Massachusetts College of Art and Design Top Questions

Considering the possibility of time travel, I would use this opportunity to advise my past self on three main point; friends, study habits and teachers. Friends can give you the best of times and can really fill high school with great memories, but sometimes they can be distracting and cause too much fun. For instance, there could be a test that you have to study for, but instead you decide go to a party because your friends convinced you. You end up jeopardizing your chances at doing exceptionally well in class simply because of a good night. Therefore, choose your friends wisely and do what you think is best for you. This subject connects well with study habits. Beginning to study for a test the night before is not the best option. Use your time wisely and prepare yourself for the test early so that if you do want to go out, you will have already prepared your self enough. Finally, teachers, they can be your friends or your enemies. Try to create a relationship with teachers so that they can guide you and create a bridge for further success upon graduation. Remember, you only get one shot.

Be as open-minded as you can be. Not only in the sense of others, but for yourself, be open to change. Do not expect to know exactly what you will want to major in or where you will want to live; even if you have your mind set on something, carry forth receptively. If something sparks your interest, go for it, no matter how it "fits" into your future. For example, I attend Massachusetts College of Art. I went with the intentions to study art history and painting; however, once I got to school and stepped into the metalsmithing foundry, I was taken off that course. My roommate and I, both extremely curious in the foundry, participated in and "iron pour," during which one really pours moltent iron into castings to create sculptures. Then, I took an elective course titled "Beat Research," which was about hip-hop and electronic music. I was introduced into a world of audio and video editing, which I found to enjoy and be quite good at. Be passionate in whatever makes you satisfied, but don't let habit interfere with trying new things. You'll be surprised where you find yourself happiest.

Prove them all wrong. Higher education is more obtainable then you think.

In college the people there have common interests as you and you will meet some of the best friends you will have. the work load is a lot but dueable so don't be discouraged. and the teachers want to see you experiment so take a risk and do something out of your comfort zone for projects. you won't make yourself standout if you choose the safe route. the food is absolutely terrible and there is no getting around that so buy a fridge. the teachers aren't as terrifying as they appear at first so don't freak out, seriously the craziest ones will turn out to be your favorite because they push you and raise your expetations. you got this don't freak out college is amazing!

If I was allowed to go back in time and talk to myself I would tell myself not to worry so much about what others think. The clothes you wear, the car you drive, and the friends you have don't matter. The main importance is to study hard and work on getting a good education. The kids who tried their best, and were not worried about being cool are the ones who are successful today. They had an inner resiliency that I wish I possessed at the time. Even if you lack the support systems to obtain an education, use your inner strength to reach your goals. Anything is possible. Never give up on your dreams. I do have the stength and determination to make it now.

My advice to myself as a senior in highschool is this: College is a resource, just like a pen or a pencil. A pencil will not write a paper on its own, you must write with it. Sitting in a classroom will not make you more educated, you have to listen with a sense of curiosity and that will help you achieve a better education. Never lose your curiousity. Always want to know more, about everything, even if it is not in your major. Learn about life. Do not get wrapped up in your image and what people want you to be. You live your life, no one else does. Think over that statement for a while. Do not allow yourself to settle. KNOW what you want, and go for it at full force. Do not make excuses for yourself. You have potential to be everything you want to be. You are young, you have so much to learn and explore. Find the beauty in exploration. Do not spend your money on things you do not need. Remember that shirt you bought freshman year of college? No? Remember the knowledge you obtained in your classes? You will have that forever.

Time management is key for college. Planning out projects according to the amount of time given is so important. Otherwise you will get stressed and you will be very tired from the lack of sleep you will get. Classes can be up to five or six hours long, so lack of sleep is not good if you want to succeed.

I was never a high school senior but I feel I would tell my 15 year old self that it's perfectly alright to take my time and get my GED instead. I would reassure myself that having severe social anxiety won't stunt me too much, things will get better, and to pat myself on the back for my courage. I would also advise my teen self to read up on everything I can about the application process and warn her that the financial aid offices will try to omit help that is available to me. As a first genereation college student it's super important to be a step ahead of everyone else and ask as many questions as I can! If I could find a college more able to help me, I would advise myself to look them up and apply despite my high school GPA being awful due to family issues, my SATS will be pretty good and I will easily achieve a 3.75+ GPA at college. I would tell myself not to beat myself up about my shortcomings but to celebrate the things I exceed at.

If I could go back to my senior year and talk to myself, I'd tell myself to go to college immediately. The longer you wait to go, the harder it is to finish. Life starts and obstacles begin that may become uncontrolable. Make sure you pace yourself and don't rush. Do not overwhelmed yourself by enrolling in more than you can manage.

If there's one thing that I wish I knew before going to college that would have to be wear good sneakers. The amount of walking, running, moving and standing that you will be doing far exceeds the desire to have any type of non-practical shoe. The teachers will change, the amount of homework you'll receive will increase, the number of hours you sleep will decrease, the people you meet will be vastly different from all the people you grew up with, and the knowledge you gain will be exponetially more then you ever thought you could know; you knew all that was already coming. But out of all the things that I did not see coming was the pain and strain placed on my feet from not having a decent pair of shoes. So if there is one thing you should do, invest in a good pair of sneakers.... or ask for them for Christmas.