California State University-Long Beach Top Questions

IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO MYSELF AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, I WOULD PUSH MYSELF TO LOOK FOR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS IN DIFFERENT AREAS. I WOULD ADVICE MYSELF TO BECOME INVOLVED IN MORE ACTIVITIES WITH MY SCHOOL AND MY COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO THIS, I WOULD ENSURE THAT CLOSE CONNECTIONS, INCLUDING A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS WERE MADE. ANOTHER PIECE OF IMPORTANT ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE MYSELF AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WOULD BE TO RESEARCH MORE ABOUT THE SCHOOLS THAT INTEREST ME SO THAT I COULD ACQUIRE CONTACT INFORMATION AND MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE WORKING AT THE SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE, ADVISORS. IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO MYSELF AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, I WOULD VISIT MY COLLEGE COUNSELOUR MORE OFTEN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE OFFERED TO EXPLORE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PROGRAMS. LASTLY, I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT COLLEGE WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF MY SENIOR YEAR.

Trust yourself and the decisions you make because in three years you will love your life in Long Beach, California. Do not be afraid to leave New York City because you can always come back to it and all the ones you love. Persue art because you are damn good at it. Keep it up buddy!

Sit down and THINK about what it is you want. Don't say you want to go to a particular college because you always wanted to be an artist- THINK about what going to that college is going to take. Think about the time commitment, the financial commitment, and think about whether or not, half-way through your education, are you still going to like doing what you're doing. Think about it now, while you can, before you wind up down a road that's too steep for you to back out of. High School isn't just about completing little assignments to get a good grade- it's about learning good habits that will SAVE YOUR LIFE once you get into college- learning how to effectively read text, learning how to take good notes and study for exams, learning how to apply your thoughts to essays and papers, critical thinking and thinking beyond yourself and your experiences. It might not be fun, and you might want to do something else, but LEARN them. KNOW them. When you move to college and the work load becomes heavier and harder, these tools will make it all seem so familiar.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that a lot of things are going to change. I would tell myself to try harder in my classes because even though it does not seem like its going to make much of a difference, passing AP tests especially, will make college easier. I would advise myself to take advantage of the financial aid possibilities because working two jobs and going to school is not easy. When I recieved my college admissions letters, I would have told myself that my first choice school would not have been whats best for me, that Cal State Long Beach (the school that I'm attending) is truly the better choice. Being popular is not what was important about high school. Memories with close friends is key to a great high school experience. But more importantly, take advantages of all the resources that surround me, whether it be academic resources or developing beneficial relationships with the faculty, I wish I would have known how different college would be.

First off, I would say drop all of your assumptions about college, and simply approach the transitional process with an open mind. Remember that college is not just about academics, but also about finding out who you are, what you stand for, and what you do not stand for. Be prepared to meet many different types of people from many different backgrounds. Be prepared to develop an understanding for the new experiences that will be presented to you every single day. Keep in mind that open and constant communication with your teachers and classmates is essential for success in not only passing a class, but truly learning as well. I would tell you not to abuse the new found freedom that you will be presented with, but that would rob you of finding this lesson out for yourself and learning all the other lessons along the way; so I will tell you to ?go with the flow? and have your fun, but be careful. Also, get a physics tutor. Now.

If i was given the chance to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to follow my heart. I would tell myself that even though college is hard i should always remember to have fun and enjoy every minute of it. I would let myself know that i human development is the major for me not business. I would also tell myself not to stress about losing friends because i will still have the same best friends from high school plus new friends. :)

If I could speak to myself as a high school senior, I believe the greatest advice I'd have to give would have less to do about my education and more about figuring out myself. When I was eighteen I was pretty confused, and I'll be the first to admit that I still don't have it figured all out. I think I would tell my senior-self to take it go easier on myself and enjoy myself a little bit more. While grades are an important ingredient of the "perfect college student" concoction, being happy and not losing yourself are important ingredients for life. I think one of the greatest fears for all college students is the complete explosion of possibilities that post-High School life presents and the resulting fear that you'll miss the greatest opportunity ever. The truth is, yes, college is rife with potential, but life in general is. Rather than cripple yourself with fear, you should just do the best you can and things will turn out fine in the end.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell my high-school-senior-self to be more conscientious about homework and studying. It isn't that I "slacked off," but I just procrastinated--sometimes-- to the point where my work would not be as thoughtful as it could have been.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be so stubborn and to listen to my councelors because they do know what is best for me. When I was a high school senior, I was so stubborn and thought I knew everything about anything because of the research I could do on my own. However, the expertise of my teachers and counselors should have been more valued since they had the knowlege, and the experience about how the college transition works. Not only did they know how college works, but they also knew a great deal about how life was like as a young adult going to college. I was so Idealistic and thought that I could tackle the whole world with my own wits. However, I realized now that my teachers and councelors were only trying to bestow self-discipline upon me because that's exactly what college requires in order to succeed. They advised me to paste myself instead of loading too much work. However, I did the opposite in college and now I regret not listening to them.

Looking back now as a college freshman, I do feel that I the advice should not have only been given during my senior year but all through high school years especially the first two years. Reasons for are, the first two years act as the foundation for the following years in high school and college. In my case I feel that during those years, I wish that I had been repeatedly told that I can't constantly mess up in school, simply because not making the grades mean a numerous amount of things from how you reflect your parents, yourself and the school you go. Because of the school I attended, many people assumed already that I was a bad student so not making or barely making the grades gave them the benefit of being right. However, I accepted the personal responsibility for everything that I did in high school and I am glad that I did get on track with grades and attendance because it makes others proud of me and it makes me proud. Overall, the only advice I wish I would've recieved is to constantly stay focused and make the grades you know you deserve.