University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

Take classes you hate early on... load up in the fall... work out more before hockey season.. take up golf earlier.

Apply for more colleges, apply for as many scholarships as you can, and study abroad! You are smarter than you realize, more resilient than you think, and can figure out how adapt to almost any setting. Take chances now by applying to the programs you really want to apply to no matter how far away from home they are. Take steps now to avoid paying off loans by applying for all those small and weird scholarships. Someone's got to win them, right? And be sure to study somewhere completely foriegn. This is the one thing you'll regret- not going abroad- and it's the one thing you could've made happen super easily. That's the thing about college- it's way easier to study abroad than people think. You just have to put yourself out there and apply.

If I had the opportunity to go back to my high school self, I would tell him that it will be a harder transition than he would ever imagine. Listen to your mother would be my first lesson. Every time she tells you that habits are hard to break and start working on good study habits, I would make sure that high school Austin listened. Living on campus allows for so much extra free time with no one reminding what needs to be done. I would have mastered getting up with an alarm clock and learning to prioritize and be efficient with time. College classes are harder and there is a need to understand how to be an independent learner; something I didn’t comprehend until experiencing my first semester in college. I thought I was much smarter than I actually am! I had no idea the amount of work that I would need to put into my studies. Overall, listen to your Mom when she says to learn to work harder, because you will need to practice it first to become an efficient and effective learner in college.

The transition between high school and college wasn't quite as easy as I thought that it would be. If I could I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself three things. First, I would tell myself to be confident and to remember that everyone else is just as nervous as I am. I would tell myself to be social and open to starting conversations in order to make many new friends. Next, I would tell myself that I shouldn't expect to be able to do all of the activities offered on campus. There is just no way to participate in every acticity that I want to and also get schoolwork done in a timely manner. Finally, I would tell myself that I need to care about my schoolwork and grades, but I can't stress about them. I would remind myself that the first semester of college is tough for practically everyone, and I shouldn't expect to ace all of my courses. I would tell myself that the most important thing is to put my best effort forward and not get discouraged.

There is a lot of good advice out there for incoming college freshman: Be yourself. Meet new people. Try new things. Get involved on campus. All are good strategies to navigate the craziness of college life. But why do we put ourselves through this craziness? Ultimately, we get a degree. If that were all, then the only advice needed would be to get good grades. But it's not. College is more than getting a degree. College gives you a place where you can learn how to live successfully in the "real world" without being directly in the "real world." College is a place where you are challeneged and grow to become the adult you arguably will be for the rest of your life. So live like it. Figure out how to be yourself in the world. Figure out how to balance work and play. Figure out why you believe what you believe. Make mistakes, but learn from them. Learn how to handle new people, new things, and new ideas. College is a journey towards endless possibilities. All the advice gives you means of travelling, but remembering the "why" gives you control over where you go.

As a senior, I had life all figured out. I maintained a 4.0 GPA and was in many clubs that padded my college applications. I've always been known for being a high achiever. As soon as someone tells me I can't do something, I set my sights and don't stop until I overcome that obstacle. I was set to attend the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in the fall. This would mean going from a school of 300 to 50,000. Many people doubted my decision to go to such a large school and that only fueled my desire to prove them wrong. I lasted just 10 days at U of M before realizing it wasn't for me. Luckily, I still had a spot for me at St. Thomas, the only other school I was considering. The adivce I would give the hard-headed person I was last year is that it's okay to take the path of less resistance. Just because I can handle the challenge doesn't mean I have to. I am overjoyed to be a student at St. Thomas now that I realized what I wanted from my school.

Through the value of growth, you will realize how important it is to make decisions, even when difficult, in order to do what is right for you, others, and your community. When you follow what you believe, you will achieve growth and success. You will begin to see these changes in many ways, some internal and some more concrete. First, you will be a better person when you make decisions that solidify your beliefs. This can be challenging when it means going against what others or society say in contradication. Through the process you will find confidence in yourself and your decsisions. Next, others will see the confidence you have, and they will come to you so that they can grow along side you and make a change in the world. Confidence is contageous. Finally, when you chose to serve your community and address a need, you may have to sacrifice self-serving desires but you will find fulfillment and this will benefit everyone involved, including yourself. Find out what you are passioante about, establish values, and live by them. Now, conluding 2014, you have achieved so much, and it has created a lens to see more opportunities to flourish.

Life gets rocky, but that's not something you don't know already. Obviously you know that perseverance allows hard work to have a greater meaning and purpose for life, but realize that continues on through college. Obviously you know that drama exists, but do you know that it will continue to exist even though college is all about maturation? I want you to recognize that college IS about changing, and maturing and finally growing into that person that you have always wished you could be. But, I also want to tell you that all the changes, all the differences between high school and college that seem as though they could knock you off your path, those changes are the ones you have to ebb and flow with. Fighting with the changes, giving up against the challenges and difficulties, that's when you'll lose your path. What I'm here to tell you is that if you surrender to the change, and work with the challenges to make you stronger, you'll make it through anything. You're strong now, but get stronger. Work harder, study longer, maintain relationships that mean the most to you; you'll make it.

If I could give advice to my high school self, I would say "lean in." I would urge myself to lean into everything that is college. If you get invited to go out to eat pizza with some students on your dormitory floor, lean into the conversation. Be present, be active and truely take an interest in them as individuals. I would tell myself to lean into community living. Although it is easier just to stick to what you know or who you know, leaning into the community on campus will be worth it when your closer friends aren't around. I would say lean into campus participation. Even if you don't know a single person in an on campus club or organization, join anyway! Connecting with people is really easy to do when you have something in common such as a passion for sports or a hobby. Last but not least lean into the career planning opportunities. Utilize mock interviews and internships. They are nerve racking and scary, but doing so relieves some of the stresses and pressures of graduation that are sure to arrive in your fourth year. Lean in Claire!

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself so many pieces of advice. First, and foremost, I would tell myself to stop worrying so much. I went through quite a bit of emotional stress and issues going in my freshman year of college because I stressed myself out to much. I would encourage myself to take it one day at a time and realize that everything will truly work out the way it is supposed to be. Secondly, I would tell myself that it is okay to not always have a clear, defined idea of what I am doing or who I am. College is about finding out who you are and what your passions are and sometimes you have to make a few mistakes, stumble, fall and get back up before things are clear. I would tell myself to take a deep breath and realize that I will constantly be changing, evolving and growing--and that's good. Lastly, I would tell myself to always follow my heart, no matter what. Your heart clearly can point you in the right direction in times of trouble.