Eastern Washington University Top Questions

Justine, I know how afraid you are. I know how you feel like you need him in order to survive. At the same time, I know how you feel like its impossible to breathe because you're with him. I know how torn you feel, and for that I am so sorry. Justine, think about something. Your friends have all left, your family hardly sees you, your grades are dropping, and your giving up your future just to be with him. Girl, what happened to you? Justine, please leave him. Please stop breaking yourself just because you convince yourself that you love him; just because you convince yourself that he loves you. He doesn't deserve you. You are so smart, and ambitious, and you have so much to offer. For the sake of your sanity, I beg you. to stand up for yourself. Go to school, make some friends, reach for your future, and remember to smile once in a while. Life is so much brighter without him. College is wonderful, you'll love it. I promise. So please Justine, stop hurting yourself because of "love." You're so much better than that. And please, remember to smile.

Do not hold yourself back because of a boyfriend/girlfriend, because you feel guilty for leaving behind your friends and family, just go out and do what's best for you. Get involved, and know that high school is nothing like college. Be open to new things, meeting a lot of culturally diverse people, and don't be afraid to branch out. Just because someone means a lot ot you now, doesnt mean they willl always be a big part of your life. Sometimes friends grow apart and that is ok! Don't be afraid.

If I could go back to high school and talk to myself senior year I would tell myself to work hard, and don’t give up. I would tell myself to establish better studying habits, and eating habits. I would tell myself to stop being lazy and take a walk, go to the gym, and read a good book. I would tell myself that I did an excellent job at making friends. The friends I made in high school I consider to be my life long friends, and hope to keep them around forever. I would have told myself that college is not a place to be messing around, go to school, get your education, and start your career. I would have told myself to do Running Start to save money. College is a wonderful experience and I hope that everyone can have the chance to further their education.

If I could talk to my high school senior self and give some helpful tips on what I know about college now, it would be a very simple piece of adivce; the only person who controls your success is YOU. In college you meet tons of people. Some people are very focused on their studies, and some simply are not. You will probably become friends with both types of people. At times the individuals who are not so focused on school will be the more entertaining, fun ones to be around. It's your choice whether to study when you should, or to go out when you have the free time. However, your choices often reflect on your success, and your choices only. It is not your friends, your parents, or even your professors responsibility to make sure you succeed. If you want to do well in school and have a successful life, it is your job to make sure you do so! Success comes from your own dedication and hard work, so make sure you make smart choices throughout your college career.

GET AS MANY SCHOLARSHIPS AS POSSIBLE! It doesn't seem bad until you are actually in college. The debt is suddenly a heavy weight hanging above your head that will always be there until you find a way to pay for it. It may seem dreadful, boring, or even not urgent, but you must go out there and apply for every single one possible! College life itself is not so bad, the only advice I would give about it is to just put yourself out there and make friends! College is not just about academics, it's about making connections too!

Believe in yourself. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Life will be hard, harder than you can imagine but it will be good, beyond what you can even dare to dream. Do not give up, do not be afraid. Push yourself. Rejection will happen. Accept this, learn from it and move on. Do not stop, do not ever stop. Always look for opportunities. Be careful when second guessing your dreams, they have been with you this long and are not likely to change much. Don’t imagine them, reach for them. Apply for scholarships, keep volunteering. The more experience as a volunteer you get now the better you options will be later. Know that it is alright to feel overwhelmed, and that this does not make you weak or broken. You are allowed to make mistakes, you will learn from them, dust yourself off and keep going. Doubting yourself will only make it take longer to realize in the end you had the strength to continue all along. Believe in yourself.

If I could go back in time and talk to my highschool self as a senior I would tell myself to have taken more AP classes and to have worked harder in order to get better grades. I would have also had accepted my previous college acceptance to Cal State Fullerton instead of having gone to a community college and transferring to California Baptist University. I would have decided as a senior that I want to be a history teacher instead of changing my mind. I would tell myself to change my study habits and to not procastinate. I would also tell myself to build better relationships with my teachers so that I could ask for letters of recommendation and to be more involved in school by joining clubs. I would have gone straight to a four year university and applied for internships while attending college in hopes of getting good job recommendations to apply for jobs.

As is the case with most teenagers, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life during high school. I knew that I enjoyed working with others, playing volleyball and writing, but that was all I had to go on. Knowing this, I decided to take two years to save money and figure out what type of job would fit me the best. During those two years, I didn't do much except work like a dog and save every penny I could. When I finally found my calling and attended college last year, I didn't realize how much money was required of me. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to learn how to budget since no one ever taught me how to effectively. If I had built a budgeting foundation early on, I feel that I would be in a better position today financially. I would also tell my future self to be careful about finding roomates through Craigslist. It wasn't the best idea I've ever had, that's for sure.

I would tell myself to save every penny I earned and apply for every single scholarship out there even if it seems rediculous. I would tell myself that I don't need to by those tickets to the 30 Seconds to Mars concert and that I don't need to pack everything I own because there is simply just not enough room for all of it at college.

If I could go back to when I was a high school senior I would tell myself to not feel too shy or afraid. I would tell myself to try and get out there more. Do more things around campus, meet new people, and involve myself in more clubs. I would also say that even though I spent my entire 4 years studying all the time it was well worth it in the end, as I am going to get my masters degree in the fall.