High Point University Top Questions

My first day of college will be Monday, December 6, 2010. I am so excited to be a part of the ITT Technical Institute family! They are the beginning of my future! With the help of the staff there, I will be able to achieve the goal and my dreams of who and what I want to become. I will show myself and my family that thru all of the sacrifices that there is a great accomplishment and reward in the end.

I have learned a lot, I've become smarter and wanting pursue my goal of becoming a Psychologist. So I can help, so they can pursue their dream. I love the college environment, learning new things, remember old things that you've forgotten. I love helping people, its in my nature. I want to make a difference in this world, to make it a better place for people to live.

I'd heard the words "college experience" thrown around many times during my journey senior year of selecting a school to attend, but the magnitude of that phrase didn't hit me until I was actually a college student. I am now a few months into my freshman year, and from the bottom of my heart I can attest to the fact that the college experience is, quite frankly, exactly that: an experience. I have gained the friendship and various viewpoints of so many unique individuals. I have opened myself up to new situations and broadened my sense of self. For once in my life, I feel as if I am gaining actual valuable knowledge from my teachers. I've learned my limits, gained independence, and discovered a new strength I never knew I had to persevere all on my own. College hits everyone in different ways, but the true value of the college experience lies within yourself. You'll know if you've made the right decision because the words "college experience" won't be a phrase; it will be just another day in the life, as I've come to find out.

In my time at High Point, I benefited plenty from the advice and counsel of faculty and staff. Yet the most important lessons I learned outside the classroom. I’d always been something of a self-starter when it came to academics; I also remember moments when I couldn’t go it alone. One of the first—and toughest—things to learn was leaning on someone other than a staff or faculty member for help. Without the help of classmates and like-minded students I don’t know what I would have done. The second tip I picked up was not to take everything too seriously. Being a high-strung individual, I tend to hole myself up in a room and type, type, type. Many times I had to be prodded to go to events in Fraternity Row. My social life suffered as a result, and I lost out on opportunities to network as well (among other things). Thirdly--and finally--make the best of your time there. During my four years, I was equal parts staff writer, political analyst, and pre-law student. Avail yourself of the clubs and events there, and keep an open mind.

I have only completed one year of college so far. In that year i have experienced a lot. But what i got most out of my first year was this saying, "closed mouth's don't get fed," meaning that if you don't speak up and let people know who you are, what you want in life, and if you need help with anything then you will not get fed the important material, lessons, etc needed to succed in life during and after college. My university offers a lot to it's students and throughout my first year i was able to experience a lot by getting out there and asking questions and finding out how i can get involved with my schol. It's very important to speak up, especially with my professors because they are my stepping stones for me to get my degree. In my first year, it's easy to say that i learned a valuable lesson that will carry me throughout life.

My three years in college, split between two very different institutions, have been marked by duality. At St. John's College, I studied alphas, betas, gammas and deltas (even though the Ancient Greek language flatlined thousands of years ago), completed Euclidian proofs on chalkboards, and discussed the ages-old Platonic question of ?What is Virtue?? The Classical Liberal Arts curriculum, though rewarding, was not for me. So I transferred to a local community college. Many often ask me which school is ?better,? but I don't consider the question in comparative terms. A more traditional serving of courses?replete with supply and demand curves, election results, and logarithmic functions?is the practical "yin" to the more theoretical "yang" at St. John's. It has allowed me to examine the same fundamental human questions?why we act and react in the manners that we do?from the opposite side of the proverbial coin. My past three years of college have allowed me to define myself through diversity of experience. They have encouraged me to value similar and different minds, making the learning process quite the opposite of its namesake; it is an end that I have come to value in itself.

It took me a long time to realize how important an education really is. I went to college straight out of high school and made a mess of it. I was overwhelmed by my mother's death two months before I graduated from high school and was severely depressed for the next four years. After losing countless jobs, becoming a single mother and being on welfare, I deceided it was time for a change. So in the summer of 2009 I filled out my FAFSA and got accepted into Columbus State where I hope to complete their Science of Nursing Degree and obtain my LPN. This time around I am very focused on my studies and acheiving good grades. Without an education, you can truly cannot get anywhere. Besides if I want my daughter to suceed in life she has to see me succeed and know that you have to work hard to achieve your goals. I try to speak to the young people in my classes about my experiences and how important it is to take advantage of this opportunity the first time around.

I have learned several life lessons that will help me not only when I am in college, but also after I graduate. I have learned to break out of my shell a little more in order to make friends and to really enjoy the college experience. I have found a Christian sorority that has some of the most wonderful, nicest girls in it and I have gained a lot of friends. I have also learned a lot more about myself and who I am and what I value most by coming to High Point University. I have also found out what I want to leave as my mark in this world and I have received a wonderful education from the professors here.

As for going back in my senior year and giving myself advise, I would just tell myself to start working harder and to not take everything for granted because when you turn a certain age and realize that you have responsibilities, such as helping your mother get you through college, you mature and truly become an adult in a blink of an eye. I have always been more mature than most kids my age, but I didnt realize that seeing my mom struggle in order to put me through college would be a daily routine. I know that I had to help in some way and that it why I have 2 part time jobs and am a full time student. Life is a great ride, it's just trying to make it through all the speed bumps.

When senior year comes around, senior are so burnt out from their other eleven years of school they feel this is their one year to relax. But senior year is really the beginning to a very important chapter in a young life. If I could go back, I would be sure to research as many schools as possible so I knew exactly which one was best for me. After I narrowed it down to my top 3-5, I would apply early action to all of these schools so I could receive my acceptance letters early and decide exactly what school I wanted to attend without the binding agreement of an early decision application. College is VERY expensive...tuition, fees, books, housing, monthly personal needs ...all of these things add up, so it is important to accumulate as much money as possible beforehand. I would begin early senior year, applying for as many scholarships as I could. Every penny counts, so I would be sure not to overlook the small $500 or just $200 ones. If I would have taken this approach when I was a high school senior, I would have more money to fund my academic career.