University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Top Questions

If I could go back, I would better prepare myself for living away from home. The biggest transition for me was leaving the small town that I had lived in for the entirety of my life. I struggled being away from my family and had a hard time meeting new people. If I could go back in time I would tell myself that it is time to move on in life. I would remind myself that I should be grateful for all I have accomplished in high school and be thankful for the friends I made, but as next year approaches, I need to be willing to let a new life experience take place; college. This does not mean I need to give up the people I have met or the lessons I learned, it just means that I need to keep an open heart and mind as I take on this new adventure. I would end with letting myself know that I am strong enough to do anything as long as I always stay true to the person I want to be.

You are a smart kid with a lot ahead of you. You care a lot about your academics and it's great that you want to pursue a degree in math and science but, you should keep an open mind because you may find love in other subjects and possibly love in other ways. I know you will have to work during your college years to keep up with your expenses but there's a lot of organizations that you need to at least check out at least once. Plus, there's this place called The Rec and you will find yourself spending so much time there but make sure you study for you classes too. Please learn to manage your time early It's a tough challenge academically but you will make friends, join clubs, and begin to find your place. You learned from the best and were raised by the best. Never stop loving with your heart and always show who you really are because you will find people who will like you for that and those who will really like you for that. take a road trip or two and live it up! You're college bound!

Have an open mind going into college. In high school, many of us act how we are expected to be. Many of us form cliques and only hang out with the people in those one or two groups. College gives you the chance to be the person you WANT to be. You can be in as many different friend groups as your time allows. If you are really into basketball but also want to join the dance club, no one is going to laugh at you or tell you, you can't. If you were a shy introvert in high school and want to be an extrovert, you can, and no one will think differently of you. Its a good time to figure out the kind of person you want to be. Don't let things in the past hold you back. College is a good time to start new. Make the best impression you can on your peers and professors as you have a blank slate to work with. Enjoy memories of the past, but don't let it stop you from acting in the present or thinking about the future.

Advice I would give to myself as a high school senior would be to not be afraid to let go of the area and community I grew up in, in order to branch out and expose myself to new areas, ideas, opinions, and people. I also would tell myself not to worry so much about every little thing and to just take some time to relax, have fun, and make new friends. Getting involved in campus organizations at the beginning of college is another thing I would emphasize as important to my high school self.

Take advantage of every opportunity you are given. Apply yourself and study from the very first semester.

My advise to my high school self would be to take as many AP or college courses early on in high school. This gives you a leg up on other students when registering for classes and can give you the opportunity to graduate early, which can save thousands of dollars. Another tip would be to establish specific study habits for particular classes and learn what strategies work best for different subjects. This would save some time and make me more efficient in my studying habits in college. In the end though I believe I did a really nice job throughout high school in my preparation for college because I learned how to juggle such a busy schedule. This ability has already benefited me in college with class and extracaricular activities and obligations.

The advice I would give my pre-college, high school self would be to meet more people. Meet anyone and everyone you run into because you never know who could turn out to be a best friend, a good study partner, a future romantic partner, or simply a teammate on an intramural team. Also, try to meet men and women because it is a good thing to have friends of both genders and college is a great place to experience that. Along with meeting lots of people, make time for them. Obviously you are going to college to get an education so education should be your number one priority, but make time for your friends too because your education will get you a great job, but your friendships could get you a great and happy life. The people you meet in college are most likely to be the friends you keep for the majority of your life. So make time for them, whether that means grabbing lunch, taking a walk, watching a movie, or even studying together, show them that you care about and value their friendship. Meeting people is a great way to have fun and make connections.

Knowing about college life as a high school senior would be very beneficial. If I could give the senior in high school me some advice I would be better off today. I would let myself know that even though college is hyped up to be all fun, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. I would tell myself to be prepared to spend long nights in the library working on papers. I would tell myself that getting to bed at a decent hour and getting a sufficient amount of sleep is important. Scheduling office hours with professors is essential to doing well in a class. I would let myself know that being kind to people can go a long way. Smiling at people and getting to know them can come back with major benefits. There are a lot of opportunities that are available if you know the right person. There are many aspects of college that are great, but the most important is working hard and getting a degree that you will use for the rest of your life.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to make sure to study, keep your door open, and be open to new activities and meeting new friends. It's a big transition from a small town school, graduating with 28 students to a university. I would tell myself to just be myself and have a good time but make sure to keep my studies straight. School is important, as well as making new friendships. It makes for a fun, enjoyable, once in a life time experience.

Simply put away everything that does not benefit you educationally. You think those things matter, but in all reality you will thank yourself in a couple years when everything is easier for you and you have a 4.0 GPA

Although it may not seem important now, learning proper studying habits in high school is essential. In high school, you often find yourself studying the night before and acing your exam. Studying in high school often consists of simply skimming over notes. College is a different story. I remember my first college biology quiz. My heart dropped when my teacher handed me my paper back with a fat red sixty-two percent circled at the top. I quickly realized my high school study habits would no longer suffice in college. In college, it is necessary to study at least a few days in advance. Other methods such as flashcards, study groups, and outlining will be needed instead. With this being said, my advice to you is to start developing these skills now in high school. It takes time to develop the necessary studying habits that college requires. Avoid receiving that heart breaking F by improving your study skills sooner than later. Make flashcards, study with friends, and practice time management in high school, you will not regret it.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to my high school self, the main thing I would do is to assure myself not to panic. I am an undecided major and an extremely indecisive person. I always thought I needed to know what I am going to major in before I get to college and thought that up until the middle of this year. I felt uncomfortable being an undecided major because I believed I would get behind and be spending extra money while I waste time not knowing what I want to do as a career. After being in college for almost a year and hearing advice from many smart and trusting people, I know this is not the case and I feel much more confident with where I am. I would tell my high school self to not be worried about not having a major, to take time during my first year to do general education classes and also explore other courses that may interest me. In time you will find your calling and even if it takes you a little longer to do than others, it is okay and maybe even beneficial.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about what I know now in college and about myeslf, I would say to myself to just enjoy the small moments in college. A lot of times, people don't realize they were in the good times until it's over. I would not reveal anything to myself in the past, because that's like opening up Pandora's box.

As a high school senior, I worried too much about what the future had in store. I was constantly trying to figure out what to do with my life and what I wanted my major to be. I would tell myself to relax and just go into college ready to take in as many things as possible. I have learned about so many different majors that I didn't know about before, and college has given me a new perspective on life. I wish I would have known that in high school so I didn't stress myself out as much.

I would tell myself to stop worrying about all the dimensions I planned on fitting into my life: friends, sports, clubs, and academics. I spent so much time stressing about how I would fit everything I wanted into a college schedule instead of enjoying every moment of it. College is a time to discover myself and be independent without all the extra responsibilities I will have when I graduate. So, as a high school student, I wish I would have taken more time to enjoy my last year with my family and local friends rather than having anxiety for the years to come.

Learn different ways to study and actually study. School information won't come as easy as it is in High School. Make studying a habit. Also start making lists of "Things to do." It will make it easier to know what you have to do .

Hey Natalie, Just to let you know, college is approaching fast. So while you're still in high school I want you to try new things. I want you to go out of your comfort zone and go on run with friends at midnight, or take a class at the local art shop. Don't be afraid of what anyone thinks because it is your life. But keep working hard at your studies. Every point counts and it's the same in college. But if you put in the effort, the fun can begin. At the same time, make sure you make time for your family as well. As much as you want to get away from them, they are your biggest support team and love you to pieces. Learn to appreciate them. Don't be afraid to make new friends and say yes if people want to hang out. You'll soon learn to love college and the newfound freedoms that surround you.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell her to cherish high school and not try to rush graduation. Looking back now, high school was much easier and a lot less stressful. I would tell myself to join as many clubs as I could, go on as many adventures as possible, and live my high school life to the fullest because compared to college there were a lot less worries about school, money, time, etc. Also, I would tell her to work her hardest at sports because once they are gone you won't ever be able to get the memories and adventures back. Transitioning from high school to college was definitely an experience however, I wouldn't change it because I feel that having to do things on your own and struggle for a little while can be very rewarding in the end.

Give it time. The freshman year will be tough. It will have its ups and its downs. Find something that you're passionate about to get involved in to help find your place.

If I were to go back to high school, I would tell myself to take more time for myself. In high school, I worked 30-35 hours a week. I never had time to go to sport games or hang out with my friends outside of school because I was too worried about making enough money to go to college. I would tell myself, you are going to poor in college and well after you graduate college. I would tell myself to put work and school away for a while and focus on having fun, going out with friends and making great lasting memories. All I remember from high school was the drama, work and school work. I pushed myself hard, which was good, but as a result had no great lasting memories or crazy nights on the town.

study hard for everything. take great notes. if you ever feel depressed go get help. you are a smart guy do not let anyone tell you otherwise

I know you're scared to follow your dreams. You think that because you don’t want to work in the medical field or be a teacher, that you cannot make a difference in the world. And in the back of your mind you think that following your dreams is selfish and that you cannot possibly get job in the real world with a History major. This isn’t true. There is something to be said for those museum professionals who take the conventional museum practices and flip them on their head to reach new audiences that in the past have been overlooked. I know in the back of your mind you have a passion for fashion and textile history that you feel you can't possibly pursue because, what could you do with that in the real world? However, don’t overlook the fact that passion and sheer force of will can propel you to make the effort to turn your dreams into reality. This will take lots of work and you will have to live a modest lifestyle but I’m telling you, happiness and fulfilment in your career will give you a purpose that nothing else could.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, just a year ago, there is alot that I would say. College is exciting, new, and interesting. But it's also hard emotionally and academically. As a high school senior all you hear about is all the good times you are going to have. Everyone makes it seem like it will be easy. It wasn't until my orientation weekend that people were finally straight with me, but of course having two sophmores lecture you for two hours about how they almost failed their classes is kind of scary. The biggest thing I would want to tell myself is that things are going to be different. And it's not the amazing good different you expect. But it's not bad either. It's just different. You have so much freedom and independence which is liberating, but you also are far away from home and it can get very lonely. Work as hard as you can on your academics because ultimately that is what you are in college for.

Don't jump right into college, take some time off. It is okay to not be in the same graduating year as your highschool classmates. Use that year or semester to travel, or do something you have always wanted to. For example, that road trip around the globe. Take the time to do serious research about the college you want, more specifically one which has a varity of majors you are interested in because otherwise you will end up transfering a zillion times and racking up alot lot of debt in search of your dream(s). Go with your gut, don't question your heart. This goes for both academics and social life. When you do get to college, make yourself a solid schedule and stick to it. I know, it will be annoying because you are a free spirit but trust me when I say it will up your GPA while having an equally great social life. Most of all: have fun. Explode out of that shy shell. Take risks. Of course, avoid underage drinking, but 'take risks' means not letting your epilepsy take control of your life, and who you are. It does not define you. Live, Shine.

The honest advice that I would give my high school senior self is that I should of took studying more seriously. My study habits are horrible and I wish I would of changed them in high school, because after having them for so long it is going to be hard to change and my grades have already found that out. I barely ended with a 3.0 gpa with my first semester in college.

If I could talk to my former self in high school I would tell me to truly appreciate all of the sports I was playing in high school. In college I wasn't as athletically able or competent to play varsity sports.Some of my best memories in high school came from sports and most of the friendships that I made came as a derivative of sports. Also, I would tell myself to apply to the Eagle Apprenticeship for Research at UWL. With this oppurtunity, incoming freshmen are able to start their career in the laboratory and gain well endowed connections to the scientific staff at UWL. If I would have known this I would be a step ahead with my research progress.

I would like to tell my high school senior self to not sweat the small stuff; there is no sense in worrying about all of the little details that most of the time you do not have control of. I would tell myself to not be afraid of going out to talk to new people or worry about what they might think of me. Go get involved in extracurricular activities to meet new people that have the same interests as you do. Attend more sporting events and on-campus activities. I would tell myself to get to know my roommate sooner and make more of an effort to talk to her. I would tell myself to take more pictures of everyday life living in the dorms and hanging out with the new friends I made in my hall. I wish I would have known that although the transition is hard; leaving your family to go to school three hours away is difficult at times but the friends you make and the experiences you are going to have will be so much fun and an exciting new chapter of your life is going to sweep you off your feet.

After attending 2.5 years of college there are many things I would tell my highschool self. I believe that I have matured greatly since my time as a high school senior. If I could talk to myself as a highschool senior, the most important thing I would tell myself is to take advantage of AP classes. In highschool I did not realize how beneficial AP classes would be to me in college. Advanced Placement exams allow students to earn credit for college classes. As a senior I only took one AP class, which was Spanish. I recieved credit for SPA 303, which allowed me to get retrocredits for all the previous Spanish classses my college offered (20 credits!) I would tell myself to take AP classes in other subjects as well. Also, I learned that AP classes are more similar to college courses than regular highschool classes. The amount of course work my first semester was definitely a shock. I would tell myself to take more AP courses in order to make a smoother transition into my first semester of college.

Several times throughout the past two and a half years of my college career I wished I had a time machine to give advice to my high school self. Everyone makes mistakes, but in order to graduate and get accepted into graduate school, the mistakes must be kept to a minimum. First, get involved, join clubs and volunteer. You will meet people that have the same interests as you. Plus, these activities will look amazing on your resume. Most importantly, you will discover your passions. For example, I decided to declare an emphasis in Pre-Occupational Therapy studies after volunteering in various settings with people with disabilities. Second, smile everywhere that you go on campus. You never know if that person you pass in the hall or sit next to in class will end up being your best friend or even your future husband. Third, do not merely tolerate something that annoys you; tell your roommate immediately so the conflict can be solved.

Given the opportunity to talk to the high school version of myself, I could write a novel filled with advice. Forced to pick a place to start I would say, “Breathe. I know that everything feels like it’s changing so quickly and you have to grow up so quickly, but I promise you it will be okay. Turning 18 doesn’t mean you can’t call your mom to help you make a doctor’s appointment or tell you how to get the stain out of your favorite shirt. For right now, make sure you take high school seriously, it really will matter when you want to move on in schooling. I know it seems like a small stepping stone that will get you where you want to go, but you will miss it. Start learning how to study, because when you get a C on your first college exam, you’ll wish you knew the right way to study. Take a lot of pictures, because you’re going to want to tape them to your dorm wall. Most importantly, stop trying to grow up so fast, you’ll get there, and it will be great. Just breathe.”

Focus on your studies, as how you do now will heavily affect your experience in College. Focus on your grades, and spend more time working and saving for how expensive college is. Live life freely, but work hard at it. Spend one day at a time focusing on the present, as the future can be improved or worsened by the actions of today. Life is easier in College, but requires more time and determination to do well in classes. The best advice i can give you is to always do your Laundry on time.

Dear Senior Year Me, You’re about to start an entirely unique chapter of your life. I know you’re more nervous than you’ve ever been; try not to worry. Everyone will be going through the same transition You may think “Senior Slide” sounds pretty enticing right now; but instead, do what none of your senior peers are doing. Study hard. Ace every last test. Work hard so you can pass all three of your advanced placement class exams. Finish your senior year with flying colors and prove to yourself that you are capable of finishing strong. Give one hundred percent effort so that you are completely ready to take on that next step: college. But hey, don’t forget about the experiences that make high school special either. Attend every sporting event. Make as many memories with your high school friends as possible. Trust me, these are the moments you will miss the most! Lastly, don’t make plans to room with your best friend in college. Branch out, find a random roommate, and make the best of it, but keep your old friends close. Keep your goals in mind always! Sincerely, College Me

If I was given the opportunity to revisit myself as a senior in high school I would remind myself to slow down and enjoy life. It passes by so incredibly fast. Opportunities come and go, just make sure that the decisions I am making will make me happy in the long run. Follow my heart over my head. Doing the right thing will get me farther in life. Use time efficiently as there are not enough hours in the day. Keep your head up high and stick through the hard parts. College is designed to find the weak links, and that is not me. Financially you might be broken, but just remember that you have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, a family that is proud of you and education. Don't take anything for granted as it can change in the blink of an eye. Enjoy it!

You only have to be with this roommate for one year, keep your cool even though she really drives you bananas. Even though you don't want to, get a job on campus as soon as you can, you'll have enough time for classes and to work as well. Be open with people and don't bottle up your feelings all the time otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy. Just look at this step as the next step closer to having your dream job, you're getting that much closer everyday. Make sure to keep in touch with some high school friends, at least make an effort or they may disappear from your life but at least you can say you tried.

I would share with my future self that although college is wonderful and exciting, it is basically your job for now. And you shouldn't show up for work late or not at all, so you definitely need to go to class. Another thing to prepare my future self for is dorm life. It is convinient living on campus, but there really is no separtaion between school and home. Your home is where school is. It was strange for me to grasp that concept at first. Also, your roommates will hopefully become your great friends, so try to pick them before becuase if you don't, you might not get someone you get along with. Lastly, develop study habits early, I sucked at studying, in fact I never had to. The pace that you learn in college does not campare whatsoever to the pace you learn at college. Review everything all semester long for finals too. And don't forget to have fun and meet some of the best people. It is a great experiece; just don't waste it making stupid decisions, and you will remember it for the rest of your life.

Call your mother. As simple as this advice sounds, I really wish I had known how important it is to ask for support from your family during the difficult transition to college life. During the first few weekends of school when I could only hang out with people I barely knew or sit alone in my room, I missed always having siblings around. When I had to pay tuition for the first time, I wished I had payed more attention to my dad's money lectures. Overall, I wished I had cherished my time with my family more while I still had them as a part of my daily life. I am the person I have become thanks to my loving parents and seven hilarious siblings. It just took me leaving for school to actually appreciate everything they have done for me, and realize how much I missed them. No one will judge you for calling your mother. In fact, it might encourage another student to reconnect with their family. Enjoy the exciting new college life, but always remember the people who got you to this point. Whenever you're feeling a little down or lonely, call your mother.

I would tell my senior self a few different pieces of advise if I could go back and talk to her. The most important piece of advise I would give her is to take a step back and realize that life will get better. I think my senior self was going through a lot of events she felt were out of her control, but now as I look back I see she made it though with a fight heart. I would tell her to be brave and take the world head on, because the world is hers for the taking.

No matter how well or how horrible you do in high school, college is a completely different experience that can totally throw you out of proportion. Imagine being a new kid and going to a completely new school. The difference with college is that you are not alone. Look around at the rest of your high school classmates, and understand that everyone is in the same boat that you are. They all are nervous about going to a new place, too. To prepare for college, no matter how little you speak or how much you shout out random blurbs in class, learn how to create connections with all the people around you. In the future, interacting with a professor who has a list of achievements and research may seem nervewracking, but they are human and are just like you. Loosen up, ask questions both in and outside of class, and create a good impression on high school teachers to prepare for a college professor. A letter of recommendation is going to be needed to get into college, and a letter of recommendation will also be needed to get out of college. Then, you will be closer to your dream job.

Rip up the negative thoughts. Ask for help. Use your resources. Dear Duabchi, do not be afraid of change. It can be overwhelming and dreadful. I realize now that many changes will step in your way, such as worrying about financial issues. Look at these changes as a way to assess your dreams. Are you passionate enough? Do you want to see Mom working for the rest of her life? Do you want to help others, expecially the people you love and care about? With college comes barriers. Learn to expect them. Either it be the shared showers or healing homesickness, you will, in the end, get used to change. Evolve your mind now, in order to know exactly who you are and why you are going to college. Trust me. I am you.

Hi past self. I know you are pretty nervous about moving away from home and meeting new people. You are worried that you will not make the grades you dreamed of or make it into the school you want. You think that the emphasis that your dad puts on how much money you need to earn someday will make him love you less if you do not reach it. Just know that everything works itself out. You will cram the day before tests and do poorly on them. You will give yourself away to someone you just met and find yourself feeling so alone in the world. You will be ok. Some professors will love you and some will tell you you're worthless because you are young. You will get through it. You will get some A's and you will get some C's. Don't stress about it. Do your very best and in the end, what was meant to happen for you will happen. Nothing is written in stone, so give yourself some room to breathe and grow. I love you and what you stand for, I know you can do it. I'm living proof.

I would suggest exploring things more. Push yourself to go outside your comfort zone while you still have the bubble of high school around you. Once you're here, you're here. Mom and Dad are only a phone call away, but it's still a lot different and you have to learn how to make decisions on your own.

The final nine-month period of high school can be the most rewarding, or the most stressful time in a student's life. There are expectations to meet, scholarships to write, and most importantly, a college to choose. Looking back now, there are so many things that I wish I would have done differently. How would things have ended up if I could go back in time? My life could distinctly change, or perhaps it wouldn’t be affected at all. That, I will never know the answer to. If I could have a conversation with my past self, I would mention the concept I think is most crucial in receiving an education, as well as in everyday life. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I used to never worry about due dates, and I always told myself that I could finish at a later time. Having this mindset got me into trouble more often than not. I would often forget that assignments were due, and then would spend the night before cramming it in so that I could at least receive a decent grade. With a college workload, having a habit such as procrastination will bring you down, both physically and academically.

There are many things I would advise myself to do. Academicly I would advise myself to start studying before the year started on the major I wanted so I could be a little bit more prepared for my classes and they would go much more smoothly.. I would also advice to set up a planner as well as try to find as many scholarships as possible to reduce the price of tuition. As for living in college, I would advise myself to learn to use less things and live in a smaller space. This is key when it comes to college because of the limited spacing and the needing to move out of the dorm so often. Another very important piece of advise is the tips to living with a roommate. Always try your best to choose a good roommate and get to know them before the year starts. All of this is very important for starting college but the most important piece of advise I could give myself is to relax and meet new people as soon as school starts.

Dear Future Austin, I know you did not enjoy your campus visit to University of Wisconsin-Madison but if you do well enough to get in, it is the only school to consider attending along with University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Both of them are great institutions, communities, and have a great social life. Doesn’t matter which university you choose, I have two pieces of advice for you: 1. live by the motto work hard and play hard 2. get involved on campus. Remember you are there for the education first. Take care of your studies and find out what it takes to be successful in college. That being said to survive college you need to have fun. To balance out the stressfulness of school make sure you let loose. Get involved on campus. By getting involved you will meet people who will become lifelong friends, great mentors and learn lifelong professional skills. For me I chose to work at the campus recreation facility which was probably the best decision of my time at La Crosse. Follow this advice and you will have a fun and successful time where ever you choose to go. On Wisconsin, Austin

The most obvious piece of advice I would give myself would be to get more involved at the beginning. When I started college I gradually got involved, trying to take time to see what interested me. However, because of this I was not able to gain any leadership positions during my first semester. Making the transition into college leadership roles would have gone smoother if I had just picked a couple campus organizations and jumped right in, because as a college freshman it's okay to not know what you're interested in, and quickly trying something new would be a great experience and a better way to transition into college.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior, there would be a lot to say. One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give is learn how to manage your time because in college you have a lot more free time, but you also have more homework and studying to do. Also, I would tell myself to read the textbook... don't just skim it. In high school you can get away with just looking for the answers but in college professors test on things in the book that haven't been covered in class, so reading the book will be the only way to get that information. Lastly, I would tell myself to create good study habits. Whether it be making notecards or creating outlines, but if you start them early they will stick with you and studying will become easier in college.

I would tell myself two things: first of all, live on campus your sophomore year as well. Living off campus limits the friendships you make and also makes it more difficult to use campus resources. Secondly, do not choose your friends based on what they do on the weekends. My strongest friendships were bound by staying in on the weekends and actually getting to know each other rather than by going to parties every weekend. The latter choice only led me to losing those friendships when I decided not to go out anymore, and I ended up wasting my time on superficial friendships, rather than building others even stronger.

The mistake I made was that I took many AP courses which could have transferred to the university but did not think of it at the time. That would have saved me a lot of money and allow me to choose my courses for the next term easier to obtain instead of trying to get overrides into it. When does not fully understand the importance of this until it happens to them and one of my biggest regrets in life because it put me back trying to reach my profession in the health field. One other thing was to tell myself to work more. Everyone told me that college is expensive but I never knew how bad it was. Money is one of the biggest obstacles because I was a first generation college student so this was all a new/stressful expierence trying to see if I could even afford going to a post secondary school. In the end I would beg myself to be proactive about paying for courses and working as much as possible to be financially stable.

I would give myself the advice to be myself and be more social as a college freshman. I was so concerned with the stereotypical "change" that people make when they go to college that I didn't realize what was important to me and thought that I had to become a completely different person. I would give myself the advice to stick to my beliefs, values and true personality through college. It is so important for any person, let alone college kids, to stick to their true personalities and to surround themselves with people who will accept them for who they are.

If I could go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself that...it's okay. It's okay to be different. It's okay to be unique. Do not change who you are or what you believe in just to fit in. You WILL find friends who appreciate the REAL you. Be open, and be honest. Live your life to the fullest and love others in every way possible. Go the extra mile. Lend a willing hand. Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too. If I could go back and give myself some advice, this is what I would say. I'd encourage myself to get more involved and take chances. College only happens once (or we at least hope it only happens once), and it is one of the BEST times of your life. Experience everything you can while you are at this stage in life. Get out there and make yourself known. Be who you are. Be who you want to be. That is the advice I would give my high school senior self.