Lewis University Top Questions

As a naturally introverted person, I would tell myself to not be so scared of new experiences and new people. I always had friends in high school, and I never had to venture out into anything new to have fun; however, as soon as I got to college I had no idea how to make friends. Friends had always come easy to me, and it was awkward for me to go to social settings and be outgoing. I was always unhappy about not having friends my freshmen year, and then I finally realized that I wasn't going to make any friends by sitting in my dorm pouting. So, I would tell myself to be more active, go to more events, talk to random people, go to more parties, and not be so afraid of making a fool out of myself because thats how you make great friends and great memories.

Dear Nicole of 2003, You are getting ready for your first semester of college, so I wanted to share some wisdom (if you can even call it that). I am a junior and I have learned a lot along this journey towards adulthood. First of all, stay on top of your work. I know that you are a smart girl, but in college no one is going drive you towards success harder than yourself. It is easy to push work off, but do NOT procrastinate?it?ll be the death of you. I was really bad with this until I learned that I had to review classroom material almost everyday; not just if I had an exam or quiz the next day. The next biggest issue besides the work is the freedom to play. You?ll meet some of your best friends in college, but remember that you are still in school for YOUR future. Have fun, but be responsible. I would suggest making friends in different organizations on campus. It?ll get you involved in different campus activities and you?ll meet people with the same interests. Good luck! I know you?ll do well! Love, Nicole of 2009

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to be such a worry-wart. I had been so scared to leave high school. I thought that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would struggle to keep my head above water. I was afraid of failure, afraid of not getting along with my roommate. I felt that anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. Yet, I had enough confidence to give it a shot anyway, dispite my fears. I would tell myself that no matter what, don't worry. I would say, "Amanda, you'll be okay. You are an intelligent, loving, charismatic girl, and you will d owell no matter what comes your way." As I write this response now, I am reminded of the John Michael Montgomery song, "Life's A Dance." There's a line that says, "Don't worry about what you don't know. Life's a dance you learn as you go." If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to listen to that song everytime I had a worry about my future. I would learn that no matter what, everything would turn out fine.

Leslie, there is a time and place for everything in life. This is your time to complete your education and have the opportunity to open new doors for women of color in four to six years from now. You are a strong young woman that is born to lead. As a future leader, you must learn history of former leaders and the struggles that affected all men and woman. Having your degree will open opportunity that don't exist to people without degrees. The process introduces educational knowledge that you might not appreciate at the time, but when the opportunity arises, you will be well prepaired and diverse on multiple level and able to lead others who lack that mental awareness. It is your destony and the history of women in the Ford family. Don't hesitate this journey and allow anyone to deter or redirect your attention. Your are truly a star and all stars shine. If you have to get a student loan in order to make it happen, then do it. Most important, don't allow the lack of financial aid to stop you. Keep going no matter what, never stop, you can and will do it.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take a little more time in high school and work on those grades a bit more. I did pretty well in high school but a few semesters could have been better and they really could have helped me get more scholarships at Lewis. I would tell myself to go with my gut instinct and pick the school that I think is amazing in every way, shape and form. And that is what I did. They day I saw Lewis I fell in love, and I knew where I wanted to go. I look back and think about where else I could have gone, and I really picked somewhere that I wanted to be for college.

Dear Self, I know you are nervous about college, but take a minute, calm down, and breathe. You've done excellently in your high school classes and have proved that you are ready for college. As you begin next fall, remember that while grades are important, so is the rest of your experience. Do your best in your classes, but don't kill yourself trying to be perfect. Some professors won't hand out any As, so don't put the pressure of getting straight As on yourself. Work hard, but play hard too. As you move into the next stage of your life, you are bound to meet many new faces. Be open to what each person that you meet has to offer you. Just because you haven't heard good things about a person doesn't mean that you shouldn't meet them and have the opportunity to form your own opinions. Remember that not everyone is in your life for its duration, and that it's ok to grow apart from old friends because you'll be making plenty of new ones. Enjoy college and make the most of it. Love, Yourself

Dear Karla, I know you enjoy worrying, but relax. Be very confident and trust yourself. Don't worry about what others are doing or saying, concentrate on yourself and take care of yourself only. You will get accepted into a college, and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get financial aid. Life is hard and it will bring you numerous obstacles, but it will be up to you whether you see them as obstacles or stepping stones. Do not hesitate to ask for help. Don't be embarrassed. Please make sure you plan things out, do not procrastinate it will not get you anywhere. Pay close attention during lecture, take neat notes and if you need any clarifications on anything ask for help. Study for a test with days of anticipation. You are a smart young woman, whether you believe it or not, you will do just fine. Leave the boyfriend behind this is your once in a life time opportunity to succeed, don't make anyone your priority when your one and only responsibility should be school. Time flies and you will have a lot of work to do. It 's up to you to succeed.

I would go back and tell myself that college is a little bit more fun than I expected it to be. It is amazing to learn to depend on yourself and then to develop more responsibility. Transitioning to college is a learning experience, not only from the school stand point, but also to learn about yourself and who you are. I would also like to tell myself that while college is not easy, it feels so much more rewarding than high school. Lastly, I would like to tell myself that living on campus can be a little hard at first to get used to, but you can make some very good friends living on campus. Other than that, I would not have any advice to give myself when I was a high school senior.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a Senior, the first advice I would give is to study even more than I did then. Although I was a diligent student, college curriculums require more studying to ensure success. Also, I would tell myself as a Senior that the type of work in college is different. In high school, homework was mostly questions from the book or worksheets. However, college instructors expect that students will read the chapters that they lecture on. There is more research or formal papers required. Furthermore, I would explain that there is a contrast between how high school and college instructors give the information to the students. HIgh School teachers mostly put their lecture notes on Powerpoint. On the other hand, college professors deliver their lectures verbally. Moreover, college instructors demand that their students make group presentations. While I was in high school, most presentations were individual presentations. There are more individual presentations at the college level as well. Another piece of advice that I would give is to learn how to register for classes on your own since this is how students register for classes in college.

Going back in time, the advice I would have given myself as a high school senior would be to stop looking at the private expensive schools and look more into the benefits of community college. I should have listened to my mother when she started talking about community colleges. But being a high school senior and thinking I knew best I would just blow off my mother's opinion. I wanted to be like everyone else and go away to school even though I didn't like to party. I know now that I should have listened to her. Mothers really know what is best. Together my mom and I would visit the expensive schools but after the visit my mother would always tell me to think about community college. I never did until about April of my senior year. The advice I would have given myself would be to start talking to community colleges around my house earlier because they offered the best options for me. Not only could I run cross country which is my passion I could save thousands of dollars. I wish I would have known that earlier in my senior year of high school.