University of Notre Dame Top Questions

Going back in time, I would tell my high school self to find a number of clubs that highly interest me. This would have immediately exposed me to people who have at least one shared interest, which could easily become the foundation for a friendship. Had I done this earlier in my freshman year, I would have spent less weekends and meals alone. I also would have told my high school self to find some friends in my year in my dorm. This is especially important as one remains in the same small dorm at the University of Notre Dame for all four years. Having a network of friends in the dorm helps to reinforce the sense of commuity in dorm living, providing support for the transition to college life and throughout all four years of school.

1. Have an organized planner to schedule out your days. You should be able to wisely allocate your time between clubs, activities, homework, and study time. 2. Find a quiet room to study. Listening to music can actually divert attention away from studying and twoard the lyrics of the song. 3. Don't have access to cell phones or laptops when you study. These distractions are tempting to use when studying. 4. Write down what teachers say in class. Notes are very important for study materials. 5. Read the directions carefully. Understand the problem fully before you complete it. 6. Study with a group and study aloud. Vocal memory and memory formed in groups create stronger connections in the brain. 7. Don't cram during the night before the test because it is an ineffective way to build short-term memory. 8. Highlight key words and concepts to easily form mental connections based on the importance of the material. 9. Print out chapter outlines because they are helpful summaries of the reading material. 10. Read the chapters before class to keep up with the readings and to earn participation points.

First, I would give myself compliments and encouragement on the achievements I've accomplished. I didn't get a lot of recognition for my hard work and effort but I was fine with that. However if I could go back in time I would give encouragement because it is empowering to hear that someone believes in you. I would then tell myself to not stress out about silly things such as receiving A-'s on report cards. Any college would be happy to have me and I shouldn't doubt myself too much. Afterwards I would probably rave about Notre Dame and how much fun and different it is from high school. This would be to give hope that there is something to look forward to in the future. Then I would get on the subject of friends. I would tell myself to forget about the people who don't take the time to continue being friends and not to dwell too much time on being hurt by those people. I would have had a better summer if I wasn't worried about unnecessary drama. But I would advise myself to treasure and enjoy the moments with my true friends.

If I could talk to my high school senior self, I would say to stop thinking about college as another academic institution, and instead think about it as an experience instead. Now that I have finished my first semester at college, I've realized that college is less about the grades and the tests, and more about the people and experiences I have. The friends I've made and the friends I'm going to make in the next three years are going to be the ones I treasure after college has ended. Sure I need the good grades to ensure a career after college, but when I look back on these four years, I'm not going to remember that hard chemistry test or those problematic art history essays. Instead, I'm going to remember all the fun, crazy times with my friends, such as stealing trays from the dining hall to go sledding. If I could talk to my high school self, I would say pick a college that has the type of people you want to be around, because they are the ones who are going to make your college experience memorable.

The biggest piece of advice I would give myself as a high school senior is to remember my roots in everything that I do, but to do things I've never done before. I'm blessed with a loving family and parents that have always emphasized strong virtues, the value of family, hard work, humility, and a strong Catholic faith. I would implore my younger self to recognize these characteristics that my parents worked so hard to instill, and to maintain them throughout my college career. At the same time, I would ask my high school self to not be afraid to be uncomfortable, to understand that the world is an enormously rich and diverse place, and to explore it. I think I was too timid my first few semesters; I would urge my younger self to get to know new cultures, to study abroad, to take hard classes, to make friends who don't have the same views as me, and to have more fun, all while remembering my family daily, keeping my faith strong, and staying humble. I'd emphasize that I can keep what my parents tought me, but also be bolder and more adventurous in college.

Dear High School Robyn, I never thought I would say this, but your teachers were wrong. The college professors, that i have encountered so far, are helpful. They work with you as long as you work withthem. Another thing to keep in mind, is the people in college are a lot more welcoming than the ones in high school. You should take AP classes and get those out of the way for college. College homework takes DAYS not hours, so make sure to work on time management. Professors do not tell you when things are due, therefore, stray away from the habbit of teacher dependence. College is filled with a lot of different people, and I know you will like that. I promise that you will love college! Yours Truely, Robyn Craig

There is not enough time in the world to do all of the things you want. It is all about time. How you use it, how you manage it, and how much you waste. You could spend all the time in the world loafing off, slacking on homework, and putting back studying, but that's the only reason you fall behind. Once you fall behind, catching up becomes the main issue and we both know that isn't a fun game to play. After making all the mistakes in the world during Freshman year of college, I'm now putting in every strand of effort to make up for lost time. The thing is... if I had known how serious college was, how terrifying it is to fall behind, and how worrying a low GPA could be, I would NEVER HAVE slacked off. Although I'm focused and ready now, Ive been through too much struggle and had to solve too many problems. Make it easier on yourself past me... just stay focused on your goal. If you truly want to achieve your dream with a smooth ride, take the time to manage your time.

May 10 was the day I moved out of Cavanaugh Hall at Notre Dame after finishing my freshman year. It was also the day I realized that life is short and time has a way of absolutely flying. If I could go back and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell her several things. Of course, I would stress the importance of AP exams for college credit, and urge her to keep up with activities. But most importantly, I would tell her to enjoy every moment. It didn’t hit me until I was putting on my prom dress two days before graduation that that was really it – the end of high school, and good-bye to life as I had previously known it. I would tell myself that these are the memories to be cherished always, and to fully experience them as they are happening. From receiving my diploma at graduation, to driving away from my house with all my belongings packed into an SUV, to meeting the girl who would become my best friend at Notre Dame – I would encourage myself to cherish every one of these moments on the road to growing up.

Organize yourself as well as possible before your freshman year in college. Take your senior year as an opportunity to sharpen your time mangement skills before learning the hard way.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to change my attitude and my priorities. First, my attitude, in high school, was that of intolerance and self-centeredness. I expected to do things my way when I started college, and living with a roommate was a burden, and, thus, our freshmen year was a burdenin terms of our living experiences. Second, although my priorities included excelling as a student, I should have taken into consideration that I needed to take care of myself better. This would have included getting enough sleep, undertaking academic challenges I could more easily handle, and saying no to people. Recognizing limitations has been my biggest challenge as an undergraduate student, and, although we often like to blame an entity such as our school, I must admit that it was my fault I had a rough transition those years ago. Once I settled in as a sophomore, I really enjoyed school and appreciated the learning experience.