George Mason University Top Questions

I would advise my high school self, with absolute confidence, to never ever let your dreams be set aside for anyone. I'd say, "Elizabeth! Be true to yourself, your abilities, and your hard work so far in life. Never allow a anyone to dictate your future. Do not postpone your dreams because someone else in your life might get left behind and hasn't been able to create the success you have created for yourself!" I walked away from tremendous oportunities that I had worked very hard to acheive when I was in high school, because I was codependant and afraid. Never doubt your ability to create success for yourself, by yourself, and dont be afraid of the future. Be just the tiniest bit selfish and know that when the future arrives, you will be strong, capable, independant.

If I were to go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself not to be scared to follow my dreams, even if others told me they were unrealistic. I have always wanted to study art, but didn't push myself becuase my parents said it would be a waste of time. I applied and was accepted to my dream school, but instead settled for a state school with a mediocre art program. I ended up dropping out after one year. Ten years later, I've decided to take the plunge and go to art school. Sometimes I wish I had just followed my heart in the first place, but am glad to have had the experiences to gain confidence in my choice. I would tell myself to not sell myself short, and to believe that I truly am and was a talented and exceptional person and artist.

When you arrive at college, do not be afraid to interact with others and get involved in on-campus organizations. Everyone on campus has been in your position at some point no matter what year he or she may be, and creating friendships allows for both socializing and networking for future job opportunities. Do not continue procrastinating as you do in high school, because deadlines will approach and your stress level will be heightened because of it. The sooner you complete assignments, the less anxiety you will feel. Study, or learn how to study. Although you may not have had to study while in high school, tests and quizzes occur at a much more rapid rate in college: you learn a year's worth of material in three and a half months. In high school, teachers go over the same material multiple times; they may not do that while in college. Because of this, you must learn to manage time wisely in order to study for your classes. Furthermore, classes are more concept-based rather than memorization, learn how to stop memorizing terms and actually grasp the concepts. Finally, make sure you explore your off-campus environment while you can.

You graduated early, got a great job right out of high school, and you even have your own place. You are on top of the world now that you moved from Pennsylvania to California at the ripe age of 17! I know you think that things will just go up from here, and they will, but only for a while. You will marry. Your marriage will fall apart, your husband will refuse to work, and refuse to go back to school. You will get pregnant, twice. Your children will depend on you to provide for them, and to show them the value of hard work and never giving up. You will swallow pride and accept food stamps, WIC, and medi-cal. Unless you want to struggle for years, please, go to school now. You will regret it later, everything about it from the experience of college, friends, and your valuable education. They will take away your marriage, your cars, your kids, your things, and your home, but they can never take your education away from you.

If I was given that chance to travel backwards in time and give my senior self a pep talk, I would tell myself to outwork everyone and befriend as many people as I possibly could. The reason for that specific advice is because if I had done very well my senior year I could have gone off to a university instead of a 2 year college. Also, befriending a large amount of individuals would benefit me later in life because then I could have people write recommendation letters for me or possibly even help me get employed.

Dear Self, I'm sure the infamous quesiton, "What do you want to be/do in life?" has been asked about a milion times now. I know you must believe that your world is what's around you at this instant. However, that is just a fraction of what your life holds. Your future is going to start now and every choice you make will count. Forget the parties and boyfriends, you need to plan ahead! There is absolutely no room for mistakes and wasting time. Plan your life and take those additional classes now, otherwise, you'll be stuck in my situation of fighting to get into the classes I need. Time, for me is becoming an issue. If I had known what I do now, I would not waste so much time on making room for my social life with friends and family. They'll always be there but the school calendar will keep on rolling, with or without you. As a senior in high school, I know you already know that you want to be in the healthcare field. Stick to your initial intenitions and go for graduate school! Don't hesitate, your graduate degree is important!

If I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school and advise myself of something, the first thing I would tell myself is to cut corners and save as much money as possible. I’m going to learn right quick that college is extremely expensive and that transferring from a community college to a four year school is a decision I wouldn’t regret due to all the money I would save. I’d also tell myself to give up on engineering and switch to psychology, the math is way too hard and simply something I’m not cut out for and plus I’ve always enjoyed helping others anyways. The last thing I’d tell myself is to take a great deal of time to pick the professors I sign up for each semester. Professors will make you or break you and the ones that break you will not only build a debt in your pocket, make you feel like a failure and dismantle your motivation to keep striving, but they often teach you the least in the subject.

Dear High School self, My biggest regret in college is picking a major that I was not particularly fond of. Though I know being a Finance major could help me find a stable job, I have spent these past years in college dreading going to classes. At one point, I finally decided to pick a minor which dealt more with what I want to do as a career, which has always been international development regarding the environment. Classes have become more bearable, but these business classes will make you miserable. My biggest advice: do not compromise your happiness. You are going to be surrounded by friends who genuinely love their majors, and you will regret never being one of those people. Major in whatever you want, as long as you get internships and experience in that field, you will be fine post-grad. If you are doing something that makes you miserable, you will end up hating everything because school will be your life for the next four years. So, my high school self, do what makes you happy and do not compromise it because happiness is one thing that is in YOUR control throughout life. Sincerely, Your college self

The advice that I would give to myself is to learn how to be responsible and stand on my own. Basically, in high school, I would have teachers reminding me about homework and quizzes but, in college they give me a syllabus and I have to be responsible enough to know when the works are due; nobody was there for me to remind me in college. Therefore, it was very difficult for me at first. If I had learn that while in high school it would not be a problem for me in college. So, I would tell myself start to practice how to be responsible and independent because that is what college life is all about. I had a bad grade on a homework just because I forgot to submit it so that should never happen to me if I had learn in high school to become independent and responsible.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have a lot of advice to give myself. The first thing I would try to explain is how making better grades could help me get into the college I want. Also, I would make my classes a lot easier to understand and get through faster. I also would convience myself to try to go that extra mile when it comes to writing papers. I think that if I would have taken more time and effort into my papers I would have been a better writer. I would then tell my self to take more curricular activities such as an extra math or science class so I could come to really love and understand those two subjects when I would start college. I think that if I would have taken my own advice back then; school would be going more smoothly and I would not have as much trouble with the little thing. I also would have continued school right after I graduated instead of procrastinating the next 4 years since my thoughts would have been fresh and ready for school again.

I would tell myself to not sweat the small stuff and to get more prepared to go to college. Also to quit my part time job sooner because I would get a job closer to school and not have to commute back home to work on the weekends. I would not want to say too much to change my present because I enjoyed my freshman year of college and even if I could go back and change things; I would not. I learned a lot of things after I graduated from college such as how to manage my time better and better study skills. All and all I would tell myself to do things that make me happy and that the future is looking good.

If I could go back and tell myself anything about college, it would have been to apply for more scholarships and start saving for it earlier. Before I even started filling out college applications, everyone that had either been in college or was currently in college stressed the importance of being able to afford it. Some representatives from organizations such as Access even came to some of my classes and personally gave ways as to how we could make college affordable. I heard everything I was suppose to so that I could avoid taking out loans in my name or stressing on how I was going to make it to the next semester. Still, I now have student loans in my name. I did not realize that financies played a huge role in my education until I saw it on paper and money started coming out of familly accounts. Grades, clubs, and internships are important, everyone is told that. Not everyone gets how just important the financial aspect is though until it is too late. I personally know people who will not be able to finish college because of it and like myself, struggle to pay. My advice, plan early.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to continue to work hard, so you can come out on the top of your class. I would also tell myself to apply for many scholarships so you would not have to take out loans for college. In transitioning to college I would tell myself to make as many friends as possible your first year because they will always look out for you and are going through the same transition as you are. Most importantly to stay focused because there are so many distractions in college, many that will cause you to fail many classes. Distractions are parties, different events held on campus, Greek life and sometimes friends. Make sure your priorities are straight before you allow yourself to fall to these distractions. Make sure your work is done and make sure you don’t have any prior obligations before you do anything. I would also tell myself not to be afraid to have fun. College will be some of the best years of your life so make the best of them.

To put it bluntly, "Your parents aren’t always right and they don’t always know what’s best. I just spent the last two years of college chasing a dream designed by our parents. But they are actually destroying everything that makes you extraordinary. You see Catherine, no one knows what’s best for you but yourself. Money is not the sign of happiness, a smile is. If you continue listening to your selfish parents talk about becoming a doctor or a lawyer, you will waste two years studying gibberish and build yourself so far into debt, you could eat stars. Screw what your parents think, this is about you. If you want to be a nurse, you have the damn right to be one. Start taking chances and do what you feel will make you happy. Take classes that will stimulate your senses to live and learn. If I have to sit through another lecture on wavelengths, I will eat my foot. Take a career path that you want, not your parents. In two years, hopefully, you will be chasing a dream you designed for yourself because I forget what it's like to genuinely smile."

Not much. I was well prepared and researched behind a lot of community colleges before I chose one. I piched a CC because they were cheaper and would allow me to develope my degree more as I explored myself and several courses. If I had to say something, it would be "good luck, missy. And take it easy."

If I had to go back 2 years ago and see me as a High School Senior, I would strongly advise myself to pursue higher than my expectations. Because back then I really wanted to attend a 4 year school in San Anonio, but due to the fact that I wasn't Top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my class or had high grades, for me the Idea of College wasn't so Important as it is now. I would have told myself to challenge myself and take college credit classes in high school that way when I get to college I'm already advanced. I would point out to apply to more scholarships and to schools I really wanted to go to such as UTSA, OLLU, or even University of Pan American. One of the other advises I would tell myself is to really study hard for my SAT and ACT tests. Being that in High School I had to take it more than 5 times just to make it to the nearest Universty, Now that I am older and wiser I would have loved for someone to advise me how fun but, it is to be a college student and adult.

Always go to your classes. I know it seems like it isn’t necessary because the classes are so huge and it is extremely cold out, but you need to go! This will definitely help you get those amazing grades. Definitely make those appointments during office hours with professors so they can get to know you and definitely make these connections for future recommendation letters! Make sure you make appointments with your advisor regularly, because George Mason will not encourage you to pursue this, even though it is incredibly important. Live off campus after the first year. Campus housing is extremely stringent and there is no extra sense of community when you live on campus. Find some great friends to live with and move into a house nearby where you can have a bigger sense of freedom. Make sure you take advantage of the study abroad programs. Finally, George Mason is what you make of it. Because it is so big, you get lost in the crowd. Make sure you join lots of clubs, volunteer, and make an effort to go to D.C. It seems like far away, but it is definitely worth it!

I would go back and tell myself to stand up for what I believed in more, and not let what other people think bother me. I spent so much time stressing because I felt like I didn't fit in, and trying to change myself, that I was making things worse for myself. I have made many more friends by just being who I am, and not struggling to fit into a mold I'm not comfortable in. Doing what is right for me has been my biggest challenge, but is also my biggest strength at this point now that I have stopped trying to fit in, and stopped trying to change myself for people who won't matter in the long run, anyway.

Dear Elizabeth, I am now a senior in college, as you are now a senior in high school. You've had a wild, tough ride up until now, believe me. I know you're itching away at the seams to run as far away as you can. I thought it was a good idea at the time, I really did. But it hasn't been easy or all that fun. Trust me we've had our moments but maybe it could have been better in the beginning. Make sure you thoroughly research schools that would be in your best interest, no one elses, and dabble in a little bit of everything. Don't settle for one thing you MIGHT want to do later on. Make sure you work, tutor, volunteer and be a part of clubs while you're in school, to make everlasting friends and learn from life's little lessons. Right now, we're trying to save up money from work and filling out thousands of scholarships that we don't get chosen from so that we can go BACK to school. That one whole year broke our hearts but we're back in it now. Sincerely, Elizabeth

If I could go back in time and give myself any advice it would be to make sure that I take an internship before I get to college. Work experience is incredibly important now that I'm in college and the earlier I can start networking and procuring experience, the better position I will be in when you get to college. I will be looked on with favor and maturity when looking for jobs or future internships if I have had any type of experience working before. The networks can be invaluable for the rest of my career so don't be lazy and work hard to make someone gives me a glowing reference for the future.