Berry College Top Questions

Talking to myself in the past just before I made the transition from high school to college, I would say, though you are nervous and excited all at once, don't be scared. The first week will be rough. You will miss home. You will miss how easy things were then. Classes will seem so much larger and different and your schedule and new life will seem unconquerable. But through all this, you will have fun. You will learn new things. You will learn to be more independent and manage yourself and become a better person for it. You will make new friends who share so much more with you, who are going through the same thing as you. You will not be alone in this. It will change your life for the better. So relax.

Most of the suggestions I would have made to my high school senior self would have geared around the problem that almost every college student faces at some point; lack of funds. I would emphisize the importance of saving money, and applying to a lot of scholarships. I would tell myself to practice budgeting, and to be realistic about what I could and couldn't afford. I have done okay in college so far (No major debt or anything) but I just wish my high school self had saved a little more money for me. The other thing I would emphisize to myself is the importance of practicing good study habits. In high school it was easy to wait until the last minute to do something, because there would always be time to do it. In college, the last minute is always filled with something, and I wish I had practiced getting things done early rather waiting until the week before they are due. Most of all, I would tell myself to not stress out. College has taught me that learning is really fun! I should just do my best, learn lots, and enjoy the process.

You do not need to try to become a brand-new person merely because you will be entering a brand-new environment. You don't need to reformulate your personality, worldview, manners, words, or actions because you aren't in high school anymore. You are still the same person that you were as a successful high school senior; you don't need to throw all that away! You will be exposed to fresh ideas and outlooks, and you should indeed be open-minded to all of them. That's all a part of the liberal education, to liberate your mind and force you to see new ideas and your own within that "marketplace of ideas" John Stuart Mill describes. Education does liberate the mind from the cave of ignorance, and that state of ignorance is far from bliss. But with all this liberating, a wonderful but hard experience, you can still remain true to yourself as you are already. There's no need to start all over, even if you are taking a new, hard, critical examining of your beliefs. They warrant such analyization, but that doesn't mean you should discard them all once you enter the college gate.

I would tell myself to never wait until the last minutes to complete an assignment or study for a test. I would advise myself to expect to do worse in college than in highschool; college is a whole different playing field. However, one bad grade should not discourage me from trying to do better the next time around. Even though college will be stressful at times, many times in fact, I shouldn't let it weigh too hard on me and to remember to relax every once and a while. I shouldn't forget that college is about having a good time as well as getting good grades and that learning should be done outside of the classroom and not just from what the professor teaches. I should never be afraid to ask for help; the key to doing well is understanding what you're learning. I should be confident in myself and be willing to step outside of my box to embrace new experiences and friendships.

Have fun and enjoy it. Nothing lasts forever and these four years will be the shortest of your life no matter how hard you try to stretch them out. Take in everything, try as hard as you can, and most importantly, be yourself. You go to college to discover who you are away from parents and, for the most part, adults, so learn to be an adult and become the person you are meant to be. College is not an easy four years, you have to work hard and put your mind to it. If you try hard enough and study well enough, you can accomplish anything. Make friends who will help you, not harm you, through your studies. These are the friends you will have for the rest of your life and become your family away from home. Love them and cherish them, and they will do the same. Most importantly, work hard to accomplish your goals. Go in to class knowing you will do well, and you will succeed. Teachers do not fail students, students fail themselves by not working hard enough. Do your best and you will go far.

College is fantastic! Don't be nervous. The work load is more challenging, but very doable. Living on your own is not as scary as it seems, it's actually a lot of fun. The friends you make here are the best you have ever had.

Never give up on my self when I make one bad grade. There will always be ups and downs of college life and that is what makes a person stronger by accomplishing their goals, along with achieving the once impossible task that I was faced with during my college career. There will always be a challenge to overcome and if I keep trusting and believing in myself and my faith in God, then I will surely succeed in all that I do. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome are the tribulation and trials that one will be faced with to test your ability to overcome the hardships. Set goals that are small to start out with and gradually increase the goal to reach for the stars.

The first step in finding the best college for you is looking for somewhere that you "fit." When I visited Berry College, I fell in love with the land. There is something almost magically beautiful about Berry's campus. I'm not sure if that happens for everyone, but I feel like finding the right college is like finding the perfect pair of blue jeans - you pick the one that instantly fits. Of course, finances are definitely an issue and must be addressed. However, with careful planning and a good high school GPA, you can usually find the help you need. To make the most of the college experience, you have to realize that you are experiencing something totally new and foreign. Realize that adjusting to this new environment will require you to reach outside of your comfort zone and try new things. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. College is a time for discovering yourself and learning new things. If you stay true to your morals while exploring new possibilities, college is will be an incredible experience.

Visit the schools and talk to the students there. When you pick a school and arrive, go to those "lame" meet and greet events offered by your school. Always be yourself and dont procrastinate. It always ends up hurting you

The best advice I could give parents and students about finding the right college would be to look at all aspects of the school and make sure you are comfortable with it. You need to make sure the school is diverse in the ways that will help you grow but also allow you to be yourself. Another good thing to look for would be what office hours do the professors have and what types of help does the school offer for free to help you succeed. For example my school has the writing center, which allows students to take their papers in if they need help coming up with ideas or even proofread. We also have free tutoring services. You have been doing school since you were five. You know what your weak points are the key to success is getting help and managing your time well. Finally the biggest thing I would look at in a school is the activities they have going on. The college you choose is your new home and you need to make sure their are activities that you are interested in so you will be healthy socially, physically, and emotionally.