Mount Mary University Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would tell myself two things; do not put pre-nursing as your major on the Caroline Scholarship application and learn how to drive. As stated before, the Caroline Scholarship would pay for full tuition, board and fees for four years for selected students. During the application process, I chose undecided for my major and later changed it to pre-nursing. I did not know that pre-nursing students were ineligible for the scholarship until after I turned in the application. This minor setback caused me to lose my chance of winning the Caroline Scholarship which would have greatly benefitted my parents and me. I would also have pushed myself to take Driver’s Education courses in high school so I would not have to take public transportation from home to college. Although my parents did not have a lot of money, my parents offered me a chance to take the course and I turned it down because money was tight in my family. I regret it now because I could be getting to college safer and more efficiently. These two pieces of advice would have made a huge impact upon my life.

High school did wonders in preparing you to work hard on your classes and to believe in yourself. Remember to be open because as you mature and grow, interests develop and dreams change. You will meet people that will change your world views and you will experience love and pain you've never felt before. Don't know what to do in your future? That's okay because life is a journey, not a race. Have the faith that if it's meant to be, it will happen. Whatever you end up becoming, do it with purpose and passion.

I would tell myself to stay focus and dont give up no matter how tired I become and how hard things get. I would also encourage myself to make sure I know everything about the school, especially when it comes to what classes I need to take and what steps I need to take in order to graduate on time. I have always been quite and too myself so I would most definitely school myself on having more of a social life in college. This can be very beneficial for future jobs. So many people from my current school are from different states and other parts from the world. I would also advise myself to double major and take the max classes. It can be done. There are a lot of subjects that go hand in hand and will benefit greatly for jobs. Lastly I would say to join clubs and be more active and engaging with activities on campus. All of these things will help build your resume. In the end, that is what is most important! Looking good on paper!

Given my advanced age and plethora of life experiences, I would advise myself to ensure I planned properly for college and to commit myself to enrolling, attending, and completing my college studies. A series of misjudgements and bad decisions prevented me from completing college in a timely fashion, therefore I had to delay my college education for almost three decades. I would also advise myself to seek out opinions and advice from my high school mentors and instructors that I respected. I made decisions on my own as an inexperienced eighteen year old high school graduate and did not use the available resources available to assist me in making my decisions. I would have advised myself to be dedicated to and dilligent in my schoolwork so that I could graduate with the highest possible GPA. Additional studies in SAT and ACT testing would have helped tremendously as well. I think the primary issue at hand for me was to seek out the advice of those who had already successfully completed college degrees and were knowledgeable in the trials, tribulations and joy of college life.

I enlisted into the United States Air Force, Air National Guard right out of high school. I would tell my Senior High School self to pay more attention to what her interests were. I would also tell her that education is important and to put more time and energy into that instead of working fulltime, to go to school fulltime. It's hard to balance getting an education that you are interested in when you work 40+ hours a week 6 am until 4:30 pm. College is hard work and takes dedication, it is your dime that is paying for it so you should make the most out of it to gain the best education possible. Do not let money stand in your way of pursuing your goals, education is a profitable investment.

I would tell myself to work on time management. College truly is a life changing event. Some students live in the dorms, are meeting new people, creating networks, and adjusting to the college workload. Enjoy free time and get involved with volunteer work or create a hobby. When college assignments, tests, and paper get overwhelming you need a break session with something that makes you happy and destressed. I would tell myself to start an healthy eating and exercise regiment, because there will be no more home cooked meals at college. Exercising is another great option to destress in college. I would tell myself to continue taking classes in high school that would keep the mind working hard. When you get to college, there is no grace period, you jump right into assignments. I would make sure to tell myself that it is okay to miss home and old friends, but it is healthy to make new ones too. After all, college friends are going to be long term friends because they go through the same changes as you are. Overall, I would say enjoy senior year, but don't get lazy. There is no room for slacking in college.

School wise there is not a lot that I would tell myself to improve because I wa a bit of a nerd in high school. But what I would tell myself is to go a bit out of my comfort zone (socially) and take some chances. I was and still are a bit of a shy and awkward person so on my first year of college I missed out on a lot of opportunities. Since I did not talk to many students my first semester was a bit lonely and I missed out on getting to know more people and letting know me. Some advice that I would tell my senior self would be to not be so afraid of what people "might" think and just go for it. Don't be afraid to show yourself to the world because you are a pretty awesome person. Keep up with your school work and take some weird classes, talk to everyone because you never know what you might learn and lastly be yourself because at the end of the day that it is the chances you had and missed that you will regret the most.

I would have given myself advice about finances. Finances are one of the biggest college issues especially since tuition is expensive. I would have gotten a job earlier in my high school years to save up. It is a struggle to save money and pay for tuition. I think it’s crucial to get a job early, in order to be stress free during your college journey. I would have applied for more scholarships for financial stability. Scholarships not only provide money for your future, but also it helps strive for a great GPA. In a way it keeps you on track with grades. Time management is very crucial in college. In order to stay on track you have to manage homework, friends, family and working. It is extremely easy to fall behind if you misuse the precious time throughout the day. I recommend using your daily planner as well as a large calendar to plan out the month. It is very useful and gives you an idea of how busy you will be throughout the month. Lastly, I would pick a good group of friends who will motivated and inspire you to follow your dreams.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high senior I would deeply encourge myself to get it together. Try to get the best possible grades, join more clubs, and just try to be the best I could. I would tell myself that although growing up is hard, it isn't that scary especially college. You get to meet knew and interesting people who will influence your life even in ways you didn't think they would. At first it might be a little of a shock when you start to transition to college but once you get used it everything comes easier. I would encourage myself to try to get the best possible grades, enjoy my last year of high school to the fullest because what's to come is only the beginning of the rest of my life.

The biggest advice that I would give to my senior self is, have fun, but still be able to manage your time according to your school work. When I first came into college, I thought that it would just be a more advanced version of high school. But after the first few weeks, I found myself sitting in my room cramming for the next day. After I went to a few workshops provided by the school, I was able to find a balance between my school and social life through the help of my peers. Once I learned how to manage my time, I was able to get ahead on school work and I was still able to do other activities. Learning how to manage my time efficiently is one of the best things that I have learned while making the high school to college life transition.