Oklahoma Christian University Top Questions

First and foremost, you're education is the most important thing you can do for yourself. It is something you do for you and only you. Not only can it never be taken from you, but it also opens up so many more doors, more than you can ever imagine. It doesn't matter if you know what you want to do when you grow up. As you go through school, gain knowledge, gain life experience, you'll understand more about yourself and the world, and where you belong in it. Enjoy your high school years, but know that every choice you make has a consequence. You're education is important. More so than friends, which come and go. Apply yourself, and perhaps you will surprise yourself. Never give up the dream , never lose sight of your goals. You'll find a way to make all of them happen.

If I could go back in time and give the high school senior version of my self adivice about college I would tell my self all the important things I have learned along my way. I would start by telling my self that I needed to study harder, and prepare for college by learning better study habits. Another important thing I have learned is that college is only as hard as you make it. I would want to inform my younger self that professors are will help you understand if you take the time to ask them to clarify something for you, and I would let my younger self know that taking good notes is essential to make good grades in college. The younger version of me would also be advised to not wait untill the last minute to start or complete a major project, and I would tell myself that it is important to study for test in advance, not cram all night long.

I often ponder about being a high school senior and think what I would have done differently since being in college. I think the first thing I would tell my old self is that drinking and smoking are so empty, that they lead to nothing, and that true life is found at the throne of God. My father had passed earlier that summer before my senior year started and my whole world had been shattered. Going through what is now a year and a half since he has passed I would have told my old self that it gets better with time, that living for the day and striving for it to be the best day is all you can do. Lastley, I was a very bad slacker in high school, I always tried to get away with the bare minimum, high school classes did not matter to me. Now that I look back on it, the classes I were in may not have been important, but what was important was how I lived my life. Slacking off in class was no way to show others how to live. If only I could have talked to my old self.

If I could give my high school self one bit of advice for enterin college, it wouldn't be about studying, it wouldn't be about playing sports, and it wouldn't be that over used phrase "get involved." The advice I would give would be simple: believe in yourself. Never doubt what you're capable of, and never settle for less than what you know you could achieve. Don't let discouragers demolish your confience, and listen to the many voices cheering you on. Show those who already believe in you that you're always growing, always learning, and always becoming more than they even imagined. Chase your dreams, no matter how out of reach they seem; seek knowledge; thrive on friendships. Be intentional in everything you do--every relationship you have, every book you read, every adventure you take. You're a person in this world, and you have all the tools you need to become the kind of person who changes this world, but only if you believe it--only if you strive for it. So go; do well; do good.

BE SERIOUS! Going to college is not a joke or an easy way out. Your measurement of sucess is determined by your education and life experiences. It really is true that to get a good career you need to have a college education. Apply for as many scholarships as possible and apply for financial aid. Even if you think that you will not qualify for financial aid, apply anyway! You're probably eligable. There are many resources available at your college or university that you can use to help you through your classes. Take advantage of tutors and mentors, they are usually included in your enrollment to the college or university so it is no extra charge! There are also academic advisors and student advocates that can help you select the most appropriate class choices for your major. They will give you personal and professional advice to ease your transistion from becoming a new student to a college buff! Finally, take your time and think everything through before submitting your assignments. This is going to be key when it comes to getting good grades. A professor can always tell when you've rushed through an assignment. Lastly, HAVE FUN!

I'd tell myself that I shouldn't worry about who, or what group I become a part of. I missed out on a lot of possible friendships because I simply cowered away. I'd would then tell myself that no matter what I feel, everyone is in the same position--get out of your bubble! Be active, study hard, and be friendly to everyone! Never burn any bridges out of spite. Bad decision making can come back to haunt you. See that girl over there? Go talk to her. Did the relationship not work out? Move on down the road. Don't be afraid to stand out, or be unique. Chicks dig it. Take your ACT seriously. Study hard for it. You don't want to miss that scholarship over 3/4 of a point. Go out and exercise. It's great for thinking, and it makes you feel and look better, but most importantly feel better. Help struggling classmates. Talk to people who are alone. Stay organized, use a calendar. Join a club. Start a club. Be passionate. Be great. Be you. Also, don't forget to stock up on Ramen and caffine.

Adrianna, I encourage you to first take your SAT and ACT right away! Almost every college requires one of these scores. If you take the test early, and you are not satisfied with your results, you can always retake the tests before it's too late. Waiting on your test scores could ruin your chances of receiving some of the best scholarships. This could also hinder your chances of getting accepted to the school you want to attend. I also advise you to go ahead and start applying to your top four choices for college. Time can be your best friend, however; it could also be your worst enemy! Do not procrastinate!!!! Make sure you are taking care of your grades in high school. It's never too late to bring your GPA up. The time for going to games is over if you are falling behind in your studies. Pay attention in class! Yes, you may get annoyed and feel like the information you're being taught is useless, but it is very important. You will go over these things in college so focus in class. I also encourage you to visit colleges and see where you feel comfortable.

Go to OC your first year of college and stick with your major, don't keep changing it

The advice I would give to not only myself, but to other high school students, would be to apply early. Prepeare everything early. It's never too early to start looking at schools, looking and applying for scholarships, or even starting your college application. I started my college transfer application about 6 months before it was due. Because I started it so early I was a priority, and I got my letter of acceptance a few weeks later! Especially if you want to go to a school where it is harder to get in, being early and on top of everything is definitly the way to go. When it comes to applications and college, do not procrasonate!

Relax, it's not as stressful as you are making it out to be. The people are friendly, the proffessors are helpful, and the atmosphere is easy going. Don't worry about your financial situation, that's what aid and scholarships are for. You have the right mind set, and the volunteer work on your resume to get you noticed. You are one person, but you can get what you strive for. Just set your mind to something and you can achieve it. One person can make a difference, and that one person can be you. Walk into that college with an open mind and positive outlook and you will do just fine. You have the ability to be the difference you want to be, so smile and go make it happen. :)

I would tell myself to be more open, be more honest with myself. I am usually the typ of guy that always puts himself down, while I do nothing but try to build others up. I am not saying that there is something wrong with having faith in others, but I am saying that it is wrong to not have faith in yourself. If I could go back and talk to my highschool self, I would tell me to think "lile the little engine that could." I think I can, I think I can, I know I can! That is the sort of attitude I wish I could have walked into this campus with!

Knowing everything I do now, the most important advice I'd tell my high school senior self would be to truely cherish and enjoy the time I have with family and friends. During this last week before I go off to college, I've been trying to catch up with friends I haven't seen all summer and spend as much time as possible with my family and close friends. I never realized until now how important they are to me and how much I will miss them. I took for granted the fact that I had my friends and family close to me the last 18 years of my life. Now that I am moving on to college, I appreciate each and every person in my life a little more.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about the things I know now about collge I would tell myself this," college life is not what it is all cracked up to be." I say this because going to college changes alot of things in a young person's life. Not only do you have to be out on your own, you learn that your parents push you to do your best for a reason. Yes, college is fun with the new found freedom and independence, but with that, responsibility comes in to play. Prepare yourself while you are in highschool for the changes that will be coming your way so when you are thrown in to a bigger pond, you do not drown. Now I do not want this to scare you because college does have it's positives as well, but the things you may think you have time to learn about sneak up on you faster than you think. The best advice I can give to myself or other senior's in highschool is enjoy life and what it has to offer and prepare yourself for what it brings you.

First off all I would tell myself to enjoy my senior year but it is my last chance to give it my all and all. This senior year is my stepping stone in my freshman year of college and you need to reach for the moon by proving to your self that you can be an outstanding student by applying yourself and putting education first in your life!!~ If you do that you are helping to insure that your college years will be sucessful! Please pay attending and work hard! It will pay of in the end and you will look back once you get in college and believe me you will be very glad you did!

Dear Craig, Take more dual credit classes, as many as you can. Start working now to save up for college bills. Cherish the time you have left with your family and friends, because soon you will be on your own, and being forced to grow up quickly. Read more often, in and out of school, because it keeps your mind sharp. Try and remember all the advice you get during your senior year, because you will need to apply all of it at college. Money will definitley be an issue, so be smart with it while you have it. Look for jobs in Oklahoma now so you will be ready to begin as soon as you get there. Stay in the gym every day, because competition is much harder in college. Don't lose your values when you leave your home. Stay strong, and good luck!

If I could go back and talkto my high school senior self I would definitely say this, "Work out every little kink so you can walk into school with NO PROBLEMS. Finacially, physically, spiritually ect." I had no Idea where I was going let alone what I could do with a performace degree (which is what I wanted before I changed to Music Ed). I wasted a whole summer doing dumb things while I still had paperwork for college, and applications for grants and loans to do. None of which where done until right about when school had started. I needed to be prepared and keep fighting until I got what I wanted. But I was tired of fighting, I had done it my whole life. Fought my way through singing competitions, hardships with my family and complications with my health. I wish now I would've had EVERYTHING planned out so I could've had a smooth start to my freshman year of college. If I could go back I'd say, "Heads up, you're not done fighting yet." And now I know.

Be committed to do a number of things. For one, make sure you understand what it means to be organized with a schedule for homework, classes, and sleeping. Second, get to know faculty and staff in your department and commit time to meeting with them and getting to know them. That network is extremely valuable. Third, be committed to the campus life. Make sure you know everyone living around you, rather than staying enclosed in the rooms, and do your best to not worry about returning home but spending the most time with peers on the weekends as possible. Fourth, find people who are interested in similar things, and focus on a specific outdoors hobby, such as disc golf or longboarding. Anything in which people can get together cheaply and take the mind off work momentarily, but which is also an activity to provide some exercise. These times are very beneficial to the new student. Finally, make sure you stay stress-free. Classes can be difficult, but as long as you are studying and being responsible, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

If given the opportunity to visit myself as a high school senior, I would hope to be reminded that education is the most important component to life at this point in time. I would love to remind myself to always put school work first, and to live with integrity. It is so important as you transition into college life to keep hold on who you are. There are so many outlets that you can become involved in, good or bad. By remembering who you are, you can steer clear of the distractions that may harm you and prevent you from receiving a solid education. I would tell myself to finish strong in your senior year and to really learn to study and stay organized. If I could travel back in time, the best advice I could give is to remember your goals, and never lose site of who you are.

I would tell myself to begin my college career with an undeclared major that way you could finish in 4 years without having to take summer classes. By entering as undeclared it would allow you to complete all of your general education classes until you've decided on an official major since you are unsure what you want to do. I would also tell myself that being a collegiate athelete is going to be tough, but as long as you study hard beginning freshman year then you won't have to worry about keeping up your GPA in the last couple of years. The last thing I would tell myself is that although college is going to be hard work, it's also going to be very rewarding and fun!

I think if I could go back in time and give myself some advice as a high school senior, things might be a lot different from where they are now. If I could go back there are so many things I'd say, but I think the most important thing is to not be afraid to make mistakes. As stated by Al Franken, “Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way.” If you take your time, and are willing to learn, all will happen, as it should in due time. A massive transformation will not happen overnight because it takes time. I should focus on doing some simple things first, like getting good study habits, always interacting in class, and not spending too much time on the Internet. Last but not least, I’d tell my younger self that there is always opportunity to be explored that is just outside of my current comfort zone and to not fear the fact that it is outside. The growth comes when you choose those things that are outside of your current box of reality.

If I could go back in time to give myself some advice, there would be a few things I would say. First of all, don't study in your dorm room or apartment. It is so easy to get distracted in a place like that. Your bed is in there, your television is in there, your friends are all around you, its loud. Just don't study in there. Rather, go to the library and find a quiet, secluded place where you won't get distracted. Take a pair of headphones and listen to classical music when you study. It will help you focus. Second, eat in the cafeteria if you have a meal plan. You paid to have it so use it. It definitely helps you save money for doing other things by not eating out. Third, be extroverted. When you are walking around campus, keep your head up, smile, and talk to people. Don't walk around with your headphones in your ears. You won't meet people that way. Its hard to make friends when you don't pay attention to people.

To my high school senior self, My first piece of advice to you is to learn to manage your time better and sooner. Time management makes getting good grades possible, sleeping more of a realization instead of fantasy, and working a reality. My second tip to you is to save all the money that you make at your job. You will need each penny you can earn for college tuition. My third recommendation to Me of Earlier Year is to realize that your world will change drastically. Your parents will not be just down the hall to catch you if you fall. A fridge full of food will not be in the kitchen, in fact, there will be NO kitchen in the freshmen dorms you are going to experience. My final advice is this. Get your sleep, make wholesome friends, work endlessly at homework, and be sure to have at least one job.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in high school as I was a senior getting ready to graduate, I would actually tell myself that the transition from high school was going to be very difficult, but not as hard if i waited, and I need to just go right on into college and not put it off. The longer I put it off the longer and harder it will be for me to go back to school, after knowing now after eighteen years of putting it off and starting college now it is much harder I believe than if I would have just went on and got my degree back then and not wasted my life. Gave my children a better life and made things a lot easier on myself. When were young we think we know it all, yet it takes hard lessons and wisdom for some of us stuborn kids, is what I would have also said.

Dear Aimee, Even though High School can be grueling, consider the opportunities you have at hand. It is ok to admit that you are unsure of the future! Ask for help and advice not if, but when you need it. In college, the course work is much different, if not more difficult. You have learned so much in the past four years, and have become so much closer to becoming your optimal self. Use your confidence for the best. Assert yourself in college, and don't be afraid to tell people your opinions, even though they might differ with the majority. It's ok to be a minority as far as opinions go, so speak out, but respect others' voices as well. You're almost finished, and even though it seems so far away, you will be moving into your dorm room within a few months. Get ready to adapt, and adapt quickly. Living with a lot of other girls will be strange at first, but you will appreciate your life so much more because of this experience. Independence is a goal worth working for, so keep that in mind during your first year at college.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to look into the college and degree program that I want to attend, and use that to help me select my last classes as a high school student. I would also tell myself to enroll in the college I choose while I am still a high school senior instead of waiting for nearly three years after graduating. It is significantly easier to transitions to college right after high school while all of my schooling is still fresh in my head instead of taking a short time off that will turn into an unexpectedly much longer three years. It is also easier to attend and finish college while you are younger and may not have the responsibility of having to support yourself and your daughter as a single mother.

If I could go back in time, when I was a senior in high school I would have to say I would of took the time to pay attention, study hard and maybe even get involved more with extra curriculum activity. Now that I'm a mother attending college I see how important education is.

By my last semester of being in high school, I had already been to about 9 different schools. I had moved 13 times in a short 3 years, spanning across Europe and the States. I was pretty miserable with my last school that I was forced to graduate and felt I deserved a far better place to show who I was. But looking back now, I know exactly what I would have told myself. I would say , "Val, take it from me - literally - this little bit of suffering is going to be over soon and then you'll be in place where you can keep your friends for longer than half a year and have a place to call home. But until then, just tuck in, let people remember you, and don't drop your graduation hat and then trip when you pick it up!" That basically sums it up, as the only thing that I fretted about before I went to my college, was the issue of not being able to have friends for very long because of all the moving.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would give myself three pieces of advice: be flexible, stay positive, and be prepared for your plans to not work out. I have learned in my first year, one of the best things a college student can do is remain flexible in all aspects of life. When attempting to balance a job and school, schedules become nightmares and life becomes much more difficult than high school. Although life can feel impossible during your first year with more intensive schoolwork and responsibility, it is especially important that you try to make time for yourself, friends, and family. The only way to make time for others, school and work is to be flexible. When times get difficult, it is imperative that you remain positive because however bleak it seems, the semester will end, you will pass finals, and life will move on. Keeping a positive attitude makes everything in life easier and it lifts a burden from your shoulders as well. Plan but do not get frustrated when plans fall through, that is just part of life. College is an amazing experience, enjoy it!

As a high school senior, there are a few things you need to know. First, don't take your social life so seriously. Second, take advantage of the on-campus activities and tutoring centers. They are there to help, so let them. Third, sleep, on a regular basis. Go to bed early sometimes; it will keep you sain. Fourth, apply for as many schollarships as possible. Do not take for granted the help you are getting from your parents. Fifth, always, always, block Facebook during finals week. This will save your grades! Finally, be confident in yourself. Do not be afraid of what others think. Be as smart as you can be, be as involved as you can be, and be as incredible as you can be. Never be conserned with the thoughts of others, they will only drag you down. Love yourself, always.

College is a blessing or a curse. You will hear people tell you stories of their college experiences and slowly they begin to sculpt your idea, your image, of what the next 4 years of your life will be like. If there is anything I want you to know, it is that trying to shape what you're given into a mold you've created over time is exhausting and disappointing. Next year, when college becomes more that just a story, embrace it. Meet the people that come into your life rather than desperately seeking the people you think will satisfy you. Take chances and get involved in opporunities that are completely foreign to you. Jog off of the worn down path and make your own. College is not a universal experience; the word brings different memories, joy, pain, and relationships to the mind of each beholder. Allow yourself to walk into college with a willing heart and a fresh mind. Never allow the blessing of next year to convince you it is a curse.

Dear Griselda (age 17), I realize that you are living in a world of uncertainty right now. There is so much going on in your mind right now such as family, graduation, and college!!! Just thinking about the word college can be very stressful and overwhelming. Please realize that everything is going to be okay! You have applied to Western Oregon University which is a great start! I am very proud of you for taking that initiative. I know how stressful the whole application process can be especially when you have no family support. You will most likely struggle in the beginning but you will soon figure everything out. Please realize that life may take you on a different journey than you have envisioned and it is perfectly fine. The transition between high school and college can be VERY overwhelming. You will definitely have to be more motivated and disciplined. Expectations are WAY higher in college than high school. Yes, this means you will actually have to study for a test. All your hard work will pay off. Trust me it will. You will soon become a wonderful blessing to your community as a registered nurse. Sincerely, Griselda (age 21)

I would tell myself stay busy and keep good grades throughout high school. Make finding scholarships, grants, finainical aid a priorty and do not put it off. Make sure it will be worth going to where you want to go, and go for the the right reasons. Do not forget about all the hidden costs in getting to school and living expenses, such as food and things you want to buy during the school years. If you want a loan try to avoid private-student loans. Make the most of your last year of high school you may never talk to or see your friends there again. Remember that instate schools will be cheaper if you are a resident of that state. Do not decide where to go based on where everyone else is going, base it on you, and how you see yourself there, and what you want to accomplish. Also whatever school/s you apply to, remember if they offer you money to go, don't just think every school will do that, take that into consideration, you do not want to be in debit after school if you can avoid it.

Though it is great to have an idea of what you want in life and to have a plan it is so very important to keep an open mind to EVERYTHING. When i went off to college I was expecting to meet my husband at a religious college and I knew exactly what I was going to do with my life. Now I am finishing my second year with multiple heartbreaks (now dating someone from another school), no idea what I want to specifically do when I graduate and have nearly changed religions. I wouldn't go as far to say that I should transfer because I do have 2 more full years ahead of me, but I have learned so much from my "unplanned" experiences at college. There are important deciding factors that have shown up in my life that I had not planned on but these events have changed my life in a positive way. Keep your mind wide open because it is only then that you can achieve the fullest learning experience. And after all that is why we came to college, to learn and gain life experience. You need an open mind to do both.

I would just tell my self to take the college compess testing more sieriously then I actually did, so i wont have to deal with the easy classes that i am taking now.

Though you will find that being a mother is truly rewarding you are also going to find that just a high school education will not be enough to support yourself and your children. I understand the thought of going to school for four more years is not something you wish to entertain, however the alternative could just end up being living on some form of state assistance with barely enough to get by. You will want to show your children what it is to be successful, I have no doubt you will be able to show them love comfort and emotional security but will you be able to offer them financial security? Without a college education the answer to that question in a flat no. Minimum wage jobs seem great now, but when you add up all that life will throw at you a minimum wage job will barely keep the lights on let alone put a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back. Listen to your mother Anjanette go to college that is where your future is at.

I would tell myself to strive for more than just passing grades because they really do matter. The higher grades you have to more scholarships you get and money always helps. I would also tell myself to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people and try new things.

Thinking back to last year, I remember myself as a very introverted high school senior. I had many friends at church but had sort of lost touch with my high school. During my freshman and sophomore years I was very involved in school but as I started getting closer to my church I lost touch with my school. If I could give senior self advice now, I would tell myself to be more involved. Now that I am attending a college I love, I am very involved in school and I love it. I wish I had pushed myself to be more involved last year because it is so worth all the memories. One other think I would tell my past self would be to try a little harder in school. In high school I was an A/B student, which I would say is a good thing. However, now that I am in college I see that when I work hard a push myself I can make strait A’s. Having such good grades makes me feel really good about myself and I wished I could have experienced this feeling my senior year in high school.

I would tell myself to get a job and to work harder at sports. In college you have to pay for everything yourself andthere are no intramurual sports at a community college. the plan to transfer from the community college to a four-year college was still a good plan and i would have told myself to apply to just the community college. Work hard to get yourself good grades in senior year of high school and good job staying away from drugs and acohol. It will be around you in college but avoid them and try to help your friends stay away from them because they will ruin your life and theres.

I would tell myself not to be quiet and stay back when I got to school. When I was in high school I was annoyed with my school for sending us on a trip to get to know our new classmates. Now I am so appreciative and have met some amazing people that I still hang out with today. I would tell myself to jump into everything and enjoy every minute of it. College is to learn, but it is also to have experiences you can't get back.

If i could go back in time and tell myself what to do or not do, I would tell myself to stop procratinatin, get to studying, and try harder at whatever I do. Now that I'm in college, I have realized that procrastination is very harmful to my overall GPA. I would tell myself to stop putting work off and just finish it. I have also realized at how much studying can improve test scores. I would tell myself to start a habbit of studying everything the teacher teaches no matter if I wanted to or not. I would also tell myself to work harder at whatever I do, because in college, it's good to stand out a bit academically. No one wants to get lost in the crowd of average students who aren't recognized other than to be a part of "the group." Standing out academically not only tells your professors that you're serious about your studies, but it also shows future bosses that you are a hard worker and a good worker.

Theres a lot of wonderful experience i got while attending my college, the thought that i made the first step in pursuing my dream is an amazing feeling for i know that it will make me a better person for myself, my family and my community. There are times when the workload is too overwhelming and stressful but i know that i am surrounded with people who i can count on whenever i need help, my friends , classmates and as well as the school counselor are readily available to help me .It is also worth attending college here in the US because the fact that a lot of institutions are wiling to help financially unstable students to grab scholarships and grants to be of use for their school ,thus making the weight lighter as we go on the walk thru fulfilling our dreams..

Classes are fantastic, knowledge is amazing, but the best thing I have gotten out of college are friends. I have friends whom I can depend upon fully for anything. I have had friends in the past of course, but we all know how easily you grow apart from high school chums. Every year high school graduates say that their class is the best and that they will be friends forever, only to show up at a ten year reunion simply to see who made it and who didn't. The friends at college are lifetime friends. This has been confirmed by my experience, and is also enforced by my parents and elders alike. A man or woman can live without the perfect job and salary, as nice as they are, but companionship is something that no price tag can be put on.

I love the close knittness of the small campus.

College education has enabled me to achieve one of my greatest passions in life - helping people who are less priviledged than I am. When I graduated from college in 2007, I spent the next three years of my life as a High School Mathematics teacher. This was a very fruitful and fulfilling period in my life as it helped me to impart knowledge to people younger than myself. As a teacher, I found out that my work went beyond the fours walls of my classroom, in that I also had to serve as a role model and counselor for most of my students. As a teacher, I always felt satisfied knowing that I was helping to transform the lives of people younger than myself. Currently in graduate school, I am studying telecommunications. All over the world, telecommunications is changing the way people live; it has contributed to great developments in several countries. My hope is to go back to my country, Ghana, and use my knowledge in telecommunications to help transform more lives. Rural telecommunications is one of my passions. I hope to some day help in extending telecommunications services to the rural areas of Ghana so to enhance devleopment.

First of all, I've learned a lot in my classes, especially the ones having to do with my major. Second, the teachers have connections with people out in the field and are extremely dedicated to getting students jobs. Having those connections are going to be very valuable when trying to get a job. Third, it has really helped me in the social aspect. I was one of those shy kids, but the college did a great job in getting me to meet others and get to know them when I first came here. Now I've got friendships that will last a lifetime, and I've learned how to deal with people. You're going to be dealing with people for the rest of your life, so this is a very valuable skill to learn. So, in conclusion I've gotten a lot out of attending OC: learning, connections, and social skills. These will be most valuable in getting a job in the future.

I believe what I have gotten most of all out of my college experience has been confidence in myself. Prior to college, I was a very introverted book nerd that made all the grades but was pretty shy when it came to friends. However, at OC, people that I met within my first week of college are still with me today and, on days where I am feeling stressed out from classes, a friendly greeting pulls me from my reverie and my day is automatically a few shades brighter. My friends and professors have enabled me to feel confidence in myself and in my future. It has been valuable to attend college because of the need to empower myself to reach the goals I have set in life. My parents were not given the opportunity to finish their college education as I have and they have chosen to support me to fulfill a goal that they had to give up on. This scholarship will better enable me to support my college education while taking some of the burden from my parent's shoulders and to carve out a better life for myself while learning valuable social and business skills.

During my college life, I have learned a variety of different things. The first is that people will accept and like me for exactly who I am; I don't have to act differently to fit in. A second thing I have discovered is that there must be a balance between social and school life. The first semester I was at college I spent hours upon hours in my room studying and doing homework, but after the semester was over, I looked back and realized that all I had gained was a 4.0 GPA. The past year at college, I have maintained good study habits in order to keep my 4.0, but I have also drastically improved my social life. I have learned that the experiences I have and the people I meet make just as big of impact on my future as my academics do. After all, Abraham Lincoln said, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." And I have discovered that it is the friends I make and the adventures we have that will put the most life into my years.

Since starting college I have obtained a good study and work habit that I will take with me throughout my life and also friends that I have and will share many good memories together. I now can tell myself it is time to study and I know if I study and work hard my grades will reflect it and then I can reward myself with hanging out with my friends and having a good time. I plan to use this for the rest of my college career and afterwards when I have a job and responsabilites, and if it wasn't for going to college I would never have established this type of work ethic.

I have gotten some great life experiences from college. Even though I only been here a short while, I have grown so much. Meeting people is something I am used to but the people at college are so different. I have met friends that I will be friends with my whole life and grown so much in how I think about people. I also have learned how to delegate time more wisely and do a proper amount of school work and socializing. It has been valuable to attend the school I am at because I have been allowed to express myself more and keep up with my spiritual growth. College should be one of the most exciting times of your life and becuase of the choice I made about where to go, this is turning out to be true. My school is one of the best for a lot of areas of study and I feel like I have been given a great opportunity to be here and to make connections and friends.

College has taught me many valuable lessons high could never have even prepared me. The studying required for a university is at a much higher and more analytical level. Through some struggles of adjusting to dorm life, I have been able to improve my studying skills and have been able to overcome my procrastination habits. Not only was procrastination a prevalent habit in high school but a lack of organization. To keep up with 16 credit hours and keep two jobs I have found that these are imperative. My monthly planner has become my best friend. It has allowed me to keep my stress levels down. I feel a main component of a lower stress level has also been to the spiritual food I have recieved. Daily chapel has been a relaxer and an oppurtunity to take a break from the busy days. Unfortunately many college students have fallen out of their faith after leaving their parent's nest. I have been fortunate to have grown in my faith which I believe leads to a happier lifestyle. After being at Oklahoma Christian, I could not imagine myself at any other university. I would fit in no where else.