Pepperdine University Top Questions

Spend more time with your frieds. You spent too much time hiding in your room. Make friends, go on adventures, have fun, make memories. Yes spend time on your studies, but make the time for friends. So many of the people I know are going abroad next year. Spend time with them while you still have the chance. Explore LA, fall in love, go to the beach. Do everything you can to build your friendships so that they last. Because you are surrounded by some of the best peope in the world. Don't ever let them go without telling them that.

I would tell myself that everything will be just fine. The transition into a new area from a predominantly African American community was difficult but it is something that can definitely be overcome. There are so many ways for you to get involved on campus and you should take advantage of every open door that you get, no matter how uncomfortable you may be. Times will be rough for you mentally and emotionally but do not give up and do not let anyone else make you feel like you are any less than awesome. Do not forget that you will be in California, a place that you have always wanted to be and a place that no one in your entire family has gone. Enjoy every second of it, even if you are hurting more than you are feeling the pleasure of it. Smile whenever, laugh harder, and know that you are a brilliant young man. Most importantly, no matter what, do not forget that right now is not forever.

College IS better, but it will come with its own set of flaws. Learn this about yourself right now: Sometimes the problem is not the circumstance you are in, but YOU. Not everything is perfect or can be perfect, but look at the benefits.

College is exactly what you make it to be. The basis of college life is that you are surrounded by mountains of potential, and it is your choice and your choice alone which one you will climb. College life seeks to present you with every opportunity that it can, from classes and free lectures to job opportunities and social events. There is so much more to college than just education, though that is still important. The memories you create, decisions you make, people you meet, and paths you take are all building blocks that make you the individual you are. With this in mind, don't go to college expecting growth and success to come to you; you must choose among the many opportunites around you and go chase after your goals and desires. Work hard forand enjoy the things that matter to you, and try to realize that everything matters. Everything, from the essays you write and the firends you make to the plays you attend and the books you read matter. Whatever you do, don't waste the potential that college holds for you. Do the work. Have an adventure. Truly live the college life.

I would tell myself to always live in the moment. I know that sounds cheesy but as I've been in college and gotten older I've learner to take every opportunity that is thrown at me and I wish I would've done that in high school. I would tell myself that family is so important but having friends is also very important. I would tell myself to take more AP classes and take the AP exam seriously because it helps out so much with credits in college! I would also tell myself to not think of what others think, to do what your heart wants and it doesn't matter if people judge you! People will be judging you your whole life.

The advice I would give to myself would be to get involved in more activities on campus. I held off on joining many activities my first semester because I did not want to overload myself. However, I missed out on many amazing opportunities, and missed out on meeting some wonderful people.

It will get better. That's something you always hear when people are going through a rough time. You've heard it and said it a bunch of times. But how much do you believe it? When you go to college, things really will get better. How? Because in college, your reputation matters to only you. In high school, you worried so much about what people thought of you. So much that you were paralyzed into being someone you weren't fully comfortable being. So much that you weren't able to do things you wanted to do. So much that you ended up with a bunch of emotional baggage in college. It's gonna be a tough wall to break but when you do, you realize you are bound by nothing in your goals. And you make new goals because you discover things about yourself that you didn't let yourself in high school. No one can stop you from finding yourself and setting, pursuing, and achieving your goals: that's the mentality you want to have in college. Why? Because college is a new start. It's the start of your new life. And it will be better.

I would tell myself to sleep, to focus more on homework, and to enjoy being young without financial responsiblity or real-world stressors. I would tell myself to keep dreaming, because dreams really are attainable! Never in high school would I have imagine I would've accomplished all that I ralready have as a sophomore in college. Lastly, I would tell myself not to sweat the little things, because life is intentional and wonderful and worthy of living!!

Love to Learn, learn to be thankful, be thankful to live, live to love: if I could go back, this is what I would tell my high school self. It's silly to say but my self-worth as a student was dependent on a 4.0 scale. I lacked the fervent desire to learn simply for the sake of learning. The ability to love learning triumphs any number or letter grade. After I left my hometown and experienced life in a different setting, I realized all which I had missed and had forgotten to appreciate. Step back, open your mind, look outside yourself and learn to be thankful. Life is a difficult, extroardinary, precious and brief gift; go, do, and see but treat it as such! Loss taught me to embrace all facets of life. The term "agape" is a Greek term which describes love in the most selfless way possible. Living life in such a way where agape, this type of love, is expressed will enhance one's life in the fullest form. Learn, be thankful, live, love.

In my opinion the majority of people on this planet aren't really living, they are merely existing. Living entails much more than settling in to mundane familiarity; it means spending your years as a curious student of this planet, seeking to know and experience everything it has to offer. This is what the transition to college has taught me, and this is what I wish I had known as a high school senior. There is so much more to life than stressing about social status, GPA's, and acceptance letters. Invest in relatiobships, be curious, and don't let the pressures of school keep you from seeking the things that you are passionate about.

Do not stress as much. Even though college is a transition and the classes are a lot different than high school, if you prepare yourself in high school properly then you will have nothing to worry about in college except making sure that you get to class on time.

Be bold. Don't worry about how others perceive you. I wish that I had acted like myself from the beginning and boldly stood up for who I was.

Relax, and don't worry so much about making the decision. One ends up where one is meant to be and there will always be pros and cons there. There is no "perfect" school so one must just realize what is most important to them and look for those things, while recognizing it won't be perfect. Also, do not idealize college life. Whatever problems you have now, college is not likely to make them disappear and make your life perfect. There are new exciting things and life experiences to look forward to, but also hard things. But these hard things can be just as exciting and offer many opportunities, so there is no reason to despair about struggles. Most importantly, enjoy where you are at now, because is the happiest place you can be.

Colleges like exta-curriculars. They like to know that they are getting a student who will get involved at their University. They like to see that you don't spend all your time by yourself, in your room, playing video games. So get involved during your senior year. It's your last year there. Try out for the play. Join the knitting club. Let the colleges know that you like to get involved. You'll have a lot of fun doing it too. Universities also like to see you finish your senior year strong. They are able to take away a scholarship or admission if they see that you have been slacking off. It happens every year. So get involved and finish strong. You'll thank yourself later.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college, I would advise myself to focus on enjoying every minute even when it gets tough. I would tell myself that it is going to be very difficult academically and explain to myself that I need to be mentally prepared to work hard. But my biggest piece of advice would be to eradicate all of the expectations I have going into the next chapter of my life and savor each moment I experience.

Pick a school which fits your needs best, not which fits the needs of those around you currently. Tour a school and see what it feels like to sit in the cafeteria; do the students seem nice, or are they too anxious to notice their surroundings? Pick a school based on the people who go there and work there, not what the people you know now think of them. The people you are currently surrounded by will soon be merely people you once knew, and the people you see on these campuses: laughing, playing, studying, eating, will be there group to which you belong. Find the school where you best belong, and apply to show them that you do belong there. The finances will work out later.

I am the oldest of three siblings and as I watch my younger siblings prepare to enter college I often reflect on my own personal journey and consider what I would have changed if I knew then what I know now. Now, as I enter my fourth and final year as a student, I realize that the most important bit of advice I could share with my younger self would be to "take the leap". There are countless opportunities that I have missed due to fear; fear that I would fail, fear that I would embarrass myself, or fear that I wasn't good enough. My college experience could have been even better had I just taken that leap of faith and pushed myself through the fear. I would tell myself that every face I see is a potential friend, every event I attend is an opportunity to make lasting memories, and every fear I face is a chance to grow; but that these opportunities only come to those who take that leap. Failing is a part of life, but if you never take that leap you will never know how much more beautiful life can be.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to enjoy senior year more. When I look back, I realize how stressed I was about college and the future, that I did not allow myself to sit back and enjoy the perks of being the oldest in school. I believe I was prepared for the transition, and there is not much I would change about the preparation for that. Compared to most, I think that I handled the transition into college life pretty well. Throughout my life, I have always been independent, and that really helped in moving across the country to attend school. Looking back, I am glad my parents and teachers pushed me as hard as they did, because it has made the huge life change of college a whole lot easier.

I would advise my high school self to relax, take a deep breath, and trust. Trust in my abilities, what I've learned from my experiences, and in the people who are here to help me to succeed. Take each challenge bird by bird. Don't scrutinize over every word in the textbook; bubble out bigger encompassing concepts so you can retain them. Follow your natural learning curve. Processing every word of information robotically from the material you are given isn't going to give you the A. Stop stressing and take it one thing at a time.

If I could give my senior self one bit of advice, I would give this simple analogy: Your life is a film. It starts with a bang and from there it has the potential of a pleathora of endless possibilities. But, only if you let it. And, the only thing that ruins that film's future of greatness is fear. As far as I'm concerned, college is where your life really starts; it's the beginning of your Oscar nominated film. College is one of the most stressful yet thrilling experiences you'll ever have; one, you will only get to live once. Sure, the transition is going to be daunting. You'll miss home. You'll want to give up. And there may be everything to fear, but you can't let fear stand in the way. Because if you let fear get the best of you, fear wins. College is only the beginning of your future of infinite potential. So, make your beginning memorable because that Oscar is waiting for you. Be that box office hit. Be the leading lady of your own life. You can succeed. You will succeed. You only need to be brave.