George Washington University Top Questions

The first thing I would tell myself is that I wish I had done better when I was in high school. I would tell myself that I shouldn't have stopped caring because I moved from once place to the next being uprooted from my friends and my family. The second thing I would tell myself is that no matter what I can't give up. College is something new and it is something different, but it does not mean that it will be the end of you. It is something that will help shape you into a better person than you are now. It is something that will help guide you to adulthood. I do wish I had made better choices academically, but I wouldn't change them because if I did, I would not have met any of the awesome people I know today and I would not have learned the things I am able to accomplish on my own. I have no regrets on the choices I made and I try to do my best in order to better myself and create the brightest future I possible can.

I think back to my high school senior self. I remember the stress, the confusion, the desperation. A lot had changed in my life: my mother had died the summer before, I was not the same person I was. And here I was, facing one of the most important decisions in my life, preparing to make yet another transition. Looking back now, having experienced the last four years and survived to graduate this May, I know what I would have told myself. Stop, breath, and think. I approached undergraduate university in a flurry, I needed to choose a university, I needed to plan my major, it needed to be done, quickly. I couldn't fall behind. In reality, all I needed was a moment, a month, perhaps a gap year, to think carefully about what I wanted and take the time to sort myself out. I leaped into my undergraduate career without much thought, and I suffered greatly for it. All I needed was a little more time to prepare myself, and to just take in the transition, and the changes.

If I could go back in time a talk to myself about college life, I would tell myself to take it easy, dont rush, and make sure that this is what I really want, not something society is pushing me into. I would tell myself that this is my life and not someone elses, so eveything that I do should be for myself and not because its what I think someone else wants me to do/be. I wouldn't listen to my best friend when she told me that I shouldn't apply to a certain school because thats where everyone else was planning on going, even though that was the one I really wanted to go to. I would tell myself to stand up for what I believe in and want, and to not let anyone sway my decisions. That all this is for me, so when I do something to give it my all and do my best. "C's get degrees" is not a motto to live by! And for goodness sake, apply, apply, and apply for scholarships and grants. Student loan debt sucks!!

As an immigrant I would have told myself to finish my studies in my country of origin and then try to find a university or college that would take the credits or diploma earned. Unfortunately, this did not happen because I thought I was going to be able to transfer my credits (at least some of them) and earn a degree faster. While waiting for my green card to come in, knowing what I know now, I would have told myself to learn another language (other than English) and travel the world to get different cultural knowledge, learn more about history and maybe worry less about completing a degree in my country of origin.

Having reached the half way point in my studies at the George Washington University, I understand that it is essential to build your pool of resources in the classroom as well as outside it. Forming professional relationships with peers, professors, and faculty makes a tremendous difference when it comes time to making career choices and getting advice on schoolwork and viable professions in your field of study. Living in an unfamiliar environment and taking on the responsibility of a student and resident of a new city is a tremendous learning experience and challenge that affords a student the chance to engage themself mentally, socially, and physically in college. By reaching out to those around me, I was able to become comfortable in my new setting and even become a leader in my community through the network I built. After four years of college, one of the most valuable assets aside from my education are the relationships I make. These can lead to research, internships, jobs, and possibly even partnernships in the future. College is just one stop on the journey, it is important to reach out to grasp every helping hand so that we can advance further.

Don't waste any of your free time. You should always be attempting to enrich yourself. I spent far too much of my freshman year napping or talking on the phone to a long distance boyfriend. While my peers grew closer, formed strong bonds and got good grades, I felt like an outsider. Fortunately, college is long enough for there to be a chance to catch up, make friends, and make the most of the situation. I learned you should always go to class no matter what. It's a great way to meet new people and make friends while also learning at the same time.

Providing myself with advice about what I have learned about college and life after graduating I’d first start off by saying “you’re a tough cookie. Take pride knowing, though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. Sufficient amount of distractions may lure you away. Alcohol and drugs will attempt to become a hobby for you. Stay focused, be confident and stand strong, for you are not alone. Don’t assume everyone is trust worthy. Ask god to guide you with a better understanding of life along the way. I’d love to spare you (myself) the time and pain however I believe everything happens for a reason. I chose something, went along with it, had a obstacles, some good, some bad but in whichever way you put it, it lead me to where I proudly stand today. The only advice I have to offer is to be wise, do not allow to be taken as a fool, you are smarter than most believe. Finish each day and be done with it, you have done what you could. Always remember it is only a bad day not a bad life."

Everyone enters college in largely the same position. Anxious about what the future holds, unsure about what direction to take, and hopeful that he or she will come out "alright." Some feel more prepared or more sure of themselves. Others are less concerned with academics and more concerned with the social aspects of college. Others still are in a hurry to reach their professional goals. Most wish to achieve a little bit of all of these things. Balance here is key. Listen to school administrators and professors; they have put a lot of thought into your college experience. Heed the advice of older students. Put in a good amount of work, without making yourself go crazy. In the end college is about the experience. It's not about pursuing the perfect means to your chosen end. Oftentimes, it's about determining what you want that means to be. Regardless of how your individual experience winds up, it will be the right experience for you...if you allow it to be.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that where I do to college isn't as important as what I do there. When I initially started to apply for college, I was convinced that if I didn't get into my top choice school, college wasn't going to be worth it. As a result, I wasn't particularly excited when I realized that my best option after admission decisions came out was George Washington University. It wasn't my first choice; it wasn't even my second choice. However, within my first couple of weeks at GW, I realized it was the perfect place for me. Although the students here are perhaps not as academically focused as at some other schools, there are endless educational opportunities outside of the classroom, and I've found myself more intellectually challanged than I expected. More than that, though, the students here love it. There is the perfect balance of school and extracurricular activities, and the campus is a real community. I would like to tell myself senior year to get read to be pleasantly surprised.

I think I made the right decision in going to state college and transffering however I wish that I could have waited for a college that I wanted to go to. This is college is fine and has a good name to it however I don't believe the 40 k a year is worth it. I wish I could have gone to a cheaper state college in another state so I could have gotten a great education at a reasonable price