San Diego State University Top Questions

Dear 18-year-old Alyssa, You almost made it. You're eager to get out and explore the world away from the small town you've been living in for the past 18 years, but don't rush. Take a second to stop and enjoy the little things....Friday night football games, your own room, or living five minutes away from your best friend. College will be the time of your life, but it will come when you're ready. Start by learning how to live on your own. Ask mom how to cook your favorite meal, how to pay your own credit card bill, or how to read the laundry tags on your shirt that no one seems to understand but moms. But the thing I will stress the most: enjoy the time with friends and family. It won't hit you until the second mom leaves and you're sitting in the dorm with a person you only met a few hours ago. Go fishing with grandpa, go see a movie with your brother, or sit around and just watch tv with friends. The craziest, most emotional, sleepless, and fun college days are ahead...but they can wait.

To high school me, apply to scholarships as if your life depends on it, because in a way, it does. Start your search as early as possible: it will create a wonderful cushion for your years as a college student. If you build the habit now, it will be easier to factor into your schedule as you go along. You will know where to find scholarships, and less fearful in acquiring the materials necessary for certain scholarships. You will be accustomed to the process, which will help in college. You should be ambitious when applying for jobs. Do not be afraid to enter the business, to call numerous times and ssk the status of your job application. Do not let fear rob you of opportunities. Companies get numerous applicants; you are not being annoying, but persistent. Introducing yourself is the first step to networking, so do not be afraid to do it. Most of the time, you get a job based not on what you know, but whom you know. When you do get contacts, do not be afraid to use them; that is their sole purpose.

You're going to do everything exactly the way you think it should be done.

I would tell high school me to lower my expectations of self-assurance. It's OK to not know exactly what you want to do, and it's also OK if you decide to change midway through--or even after--undergrad. This will be a time of self discovery and uncovering your identity, so try to balance these new changes and foreign environments with your roots and your passions. The only way to get to know yourself is to listen to your impulses, and follow what "shimmers" to you. Do the work, put in the hours, be nice--these are what you will come to live by, and they will be helpful in all aspects of life and study. Only hang out with people, nice people, you actually like--time is a premium and you don't need to be phony for fear of someone (who doesn't deserve your time or freindship) not liking you. Live generously, but be selfish about your time. Implement a strong work ethic and know that every second you dedicate to bettering yourself and your craft will be a second well-spent. Most importantly, be as nice to yourself as you are to others.

Do not take things for granted, Baotran. As a psychology major in an undergraduate program at San Diego State University, I have made a strenuous journey through academia. I have identified with my lowest point in my college career when I was on academic probation. I was entangled with family affairs and my own personal dilemmas that caused an imbalance in me. These caveats distracted from concentrating on my classes. With regard to that issue, I was able to recover through strong willpower and support system. I was raised that only through arduous work will you attain success and that continues to be the mantra I recall when I strive to excel in school and work. My only advice for high school self is to never lose hopes and do not let fear keep you from finishing. I would tell myself to not underestimate the classes at a university and to explore the different opportunities being offered such as scholarships and interships.

Senior year was a whirlwind of emotions. When there was a break from senior activities, I was either doing homework or dreaming about college (honestly most of the time I spent doing my homework, I dreamt about college). As corny as it sounds, if I could go back I would tell myself to appreciate the present rather than thinking about the future so often. I know if high school seniors are reading this, they are probably scoffing at me and mentally telling me how bad high school sucks. From the mandatory classes, strict campus rules, and regulated bathroom trips; high school almost seems like a prison to teenagers. While high school may seem like a bore now, soon students find themselves missing things that high school life offers that college doesn't. I would tell my high school self to appreciate the little things like a home-cooked meal, school dances, or a warm shower you can take without having to wear shower shoes. Because even though the present may seem dull now, appreciate it, because once it is gone it is gone for good; the future will always be there and college can wait.

Fabian, you must feel proud of yourself for reaching senior grade in high school. Your GPA is now 3.5 when in junior year it was 1.3. You are two years drug free but the battle is not over yet. You have done plenty to reach your goals. College is more than what you can imagine. Prepare yourself to meet people from all over the world. You will be challenged in every way. You must be independent from your parents because your father’s own alcoholism and drug addiction is severely affecting you and that will make your college transition harder. With this emotional barrier, you will not be able to succeed in college because college is mind challenging. There are plenty of services for you, don’t be shy to get assisted. There is a career here in college waiting for you as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. You are not the only one; there are people here in college that have overcome your same obstacles. Do not give up because there is a beautiful future waiting for you here in college. There are youths waiting for you to share them your life and how you changed it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself the advice to learn how to cook good healthy meals. I would give myself that advice because many of the meals at school are not healthy. They help you gain the freshmen 15. I would also tell myself that I need to be more productive with my time because in college there is no time for procasination. My schedule is very busy mostly every week so I need to learn some time management skills to accomplish everything that I have to get done.

Dear Marissa, Just breathe. Although balancing your time between college applications, scholarship applications, senior activities, a job, extracurriculars, a social life, family time, and homework may be stressful at times, trust me, it is all worth it when you're in college and can say, "I'm living my dream. My dreams became my reality." Remain passionate about learning, passionate about your future, and passionate about your desired career. If you keep your eye on the prize, everything else will fall into place. Think positive and positive things will happen. If you do not get accepted to one of your "top colleges," realize that all things happen for a reason- you will end up where you're supposed to be. Embrace the atmosphere of your last year of high school. This is a pivotal moment in your life, it should be celebrated as you're preparing for the beginning of the rest of your life. There are times to be serious but don't forget to have fun. You should be able to go to college with no regrets about what you "should have done" in high school. Again, just breathe. Everything will be okay. Your future self, Marissa Torres

The advice that I would have given my high school self is to relax about the transition. College is not as different from high school and that time of my life than it was made out to be. Really it is all just continuing to be the same person that you are in high school in college and everything will go smoothly.

I would sit my past self down, look him in the eyes, and tell him that college is possible and that he is well on his way to get to the starting line. I would tell him that he needs to better prepare for the costs of tuition by applying to every scholarship that he finds, whether through the internet or through an announcement that comes through the intercom at Nile C. Kinnick High. He also needs to do more research into what needs to be done to attend San Diego State. I would tell him to look through the student manual, as troublesome as that sounds, and look for the missing pieces and to never stop. He would avoid a good amount of hassle and save himself from a few very close calls in the future. Though I am not completely out of the woods at present, letting my high school senior self know these facts would have made me further out of trouble, debt really, than I am now.

I was so shy in high school, and so terrified of new things. I was sure I was going to be stuck in my hometown forever. I wish I could go back and tell myself to just relax. I lacked all confidence like most teenagers do, and fortunately most of us gain it with age. Somehow I grew and became a confident, strong woman. I have gained so much knowledge over the years, and I have experienced some truly amazing things since I have been out of high school. If only high school me could see where we are now, what a shock that would be. Although I wish I could share what wonderful things were to come I don’t think I would actually go back in time. Why? Well, if I do that then I would never have the ability to experience the growth that has brought me here today. I would be cheating myself of something so priceless and beautiful.

Apply for more scholarships!! Also plan your time very wisely

The advice I would give to my high school senior self is to start thinking about what makes me happy, and what can I see myself doing long term after I graduated. I feel as if I had no idea what I wanted to do and ended up following the path of my parents. Now going into my third year of college I am starting to realize that sitting at a desk for hours at a time and not having the chance to truly interact with others, is something that is not appealing to me at all. As a high school senior, I would actually do research on the different majors, and reach out to the college counselors on what each major has to offer, instead of just picking something that was familiar in my family. College is a great experience that teaches you a lot about yourself, and sometimes it is nice to have known sooner, but if given the chance I would actually pick what speaks to me, and not just what speaks to my family. I would definately be more proactive in deciding my future rather than just allowing Accounting to be what I THINK I want.

Don’t be afraid of change and challenge. Be prepared to have the ultimate tool at your disposal, knowledge. Be inspired, look up in the face of difference and be a stronger person for understanding your goals, morals, and beliefs. Do not let those on the opposite side of the fence scare you, let them inspire you. Do not give up when things become challenging and it seems as if there are not enough hours in the day to complete the things needed, take a breath, play an inspiring song, dance around your living room, then get back to business. The stress you feel tomorrow with be the stress that helps you accomplish the goals of your life. Imagine waking up every day to a career that inspires you more and more instead of the retail job you hate today. Just stay passionate, do not let anyone tell you that you cannot accomplish every dream you have. Most of all do not give up when times are low, keep your eyes on the golden prize.

Dear High School Senior Carlie, Transfer to Poway High School so that you don't just sit around doing nothing with your final year when you could be out there exploring your options and utilizing a project to help your later career. Rancho Bernardo High has been a good high school but no one appreciates the hard work and effort you put in. Go to Poway to do something meaningful for your senior year. Go to Poway and work hard on your senior project so that you can leave a final footstep for others that will follow. College is going to be a big step and you're going to have to rely on yourself more than you already have. College IS hard, but it's so worth it. It's worth all the work you've put in already. And even though it's only going to get tougher, you'll never be given more than you can handle. You are strong. Nothing is easy because if it were, as cliche as it is, it wouldn't be worth it. YOU CAN DO IT. Love, Third-Year of College Carlie

I won’t lie, your first week of college will be strange and confusing. Classrooms suddenly grow to 10 times the size of what you’re currently used to, making friends somehow becomes even more frightening and difficult, and now you’re left with several hours between classes wondering how the hell you should be spending your time. I know the prospect of all this and more is giving you serious heart palpitations, but I’m here to tell you to take a deep breath and relax. I know by your very nature that you love to dwell and worry over every little thing so let me ease your anxiety by also telling you that things do and can get better, but that depends entirely on what you put into it. Take more risks, take more naps, study, talk to everyone (even the professors), get help, be helpful, laugh and cry if you need to. Just don’t be in the background of your own story for any longer. This is college-- you make the decisions. Also, don’t fall too hard for your awkward-but-cute Calculus TA, it will only end in heartbreak.

I would tell myself to approach every situation that you ever encounter objectively so as to be able to understand the viewpoint of the opposing side. In doing so, you better understand the wants, desires and needs of those whom you interact. Whenever you are able to understand such intimicies of a person's situation, you are then better able to devise a strategy that will provide both of you with the most optimal outcome. While opportunity costs may be incurred, a good comprimise leaves both sides unhappy, because they cannot both attain exactly the amount of extent of what they desire. However, by evaluating your opponent's case objectively, you have provided not only the most feasible solution to whatever problem may have arisen but have also grown in your understanding of the person in question. You can apply this across the board to business, to interpersonal relationships as well as to whatever may arise in your life. By understanding a thing from all viewpoints, we become a stronger collective working towards a unified, non-biased solution. In short, try and be objective so as to facilitate caring and love in the world.

Keep up the hard work, and you will achieve your goal of getting into graduate school the first time you apply. Ultimately your gut feeling leads you to the right path, and you will get to experience so much during your time at SDSU from being involved in clubs, volunteering in your community, and being a member of the SDSU Dance Team. You should absolutely continue to apply for scholarships throughout your college career. Trust me, we are in a lot of debt, and that is the one thing that I would have done differently. Being financially independent is hard, but try not to let it upset you. Also, when you find out that you are moving all the way to Massachusetts for grad school, make sure to apply for scholarships at that time as well. You will need a lot of money for when you have to travel to hospitals all over New England during rotations. College Self, you will learn and grow so much in these next few years. You will achieve great success, and even graduate Cum Laude, so I do not have a lot of advice for you, other than please try to decrease our debt.

Kim, You are nervous, and being nervous is completely understandable. However, also unnecessary. You are about to embark on a life altering journey. You will gain rich experiences, a wealth of knowledge, and relationships that will last you forever. The unknown is intimidating, but you are going to love it. You have recently joked that you are going to learn forever and be a college student for life! It's worth the fear of the future, the anxieties about making the wrong decisions, the unease of transitioning and soon, the late study nights! You will undergo change so drastic, it would be hard to grasp now. You will mature into a confident, passionate, and driven woman. Still, the most exciting development will be the realization and formation of your goals. Right now, you are unsure of the direction to take. That will soon change. You are about to fall into your passion and realize your dreams. I won’t give it away, but the best part of it, is that your life will be about improving the lives of others. That should be all the reassurance you need. Kim, get ready for some of the best years of your life!

Don't be stressed out. I know textbooks cost money. I know you won't find your grandmother's kitchen on campus. I know you have to figure out how to budget a meal plan. But I promise, you will be rewarded. In the grand scheme of the college experience, these trivial things become obsolete. Think about all the friends you'll make. Think about all the things you will try and the places you will go. Savor the fact that you can go to class in a tank top and shorts in mid-January when everyone back home is wearing North Face coats to the shower. All the skills you will learn here are the most valuable skills you can ever hope to learn. You'll soon discover how to do things like make a budget for a month's rent even though last year you were memorizing a sheet of geometry formulas. It is here where you will learn to be a citizen and an adult. So keep that head high and prepare to enjoy the REAL best years of your life.

I would advise myself to take a year off before going to college and also to take out as little student loans as possible.

I would try to work on the social aspect of my character. When I got here, I was not the most social guy and that would be about all I would change. I would just tell myself to find more meaningful relationships at the beginning because honestly it is hard to find. And most importantly that staying with my girlfriend was the right choice, because she is amazing.

The best advice I would give myself is to develop good time management skills while you are still in high school, and become independent and ready to test those skills when going to college. It's not just about studying; you now become responsible for making sure you are physically fit, getting enough sleep, making sure you have good meals, and being responsible with things such as getting to class on time, being prepared for those classes, insuring that all assignments and projects are completed, and helping your friends that need extra assistance. Look at college as an opportunity, not something automatically given to you. Accept the challenge, and live accordingly; enjoy it, but take nothing for granted. And study hard!

Less than a year ago, I finalized my decision to enroll in the university I am currently attending. The decisive process proved to be long and grueling, filled with uncertainty. In the end, I was euphoric with anticipation for Fall. I landed a private dorm room and one of my best friends from high school also planned on attending. Everything seemed to fall into place. But life has a knack for throwing a twist in one’s stability. Upon move-in day, my friend informed me she decided not to attend this university. I also learned I was not assigned to a private dorm room, I would be living with eight other girls. The semester provided difficulties I never imagined I would have faced. Admittingly, experience took a rather heavy emotional toll. If I could return to advise my younger self I would say this: the foundation of identity lies with one’s morals. In future endeavors, do not compromise these morals. However, adaptability to new situations is crucial. Plans may deviate from the original schematic. You cannot let this break you. Know the limitations of right and wrong, allow them to guide you through tough times. Never lose yourself.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself tons of advice. For one, I would stress the importance of grades and an accumulative GPA of all four years of high school because even though I caught on eventually, I did "mess up" my sophomore year. I would also stress how important extracurricular activities were in high school, whether they be sports, band, clubs, associated student body, etc... Once again though I did participate in extracurricular activities, it might have done me better to participate all four years of high school not just the last two. Listening to my parents and not what everyone else had to say would also be a pivotal piece of advice that I could offer to myself, because though at the time I didn't think they had my best interest at heart, I now know they did. My last piece of advice would be that there is no such thing as filling out too many scholarships, you will definitely need them in the long run and every little bit helps. Trust me!

Do not just assume that because no one in your family has attended college, ever, that you have to settle for anything less than the best education. Just because you have no money, no one to borrow money from, and you make less than ten thousand dollars a year does not mean you cannot go to the college or university of your choice. Do not let your current circumstances derail you from your dream. You can be anything you want, and you can do it all. Research all your options you will find a way to not only attend college, but also graduate with a degree that you earned. Do not let others tell you that you will be just like your parents. You are already proving them wrong, you will graduate high school. The first person in your family to do so. You will go to college and will travel the world. You will learn, you will explore, and you will grow into a better person because of it. Lift your head up high and take the world head on! And take a handkerchief to your graduation, the air conditioner quit that morning and it felt like a sauna!

I would tell myself two things; (1) stay focused and (2) never stop applying for scholarships or colleges. During high school, I excelled in all my classes and gained respect from my teachers. When I hit my senior year I was feeling the pump of graduating just as everyone else did. The anticipation of being done with high school and graduating was so overwhelming that I lost focus of the next step. I was living in the present while forgetting to plan for my future. Once I reached the peak of my graduating year I soon realized I had a whole other mountain to climb, college. College is a place where money is devoured by institutions in order for a person to receive a higher education. Since I didn't assert myself to apply to numerous of scholarships and colleges I limited my future steps. Even though I got accepted into the colleges I applied for, I could not attend them because I was low on funds. However, one last thing I would tell myself is no matter how far down you are there will always be opportunities to advance in life, just do not let them fly by.

The thing I could have done as a high school senior to better prepare for my new life in college would be to get more real-life experience. Most of us arrived with good academic habits. But I am definitely lacking in the “everyday life” department. I should have learned how to do my own laundry, and how to shop for healthy easy-to-prepare food, especially ANYTHING other than ramen noodles! I should have learned how to read a bus schedule, and how to get from Point A to Point B without a car. I should know how to (and how much to) inflate a bike tire without having it go BOOM! (Trust me on this one). I should have figured out how to install an e-reader program on my laptop and how to change ink cartridges on the printer. I should have learned how to keep a shopping list, so I don’t forget things at the store. I realize now that it would be really nice to go back and learn all of this from someone with experience, rather than by trial-and-error. It would have saved time and money (and a new bike tire!)

Some people say college is a time when you can start anew and begin life with a clean slate. While this may be true, my advice to myself would be to never forget you are still YOU. Starting college doesn’t necessarily mean finding what the “new you” should be like in life. It's when you get to grow into the more mature preppy/nerd/jock/artist you were before. It’s discovery, not a retrogression where you forget the life lessons learned in 18 years of life. College allows you to explore opportunities that were previously unavailable to you in high school. In college, I have found that the opportunities I participated in reflect similar activities that made me content growing up. I am on the men’s rowing team, which reflects my enjoyment of being on sport’s teams since I started T-ball. I work at the diabetes camp I attended as a camper since I was 8 years old that taught me so much about my diabetes. Don’t allow college to entirely change who you are, but use it to take advantage of how it can transform you into a responsible leader of society.

"Just go," I whispered to myself, "and do what makes you happiest. Most of my first year at State was miserable because I was sad and alone and refused to go to any club meetings." I throw an arm around my high school self and say to her, "Living in San Diego completely alone and scared hurts and Lord knows how much pain you've gone through this last year. College is the last time you'll be able to have any fun. Go join theater, like you've always wanted. Take a shot at Young Life, they're the most accepting and loving group of people you will ever meet." And then I'd look at myself square in the eye and say, "You can't be everybody's friend. If you try too hard they will drop you the second you can't commit to them. But don't cling or smother others because you'll drive them away." And with a final hug I would say "Stay true to yourself and don't let anyone give you any crap. You're not a doormat, you're a person too."

Honestly if I could talk to myself in high school I would say to finish my certification from the New Jersey Small Business Development Center. I had completed 3 out of the 5 small business workshops, but I could not afford to take the last two my senior year. Now I may be able to find it managable to figure out some type of funding for the certification, I am living in California and not NJ. I just feel as though I started something and didn't finish it. Maybe if I just sacrificed some more materialistic things, I would have been able to say I have that certification. As for how I conducted myself throughout high school I don't think I would change a thing. Every thing I went through was a lesson learned and really helped me grow as a person. By senior year I was extremely proud of who I was. Hence, why my senior portrait I portrayed Rosie the Riveter. Because I know i CAN be successful in my business career and I am determined to do so.

I would say just keep an open mind, and be nice to every person you meet. Its useless to judge people, and you never know when you might need a friend in a class, or a study partner, so its always good to treat everyone with kindness. college is a time for peple to express there indivisuality, and experiment, so just respect that and you will do great. I would also reccomend getting involved in a bigger school so you feel apart of something

Everyone talks about finding your passion. They say that that's where your dream career should be. But that's not always true. Growing up, the world has given you so many things to love and care about, and those things will never change for you. For me, that has always been cooking. But that doesn't mean I had to pursue a career in it. I was heartbroken when I realized I didn't want a career in the restaurant industry, did that mean I didn't have a dream? No, not at all. I realize now that what I want to do with myself, is find new knowledge for the world. Looking back senior year in high school, I was exceptionally good at literature and physics. I am now a major in astronomy, and I hope to get a Ph.D. in the field. I'm always going to love cooking. I already had what the world gave me, now I'm looking for what I can give to the world.

Hi High School Self, I hope that you are ready to come in to the "adult world". Be ready to be more independent, and start making your own decisions. Taking the trolley everyday will be hard, but it will help you mature and be grateful for so many things in life. Don't be scared about being the only girl in most of your Computer Science classes, think of that as being bonus points. Learn how to study, it is really not the same as it is in high school. Get involved, but not overloaded with commitments. Start saving up money, and don't get discouraged if you don't find a job right away. Always remember to follow your dreams, since you are by yourself and no one will be there to tell you what to do; find the right help and achieve them. Believe and Achieve. Love always Carla Sanchez

Don't care what others think about you in high school. When you get into the big world, all the little people you worried in high school were just a waste of your time, energy and emotions. I really wished I hadn't focused on the "popular" kids so much because I go to a much better school than the "popular" kids go to now.

I would be more involved in social actities earlier on, but would not change my chouce.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to focus more, I was always a focused student but I could've been way more focused. I would tell myself to listen to my teachers when they tell me college is nothing like High School and I would've applied for more scholarships and 4-Year colleges. If I could go back in time I would've taken my senior year more seriously and tried harder to get a job so that I had the finances to pay for college because it's so expensive now. I would've worked harder in my sports so I coud try to get sports schoarships, and I would've tried harder to make honor roll; but at the end of it all, there isn't much I would change because I loved my senior year and I'am still successful today because of the person I was a year ago. Thank you.

I would give myself the advice to strive to do my absolute best. In high school I did not know what I wanted to do. Therefore, I slacked off a little bit in junior college. Once I chose my major and transferred I found out my major was highly competitive, and less than 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of people who apply to graduate school get into a program. I wish I could take back my years of community college and redo them. Once you lower your GPA, it is nearly impossible to raise it. Through my academic strife I have raised it to a 3.56, but it does not hold as strongly as I would like in my competitive field. If I could go back I would tell myself to put 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of myself towards achieving the highest possible grades I could.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself, I would have told myself to have more confidence in the person I am becoming. Life after high school sometimes gives students an insight of what life and the real world actual is before entering college. Additionally, I wish I would have known how to prepare myself for hardships and disparities that everyone encounters at some point in their lives. I would also advise myself that not everyone is willing to be accepting to who you are as a person and there are some who do not associate themselves with people who are not similar as them by means of race, gender, ethnicity, and so forth. But now after my first semester experience from college, I have learned not to let anything withstand in my path of excellence and trust and believe that I will be prsosperous with ambition and determination to succeed. I have learned who I am as a person and how to prepare myself for any endeavors I may encoounter. As I transition and develop into a young educated adult, each and everyday I obtain meaningful knowledge that makes me a better and intelligent individual.

If I could go back in time to see myself in high school I would have told myself to take school more serious. To learn better study habits, and ask more question when I do not know the answers. No matter how emberassing it could have been, that in just a few years all the people in this class that I am sitting with I will no longer talk too. Also just to have fun as a kid while I could because it will not always be fun, that grades will matter more then anything there is in the education world.

Many students believe that college is a time to study, party, meet people, and learn about one's self. The idea of putting a label on college is completely incorrect. One thing that I have learned over these four years is that college is "dynamic". The experience will be whatever you make of it along the way. One should not go into undergraduate study with a long set of expectations but instead learn to continually try new things, take chances, maximize opportunities, and adapt to one's surroundings. College is more than finding a career path, networking, and maturing. This is a time where one can learn what type of person they wish to become and what they may truly value in life. You will uncover things that you never knew existed and it is important to confront the unknown. This is what college is truly about! Don't be affraid to take chances and maximize any opportunity that steps in front of you. This is a time where one can take more risks and pursue things that were never even imaginable. Most importantly, do not do things just because everybody else does. Try something of interest that moves you!

When thinking about the most practical and meaningful advice, I would have to say the most important thing I have learned about college life and the transition is that being yourself is more important than what anyone else thinks. Use your voice and do not be afraid to go against what others are saying or doing. Sometimes the lone voice can be the loudest. I have learned that it is important to be sensitive to others' opinions and thoughts but that does not mean that you have to necessarily agree with them. Being true to yourself will bring your more happiness in the end. Not letting others define who you are will prove that those who are next to you in the end, like you for your true self. I think that this is so important to me because it is easy to let others be most influencial in life, when college is about finding who you are and using your unique qualities in life and inevitabley finding happiness in yourself and those qualities. Hopefully my high school senior self would be willing to heed these words of advice, however; they will be learned nonetheless.

Life makes twists and turns and changes direction without warning. In major transitional periods, such as when it comes time to select colleges and move away from home, it's impeccable to keep an open mind. Yes, its important to draw out a road map, but detours and pit stops should be expected. Personally, while ranking my list of colleges, I never thought San Diego State would be the university I would end up at. I realize now that it was crucial that I kept an open mind and took what came my way. The best piece of advice I'd give a college 'newbie' is that life will work itself out. There is not alot of time to spend worrying about the future and it certainly does not do any good to try and plan an entire twenty year career in one sitting. I would have told myself to trust my gut, stay true to my morals and know that I will end up where I am intended to be. By taking life one day at a time and striving to be the best person I can possibly be is how I have survived my first year in college.

I would tell myself to go straight to a four-year university like I had planned. I could have earned my Bachelor's degree this past semester if I had and I would be on my way to graduate school. Instead I just transfered to just barely start working toward my Bachelor's degree.

If I could give back to time and will return the school, with my knowledge now I was better prepared pear get to college. I do not mean in academic affairs since I graduated from school with an average excellent, but I had prepared for independence and doing things for myself. But to be honest but I like college, and I would not go back to school.

Okay, Daniel. Before you throw these eggs at your assistant principal’s house, make sure your truck isn’t in view of his front door. Don’t worry; you are going to throw enough eggs that you can sacrifice a couple throws to ensure a clean (pun intended) getaway. You are going to have a lot of troublesome moments like this, but eventually a light will come on in your head. Some call it common sense, others call it maturity, and I like to intellectualize the process by calling it healthy exploration of my potential as a Major League Baseball player. Remember these moments because they are the ones you can laugh about when nothing else brings you humor. In the short term, you are not making your college transition any easier with your (hilarious) pranks, but in the long run you are building a person that others are proud to know. You will see that assistant principal again five years after graduation, and although you will still feel remorse for throwing a few dozen eggs at his house, he will greet you with the title of “the old egg thrower, himself” and put a welcoming hand on your shoulder.

The advice i would give myself would to procces my dream, and to not let other stop me from procces my dreams. I would have like to become a better person, and stick to the school work in high school, but now i realize that becasue being in college hows teach me alot about life and become a man too.

the simplest things I could tell my self is taking notes, keeping organized ,and having fun. Having fun would be my biggest college is great and I think that getting out there and communitcating with others. saling your self in a good way you never know who you will run into and who will change your life.

When I was in high school, I was not a good student. I am 33 years old now and things are much different than they were back then. I wish I could go back and tell myself to focus and keep a positive attitude. I would tell myself that in order to succeed in life, I need a good education. "Desiree, don't be distracted by negative events and people who you think are your friends. This is a crucial time in your life. The things you do now will follow you for a lifetime. Live up to your potential and get as far ahead as possible now, before marriage, children and life complicate things. No one in your family has ever attempted college and you will be the first. You will be a role model for all future generations of this family. Work hard and you will be rewarded."