Biola University Top Questions

Dear past-self, Remember these four things and you will thrive in your academic career. One, it never hurts to ask. Questions are the keys to answers and endless possibilities. Two, take smart risks. Ruminate then act; congratulations, you've just avoided future regret. Three, learn to say "no". You cannot and should not please the whole planet. If you can't keep a promise, don't make it. Four, you're going to college to learn how to learn for the rest of your life. Lifelong learners have more fulfilled and happier lives. Regardless of whether you actually heed this letter or not, you will learn the truth in these soon enough. Love your future-self, Hudson

If I could give myself advice, I would tell myself to try harder. I let school become a "whatever" thing to me and I didn't really go to class or pay attention if I did go. I would tell myself that everything I do matters and that I should be as involved as I can be so that it would give me a better chance to get more scholarships and give me a better chance to go to a better college and such. Don't get me wrong, Biola is a great university but it was not my ideal school. Another advice I'd give my self is to make a lot of friends and try to connect with more people just because of what could happen afterwards. Many of my brother's friends seems to be stuck in a place where they can't really move up on the ladder in the work environment because they don't know how to socially interact with others. So, self, let others into your life!

Besides the practical advice your mom will give about laundry and eating habits, here are three broad principles that can enrich your college experience... 1. Make every minute count. Constantly hone your time management skills; procrastination lowers your chances of surviving college with your sanity in tact. Even when you set aside time to relax, make it quality time spent with friends & family. 2. Communicate with your teachers, especially those in your field. Learn as much as you can from them. Their professional experience can make your own more fruitful & perhaps even lead you to choose a career path that excites you. 3. Find what you love to do. Since most college students change their majors several times, explore your options by taking electives, join a club, volunteer, and attending school functions hosted by various departments. Get in a group of students who share your major and work on extra-curricular projects together: discuss your favorite classic novels, compose and perform a song together, attend a math & science seminar together... your options are limitless. Enjoy this season of your life as time to discover what you have been created to do and to forge life-long relationships.

I step into the coffee shop where I, the college sophomore, am meeting with my high school senior self. I see her there in the corner, holding a mug full of aspirations, anxities, and chai tea. What am I going to say to her? A jumble of overused cliches spin inside my head as I take a seat. Stale advice is just about as good as decaf at six am. Thankfully, inspiration joins us. High school senior self, you need to be flexible and forgiving. Flexibility will allow you to take the challenges of college and turn them into positve experiences. Room mates will have different life styles, and your class schedule or professors might not be to your taste. With an attitude of flexibilty, these potential bumps can provide opportunities for growth. Forgiveness will help smooth over moments of inflexability. Make up your mind to extend grace to others, and yourself, when mistakes are made. My high school senior self smiles and takes one last sip of chai. "Thanks", she says. I smile too, and wonder, why didn't someone tell me these things? Then I stop and realize someone just did!

College is alot of work but also alot of fun, make sure to get a mix of both, especially studying. Make the most of your friends and family before you leave, you have know idea how much you miss and rely on them until they are gone. Be confident in yourself, you got into college and thats more than half the battle. Have faith and courage in yourself to step out of your comfort zone, it will teach and benefit you in more ways than you can imagine. Stay true to yourself. Even though college is full of new experiences of trial and error, don't be afraid to say no, no matter the scenario. You can gain the whole world, but if you lose who you, are all that you gained is nothing. College much like life depends on how you handle it, you can make it as good or bad as you want to. Just accept the fact that you are going to fail at some things (hopefully not classes), but what matters is if you pick yourself back up, just remember its a learning process, also remember you're a freshman again, its a brand new start.

If I could go back in time and tell myself as a high school senior a piece of advice, it would be short and sweet, "Go to class!". Especially at a perfectly located school like Biola, I found myself near so many activities and places. The beach, disneyland, L.A., Malls, Concert Halls, and Museums were all really close to me. Sometimes they even seemed more appealing than class, however, it was not worth it. My freshman year I chose to go to the beach and disneyland over class numerous times, and as a result I lost my academic scholarship. I wished more than anything that I could take that back. I worked really hard the next couple semesters to try and get my GPA back up, but it was too late. I continued to work hard at my grades full-time while working up to three jobs to help pay for school, and I now have my GPA back up. If I could go back and spare the loss of my scholarship, I would. It would be as simple as those three words, "Go to class".

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, the first and probably most important thing I would have tried to explain to myself would have been to not procrastinate on homework assignments. That was probably the biggest challenge that I had to overcome. Tests were never a problem for me, but waiting till the last minute to do an assignment dug me into deep wholes during my first years of college. I can recall many sleepless nights due to pulling all-nighters for research papers due the next day. The second advice that I would give would be to remind my high school self that school comes first. This means that if you have to stay in and finish an assignment and miss social activities, there is nothing wrong with that. Social functions will not help you pay for school or help you graduate. Having good grades will help get more scholarships to pay for school. There is nothing wrong with hanging out after all of your work is complete and if your friends cannot understand that, then maybe it is time for a new set of friends.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advise me to never let anyone or anything discourage me from my future goals and dreams and what I feel God is calling me to do. No matter what life may throw at me, I must not give up. God will never put me in situations I cannot handle because through Him, nothing is impossible. I may go through difficult times with family and relationships, but I must keep my faith strong in the Lord Jesus Christ.

College and high school are two completely different worlds. If you are seriously thinking about going to college, I would suggest that you take the most difficult classes in high school. Don?t go the easy route. Challenge yourself to be all that you can be right now. If you want to experience what college classes are like, Advanced Placement classes are a must. You must be ready to fail at something. I know that this doesn't sound like very good advice, but it?s going to happen sooner or later. During my high school career, I received excellent grades. When I went to college, I discovered that getting the same grades was much more difficult. I?m not failing or anything; I still received good grades during my first semester. You have to realize that you are not in high school any more. It?s important that you learn how to study and take tests differently. Seek advice on setting a new foundation and build up from there. And don?t forget to take time for yourself. Getting your mind off the pressures of school by hanging out with your friends is all part of the college experience.

Hello senior-in-high-school Madison, this is me talking to you as a college freshman Madison. Yes, you do get into your dream school. Yes, you do survive your first semester. But, I have some advice to give you. College life is wonderful. You'll feel like you're swamped some days and barely floating others, but you will get through it. Until then, keep those grades up! Believe it or not, you can apply and receive scholarships, you just have to go for it. Don't be afraid of rejection, or failure, your Mom and Dad will still love and support you, they just need to know that you have tried to help them carry the load of your tuition. This summer, don't work yourself dry. You're just saving up for frozen yogurt, shampoo and the works to help your parents out. Remember, God is the Provider. He may not give you exactly what you want, but He gives you what you need. Remember to dream big. You have big things ahead of you and you are beautiful. Don't let anyone calm you down. Live radically. Remember to breathe. Keep that head held high.