatnt thing is sleep and health. Without enough sleep, your mind won't work at its full potential. Having a social life is also very important. Being involved and having friends promotes wellbeing and leads to happiness. It is important to have fun and be happy because life is short. As for soccer, the likelihood of going pro is slim to none. It should be viewed as a form of stress relief or a break from schoolwork. Finding out who you are and what you want out of life is important. Working towards that and doing well in school is the key to success.

Do not fall in love with one girl early because they will mess with your life, academically and everything.

If I could go back in time to my high school senior self, I would tell myself college isn't as scary as I thought it would be. I would also tell myself not to worry so much. Nothing in life is worth stressing about; if it is meant to be it'll happen. College life is a great thing, but not only college life, Baker life. Baker has been so supportive to me. I went through a very depressive state right after high school. I didn't think anyone would accept me, because I found out I had a very rare syndrome called MRKH. Baker showed me that I am who I am, and I should be proud of that. I am no different than anyone else I just might have to go through things differently, but I am as strong and normal as everyone else. If I could go back the main thing I would want myself to know is that college is only what you make of it. It gives you what you put in. The more you try the more people are willing to help you.

Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. College is a new transition and its a step below the real world. Your first semester will seem difficult as you start to figure out who you are, but do not give up because this is the best years of your life. You will find friends going through the same thing or upper classmen who help you through it. Just put yourself out there because once you do you will find what you do or do not like. Trial and error is not a negative thing, but a positive step towards the person you will become. Stick it out and enjoy it while you can.

The hardest thing about transitioning into college is time management. There are so many new opportunities in college and at times those can become overwhelming and the actually school part of college gets forgotten. College classes are not like high school classes, they require time outside of class, and teachers don't take mercy on incoming freshman just because it is their first semester at college. Another big part of college is coming to the realization that you are an adult now, and while this seems fun it actually requires a lot of responsibility. Your parents are no longer there to make sure you go to class, make sure your eating healthy, and make sure your spending your money wisely. This new found responsibility can appear very fun but with responsibility so comes decisions. And if decisions being made start to become irresponsible there is no one is there to dig you out of a situation. It is very easy for school to take a backseat to more entertaining things but just remember "knowledge is power", and the knowledge that you earn in college is irreplaceable. Lastly, this is a great experience and enjoy it.