Georgetown University Top Questions

My advice would be twofold: 1) treat school like a job and 2) pursue a topic you are passionate about. Following the second bit of advice makes following the first much easier.

If I could give my high school self advice for college, this is what I would say: Study what you are passionate about. Join clubs. Meet as many people as possible. Take classes that challenge you, not only ones that give easy As. Meet with your professors regularly. Get internships, it’s your way to a job after you graduate. Learn how to cite properly now. If you are going to gain the freshman 15, do so from eating the free ice cream in the cafeteria. Bring a memory foam to put on your dorm room bed. Speak up in discussion section, its good practice for the “real world.” Be a clean roommate. Date the nice boys, not the hot boys. Take more credits than necessary. Don’t post your entire life on Facebook. Join and create study groups. Learn what you have to read, and what you can skim. Start drinking coffee. Call your parents and grandparents regularly, they will appreciate it. Keep perspective and balance. Save money by sharing clothes with your girlfriends. Work hard. Sleep after you graduate.

I would tell myself that college will be the best time of your life and Georgetown is exactly everything you are looking for in a college, so don't stress about choosing a college! Then, I would tell myself that although college will be incredibly fun, exciting, and educational it will be very hard. It will be so hard leaving all your friends and family behind, moving to the otherside of the country, and adjusting not only to a new living environment, but to a new educational environment. Yet, don't worry because there will be so many people around to help and support you. You are not alone! Finally, I would tell myself to seize every moment afforded to you and to not have any regrets at the end of four years.

At first college life is really terrible. The orientation will seem like a cult-like brainwashing event, the arranged social gatherings become competitions to see how "cool" you are according to high school standards, and everyone will immediately form what will seem like unbreakable bonds with people they find any kind of common ground with. The upperclassmen will say how much they love college but you won't see it. This initial phase doesn't last. Eventually people stop panicking about having friends or creating that "college experience" and start acting like themselves. Get your feet on solid ground and resist the impulse to cling to certain people because you feel alone. Be a social butterfly, talk to everyone and don't write anyone off initially. Obviously you won't become best friends with everyone but you'll never meet your future best friends by only hanging out with people just because you come from the same state. Don't worry - in due time college will become amazing and you'll be the Senior, scaring the Freshman with your enthusiasm and being sad because you have to leave.

The truth is, nothing can truly prepare us for the harsh and often cruel future. I could happily and carelessly hop into a time machine, accidentally teleport myself to when I was a senior in High School instead of my desired location in the Victorian Era; and take an evening to speak to my immature, needlessly troubled and carefree self. I would tell myself to learn to enjoy the little things during my last High School year, to cherish and treasure my beloved friends, to keep in touch with them no matter what, to spend more time with my family, for I would not be able to continue living in my cozy, tiny and warm house with them. I would remind myself that good things come to those who wait, to not stress so much over insignificant things, to remember that practice makes perfect and that the biggest mistake I could make was simply not allow myself to make mistakes! I would tell myself how strong I am, advice myself to smile more often, be more confident, take each class in college with a better attitude and always remain hardworking, determined and positive.

Focus and don't worry so much about fitting in and experiencing the social life. In the grand scheme of things, true friends will hang around regardless of whether you go partying every weekend.

Well, in High School I feel like I did the best that I can possibly do. I have always enjoyed attending school so I have always pushed myself to my full potential. If I were to go back in time to talk to myself, I would not change a thing. In High School I would always change my schedule and tell my counselor to put me in AP an Honor classes. Since I took AP courses, college seems fairly easy. The work I get in college is about the same amount of work that I use to get in High School. I felt like the transition was a piece of cake. The only main difference is that my friends are not with me every second of the day. I feel more focused in college and I appreciate the fact that I did not slack off in High School. My senior year was fun and I do not regret anyting about it. College life now is different but it's not someting that will push me back from my ultimate career goals. I actually feel more prepaired for any obstacle that comes my way.

My whole life has been filled with working towards getting into a good college so that I could find a good job and support my family. This is common to most people and is often considered part of the American dream. However, now that I am at a different stage of my life, enrolled in an amazing university, and I am reflecting on my life so far, I realize that besides all the hard work I put in, I was so focused on the future, that I was not able to enjoy the present as much as I could have when I was younger. This makes me sound old and it also makes me sound as though I wish I had goofed off more, but this is not the case. I mean to say that I wish I had stopped to smell the roses more often and enjoy the simple pleasures of being a child because they quickly slip away and sooner than expected the only focus in life is when the next student loan payment is due. I definitely would have told myself to focus more on my studies, read more, etc, but more importantly to enjoy life.

If I could go back, and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would stress to myself that life has more meaning to it that studying and exams. In high school, I neglected many socializing opportunities because of the competitive race to enter college. I would tell myself to take a step back from it all, and to really take in my experience as a high school senior. I have friends who really enjoyed themselves during senior year, and I wish I could say the same thing. I think that although "senioritis" is becoming a serious problem nationwide, academics should not be the only focus of high school. I found this in myself after beginning my freshman year at a Jesuit University. At Georgetown, I learned about "Cura Personalis" or "care of the whole person". There is more that makes a teenager than good grades. There are friends, family, and self. All of these aspects of life have to be balanced in order to live a fulfilling life, and I regret that it took me this long to begin understanding this. If I had understood this as a senior, I think I would have enjoyed high school more.

Find your comfort zone, and then leave it. In college you will encounter artists, mathematicians, philosophers, future presidents, and other scholars. You will meet and befriend students and professors representing different countries throughout the world community. You will collaborate with Republicans and Democrats, LGBT students, shy and outgoing individuals. As you will come across a broad range of fields, interests, and individuals for the next four years of your life, you should always remember to be open-minded. Every individual has a story and lessons to share, and you should be willing to listen, observe, and absorb. You will feel uncomfortable at times, but discomfort is part of the learning process and molds you into a critical thinker. Through exploring myriad perspectives and through even challenging your own ideas, you will learn how to juxtapose and integrate ideas from different fields into one cohesive understanding. For example, your future self has written essays on the upward social mobility of rappers Nicki Minaj and Tupac Shakur for a Sociology class. She has contacted and interviewed students from Asia for a presentation. Through escaping the threshold of your comfort zone, you will excel in school and, simultaneously, find enjoyment in your work.

It's hard to believe that I have been out of high school for 16 years, but boy do I have some advice for my high school self. First off, I'd grab myself by the shoulders and give them a good shaking to wake up. I'd tell myself to hit the books and make sure I was Valedictorian and nothing less. I would get into the University of my choice and focus on nothing else but being a 4.0 student and not let anyone or anything stop me. I have always had dreams of becoming a teacher and kept putting it off due to a teacher's income. That's no longer important. What's most important and the biggest advice I could give myself is to follow my heart and my dreams and realize that people have passions in life because it is what they are built for and now at 33, I know without a doubt my life destiny is to be a teacher. A good teacher, in which I will be, does not do it for the money, he or she does it for the intrinsic joy it brings to see a child learn.

The first thing I'd tell my younger self is to do more extracurriculars and take more AP tests. The college credit from the exams dramatically decrease the amount of work you have to do in college. Specifically, the AP Statistics and Economics exams, as those two subjects can be easily taken care of. In the non-academic side of life, I'd inform my younger self that extracurriculars are where the real fun is had, and without them, life will be quite dull. The second piece of advice I'd give myself is on how to make the transition to college life easier, you should have the expectation that you will not do as well as you did in high school. At a university like GU, you are among those who are just as smart as, if not smarter than, you are. This changes the grade distribution, and will likely land you in the B range. You must also realize that college is a mountain of work, and that even making the average B will require much more effort than getting an A in high school.

I would tell myself to not be afraid to learn something new. A new way of life, a new way to dress and a new way to learn were all things I had trouble coping with when I started at Georgetown. Focusing on superficial things such as differences in East Coast style and mannerisms really thwarted my ability to get to know the people and the culture on campus which is what makes Georgetown so amazing to attend. Holding on to past tendancies from California and looking for friends who reflected those values was such a mistake that really hindered my growth. I'm glad that I was able to overcome that and meet the best friends of my life, although it would have been great to meet them sooner.

Don’t feel sorry for yourself because you’re not as well off as the rest of them; revel in the mere fact of being different. Tell them how your get into arguments with your mother while washing the dishes because she thinks that you’re wasting water, or how your father doesn't leave the house on weekends because gas is too expensive. Blast your soulful, harsh African music, wear bright, ostentatious colors, have your hair braided, and dance to the sounds of your homeland on the way to class. Take classes that will help you understand social cleavages, political and conomic developments; join clubs that will help you effect social change. Take on leadership positions, make a difference in a child’s life, and never forget just how fortunate you truly are. Stop thinking so much about yourself! Wake up in the morning and think: “How can I help someone today? What can I do at this world-renowned university that will not only serve me in the future, but also help me make a difference in the world?” Dream not just for you, but even more for those who will never see the gates of a university.

This is what I would say to my high school self. "Listen to me, April. College is definitely something you really need to work hard in. That means no fooling around, no more video games, no computer games, and no writing stories... Well you can still do that, but there's a little something called Time Management. Trust me, you're gonna need to learn that now. You're gonna have to use most of your time studying, and preparing for upcoming tests and projects. If you could get ahead of schedule, then you'll have some extra time for other stuff. Oh, and another thing: DO. NOT. PROCRASTINATE. It's gonna smack you in the face if you do that. "

If I could go back to my senior year of high school I would tell myself to finish college with the scholarship I recieved and not join the army. Altough the US Army taught me many things it has not helped me in the work force. The only thing that will help in the work force is a college education.

You are making the big leap to college. Do not worry about failing your classes, that is basically impossible. Instead, focus on skills you are going to want in college. After all, Mom has a wealth of knowledge on sewing, cooking, and medicine. Dad knows about finance and law. While you might rather be out getting a tan, which is actually going to be a burn, learn something an adult should know. At first, the cafeteria seem like a gift from God, unlimited pizza and ice cream, after a while you will find yourself craving something else. With a kitchen in your common room, you could make Asian flank steak from Mom's recipe. I know that you already know how to make cookies, brownies and the like, but extend that knowledge to actual meals. Maybe also have her teach you how to hem a skirt, she is a seamstress. I understand that Dad esentially filled out the FAFSA, but you really need to gain some understanding about finance. Soon you are going to be renting an apartment and paying taxes, learn a few things from your lawyer Dade. Essentially, don't waste your last summer at home.

Thanks to my wonderful but often overachieving teachers, I have been preparing for the next step in my life since 5th grade. 5th grade prepared us for middle school, middle school prepared us for high school, and high school prepared us for college. Having experienced a year of college, I realize I was, perhaps, over prepared. While this made the transition fairly painless, the stress of working to pay off student loans makes me miss the days when unlimited extracurriculars consumed the majority of my time. Yet, I feel that I didn’t appreciate them at the time. “Present me” would tell “high-school-senior-me” to value my activities for the reasons they became a part of my life, not as prerequisites for the greater goal of college. When I started playing the cello or tutoring children it was not out of obligation to fill up an application, but because that’s what I loved to do. Perhaps if I had that attitude senior year, I would be able to look back on my high school career and see it as more than just a transient stepping stone towards what I assumed would be a more fulfilling college life.

I would tell myself not to worry so much about choosing the one right school. There are plenty of schools that you can be happy and do well at.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be prepared for the adjustment that takes place the first two weeks or the first month of college. I'd tell myself that it'd be hard to make friends, to get used to living away from home, and to adjust to the new campus but not to give up because no matter how you felt that day, in a couple weeks it'll be just fine. You will find friends, you will find your "niche" at school and it'll all work out. I'd also tell myself to balance my academics with athletics and extracurricular activities. Other than that, enjoy college!