Concordia University-Chicago Top Questions

I would give myself the advice to be more open to all people without judging them because you don't know there story and where they came from.

The advice I would give to myself would be to not go to Aurora University, as it was a waste of time, and I could have gone to Concordia much earlier. If I did, I would have a lot more friends.

If I could rewind to August 2008 , I would do a complete spin on my life. From the people I surrounded myself with to the classes I chose to take. The first thing I would have done differently is not take any study halls and retake classes that I previously got low grades in. I would come to class on time and not be complaceive. I gradguated with a 2.8 and could have had at least a 3.5, but I settled. Today, I am learning that being mediocre isn't good enough for me. I am ambitious and want to be the best person I am capable of being for myself and for my son. I want to expand my knowledge and if I ever fail, I want to try again and again until I get it right. I would have told my senior self that friends come and go, but your educational background is always permanent !

If I could go back in time, i would tell myself to pay more attention in class, do my assignments and not to play around. Although i came to this realization late, i know if i had put in all my best. I would have been able to make a lot of difference academically, my grades would have been better and i would have been able to get admission to any school i wanted.

All the energy you are spending worrying about boys (Denny included) is energy wasted. Do not worry about who you will spend your life with NOW. God has a plan for you, I promise. It looks much better from my perspective. Also, do not be afraid of Concordia's Lutheran tradition. Remember that you need to be open to listening to their beliefs as much as you think they need to be open to listening to yours. God has so much more for you than what you see now, and EVERYONE is trying to tell you that. Don't be afraid of being independent. You won't know how strong you are until you try it by yourself. Just TRY IT. And, heads up: pay attention to the mission work on the mission trip. Not Bryant.

The advice I would give myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior about college would be, that I definitely need to concentrate more on my high school grades, instead of just always trying to have a passing grade. In high school everyone talks about needing to get good grades for college, but no one really puts much effort into it. All the students really just try to get a passing grade which is a C or a D. If I would have gotten better grades, I probably would have been able to attend a university instead of a community college. Now that i'm in college I have been striving to receive A's in classes, and so far i have succeeded. I find school very important and put much more effort in trying to get great grades.

I would go back and tell myself that it is okay to let loose once in a while. Not everything has to be stone cold serious. I would have told myself that it is normal to let yourself have a little fun and not be afraid to procrastinate every so often.

I would have told myself that nothing is as important as maintaining good study habits. If you let yourself get behind than the homework and stress can consume you. I would also have told myself not to worry about roommates too much because I spent my entire summer worried about it even though it is relatively easy to switch roommates if it does not workout. I also would tell myself the benefits of going to the library for more than just getting resources, first semester I always did my homework in my room but there are to many distractions there and it was hard to focus. I now know that the library is my sanctuary when I really need focus and I feel more awake than in my own room. Ultimately I would remind myself not to stress over the small details because if I remember my homework, appointments, and deadlines and get everything done then it becomes a lot less of a task and I can schedule in a brake every now and then.

I would tell myself as a high school senior knowing what i know now in my first quarter of college to take it seriously! When i was a senior I was simply so ready to graduate high school and be out of there that I didn't take very much of my school work seriously. College is so much different than high school and I honestly feel that I was not ready for it, but I was thrown into it anyway and forced to grow up fast. My high school also did not prepare me for college well because they tolerated many things that a college never would. I would push myself harder to do the best that I could instead of slacking off like i did. Although I didn't do my absolute best I am glad I enjoyed the time with my classmates while i still had it. All in all if I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would have kept my butt in line!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. As a college junior I am very active on my college campus. I'm a Residential Assistant on a freshman floor, captain of a track team, and somewhere between all of that I work a babysitting job, and continue working on my elementary education degree. I arived on campus August 10, 2011 ready for a year full of challenges and adventures. Once my residents, freshman girls, started moving onto my floor I started to think back to what I would have loved to know when I was in their position. I believe the only thing that would have truly calmed me were the words from Jeremiah 29:11. Knowing that my story has already been writen and that I am just watching it unfold. And when things get rough to know that they are all part of the plan, my struggles will make me stronger, my acomplishments will bring me joy, and my time at Concordia will bring me memories that will last a lifetime.