Berklee College of Music Top Questions

WAKE UP!!! You are a living being with thoughts and self! You're RICH with time and the more you push it aside and take it for granted, the sooner it'll betray you. Don't question so much and don't be afraid to speak to every single person around you. We as a species are all friends and family. Realize the truth of how people think of you. Don't let the negatives weigh down on you and don't relax on the positives. The more you try, the more the universe decides to test you. Push through, keep being authentic and you'll reap what you sow. Practice meditation! Continue reading, pratcing your instrument, and stay away from technology as best as you can. You are an honest person and loved by many. Take a moment to understand that, breathe, and continue. This path toward education will always be rewarding, but continue keeping your mind alert and pay attention to what knowledge is valuable (while keeping an open mind). You are here to grow, not to sit on your ass. Your life starts when you want it to, so wake up and take a step.

Don't be afraid to chose what you really want to be in life. If you wanna do music you can do it in the best place in the world to do it.

Thinking back to the long stressful months of endless college applications I can't believe everything that happened. I wrote and rewrote my college essay multiple times, spent hours looking at walls while attempting to write the most important work of my life. My advice is to remember that senior year is a time to enjoy the last year at home with your family and friends around you. Time seems to fly as we get closer and closer to the next big adventure in our lives and we lose track of the things that matter most. Make sure to get your homework done and hang with your friends the moments that you can. Be thankful for all of the people that have helped you along the way, and make sure you don't take anything for granted. The transition to college is tough, but if you have continued to remain close to those who have helped you along the way they will be there to support you and give you the strength to do your best and enjoy your college experience.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know about college now, I would tell myself to slow down. You do not need to choose your college major right away. Your first two years are mostly spent on general education classes. I would tell myself to use my first two years of college to explore my academic interests even further. No matter how much you plan, the future has the ability to take you by surprise, let it. Things happen because they are meant to. Don't get yourself stuck in a career you don't want. Take a breath, step back and look at the big picture. Enjoy the time you have to focus on yourself. College is about finding out who you are and who you want to be! Take advantage of that opportunity.

If I could go back in time and say the things that I've learned about college now, I would tell myself to be prepared. Work harder. Read more. Procrastinate less. The human population grows every year and there is someone out there ready to take that scholarship that you could have gotten if you would have just known about it. Be willing to spend hours on a computer just looking up the silliest scholarships. Any amount helps. Do this now to not have to deal with agony later. Think more about your future. Think of all the pain and sacrifice you can be saving your parents and yourself. As much as your parents can help you, don't let them. Our family is rich in love but not rich in money. And it's not fair to them to have to continue to support you even when you're already 20 years old. You should be supporting them. I would simply just listen to my mom and study harder, take extra curriculear activites and invest more time planning out my future.

Since I decided to wait so long before attending school, I would have made sure I was more prepared before attending school. This is not to say that I didn't prepare myself at all. I spent several hours each day preparing for my audition. I should have spent more time learning how to read music and more about theory. This would have helped me test out of some the entry level classes at Berklee. I did however gain a lot of real life experience by taking time off from school. This is one advantage I had over many younger students. The main point I would want to go back and tell myself is you can never be too prepared to go to this school.

My senior year was a great time for me. I left with a lot of great memories of my school, friends, and teachers that I am now leaving behind to attend Berklee. But while in high school, I made better grades than ever before, joined a lot of clubs and participated in many extracurricular activities. I was accepted into my dream college and will be attending with little to no problems. Overall, I do not have any advice for myself as a senior because in my eyes, I did everything just fine.

There are certainly a lot of things I would like to say to my high school self about the transition to college, but there is one important concept that comes to mind. I went to a high school in a relatively small town, and grew up consantly playing music and showing off my talents. By the time I was a senior, I was receiving so much praise that I stood out as a naturally gifted musician. However, as soon as I entered Berklee, I got a wake-up call, because I was breaking out of my little bubble and entering the real world. Everyone here was so uniquely gifted that I felt like the smallest fish in the biggest ocean on Earth. This was extremely overwhelming because I began to feel like I didn't belong, but now, having completed two years, I have realized that no one really stands out at Berklee. They blend together, learn from each other, and respect their individual talents as they do their own. Therefore, the advice I would give myself would be to simply find my place, go with the flow, work hard, and trust that I will eventually earn my own success.

There are two main things that I would tell myself in high school. The first thing I would tell him would be to work harder at finding money to pay for college. I would explain to myself that it is important to apply for scholarships year round, so I could have a better chance of having more money to pay for college. I also would have told him to be aware of the FASFA deadline because there is a penalty. The second thing I would tell myself is that I would have to work hard to succeed in college. I would tell myself that everthing the teachers were saying about college was true. They said that you had to have a good work ethic to do well in college. I would tell myself that some days that you spend in college would be completely spent doing homework. I would also tell him that he would have little breaks in college, but it would be worth it in the end.

I'd definetly advised myself to work and practice even harder so I can stand out when I get in the U.S

Get used to top ramen. No serisouly though, staying involved in all the activites you can find is the best way to fully take advantage of the new people and ideas you are getting presented to you. The best part about college is not the piece of paper you end up with, it's all the lessons and trials you've learned from in your academic endeavors. People you meet in college will change how you look at your own life and how you approach what you want to accomplish. Networking is key. Meeting the right people that will motiviate you to try harder and work harder is one of most advantageous things about college. So study hard, meet as many people as you can, have as many conversations as you can, and just enjoy life at your young age!

It is a tough process and at times feels like an impossible task; getting into college. Just stay positive, be persistent and you'll find yourself where you need to be.

The actions and decisions one preforms and makes define the person they will become. During my teenage years, especially my later years in high school, the actions I took and decisions I made were detrimental to any chance of success. Indeed, I was a outcast, a screw up, an uneducated, drug-addicted teenager that should have been used as an example of what can happen to a young individual when he or she falls into the abyss of the drug culture. Though my actions took me to the depths of hell, almost killing me many times, I would not tell myself to change. If every action one makes plays a part in the person her or she will become, my actions had to be as they were so I could proliferate into whom I am today. Though I do not wish to have my high school self change, I would tell myself that everything is going to be okay; tell myself that I will escape the shortcomings I have set for myself and grow into an individual that has a purpose and passion in the academic world. I would tell myself that there will be a first year in college.

Dear Chelsea,When you get to Berklee, know that you’ve got your head on pretty much straight, and you’re going to be just fine. But one big thing you won’t do that you absolutely should is talk with Michelle, Emily, Kaley and Kayla, your best friends from high school, a whole lot more often. You’re going to have a completely different college experience that they won’t understand, so you need to send them a text every now and then, and Skype more. (Mom will tell you all of this, of course.) It will save you and the girls a lot of head and heartache later on if you just send a message every now and then.You’re going to meet a lot of exciting people. Learn from them! Ask lots of questions. Embrace this new life and remember that you were accepted for a reason, and you are worthy, no matter how good the other pianists sound in the practice rooms. Oh, and you don’t have to call Mom and Dad every night. They’re just fine. Love,Me

I would start by encouraging myself, letting myself know that I've done well so far, especially considering what I've been through. I would tell myself that I need to spend more hours songwriting and practicing. This way, I could feel more prepared for life as a music student. I would tell myself to start taking networking more seriously, to talk to everyone I meet because they could all potentially help you in some way. I would also let myself know that I need to better prepare myself financially, that paying for college on my own is a lot harder than I realized. Lastly, I would encourage myself to get out there more and have as much fun as possible.

A true life experience, and that is all i wanted, because that is what life is: Experience.

The music industry as an everyday field is incredibly enigmatic from the outside. I commend Berklee for being literally the only school, excepting perhaps Full Sail or something of the sort, for attempting to summarize a practical training in the modern music industry as an undergraduate college education. It's called Berserklee sometimes, and the Berklee College of Getting Projects Done Just To Get Them Done at others, because everyone who attends the school is constantly juggling an insane amount of insanely diverse assignments... all the time. While this may disgruntle and put off many, it's a very apt model for training someone to be adaptable, which is absolutely essential for a career in the modern, constantly evolving music industry, where job titles frequently dissolve, consolidate and re-consolidate, because they are centered more around describing the specific skillset of the people working than the positions needed within the company. Berklee is incredibly holistic in the agenda of their curriculum. They designed the school to be an all-bases-covered and self-sufficient education to the best of their ability. While this discourages specialization, it encourages adaptability and, most importantly, employability. They churn out diverse, capable employees, not doctorates.

My college experience so far has been everything that I had hoped it would be. From the first day, especially at Berklee, I have been continuously maturing and growing as a musican and as a person. I became aware of the steps I need to take to provide myself a career in music. I go to class with a positive attitude knowing that everything I am being taught and challenged to accomplish, will be worth the outcome. I have gained valuable lessons on my instrument and personal strives as a member of this musical community. This school has driven me, and will continue to push me to play, practice, and master ideals I have set out to be successful in, within a musical career. I am very lucky to be given the opportunity to pursue my dreams, which is why I think an effort to gain financial help is a great way to keep me enrolled and pursuing a career in music, also in attaining a satisfactory position with my life.

Dreams are made reality through hard work and dedication. By attending the Salt Lake Community College I am taking the first steps towards my goal of becoming a professional writer. I have found that words are a powerful tool and combined with a little creativity can create worlds only found in the recesses of our imagination. Through my writing I am finding my voice, fulfilling a deep desire to share my thoughts and challenging the limitations I have unconsciously imposed upon myself. While a student at the community college I have been given the opportunity to learn and develop my skills so that I may be better prepared to reach this goal. Attending college has been a very valueable experience. I have been able to further my personal growth and development and this has prepared me for my future endeavors and has given me balance as a person. In addition, it has helped me to hold on to my dreams and to feel a sense of achievement as I become ccloser to my goal. This alone is the most valuable experience I have gained from my time at the Salt Lake Community College. Without dreams where would we be?

With such a school as berklee it has taught me alot. I learned alot about being independent,responsible ,considerate,focused,and keeping my head up high. Berklee is a school that allows you to have a alot of freedom,and being a responsible young adult i learned i had to put my studies before all the fun. Also going to bed at adesecent time,so that you could get up for your 9 am class. This school has done some amazing things for me personally. I am a singer and when i use to sing before i attended berklee i didnt have confidence in myself,and berklee bought out the best in me,I am more mature than i have ever been and it feels good to know that i can be away from my family and be independent and handle the pressure as an adult and get much respect.Berklee is an amazing school for anyone who is willing to work hard and get things done and accomplish many goals at such a young age. I would love to finish at berklee feeling proud, and accomplished.