Saint Martin’s University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Saint Martin’s University know before they start?

Christopher

In high school I wish I would have started filling out registration forms and scholarships in the very begging and not waiting last minute. With my family not having a lot of money I Just expected that I would attend the local community college so I didn't fill out University registration work as soon as I should have done. I did fairly well in high school graduating with a 3.6 GPA. I also earned my Eagle Scout Award in 2008 from the Boy Scouts of America and I participated in the National Honor Society. I almost gave away a University experience but thankfully I was able to get my act together and turn in my paper work. Learning from my experience on move in day to the dorms i set up an interview for a work study job to help balance some of the costs of college. I got the job in the finance company to help balance some of the costs. I'm now trying to plan ahead knowing classes will become more difficult to hopefully earn some scholarships to help lift the burden of high college expenses and study for school.

Mackenzie

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to start filling out scholarships as soon as possible. I would fill out more college applications to all schools I was interesed in and not rely on my parents as much. I would convince myself that taking ceramics instead of chemistry will help in the long run. I would tell myself to work hard but make time for fun because in college you need to study to get good grades and there is no time to slack off.

Katherine

The most important advice I could ever give myself is to go with my gut feeling. Going from high school to living in the college dorms was a huge transition which was really hard for me at first. In college you are faced with many more options and tempations, having no parents to restrict you. I feel that if you really listen to your gut feeling then you can make positive choices throughout college that will lead to a successful college career.

Kayla

The first thing I would do is start applying for more scholarships and grants to help offset the cost of College . I would go to every College and ask what the class sizes are and check out all sports programs that I was interested in . Then once I had decided on the school I would attend I plan my overnight visit to make sure that I would be happy there .Then break up with my boyfriend . I would then start enjoying College life and making new friends on campus .

Brittany

Dont slack! This time is one of the most important times of your life. What you do now will effect you a lot in the next few months. The transition from high school to college is by no means easy. In high school you are constantly babysat and followed to make sure you are completing the tasks at hand. Where as college you must be an adult, no one is here to tell you to go to class or to turn an assignment in. Realize how important this part of your life is, become serious about your responsibilities. This is the time where you figure out who you want to become, what it takes to become that person, and then become that person. Keep your head in the game, and always do the best you can. When you look back on your life you will never regret a moment of making yourself the best person you could be, everyday.

Ninalynn

My advice for myself as a high school senior would go something like this: "You have the choice to be who you are. If there is one life lesson you will witness through your college career, it is that people are responsible for themselves. You are going to feel so strongly about this, that it will annoy, frustrate, and upset you to no end, because people don't realize it. People are always trying to blame others when something doesn't turn out a certain way. This college that you chose, you chose for a reason, even though you were accepted to several other academically-challenging institutions. You're going to have doubts, but you need to decide what you think is best for yourself. Your future fiance--he also chose this same school for a reason, for himself. It is true that he could have gone to a far more prestigious institution, and all of your friends think it's silly he's going to the same school with you, but it isn't your decision to make. So whenever you're unhappy, remember that you need to decide that being happy is where you'd rather be."

Angela

If I could speak with myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply for more financial aid in the form of scholarships. I would also say to just act naturally and socialize with different types of people. Most importantly, I would suggest studying a larger variety of subjects. Since I mainly focused on humanities courses, I feel like I missed out on a lot of the science and mathematics field. Beyond these things, I would not change anything about how I acted and what I did when I came to college. As for the transition, there were not very many difficult things to adjust to.

Tanya

I would tell my self to not worry so much on transitioning into college and to just have fun. To Enjoy my college life and to also make sure that I get all my homework done as well as enjoy my social life on campus. I would make sure i know that when you start college you start a new beginning of your life which will be the start of the rest of your life :-)

Amber

You have so much going for you! Don't EVER think you are not going to have chances because so many amazing and wonderful things happen to you in your first semester! You are going to meet some amazing teachers and one of them will become your mentor. I can safely tell you that you are going to become your own person and you will find your way through some hard times; you will be better because of it. Keep writing everyday because eventually you'll be a part of something bigger than yourself. Stay true and fly with your own wings.

Katie

I would give students and parents the advice to fully check into each school before making a decision. I would recommend visiting each school during the day and at night. Sometimes schools are completely different during the day and night. Most schools have overnight stays in which you can really get a view on how the school is. You need to also take into consideration the surrounding areas of the school. Keep in mind the city in which the school is located because this can have a huge impact on how the school will be. I would also say to look into reviews online to see what others have to say about your school of interest. While visiting it would be nice to ask students their opinions of the schools. Ask them if they would go here if they could go back in time as well as their likes and dislikes about the school. Choosing a college to go to is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life so be sure to really think over your decision before choosing one for sure.