Loyola University Chicago Top Questions

Cherish the people that you have in your life now. Yes, it's exciting to go off and meet new people, but never forget the ones that have been there from the beginng. No matter how many people you meet in college none of them will make you laugh or feel the way the people at back home did. Your new friends will make you laugh and you'll have strong bonds with them, but they wouldn't replace the connections you had before college. Enjoy the rest of the time you have left constantly being around them, because once you leave that time will be limited. You'll be able to come home and visit, of course, but this is your last chance to spend time with them before you go off and make changes and they do the same. Also, don't view leaving for college as a way to run away from any problems that you have, that philosophy makes you going to college about someone else because you're viewing college college as a chance to get away from them. Leaving for college needs to be all about you and your growth, no one else.

If I could go back in time to give myself advice about the transition into college life, I would tell myself one thing: make lots of friends. For most of my first semester of college, I went home on the weekends. This placed a definite damper on my relationships with other students. If I could do it again, I would stay at school every weekend and plan events with other students or get involved in events on campus. Having friends that I felt close to would have made me feel much more comfortable on campus, and the transition would have been much easier. Additionally, I would have advised myself not to limit myself to one group of friends or one activity. Although doing this was comfortable and easy because it made me feel safe and secure, in the long run it affected my social contacts and outings. It also confined me because I didn't know anyone who would be interested in exploring the city in the same way I was. In conclusion, I would give myself one piece of advice: make lots of friends.

Receiving an education in life is a privilege many students don?t acknowledge until their final years in high school. Learning is something that all students must do to keep accelerating and expanding their intellects. If we were given the opportunity to return and guide ourselves throughout the senior year before our college transition, I would tell myself that everything I have done has been a test and now I have to use everything I know about myself, (my intellectual abilities, my moods, my interests, and my friends), to strengthen my beliefs as a person, and build a strong self-confidence in me. This self-confidence would give me comfort and strength to continue on as a student and gain a firm feel about my personality. Personality is important to everyone because it allows each one of us to be unique and special. I believe that if I was to have more confidence about myself then my transition would be more positive. Comfort about oneself allows us students to become confident and allows us to work more actively to accomplish our future goals and desires.

My life was relatively easy when it came to doing what I was supposed to do. In high school, I was ranked three/311 students. To keep busy I volunteered nine hours each week at a library around the corner from my school. By all accounts I was considered a top notch student. However, I often suffered emotionally. I regularly dealt with the fact that I wasn't given the best education. I felt the Chicago Public Schools didn't care about me and expected me to settle with menial labor. For this reason--as one might imagine--I didn't have to study as hard to get my grades. I didn't get out much for this very reason because I wasn't prepared to fight fairly for life. If I could return now as a more disciplined person, I'd tell myself two things: study harder because you will get further if you know how to pass a test; I would also advise myself to take a philosophical approach to life; enjoy life and don't take your affairs too seriously. I have now noticed that things, good or bad, all depend on your attitude.

If I can go back in time, and knowing what the college life would bring me is to save money. For Loyola University I had to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to buy school books. Also, the tuition was very high, I always owed a balance every year. I would also advised myself to live near campus, because moving away proved to be detrimental towords my studies with the long hours of commute. Ultimatley, I would have advised myself to go to UIC instead, Loyola is far too expensive and not culturally diversed enough. I would have felt more comfortable at the school if I had made more friends.

If i could go back in time and advice myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to learn to manage my time wisely. In college you need to know how to make time for everything and know how to controll your life. The reason being is because you're not only making time to get to class you're also making time to finish homework, study, work, make time for friends and family members and also time for yourself. You'll always be busy or in a hurry therefore you have to learn earlier how to handle time wisely so that you wont fall behind in school. That's what I would tell myself and listen to my advise because once in college you might get too stressed and you have to be able to handle yourself.

Transitioning from high school to college was a challenging time as I started a new journey in my life. Knowing what I know now about college life, I would give myself advice before entering the college. First, I would say that I need to make friends, because without them, college wouldn't be the same!! Also, I would say that you need to manage time wisely. College is different that high school and making sure that you would be completing work in an orderly fashion would make the transition to college one step easier. Moreover, studying in advance before an exam could improve the outcome of your grade. Using different methods like making note cards or study guides from lecture notes can help you remember more efficiently than just reading off your lecture notes. Finally, get to know your professor. Becoming an acquaintance with your professor can help you ask questions in a more comfortable manner about something that you?re having difficulty understanding. Knowing your professor can also help you get recommendations for scholarships in the future. Therefore, knowing some of these tips before entering college can make your transition from high school to college a fun lifetime experience.

I would say never let others bring you down. Sometimes in life I know that there are people who hurt others. Although, at the time we just see them as being mean or not nice. If I can go back in time as a high school senior I would say to myself that I am important and that no matter what challenges there may be there is always a way to accomplish them. People in college brought me down alot because of my race and accent. It came to the point were I would not like to participate in class. I started to see my grades go down because I lacked participation and that really hurt my grade. I wanted some encouragement and then I read Mother Teresa's prayer called "Do it Anyway". That inspired me to participate in class and in the end of the semester I still ended up with a 3.0 g.p.a. If I would not let others hurt my progress I know that I would have done better. Now, I learened from my mistakes and realized that what does not kill me only makes me stronger.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to chose a differnet school. And definately to file my Fafsa sooner because I did it very last minute and got no financial support. I would also tell myself to look into the financial aid packets of other colleges closer and possibly to have met with my prospects financial aid department. Mostly I would just advise myself to dig a little deeper into schools and make a decision more based on what I need and not what looks easiest.

If I were able to go back to my senior year in high school and give myself advice for entering college, I would tell myself to have faith in my own potential. I would tell myself that yes, college is a greater challenge than was high school, but I am fully capable of achieving my goals, and I SHOULD set goals. I would advise myself to set high standards for myself, keeping my desired vocations in mind, and to work as hard as possible to reach that standard to satisfy myself and no one else. Academics will be my primary reason for attending college, but I should also remember to care for my body and soul, as well. I would advise myself to work just as hard to build and maintain friendships, take care of my personal physical health, and allow myself personal time to unwind and refresh my heart and mind so that it is always ready for whatever challenges school and life decide to throw my way. Finally, I would advise myself to hold true to my values; they will develop as I go through college, but I should never succumb to negative pressures.