Brigham Young University-Hawaii Top Questions

Just to live a little. Try out that dance club you were afraid to try. Eat in the cafeteria more and make more friends there. Do more math homework instead of relying on Mr. Leiataua's mercy. Don't take Debate class, take Creative Writing. Eat outside in the grass, because you can. Take naps when you get home from school. Don't work as much. Cut your hours. Go to the dumb football games with your friends. Kiss that boy you're second guessing, because, who cares?? You're only a senior in high school ONCE. Take advantage of it.

I know that you are in your last year of highschool. Being a senior is all that you've dreamed it would be, but knowing what I know now about your future life in college, I have a little advice. When your teacher tells you that you get extra credit for finishing a project early, DO IT!! This seemingly small burden that it feels like right now will just continue to grow until you've waited until the night before the due date of the project. And let me tell you, college does not offer these simple pleasures. There is no "extra credit for doing your work," but rather a big fat grade to add into your GPA. That brings me to my next point, your GPA matters. Think for two seconds of a college that you wish to attend. Now think of your GPA. Those two factors play a big part in determining which college you want to attend. The things you do now truly do prepare you for college. Take a bigger work load, challenge yourself, and take advantage of the small opportunities you have as a senior in highschool to train you for college.

Dear Rachel, First of all, dont give up. You know that education is important but you will find that it is also fun and exciting. Stop worrying about what you will do for the rest of your life and focous on the kind of person you want to be, that will determine your happiness more than anything else. The truth is you really dont have to figure out what you want to do, you have the ability to do many things, as you learn and grow you will find something that is right for you. There is a lot that life has to offer you, dont give up on it, although there will be really hard times, ther will be really good times as well. Be kind to people, you never know what kind of struggle they are in. Be a friend to every one but Make friends with the kind of people you want to be because you will become like your friends. work and study hard in your classes, but dont forget to enjoy the presence of the people around you. Be strong and have faith it will all work out :) Love, Rachel

Transitioning to college life is a challenging endeavor that requires careful preperation. If you have not yet learned to love learning, sincerely consider these observations, which I hope, will motivate you to invest your time, money, and whole-hearted effort into obtaining an education. Ponder these questions: Do the professionals you know have college backgrounds? In what ways have you seen the community where you reside give back? Do you hope to be able to provide for yourself and your family in the future? Education is the key that enables professionals to perform their jobs beyond their own aptitude, for communities to come together in causes often requiring financial backing, and for parents to providently provide for their families. College is the training grounds for obtaining the needed education to become agents capable of acting with competency. People with education run society and college is meant to prepare you to take your place in it. Carefully investigate the college that will empower you to be your best self. Becoming your best self is worth the investment of your time, money, and whole heart.

Hello, Self! Your future self is telling you right now to have more confidence in yourself. RIGHT NOW. Speak up, get involved, stay focused and, most importantly, have fun and make memories. Your hard work now will lay an invaluable foundation for your college career - pay attention to the STEM classes! Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are a great way to understand the world around you so study up. Apply to your favorite colleges - don't pay attention to the cost right now. Finances will work themselves out. Be sure to pick a college where you'll love the location. Find balance between school. work, friends and personal time. Take your time on deciding your major, do not stress out, do not declare too early. Take your general classes and find your passion and your strengths. Most importantly, appreciate your time amongst students seeking a higher education, rely on them, teach them, love them. You'll never again have this opportunity to be in college, at this time, so take every advantage!

As a teenager in high school I was oblivious to the obstacles and struggles my parents endured for me. Only recently I learned my parent's history. My father was a poor farm boy from the Philippines. His father was a poor farmer as was his grandfather. The poverty in the Philippines was such that you could never escape the cycle of being poor. If your parents are poor, there is a high chance that you will be poor. However, my father knew the secret to success. Education was the answer. My father worked dilligently and graduated high school with honors. In college he worked even harder and, again, graduated with honors. Through the opportunities made available to him, he was able to bring our family to America. Although we are not rich, we are comfortable. I would tell my high school self to, first, be grateful for what I have and to be grateful to my parents. Secondly, I would tell myself that education is the key to success. Education opens doors. If I want success, it's not going to be handed to me, I have to stand up and take it. Lastly, family comes first, always.

Even though you lost everything in the fire, don't spend money on things that you do not absolutely need. Remember that your grades are important; even when you don't understand anything, there's always someone willing to help you out. Not only can you make it to Hawaii, but you can achieve every dream you've ever had because everyone will tell you that you can't.

Kainalu Barino, everything you will decide for yourself is right. You were right in going to the University of Hawaii at Manoa before transferring to Brigham Young University- Hawaii. Your experiences at University of Hawaii will help you gain a deeper appreciation for life and religion. The University of Hawaii is a great school, very good academically but remember, that needs to be paired with what you will come to learn after attending Brigham Young University; it needs to be paired with the righteous goals in life. Brigham Young University will help you understand the need to learn how to serve. You didn't know this before but BYU-H's motto is, "Enter to learn, go forth to serve". You will play around and squander your parents' money while attending UH-Manoa, but that will prove beneficial in hindsight. When you feel guilty, and when you had your fun, you will decide to serve a full-time Mormon mission and will preach the gospel in Japan. From that experience, you will learn what it really means to love yourself and those around you. You learn lessons that will make you great, and you will love education more afterwards.

The biggest piece of advice I could give myself, would be to make absolutely sure that you become a professional at writing papers before you come to college. I wrote more papers in my first semester of college than I did in all my high-school years combined. Being able to write an intelligent and orderly paper will be the difference in making, or breaking your college GPA. Not only should you learn to write well, but always go the extra step with all of your homework, because in college that extra step will not only be expected of you, but sometimes required.

I would tell my younger self to get out of my comfort zone. Breaking out of my comfort zone helped me not only enjoy my college experince a whole lot more but I also felt more productive with using my time to study. Meeting new people helped me looking forward to each day positively. I would also tell my younger self to prioritze your time. Its always good to have fun, but make sure you always take care of your studies and school work first that way you don't have to stay up late nights working on essays and projects. Lastly I would tell my younger self to be involved with campus activities such as events and service projects. Participating in these activities will help you find out what it is that you want to do for a career. Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way at college, never pass up something that you will regret later.

If I could go back in time and talk to myselfas a high school senior I think I would have two items of advice that I would give now that I have been in college. I would tell myself to work hard in the summer to make and save money so that I can pay my way through school because taking out loans is not a very good option and locks us down financially for a long period of time. So work hard and save money to be able to pay your way through school would be my first advice, and I think my second advice would be to really focus and school and make it a priority. The harder you study and the more important your studies are to you, the more success you will have and the more fulfilling studying at college will be.

Definitely expect the unexpected. The many "college-life," stories your friends and family tell you was nothing like your college life so far. Your expectation was to have a lot of fun in college and avoid the library as much as possible, but over your past semesters you realized how important your performance and excelleration were at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. You should have started college with an open mind because the experiences you expected to gain either didn't happen or happened and ended up regretting those decisions. Open mindedness was vital to have when you first attended a private university and is now in your current position as a full-time student. With that open mindedness you could have met your life long friends quicker and learned the business mind faster. Now, that you are open minded, be sure to fully grasp the concept of it in your future schooling, interviews, and ultimately workforce. Make the transition to college your learning experience and communicate yourself as much as you can to others to show them the unexpected.

You are about to embark on a wonderful journey to further your education, and as you do so your life will change in multiple ways. My advice to you would be to stay calm and enjoy the journey. You will figure everything out sooner or later. Enjoy the process of changing and becoming the person you want to become. You have left home and no one is responsible for you but you. You are going to have to work hard and that will help you grow. Don’t be so caught up in picking the major everyone else wants you to pick, find what you are passionate about. Become engaged in learning and not just cramming to pass a test. College is a privilege, denied to many don’t take for granted the opportunity you have to learn. Remember that college isn’t just about hitting the library. Get out and meet people, because they will be just as much a part of your experience as anything. Join clubs and get involved, this could lead you to many opportunities you won’t find in the classroom. Lastly, Don’t ever stop believing that you can change the world.

Although it wasn't too long ago, looking back on my transition from high school to college feels like looking at a different world. I was so focused on things that I can say now mattered so little, and I thought little of what mattered most. If I could tell my transitional self anything, it would be to slow down and think of people instead of things. Think about who you're going to meet, not what clothes you'll meet them in. Think about how much money you're spending, not the new shiny things you'll have. Think about the advice your parents, people who have done this before, can give you, not the independence you've longed for. There are so many things you're going to learn, so many friends and teachers to meet, and none of it relies on the newest generation of Mac laptops or infinity scarves or fishtail braids. What really ends up meaning the most is the kind of person you've become over the last 18 years, and how that person makes their world a better place. Don't worry about what is to come, but who you are to be.

I would say to myself, "Hold on!" It wasn't the easiest road to get to where I am at but it was definitly worth it. Be grateful for the challenges that come because many good things and doors have opened because of it. Stay positive and be yourself. Find the good in other and always be ready to help others. It will come back to you.

I should be more involve in the different activities of the school; example; clubs, sports, etc. also study hard since the beginning of the year; try to do the extra mile; and make more friends.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would have told my self many things. First I would tell him that I am a lot smarter than I believed and was capable of doing much more. I would explain that I was not going to spend my life in Arizona so shouldn't worry so much about the drama with my friends and family. I would have told him to focus on his interests rather than entertainment. I also would have demonstrated the joy of learning and that it is ok to fail. I would explain that the better I am now the better I will be later so don't worry about not being the best right now just simply keep striving to improve. I would tell him to ignore the negativity he would encounter and learn to forgive and love people around him. If I could have just done that I feel my life would have been very different. I would have helped more people and learned more things. Although reflecting upon what I could have done is nice I must recognize that I can apply those lessons now.

The world is a big place. You belong in it! The world needs you to make a difference in it! Believe in yourself. You do not have to have strait A's. Work hard! Be true to yourself. Chose a major where you can use your talents to improve the lives of those around you. Try different classes to see what you might be good at. When you chose your major be true to it, and work hard. You are diligent and will work hard on everything you do, however learn to have fun, and to take a break every now and again. Learn to laugh at yourself. Live the Spirit of Aloha. Breath. It will all work out in the end.

Alright, I have two things to share: First, whatever you do, save all the money you can! :) College is full of adventures but in order to perform well and stay out of debt as much as possible, you want to be able to set aside some money for fun as well as school. Which brings up my another point- In order to get the most out of college you have to be able to know how to balance having fun and staying focused on school work. You will perform the best with both of these in your schedule so don't stay indoors studying all the time! ;) College is an adventure so treat it like one! It's not meant to be scary or nerve-racking, all you're doing is becoming an adult and learning how to act like one. So "have fun, take chances, make mistakes and get messy!" as Ms. Frizzle would always say. Go have a blast and be wise with your spending!

Its all about the j-curve, just like in the business world having an accurate understanding of what investments in time/money will pay the biggest dividends is true when it comes to college. Going into college I started without a strategy and attended classes because that is what was expected of me. I spent so much wasted effort on areas of my college experience that provided little academic, social, or future economic benefit. Education should be all about your learning; I have now found that key to my experience has been identifying a strategy and focussing my efforts on experiences and opportunities that will really be impactful. This doesn't always mean the courses on the traditional map or even courses at all, it has meant for me starting businesses, finding mentors in the offices of my professors, and building lifelong friendships with individuals who inspire me and are having a positive impact on the world. My advice is develop a strategy and don't attend college or classes just because you are expected to, it is never too early to plan where you want to end up develop the skills and experience needed to get there.