University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Given the opportunity to talk to myself in the past, I would say there are many things I wish I knew back then. In my senior year I needed a huge wake up call. I did not take college as seriously as I do now. The most important advice I could give to my past self is to start planning college right away. I believe I hesitated too much to begin college and was afraid of it. I wasn't sure what college to go to or what to major in. I kept changing my goals of what I wanted to study. However, I have come a long way in the past few years and I feel I am much more mature. I just wish I had the knowledge and maturity I do now. I believe I am ready to begin college now, and I have learned many things since I graduated high school. Most importantly, I am proud of myself for getting over my anxieties and beginning my future.

I would advise myself to branch out more and earlier to get involved in the community and branch out past my comfort zone earlier.

Stay in a habit of studying and putting your best effort in your work. This habit will come in handy in college. Nothing feels more rewarding than having your work be graded as one of the best in your class. There will be times where you feel like you're not understanding the material or the work is too challenging. Don't be afraid to seek help from your professors or tutors. They are there to help you and want nothing but your success. You will make a lot of friends during your time in college. Some will help you with your studies and some will distract you. Be aware of who's there to help you and surround yourself with friends who are ambitious as you. Their dreams and goals will remind you of your dreams and goals. Remember, you are stronger than you think.

I would tell myself to stay confident - college is a place to not only learn lectures in the classroom but it is a place to learn about yourself in so many different ways. I wish I had not be so nervous to make good impressions, be extremely studious, say the right things and do the right things, because everyone at UofM ended up being so supportive and accepting of each other. It is extremely important to COMPLETELY be yourself, love yourself and be confident about doing so.

Senior year of high school was quite difficult; I lost my best friends to petty drama, and I struggled with depression. If I could talk to my high school self, I would desperately try to communicate that high school is fleeting, just like the promises made by friends. The people I met in high school hardly make up a fraction of all the people I have yet to meet in my life. So, in the grand scheme of things, it hardly matters if my best friend decides she hates me halfway through our last year together. She is only one of the countless friends I will make in my life. I think this fact is so important. It is hard to project how easily or quickly we, as humans, will move on from heartbreak. But human beings are incredibley resilient, and life moves on. Senior year was one blip on my radar. Now I am in college with many new friends. Some advice high school-me could have benefitted from is that time heals all wounds.

Dear High School Mylaica, You are brilliant and you are unique… you are also a minority. You are preparing to go to college where diversity isn’t like the diversity at Carman Ainsworth High School, there are only about 4{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students “like you” attending your school of choice. Use that you are to your advantage. Don’t forget, college is expensive and your parents aren’t rich. Loans have to be paid back, you know. Apply for as many scholarships as you can, and grab the most useful opportunities that you can. Networking isn’t something that high school students really do, but hey, I know better, get a head start. Read all the assigned readings, Spark Notes isn’t going to be available for much longer. Stay focused and it isn’t necessary to go into college knowing exactly where you want to be and what you want to be. Explore a little. Again, apply for scholarships; the more loans you take out the more you have to pay back. With Love, 2.5 Years into College, Mylaica

Dear Hannah, Please do not be afraid of the change that is coming. Go to Umich with an open mind and an outgoing demeanor. The experience will be what you make of it. Join and remain in organizations that you are passionate about and do not loose sight of your goal! Your goal is to not only survive here but exceed and surpass all expectations. Get to know your professors and your graduate instructors; they will help you in any way that they can. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Boys will come and go but your girlfriends will be there forever, don't take them for granted. Keep up with your faith, it will help keep you grounded when life gets tough. Try not to pull too many all-nighters, and if you are going to partake once you're of age, don't make bad decisions. What you do today could affect your forever. Most of all, laugh when you want to cry and keep your head up - enjoy the roller coaster of your next 4 years! Best, Your Future Self

Dear past me, I would like to take a moment and impart some advice onto you that I wish I had known before I started college. So, here it is: In the first few days before classes start, go out and meet people. I know we have social anxiety and sitting down with a group of strangers is terrifying, but still, try your best. On the first day, talk to the people in your Japanese class. They are some of the best people on campus and I wish I had gotten to know them sooner. The last thing I want you to do is make a greater effort to talk to your roommate Kelly. She is a kind girl, and you share a lot of common interests. Both of you are shy, so conversation may be awkward in the beginning; but I think you two could be close friends if you try a little harder than I did. I spent a lot of time cooed up in my room and now I regret not meeting people when I had the chance. The transition is exponentially harder than you expect, but don't get too depressed; it gets easier. I promise.

Though the transition to college is difficult, get out there and make friends. People will tell you to get over your high school friendships and relationships and they are both wrong and right. You do not need to minimize the importance of those relationships, but you need to recognize that they will change. Focus on being present and creating a life at school.

My first year of college was difficult. I started the year bumpy. Trying to understand who I was made things so complicated. I did not want the choices of the past to affect my future. It’s strange grasping the idea that the person I was before is not the person I am now. If there is one piece of advice I could give anyone, it would be to remain true to yourself. I can't recall how many times I seemed to wander away from who I really was and in those moments I seemed to loose so many opportunities. I have made many mistakes and now I need to learn to live with them, however I woud encourage everyone to set some time apart for themselves every week. On a college campus things become hectic and remember your personal values can become a challenge. Remind your-self of your goals and remember the type person you are is defined by your actions.

Stop worrying so much. I spent my entire second semester of high school worrying about moving away from home and all of my friends. In the weeks leading up to my move, I was terrified and almost regretting my decision to go to a college out of state. I wish I could tell myself that it wasn't going to be that bad. Looking back on how scared I was makes me laugh now. I have so many friends and amazing opportunities here. I love the people I surround myself with and the organizations I'm a part of. I love my classes and my professors. I can't imagine myself being anywhere else. So stop worrying. You made the right choice.

If I could give any advice to myself, back when I was a high school senior, it would be to minimize expectations. During my senior year I would get so wrapped up in others stories about their college experience, whether it was from my parents, my teachers or my older friends, I had created this mental journal of their stories, expecting my experience to amount to something similar to their's. Now that I am in college and I am wrapping up my first semester I realize that the college experience is an individualized experience. My time in university is going to be different from all other past, present and future college students. With all the different factors that sum up the college experience I am surprised I ever thought that I had a pre-written destiny. Factors which I believe have shaped my college experience so far are my academic classes, my study routines, my social scene, my job and my campus's location. All these elements have created distinguished and unique memories for me, so if I were to go back to talk to myself I would say to enter college with an open mind.

If I could give my high-school-self one piece of advice, I would tell myself to jump into everything headfirst in college. During my freshman year, I was hesitant to try new things, reluctant to talk to professors and upperclassmen and averse to getting out of my comfort zone. I should have tried more things and been more unafraid, because the few times that I did succeed in trying something new, I genuinely enjoyed it and learned so much about myself. Without trying new things during my freshman year, I would not have known that I was interested in entertainment. However if I had started college unafraid, I could have found this out earlier, and gotten more experience in my chosen field. I would have put myself out there, made more friends, and really gotten the most out of my freshman year. Therefore, not just myself, but all high schoolers should know that they should try everything, be adventurous, and start becoming the young adults they are meant to be.

If you want to do nursing or kinesiology or want to go to grad school or PHD go to easy school and get good GPA!!!!!!

Keep studying, reading, and writing though the summer before college. The transition from no school to college is a tough one, and it would have been ideal to not have to adjust directly into it. If I had kept my study habits consistent, this would have been a much easier change.

If I could go back in time and speak with my high school self, I would encourage myself to be proactive in exploring careers and connecting my college education to the "real world." I would tell myself to seriously consider a business centric engineering degree or at least take more math/statistics to develop and demonstrate my analytic capabilities. Instead of being involved with several organizations, I would suggest to myself that I find one I love and assume a leadership position. Because the amount I borrowed in student loans didn't feel real until I graduated, I would suggest taking a job that offered more hours and spend more time researching and applying to scholarships. Reflercting on the positive, I would also show support for studying abroad and make sure that happened again.

I would tell myself to not have so many expectations. Let everything happen as it happens. You cannot plan out your entire college career. Nothing ever goes as plan. So just take one day at a time or you will overwhelm yourself. You won't automatically become friends with everyone you meet. You don't need a ton of friends, you just need the right friends for you. As for school, you will have ALOT of free time, more than you will even know what to do with, so use your time efficiently and wisely. Most of all, you are not alone. Everyone is stressed. Everyone has a tiny melt downs.Everyone feels pressure to be a certain way. Talk to someone, let it out. It will make you feel better and make the college ride a whole lot smoother.

College can be a huge place to navigate and often times you can get lost in its vastness. If I could go back and give myself advice, it would be to be more open and try out different things. One way to accomplish this is by joining different organizations; by doing this, you become a part of a smaller community within the massive community of college, this would make the university seem less intimidating. You can discover more about yourself and your interests by joining these communities as well as develop close friendship with the people within them. I would also tell myself that it is okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are actually crucial to make; otherwise, how would you learn from them; it is essential in the growth process and developing keen insight which leads to the ultimate wisdom and maturity. Instead of being taunted by every mistake whether small or large, take on a different perspective to them and see them as a learning opportunity as opposed to a downfall.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to be more comfortable with proffesors as guides, teachers, and great contacts for later. It is always difficult for me to start something out of my comfort zone, but it is neccassary to make relations with these great doctors. I would also discuss carrer options with myself; being concerned with making a quick descision lead me down some wrong turns in my original decision for a major. Many students do enter without knowing their field of study, and although it is benificial to have a general idea, most universities do not require decleration until the end of sophmore year. Especialy at the University of Michigan, I am in the LSA program wich gives a broad base of many subjects, and I have recently decided on a different but similar major to my high school ambitions. Careers should be chosen becuase they are both challening and rewarding to the employee.

I had lots of expectations about what my College Experience would be like. Some were about grades and majors, but most were about parties, sex, drugs, philosophical debates, frisbee, sex, drugs, political debates, etc. But what I didn't realize then, and what I'd like to communicate to my senior-in-high-school self, is that these kinds of personal expectations can be limiting and sometimes harmful. In our society we have great expectations about what students' College Experience should be like. The question I want my senior-in-high-school self to ask himself is this: "Whose expectations do I possess? My own or someone else's?" Hopefully this initial question will be thought-provoking and lead to further questions like: "What is the nature of these expectation of mine?" "Does it match my high goals and desires?" and, lastly, "Are these expectations good or bad for me and what I really truly want out of life (and college)?" The College Experience should be free and fluid. Expectations are helpful for planning our futures, but we should be careful that we aren't mindlessly adopting the expectations of others, especially when they conflict with what we actually want.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself not to sweat the small stuff. At the end of high school, and at the beginning of college, I was so worried about the small details of my accademics that I probably missed out on various student government opportunities . I love my life as it is right now. I am a graduate student at University of Michigan, I have had a loving relationship with my partner for the last four years, but I was not very involved, socially, when I first began college, and I think that was to my detriment. I should have gotten more involved in campus, and high school, government. I now know that I am now interested in policy, and I realize that if I would have gotten more involved that I would have more experience with policy writing, and governing, in general. I have taken multiple public policy courses, but I feel that more student government opportunities could have prepared me even further. I now want to enact policies for older adults in my community, and I wish I had more experience to fall back on.

Patrick, college is honestly going to be so good to you. It's a time of new discoveries and happiness and finding out who you are. Do NOT be afraid to move on from those ideas you had about what you would do. Change is good. Change is important. I know you know this, but keep it close to your heart. College is the place where you'll finally start feeling comfortable as gay. Comfortable as Latino. Comfortable as YOU. And while I'm not the same person now that I was a year ago, I feel like I'm finally ME. You're going to see a lot of people who know what they're doing and who are on a set path and who are going to make you feel terrible for the academic choices you're making. You need to remember though that God is always watching out for you and that you are doing what you need to do. You're going to help your communities. You're going to make the most of your education. It's going to be difficult and confusing - but you're going to love it, believe you me.

If I could go back to my high school senior-self, I would not have agreed to room with someone I knew from high school. I think one of the biggest mistakes I made initially in college was trying to hold on to my high school identity and social reputation instead of putting myself out there and completely opening my mind. I would tell myself to trust my gut and know that if there is something that interests me, there will be other people who are also interested. And, mostly I would tell myself not to feel worried if I don't have it figured out right away. College is four years of finding yourself, and I certainly continued to grow throughout all of them.

I would advise my younger self to really make an effort to find my place and friends in the theatre community on campus and establish myself as a part of that as soon as possible. Waiting until younger me finds the guts to tell her parents that theatre is where she wants to be career-wise is only going to make that next transition (switching majors) even more difficult.

Dear Jonas, Don’t be afraid. It’s not as scary as you think. Start managing your time now. The responsibilities that you have now are few in number in relation to what you will have when you go to school. Get your priorities straight. Time won’t slow down, and you won’t have someone with you at all times to remind you of all the stuff you should be doing. Cherish these last few days with your family. You’ll miss them once you’re gone. Don’t worry about how things with Emily will fare when you leave. It will be O.K. Get ready for long nights. Don’t kid yourself: this is going to be tough. But don’t give up. God has placed you at this University for a reason. Start cleaning up after yourself. Your roommate will appreciate it a lot. Wash your sheets every few weeks. As much as you can help it, don’t wait until the last minute. All-nighters turn you into a zombie. Put effort into the relationships and groups you are passionate about. Keep going! Your wiser self, Jonas

While it is important, freshman year is not all about meeting new people and finding the best parties on a given night. The early undergraduate years are great opportunities to explore different fields of study and find campus groups with similar interests as you. Learning more about yourself and your interests and finding like-minded students can help immensely down the line. Once you have found a program that you enjoy, do everything in your power to engage with professors and find related research opportunities. This will help to stretch your intellectual capacity while also giving you a better idea if this field is truly what interests you. Lastly, don't schedule early morning lectures unless you know that the topic will interest you and keep your focus. Sleeping through class only makes you look bad and increases the amount of work that you have to do later! Good luck!

You might always say that you could have done better in college. However, the important thing is to set yourself up relatively for success in the future because you will probably discover your passion later in life (maybe even in grad school). The important thing is to network and build friendships with people all over the world. Try new things because in the future many new careers will emerge from a mixture of disciplines.

I would tell myself to be more able to let go of past relationships with friends from home. College is a new experience for everyone and it changes everyone. When you're going to school across the country from someone who was one of your best friends in high school, you're both going to change differently and likely be unable to be as close as you once were. It is much better to accept this, rather than trying to pretend that it shouldn't happen, or isn't happening. Because if you do that, it will just be blatently shown to you later and this will be a lot less fun than accepting it as is happens. So, don't give up on old friends or ignore them, cause you still need them. Especially at the beginning. But understand that your experience is going to be much different than there's and don't try to hold on to the way you both used to act.

Okay here are a few quick things you should know: Don't apply for the school of Dance or take freshman math. They both turn out to be terrible decisions. You're going to make it through French. Even though the teacher is a pain and the course is a bear, you've got this. Take advantage of office hours early on. Teachers really do want to help you. Don't sweat the small stuff. I know it all feels overwhelming right now, transitions always are but there's very little you can do about that except be determined to get through them. Just accomplish whatever tasks you have to and move on to the next phase of your life because something much greater is waiting for you. Don't stress over each and every decision you make. Do the best you can with the information you have and you'll do just fine. Trust me. I was you ten years ago.

Prepare to work harder and fail more often than you ever have before. For the most part, high school classes, sports, and your social life came easy to you. You got accepted to your dream school and the future looks bright, yet challenges lie ahead. There will be classes that will test your academic ability. There will be sports teams beyond your skill level. There will be friends and girls that will come and go, and the rejection will undoubtedly sting. When these moments arise, do not give in to the temptation to give up. You will feel sad, angry, and frustrated as you realize your illusion of the perfect world is beginning to crumble. It is at these moments when you will define who you are. You can decide to give up- the easiest choice - or you can work harder than you ever imagined. Initially you'll fail again, and again as you search for answers. This should only fuel your determination. With your continued work ethic, you will achieve the success you desire and you will appreciate the failures that shaped who you have become. Know failures will arise, but understand they can be overcome through hard work.

I would give myself a list of points to reconsindered. 1. Rankings aren't everything. Don't pick a school based on how high it's ranked on some list by an anonymous author. 2. Look at the availability of programs. Think about every topic you might be interested in majoring in and make sure the school you pick has those or at least something close to them. 3. When visiting schools, approach random students and ask them to tell you about the school. What they say when put on the spot will tell you a lot. 4. Apply to more schools. (This ties into #1.) Don't only apply to reach schools. Apply to some more match and below-match schools. 5. Don't let Mom and Dad tell you which school is the best for you. They can really only base it on reputation, so take the time to figure it out for yourself and reach out to current students to find out what the school is really like. 6. Visit each school more than once!

First, I would tell myself to treat classes more like a profession than as my "usual" classwork. My high school was far from challenging, and because I rarely had to put in extra hours for my assignments and exams I assumed this would be the case as an undergraduate. To prepare myself, I'd tell the 17-year-old me to seek out community college courses and take those in conjunction with my usual HS cirriculum. I was so dismayed as a freshman to meet countless students who entered college with 15 or more credits to their name, and besides my AP classes I was unaware this was doable. Not only would this have helped me prepare for balancing a larger workload, but I could have saved myself extra classes in multiple semesters at the start of college when the adjustment period was greatest. This is the closest way to simulating the stress of major university that would have been possible, and it would have been fun to get a sneak peak at how a collegiate classroom functions.

Yes, finish high school, but take that animation book Tobias gave you as seriously. I want you to keep drawing everyday, making up characters and writing out rough comics/storyboards to explore our characters. Please focus on drawing anatomy (especially hands), and drawing emotion. All that aside everything you need to know about the industry is online, you really don't need college for our field, especially not an art institute. Don't get me wrong the teachers are wonderful, very useful but it just costs way too much and I know I'll be in debt for a good chunk of my life just because I wanted to shut a few people up and go to college. I've got my debt so now I'll just have to keep with it. I can't even make the monthly payments anymore; the finacial aid department ruined it. They lied and told me I only had around 100 to pay out of pocket. Now I'm looking at paying over 13000 out of pocket before I graduate. And, 36000 back in loans. It's not worth it, do your research on storyboarding and stay the hell away from college.

Coming to college out of highschool, I had a created a very specific path for myself that I would follow through college. I would major in Physics, and eventually go on to grad school. I knew what classes I would take, and what semesters I would take them. After my first year at college however, I realize that coming in with such a closed mind puts you at a huge disadvantage in college. Giving yourself a chance to try new things, and to explore new passions is an extremley important part of college, and I have taken that away from myself by setting on such a specific path. After realizing this, the advice that I would give to my high school self is not to set your mind on one thing for years down the road. I would tell myself to give everything a chance, and that I may find somthing that I enjoy even more than phyics. I believe that this advice would give my former self an advantage for his first year of college, allowing him to disover new interests and dreams.

Don't worry so much about proving yourself or trying to be accepted. Be yourself. It's a good thing.

I know you’re anxious to get out of here, but be warned: College is nothing like you’re expecting it to be. You won’t know anybody. The thousands of strange faces will intimidate you. It’ll seem like you’re drowning in the work. But eventually, you start to see familiar faces, develop a solid working routine and remember the excitement you’re feeling right now to go off and change the world. Also, college wasn’t really made for us introverts! However, once you get comfortable eating by yourself (everyone does), going to meetings and being friendly to strangers, you’ll be 10x more independent than your hall-mates who can’t use the bathroom without each other! There’s plenty of superficiality on campus, but being genuine will guarantee that you end up with the right people. Look forward to calling out the sexists, racists and elitists! Ultimately, you’ll realize that the college experience isn’t just about the rigorous courses, parties or interesting people; it’s about putting yourself out there, learning who you are and growing into your skin. It’ll take a while, so be patient and cherish the journey!

If I could go back in time, I would reassure myself that everything would turn out alright. It's hard not having control over your future, thus I was very nervous and went into the college application process with the wrong mindset.

If I had the opportunity to return to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to develop a comfortable routine quickly. Throughout my high school career, I benefited from a reliable routine that allowed me to efficiently balance my time between my extracurricular activities, school, my part-time work, and friends and family. With my time appropriately allocated, I had the spare time to think of the future and keep my goals straight. During my first semester in college, I often lost my goals and my future do to the lack of orginization in my schedule. I know that without a solid routine, my day often becomes sporadic and subject to procrastination. This single issue was the cause of my uneasiness during the first semester in college. Had I developed a routine earlier in the year, I would have been more comfortable reaching out to my peers and faculty to address other concerns I have had during my experience at the University of Michigan.

My first semester of college was a wake up call. My high school had a system that’s purpose was to give students a chance to master material by retaking failed tests. Although this system was created to push students to learn, for many it acted as a crutch. I was one of these students. Instead of working to understand the materials I would use the ability to retake exams as a way to get by without putting in effort. I later recognized that I needed to make a change coming into college and ended my first semester in good standings. Successfully completing work in college has shown me how doable the work in high school truly was. If I could go back I would advise myself to work to the best of my abilities at all times. I did well, but could have done much better in high school. Advising my high school self in this way could have potentially made the transition into college a little smoother, and my overall high school experience more enriching. Although I would advise myself to change I am happy with where I am now as I have changed from my old habits.

Don't spend so much time worrying and just do it. Seriously, nobody cares what you do and quite frankly nobody is even paying attention. Take chances now while you still can. It's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to make a fool of yourself, it's okay to have fun and it's okay to fail. Get out of your own head. You will miss out on getting to know amazing people if you don't get out there and talk to people. If you work hard, have a good time and stop taking yourself so seriously, you will have the best years of your life. Enjoy every moment of it, because it will go by very quickly!

Focus. That is all I would tell myself. I need to make the best of my first year, but at the same time I cannot forget why I am here. I am here to succeed, to make a future for myself so I can support my mother and father who have supported me throughout my life . They have taught me what to live for and how to earn what I desire. I need to focus on the task in front of me and conquer each small battle whether it be academic, or social. I must study diligently, listen actively in class, and look past the textbook to find solutions to question because that is the difference between a student who wants to learn and a student that wants an A. I should not let people who do not care about me affect my daily activities and know that adversities fuel people to change the world in a better way. I would tell myself to stay true to the values that you were brought up on, and always have the vision of reaching my dreams in the back of my mind motivating me to never give up on a daunting task.

If I could go back to talk to myself in my senior year I would tell my past self to relax. Yes, college is hard, but it's not as hard as you make it out to be. You're only psyching yourself out. Take a deep breath because college is just like high school except you don't go everyday and they teachers are more laid back. You will do just fine. Yes, adulthood is scary but you'll get through it because everyone does. You know in your heart that you will make a great Elementary School teacher you just have to work your butt off and believe in yourself. If I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self I would make sure to tell her to have confidence in herself because confidence is what helps you motivate yourself to keep going on with what you are doing. Confidence is key.

Take your friends and never let them go. Distance can do quite a number on friendships, and you don't want college to destroy companionships that you've worked so hard to build. They always say, "You'll meet your true friends in college," but that isn't always true. There are so many people to meet on such a huge campus, so of course you'll find some fantastic friends, but they could never replace the ones you made in high school or even before that. Middle school is the darkest time in anybody's life, we all know that--so any friend who has known you then and sticks with you through high school is definitely a keeper. Any friend that says you saved their life is also worth keeping, a million times over. The friend that offers you a place to live for a week after a hurricane passes by is one of the greatest friends you'll ever have. Having friends in college is important, but not more important than your high school friends. And they never will be.

Hattie, College is a chapter where you will have make decisions, more specifically decisions about relationships. Right now at this point in your life the most important thing to you is your relationship with your current boyfriend, but trust and believe honey your dreams and goals are more important. What I can tell you now is that you're going to be tested and forced to make decisions that will affect your future, try to see the long term consequences of you decisions, as opposed to your short term gains. Another way to state this is, when you're approaching an argument with your boyfriend, DO NOT let him distract you from your studies and homework. I can promise you that each time you engage in a stressful and emotional battle with him, it will negatively impact your academic performance. Sweetie you are too pretty, smart, and ambitious to let someone's insecurities hinder you from academic, social, emotional, and personal growth. With all of that said, advice: the moment you're unhappy call it off! You will only have the precious moments as an undergraduate once. My second piece of advice is, to never let anyone stop your dreams.

Listen Up Tiffy! If you asked high school Tiffany how her senior year was, she would have answered, "Okay I guess. But wait until college. I can start over again!" in an excited tone. However, that Tiffany was a procrastinator and had much to learn about being herself, forward planning, and financial blunders. So, to that truly blind Tiffany I dedicate this advice: "Tiffany, on that August 1st when you're watching hair care videos, STOP. Find out about Scholarship Experts and get to work! You'll save your memories another dark day of doom with mother. Oh yeah! Remember when you said your intuition is always right? It IS! That guy you thought was too perfect, that party you should have gone to, that guy that you think is for you... Don't deny yourself! And just because you think you're alone doesn't mean Project Change Yourself. Remember that friendships are stronger when you allow them to form naturally. And lastly, complete your assignments a week before. Yah, that's possible now. So don't declare and don't do. You'll at least keep your promises to yourself, won't you?"

I would tell myself, "Relax. College is not a race. You were accepted into a world-class institution because you're an academic. If you feel pressured by others, that you're their inferior or you aren't as intelligent as they are, remember that you are where you are for a reason. You deserve to be there. Take your time discovering your abilities, and hone them to become your very best. Only you define your prowess. "Don't be shy around other people. College is the time to meet friends who will stand by your side for the rest of your life. And if someone comes along whose ideals collide hideously with yours, it's alright to bid "So long." "Don't fear the professors. It's their job to provide worlds of information and coach you to become your very best. Who knows-- even some professors could become lifelong friends! They are your coworkers, confidants, and professional connections. They've been in your shoes. They understand that you're still figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. It's okay to make mistakes. They will guide you through the confusion."

- Apply to everything: scholarships, school programs, internships. You can always decide to accept or decline later, and not applying is the only way to guarantee you won’t have the option. You never know what you’ll interested in or ready for in the future - Ask everyone for their story, especially adults; ask how they got to where they are and what advice they have. Recognize that no path is straightforward and there’s no exact formula for success - Be eager to learn, inside and outside of the classroom. You got into college because you are good at learning inside the classroom, but college is best at teaching you things completely unrelated to academics. - Be the person you want to be. College is a fresh start; although entering a class of completely new people is daunting compared to the network of lifelong friends of your hometown, it means you have no reputation or expectations. Make the changes you want to be the person you want to be. - Commit to your school and your experience. Be proactive about getting what you want from your school, because the value you get out of anything is equal to the commitment you put in.

I would say be open to as many new experiences as you possibly can. Try and get involved in a variety of things, be as diligent as you were with colleges as you are with your extracurriculars in college. Don't define yourself or limit who you could be by friends from high school or orientation. Seriously, do something weird or expose yourself to a new crowd of people, it opens up who you can be friends with and what experiences you'll get to know about in college.

If I had the chance to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to be prepared to move out. It is not easy financially and school is expensive. I would tell myself to get a summer job and save as much as I can. I would also tell myself to rent books online and buy them only if they are truly neccessary because I spent a lot of money on books that professors did not even end up using.

To try harder in school.