Taylor University Top Questions

Just relax and enjoy high school. Although the work is important in preparing for college, the stress that students are under in pushing themselves so hard is countreproductive to their preparation. The social aspects of college are in some ways just as important as the academics and I could have developed this aspect of my life better in high school.

The first thing I would relay is don't dread the process. All those applications, whether online or paper-form, need to be considered carefully. I would also tell myself to trust my parents and learn from their mistakes as well as their accomplishments. The reason I ended up at Taylor was my dad; he literally dragged me here when I had my heart set on another college in Michigan. Next, I would tell myself to enjoy the campus visits and pay attention to student interaction with the staff and with eachother. If the attitudes of people on the campus, even just the few that you meet, don't mesh well with your beliefs or even your personality, think hard before seriously considering living there for the next four years of your life. Also, though it might have annoyed me at the time, the more campus visits the better. It was easier for me to make a sure decision when I literally had about 10 other college visits to compare with it. Last of all, I would tell myself trust my gut. When I get that feeling, that pull on my heartstring and hear "this is home", GO FOR IT!

Meg, you are a little overconfident right now. You've been accepted to college, and are anticipating that these next 4 years will be the best of your life. You're assuming that you'll get along with your roommate, focus on school, meet a quality guy to date, stop making mistakes, etc. I'd like to tell you right now that this picture you have in your mind is wrong. You and your roommate will not get along, you will be distracted, lonely and worried often, it will be years before you date the guy you are looking for, and you will continue making mistakes. I'm not telling you this to instill 'fear' - I'm telling you this so you can expect failure. Expect disappointment. Expect darkness. College is not all sunshine and daisys; it will be wavy and you're going to have to learn to stand up against the waves. That's how we grow. Be open to that growth and be open to the joy that comes amid trials and heartache. Have confidence that these things all happen for a reason, and try not to waste time worrying about your failures. Accept, learn, and cherish.

Prepare for a roller coaster. College will not only be the best times of your life, but sometimes will be your worst. Remember your inner strength and have an open enough mind to learn from your experiences. And don't worry so much!

I would love to advise my high school self in two specific areas: 1) relationships with females, and 2) reading. First, high school seems like such a blur at this point and it seems that none of the friendships or relationships with females during that time have had any posative effects on me. I definitely wasted my time building meaningless relationships that I knew were not going anywhere beneficial. Now that I am in college, I have many relationships with females, and one in particular, that are spurring me on towards love and good deeds. I should have learned to build those meaningful relationships while in high school. Second, I have nurtured a genuine love for reading and digging deeper in the learning process. However, I have found that I had so much more time to do so in high school, whereas now my time is squelched in learning the surface material. If I had read more during high school, I would have covered a lot of the material that I aspire to learn with the time I was alotted, resulting in more time for deeper learning now. If only I could go back and advise myself in these areas...

I would tell her to focus more and learn the material more throughly. Don't be afraid to ask people for help. College is a change and you won't come out that same way you came in, and that is okay. You should be open to the change.

Make suare you feel like you would fit in at the college. It is very important to be able to connect with other students and have a great group of friends to rely on.

Throughout high schoo, there is always so much to do. Once you've taken your ACT's or SAT's, high school seems to speed up without you even knowing it. My best advice would be not to wait, and start looking at colleges early. Learn everything you possibly can about them, and maybe try an over-night stay or a campus tour. The more you know about the school is really going to help you out in the end. Really take a look at what interests you the most and maybe even make a chart. Write down all the things you need to have in your University, and things that are negotionable. When it comes to your education and how you spend the rest of your life, there isn't a price you can put on it. Make the next four years the start to your life.

College should not just be about finding a school that will give you the best education, although that is important. I have discovered that college, more than anything, is a place where I have the freedom and safety to discover who I am and what my purpose in life is. So far, I have spent my life preparing to discover who I truely am. My parents have contributed to this, and I am extremely grateful for everything they have done for me. The best thing a student can do is go to college and discover who they are and what they are meant to do. Parents, the best thing you can do is to let them. It's a time of trial and error, and while it might be the most frustrating time in life, it is also the most rewarding. College is not something that should be taken lightly. Not to be cliche, but it is a life-changing decision. I don't think that rewards can come without risks, and heading off to college is a risk that may give you the biggest reward of your life.

Look at a lot of different colleges and what they have to offer. See if you can talk to students currently at the school and in your proposed degree program to see what they think of the school. Once you get to college get involved. People who are involved tend to make friends faster and get adjusted to being in college sooner. Don't spend all your time studying and doing homework, make sure you leave time for a social life. Live in the dorms. There are so many great experiences you won't have if you don't live on campus. Be yourself, don't make yourself someone you're not to make friends, it'll only make it harder to fit in.