Baylor University Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Rosemary

I wish someone would have told me that finding friends in college takes time. I got there and expected to click with people automatically, but it took quite a while for me to make friends with people and trust them. Even when I did, friendships still take time to form and strengthen. My friendships had to go through a few things for me to figure out which ones were true and which ones weren't. If I were to give advice on this subject to an incoming freshman, I would tell them that the most important thing is to remain true to yourself. This means not changing who you are for the sake of fitting in with certain people. This also means staying true to what you believe in. If you believe acting a certain way is right or wrong, don't change that just to fit in. Stay true to you and I promise you will find people who will love to be around you and will be your friends for a really long time.

Ingrid

Texas weather

William

The biggest piece of advise that I would give to my High School self would be, "Dont let the cost of Baylor discourage your decision of education." For the longest time, I failed to fully commit myself to Baylor due to its high tuition costs. However as I began to realize the great atmosphere taht surrounded Baylor, it became more prevalent that it was the only choice for me. Yes, I do have some student loans, but it is a cost I can live with.

Miranda

That all of my scholarships wouldn't come through and I would be drowning in debt when I graduated. Also if you want to be challenged in your beliefs, don't go to a school where everyone thinks like you.

Danielle

As the academic chair of the Baylor Transfer Council, I advise new transfers to create a very thorough, yet reasonable schedule. In it, include studying prior to class to better engage in discussion and deepen understanding in every subject - as no learning is wasted. I warn against taking on unsuited extracurriculars and wasting precious hours practicing wrought memorization, while I encourage engaging in study, searching for deeper meaning and applicability, asking questions, and forming study groups with serious classmates in order to learn from differing viewpoints. And finally, bring rain boots. That all would have been advantageous knowledge to me.

Samantha

I wish I would have known how hard the transition was going to be. I came to Baylor expecting college to be like the movies, and in some ways it was, but mostly not. I somehow expected myself to have all these friends, to make the best grades, and to have flawless skin. Currently my grades are the only thing I have gotten right. It was such a shock, but I have definitely grown from it. I wish I would have not expected so much from myself. I only needed to be myself to be happy.

Kaelyn

I wish I would have known how hard the science classes can be here.

Kaitlin

I wish I had known that it wasn't as scary as I expected it to be. I was terrified of it up to and on the day of move-in-day. However, the people are so welcoming and most are just as new as you are. It's not scary. It's new, but great.

Lauren

School is tough academically, but it is also very fun. I wish I had been more outgoing as a freshman. I am now involved in welcome week, a program that allows freshman to get to know one another the week before school starts. I help them deal with issues they face while being freshman and being in a new place. I also encourage them to get to know one another, be involved in social activities, and have fun, all while being responsible students.

Sidney

I wish i would have known how much fun i would be allowed to have. I came into the year thinking it would be all work and no play and it took me a while to realise that Baylor has some amazing people and things to offer.

Ryan

I knew how to prioritize and manage my time, but I did most of it through out the course of each day. It would have been a plus if I had practiced planning things in advance prior to my college experience. That way I would have left less room for error and more preparation for it.

Walta

Stop worrying! Before entering college, I was so anxious about so many things ie meeting new friend, getting new professors, doing well in my classes. Now that I'm actually here, experiencing everything, I feel relieved. I do wish I knew that the reality shock of being so far away from home won't hit you till about two weeks in to your first semester. Initially, I felt home sick but after awhile I made some friends and forgot about being homesick. Time flew by so fast that I didn't even realize I was done with my first semester!

Jessica

I wish I would have known how cold it gets in Waco before coming here. I knew that it is typically colder than my former home in Houston, however it is not what I expected, and now that the winter is here, I am not prepared with my current wardrobe.

Naedean

I wish I would have known just how expensive Baylor Really comes out to. I had to take out an extra $2500 in loans than I had expected. It was worth it though. I wish I would have known how to independently. That would have definately helped the GPA situation. Most of all I wish I would have know just how Christian everything is. This school does not mess around when it comes to their faith. They are accepting of all people, but reamain unwaving in their Baptist morals.

Ashley

The Unversity selection process for roommates leaves much to be desired as does the entire housing department. While the academics are excellent, the housing arrangements are inferior. The rooms and buildings themselves are okay, but the housing is crowded and administrators do not do a good job of matching roommates nor resolving conflicts. Students are simply expected to endure difficult or seemingly impossible situations. When the cost of financing education depends on maintaining scholarships and grades, sleep is essential. The housing department seems to have no understanding of this and is an eyesore to this otherwise fine University.

Candrea

I wish I had known that there is no reason to buy textbooks for every single class because some teachers lecture from powerpoints.

Keisha

i wish i had known that all the athletes get special treatment. they get to basically do whatever they want around campus with no consequences . i also would have liked to know that only athletes can get full tution scholarships to attend baylor.

Kristen

I wish I had known that it rains a lot in Waco, Texas. Everyone should always carry an umbrella to class!

Lindsey

How easy it is to meet new people. Before I went to Baylor, I was worried that it would be hard to make friends, but Baylor did an excellent job of helping freshman transition into college life.

Abby

I wish I had known how hardt the work load was because, even though its not too hard, it is still harder than I expected and I wasn't adequetly prepared. Also, I wish I had known more about the traditions of Baylor. Lastly, I wish I knew more about the dining hall food becasuse when I cam to visit the food tasted a lot better than it does now that I actually go here because when all the students come visit they hire special cheifs (although the food here really isnt too bad.)

Lainey

I wish that I would have known exactly what I wanted to major in.

Sydney

About the various opportunities for aid financially. Baylor focuses on the SAT, therefore it would be a good idea to get started early and to be sure that you do well. The university super scores, so it shouldn't be too hard,

Patrick

I wish I had known more about the mission statement. The mission statement is awesome, and it really tells you a lot about the character of each university. when colleges feel like they're starting to blend together, the mission statement is what sets each of them miles apart.

Lauren

I wish I had known that the key to roomate success was having the same sleep schedule.

Christine

I wish that I had known how to ask for help. This university offers a diverse selection of resouces. Those resources require the students to gather the courage to first accept the help. Whether the help is for economic assistance, emotional support, or a ride to class while recovering from an injury, it is all available to those who ask. It took me a year at Baylor to learn to accept the support of others. I have learned that while independence is an imperative life skill, the ability to ask for help can allow one the luxury of independence later.

Carole

I wish I had known that Waco Texas was a very small town. Coming from Los Angeles, California, and also taking into consideration that I had never visited the campus before attending, I was in very much a culture shock with everyone being so pious and the Waco community being so small.

Jay

I feel like I knew enough about everything I really needed to. Everything else, I figured out pretty fast.

Jaypee

this school is more on the conservative side.

Elizabeth

I wish that I had known exactally what major I wanted when I came to school.

Paul

I wish I had known the difficulty in finding a place to park on campus. Those slots are limited.

Nicholas

I wish I had known how difficult it could be living away from home. Adjusting, even at a wonderful place like Baylor, is very difficult and not something that you can really study for like a class. That's why I'm glad I visited campus during my senior year of high school. I shudder to think about how difficult it would have been if I had not felt comfortable then.

Kelsey

I wish I had known how expensive my books were going to be so I could save up.

Chelsey

I wish I had known how to get involved in activities sooner.

Quinton

I wish I would have known how to manage my time a little more wisely and to surround myself with people that had similar positive interests.

Joshua

I wish I had known more about the different majors my school offered so that I could have made a more informed decision about what to study.

Stevie

I wish I would have known more about what classes I would be taking as an undergrad and more about what that looked like.

Shaney

How much money would be spent on non-school related stuff.

Felice

I wish I had known how much it takes to go to Baylor. For example, how much money it takes attend Baylor, how much concentration it takes to stay ahead in my classes in order to keep my scholarships, and how much maturity it takes to live on my own.

Monica

I wish I would have known to not take too much time socializing with friends and focus more on school work, high school is full of second chances and third chances.... etc. But in college things are based mostly on exams and few second chances are given.

Andy

That there is multiple ways to get invovled here. Make sure you get involved. I knew what I wanted to be involved with and it has helped me academically and socially during my time at Baylor.

Lauren

I wish I would have known that a lot of my education that I received would had to be self taught. I taught myself a lot of the information that I learned because I only had a few education teachers that actually gave me any assistance. I wish I would have known about more scholarship programs and offers also.

Lesslie

Money! This school is very expensive, but worth for what you're paying.

brieanne

I wish i had known that the spanish department is not as terribly difficult as all the students say it is and that the books from the bookstore are significantly more expensive than ones that you can buy offline.

Samantha

I wish I would have known more about the dining hall hours. They aren't open for long periods of time on the weekend.

Luis

I wish I knew earlier that everyone here from the students, to the faculty and more they are all nice and genuine people; if I knew this I would have no second thoughts about coming here.

Denise

I wish I had known that Waco is small. Baylor is a great University but living in Waco leaves alot to be desired. There's not much to do in Waco as far as professional sports teams, operas, shows, dining. It would've been awesome if Baylor were in San Antonio. Despite that, I am very satisfied with Baylor and will finish my education here.

Jessica

How out of place you can feel if you do not have extra cash often.

Claire

I wish that I had been made aware of the enduring and distinct character that sets apart each university - especially in respect to Baylor, which is widely known as a Christian institution, but rarely conveys the pervasiveness of this characteristic to prospective students. In many ways, universities attempt to give a general sense of their school's defining facets to visitors and applicants, but it would have been especially useful if the university representatives were especially out-right about Baylor's commitment to maintaining and enforcing Christian values.

Thomas

I wish I had known how much I would ove it. I was so worried my senior year of high school. I worried about how unprepared I was and how different it was going to be. I had no reason to worry. I feel so welcome here at Baylor! The people here are amazing and the classes r invigorating. While they are hard sometime,I know that I can always find someone to help me for just about anything. I had no reason to worry, and I am extremely glad I came.

Neiry

Throughout my high school teachings there was never a great amount of emphasis on how much outside work we should put into our studies to be prepared for college, which is something I wish I would have known before coming. Much more reading and note-taking is needed for a successful academic life within this school like many others as well.