Finlandia University Top Questions

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

Amy

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about the transition to college it would be to have self-confidence and embrace life. I have missed out on many opportunities in life because of lacking self-confidence and being concerned about what others thought about me. In fact, I even missed out on going to college. After graduating from high school my lack of confidence deterred me from attending a four-year college. Although I had graduated high school with a high GPA my self-doubts got the best of me and I settled for a trade program and became a registered dental assistant for the state of California. At age 27 I am finally attending a four-year nursing program. I will succeed at obtaining a four-year degree, and hopefully have a successful nursing career, but I will never know what the true college experience consists of. I missed out on living in dorms, study groups, traveling, and even playing college sports, all because I lacked self-confidence. Life is short and I wish I had embraced the true college experience when I had the opportunity.

angel

Study Hard. dont slack off because its your last year. get the full high school experience. be prepared in knowing that the work is ten times as hard in your college courses. Be ready to grow up and take responsibility. Have an exact plan in what you want to do ,which school you would like to attend ,how your going to get there and how your going to pay for it. Be determined andstick to your goal and dont lose sight of the important things in life.

Brenda

If I had the ability to go back and advise myself about college, I would tell my young adult self to be better prepared for college. I would advise myself to get a better night's sleep before taking my SAT and ACT exams. I would tell myself to take more advance college classes in high school, to take as many advance classes as I could. I would advise myself to stay in school until I found the right career. I made the mistake of not graduating from college when I was younger so I would let myself know that life would be much easier, financially, if I stay in school and get into the nursing program when I am younger. I would advise myself to study harder and apply for more scolarships.

Cristina

To be more serious and spend more time on my financial aid. Make for friends and have fun but not too much fun.

Cearra

I would tell myself to have more fun and not take life so seriously. I was always the student who was very focused on her studies so I lost a lot of memories and experiences in high school. I know now that in order to be happy, life needs to have a balance of fun and work. I would also tell myself to take advantage of more opportunities that were presented to me so that I could get ahead. I could have taken more AP classes and more community college classes in order to recieve more units. That would have put me ahead in units and brought me closer to graduating. I would like to tell myself to be happy and confident because everything will turn out like it is supposed to. I worried too much, but now life is exactly how it is supposed to be. Wise decisions will take you everywhere you need to go in life.

Ciara

If I was a senior in high scool again I wish would have told myself to go to school for what I love, which was Art. Throughout my high school year I took Art classes, and when it came to choosing what to go to school for I knew I wanted to go to school for Art. Suddenly in my senior year I told myself, I dont think I could be successful in with Art Career, so I began looking a careers that made a lot of money. I've always had a thing for CSI, Law and Order, and many police shows, and I thought I wanted to go to school for Forensic Science, to work as Forensic Scientist. After talking to advisors at my previous college and doing some reaseach, the best major for Forensic Science was Chemistry. I then took Chemistry for a year and half, struggled with Math and Science and I just knew this wasn't for me. A few months ago, I realized that it was time to switch back to what I love and if I was a senior again I would of stuck with my gut to going to school for art.

Calyn

Dear Calyn, This may be strange to hear this from me but, I am you, two years in the future. I want to give you some advice that I am sure you would be thankful to hear. As a senior the hype of graduating and being anxious to leave the high school to spread your wings must be overwhelming. You should take a few college courses and maybe work a few less hours at your job. Maybe spend a little more time with those friends you will not see until the following summer when they are back from school. Also, enjoy your teachers and how interested they are in your life. Cherish every last moment of your childhood and do not push too fast to be an adult. It's not as exciting as it seems. It is true, you will miss this time of your life, so hold it closely while it's here. Sincerly, Calyn

Karen

If I were to go back and give myself advice about college life, the best advice I could give is to keep myself open to possibilities and opportunities. When you first enter the college life, there are so many opportunities you can take, embrace each one and open yourself to try something different. Having your mind set on one specific thing is not always the best option; instead of sitting at home and studying every singe day, join a club, volunteer in community projects and meet new people. Studying and having a goal is great, but don't miss out on life itself; there are so many possibilities that college life can offer and opening yourself to these can be a great thing.

Caitlin

College is full of new experiences. There are lessons inside the classroom and out. If I could go back and give myself advice I would tell myself that every assignment and project is something you can learn from. I think many times as a freshmen in college, students think that their work does not matter. This could not be further from the truth. Even if your classes do not directly pertain to your major you can still learn from them! In order to get the most out of classes you should go in with an open mind and an eager spirit. Do not wait until your senior year to start learning from your professors! I would also stress that you should always push yourself to get out there and live every experience. Joining clubs is a great way of making friends and getting you out of your comfort zone. It?s easy to get rapped up in just going to class and doing homework. College is full of new people and new experiences. Going to class is only half of what school has to offer. It's very important to enrich your life with others who are different from yourself.

Beth

I would tell myself to not be so scared. As a high school senior, I was very nervous to start college. To be completely honest, though, I didn't really have a big transition into college life. I attended a small private university in my hometown, so I was familiar with the area. The class sizes were also similar to my high school class sizes, so I didn't really have to adjust to being one of a huge group of people. That said, the most important piece of advice that I would give to myself as a high school senior would probably be to get involved in as much as possible and talk to more people. I am a pretty shy person, and it is hard sometimes for me to start conversations with and get to know new people, so I would have encouraged my younger self to make the most of my college experience and be more outgoing. I would also tell myself to never procrastinate. I have had too many nights to count that I had to stay up late working on homework. All in all, I would tell myself to enjoy the experience.

Elyse

Going back in time and giving myself advice is something I wish that I could do now that I have experienced what college is like. The first thing I would say is "relax, you will look back on your first year of college and it will be one of the best experiences of your life. " This advice makes everything from moving into the dorm, to registering for classes, and meeting new people something to look forward to. I would also say to myself to focus earlier in my sophmore year on ways to find a scholarship to study abroad in Finland during my junior year, so you can concentrate on your classes. My advice is to be yourself, work hard, have fun, and enjoy where you are in the moment. The last piece of advice I would give myself as a high school senior is, "Earn enough money to buy a used car."