University of South Carolina-Columbia Top Questions

Let's say that there was an opportunity for me to travel back in time through a time machine. I would travel back to the school year of 2013-2014 when I was a high school senior. I would probably scare my high school self, but I would try to tell myself the tips of succeding in college. Welcome to How to Survive in College 101. College is a way different lifestyle than high school. There is more freedom, more clubs, and more people to meet. However, do not get caught up with the partying everynight life. There's nothing wrong with taking a break from work when the work is done. Do not be like those college students who pay thousands of dollars and take out loans just to flunk out of college. I would also tell myself that there will be a time when you accidentally lock yourself out of your room. When you lock yourself out of your room, just make sure you have a pair of shoes on. I had to learn the hard way. I had to walk barefoot outside to get a temporary dorm key. College provides crazy experiences. You'll be alright.

I would simply tell myself that everything is going to be great. I learned a lot in school and do not regret any of the experiences I had. I completed my degree in the normal amount of time, made the dean's list, studied something I was interested in and was able to do all of those things while attending a school that cared about the student's first. The only thing I would tell my high school self and any person attending college is to apply for more scholarships. There is a lot of free money available but you have to apply for it. Student loan is a burden in life after college and there are ways to avoid it. I would advise all graduating high school seniors and gradute students to apply for all scholarships they are eligible for.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, without hesitation, I would inform myself of the abundant amount of opportunity that is ahead of me. I would explain that the transition from high school to college is one of the most critical points in our life. It is this time in an individual's life where they can recreate themselves and become everything they have always dreamed of becoming. Along with recreating yourself in this "new chapter of life", as the cliche goes, a sense of greater responsibility will form in you. All of a sudden you will feel that it is your job to discover the cure for cancer or invent a teleportation device; and it is so crucial that you allow that feeling to resonate within you because this is your moment and this is your time to make an impact.

There are plenty of things I know now that I wish I knew when I was a senior in high school. Get enough sleep, spend more time with your family, exercise more. However, the single most important thing I would tell my eighteen year old self is to forgive myself more easily when things go wrong and to embrace the things I cannot change. A central part to growing up is realizing what you are good at but that also means you have to realize what you are not so good at. Failing a test is not the end of the world, not getting elected to student council the first time does not mean you should not run again, and not getting chosen by the sorority you want does not mean that you are not valuable. If I could have understood that as a senior in high school and been a little easier on myself, maybe I would have garnered the confidence I have now a little sooner. Transitioning into college is not the easiest but it is definitely more fun if you allow yourself to have it.

I would tell my high school self to branch out and don't ever let go of your hard-working ethic. College will be hard but you are going to make it. There will be times when you feel like you don't want to be a music major anymore and people will tell you that you aren't good enough. Work harder than you ever have in your life and never give up. Call your family more and know that you don't have to go through hardtimes alone. In addition, I wish I could tell you how much your friends will mean to you. I didn't realize it until a few years in. Branch out, don't be afraid to take risks, and don't forget to have a social life! Your friends and family are behind you 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} and you will go on to do great things.

I would tell myself as study hard and take more advance placement classes. It is a huge advantage to go into college with some general credits out of the way. It would allow me to begin working towards my major right away by taking classes relevant to my major. Maintaining a social life is also really important too. Having good friends from high school helps ease the transition into college, regardless of whether they go to the same college or not. Quality friends give great advice and some even know people on my campus that they set me up with. Lastly, I would stress that it is very important to save my money. The one problem i encountered when making the transition to college is that the money goes quickly. Food, clothing, gas, and other expenses can really add up, and it is very difficult to get a job as a freshman. Also, as far as money saving goes make sure to apply to as many scholarships as possible! Any penny you can save on tuition can help go towards that food or gas you probably need.

When I was in high school, I dropped out of math. My high school principal tried to talk me out of dropping out of math. He said if you decide to go to college you are going to see math again. I responded I was going to the military and do need math to graduate high school. I did graduate high school. I did join the military. I learned in the military that in order to gain rank, I would have to go back to college at some point. In order for me to go back to college, I had to make up all the math that I did not take in high school. I would tell high school seniors to take all your course work seriously including math. You may not need it to graduate but you will need it later on in your life. Learn as much as you can while your in high school. If you don't take time to learn as much as you can in high school, like me you will have to take a lot of time playing catch up or get left behind in life.

Take these first couple of semester seriously to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. It may seem far away but the real world is just around the corner. Now is the time to explore different possibilites so don't just blindly follow what your parents expect you to do. You'll make friends through frisbee and other activites so as far as the social aspect of college goes there is no need to worry. The biggest thing is setting enough time aside to really find a passion for a subject and follow through with it. Good luck and don't slack

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a senior in high school, there are so many thing that I would enlighten myself with. College has taught me so many lessons in life so far. The first thing would be to focus on school; and not solely on sports. Even though I was a two-sport college athete, I focused more on sports than my classes. A major knee injury ended my college playing career and I was forced to return home. Secondly would be dont procrastinate! In high school, it was so easy to procrastinate and still get by turning in a paper at the last minute. When you get to college the quality and quantity of work increases tremendously. Waiting to do things at the last minute can sometimes cause you to fall behind in college and you may not be able to recover from it. The most important advice I would give is be disciplined when it comes to social media. Many people dont believe it but social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter can be very addicting, even so much that they can cause your grades to fall considerably.

Me, I’m forty-one years old, I’m in my second marriage, and I’m in debt. This is you. This is the future you face. Right now you’re wondering what to do, how to change this fate, and maybe you assume that somewhere in the contents of this letter lies the answer. But it is not here. Because there is no answer. There is nothing for you to do. Don’t change. Don’t change a thing. Every decision—right or wrong—led you here. The knowledge you will have at this age is the product of every joy, every fear, every hope, and every angst in that unfathomable gulf of time and experience that lies between you and me. You may be a little late in finding your purpose, but the experience you have along the way lays the foundation for my small, but significant successes. You love, you lose, you teach, you travel, and you become a better person, even when you think you have sunk to your depths. Don’t change. Don’t change a thing. Just follow the path that’s been always in your heart. You PS – your second wife is HOT.

There are so many things I want to tell you! I know the first year of college was tough, but I've got some advice for you that will make it just a bit easier to navigate. My first advice is to take only what you really need to survive in college. It is easy to convince yourself that you need that huge tapestry wall hanging, but, trust me, it will fall off the wall, lots of times. Instead, fill your wall with pictures of the family because you will miss them so much more than you think. My next advice is a bit more serious. Please don't worry about what you are going to do after college and what major to choose. This a time in your life when you are allowed to explore. Take classes in disciplines that are foreign to you. Try a theater class or an art class, even if you think you are not artistic. The things you learn about yourself can be life-changing. Do not be afraid that you aren't doing it "right." You will find your path in time to graduate. Lastly, call home...often. They miss you terribly!

I was only a senior 6 months ago but I think I'd tell myself to chill out. Nothing is terrible and everything will be fine. I wish I would have put more effort into my pharmacy technician class and tried harder to get a job. There are a lot of things that I would do differently but mostly I wish I could tell myself to tell my mother that her constant hovering wasn't helping and was just making me more stressed out.

Get involved in the University. It makes it much easier to make friends and experience new and amazing things. Although friends from high school are still good to have, do not rely on them too much. Try hard to branch out and do things you wouldn't normally do. College can be an amzing time in your life to open doors and network, but at the same time, never forget to work hard on your studies. I know that on the surface college does not require as much written work or as many essays as were required in high school. However, do not underestimate your classes. Every class needs to be studied for, because unlike high school there is not as much classroom or one on one time with teachers. Always work hard. But be careful not to overwork yourself. College is a balancing act, you must remain psychologically happy while at the same timeworking very hard and not stressing yourself out too much. Just always stay true to yourself and be happy.

Apply to colleges early in high school, and those for scholarships too.

There's not much I would tell myself. Probably not to listen to what everyone says, especially the people in the family. The ones that did go to college majored in English, not science, they will have no idea what you're going through. The ones that didn't go to college don't know what they're talking about in general. Be prepared to make a lot of mistakes and even more embarrassing blunders (although you should be used to that by now). College is the perfect places to embrace your goofiness and where you can finally be you. For once, make friends that are cool with who you are and are okay with your weirdness. Finally, don't let anyone tell you what to do while you're at college especially the family, again. Actually, just forget what the family tells you in general and do your own thing. This will be the only time you can break free from them and create yourself, by yourself. Really, just learn to be true to who you are, as cliché as that sounds.

Don't be scared. It all seems a lot harder than it really will be. Remember to keep up the good work after first semester and try not to make yourself sick during second semester by not taking care of yourself. Try to be social. Not everyone is like the people that you knew in highschool and you have a better chance at fitting in here than you ever did there. Try to sleep regularly. Really, I mean it. Don't panic over your school work. Panic has never done anything for you before and it won't now. Talk to people. Spend more nights out and doing things and less nights in your room by yourself. Be at least a little bit assertive with your roommate because you do share a room. Most of all remember that you can do this. College is going to be better than you can imagine so start getting excited.

Do not stress the small things. Stay focused in class, keep making good grades. The friends you have now will help you become a successful student. Study as much as you can and stop procrastinating, you're going to love every second of it.

Well I’m about to enter my second year of college but before I do that I need to go pay my high school self a little visit. When I go back in time to the beginning of my high school senior year, I’ll have to prepare myself for the future. The high school Bryson needs to know that his senior year of high school and freshmen year of college are very important. I would tell myself to stay focused and dedicated to my studies. I would also tell myself to make a balance schedule between school, work, family, and friends. Knowing this information from the beginning would’ve been a great help!

My advice is to make college your own--make your own decisions because in the end you are the one who is going to live with them. Realize that you are in the infancy of adulthood and this opportunity to define and shape your future comes once. Making mistakes and deliberately placing yourself outside of your comfort zone is crucial to building your character and discerning what you truly want (and don't want) out of life. There is no substitute for experience gained through mistakes, so make them, and don't be discouraged when you do because chances are, your mistake in college will serve as a reminder to make the better decision in the future.

The transition from a small high school to a large university was a culture shock. The lectures were twice the size of my high school graduating class and I was overwhelmed, convinced that everyone else was sure of who they where, what they wanted to be, and were unafraid to try or do anything. Looking back, I realize that my lack of confidence was exasperated by the time I spent online, distracting myself with social media. If I could, I would go back and tell myself to unplug the laptop, delete my profiles, and step out from behind the computer screen. The negative effects of social media were two fold. First, I was comparing myself to false representations of my peers. I hadn't realized yet that no one's life is really how it looks on Facebook; that everyone carefully edits their profile to present the most attractive and interesting version of themselves. Second, my laptop was an anchor that kept me glued to my desk seat instead of out exploring the opportunities unique to college. Moving forward, I am careful to limit my time online. College – and life – is too brief and exciting a time to waste.

Don't read the brochures. I know you're struggling in high school and think that college is the opportunity for a fresh start. Because of this, you are eagerly reading all of the university brochures. Each brochure consists of the same propaganda: small classroom sizes, lots of diversity, and hundreds of extracurricular opportunities. And you're buying into all of it. Your first semester of college will not be the brochure experience, however. You'll struggle to find clubs to join and to meet new people outside of a sorority, you'll have several large-numbered classes, and you won't be introduced to much more diversity than you've already seen. The college brochures romanticize the college experience. Not everyone is going to have the experience of their life in college. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating not attending college at all. However, even though you won't have the cookie-cutter college experience that's outlined in the brochures, it's okay. Your college experience is not the experience written in the brochures; your experience will be better -- things that you never read about in the brochures.

I am tempted to say that I wish I had told my past self all of the tricks I learned when it comes to money expenses and filling out forms, or basic college survival advice, or a warning about the trials I would face in my first year of college. None of that advice would have been meaningful to my past self, though. Knowing me, I probably would have still made all the same mistakes despite warnings. Out of everything during the transition from high school to college the biggest problem I faced was how I treated myself and the little confidence I had in my abilities to succeed. During the long summer before college began I felt like I was hopeless and that there had to have been a mistake at the admission's office. If I could have, I would have given my past self a big hug and told her that she is everything she thinks she's not: talented, educated, friendly, beautiful, hardworking, and unique. Nothing else I could have said would have given me any of the confidence that I sorely needed to get through the difficult transition between high school and college.

It is a real coincidence that this question is about going back and talking to myself as a high school senior because as my little sister is now a senior in high school and making the big decisions about college and her life, I find myself reflecting on my own decisions. My sister and I are so alike and trusting in eachother that I really do feel like I am talking to my former self and trying to help her with this amazing time in her life. There are two major tips that I have asked my sister to follow as she is making choices and starting this new chapter in her life. First, try to talk to and meet as many people as possible because everyone else is just as shy and nervous as you are and once you start talking to people you never know what kinds of friendships you will find. And second, don't try to keep past relationships if the other person isn't making the effort to stay in touch with you and supporting you. Those old high school "half friends" are just holding you back from meeting amazing new people at school.

There are many things I could tell my younger self about to make the transition to college easier. I would probably tell myself to enter college singe, not to join a sorority, and not to go home on the weekends. Although these may be helpful, the best advice I could give my high school self would be not to try and change my personality in college. I entered college hoping to fulfill my dreams of popularity from high school. This motivated me to join a sorority and become a "party girl." All I wanted was to finally fit in with the popular crowd. In retrospect, I wish I had allowed myself to make friends with my true personality. This would have saved me from a lonely first semester in college. I eventually discovered myself in college, but it would have been an easier journey if I had embraced my true personality earlier.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage my past self to make sure I am as prepared for college as much as possible. College is not easy, so by the beginning of my senior year I would have myself hitting the books more than I ever had before. I would have made sure I did as well on the Advanced Placement exams that I could. But the last thing I would tell myself about college is to have fun and don't let anything hold me back.

Make sure you fill out all the scholarships and take many campus tours so you know what you are getting into. Do not just randomly pick a school, make sure it fits you. Do your homework on all the extra curricular activities because while you are there for academics, there is more to life and you'll want to know what to get involved in.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my senior self to take applying for scholarships more seriously. Throughout my entire senior year, my mother kept telling me I should do some research and find scholarships to apply for. I knew that loans would be necessary regardless, so I didn’t think applying for scholarships was a big deal. But, when I saw my tuition bill for the first semester at college, I realized that I should have listened to my mother. I saw how big of a loan she had to take out under her name just so I could go to school for one semester. It would have helped tremendously if I took her words to heart last year and began applying for scholarships then. College is a big adjustment because you see firsthand the cost of living and you must learn to budget accordingly. If I had given my past self this advice, I think that my transition to college would have been financially easier on me and my family because I would have applied for many more scholarships. I am determined to raise as much money as I can to contribute to my education.

I would tell my younger self, to study more. I finished college with a 3.0 and kept my scholarship which was my only academic goal for myseld. I'm sure I could have done more and pushed myself but having fun was more important. Now looking back, I could have gotten into a better graduate school if I was more focused.

As a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, I have been through many experiences at school and I want you to not worry about attending a university so far away from home. I know being 12 hours away from your parents sounds scary and it will be difficult in the beginning, but well worth it in the end. You are going to hate your roommate freshman year and you will end up not speaking with her by the end of the year because of her psychotic, over-obsessive tendencies with her boyfriend. Try not to let her get under your skin. She will transfer. You will join a sorority that you love and make many friendships that you know will last a lifetime. Just remember to take time to focus on yourself when things get stressful during your spring semester freshman year. A lot of lifechanging events will happen and you need to stay healthy and keep a strong mind. Sophomore year will be your greatest and every stress of your first year of college you will look back on and laugh. Don't worry, you made the right decision. South Carolina is your second home.

Take a moment to breathe. It seems daunting as a senior to get everything for college ready but it all works out! All your hard work pays off and college is not nearly as hard as highschool. So slow down smell a rose or two and go to college level headed and not stressed out.

in all reality i would not say anything and let myself fail. thanks to my past mistakes and my future goals i really believe that i am now mature enough to take on my plans in life. i've always been a smart guy but always have learned from experience. my past experience in college was bad, my state of mind wasnt mature enough to realize the risks and benefits i had power of. i am now enrolled in a two year college just finished a maintenance mechanic program majoring in welding and currently enrolled in eng. 125 and eng 262. i am passing all my classes and on my way towards getting my A.S. in welding. once accomplishing this goal, i plan to give myself and family a better life.they deserve it as much as i do. my parents have always stuck with me and im truelly greatful. i know that i cant give them a gift greater then life like they have gave me but i plan to get pretty close. i know that it takes time and patients to accomplish dreams and believe me i been waitting forever.

As a high school senior, I was overtly concerned about the future, and what would lie ahead for me. Since I have been in college, I have learned to remain focused on the future by having academic goals while still enjoying the present and being flexible. That has been key in helping me to achieve a mind, body, and spiritual balance during my education thus far. For example, in addition to my academic courseload, I am now able to participate in outside leadership and artistic activities in order to become a more well-rounded person. As a university peer leader, I also enjoy helping other students to achieve an academic, social, and physical balance on campus. Reflecting back on my senior year in high school, I would advise my younger self to accept my own shortcomings and to use them as motivation for success. I would also advise myself to enjoy the present moment of life, and to not be afraid to be myself. Thus, while academics are the main reason for attending a university, many life lessons that I have acquired at college have been learned outside of the classroom.

Transfering from a high school student to a college student is a very stressful yet exiting part of life. It's a time in life where it's time to grow up and start becoming independent. Parents are not there to hold your hand or change your dipers anymore. Its a time to take over and follow your own dreams by making decisions on your own and not let others decide for you. For example look for the right college or university that will offer you the most successful opportunity for your dream career. Have your priorties in order such as grades, jobs, and after school activities. Also, know your deadlines, submit your application on time, look for scholarships and know those deadlines as well. most importantly submit your FASFA application on time so you know exactly how you will pay for school. Work hard and dedicate a lot of time into this process. Always keep your head up no matter how hard it is, fight hard and don't let other people destroy your dreams or bring your dreams and hopes down. Make sure you never give up on what you love and the goals you have for yourself.

The most important piece of advice I would give myself is to push yourself. There are things that you can do your senior year that will determine how easy or hard your college career will be. Push yourself to study hard for standardized tests. Apply for lots of scholarships. Don't get senioritis because senior year actually does matter, contrary to popular belief. When I was in high school I wanted to GO GO GO and get out of there. I would advise my senior self to enjoy the time that you have with your high school friends and enjoy the experiences that you will only have once in your life. Don't attempt to rush through the year, but rather work hard and play hard. Set up opportunities for yourself by doing the best that you possibly can.

If I could go back to high school and tell myself anything it would be to study more and take the SAT and ACT seriously. I would tell myself to research for scholarships and try to apply for scholarships at my school so I would have money coming to college. I would also tell myself to make better grades and listen to the teachers and guidance counselors. The advice I would gave myself would to be more assertive and confident in my abilites and action. That I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I would also tell myself to not let opportunities pass me by and let little things bother me. College is so expensive and I really wish I had scholarships going towards my tutition rather than student loans. College life taught me that you have to push and motivate yourself in order to suceed.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to remember the phrase "be yourself." College is about discovering who you, what you believe, and what kind of person you want to grow up to be. People may sway you this way or that way into doing something that goes against your instincts. You must always be yourself and never stray from who you really are deep down. You do this by listening to and trusting your intuition. This philosophy makes much of the anxiety that many people experience in college to be non-existent. People struggle to be someone they are not, follow a trend that goes against their beliefs, and follow into the footsteps of people they wouldn't think twice about associating with in high school. I would tell myself to remember who I really am on the inside, to remember to do the right thing for myself and others when given the choice, and to not put myself in situations that could compromise my integrity and reputation. This would make my transition into college, and subsequently, adulthood, much easier as well as less stressful.

Dear high school senior me, I know it's hard right now with everything going on in your life, but it gets better. Save money, ignore the people who are trying to bully you, and just get through everything. Nothing will change their attitudes, but you can make yourself better than them by planning ahead. Don't be so impulsive with your money, because by the time you get to college it's going to be all gone. Especially when mom just "doesn't feel like" getting all the documents you need for financial aid. You've gotta support yourself at this point, because no one is going to help you better yourself. Money isn't everything, but having a little extra would help. Love, Stressed out college you.

Keep learning. Education should be continuous and not limited to the class room. If you are interested in something, learn about it! You have a diverse college that is full of resources for you to use. Go after what you think is interesting! Also, apathy and ignorance do not look good on anybody.

Give yourself plenty of time to study and get a perfect gpa while taking core classes. Try to be more outgoing at college and make study buddies. Spend more time applying for scholarships and less time at your job. It is important to spend time working but more important to spend your time learning. Going off to college is scary. Do everything possible when you first get there to make your new city feel cozy like home.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would begin by convincing myself to not try and only slide by in everything I did. That means I would study and apply myself more in high school. I would talk to myself about how much different and more difficult the course workloads are and how much time I need to set aside for studying. I would teach my high school self how to budget my money, because without a job, money quickly runs out. One of the things that I would extensively talk to myself about would be the importance of keeping in touch with my family. It is hard to deal with the stress of living and functioning by myself in college without the help of my parents. One last thing that I would talk to myself about would be the importance of openmindedness. Being part of a huge university requires me to be open to new people and new things. College is an overall new experience and a new life.

Academically I was pretty well prepared through taking honors and AP classes so I knew i could handle the work load. Dedication and time wise i was also prepared for because I played three sports in high school and still mantained a good GPA through the harder classes. The biggest thing i would change is financial status. I would tell myself to be more serious about scholarships because just applying for a few scholarships doesnt mean i will get them. The other financial aspect I would tell myself is to work harder and try to earn more money. Although I worked alot over the summer and made some good money I wasnt prepared for the expenses living on my own would bring. I am alot more broke than originally anticipated and it gets hard to come by certain necessities. Making the transition with money would be alot easier than it has been without money.

Hello Vaughan and congratulations on all of your accomplishments. You have made the most of what high school had to offer you so far but I want to encourage you to do more. Be involved in the things you enjoy and act upon it passionately. Be the best that you can be and always give the best to others. Don't just be a member but be the president! Committ enthusiastically and do anything that you can do to help others. Helping others will give you the internal satisfaction to move forward with your life and have the most rewarding experience possible.

Advice i would give myself would be to just follow thru more on getting transcripts from school to school. Also, just to be on top of credits receieved and the ones that will be accepted at any college that you chose. Other than that i have no advice because ive been very accomplished by graduating a whole year early. Also by being one of the youngest students in my classes and being able to maintain my gpa being im fresh out of highschool. Personally, ive never been the type to play around i get my work done then its play time. I can say for myself i have accomplished more than some people at 18 years old. My advice is to keep up the good work and set high goals and do my best to achieve them.

I would tell myself to STOP STRESSING. When I didn't get into my first choice school and had to choose my second choice (USC), I wasn't as excited as I could have been. I wish I had told myself to embrace change, because it is a huge theme of my life now- something is always going differently than I'd planned, but now I don't mind at all! I would also tell myself to make a list of goals I want to achieve in college, such as getting a job, keeping my GPA up, joining x amount of clubs, and trying plenty of new things, because I wasn't as motivated to do that as I should have been. Basically, high school Shelbs, go with the flow, keep your head up, and BE OUTGOING!

High school is a major transition in most teenagers' lives, It's a four year bridge from childhood to adulthood. In those four years I made friends I still hold close to this day, I've learned things easily as well as the hard way, with triumphs, achivements, tears, and shinnanagans along the way. But if I could go back and do it all again the most precious advice I could give to myself would be to expand my horizons. And by that I mean to embrace all the opportunities highschool displayed in front of me. I think this would be great advice because I was so shy and reserved in highschool it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with my life in regards to my education. If I had taken advantage of the clubs and supplementary classes I would have experienced and been exposed to more things I could have considered as a passion and chosen to pursue them as a career. College is an open door and I'm very excited to turn the doorknob into my future.

If I were able to go back in time to tell myself about college life, I would have nothing but positive things to say. When I was younger, I was afraid college would be extremely difficult and I would not fit in. I had the most uncomfortable feeling about the whole idea and the nervousness I felt really hindered my life, as I have come to find out only with time and age. I would say yes college can be intimidating and challenging however if you put your mind to it and dedicate yourself to studying that college really is no more difficult than high school has been. In fact I am enjoying college even more than I thought possible since I am able to take courses of interest. There are many great people available to help and guide you in the right direction as well as mentor and help you succeed. Every time I turn around, I am learning something new and exciting and I really regret that I chose to wait so long to continue my education. The best advices I can say is just go for it get involved and have fun.

Going back in time to my high school years, I would have told myself to have a little more faith in my own abilities. Although I had a very good GPA and several officer positions in after school programs, I did not feel that I matched up to others. I did not apply to certain schools because I thought I did not either have the ability compete or the money to pay. Due to this, I hampered myself from opportunities that could have aid my career and offer a unique experience. If I could travel back I would have pressured myself to apply to scholarships and schools that I, at that time, felt were out of my league. Additionally, I would have stated to save more money to pay for books and other surprise fees. This would have helped me financially and save me from unnecessary stress. Furthermore, I would have pushed myself to find internships and volunteer opportunities to gain more insight in market. I know that it would have helped me to gain advantages that I did not have because my lack of confidence.

Dear High School Zoë,I know college is right around the corner and you are worrying about what to bring, what kind of friends you will make, how you’re going to find all of your classes, etc. The best piece of advice I can give you right now is to stop worrying. Everyone you will meet is in your same situation and it is so easy to get help with anything you need while transitioning. It’s going to be very different but it’s going to be exciting and fun. Everything you could need on campus is within walking distance, so be prepared to walk, a lot. All the walking will be much needed once you discover the delicious buffet on the bottom floor of your residence hall. I would also advise that you start saving your money now, because you will soon find yourself calling mom and dad every weekend asking for “just a little more”. Mom and Dad can’t provide for your forever, which they will soon make very clear to you. Most importantly, just keep an open mind and get ready for the best year of your life, full of new and exciting experiences.

Stop and smell the roses once in a while, everything can't be about work and achieving a set goal. Change is such a wonderful thing to embrace and roll with; Travel abroad and take care of yourself physically and mentally.

Chris, I know that you are tired and ready to graduate, but remember that it’s not over until you walk across that stage! As I reflect over our senior year of high school, I feel a sense of regret. Although you will graduate in the top of your class and will be crowned prom king, you’re really slacking when it comes to academics. Instead of going the extra mile on assignments and making the straight A’s you’re used to, your grades will begin dropping to B’s and in one class a C. When you get to college, you’re still going to be set in that lazy “everything will be alright, I’ll do it when I do it” attitude. It takes your first low test grade to slap you back into reality. Trust me Chris, the path you are setting yourself up for is not worth it. With that being said, I say to you, my smart yet rebellious 18-year-old self, “Push through this last year with everything you’ve got. It won’t be easy, but if you give it your all, then great things are bound to happen!”