Culinary Institute of America Top Questions

If I could go back to my senior and help myself transition to college I would try to become more independent. In high school I was always a follower and never had a voice or an opinion. When I came to college I had a hard time making friends and speaking up in class. I think if I became more out going in high school and made new friends it would have been easier to leave home and transition into my new classes and peers. It is still somthing that I work on now, but I am happy with how far I have come and the friends that I was able to make throughout the last couple of years.

Save every penny, learn to need/use less and accept every oppertunity you come across.

If I could go back and give myself some advice It would be to make sure that I have all of my stuff in order. Occasionally I would run into issues either in class or with the offices and I would have to frantically try to fix the problem. I would also tell myself to be more confident in your ability and to try to make more friends. I am gratefull for the friends that I have made I just wish that it didn't take me obout a year to make friends and two years to make great friends. Take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way and try to learn and experience as much as you possibly can. This is a huge chapter in your life and live it to the fullest with minimul regreats. Don't be aftraid of failing, it is going to happen. The best thing you could do is to learn from every experience and somtimes we learn more from our failures than our success. If you don't learn anything from your failurs, than you have truly failed.

I would tell the younger version of me to study hard, but don't be afraid to fail. Some of the greatest lessons to be learned come from not suceeding the first time. Take the time to reflect on what went wrong, learn from it and try it again. Don't be afraid to take risks, sit in the front row of your class, don't be afraid to raise your hand if you know the answer, or think you do. Don't just be a number. Choose your friends wisely and get involved in campus activities and clubs. Your education and the time you spend getting involved will have much more of a positive impact on you than you realize. Get to know your professors well, talk to them, ask them for advice and tell them about your future plans. Most of all, have a great college experience.

Relax! Take a deep breath and relax. There is no need to worry about making new friends or being the best in your class. As long as you study hard, you will be okay. Keep your grades up, work hard, and do not be intimidated by others. Home is only an hour and a half away, if you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed home is just a train ride away. Overall, just be yourself. Do not change yourself to meet anyone else's wants or needs. Focus on your studies, but leave some time for your freinds as well.

Don't slack off. Pay close attention to the study techniques taught to you. Stay focused and ogranized. Do all of your own work and learn to manage your time. It is better to study as you learn the information and get a good nights sleep then to try and cram all the information in before finals and forget it after. Study with others, not only does it help to develop social skills it increases your retention and presetns diffrent view points.

Currently, I am a junior in high school taking a four college courses during the summer of 2011. I am enrolled in the DUAL enrollment program at John B. Alexander, in which I am granted to show my full potentual towards making my education a successfull one. Although, I have felt the expereience of being a college student, I still feel there is more to learn than just study habits and descipline for correctly completeing an academic course. When I enter my high school in early August, I plan to encourage myself that "every choice has its consequences, and I will choose to take advantage of special oppertunities." I will make note to myself that I need to put my money where it counts. I am committed to graduate in December as a "December graduate" in the year of 2011. Graduating with six college courses, I am wanting to invest any scholarships and grants into my college education. Thank you.

I have recently given this a great deal of thought, having looked back at where I was and the Man i have become, and I would say only one short and sweet sentence; "Everything is going to be alright."

I would tell myself to pay more attention in my English, Math, and History classes because a strong foundation (especially in Math) will make life easier in college. I would also tell myself not to treat seinor year easily just bevause I am about to graduate. Don't let "senioritis" get into you. It can hinder you from learning essential subjects for your future college classes/courses.

If I could go back to high school and give myself advice I think it would have to be, to relax. Making the transition into college is difficult when you're stressed out and it is much easier if you take a step back and breathe. Just think to yourself and remember that it will all be alright.