Florida State University Top Questions

I would tell myself to get prepared: College is not a joke. I always received almost perfect grades in my classes without barely trying, so coming into college having taken Advanced Placement classes, I thought I had everything under the belt. I was so wrong. High school doesn't fully prepare you for the scale. You have to keep in mind that you are becoming independent, doing things for yourself - whether it is laundry, cooking, or even working to pay your own bills - life gets harder, and studying isn't your only priority in life anymore. Other than that, I would have told myself to take Dual Enrollment courses while I could and come into college with all my pre-requisites done, for a cheaper price. But overall, I would especially tell myself that everything would work out in her favor, and not to worry or shed a tear over things out of her hands.

If I were able to advise my high school self regarding the transition to or aspects of college life, I would alleviate my stress by saying that all my work in high school was well worth it. Having struggled through rigorous course work all through high school, I would let myself know that the transition to college was far easier than many students experience. As far as the aspects of college itself, the most important advice I would give is to stay focused on your goals and stay determined when the many facets of college overhwhelm you, be it sports, church, classes, or jobs. College is much closer to the real world and comes with many stresses but as long as you stay determined and focused, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.

The best advice I could've given myself would be to not sweat the small stuff and remember what is truly important. The things that feel intimidating and life-or-death when you're 18 can change dramatically by your junior year in college. I can't stress enough to focus on your academics. We have such little control when we're minors, but our education is always something we have a say in. Apply for any and all scholarships and grants you can find! Look at many schools, don't get stuck on the first one you like. Another important thing to remember is to make yourself STAND OUT. Extra curricular, outstanding GPA, community volunteering- whatever! Just make sure the schools you apply to know just how important and special you really are. Also, never forget who you are or the standards you have. College is a place for finding yourself and discovering new things, but don't let yourself change to fit anyone else's mold: you are perfect being just who you are.

When people say that the last year of high school goes by faster than you can imagine, they are absolutely right. Too often in that last year high schoolers are fretting over what college they will be attending next year, how they are going to pay for college, and how they are just going to survive academically. These are all vastly important, but what is just as equally important is to enjoy this last year you have. Senior year of high school is meant to be the greatest of all four years, the year where you are finally at the finish line and with one more stride you will cross it and it will all be over. Take the time before you venture on with your life to really enjoy it, to do all the things you have ever wanted to do, and to experience everything to the fullest.

If I had a chance to go back and talk to my immature high school senior self, I would have a lot to tell him. First, I would tell him to stay in shape because you literally have to walk everywhere. You are not bringing a car so you might as well bring a bike because it could save you a lot of time. Another thing I would tell him is to become better friends with the kids already in your high school because almost all of them are going to the same college as you and you could get introduced to many more new friends. Lastly I would tell myself to enjoy the company of your family and friends back home. Being in college is fun but you end up missing everyone back home so enjoy the time you have with them now.

Pay more attention in college. Listen to your friends that are already in college. It is not as easy at it sounds. Don't let being away from home for the first time change you. Just be yourself but grow at the same time. It will be ok, change is good. Try not to be scared, and don't be so shy around new people you might come along as mean or cold. Make sure that what your going to college for is what you want to do. When you get a job make sure you don't complain if you can't do something. Spend plenty of time in the library.Don't let the wrong crowd influence you but make sure to make friends that are different from yourself. Learn to have fun with people your own age. Put some time aside to read some books, or suffer froma brain that desperalty wants to read something besides text books. Learn to like sharing space with somebody besides yourself for once. Learn to be more open with your feelings but leave a little mystery. Make sure to talk to your family every sometime. Lastly make sure to enjoy yourself.

As a high school senior, it is unbelieveable the thoughts that are going through your mind. It is a stressful time no matter the finanical need, racial background, or education. No matter what it is hard to decide to go to college or just work. It is the time of your life when you are making a huge decision for your future. Knowing what I know now I would have tried to work more and save up more money for college. Also I would look into what your interests are and let that be your guide. I picked the major of elementary education and I could not be happier! I enjoy working with children and helping them learn. I learned this through working at an Arts and Crafts summer camp which helped me learn that helping chilren is a profession I want to pursue. Another piece of advice to high school seniors is even if you do not want to go to college it is helpful to still make visits. Therefore, I am glad I picked the career path I did and I am hoping this scholarship can help me because I want to get my Master's degree.

"Do not shut doors for yourself. The world will do that for you." This is the advice I, as an experienced student at a university, would give myself as a high school student. In my senior year, I decided I was not going to go to school in the fall. I refused with adamant determination. I made my life difficult by shutting that door for myself. Freshman applications closed, scholarships were awarded to diligent (and not so diligent) students, and when I finally came to the conclusion that I was making a mistake, it was a struggle to get into the university that I wanted. I deal with the consequences of my decision regularly. If I could go back, I would remind myself to reap the rich crops of life before they wither. It is not my job to close doors for myself. It is my job to at least consider going through all of them, and without pause, entering as many as I can.

Stop worrying about what other people think and just be yourself. Be true to who you are and have faith in where you are going. Do not get caught up in the small insignificant things, especially the things you have no control over. Life is frustrating, no doubt about that, but you just have to take each day as a new challenge and just get through it the best you can. You are going to disappoint someone no matter what you do, just don't that that someone be you. You cannot please everyone, so stop trying. Stick to what you want in the long run, and even though it seems so very far away and even though it is going to be a bumpy road, in a few years you will be glad you stuck with it. Just remember, you were given this life for a reason: you are the one strong enough to live it.

My senior year of high school, I was sitting in my guidance counselor's office listening to the same words of advice she'd been giving me for the past four years - "you'll end up where you are meant to be." I had applied to a lot of competitve out-of-state schools, as well as the less prestigious in-state school. I was dying to go to one of the competitve schools, but had just recieved a "C" in my second year of college-level Calculus, missing a "B" by half a point. I hated math and wanted to be an Art History major, but a full-ride scholarship at the expensive, private schools would require excellent grades in the most difficult courses offered by my high school. Once I let go and accepted that the in-state school, while not quite as easy to brag about, was better for me and what I needed, life became a great deal better. I even discovered that the migraines I had suffered from were caused by stress! I'm currently attending the in-state school and am having an amazing time, filled with academic and personal opportunites.

I would tell myself to start getting in the habit of studying and focus more on my GPA. I would apply for more scholarships and join more extraculliculars. I would have also tried to join a sport and I would have gotten a job.

When I would go back in time, I would give my self many great advices.; one of them would be not to procrastinate at all and study everyday for at least four-five hours. Another advice would be to set career goals and meet career advisors to pick a right major for myself. Furthermore, I would also tell myself to be very serious and not take things for granted. For example, if I were struggling with something, I would form study groups and seek help from my professors. Besides being academically strong, I would also tell myself to increase my participation in extra-curricular activities and look for more volunteer activities. Because it is really important to stay involved in activities and research programs to gain better scholarship opputunities and also to get accepted into good schools. Therefore, staying involved, studying everyday, and no procrastination would be great advices I would give myself. i

Do better in school. Know where you want to go and what you want to do. Have a plan.

Well seeing as I have been away from school for over 20 years. I believe I would tell myself that the best thing for me to do, would be to attend school right after high school. Instead of waiting 20 years to finish my degree. I would let myself know that it would be better to do it before I decided to hae a familiyand al of that because that is when I became disabled and have to rebuild my life. That is where I am now and if I started back then I mat not have been in this situation to begin with.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself not to wait five years to go to college. When I was a senior, I refused to go to a junior college after I graduated, but was not accepted into a university, so I just started working. I found out that having a job is good, but there were so many others around me doing much better. People I graduated with, and many that graduated after me, were recieving degrees and starting careers, and I was working a dead-end job. If I could tell myself one thing it would be to suck it up and quit being so prideful.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely tell myself that studying ahead of time for any exam or quiz is very important. The transition from procrastinating in high school will not work in college. I would also tell myself that one’s GPA is extremely valuable throughout ones college career because when it goes down it’s not so easy to bring it back up. Not only are grades and GPA an important part of one’s college experience but so is extra circulative activities. Getting involved on campus and doing things outside the classroom definitely shows you what else you are capable of doing. You are more likely to learn about yourself and others by getting involved. All these things help build a solid base to one’s education. Staying focused on the purpose of why you are in college will definitely help with it all and make it easier.

Being in college for almost two semesters now has opened my eyes. Before starting college, I would always read what people have to day. The one thing I ignored and wish I didn't was, you have to study your lesson after class. I thought that I would be fine without it because I wasin high school. I ignored the commens made about high school being different than college. I shouldn't have. If I could go back, I would tell myself, once you get accepted, you have to work hard. Not cram because finals are around the corner, but study whenever you have nothing to do. Go over your math lessons and don't wait until the last minute to read over your notes. You have to dedicate a number of hours for your classes. No matter how easy it may seem, it's worth it. I found this out too late and I'm not too happy with my grades. That's what I get for not taking the time out to study. You can have fun, be it's no fun trying to put your GPA when it's time to get ready to graduate,

Don't be afraid to get involved and try something new! Especially as a freshman, you're bombarded with fliers and people telling you to join this club, come to some event, try out for a team, etc. Well grab a new friend or someone who lives down the hall in your dorm and go on an adventure to these new experiences. You never know what you’ll enjoy until you try it! Getting involved with a variety of activities is also a great way to meet lots of new people, which will then open you up to even more experiences. Just like in high school, you need to be building your college resume with clubs and service hours, so it’s best to jump right in to social events right away. It’s much easier to find time for meetings and volunteering while you are taking much simpler classes as a freshman. There are plenty of resources available to find different clubs and groups, including talking to the dorm RAs and the student organizations website. You don’t want to be a Senior and regret all the opportunities you missed out on during the past three years of college!

Don't have babies.

I would tell my past self that College is a lot different than High School. Your parents are not going to be there telling you it's time to get up and go to class and your professors do not care if you show up or not. Be prepared because this is your money being spent to help further your education. Also College is a very important step in your life, you are basiclly starting your job search right now because how you do in College will affect what career and how quickly you will get to where you want to be. College is a great experience so be prepared and although it can be stressful a lot of the time it will be worth every second and every penny you put into it. Get ready because it's going to be a great ride.

Make sure that you don't let anything interfere with what you want to do with your life. Education is such an important aspect in being who you want to be. School should be about what you want out of life and not what others may want, do it for YOURSELF.

First, I tell my college self to start looking into financial aid and scholarships now. Money is a big issue in college and the more you can obtain now helps ot in the long run. Also, along those lines, get a job; if I could get a job as a senior and then transfer to Tallahassee that would have been helpful. Second, decide what you want to major in so you aren't stuck in unuseful classes. THe difference in classes from biology to criminology is greater than you realize. Another thing, don't listen to your mom when she tells you not to change from a biology major; it is your choice and you have to live with it the rest of your life. Finally, enjoy your senior year because once college starts, bye-bye social life.

I would tell myself is to never doubt the power I had to make a difference. In college you see that have so many opportunities to do this, but as a high school student you can make the same kind of difference in your community. After coming to Florida State I found that my passion is being a servant leader. I'm involved with many different organizations on campus. I serve as the first ever President of the Sophomore Class council, on the Leadership Council of the Student Alumni Association, as the Student Support Chair of Camp Kesem at FSU, and as a Peacejam mentor. PeaceJam is an organization that mentors high school students and does exactly what this scholarship question asks. We work with high school students and show them things they can do and what they can achieve. We give the support, advice and resources they need to be successful and make a difference in the world. Each year at the PeaceJam conference a Nobel Peace Prize laureate comes to Florida State for a weekend and high school students from all over the country present the project they have chosen to help an area of people in need.

GO TO THE COLLEGE ADVISOR! Since you are the first person in your family to go to college, you will have to learn absolutely everything on your own. It took you a few years to actually start getting involved, so that is why I am telling you; visit your high school college advisor! She will tell you everything you need to know from the different kinds of scholarships you can apply to, to the waivers you can get for being a financial aid student. You will also learn more about joining extracurricular activities and what can boost up your college application. Go visit her monthly your junior year because that is when you’ll need her the most! So have fun your senior year but remember to still take it seriously! You’ll turn out great, I promise!

College has taught me many things so far and looking back I wish I had learned these attributes to make a better transition from a senior to a first year college student. You need self-discipline, and good time management. Getting to class on time, pushing yourself to do your best, and staying on top of your work load all require a person to have self-discipline. No professor is going to “spoon feed” the topic to you like some high school teachers will. Being able to persevere and learn the topic on your own shows that you have the willpower to succeed. Also you need good time management because in college you are not given extra time to do assignments; you are required to be responsible to get the work done on your own time. When given a group project it is up to you to decide who does what, and when you need to get it done. Getting assignments and projects done early allows you to perfect minor details and check your work. Following and learning good time management and self-discipline is the key to achieving academic success.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give is to pay less attention to the small details of the college application process and to give more thought to the big picture. The big picture meaning the place that you will potentially spend the next four years of your life, perhaps the most mentally and emotionally developing time you will ever experience. I would say to think about if this institution will make you truly happy and give you the resources to reach your highest potential and achieve all of your goals. Without these factors, all of the grades, community service, and involvement that you have worked so hard for wont matter because they will all be thrown away on a university that is not right for you. Don't let your friends, location, or popularity make your decision for you because only you will be the one actually experiencing all of the great opportunities that college has to offer. So before you suffer another panic attack, close your eyes and picture yourself a year from now, wherever that is, hit submit for that application.

The best advice I could give my past self involves two things: confidence and focus. Throughout high school I was so focused on being liked that I forgot to just live in the moment and enjoy myself. The people who actually care about me are the people I still talk to now, and all of those other people I only see on Facebook, and will most likely never talk to again. Which brings me to the second part of my advice; I wish I would have focused better. Instead of letting myself get so easily distracted by my phone, my computer, and trying so hard to make lots of friends— especially since you only end up keeping the closest ones after graduation when you all start going separate ways. I think if I would have focused better and had better study habits I could have gotten 4s or 5s on ALL of six of my AP Tests, instead of just three; that is money I could have saved for college and I also would have gotten more sleep, which was something I seemed to lack every day in high school, and that definitely had a negative effect on my education.

Embrace the college life. Seek out clubs and organizations to get involved in. Try new things. Find productive ways to fill your free time. Use this opportunity to meet new people and form connections. Learn how to balance fun and work. It's important to get involved, but the main reason you're here is school. Go to class. Don't forget to focus on learning and be prepared for class. If you need help, find it. Seek out resources made available by your school and keep them in mind for times of crisis. Expect highs and lows and remember that tough times won't last forever. If you're unhappy, change something. This is a time to figure out who you are and what you want, don't be discouraged by failures, use them and learn from them.

I would sayto myself to apply for more scholarships. They're everywhere you look, I just never took the time to apply for them. I would also remind myself to go out and do as much as extra curricular activites as possible, and to be ready for a more diverse eviornment than I had ever experienced before.

Although the transition from highschool to college might be a frightening one, there is so much to look forward to. The freedom of being away from home and your parents was daunting, even for me, and it even may consume you once you get it, but keep on focusing on why you are here. Don't go crazy trying to focus on the academics, and don't get consumed by the desire of "college life." You will incorporate yourself into the college community and love it! Don't be upset about leaving behind friends, and family. They would want you to make the most of your experience. You will meet new friends, and have amazing times in your "new life." This is the time you have to dedicate, and begin the journey that starts the rest of your life. Here in college it allows you to take that step that jumpstarts your new career, new desires, and new adventures. If you though high school was something special, wait until you get into college. You will love it.

I would tell myself to go to community college first. I would advise my younger self to think of the first two years as years 13 and 14, in continuation of k-12. The reason I would say this is it took me two years to even figure out what my strengths were. When you leave the home for the first time, or even taking on new responsibilities for the first time, it’s hard to tell what you’re good at because you might be re-discovering your “real world” talents all over again. In order to capitalize on skills that you already have, you need to know what you’re working with. Once you get those general education courses out of the way you will be all set, not to mention better off in your piggy bank, to start at a public or private university. Even better, if you decide not to continue to the university, you’ve at least completed an associate degree, and that alone opens so many doors.

The advice I would give myself would be to have an open mind. I was bummed that I didn’t get to go to my dream school, University of Florida, and I was upset that I chose to come to the rivalry school. I grew up in a Gator household, where most of my family graduated from, so when I wasn’t accepted and came to Florida State instead I felt like I was a traitor. I would also tell myself that I had to let go of the past so that I could enjoy everything that was happening at my school. I was always in my dorm room Skyping with my high school friends telling them how miserable I was at FSU and how I had not made any friends. I wanted to keep the past still alive with all of my high school friends who were already moving on and adjusting to their college lives. I would tell myself that they would still be my friends even if we go our separate ways and the reason I was miserable was because I had already had my mind set on being unhappy at FSU.

Have fun. It is important to do well in the classes you take, but it is more important to know that you did your best and were honest the whole way through. The most important things you will take from college are your experiences. Go do something you have never tried before. Go join a club or be part of greek life or a sports team. College is the time to broaden your horizons and culture yourself with all that the university has to offer. Get involved and make the most of your time here both academically and extracurricuraly.

I'd work harder to get my GPA score higher so I could qualify for a better school and more scholarships.

As a high school senior, I personally believe that I was doing everything right. I was getting A's in all my classes, including my high level AP classes, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Moving out from home and into college, as I am sure most can understand, is an emotional experience. For me, leaving my friends and family was difficult, but that wasn't the most emotional experience for me. As the date approached to make the move out, I had this overwhelming feeling of mediocrity; I felt that my life was below par so far. I could only best explain the feeling as being analogous to reading a bad book with a good plot. At that point, I looked back at the book of my life that had just ended, on the eve of my new story, and saw potential that was never reached, achievements unattained. This feeling haunted me for the summer preceding my coming to Florida State and when I finally got here, I saw the foolishness in my ways. I would go back to assure myself of our life's achievements, to look back content, not unsatisfied.

As a senior I felt lonely and often looked for activities to join to keep myself busy. It was hard to accomplish my goals without the presence of my mother and sister. If I could go back I would talk to myself and try to understand that you are the only one who can really guide yourself to higher heights. You are responsible for your future and therefore, everyone is alone at some point in life. Now that I am in college, I feel the same as everyone else. Everyone is alone here. Being alone and fighting for what I wanted in highschool made me who I am today. I feel more prepared than others and ready to accomplish my goals for these next four years. If I could go back I would think outside of highschool. I would think like a college student who has to make it on their own. I frequently cried because I did not have my mother and my close family by my side when everyone else did. But I believe that It made me stronger and it has made my transition to college a lot easier.

If I had the ability to go back in time, I would tell my past self to listen to my parents much more. I would advise myself to apply for more scholarships and grants ahead of time. I would also tell myself that schoolwork is more important than the friends that want to hang out. I would tell myself to practice the piano more. But I would also tell myself to enjoy the people that are close to me, such as family and friends. Because when theay are gone, they are really gone. College is a huge transition, but many benefits, but also its share of drawbacks, like being away from family for extended periods of time. All in all, I would advise myself to cherish the good moments, heed to advice, and keep my priorities straight.

You need to learn how to balance. You can have fun, you have to have fun. Also, you need to learn how, responsibly. Get off facebook, deactivate it! Netflix is a time-sucker also. They do not even have good movies. Learn how to be happy and satisfied with yourself. You cannot go looking for someone to give you happiness. You must be complete and content with yourself or you will become dependent on others. Your partner should complement you, not complete you. Girls are selfish, that includes you, lower your expectations. Befriend people with your values or better. Mom gives the best advice for boys. Stop looking for a boy. Your sister gives the best advice for school. She is smart, really smart. Discouraged from your school work? Go outside and be active! Stop worrying and enjoy this chapter in your life. Try and take a step back and learn to appreciate everything you have been blessed with.

First off, stop stressing! Things work out and stressing about them before hand does no one any good. Being on time is the way to go: give your standardized tests, visite universities, submit applications, and follow through with other loose ends like graduation activities and transcripts. In addition, do your reasearch! You want to be a hundred percent sure whether or not the university you may attend is the one for you. Location, number of students, degrees offered, weather, financial aid offered, public vs private are all vital things to consider. Lastly, enjoy your last year! You would be surpriesed the way the time passes by, there's simply so much to do senior year!

I would tell myself to save more money. I am currently looking at a private university to continue to my masters degree and I have realized that it will be absolutely exspensive and I am going to have to work my butt off. I would tell myself that everything would be fine. After graduating I stressed over every single detail always thinking I would not live up to my full potential. So far I have had a 3.5 GPA so I must be doing something right. I would tell my self to slow life down and enjoy the little things. In less than 6 months I will live away from everyone I know and the beautiful place I call home. Its a sad reality that I take these things for granted on an everyday basis.

First I would tell innocent, clueless high school me to get a summer job before I left for college because I could have used the extra cash. Secondly, I would tell myself to spend less time with my high school boyfriend first semester (a relationship doomed to fail anyways) and more time exploring campus and making new friends. It's so tempting to spend time only with people you knew in high school but the first few months of college are the best for meeting people because everyone is new and generally open to a greater variety of people and experiences than they will be in a year or so when everyone has a more established friend group. And most importantly I would tell myself to start out as an art major because it is what I love, rather than struggling for a semester in a major I was not interested in- and bringing down my GPA in the process! Follow what you know in your heart is best for YOU.... Yes, the world needs scientists and doctors and lawyers but it also needs actors and writers and artists.

I would advise myself to let things just happen. Don't stress so much about What you think you have to do and spend more time doing what you enjoy doing. Things will happen the way they are suppose to happen. Life has a funny way of working thing out.

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you! (Dr. Seuss)." When going to a new school, many students try to think of ways to reinvent themselves in order to create a fresh start; I was no exception. In high school, the gap in social statuses was not very noticable because I had the same group of friends since elementary school and they would accept me no matter what. Unfortunately when college started, I was alone for the first time and I began doing anything I could to gain friends: buying "cool" clothes, going out, and partying a lot. When my loan money started to run out, so did my friends. I was now broke and alone from being someone I am not. If I could do it all over again, I would try to remind myself that my old friends loved me for me - not the clothes on my back or the music I tried to like to fit in. Just like Dr. Seuss said: There is no one alive that is youer than you!

There is no comparison between high school and college. The work is harder, the stakes higher, and the competition greater than ever before. Procrastination must now be a thing of the past, because it's no longer about regurgitating answers for tests. Professors expect you to understand the information and be able to apply it in any way they deem necessary for their course. Not having parent supervision also may take its toll, because you have no one to chastise you for not finishing your work. Also, professors are not concerned about whether or not you come to class, so having an internal conscience to do the right thing is essential. There will be friends made and lost; decisions made, right and wrong. The most important thing to remember is who you are. If you remember the morals and values that your parents have instilled in you, then you'll never go wrong. Enjoy the ride, because the experiences you have and people you meet will have such a profound impact on your life. Learn, love, live, and finish on top, because after all, that's the only place you will ever belong!

If I could sit my younger self down and tell her about her future college experience, I would be painfully honest. I would tell her that it is going to be hard. She is going to miss home a lot; she will miss her mother's cooking, her father's random singing, even being bossed around by her older brother. I would tell her that she will meet all kinds of people, people whose main goals in life seem to be the make you feel bad about yourself and undermine everything that you went through to reach the university. She will be scared of new people and intimidated by the idea of have to make new friends, and the course load will be overwhelming to the point where she will wonder why she even did it in the first place. But I will also tell her that those next four years will show her who she really is as a person, and that they will show her how strong she is. She will learn so much that she will be grateful for all the hardships that she went through. Then I would tell her to not eat the cafeteria food.

I would first take my SAT and ACT tests more frequently to boost my scores. Mine were lower and it has hurt me with scholarships. I was Valedictorian but my class placement was less considered than that of those scores, I was very surprised as I had worked hard to keep my GPA up and stay at the top of my class. I loved high school and all my friends, I have given this self-same advice to many of my friends coming up behind me. I would probably have taken more dual enrollment courses to help with class credit for college. I took 12 hours but I know now, had I started earlier, I could have chiseled away at my first year in college and the expense would have been lower. I lived in the dorm for my first year and I didn't care for it very well and it is very expensive with the dorm fees and mandatory meal plans that are separate. I would probably tell myself to get my apartment sooner and have a good roommate in mind when I did it. But most of all, I would tell myself not to stress!

Going back and talking to a younger me, I would definitely give myself a few pointers. I'd start by saying the normal stuff, such as "Derick stay focused, work hard, and dont slack off, it wont help you in college." But then I would tell myself to not worry so much about hanging out with your friends before they all go to different schools, because your real friends make sure to stay in touch no matter the distance. I would follow that by telling myself to listen and learn as much as I could from Ms. Dooley, my old english teacher, as she was a friend and mentor over the years. When you're in college you'll miss all the guidance she gave in life. I would tell myself to relax and have some faith, working hard will eventually pay off. The last thing I would tell myself is to hug your Aunt Nydia every chance you get , and not forget to spend time with your family before moving because you'll miss them more then you think.

If I could go back to my senior year in high school, I would change a few things that would make my life easier. I would tell myself to seek alternatives and that things do not always work out the way that you expect. For example, I was so adamant about going to school for cosmetology. Unfortunately, several years later I was injured on the job and could no longer perform at work. It was at that point I realized the importance of a backup and the problem with a trade that had limited options. The ideal situation would have been to go to community college part time after I had finished cosmetology school. I could have an associate’s degree as a backup in the future. At the time I was too naive and stubborn to consider going back to school. I now see the importance of a backup plan that I did not see when I was younger. My father is living proof that options are important. He completed an apprenticeship program only to be laid off. He chose to go to college at that point and never regretted it. I wish I listened to him sooner.

My advice to you, Avonlea is to be patient and work really hard. High school was hard for you because of your mom and sister getting cancer, but you did not give up. You kept pursuing your dreams even when you could not push on. My advice to you is to be patient because good things come to those who wait. It seems like forever at the community college level, but it will pay off once you get accepted into your dream school. Stay true to who you are. Join as many extra-curricular clubs on campus as you can because it will shape you in a mature person and challenge you to come out of your comfort zone. Do not give up on your dreams, Avonlea.

I would tell myself to definately be more involved in the community. College isn't only about recieving the education neccessary for our future, but enhancing the lives of others. By participating in organizations that focus on the welfare of the community, you gain experiences that are valuble in all aspects of life. When I was in high school I primarily did community service in order to meet the graduation requirement. Now, I understand that community service isn't just giving up time to do some work; it's an individual interest to improve the livelihood of others.