Regan’s Remedies: February 20, 2014

BY REGAN HOERL

SC Staff Writer

Dear my freshman self,

Five years ago, you were a worried, anxiety-filled young freshman trying to succeed in college. Now, five years later, you’re almost ready to walk to “Pomp and Circumstance” and get the Diploma you’ve worked so hard for. However, there are a few things I wished you would’ve known back then.

First, I wish you would’ve been more involved on campus. Although you started at Northampton Community College (NCC), there were plenty of opportunities for extracurriculars. Now that you’re involved in Calliope, the literary magazine on ESU’s campus, you could’ve easily worked for the Laconic, the literary magazine on NCC’s campus, and had much more experience in publication and copy-editing.

Second, I wish you would’ve put in a little more effort in high school.

This might be taking things a serious way back (indeed, it is a pretty long time to look back on), but it still does make a difference when it comes to college preparation.

If your SAT scores were higher, you could’ve continued with your Secondary Education degree at ESU.

However, because your SAT scores were not up to par, you missed out on the chance of being exempt from taking the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA). All you needed to do was study a little harder, be a bit more organized, and take school a bit more seriously.

Third, and what may seem most important, a small part of me wishes you would’ve considered going away to school all four years. While you really succeeded at NCC, four years at ESU would’ve been beneficial for staying on track during your college years.

There would not have been trouble with transfer credits, and the experience of moving away to college would’ve changed your whole life.

There would’ve been more opportunity for involvement on campus.

It is probably a good thing that your life happened the way it did.

To be honest, you wouldn’t have learned now how good a 4.0 feels after a hard-working semester.

Also, you wouldn’t know what it is like to live away from home and have the temptations of partying your way through school.

All in all, everything you should’ve known back then you now know. It has to be much better this way, right?

Love, Regan

Email Regan at:

rhoerl@live.esu.edu