Eastern Illinois University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Megan

Dear Megan, I know you think life is tough, but don’t worry! Everything will soon get much harder. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” will become your mantra in college as soon as you figure how to “get going” you’ll love it! Speaking of love, wearing your heart on your sleeve isn’t a bad thing; however, don’t give it to the first person who notices you. He does not appreciate your worth like he claims. There is a man that sees the best in you and he’s just as excited to meet you as you are to meet him, so don’t be afraid of becoming the stereotypical crazy single lady with twenty cats. Keep an understanding perspective when it comes to your best friends. Eventually, all of you will branch apart and form bonds with other people and before you know it, you’re strangers. Remember it is no one’s fault, priorities, and people, change after high school. Never worry about having regrets. You’ll work too hard and have too little time to fathom the concept of regret. Welcome change. Life would be boring without it. Love, Your Self

Lauren

I would tell senior year Lauren that even though people seem to be your best friend now, does not mean they will be in a year or two. Senior year, I lost one of closest friends to rekindle a friendship with my "best friend." The close friend left me due to not liking the other girl and we started to hate each other. At the time, I did not care because I thought my best firend and I would be friends forever. That changed one night, she told me she did not want to be my friend anymore and that I was a horrible person. I was devested. I went and talked to the close friend again and rekindled our friendship and we stayed friends and kept the past in the past. I am glad because just a few days ago, that close friend passed away in a tragic accident. I regret leaving her for my suposed "best friend", but we rekindled our friendship and everything was great when she passed away. Senior year Lauren needs to know though only a handful of high school friends will stay in her life, and they are the people she will least expect.

emily

I would tell my high school self to not care so much about what people think of me and to not give into the drama. My time in high school was drama filled and I cared way too much about what people thought of me. I hated my four ears of high school because I was constantly dealing with drama. I would also tell high school self to have a better social life. I was a competative dancer so I didn't have much time to do things other than dance. I regret not having much time to spend with my friends.

Ashley

When graduating high school, it seems like nothing could top those four years that you spent with your "best friends". You feel like you've really grown up and become your own person, but don't let that attitude keep you from really experiencing college. High school is great, and you will always be able to come home and relive those memories, but college is when you fully learn who you are. You learn what it is like to live on your own and resolve problems on your own without your parents, and where you will meet your true best friends. Your best friends becomes the people you literally spend every waking and sleeping moment with, and who all live within walking distance. When you go to college, go with an open mind, willing to learn new things, meet new people, and broaden your horizons. If you go in with a closed mind, you're going to miss out and regret so much. Open up and welcome new experiences, because the four years you spend in college are the four years that you're seriously going to look back on and wonder how you let slip past you so quickly.

Patrick

The idea of going back in time to talk to my previous self is a thought that I have entertained many a time through my adult life. When I was 18 I was in a whirlwind and completely unprepared for what was going to happen in my life, more worried about playing sports than truly pondering my future education. I would tell myself never to give up something until you complete it; because I gave up on basketball halfway through my freshman year of college even though I had been awarded a full scholarship to play. The other thing I would tell myself is to maintain your present relationships but not to let a current romantic relationship make decisions that are so life altering so early in life. This girlfriend is not worth sacrificing your collegiate life over. Finally I would tell myself to really buckle down on your grades, I am currently digging myself out of the hole I put myself in when I was 19 years old. Focus get it done right the first time, never give up, and never let someone else dictate your life. The most important being NEVER GIVE UP or you live with regret!

james

They all say hind sight is 20/20, and boy is it. I would most defintaly have a long drawn out conversation with myself. I may have to yell because chances are my former self would not be listening. A few quick notes would be stay awake!, take things more seriously you have the rest of your life to have fun which is much easier to do with a career that enjoy instead of a job that you despise. Dont be afraid to presue a career in something that you enjoy despite of backlash from your peers. there is another old cliche that sounds corny but may be true "find a job you enjoy and you will never work a day in your life". While this may sound like a strecth you may never know if you dont go for it. And lastly i know a few more years of school now seem daunting and like a slow form of torture it will be much easier now than ten years down the road. Get through the "hard" times now and you can spend the rest of your life with a smile on your face and no regrets in your mind.

Bridget

"Bridget, this is you 4 years later. There are some things you need to know before you embark on this journey". What would the wise self tell my 18 year -old self? I would tell myself 3 things. Advice number one: get an internship. The fact that I had no real experience after I graduated really affected me when it came time to find a job. Make sure you get as much internship experience as you can! It sounds so simple but yet so immensly important. Advice number two: don't forget about your family and friends. I really strained some of my most important familial relationships thanks to selfish perspective I had in college. Yes, college is about you and your education but do not act surprised when your those relationshiops have turned distant and cold. Future self advice number three: college will be the best time of you life. Do not start the countdown to graduation. Believe it or not, your college years will be filled with one worry: grades. Post-graduation your worries will include everything from job performance stress to learning how to file taxes. Enjoy the best time of your life!

elizabeth

I would give my self the advice of allowing the myself to first enjoy high school and the time I had there. Then I would say tell myself that I need to relax and not worry about my grades as much. I would tell myself that everything is going to be okay and I will have a future once I graduate from this college. Also, I would tell myself not to choose the major I did @ Eastern becuase even though it was easy, it did not lead me anywhere after I graduated. I would allow myself to also choose a major such social work with a B.A. I would also give myself the advice of trying to get to know more people @ Lincoln and Eastern. I feel that I did not broaden myself enough while I was there.

Nicole

I would start with pay attention your senior year. Slacking in your high schools years may not seem bad while you'r doing it but if i can take it all back now I would pay more attention then I ever did. Also going into college your teachers dont force you to do your classwork nor homework. You do it if you want to and if you dont you get a zero, no excuses. If you want to be in class you go to class, if not its your choice. Your teacher is no longer your baby sitter, you are now entering a different world were you learn how to be an adult and do things on your own. A very exciting expirience if you ask me!

Sarah

I would tell myself this: don't worry so much about fitting in! Little did my seventeen-year-old self know, one of the hardest things I would have to face in college was not the difficult workload but learning to fit into the social dynamics of a school attended mostly by people from Chicago or small-town Illinois who had their own culture and way of doing things; being from a DoDDS school in South Korea, I was used to bumping elbows with people from a diverse variety of backgrounds and was unprepared for being excluded by some groups of people because I am "just not from around here," as a friend of mine put it, and did not grow up with the same social customs as many people from this school have. Being different is fine, but being excluded because of your differences is hard. I would assure myself that all was not lost, that it is a fact of life that I won't jibe with everyone and that sooner or later, I would find people with whom I fit in, a group in which I would find myself as comfortable as an egg in its shell.

krysten

I would tell myself, that I really need focus on which college would have benefited myself. And not just stay in town because of a boy, that I had to do whats best for me. And also had better resources and scholarships.

Douglas

I would say earn more money so i wouldnt have to struggle.

Michelle

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that college is really a means to an end. I would tell myself to work harder because it doesn’t get any easier. To better my study habits and to start looking for scholarships sooner. Because, I do know one thing; although it does factor in, finding a way to finance your education is no harder than getting accepted into a good university. I wish I had known it was gonna be hard to really be able to pay for the rest of your life. If you go to college and study a for a good career, although its not guaranteed, you will get a better job with better pay to fully secure the rest of your life. You have greater options at hand to decide where you want to be in life and not just where you got stuck being because you didn’t desire to put the time in to study a little more and get a college degree.

Camille

I would tell myself that staying fit and active in organizations are two of the most critical components while enrolled in college. Whether you are involved in different activities in school such as sports, clubs, or organizations, staying on your feet keeps the stress off and makes school more enjoyable. This is important because if you're eating right, staying involved, and getting an appropriate amount of rest, believe it or not, it does affect your grades greatly. If you practice healthy habits as a senior, you are likely to carry these good habits with you into college. Your body and brain need well balanced structure in order to function properly. A healthy lifestyle is important in school so that you will have more energy and be focused during lectures. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle in school, you will have the stamina and the energy to perform all your activities throughout the day without falling asleep. Also, make sure you set goals for yourself transitioning into college. By setting goals, this gives you something to look forward to and a sense of accomplishment when you complete these goals. Keep a strong head on your shoulders and you will excel.

Tammy

i want to make big for myself, i learned some new things in life.

Kayla

If I were able to go back and give myself any advice for transitioning into college I would tell myself to learn how to manage my time. Time management plays a big part anywhere but especially in college. I did not have the best time management in high school and that carried over into college. My first semester was smooth because I was still getting adjusted to the college life and the campus. However second semester was when I began to get involved and my priorities got mixed up. On our campus we have a service where you meet with someone and they can help you fill out a weekly schedule where you put down everything that you do on a chart and you can see it all at once. This has helped me so much with balancing classes, homework, meetings, and even my sleep schedule. When students get to college they may become overwhelemed with their newfound freedom, so this service is very helpful for anyone at any stage in their college life.

Katherine

If I could give myself on word of advice on college and the transition, I would probably tell myself to relax and just breathe. The first couple of weeks are going to be rough but as soon as you make friends inside and outside of your classes college will be the best time of your life. I would make sure I understand that I have to work hard senior year in order to recieve scholarships to help pay for my education. I am paying for college on my own and even though times are rough I have really been able to appreciate my education much more than I ever had before. I know I was scared being a senior and I thought I was on top of the world. I definetly had a reality check when I left home but if I could go back and tell myself this I know I would have a better college experience.

Markie

I will not be a senior till next year, but if I could go back and talk to myself as a freshman and sophmore I would have changed one thing and that would have been my focus on my grades. I could have done so much better than I did but I just wasnt thinking about my future. But this year I am doing alot better with my grades.

Seanique

If I knew then what I know now I would have gone into the medical field and the Navy. I would have been able to not only travel but opened my mind up to different learning experiences while still young.

Jessica

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself this: aspire to do what makes you happy, not what others expect you to do. Do more of the volunteer-activities you wanted to do all along, don't worry about leading the newspaper so much--that was a good leadership experience for you, but it's not something you wanted to do, it's something others made you fall in to. Never stop trying, everything is going to work out in the long run, and the things you are doing now are all going to add up in the long run. Those long after school tutoring sessions seem pointless but they are actually going to lead you to want to become a teacher. The dual-credit and AP classes are all going to be worth something. Everything you are doing now is worth it, just change your attitude. College may seem expensive from where you're at but people are going to help you along the way. People believe in you, just don't forget to believe in yourself.

Jordan

I would tell myself to go out and try new school activities, such as the clubs. Clubs are good for your resume and for making new friends. I didn't try out for any of the clubs and now I joined two and I am having so much fun.

maria

I would tell myself to stay one extra semester and get my teaching certificate. Going back to school at 40 with three kids is a challenge, to say the least.

Alexandra

Visit every college you are considering. Decide if you want to go to a small or large school. Does your college have your interests? What is there to do in town?

Thamar

When I first walked into my first class at college, I was completely in utter shock. I had no idea what was in store for me for my college experience. The rules were different, the tests were much harder, and I was basically on my own. No one was there to hold my hand anymore. What I got out of my college experience was that I was forced to grow up. There was no time to play around and I had to take school very seriously. I had to make that transition from a high school student to a college student in a quick amount of time. Even though I do like to have fun and enjoy myself with my friends, school has to come first. Once that is taken care of, I was free to do whatever came my way. So in forcing myself to grow up and take responsibilities for myself is what I have quickly adapted to in college. College is very valuable to attend because my success in college determines what my future looks like. If I would like a good career in the future, my goal is to finish college and obtain a degree(s).

Thomas

College has always been an unfathomed goal of mine since I started school. In my family, I am the only one that even considered the thought of college. My parents always praised my academic progress, but never intervened to help me make the transition from high school to college. As a result, I've become independent and confident that every college experience I have is because of my hard work. These experiences, from attending my community college to attending Central Washington University, have given my thousand life lessons and tought me what I didn't know about myself. These experiences have shaped my life to make me more self-dependent and understand why I think the way I do. This is more valuable to me than any possession or even any lesson I learn at college. If I can't learn to understand myself and who I'm about, than any future I have would be a wasted one. That's why I have to continue to attend college. To discover more about myself thereby ensuring an understanding of where I'm going.

nayibe

I believe that the college experience is important because all of us need the education to be able to be somebody. Also, it shows you that you have to work really hard to be able to get your degree. I t is valuable to attend becuase if the person really wants the profession they apply to the college and university experience shows you that we have to study for ourselves not for anybody else.

Nicholas

The greatest thing that I have taken from my college experience is a better understanding of who I am as a person and what I want to do with the rest of my life. Through a series of trial and error, I have discovered my greatest passions and interests and have grasped a fundamental purpose for myself within society as a whole. I have also made strong friendships with people that I might have never known had I not attended Eastern, and expect that these friendships will be lifelong. These friendships that I have made are truly valuable because they have helped strengthen my own character as well as allowed me to grow as an individual.

Taylor

I have gotten so much out of my college experience even though I have only attended college for one semester. I love that you get to pick what you love to do, then pick classes that revolve around that. It makes the classes so much more rewarding and you as a student so much more involved. Also there is so many oppurtunites to do so much. There are intermeral sports, greek life, academic clubs, and dorm activities at least once week. With all these options, come so many oppurtunities to meet people. I have met so many people while being in college, and am so happy with the decision that I have made to go away.

Kayla

I cannot imagine my life today without my college education. The time spent in desks, on the quad, participating in extra-curricular activities, forming lasting friendships, joining a Bible study, cheering on our athletes and studying in the library are various activities that have shaped me as a person. I have always believed that education goes far beyond the classroom. Education is knowledge gained through interactions, hands on experiences, making mistakes, learning from them, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to meet new people, and time spent in the classroom. Eastern has provided me with a wealth of learning opportunities ranging from getting involved in my church, my jobs as a Resident’s Assistant and a Fitness Instructor, a variety of volunteer opportunities in the Charleston area, participating in community events, experiencing diversity training, and through countless hours invested by professors. These experiences have shaped me and given me the skills that will allow me to see problems in our world and actively work to find solutions. Memories from EIU that I will carry with me are the times that I got to make a difference, small or large, in a person’s life. People are what really matter.

Ngoc

Currently, I study in a community college in California (first semester). Being independent, creative and keeping moving forwards are three most principal things I have learnt up to now. In Vietnam, I used to be familiar with the learn-by-heart method, which means everything is provided already for students and we tend to be negative. But here, it is totally different. In 2010 fall semester, I registered ESL 119, ESL112, CSIS110 (Computer class). Personally, the U.S. education encourages students to discover and learn by themselve, not depends on what said in textbooks. I enjoy the learning method here so much. My writing as well as communicating skills have been improved day by day. I try to be more creative not always stick with theory. For example, when making presentation in class, I always focus on new things to make my speech become more interesting. Telling jokes, playing games, or simply sharing personal experiences help me to be more confident in public. Community college is truly a good prelimenary to transfer to four-year university -- especially international student of which English is not native language. Try best and not regret for your time.

Victoria

My college experience, so far, has been a stressful, frustrating, hair pulling, yet worthwhile experience. As a full time student, and a full time employee, you could say that this is my life. Work and school are the two most important things in my life right now. Though the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is hours upon hours of homework, I continue to do it. Why? What is it all for? Sometimes I really think this is all for nothing. However, I know that unless I finish a degree, my situation will never change. If I do not receive a quality education, I will be stuck working night and day to support myself and one day my future family. The college experience has been valuable, because it is giving me a future. When I sit at my desk, at one in the morning writing papers until my fingers are numb, I think about the future I will have when this is all said and done. What have I gotten out of my college experience? Hope.

kristen

always be on top of your game at college. its nothing like high school and thats what incomung freshman don't understand. its fairly tough and you have to know what your getting into.

karmen

I am actually a returning student at Columbus State Community College. When I attended before I wasn't sure about what I wanted to major in, so after some growing up and having a baby I decided to give it another try. At first I was nervous going back because I am older now and I just didn't know if I could do it. I'm now entering my third quarter and not only do I love the whole experience, but my grades are a lot better than I expected. I lucked up and have selected teachers who really make things easy to learn and understand which I am now so grateful for because having such a wonderful "returning" experience has started me off on a really good path.

Shelby

I have recieved a new sense of how life is lived outside my home town. It has taught me to open my eyes to a world without my parents and how to survive without them on a daily basis. Being able to live and make it through my first semester as a freshmen in a new environment with new people and different ways of living life, I would say that I have made through the days pretty well for myself. I believe that my first semester had made me a stronger person and therefore been vakuable to attend and will continue as long as I can.

Kelly

I have made life-long friendships, networked professionally, had the opportunity to study abroad and broaden my cultural understanding and awareness, join various clubs & organizations that fit my interests, work part-time while attending school, and earn a bachelors degree with work and internship experience. I liked the school and professors so much that I decided to attend EIU for graduate school as well. Even though the town is small and there are not as many options for food as there are in the city, I enjoy being able to walk from one end of campus to the other in about 15-20 minutes. It is easy to get around and I am happy to have made new friends and build professional relationships during my time here.

amit

from my collge experience I have got skill such as how to manage my time it very valuable to me becuase now I know how to manage my time so I will not miss any thing or dispoint any one I give my that I will be there at that time.

Amanda

I think I really maxed out my college experience! I received a great education that really helped prepare me to enter the "real world" and I also met some amazing people and made lifelong friends! I was exposed to people and concepts that I otherwise would never have known about. I was able to try out so many different things which really helped me get to know myself, my likes and dislikes, and my strengths and weaknesses! The value is like mastercard-priceless!

Sarah

My college experience has taught me a great deal within a short three years. Like most college students, I have made mistakes and procrastinated my way through most of my experience. At the time the pressure seemed unbearable, but looking back it made my stress management abilities improve drastically. I made friends who I cannot put a price on to this day. These fellow students and classmates helped in time of of desperation when a deadlines rapidly creeped up on me. The teachers encouraged participation that strengthened my interpersonal skills and speaking capabilities. Eastern Illinois was a small town college, where one-on-one teacher/student interaction was always available and helpful in many instances. Overall, the skills I aquired, knowledge obtained, and friends made made this experience a very memorable and valuable one for me .

Melody

I have only been at this school for a week so far, yet the relationships I have made with students and faculty far surpass any expectations I may have had before arriving. By far, these relationships have made my college experience most valuable. Most students came here for the selfish reason of getting a degree and launching their own careers, yet they are far from being selfish. Especially in my dorm community, I have already found a family that embraces me and catches me when I fall. Because we all understand that the life of a college student can be very hectic and frightening, we seem to have created a net of safety and understanding. Faculty and staff are equally generous and the relationships I have established with these folks are truly astounding to me. I used to think that all professors were in it for the money and that other members of staff were here just because. But I have come to learn that these people have a purpose, to help students and encourage growth. The janitor helped me find my first class and the librarian gave me directions to the nearest gas station. How cool is that?

Chelsea

Well I haven't attended my first day of class as a freshman yet, but i'm very excited for it and from everything I have heard I will get a great academic, and social experience from Eastern Illinois University.

Gretchen

Since I graduated EIU, I have taught in the Special Education field for 12 years. I am married with three children of my own and earned my master's degree while raising a young family. My college eduction has allowed me to help others. Everyday I get to touch a life of a young child and help families help their children. I get to enjoy my job everyday! I am currently attending graduate school to earn an endorsement in English Language Learners. This endorsement will certify me to teach children who are learning the english language. This is an area of need within the district that I teach in.

Samantha

When I first started looking into colleges, my mother begged me to stay local. I instead went to Eastern Illinois University, which is 3 hours away from home. I have never regretted my choice. I feel that by going away to school and going into a degree-seeking program right away forced me to grow up and take on more responsibilites than I would have had had I stayed home. I had gained a sense of community through the school, Charleston, and the school where I have taught during my program. Eastern has provided an invaluable experience and I would not change it for the world.

Janice

From my college experience I was able to obtain strong friendships with people who influenced my life in a positive way. My friends in college opened my mind to diffrent cultures that I wasn't familiar with up until I started school. Many of my friends have diverse backgrounds and they were comfortable with me to answer any question that I had. They also were my support system when I needed help on a project or on an assignment that I was finding difficult. I don't think a lot of the time and effort that I put into my work would have happened without them.

Dylan

I have gained a lot of information during my first year of college. For example the importance to get involved with student activities, so I can meet new people who are also in my field.

Rusty

Coming to a university has been one of the greatest decisions of my life. I moved away from home and lived over twelve hours drive from my home and decided to live with men I had never met before in a new state in the interest of becoming the best I can become. In my time here, I have learned French, Spanish, Arabic, ASL, psychological counseling, theory, and professionalism, how to study different cultures, how to research the human mind and people's beliefs, scriptures of many different faiths, and how to study. Being at college is more than that, though. I have learned to be a friend, give my time to those who need it more than I want it, how to save pennies for my future, how to love time alone and how to meet people who don't. I have learned to change and become something I will look back at and be proud of. Living on my own and studying in a university has taught me how to learn in classrooms and in the world. The friendships I have made with professors and fellow students has made me into a man I can be proud of.

Kim

I have gotten a since of self assurance from my college experience. I have seen people on campus wabble between small choices like what shoes to wear and large decisions like declaring a major. I have had my plan since high school to become an exotic animal veterinarian. Attending Eastern has been exteremly valuable both financially (since after Eastern I will have another four years of Vet School) and personally. I have been able to handel stresses that would break other people ( like work almost thirty hours a week while being a full time student) souly because I know my educational finish line. And Eastern has helped me significantly to in reaching my goals.

Caselle

Well, I've learned a lot about life. I've made great friends. The knowledge that I've gain, I will take with me as prepare for my career. I will suceed!! There is nothing that can stop me from suceeding in life. Just because you fail one class does not mean it's the end of the world. Try harder.

Rebecca

I have gotten amazing experiences out of my college time here. I have learned so much about becoming a teacher and what is most important when you are a teacher. That would be that your students are understanding and enoying what you are teaching to them. Everything that my teachers have taught me has had me grow to be a more responsible person. They have given me the tools to become an excilent teacher. I have also meet some wonderful people here that will be joining me on our road to becoming teachers. This is so wonderful I'm able to build connects with future teachers this will allows me to have contacts with others that I can bounce ideas off of for our future class rooms. I love being at eastern and I love the education program here.

Bradley

Words cannot begin to describe the quality of education that I have received while attending Eastern Illinois University. I was challeged and taught material above and beyond the scope of the courses that I will use for the rest of my life. I was not taught top memmorize formulas for a test, but applications that will be just as useful 15 weeks from now to 15 years from now.

Diana

I have been attending Northeastern Junior College for a two in a half years now and plan on graduating this may. I have learned so much by attending college these last couple of years. Not only are the classes that I took awesome but I have also learn how important it is to continue on going to college until desired finished. College is very important now days, neither one of my parents went to college but back then you could pull that off. Not now. Getting ivolved is great I have been president of math and science club, chess club, Ambassador of my school, and president of Ambassador team as well. I have been on the cheer and dance team, in CAB, President of Dowis Hall and desk atendent. By being involved I have learned the importance of interacting with people, not being afraid to step forward and enjoy school and the people around you but also enjoy attending class. I have also learned many leadership skills that I believe will help me in the future. I would say my years put in have payed off and I feel a great accomplishment being able to graduated this May.