Saint Leo University Top Questions

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

Michael

If I could go back in time and relay some advice to myself; I would calmly say to myself, be open and soak up all knowledge, opinions, and advice given from the professors and students. To give yourself proper time management in order to effectively complete all assignments, essays, quizes and tests; to not stress yourself and to try and enjoy this experience as much as possible!

Chantel

I would give myself the advice of never giving up and doing everything I can to make it a smooth transtion for when I come into college. Never slack because that is just starting the lazy procedures and you dont want that to become a rotuine with you! I would also tell myself to listen to my teachers and mothers when they were always telling me what's best for me.

Marcus

Going back to my senior year in highschool, there are definitely some things that i would have done differently knowing what i know now. My senior year, I decided to take it easy and just relax the entire time. During this time, I could have been doing some things that would make the process of applying and choosing schools easier for me. I would have told myself to be more aggresive in my search scholarships, as I'm doing now. I also would have told myself to be ready to be on my own. There are no parents in college coming to wake you up and remind you to go to class or to finish your assignment. College is where you become an adult and all the responsibilty is on yourself. This advice would have been helpful to me in the transition.

Jennifer

Listen to EVERYONE when they tell you to not take a break. Just suck it up, focus, and stay in school. Taking a break will only prolong your happiness and your future. Save up lots of money. Your financial aid will not always be there. Try your best not to take out loans. They stack up quicker than you expect. Most of all learn all you can and enjoy the experience. It really is worth all the hard work you are putting in. You will see one day that all the struggles are to work towards a big goal that makes you happy and helps others.

Delaney

There are so many things I would say to myself if I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school. I would go back and motivate myself to finish all of those endless scholarship applications I printed, because college is not easy to pay for. I would tell myself to work harder and more often, because money is easier to spend than to make. Convince myself that maybe moving 1,600 miles away from my home was not going to be as easy as I told myself. Although, learning and experiencing all of this first hand was tough and hard to handle at times, I don't think I would personally take the chance and take to myself as a senior in high school.

Haley

The amount of times that I have wanted to kick myself for my foolish decisions is more than I care to count, or care to remember, honestly. Though college thus far has helped to shape me into the person I am truly supposed to be, there are quite a few scenarios I wish could have gone differently if I had known better. If there was a possibility that I would be able to visit my seventeen year old self about to graduate from high school, I would not give anything away, but I would simply tell myself that attitude and appreciation are everything. I feel that those two aspects make life worthwhile and if there was a way to realize them sooner, so many situations would happened dissimilarily. Not necessarily better or worse, but I feel it would have helped me get to the point in my life that I am in now much sooner. Being able to appreciate all that there is around me and happening in my life is such a surreal and wonderful feeling and appreciation and attitude are such forgotten aspects that unequivocally alter the way I view my life and my purpose in the world.

Kimberly

Now that I have learned a lot about college and the process of getting into college, I know exactly what to say if I could talk to myself in the past. I would tell myself to take school seriously and to start learning how to take better notes in class and focusing on the teacher's lectures. I would also tell myself that I need to start working really hard on scholarship applications, which even though they may seem hard work and time consuming, that scholarships are the only way I can stay studying in my university. That without them it would be really hard to maintain good grades in that school because I would end up having to get a job while also keeping up with my studies at the same time and it's not easy. I would also tell myself to immediately go to the learning center in my school and start taking advantage of all of the help there. Because without it I would have ended up working much harder than I needed to be. Lastly, I'd say have fun in high school, you're going to miss it when you're gone!

Alexandria

Never give up! Be positive and go out of your comfort zone. College is your time to explore yourself and your desires and your passion. It is your time to make mistakes and go on huge adventures because you will never be this young and free again. College is your time to know everbody and help people. College is your time to explore other culutures. College is your time to make a fool of yourself, but still have friends standing by your side at the end of the day. College is about living, taking advantage of all of the possibilities, taking that summer internship that is thousands of miles away from home, going on a roadtrip with only $10 to your names, college is the time to discover who you really are!

Jacob

I would tell myself as a highschool senior to remember that there will be a lot of things that you will not like about college but remember that there are a lot of tangible and intangible benefits. The first being that this is just one step towards your career goal. It may seem like an obstacle but it is well worth climbing over. The friends and connections that are made during college will be valuable resources for the rest of your life. The most important thing is getting that diploma. That diploma is not just a really exspensive piece of paper but is says something. It says that for four years you can stick it out and overcome challenges. It says that you can get tasks done to achieve a goal. It says that you can manage time, stay organized, and produce quality work. That is what the rest of life is about; facing challenges and completing then so you can achieve your goals.

wendy

First, I did things a little backwards by not going to college right after high school. I graduated high school in 1994 and attended college for one year and then dropped out because I was unsure of what I really wanted to do in life. I begin working and started a family. In 2007 I decided to return to college but because of my family and work, I could only go part time. Obviously this is taking a longer time to reach my goal but I am certainly proud of myself. Now I am working towards my bachelors in Computer Information Systems, I am setting a good example for my kids in hopes that they do not make the same mistakes I did with waiting to go to college. Being a single mother of two small children, it makes it very hard to balance family, work, and school, but I am doing it. I would certainly give myself the advise to stay in college and finish it before starting a career and family.

chris

I am a youth leader at my church and I have always encouraged them to get their college education prior to getting married & having a family because when you are married and have a career, it is harder to go back to school as an adult. Education is the most valuable thing a person can have. It will open alot of doors for someone. If i knew then what I know now, I would definitely have gone to college after graduating high school. It would have been the open door of a career that I would have loved and ejoyed doing. Adults have alot of responsibilities with the family and it is that much harder to put forth the hours of studying and homework than if I were younger with not that many responsibilites. Thank you

Cesar

If I were to go back in time and able to go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior the first thing I would tell myself to focus more on my studies to get a even better scholarship for college. College is very expensive, which I never really knew till I got here and saw all the loans I have to take out. Another thing I would tell myself would be prepared to write a lot and have long nights because of the amount of studying I will have to do in college. Last thing I would tell myself would be prepared to meet new friends and people who could help you on begininng a career, also doing a lot of presenting to a large group of people for classes.

Harley

I would have taken more time to research the classes before taking them, also I would have studied during the summer before college to get one foot into the door before stepping onto the college campus.

Lakiya

The first thing I would say to my high school senior self would be to find a balance between schoolwork and your social life before getting to school. If you already have a set plan to accomplish this, then you are a step ahead. The new sense of freedom will throw your priorities out of whack for a while. Secondly, I would say to keep your circle of friends small because everybody does not have your best interest at heart. That does not mean to not socialize, but do not get caught up in everybody else to the point where you lose yourself.

Nicole

Take SAT classes. You need Bright Futures to survive. Finacial aid is imparative!

Marie

yes i would

STEPHEN

I would tell myself that college life is not that bad, and I would also tall myself that go to college right after high school.

Stefen

Believe it or not, the list of recommendations that I would give my high school self during my senior year would not be much. The one fact that I would tell myself is that everything will be ok, and to continue progressing. While I was in high school, I was like many students unsure of the scary, expensive college life. Post high school is an extremely daunting thought during senior year. This entire point of time, you have professors warning you about the expenses, you have military recruiters convincing you that college life is nearly impossible. Then, when you finally think that the school day is over, I can just go home and relax, it isn't, your parents are lecturing you on what to do also. Although this was all very tough, I learned once graduating from high school that once you begin college, it isn't as scary as you thought it would be. It is as simple as the transition from middle school to high school, extraordinarily intimidating, but certainly possible. You can receive all the advice from the greatest of individuals, but if you do not go and experience it first hand, you will never understand.

Rebecca

Do not wait to begin college courses. It is much more difficult starting college as an adult with children than, it would have been to start directly after high school. College mathematics is not as scary as it sounds. College courses are difficult, but they are amazing at the same time. There is no limit to the amount of inforation you can learn. Join clubs and participate in extracurricular activites. This experience allows for a smoother transition into college life. Do not wait until the last minute for any assignments or exams. Study constantly. Never forget that you can do this and you can achieve your dreams. Finally, remember that used textbooks are the same as new textbooks with one advantage, the other owners highlighted material that will prove extremely useful for studying.

Lauren

If I were given the opportunity to go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would have told myself to just be happy. In many ways I was the typical high school senior dealing with senioritis. I think that many high school students don't take the time to live in the present and spend so much of life thinking about what the future holds. In my opinion now, I feel that this isn't the best way to live. Life should always be lived to it's fullest. Since graduating I have obtained my Associate in Science and Art degree and have gotten married and moved halfway across the United States. I am no longer a high school student living at home with my parents, I am a wife of an United States Air Force Airman. If I could really go back and talk to my high school self, I would make sure to mention that the most important thing in the journey of education in college life is to just sit back, embrace it, and do what you truly love. Do something that will make you proud.

Jazmine

Looking back as a high school senior now I would do more research about the school I wish to attend, know more about my financial aid, and seek other student who are already in college for advice. Now that I attend Saint Leo University and I see how expensive it is I wish I would've had more communication with the finical aid department so that they could explain to me that I would have to pay out of pocket for my education. When I found out that my college was private I did not think it would have an effect on me. Now, I know that most other public universities do not accept transfer credits from a private institution. I've invested almost two semesters into a college I can't afford and my credits won't even count if I choose to transfer to a different school. Being that no one in my family went to college, I did not have anyone to receive advice from about college. I just jumped in head first, not knowing what to expect. Knowing what I know I would've spoken to someone who was already in.

heide

I would tell myself to stick with it. Through the ups and downs of finding yourself, remember that a college education is extremly important. Those that stand in your way are trying to bring you down to their level, and hate that you are smarter than they are. Climb that letter and shine your brightest.

Teisha

I would make sure that I have good study habits and work on my organization, those are two things that would have helped in addition to working on procrastination. Time managment is another big one. I would have also tried harder to obtain a job because money is definitely needed at college between the books and fees that need to paid in order to be a part of extra curricular activities.

Shaquille

During my Senior year of high school, I lacked the motivation and nearly abandon hope of attending college and continuing my education. This had resulted in a decline in my academic grades-the A average I received in previous years fell to a C/D average-and constant tardiness to my morning classes. I struggled to wake up early in the morning and several times, failed to turn in my assignments on their deadlines; this directly affected my ambitions of attending college and I forced myself to make up for my tardiness by enlisting in my school's campus beautification and placing my efforts towards completing my assignments. I am currently attending a local community college and knowing now, with the outstanding performance I displayed within my first years of high school, I would advise my senior self to apply to the colleges you want, whether or not you get in, get enough sleep, balance the time you spend studying and talking to your girlfriend, study extremely hard, and never lose hope because you could be in a university, one step closer to becoming a Registered Nurse.

Jennifer

I would have applied to schools earlier and not waited to the last minute and struggle to decide on a last minute choice. I do not regret coming to Saint Leo because I feel I belong here, but had I applied earlier I would have had more options in scholarships. and I CANNOT stress the importance of SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS. They are seriously needed. They suck to do but you will be thankful to have them because its more spending money that your parents aren't paying to the school. Thus, you get that $$$. Trust me, you need it!

Maria

I would tell myself that I should have just saved myself the half of semester at Suffolk Community College and kept all the money I had saved then for St. Leo. I would get a better chance at St. Leo and not have to worry about credits not being able to transfer over to a new school. While I am in High School, I should not just study my head off like I did, but also try to form a mini study group with my best friend because I will not be able to see her as often as I would like. As for taking classes, Trigonometry and Physics, make sure to take the time to figure out which formula goes where because they look so similar that it will make your head spin.

Ebony

As a college student, th advice I will give is be prepared for greatest time of your life, but it is only if you make it that way. You are going to be an adult, so if you focus on the reason why you want to go to college in the first place, you would not have any problems. Keep your grades up and work on time management. These are the keys to succes. Make sure all assignments are done before you go to have fun. There are going to be plenty of activities to do so missing out on one wont seem so bad, but missing an assignment will always bring you down. Make connections with your teacher. They are not your enemy, their your teammates. Get invovle . Don't be spmebody who stand with the crowd stand out. Make friendships, Because college friendships that form will be the best friends ever.

Kortney

Focus on your education and excel in it because education will open the doors to many successful opportunities in the future.

danyla

Since I'm a 39 years old college student what I would tell myself in High school is to continue school till I get my master. So I don't have to find myself at this age as student and jobless. I could have been a company C.E.O. by now. I wish my parent would have been harder on me with the school issue. I wish they didn't give me a choice between school and work.

britney

Take money very serious, when your young you dont understand the way money flows and how much a real education costs. I would have begin to speak to my parents earlier in my senior year to try to save as much money as possible to help with the cost of school, instead of taking out loans like i had to do the First semseter of college. Thats the biggest advice i would give to myself. should have been more focused on my money sistuation for college instead of just waiting around.

Cristina

Do your work, high school is too easy, try hard to get scholarships; don't slack off!

Kianna

I would tell myself to be prepared for early mornings and late nights. I am part of the ROTC program and the Honors program. In high school I was not accostumed to staying up late on a consistent basis to finish papers. In college that is an everyday task. I would tell myself to be prepared for hard work and to become more organized with assignments so it is easier to keep track of all activities, school work, and personal life events. I would also say to enjoy the moment. I focused a lot on work and accomplishing different things andI didn't take time for relaxation until the end of each semester. College can be a fun enviroment when it is well balanced.

Nicole

Going to Florida was one of the greatest choices I made; the weather is perfect and being far away from home forces you to stay on campus and embrace your self in the culture. Look into more schools in Florida other then Saint Leo, look into bigger school like UCF. Make sure you can afford school, no one wants to take out extra loans. If a school offers you a scholorship ask for more, the worst they can say is no. Where ever you choose, embrace it, get involved and make friends. When entering college, be social, meet new people every chance you get, get involved. Look into studying abroad, it's worth it, just do it. Have fun, be yourself, and enjoy where you are, because where ever you are, you are there for a reason. Also go to the gym and watch what you eat. The freshmen 15 will get you, if you let it.

Adriana

First of all, you have to get to know all your teachers and make them to know you as well, i think this is the most importart part that you need to have in mind. Teachers are the persons who can help you later with recomendation letters, to find a job, or just with a good advise that can help you to do better at school or College. Second, to spend yout time wisely, this is the time to look up for scholarships, to identify your strenghts in order to decide your major once you get into College, and to visit the new college you are interested in, in this way, you will get an idea about how college is like, and the new enviroment there, you can go as many times as you want until you feel confortable in the new place and people. My third advice, is to identify which is the class you are having struggle with, talk to your friends and take advantage of them, they are the best option to help you to understand, and maybe you are the best person to help them if they are having stuggle with a different class as well.

Russell

The best advice would I would give myself is to stay focused on attaining a degree in whatever field I choose, and to maintain an organized set of notes and test material. I would also advice myself to get started on all projects as soon as I received them, because the earlier I get started and gather information and format ideas, the more time I will alow for my other classes and projects, which will ensure the highest grade possible.

Ruby

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would advise myself to apply for financial aid and look for a variety of scholarships. I would advise myself to look at schools that offered full ride scholarships for academics and researched more about my desired program of study. If I could change my past it would be amazing, but in reality the only thing I can change is my future, therefore I need to look for financial assistance to helpsupport my family.

Anna

Be yourself! Pretty much, there is only going to be one or two people from your high school class that you actually still talk to next year. Don't worry aout images, or the amount of friends you have, or who thinks your awsome, because after you get that diploma, it doesn't matter. And save your money, in 2011, you'll make all together $11,000. Seriously, what the hell did you spend all of that money on to make it disapear before the end of june? we're going to be paying off loans in a couple years! Remember that every penny counts. So please stop drinking Dunkin Donuts icced coffee. It's free at home and I tried it black; it tastes fine so skip the sweetner and it makes it that much easier, and SO much cheaper. And finally, prepare yourself for an awsome, but very stressful year. Work on the procrastination now so you can skip it later. It may seem like you have no time for yourself in college, and that's probably true, but in order to get better grades, and above a C in Cell Biology, you need to work hard!

Leonardo

Even though at times school has seemed like it's easy, NEVER slack off. Turn in ALL your assignments in ON-TIME. Those two assignments in Mr.Tutt's Economics class are the ONLY things that are going to keep you from a 4.0. And, come on. It's economics, if you don't work right you're gonna get a B+. Work hard, you'll do great :)

Kevin

So, you don’t know what you want to do with your life. Many people will go through they’re whole lives not knowing what they want to do. I recommend that you go ahead and get your education. Getting your college degree will open doors and give you options you never considered. Your college degree will prepare you to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves. I know the cost can be a concern, I would suggest you do what you can. If you can’t afford to go fulltime go part time. The most important thing to do is keep moving forward.

Sonia

Paid attention more to my grammar for writing. Just really work on my writing. Learn how to study.

Paulicia

I would tell myself to go out and look for a job and apply for scholarships and study for every test with the best of my abilities.

Emily

Stay focused and do all your classwork on time or ahead of time. Do not take any online classes because they require too much detication and indepentent studying. Go out and try different groups and hang out with different types of people because you never know what you have in common with someone else. Do not take things to seriously and try not to stress out too much. If you do the work and study hard, you will do fine on the papers and tests. Enjoy each day and take in as much knowledge as you can. The more you learn, the more you realize that there is so much you don't know. So always be on that quest for knowledge because you can never know too much.

John

I would tell myself to do as you preach. Over the years I have worked to help kids with there problems and preach to them that school is the most important thing they shoul think about. But I was to lazy to push myself to work hard in school instead of at work to make myself better.

Deseree

If i could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior the advice i would give myself would be to be as prepared as i can be. I would make sure to tell myself that i need to get everything firgured out before i try to take the next big step by everything i mean scholorships, housing and food, Where ecactly i want to go and what exactly i wanted to try to do. If you have a good direction things will go a lot smoother. I would also tell myself to try to get as much help as i could, and no matter what not to give up when things get hard because if you push forward things will get better in the end. I would also tell myself to have fun and make college a great experiance get out and make friends and enjoy the time you have there.

Cheyenne

If I could go back to my senior year of highschool I would have a lot of advice to give myself. I would tell myself that the first semester of college is very important. I would let myself know that even though it's the first time being away from home it is not the time to slack off and act out. Classes are very important, especially the ones that are important for your major. I would tell myself that a lot of people may think college is just fun and games, but in all honesty it is a lot of hard work and commitment. I would also advise myself to get sleep and not stay up late. Staying up late only leads to missed classes and a diminished immune system. I wish someone could have told me these things, it probably would have helped out a lot with my first semester in college.

STEPHEN

Go to college after high school

BILLIE

The advice I would tell myself about the transistion into college life, if I were a high school senior, would be not to wait for fourteen or even five years before comming to college. The transition would have been much easier because school studies change to be more challenging academically every year. You don't realize how hard it is to get fourteen years of ,not academic studies, learning up dated in just two weeks. The demand for higher education is on the rise with every passing year, it gets more challenging so that our economy can keep up with the growing times in the world. Also, you can achieve your goal of graduating by the time you have a family so you can give them the best and be a proud educated career oriented parent or spouse to your loved ones. People doesn't realize how much education means to their social surroundings and to their very own future while they are younger. As we get older we see the importance of educating ourselves and others, we also see that we never stop learning all the way through life and academics is a great foundation to start life with.

Shakira

The advice I would give myself is to make sure that I use my time wisely and to stay organized. By setting my priorities to a timeline I would make sure that I finish all assignments on time. I would also make sure that I stay positive and only hang around positive people so there would be no room for negativity. I would stay motivated and determined to be a success by making sure that I priortize my goals by short and long-terms goal so I could meet them without any road blocks.

Chantal

High school me; I know you are freaked out about venturing off to the adult world and college so allow me to offer some advice. Don't worry if you have to resort to plan B, C, D, etc. If you don't get into a big name university, it’s ok to start off at community college. In fact, that should be your plan A especially if you have no clue of what you want to major in or what you want to do after college. Also, your family situation will mean that you will have to work harder at balancing school and work. Trust me; you will be the stronger for it. Finally, just because everyone is rushing into college right out of high school doesn't mean that you should too. Sometimes it's better to take some time to figure out what you want from life. Travel, work, read, and jump at the chance for the once in a lifetime opportunities that will arise. It is in these opportunities that you will discover who you are and what you want. Things will work out in the end, I promise.

Taylor

If I could go back in time and give advice to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to make better grades and get involved with the school as much as possible. It is important when you are a senior in high school to make the best grades you can so that you are more eligible for scholarships, and so you are prepared to make the same grades in college. During the first year at the University you should get as involved as you possibly can. The more involved you get, the better experience you will have. From what I have learned the best thing that I did was get involved at my school. I noticed the difference in my grades and who I hung out with, and what I did with my time. It is definately beneficial to get involved around school, not with partying but with the actual school, it will gauruntee a great experience at the University. I know that I went from hating my University to loving it, just by joining a sorority and getting involved around campus.