CUNY Hunter College Top Questions

The one piece of advice that I would give to myself is to stay true to who I was and who I wanted to become. The transition into college was difficult for me as I was the first member of my family to enroll in college and this resulted in me trying to fulfill what my family expected of me instead of what it was that I wanted to accomplish for myself. Four years into college I am now making a new transition into the school and degree program that I want to study, and while I can't dismiss the immensely valuable knowledge I have gained in my time at Hunter, I have inhibited myself from growing into the person I wanted to be. Stay true to who you are and never abandon your dreams in order to satisfy others.

If at this moment I were able to speak to myself as a high school senior, psychology-volunteer work

When I was a senior in high school I allowed people to make me believe that the most important thing in life is to make money. I was told the best careers would be in science. With this mentality I went into college to do science, but I wasn't happy. The only time I was happy was when I went to my art classes. I became depressed because I saw my future in science as torture not happiness. I then was advised by my peers to do as my heart desires. I changed my major to Fine arts and now I am ecstatic. You may be good at something, but if you don’t love it there is no point. Do what you love and you will be successful in more realms than just money.

If I can go back in time, I would tell myself that college life is tough. Not only in deciding what major to take but also going through it and bonding with new people. Because once I get into college, the choices are: go big or go home? I considered myself as a very shy person in class because I don't have courage to speak up in class or simply ask the teacher about a discussion question. Therefore, I would tell myself to learn how to communicate with new people and not to be a shy person. College life is not as easy as it looks like in the movies. Some times college can be fun, but most of the time it's very hard. One of the reasons is that I have to sacrifice my social life for school, because I have a goal for my future. Another reason that being in college is hard because of the competition among the students in class. Sometimes when one of my classmates got a higher grade than me, I would stay up all night to study. Therefore, I would tell myself to be prepared for the hardness of college life.

My advice to my high-school senior-self wouldn't come in the form of words, but rather, zen paraphrenalia. A bracelet, with the caption "WWDLD?" on it would be enough of a reminder that inner peace and self love is the real goal in life. Asking myself "what would the dalai lama do?" would allow my stress and pressure-bound high school-self to remember that there is a greater goal than the obvious when it comes to higher education. College is more than just pursuing an academic degree; it's about self discovery and learning what you really want out of life. It's like meeting your true self for the first time, allowing that person to develop and make a presence. As a serial-stresser, you can imagine how difficult this was for me to learn. To this day I still sometimes struggle with over-stressing. If given the chance to go back in time and help my younger self through such an incredibly tumultuous transition , learning to ask for guidance through others lessons (such as the dalai lama, confucious or the buddha) would be my greatest gift.

If I were to go back to high school, I would give myself the same advice. . I don't think I would really change anything that happened from high school in which advice was given to me. I was unlike a lot of my fellow students and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I felt lost, and empty in a sense. So I attended Nassau Community College and studied liberal arts. In the second year of college I was given the rare opportunity to intern at Red Bull Energy Drink Company. This was a major accomplishment, and when I think about advice from the past, I wouldn't change anything because where I am today is where I belong and I am learning so much from this expirence.

I would tell myself that I should start looking for scholarships for a four year school before I go to Community college because i knew then I was doing that. I would also tell myself to read more and take a different approach on studying because the way tests and work is laid out in college is way more different than it was in highschool. I would tell myself to become friendly with the professors so I can be more comfortable talking about the problems i would have with my classwork and homework. Also I would tell myself to take advantage of my professors office hours more often, because it's better to do that than to feel clueless at home, with assignments and projects. Lastly I would tell myself that I should make a few more friends in each of my classes, not only to meet new people but it's a good idea to have people that you can ask for help that are in the same situation as you are.

If were able to speak to myself while I was in high-school I would have many pieces of advice to give to myself. The first thing I would tell myself is to try to take life seriously and to not try to have fun all of the time. I would tell myself that school and studying are very important facts of life that should be respected and regarded as being extremely valuable tools which will help advance my future and will lead to successful living and without them one is basically on the bottom-rung of societies economic strata and that is not where anyone should want to be. I would tell myself to try to be nicer to people all of the time and to try and value friendship more because it helps develop social skills and builds relationships which are important for future development. I would tell myself about all the things that were to transpire in my life and how to handle the situations more appropriately which would benefit all parties involved. I would especially tell my high-school self all of the things that were most important for me in my life for my advancement.

College is a drastic change, but in the best way possible. College erases the lines of all previous stereotypes and opens a window for you to be whoever it was you wanted to be in high school. That being said, make more mistakes and get more involved! It's not very often one gets to do something over, high school is your chance to have those embarassing, uncomfortable moments with people you don't know, as hard as it is to believe, it will help you socialize in college! Volunteer, play the sports you were too afraid to, it will help with scholarships! Continue to care about your grades but don't be afraid to get in a little bit of troube, it will give you something to talk about! College is its own experience, but don't let your ideas of an amazing, action packed future inhibit you from being happy and taking control of your life now. You may be overwhelmed sometimes with stress and choices, but just remember to trust your gut and that your friends will always be there no matter the distance. Also, do your best to look better in your college student ID picture...

College is a time for you to grow and learn all that you can, but not to the point that it becomes stressful for you. Breathe. You want to spread out, but do not spread yourself thin. Do not be scared that you are not good enough for something or that you are missing out on fun with your friends because you chose to be involved in an academically involved extracurricular activity. Not to say that your friends are not important, but figuring out who you are and what you are capable of is important. Remember that you are smart, high school was a breeze. Remind yourself of that when you are studying for an exam or while taking the exam, you CAN handle it and you can pass. Do not doubt yourself, you are strong and you have been through obstacles. This obstacle is no different than any other, except the prize at the end is your own achievements. Look to the future often and be proud that your choices that you make now are taking you there. Stay motivated but most importantly be happy.