Missouri Baptist University Top Questions

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

James

I would tell myself to explore more options and apply for more scholarships. Also, I would have told my self to attended Community College in the summer and knock out my general education classes, in order to graduate earlier and lessen the amount of student loans that I took out. On a similar note I would tell myself to save money and pay for school outright.

Claire

Dear self please apply to more colleges. I hope you will look for more options because you are not going to be happy with the option you have chosen. I hope you understand that even though Mobap has Human Services as their major, it is not what you are looking for. Please don’t settle for anything less than what you are passionate about. I hope you gain more courage in yourself. Don’t be afraid to make decisions and mistakes. College is the time to learn more about who you are and what you want to be in life. Trust me I think it would be better for you to learn earlier than two years later. I really hope you will think about yourself more and be confident in the decisions you make for yourself. I know you care about your family and their struggles with money, but please don’t let that stop you from pursuing what you love. I hope you will step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Something I learned from firsthand experience is if you want to help others, you have to know how to help yourself first.

Shasta

if i could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self i would definately warn myself of the major change coming my way. i had the assumption that it was going to be the same as high school, but it is obvious that it is no where close. that is the main thing that i would definately stress to my old self. High school is not as important as college is because this determines if you can go on to a career.

Shaleeah

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would definetly have applied for more scholarships and would have focused more on having higher standards for my grades in high school. I never took my grades seriously, I just scored high enough to pass a class. I wish I would have studied a lot harder for sure.

Todd

If I could go back and talk to my self as a high school senior, I would have great advice. First I would tell me that school is very important, no slacking and thinking I don't need to be there. Second thing would be apply my self more, joining clubs and going to school events. Final thing I would tell my self is if you work hard now it pays off in the end. I

Chase

I would advise myself to work more in the summer to have some spending money when I got to campus. I would also tell myself to start pressing good study habits, because I can't just go in to a class with basic knowledge and pass big tests.

Sophron

If I was to go back in time and speak to myself as to what I know now from the experience I have had in college, the advice I would give myself would definitely make a dramatic difference to how I'm experiencing it now. As a high school senior I would tell myself to manage your time and self wisely. I always say “business before pleasure” because pleasure will always be come around but business is an opportunity that doesn’t. You have to work for it to keeping up to it to managing it. Another thing to consider is managing your finances. You might want to consider the money that you have and make now should be put into a savings account. You want to be able to save as much money as you can once you attend college. Anybody from and whom graduated college will tell you that “college is not cheap” and you should understand that. Leading back to the business before pleasure quote; the money that you have should be used for what you need it for and not mostly for the time for pleasure when pleasure will always be around.

Dornisha

If i could go back in time and give myself it would be to practice good time mangament. I think being in college you reallly nedd to know how to manage your time wisely and not get behind in any of your classes. You need to know how to have fun but still take care of the important things first.

Darvell

College so far has changed me into an overall better person. My personality is more outgoing and i have been through a lot of helpful experiences with teachers and students. I believe that college is something everyone should experience at least once in their life because i believe they will obtain a great deal of assistance and confidence in what ever field they chose to take part in. I myself have gained several career aiding skills from several instructors that i had no idea i would even be capable of. Before i attended school, i was an acceptable designer but i had no confidence. I felt as if i were a failure and that noone would bother hiring me. Now that i have attended community college for two years, i have an overall new look at myself. I have confidence in my work, and my teachers helped me in bringing out all new talents that layed dormant within me. I believe college is one of the best experiences in my life and i plan to take my studies much further.

Alyssa

Deciding to return to higher education and pursue a degree in the field of Web Design & Development has changed my life. I am more confident with myself, I have higher self-esteem and feel proud to be doing something productive with myself while earning a creditable education. I dropped out of high school when I was 17 years old thinking I was set and would work at the grocery store forever. Things ended up not working out there and I didn't know what I would do. After years of endless, meaningless jobs my sister came to me and said "We're getting you enrolled this semester." It started 2 weeks later and I couldn't be happier with my decision to pursue a better, richer life. I am very happy to have began attending college and can safely say that, "I love school." I love learning and it's the perfect place to do that.

Timothy

Some characteristics such as reliability, integrity, honesty, self-motivation, and respect are evident in most successful leaders. Displaying some of these characteristics makes for an outstanding individual; however, I have the awareness that striving to possess them all can make me valued in most situations. I practice my daily habits to do my work with honor and respect, get the job done with the highest efficiency, and be the person that others can consistently rely upon and place their trust and confidence. Completing my educational goal will position me to be effective in influencing the success of the next generation.

Christopher

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to my senior high school self I would briefly explain to myself that college is not quite as scary as mom is making it out to be. It is a great place full of knowledge and full of different types of things to do, all of which you can't do in high school. Be prepared for un-free freedom because while you think you are free to do as you please, mom is still going to wash your clothes, pack your lunch, make your bed, clean your room, and most importantly threaten to take away your video games if you don't get a B in the class. College life rules, and the motivation to do well is everywhere around you so good luck former me and look forward to becoming an even more stunningly beautiful hearthrob in college.

Maurice

I would tell my to apply for as many scholarships as possible because it makes paying for college easier. I would also tell myself that living on my own is going to be very different,.

Blythe

The most important thing that I could ever tell myself is to slow down! I think that as a Senior I was so caught up in the whirlwind of excitement and nervousness, that I didn't truly enjoy the experience. I was so worried about college and now I cannot remember why! I love the freedom of planning my own schedule and learning to balance sleep, food, homework, church, friends, family, and down-time. If I had only known back then that it wasn't a scary process, I might have actually stopped to breathe every once in awhile. Another important piece of advice I would give myself is to not become bogged down by tedious high school things. What once seemed so important, now no longer is. I'm truly thankful for my family and my amazing college friends. But most importantly, I'm thankful for the new insight into life that I have because of my transition into college.

Jessica

Don't rush into make a decision about what you want to major in or spend the rest of your life doing. You are going to change; be open to exploring new opprotunities and careers and don't be afraid to change your major. Just be sure to find out what courses you need inorder to graduate and don't waste your time on classes you don't need. Be sure to apply for financial aid early and budget well. Engage in activities on campus and off, and join different clubs/organizations. Most of all enjoy your time in college; make good friends and have fun. Cherish your time , and don't try to rush it.

cynthia

I would have to say the most important thing I would want to always remind myself is to not take high school and the options to come for granite because if i had the chance to start over I would charish every moment while taking in all the imformation I possible could. I would also take things alot slower and not rush life or the situation that are thrown at you along the way.

Cynthia

Start planning early. I know this refered to a high school senior but really for the college you want to go to, the career path you want to take, you need to start planning for college as a freshman in high school. By the time you get to your senior year you should have planned out what will be your classes for your final year in high school, what colleges you want to apply at, and even the back up colleges just in case you don't get in the ones that are your top choice. Planning... That is my advise. Plan every move you are going to make moving forward in your life as a senior in high school.

Heather

If I had the chance to go back and give myself advice to make the transition into college easier, the first thing I would suggest is to take more college credit courses. Even though I did take some in highschool, it gives you such an advantage to walk in the first day with college courses under your belt. Secondly, I would tell myself to take the first semester seriously and not give myself the excuse, "I can get less than a 4.0 because this is just my freshman year of college." I remember thinking, "If I do bad I can just use that excuse." Thankfully I finished my first year above average, but still I could have pushed myself a little more. The last thing I would tell myself is to not be nervous. I remember my first semester of college I was so scared to walk around and discover anything new around my campus. Now that I am older and have been around campus, it is a lot easier and a lot more comfortable for me to stay at school all day and actually enjoy myself.

Colleen

Make sure you know exactly what you're looking for and the school really is like that, because when I first went away I thought the school was what I expected but it wasn't once I moved in.

Lesli

Make sure the students feels comfortable and at home. If not then they should find a different college.

Ashlee

If at all possible, complete gen-eds early and inexpensively by attending a community college. Apply for as much financial aid as possible. Consider what it is that you're really desiring to do and choose the best possible school for that career path.

Greg

Research the history and credentials of the school and see if it lines up with what you believe in.

Chase

Make sure you don't go to a school thats too big or small, you need to find one that matches all of your critera perfectly. Also you must vistit it in person before making your choice.

Aigner

Parents: listen to your children, try not to decide for them. Students: Be honest with yourself when choosing a school, don't go with the flow (where everyone else is going) go where you are led. Impact your school, don't let the school impact you.

Matthew

Finding the right school for a student involves several factors. A student should find a school that appeals to his needs. This may include extracurricular activities, sports, academics, religious preferences, assistance for disabilities, and school size. A student should also pick a school based on how much financial aid he recieves. The main goal when it comes to financial aid, is to graduate with as little dept as possible.

Alex

Tour the campus and take notice of not just the students and the teachers but how they interact with others and the environment. Look for the small things that will make the biggest differences; for instance how well people know each other, saying hello, or smiling as they walk by. View the facilities: classrooms, dorms, cafeteria, gym, library, etc. Watch the campus life before you. Make a check list and then pray about it. If your not religious then weigh your options. Notice the overall effect of the campus, and everything within.