DePaul University Top Questions

In high school I would not have categorized myself as lost or confused. I had goals, which I met upon arriving at DePaul. I do wish that I would have explored my interests a little more, though. The primary purpose of college is, of course, education, but also to experiment with the person you hope to be. There are so many opportunities here at different ends of the spectrum. It's difficult to choose a club or service organization without knowing the right fit. I have a chance to make a difference in both DePaul's and Chicago's community, and I intend to dedicate myself entirely to something I feel strongly about. This ambition would be much easier to achieve if I had gotten to know myself better.

If I were to go back in time and give myself some advice about college life and the transition the main thing I would say is to get involved! Once I started to do that I felt like I knew more people The people that I met assisted me in whatever I needed such as what classes to take or what teachers were nice. Not only that, but they were interested in the same things I was and eventually we became great friends. Getting involved brought about new opportunities about other clubs and activities to do also. That lead me to learn more about the school and the world in general. I got the chance to travel and see new places. I got the ability to be a leader or using my strenghts like give information at meetings That made me feel like I mattered and I was helping out. Getting involved thought me how to manage my time wisely with school work and studying. It also gave me a break from them. Getting involved made me feel like a part of my school and it made me feel like I was a part of something.

When I was a senior in high school, all I could think about was moving away from home. I wanted to make new friends and visit new places, but most of all I wanted to feel independent. I knew that the only way I could feel this way was by moving to another city. I chose Chicago because it was only two hours away from home. I also fell in love with the Lincoln Park campus, but little did I know how expensive that neighborhood was. DePaul University was my first choice and Loyola was my second. Either way I wanted to be in a place where my religion would still be a huge part of my life. If I could give myself advice two years ago, my life would be different. I could have saved a lot of money by attending a community college. Moving away from home did not prove that I was independent, because I still need help from my family today. It does not matter where I am in order to live by my faith. Last, everything comes with time and the more independent I want to be, the more responsibilities I will have.

I would tell myself to completely let go of any fears that I might have in high school about college. These past four months, I have really found out who I am as a person. I would tell myself not to be afraid of the what future might hold. Let go of all the fear I might have had in high school about being who I really am. Be outgoing, be gregarious, and have the time of your life. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You learn the most about yourself when you're in the a new and different situation. The transition might be frightening at times but it's all worth it in the end.

I would tell myself to be more responsible. It took me about 6 years to get my Associate's Degree and I am just now beginning my Bachelor's at the age of 25. School should be taken seriously and not just something to do. It would have been a lot easier to have taken school seriously when I first started. I could have already had my Master's Degree, but instead I'm still 2 years away from a Bachelor's.

My advice to myself, or to any senior about to go on to college, would have been to be selfish. Yes, your parents or you yourself are/is paying a lot of money for you to go whereever it is you are going, so enjoy it to the fullest! Go to any and all free campus activities. Spoil yourself every once and a while and fall in love with you. Hang out with people you would have never have been caught dead with in high school. Go ahead and drink and be stupid, but don't be reckless. Again, this is the time in your life when really, all you have to worry about is yourself...take advantage of that and live it up! If you take care of yourself, everything will fall into the place it is suppose to.

I would tell myself to "just go for it!". I was rather timid and stuck to the organization I knew. I really wish I would have discovered more groups and expanded my horizons. I was also invloved with community service but I would have liked to even be more invloved.

I obtained my GED in 1998 while the rest of my class walked across the stage and got their high school diplomas. The ony emotion I feel is useless is regret, and I regret not finishing high school. The reason why I did not finish was due to the fact that I lived in a small town and there was a young man who was stalking me and making my life very difficult. I gave up, I let him win. If I knew then what I knew now I would have done what I needed to do to graduate, even if it meant moving away to another town to finish. I let him steal that away from me, and there's nothing I can do to change that. I'm glad I got back on the right path and am currently homlding a 4.0 GPA and beat the statistics. The only thing I can do now is share with others that, no matter what, don't let anyone take what's yours.

I would tell myself to expect the unexpected. Be prepared to be challenged in all areas of your life, academically, socially, spiritually. There will be people and experiences that will test you, make you rethink about what you thought you knew. You will be forced to think for yourself, and stand by what you believe in. You will discover things about yourself you didn't realize before, and even have skills you never knew existed. You will form an appreciation and new meaning for the word family and home. You will learn what a true friend is and how to be one. Your view on life will be constantly changing as you learn about others' perspective's and stories. You will see that the world is so much more bigger than you thought it was. And while this may all sound overwhleming and scary, if you face yourself and these things with courage, you will grow and mature, gaining something so much more valuable than a degree. You will have the knowledge and pride that you were able to conquer fears and prove that you are truly ready to go out into the world and keep on learning.

I would tell myself not to get too involved right away. At the beginning of the school year there were so many groups I wanted to become involved with it became too much to keep up with and I had a hard time finding the balance between clubs, schoolwork, and a new social life. I wish I would've taken some time to get used to my new environment before diving in head-first. Now, I have a handle on my work-load for class and it is easier for me to be involved without over-committing.