Fordham University Top Questions

In order to give myself my own advice I would begin by saying, do not take yourself too seriously, and learn how to ask for help in the right avenues or areas much quicker than you think you need to do so. This advice will carry you far and wide and will continue to be the very thing you need in order to succeed without stressing yourself to the point of getting in your own way. The reason I say this is that studying effectively is most definitely a full time obligation and with the objective area of taking yourself to seriously you wont be able to obtain your goals appropriately because you do not think you actually need the help you truly do until it becomes crunch time and eventually too late. Time is of the essence in every regard and will continue to be so until you understand it in a more profound way, and apply this as a daily model of living and scheduling your tasks in order to maintain a proper school life as well as a personal life. This and this alone will be the method that will help you succeed and overcome all obstacles.

Spend more time studying and writing. The workload and type of work is a lot harder in college. Learning to be a better time manager before would have been nice. Not to stress out on the little things in high school that won't matter at all in the future. Be more open to new things and ideas.

I would say to always be building your network. I have always tried to attend professional events and meet as many people I can but it is never too much. I would tell myself to get a jump on my network and always work hard to build your reputation.

If I could go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior I would start by telling myself to work hard. I was always a very good student in high school, but often the material came easy to me. I found myself not having to study very much for tests or quizzes. When I did study for big exams, I would wait until the night before. I would tell my high school self not to procrastinate. I would suggest that I get into the habit of studying a little bit each night, and reviewing class materials each night after class for review. This would alleviate stress come large exams and assignments. I would also tell myself to get involved in activities on campus in order to meet lots of new, and different kinds of people. I would tell myself to be open-minded and accepting of all kinds of people. I would tell myself not to be judgemental and that it is possible to gain from every single person that I encounter. There is much to gain from experiences outside of the classroom.

If I were able to go back in time and give myself advice as a high school senior, I would tell myself to work harder in my classes and to take them more seriously. On top of that, I would tell myself to have continued to finish my undergraduates in the community college that I attended instead of joining National Guard, so that I would not have fallen behind a semester. If I did not go the community college, then I would tell myself to follow my heart and go directly to the school I am currently at, Cleveland State University, and not allow people to tell me that I would never be able to afford it and would be in debt for the rest of my life. I would prepare myself for all of the processes it takes to apply for school and financial aid, so I would not have had to face as many problems as I did. Most of all I would tell myself to enjoy it and to have the time of my life before the oppertunity is gone.

One of my biggest struggles was self-validation. Within 3 months, I went from a a dictated minute-by-minute high school schedule, to living alone in the biggest city in the country. I kept looking for things to start structuring myself and divide my time, but that led me to cling onto things I didn't like instead of things I did. I decided I didn't like a lot of things very quickly, and began to block out a lot of my freedom. I went upstate for a weekend after a couple months of living in New York City and visited a friend at a liberal arts college that focused on individual creativity, and I realized the biggest difference was that I dwelled on the negative of my surroundings, and they saught after the positives. Upon my return, I picked my head up when I walked through all the crowded streets, and saw more than pushy people dressed in black. I saw a living breathing framework of New York City, and it was something I was proud and excited to be a part of. Just being surrounded by the vastness and variety provided guidance.

As much as I love Fordham, I would tell myself to focus on applying to more traditional colleges. Attending a green, self-contained campus in the middle of nowhere is an experience that is severely underrated. It is extremely difficult to do well in your classes, have a social life, explore different clubs and meet new people if you are first and foremost trying to keep yourself alive and fed because your school doesn't have a real cafeteria. I would say, "Rachel, don't overestimate your independence. Yes, you can take care of yourself, and once you get used to the routine of being entirely dependent on yourself to cook, clean, and stay alive, you'll do just fine. But you need a little coddling. And that's exactly what the traditional college experience will provide you with - at least initially".

If I could tell my high school senior self one thing, it would be, “don’t go 3,000 miles away from home.” While experiencing life in New York City was something I had always wanted to do, being that far away from home in California during the challenging time that is college was just awful. Leaving the nest is one thing and going to the other side of the country is another. My parents and best friend know me best, they warned me, and of course they were right - I'm a California girl at heart. I wish I would have researched colleges better before applying. I completely over looked several great schools that were much closer to home, and now I'm transferring to one of them. Being close to home isn't a negative thing; having the support of your family and a home to go back to when school gets rough is valuable during all the late nights that make up college. So if I knew then what I know now, I would have told myself staying closer to home really is not the end of the world and that snow really isn’t your thing.

There is so much advice I'd like to give my high school senior self, such as: save more money and work harder, but those are the obvious ones. If I knew then what I know now, I'd tell myself to not sweat the small stuff. In high school, my biggest worries were who I was going to prom with, or why somebody made fun of me on a certain day. At the time, they seemed monumental and they caused me to lose some focus academically, but now I never speak to my prom date and I can't even remember the name of the boy who used to tease me for my naturally high-pitched voice. As for the guy who never texted me back: I hadn't even thought about him until just now. I am so happy at my new school. I've met so many wonderful people and have been granted so many opportunities that the things that once bothered me now seem so insignificant. I wish I had only focused on what was good in life instead of the small negative incidences.

I would tell myself to be prepared for upsets because just because there is a plan, doesn't mean that the most unexpected things won't happen.