Hope College Top Questions

After being a homeschooled student for most of your life, becoming a college student will definitely be a very difficult adjustment. One thing I wish I had known and practiced before beginning college was scheduling and organizing time. Yes, you will definitely know when your classes are and, eventually, you will learn what time the Dining Hall opens but what about everything else that happens during the day? Do you have enough time to finish homework AND study well? Will you have time to form relationships with others in your dormitory and classes? Will you set time to relax and have fun? Making a weekly schedule helps to organize times for all of your daily activities. Obviously there will be slight deviations to go to orchestra concerts, homecoming or just hanging out with your friends (and that one guy friend you developed a liking for) but having a schedule will allow you to take control of your time. Additionally, your days will be so much less stressful and you will be able to obtain a decent amount of sleep. This first semester of college would have been a better experience had I structured my time better.

Try to prepare yourself to go out there and make new friends inside your dorm right away. All the classes are hard work so be prepared to study. Even though it may seem scary, it really is not and you will get used to it right away. As a high school senior, work all summer and work hard. College is expensive and if you are paying for it by yourself, you need to start making money. You will not have as much time as you think to work during school. Finding a temporary summer job is difficult. Agree on how you will communicate with your roommate and talk about other necessary agreements your first day. Practice good time management during the summer so you can swing right into it during the semester. Look at your schedule and figure out when you can have free time and when you need to study. Other than that, just take it day by day as it comes. Enjoy every moment of your first year and have fun!

If I could go back to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to get involved right from the beginning. As much as my orientation leaders stressed that getting involved was vital to becoming part of the campus, I did not listen. If I had joined all of the activities that I had signed up for at the Activities Fair at the beginning of orientation my transition into college would have been quite a lot easier. What I realize now is that joining clubs and getting involved in volunteer activities are what helps people make friends and create safe environments for themselves. I wish I had done that from the very beginning of my college experience.

It is important to put yourself out there when you go to college. Be open-minded and work to make new friends - college is the best and easiest time to do this (when else do you get to live within a five block radius of all your closest friends?). Be prepared to work hard but also make plenty of time to have fun and enjoy the many activities that will be offered by your college. Take advantage of all of the free activities offered on campus - you won't get them again until you reach "Senior" status. Don't be afraid to be generous with people - generous in your friendships, giving of yourself in your studies and getting involved on campus in ways you didn't expect to. It's important to stretch yourself - you may find someone or something that you never would have encountered otherwise.

Dear Self, please obtain an excessive dosage of a chill pill, and proceed to consume this!! Seriously, just relax. In fact, spend that $1000 graduation check on a much needed retreat into the wilderness so that you can simply contemplate life for a while. You aren't ready for college yet, and trust me, it isn't as great as you are imagining it. The best thing you can do to prepare yourself for college is to take a year off and support yourself in a minimum-wage job. You need to learn the value of those tens of thousands of dollars you are about to spend. Your life lessons won't be coming from the week long freshman orientation party...your lessons will come from real experiences. Don't seclude yourself to a college bubble. The institution you choose doesn't matter as much as what you choose to do with your four years. Don't get caught up in academics. Study your brains out, but also find a way to explore your dreams. Travel, attend mission trips, and volunteer in your community. When you look back your education, be proud of what you got involved with.

College is about school. I know this may sound obvious, but I was worried more about the social side of college than I was the academic. Keep your grades up, and friends will come!

Take advantage of every opportunity and enjoy every second of the next 4 years. Your first year at Hope college will be awesome, and it goes by so fast. Don't worry or be anxious at all because you picked the perfect school, a school that will not only provide you with an extremely high quality education, but also a school that will change you, and stretch you, and build you into someone you could never even imagine you can be. Study hard and enjoy what you learn because even though it seems hard and exhausting at the time, it's incredibly rewarding in the end. Never judge a book by its cover. This goes for people as well as classes and on campus activities. Be open minded and give everything and everyone a chance because you only live once, and you can never get these next 4 years back so make the most of them, and don't leave Hope college with any regrets or any "I wish I would haves." Making the transition is easy. So don't be nervous, be excited, because you are about to begin the best, and most rewarding, 4 years of your life!

The advice I would give myself if I could go back in time as a high school senior is to not wait last minute to get all your college preparation together. I would of started as soon as possible. Freshman year would of been a perfect time to decide what I would have wanted to do and what classes I could of took to help with preparation for the college courses ahead. Also researching different kinds of scholarships and grants that are available to apply for. So you could save some money while going to school to start your career. And most importantly, ask for help when you need it. Don't try to do it on your own. Your High School Counslers are there to help you and you will definitely need their assistant to help you make the transition from High School life to College life.

My college experience thus far has been amazing. I have grown academically by learning how to think independently and maintain a curious nature. By taking advantage of the undergraduate research at Hope I have been able to learn what it is like to be on the frontier of science and help discover new and interesting things that will help the world become a better place. On top of the academic successes I have had as I strive to fulfill my double major, I have grown as a person as well. I have learned a lot about myself and have taken a nice look into the mirror to see who I really am and what I really believe. I have found friends that support me and I know they will be with me for life. Overall, my college experience has been fantastic and it can only get better as I continue to work hard and attempt to become someone who can help change the world.

College is one of the words that has never talked in my family, because I'm the first generation in my family to attend college. I have attended Eastfield Community College for two years, and it has been a amazing experince for me. I have an opportunity to to a member of National Science Foundation (NSF), and did a summer research intership sponsored by NSF. It was an amazing exprience for me to work with real scientists and had a chance to write my own scientific paper and poster. I presented my research paper to the whole facutlies at my school and also in some local universities. Attending college is one of the most importand decision I have made in my life. There are so many goals out there that only through education so that I can reach them. I have learned many things because of the diversity in college. There are many different cultures, languagues, and so many things I have learned just from people around me. I know Eastfield College has provided me an amazing college experience, but it is time to move on to new enviroments, that is Texas A&M. See you (Aggies) in the fall.