University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Jessica

A lot of people at the University of St. Thomas are very closed off. As you walk across campus, no one talks or smiles at you unless you know them. I was terrified walking across campus on the first day of classes because no one was smiling. As you get to know people, like at any school, interactions improve, but it is still a frusteration for me. I wish we had a more obviously welcoming environment. However, people are very nice once you get to know them.

Carly

I wish I would have understood what a small campus size entailed, like the possibility of finding mentors, and the level of academic rigor at my school. A small school has many benefits, but it also has drawbacks and it feels like opportunities aren't presented on campus, but outside of the college community in St. Paul.

Richard

I wish I would have known the lack of diversity that was at my school.

Grace

Before I had choosen to attend the University of Saint Thomas, I wish I would have put in to perspective how small it is. I really like the school, although sometimes I wish it was a little bit bigger so that I could get to know a larger variety of people.

Annika

I wish I would have known how to live with other people. I have a sister and we shared a room for years, but throughout all of high school I had the privledge of having my own room, my own space. Not anymore, I have to learn how to share again. I have to learn how to be quiet when other people are sleeping and I have to do work, and I have to learn to sleep while other people are working.

David

I wish I would have known better time managment.

Rathminee

What I wish I knew before coming to St. Thomas was the different opportunities you had once you joined the St. Thomas community. The St. Thomas community is very helpful, inviting and beneficial is beneficial not only to your education; but also they want to help you professionally and personally. I find myself becoming the person whom I'm meant to be because of St. Thomas, and for that I am very grateful.

Jacob

First, I wish that I had know that going to the University of St. Thomas was going to be amazing. I was very worried about college in High School, and didn't know what to expect. Now that I am in College I have had a great time and really enjoyed my classes. Second, I wish I would have looked more into careers, because even to this day I am and undecided student. Knowing my major would have been very useful and made things easier for me. As it is I'm still trying to decide my major.

Margaret

I wish that I would have known exactly what I wanted to major in when I came to St. Thomas. I thought I had wanted to do an Education major, but then I decided against it. Now, I am undecided and do not know what I want to major in. I am, however, grateful that St. Thomas has an amazing Career Development office to help me figure out what I want to do in life.

Claire

I wish I had known how important it is to make friends right away who hold the same values as me. It is so easy to get sucked into drinking/partying with people who don't necessarily care about your heart.

Lauren

To be completely honest, I can;t really think of anything off hand that I wish I would've known before coming here to St. Thomas. All I know is that I really like it here, and I'm glad I made the decision to attend this university!

Maria

I wish I would've not put as much pressure on myself the first couple months. Meeting new people, excelling in classes, dialoguing with professors, joining extracurriculars, it all comes in time. Don't rush it, just let it happen.

Raymond

The school has an extensive network of alumni in the St. Paul/Minneapolis metro and provides its students with several internship and job opportunities. This is further aided by the career services at the school that helps in resume writing, job or internship searches and interview tips. The school also has several study abroad opportunities and nearly 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the graduating students can boast to have study abroad! These opportunities seemed far-fetched to me at first but after being at the school for a semester, I discovered all of these opportunities!

Raymond

The University of St. Thomas has many opportunies for students which I was unaware of while enrolling. They have a career center in which students are free to review their resumes, job application cover letters and scan through available careers and jobs. Also, the University values its student's wellness by providing free counseling for students who are psychologically ill. St. Thomas also has a child development center that provides help to students who are parents.

Haley

I wish I had known that the campus was so "wet". People go drinking every night of the week. If you are underage, do not enjoy drinking or do not enjoy drunk people staggering around your dorm and vomitting outside your building you will not enjoy St. Thomas.

Melissa

I wish I knew that the tuition was going to go up every year.

Gold

I wish that I had known it was going to be harder than what most previous college students made it out to be. Also, study habits, as an incoming freshman of the new year, I had no idea that when it came to finals, how hard you had to study to understand the material and even just the homework. It makes me wonder, what have I been doing the past four years of my life? because coming into college was not what I thought it was going to be.

Jesse

I wish I knew more about how the meal plans worked. At first, I thought that the plan I selected wouldn't be enough but I soon found out that I had more than enough and I actually had meals left over at the end of the semester. I wish someone would have told me that the meals we have for the semester do not get used if you are away over a break; it would have been nice to be able to learn what students actually use each semester.

Luke

There hasn't been anything that has taken me by surprise at St. Thomas that wouldn't have also taken me by surprise at any other college.

Gretchen

it would cost more than i expected

Kellie

Before coming to this school, I wish I would have known how important reading and studying were. I also wish I knew how hard accounting is. I enjoy my major, business, but accounting is a tough class. It was offered at my high school and I didn't take it because I thought it would be of no importance to me. Little did I know, it could have helped me out a lot and save me a lot of stress.

Aaron

I wish I had known how much financial aid I was going to get as it was actually more than I expected, and with that I may have been able to get into an even better school. The school didn't rank as high in business as I thought it did, but it is still a good school nonetheless.

Erin

Living on campus is expensive. They advertise weekend activities, but it truly is a suticase campus.

Brad

I wish that knew how much it was really going to cost me outfront. It would have been nice to have a mandatory meeting with a financial aid representative to get me going on the right track.

Lauren

I wish I would've taken more AP classes in high school because the more credits that you have at St Thomas, the easier it is to register for classes and get the classes that you need.

Christine

I wish I would have known how homesick I was going to be.

Ariel

I wish I would have known that everybody is in the same position as I am and that we're all awkward. Then I wouldn't have been so worried about making friends. I wish someone would have told me how easy it is to make new friends.

Shamira

I wish that I had known how hard it was going to be to pay for everything.

Nicole

I wish I would have known that most students go home on the weekends, it was very difficult my first year to find friends who stuck around on campus, and it would have influenced my decision to attend this school.

Brittany

Before I attended the Universtiy of St. Thomas, I wish I would have put into perspective how much tuition costs. Spending that much money in an undergraduate program seems risky since I will be in a large amount of debt before I even reach medical school, which presents more opportunity for debt. However, I am hoping that it will someday pay off.

Harrison

What it takes to have success in the classroom. Understand what it means to study and prepare for a test and the importance of every grade in the class.

Austin

I wish I had known which classes from which professors I ought to have taken. I wish I had known how much of a commitment it would be to play a varsity sport here. I wish I had known that living off-campus during my first year at college would be very challenging.

Ethan

How hard it is to get financial support according to need base and jobs on basis of work study qualifications.

Aaron

I wish I knew more about financing and how to pay for school/get the most in terms of scholarships/awards, it is an expensive institution.

Anthony

The Justice and Peace department is the best on campus.

Kristyn

Bring lots of warm clothes

Lisa

I wish I had known about the music program at St. Thomas. We have incredible professors and directors that have built up incredible performance ensembles. We aren't getting the recognition we deserve, but it is a first-rate program with many opportunities.

Katherine

The library is a helpful place. If you need to get work done go to the library. It is also useful to study and be very focused during the week, since college is tough, then have fun on the weekend.

Kirsten

I wish I would have known just how much it would cost to attend. I knew what ballpark the cost would be in, but what I had thought originally was a lot cheaper than what the actual cost is. I also wish that I would have realized what major I wanted to pursue because St. Thomas does not offer certain majors involving sports.

Jethro

I wish someone would have taught me how to time manage.

Katie

I wish I had more information on testing out of classes.

Taylor

To not take on too much of a work load in the beginning

Callie

Before I started attending St. Thomas i attened the university of Minnesota Mankato. I wish that i had known what classes would have transfered because i am now behind in credits after my switch to St. Thomas because not all my classes from Mankato counted towards courses at St.Thomas. This would have saved my time and money which are both very valuable.

Kimngan

Academic counseling is avalible and one should use it

Elizabeth

Get out and do stuff...also explore the neighborhood around the St. Paul campus and Minneapolis - there's lots of good stuff within range if you know where to find it.

Rebecca

I wish that I had know that if you come in as a Freshman with a job, it is really difficult to make a class schedule that fits together with your work schedule. Being a smaller school, St. Thomas does not offer as many sections of each course that bigger schools, like the University of Minnesota, do. This can make it very difficult to get all the classes you need and still maintain your work schedule, especially if your job is not very flexible.

Joseph

Before I came to school here, I wish I would have know that I didn't need as many meals as I paid for. The meal plan data is kind confusing so I still have a lot of meals left that i probably won't use, making it a waste of my money.

Madeline

I wish I had known that you should always go to your professor's office hours, they are incredibly helpful.

Danielle

Use your meal plans right away at the beginning of the semester otherwise you end with too many at the end.

Stephanie

Grace is the coolest dorm for girls. Even though it is on South campus, it's only a 5-minute walk and it has the best amenities and community feel. And it is closest to the Binz.