Hope College Top Questions

Freshman year, I had the opportunity to conduct research, which is nearly impossible at larger colleges or universities. All of my classes have between 20 and 100 students. The professors get to know you at a personal level and help you succeed in academics and in a career. My professors know what their students are achieving even after they have graduated. They are not just here to teach, but are here to engage with students on a personal level. There are no Teacher's Assistants teaching courses, allowing students to develop a relationship with their professors that can last a lifetime. Through a liberal arts education at Hope College, I learn skills outside of my engineering courses. I learn how to accept other cultures, to network and have developed better writing and communication skills. These various courses allow us to be well-rounded students. Learning about the world around us, instead of continuously looking at the outcome of grades is important. In the business world, we will have to interact with different types of people. Even with good grades, you still have to be open and understanding of other cultures. Hope College has helped me develop these necessary skills.

If I could go back to myself as a senior in high school I would tell myself to start working on good study habits. Coming to college was difficult for me because I didn't realize how much you actually need to study in order to get the kind of grades I did in high school. I also would tell myself to let go of my inabition when it came to social situations and not to worry so much about what people might think. When I moved in I was so scared that people wouldn't like me that I kind of barried myself in my studies instead of meeting new people. I have realized that the social aspect of college is almost as important as the acedemic aspect. As a senior I would definitely need to know that some will like me and some won't and it really doesn't matter if you have a thousand friends or just a couple. It's mostly just important to put ourself out there so people can get to know you and you can get to know them.

No matter who you are, where you come from, or where you are going to college, the transition will be a big change and in most cases be a difficult one. There is no getting around that, there is not much to do to make there be no transition. To move forward in life you have to go through changes. Having one or two close friends to talk to always feels normal and takes you to memories of before. Even if you're best friends are not at the same college or even in the same state, talking to them every now and then will definitely cheer things up. The first couple weeks of school are some of the most crucial to developing new friendships. Everyone says 'Hello' as you walk by and seem friendly. After awhile the new excitement begins to fade and meeting new friends becomes more difficult as everyone has already found who they want to hang out with. So be sure to be friendly and meet lots of people as soon as you can to make as many friendships as possible. Just have a fun time and don't be scared to go up and talk.

Be patient, kind and understanding. Go in with an open mind and an open heart. Have no expectations other than the quality of education that you want. Accept others because there are many different people with many different views from that of your own. Everything you have heard prior to attending, don't believe it. Find out for yourself what the school has to offer. Take advantage of all the oppurtunities such as study abroad, clubs, organizations, community service, and do not be afraid to ask for help when needed. The professors are there to help you and if you need extra help, go to the Academic Support Center, they are there for you and want nothing but to see you succeed. If you do not know what you want to do for a carreer, that is OK, you are not alone and the Carreer Services will help you try to discover what you are meant to do. College is a time to experience new things and to discover who you are, so enjoy it while it lasts because the time flies when you are having fun!

As I walk down the sidewalks filled with jovial students sharing laughs and hugs, I cannot help but smile at the truly caring atmosphere I find myself in. I feel our country takes an uncountable number of things for granted, and at the forefront of them all are other people. When I walk down that sidewalk and I share a smile and simple greeting with a complete stranger I keep on smiling long after we pass because it makes me happy. If I were to go back in time I would tell myself to do nearly everything different in my college search. I would not only look for schools with good academic reputations, but really hone in on how the students interact with each other. I was lucky enough to end up at a college with such an atmosphere full of compassion. As human beings, we are social by nature. The most satisfying and rewarding things in life are genuine relationships with real people; friends, significant others, parents, professors. Money and jobs are material things that are secondary. Love everyone, surround yourself with love and remember to give that stranger sitting next to you a big smile before you leave.

College, synonymous to personal freedom, fun, parties, making your own rules and doing what you want to do - is not quite the college you are after. The truth is, for all the fun you can imagine out of "that" college, college will be an experience of defining yourself that will take you places you can't undestand yet. You have one job in college and that is to educate yourself. What that means is that you can either choose to go to class, half-way listen, read the assignments, write the papers and focus on all the campus activitie, parties and new friends, or you can actively participate in the ultimate world of knowledge, intrigue, discovery and opportunity that college provides. Nowhere else in your life are you going to be allowed to openly think and question and challenge like you will in college. So do it. Think. Question. Listen. Challenge. Resist the social distractions. Embrace exploring new ideas. Attend seminars, theatre productions, sponsored readings, art exhibits and rallies. Dig deep and see how far you can push yourself. Ask yourself daily, what does this mean? Why should I care? And seek the answers with vigor.

As I think back to my senior year in high school, I recall many nights after volleyball practice sitting at our home computer trying to carve out my path through an undergraduate program. If I were to live that time in my life I would have liked to recieve the following advice. "Morgan, you feel as though your life could take hundreds of different paths and you have no idea what you where you would like your life to go. The most important thing to realize is that you have time to make your decisions, and that you will end up where you are meant to be. It's commonly assumed that as a freshman in college you need to have a major picked at a college that is the perfect fit. The funny thing is that most of your peers will have no idea what career they desire, and if your chosen major or college doesnt feel right, you are allowed to make adjustments. Just relax and go where you feel the path seems brightest at the moment. You will end up exactly where you belong, no matter the choices and circumstances."

There are many things that I wish someone had told me, and I find myself telling them to new students I know. I would tell myself to study more because college is a lot harder than high school. I would tell myself to have more fun with friends because there are so many great people to meet, and can become friends for life. I would give myself advice on which classes to take, and what professors to avoid. I think college and I got off on the wrong foot, and I wish I had been more easy going. You only go to college once so you have to make the most of it. I have changed so much these past four years that I would tell myself to be open to changes and that I was proud of the person she was becoming. Overall, I would tell myself to slow down and just to enjoy the ride because it goes by so fast.

In reminiscing about high school life, I would remind myself to scan for scholarships more often and fill out FAFSA sooner. I would recommend visiting potential campuses and spending an afternoon talking to the random students around. I would also like to point out the necessity of getting a laundry card way before half-way through semester, as wearing cloths off the floor can only work for so long. And don?t get so wrapped up in school work and new pressure loads that there is no time to meet new people, go to coffee shops, concerts, and scenic community walks. There is life outside of academics and the people you randomly bump into may be a friend for life. And finally, don?t stress so much about where to go to college and how to fit in upon arrival, for God has your plan written out before you were born and there is no way that it can be screwed up. He totally has a master plan all worked out and all you need to do is just be.

To prepare for the transition from the life of a high school senior to the life of a college student, I would offer myself several pieces of advice. The first being: get sleep. It is so tempting to stay up until 1 a.m. on weeknights, but then getting up at 7:30 a.m. the next morning for class is extremely difficult. My Freshman year I found myself falling asleep during class in several lecture periods. Though my performance on tests did not suffer terribly, it gave a poor impression of my commitment to the professor. The second piece of advice that I would offer is get involved. That is the best action that can be taken to create new friendships and a love for the college. I was not very active in extra curriculars or clubs my first year, but I joined many groups in my Sophomore year. By becoming involved, I created bonds to my school and to other students. Peers would stop to chat or yell a friendly hello from across the courtyard as I walked to class. A sense of pride and ownership in my school developed and I enjoyed representing my college.