Trinity International University-Illinois Top Questions

Hey there, 17-year-old me! When you came home today, there were two letters waiting for you on the kitchen table. You, being eager and hopeful, opened the larger one before you opened this. I don’t blame you, for that envelope contained the financial information of the college you dreamed of attending. Disappointed, you stared at the figures on the page and realized a new dream would have to take form. I know you’re scared to change your plans, but consider what philosopher Alan Watts once said: “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” Change is inevitable. Even just in these next two years that I have seen, you will experience an incredible amount of changes. Don’t be scared of change, but look at it as an opportunity to grow and become something you never could have imagined. Love your decisions, but don’t care if other people do. And don’t get too attached to that education major you’re planning on; 19-year-old you isn’t feeling it. Sincerely, Your older, more confident, and much-changed future self

When you go to college, go with discipline. Maintain a rigid sleep schedule, and never make tomorrow miserable by enjoying just a couple extra hours with friends. The "Eight-hour Club" is an elite group of students who get the right amount of sleep on a regular basis and are able to fully function every day at school, allowing them to thrive rather than merely survive. This way, you will learn more, get better grades, and get more done in less time and with less frustration of your efforts. Discipline is the key to doing well in college. The paradox is that the more disciplined you are in getting things done right away and in getting the sleep that you need, the more time you end up having for fun.

I would tell myself not to be afraid about the workload. Syllabus shock is a real thing, and starting as a freshman and looking at everything you need to take to graduate is terrifying, but once you start you realize how manageable it all is. I would also advise myself to make sure that I continue calling and talking to the people that I love, and rely on in times of crisis. Falling out of touch with these people has made it much harder to deal with emotional breakdowns and upheavel during this time. I would also tell myself that I don't need nearly as much stuff as I'd like to pack, and to make a real effort to value my health by making good food choices and working out to avoid gaining any freshman weight.

I was only 15 years old when i moved from Nigeria to United States of America. I had an accent and started high school as a junior in SSHS. With a very heavy accent I was scared, i had a lot of insecurities, When I walk through the hall way, I thought that everyone was judging me. By the time I was a senior nothing changed, I was able to make a friend but she died of Sickle Cell Anemia right before our high school greduation. That's when I decided to do something in medical filed in a way to give back and help people that needs my help. If I could go back to high school, to advice my high school self; I would tell myself to work harder. It doesn't matter where you come from, nor what kind of language you speak, nor what you look like. The only thing that matters is at the end, what happened with your life and what you could do to help others. I would advice her to dream louder, explore, discover and never give-up. Education and hard work is the key to success, and education is power.

I would tell myself to study hard - if this is what you want to do, stick to it and don't give up. People will support you either way and you should graduate with flying colors. Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't able to keep up the dream that you have. There will always be people that try to bring you down, but you have to tell yourself to keep moving on. To quote Albus Dumbledore - "It is our choices, Harry, that show us for what we truly are, far more than our abilities." That is something that you need to tell yourself every day. Don't give up!

There are many things I would tell my former self. Do not to get caught up in the glitz and glam of everything and to read the fine print. When I first got to school, I got so caught up by all the big things and living in the city that I forgot about the small things. For example, I forgot about class sizes, I forgot about holding a job, I forgot about saving money, I forgot about the cost tutition, and I forgot to study. Another thing I would tell my high school self is to be realistic with my goals and not try and rush through everything. Sometimes we are so eager to grow up and be done with school, that we actually forget to enjoy it. So take a breather and take classes you enjoy. You have four years of college and before you know it, you enter the real world, so enjoy every second of it. The last peice of advice I would give myself is to not only visit the college you plan on attending, but to email them. Make sure they treat you like a real person and not just a demographic.

Two words come to mind stay focus. Always put all your effort in anything you do and make the first attempt count. Never shy away from a challeneges and to always offer a lending hand to those in need regardless if you alone are unable to fully solve the situation. Be confident in yourself and trust in your abilities even when friends, family, and adminastartive instituters condemn or disaprove of your strengths because there nothing in this world is impossible only difficult. Last but not least, always stand up to peer pressure and follow your career goal even if you are deem by "so called" friends a nerd, geek, teachers pet, or otherwise.

Buckle down. I know that in high school you are not thinking to much about the future and what it will be like, and I know that you don't know what it is like to hold too much responsibility, but start buckling down now. In school study hard and listen to your teachers, believe it or not they actually know what they are talking about. You should also get a job, college is expensive. So listen to this advice and when you get to college don't waist all of your time doing things that don't help you grow for the future.

Don't be scared. It may seem like your whole world is changing-and to an extent it is-but change is not necessarily a bad thing. You will grow into a man of God through your time at Trinity and develop deeper relationships than you have ever known before. True, there will be a lot of work in your future at college, but you will be able to take it and thrive with His help. You will face other challenges with relationships and even some heart break along the way, but you will be stronger and better for it, I promise you. Always seek for a balance. Don't go overboard by having too much fun or by studying too much. Don't be too afraid to take risks. Get out of your comfort zone. Be brave. Be confident. Love yourself. God has made you! Take pride in that. Thank him. Believe He has a plan for your being here even if you don't understand it in the middle of the storm. Be strong and courageous and go forward into this new part of your life with boldness, with expectation, with hope!

If I could go back now as a freshman in college who had just completed his first semester of college and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself several pieces of advice. The first piece of advice would be to not focus on simply earning good grades while in high school, instead, I would tell myself to garner as much knowledge as I can in a particular class rather than attempting to gain the "A" in the class. Therefore, I would have been able to truly focus on getting the most out of my time while in that class. Oftentimes, I would sacrifice taking notes in class and paying attention to the teacher in class in turn for completing homework that I had not completed the previous night. Another piece of advice I would tell myself is to not procrastinate on applying for colleges and scholarships. Being more mature in meeting deadlines for applications and scholarships would have only helped in the long run since I would have saved myself the stress and weariness of typing up college and scholarship applications at the last minute. If only I knew then what I know now.