Oral Roberts University Top Questions

Making decisions out of college is something that you've never done before. Here is a brief list of things to pay attention to to make sure you aren't wasting thousands of dollars and years of your life. Time is your most valuable resource. You will have the freedom to make your own destiny. Use this freedom to push yourself to do the most difficult things imaginable. Find the limits of your ability and then find ways to extend those limits. Do things you are good at, even if you think they are nerdy. Get to know your professors. Not only will they grade you, but they will be able to give you advice for the rest of your career. Do not let yourself just make grade. What matters is mastery of your subject. When you get out of school, no one will care if you got an 'A' in a class. They will care if you can do the job well.

If I had a piece of advice to give to my high school senior self, it would be to allow myself to think. I grew up in a very religious family and I really struggled finding myself and what I believed in. I have always been a very analytical thinker and I questioned everything. Unfortunatly, this was very discouraged and thought to be "wayward" thinking instead of righteous. Therefor, whenever I had a question or an alternative idea, I would always repress it because I assumed it was wrong to stray. Now that I am out of my home and in college, I am facing a faith crisis. I wish I would have given and been given grace to let myself develop into the kind of thinker I am-the kind of thinker I believe will help me excell in college if I give myself the liberty to do so. I wish I had the courage when I was younger to think. I do now though, and I intend to never stop thinking, and to never stop questioning until my questions are answered.

Knowing what I know now, I would advise myself to search very carefully for a college with a dedicated and supportive coach and athletic staff to aid me as I train for pole vaulting. Oral Roberts University completely fulfills this base requirement, and I am lucky to have found it. As a senior in high school, I was already practicing many effective habits that made the transition into college life relitively easy. From studying in school to training for track and field, many habits I had already formed became very useful.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, it would be to have confidence in yourself. Have confidence in your dream and vision for your future. The biggest downfall to your success would be to compare yourself to other people- people who are running their own race with their own dreams and goals. Keeping that in mind, know that its ok to take risks. Risk that challange yourself to do what you otherwise wouldn't academically, physically, and spiritually. Know that the best and most rewarding thing is to face your own fears- don't shy away from the things that challenge your faith and intellect. Learn to distinguish that which is true and that which is false. Above all keep your vision alive! Don't get distracted by the unproductive activities but learn to have fun. Just stay focused! Again remember that the only comparison worth making is not with others but with all that you know you were created to be and to do.

I would tell my high school self “You’re enough”. I felt so much anxiety being a senior. All of my friends seemed to know where they were going and what they wanted to do. I felt left out, because I was uncertain about my future. The more inadequate I felt, the more I tried to overcompensate. I wasted a lot of time, effort, and money trying to keep up with everyone else. In the process, I lost my identity. I became accustomed to doing what would please others, and forgot about me. I really needed to hear someone say, “You’re enough.” You don’t have to do what the others do. Pace yourself. Find out who you are and fall in love with that person. Who has it all figured out at seventeen anyway? Sometimes we carry things from our childhoods that affect us greatly in life. Feeling inadequate was something I battled as a child. I had to learn that I am important and I matter. I was enough then just as much as I am today.

Coffee is expensive. Ramen is cheap. Distraction loves to invite Procastination over for some social media and their pal Netflix will keep saying "Next Episode" until it's 5am and your essay's still only long as your name. Youtube and its video suggestions are your enemy. I suggest to avoid it completely, lest you be drawn in by the movie trailers, kpop, and cat videos. You will soon be moving into a dorm, the entire contents of your closet do not need to come along for the ride. Save yourself the space in your suitcase and donate your extra clothes to Goodwill. Studying. Get to it. Dorm room walls are thinner than you think. Remember that the next time you get that innate feeling to sing along to your favorite song at the top of your lungs. Oklahoma is not like your home country-er, state, Texas. Winter is going to be very different, with snow and wind that will freeze you to the bone. My advice, don't leave your big jacket at home. Finally, memorize this and please do not let it happen again: open laptops and open cups lead to spills and costly damages.

If I learned anything from college life, it's stuns me now to realize how much I've grown and wished more to embrace each moment. I would say to not only embrace each moment of college, but be prepared as well. Make sure you are not only having fun, but balancing fun with studies. I've seen too many students throw away money by living carelessly throughout college. Sorround yourself with the best people and lose touch with pushing yourself to your best ability. They say you are your own worst critic. Well, it's true. It's all a crazy balance of life. But trusting and loving those who have experienced the same troubles as you helps.

Going back to my senior year if I could give myself advice I would without a doubt taking studying more seriously because in college studying is so important. I also never took testing, state testing and the ACT seriously. In my opinion if I could go back in time and learn how to take test and how to prepare myself to testing that would help me succeed in college. I would also advise myself to practice time management. Time Management is one of the most unknown things among all incoming college students and yet it is one of the most important things to know. Taking testing more seriously, learning how to study and how to manage my time would be the three things I would advise myself to do if I could go back to my senior year.

The advice I would give myself as a senior in high school is first of all, learn to organize your time. I would tell myself to learn how to wake up to my alarm set at 8:30 am and actually get up instead of turning it off and laying down again. And if still can't do that, I would tell myself to not pick classes earlier than 10:00 am! Secondly, the times I would attend history 1302, I would say, "Please do not listen to music with your headphones on. You would actually learn something in class and get an A instead of a D." And the last thing I would tell myself is, "Audition for a play. Don't let the classes overwhelm you and not have anytime to enjoy your new friends. College is packed full of fun and we both know what fun to stay away from." That is what I would say to my senior self.

If I knew what I know now I would do a lot of things differently. I would have tried harder to make better grades and I would have cared more overall. I would tell my past self to not be so lazy and do what you got to do to make a better future for yourself and future family and life style.