Benedictine College Top Questions

Dear Eileen, You don't know me as well as you should, but I know you better than you'd like. I know everything about you--your strengths, your weaknesses, your hopes, your fears. Everything you like and dislike about yourself. Including the things you won't admit even to yourself. Thanks to this wealth of knowledge, I think I can make a fairly sound judgement on what you need to hear before you leave for college in the fall. Don't close yourself off, thinking you've heard it all before. I can guarantee no one's told you this. Guarantee. You need to trust more. You're hurting yourself more by not trusting than by closing yourself off to the world. True, you won't feel pain, but you won't feel love either. Yes, love really does exist, and it's just as good as they all say it is. And yes, there is such a thing as true friendship. But you'll never get either of them if you don't trust people. You have to take that jump. Trust that you'll land on your feet. It's worth it. I've been there.

Dear SeniorME, Relax and enjoy this time you have been given. I know at times classes will be stressful and you feel like this will never end but trust me; the end will be here before you know it! Do not be afraid to be yourself! Let your light shine and the right people will come into your life. Never try to be someone you're not. High school was filled with drama but if you don't want that then you don't have to have it! This is the time in your life when you determine who you are and who you want to be. Don't let anyone or anything stop you. The sky is the limit! Take your studies seriously even though there are days you want to throw your books out the window. How is is life right now? Reading books, drinking coffee, and learning! How fun is that? Don't be afraid to meet new people. This is a time in your life you will always want to remember. When the stress seems to be at a max take a deep breath and remember this is the time of your life! Good luck! FutureME

I would advise to myself to never stop believing in a better future which comes with a better education. I would of never take breaks in between the schools. And, also, I would of told myself that I should appreciate time, because it can never go back.

My high school self was innocent of the intellect and social rehlm. Together these things caused me to have a judgemental attitude toward all my peers. College is a time for personal growth and materity, but that often comes from falling and making mistakes. The thing is is that I am not perfect. My life is full of sin and challenges just like my peers that choose to drink underage and subject themselves to morally questionable situations. If I could go back to my high school self and give advice it would be to look at everyone with love and non-jugdemental eyes. As the saying goes every person has a story to tell and that story is what shapes and forms them. The world is fully of hate for those who spread the news that love is all around us and in us. Knowing now that I am not perfect, my friends are not perfect, and my school is not perfect allows me to see that I am here to grow not to cement myself into the pavement of this university. I would tell myself to love, forgive, and to allow everyone around me to have their redemptive story.

I would suggest looking at the types of internships that would be available to me. I would also decide whether or not I was okay living in that area for years after college if I were to get a job there.

I would tell myself to calm down and not to worry. As a senior in high school I was very nervous for college and that transition but now that I have been in college for a year I know how amazing it is. I am a huge worrier and I like to know what is going on in my life with little or no change. College is a huge change and it was hard but I know that it is worth it and it all worked out so I would tell my self to trust my decision in school, do not worry about the transition it will be okay, and to enjoy my senior year and get ready to move on.

The advice I would give to myself is to be more decisive. Decide what you want to do with your life and just do it instead of waiting. Even if you decide later on in your college career that it isn't what you really want to do it is a start and you can always change your mind. If you have some college it is better than having no college to many employers and will therefore help you obtain a higher paying job. College life is hard but it is easier to obtain an education when you do not have a family yet, as I do. If I had gone to school before having children and before the economy had gone downhill I wouldn't be so worried about paying for it now. Being decisive will help in all areas of life, not just deciding what to go to college for.

Don't underestimate how much tuition costs should play into your college decision. The idea of student loans may not seem like a big deal coming out of high school, but it becomes a much more real concern once you have to think about paying your tuition, room and board, book costs, and inevitable other fees while also trying to plan for your life after college.

I attend/have attended college for the purpose of learning things I did/do not already know. I have studied Automotive Technology for a few years and have gained a much deeper knowlege in this field. I am going on to a four-year college in order to study more and to earn a four-year degree. Diesel is a topic that was not covered much in my community college, but it will be covered better at my four-year college. College has also caused me to mature and become much more responsible. I pay for my own schooling which makes me work hard to keep my grades up and learn what I am studying. Scholarships have been a big part of paying for school, but applying for them and keeping up with the requirements have been my own responsibility.

I have met and befriended great people. I have madfe relationships that will last forever. I have been a part of a larger family. I have gained a great and revered education. I have grown as a person. My spiritual life has strengthened. My social life has benefited. I have learned how to communicate more effectively with employers and instructors. I have been a part of a varsity sport. I have supported my friends in their activities. I turned 21 here! I learned more about myself here than anywhere else. I played golf, video games, watched movies, and had all kinds of fun here. I have been blessed to find this place and call it home. The value of an education here is priceless. You will have earned a valuable and sought after education when applying for work. You will have gained precious resources and networking alliances here. You will have beome a part of something bigger than yourself, but that not everyone knows about. It's not like claiming a huge university. It's more like a close network of people who have all experienced the same thing. Your time and money are well spent here.