Excelsior College Top Questions

No matter what do not give up, find something you love, and go all in. Put every ounce of your energy into achieving the goals you set once you've discovered your passion. Nothing will ever be handed to you expect to work hard.

Don't be afriad to take risks. Big risks, like applying for your dream college or your dream job, and small everyday risks, like trying a new class or hobby and pushing yourself to be your best. Don't be so hard on yourself - as long as you are trying new things and doing what you love every day, you ARE growing! Enjoy every moment of your day, even the bad ones, and recognize the people who are there for you and there to help you meet your goals. Express your needs, talk about your goals, get excited about who you are and who you want to be!! Focus on what you CAN control, not on what you can't. There will always be circumstances that are not expected, but if you stay who you say you are through all of them, you will feel victorious at the end.

College will be the best time of your life but you need to take it seriously. You need to be able to manage your time so that you can get the things done that you need to do but also allow for fun!

I am currently 42 years old and I am currently taking courses to get my Associate Degree in Nursing. If I could go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior I would encourage myself to take college seriously and I would encouarged myself to work hard and get my college education sooner. Had I known the importance of a college education when I was a high school senior I would have graduated from college a long time ago and be settled into a career. I would stress to myself the importance of a college education and what it would mean to my future. I would also tell myself that it would be harder to transition into college as an older adult. The transition into college life would be easier as a high school graduate. As an older adult in college I feel as though I have wasted many educational years and I wish I could go back in time and tell myself all of these important things.

To myself as a high school senior: You are so young, and you have absolutely no idea what you're about to get yourself into. Do not go to college simply because it is where your family and friends want you to go. Do not take out student loans like they're free money (they're not, and you have to pay those back someday). Do not waste time in school when you are unsure of what to do with your life; instead, take time off, find your place in the world, and then go back and pick a major you love. Sometimes what is normal or typical is not right for everyone, so do not be afraid to branch off from the beaten path and make your own. The transition to college can be scary, but it should not terrify you, and it should never make you feel like you don't belong - if something doesn't feel right, that's because it's not. Take your time in life, younger me, and you'll start to figure things out. You will never have all the answers, but you're getting through life just fine.

If I could give advice to my pre college self, I would advise myself to re-take Intro. to Functions during your senior year and put more effort into the class. You're about to take College Applied Mathematics your second year of college and you haven't had a math class since junior year of high school, it's going to be tough. To take an AP class at high school to give yourself a better idea of how the college level of education would be like and to save money. I would tell my self to save more money through high school for college; college is as expensive as it's acclaimed to be. High school comes to an end before you know it and you will have to face the financial challenges that come with the education. Less free roaming at the mall with friends and driving around wasting gas just because you could. I would tell my self to start applying for scholarships now instead of waiting until your sophmore year of college. College is important and has it's challenges, so get ready.

I would tell myself to take the time to apply to scholarships, take the SATs, apply to the universities in washington state, and live in the dorms for at least a semester. I would let myself know that I would have the support and a higher chance of graduation on time with the support and like-minded peers if they were around me. I would also have great memmories of my college years if I immerse myself into college life.

College is a proving ground, the speed and pace will surprise you, and as you move forward it will become more and more demanding, so start working on your confidence now. It will also be a lot of fun, so stay focused. Different professors will have different ideas of success, so learn to politic and how to listen very carefully from the get go, most will tell you exactly what they want, and your job is to give them what they need from you while getting what you need for yourself. You have everything you need even though at times you don't feel very well equipped, so don't let that feeling stop you from doing anything that you can imagine yourself doing. The future is real, and you're right at the crest of moving towards it in high gear. There is a lot of talk around you about what the word means and the best way to move into the "next stage", etc,.., and it seems vague and a little stressful without necessarily offering you any insight on the best direction to take, so I'll tell you - go forward.

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. –Socrates I would ‘gift’ this quote to myself as a high school student taking that next step to college. I would tell myself that thinking positive is like a camp fire, the more wood you add to the fire the longer it burns. I would tell myself that positive thinking alone will not change my life rather it will keep the ‘motivational fire’ burning and keep me taking action toward the things I want in life. I would tell myself to set realistic goals. If I find some things like assignments difficult, then do not just give up. Instead seek help and set a deadline for the projects. Anyone can retain knowledge but it takes determination and a deep desire to stay motivated. I would tell myself that I only have one life to live and that I need to stay positive and add figurative wood and straw, i.e. goals, to my ‘fire of success’ to keep it burning.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior and give myself advice about what to do to be successful in college, I would have so much to say. One of the things I would stress is not to let anything hold you back from your goals. My freshman year of college, I had the aspiration of being one of the top Cross Country and Track runners on the team, I was very far from that goal. The stress of struggling to complete those goals, and people telling me I couldn't do it drove my self esteem down into the ground and made me ready to quit. I realized later that in order to improve, I had to get all those little thoughts of doubt out of my head and start listening to the positive voice inside my head. If I would have gained this knowledge earlier, I would have been able to complete my goals. Another important lesson I learn that I would tell myself is to be your own person, don't feel like you have to follow crowds just to be cool. Be youself and follow what's right.