San Diego State University Top Questions

Dear 18-year-old Alyssa, You almost made it. You're eager to get out and explore the world away from the small town you've been living in for the past 18 years, but don't rush. Take a second to stop and enjoy the little things....Friday night football games, your own room, or living five minutes away from your best friend. College will be the time of your life, but it will come when you're ready. Start by learning how to live on your own. Ask mom how to cook your favorite meal, how to pay your own credit card bill, or how to read the laundry tags on your shirt that no one seems to understand but moms. But the thing I will stress the most: enjoy the time with friends and family. It won't hit you until the second mom leaves and you're sitting in the dorm with a person you only met a few hours ago. Go fishing with grandpa, go see a movie with your brother, or sit around and just watch tv with friends. The craziest, most emotional, sleepless, and fun college days are ahead...but they can wait.

To high school me, apply to scholarships as if your life depends on it, because in a way, it does. Start your search as early as possible: it will create a wonderful cushion for your years as a college student. If you build the habit now, it will be easier to factor into your schedule as you go along. You will know where to find scholarships, and less fearful in acquiring the materials necessary for certain scholarships. You will be accustomed to the process, which will help in college. You should be ambitious when applying for jobs. Do not be afraid to enter the business, to call numerous times and ssk the status of your job application. Do not let fear rob you of opportunities. Companies get numerous applicants; you are not being annoying, but persistent. Introducing yourself is the first step to networking, so do not be afraid to do it. Most of the time, you get a job based not on what you know, but whom you know. When you do get contacts, do not be afraid to use them; that is their sole purpose.

You're going to do everything exactly the way you think it should be done.

I would tell high school me to lower my expectations of self-assurance. It's OK to not know exactly what you want to do, and it's also OK if you decide to change midway through--or even after--undergrad. This will be a time of self discovery and uncovering your identity, so try to balance these new changes and foreign environments with your roots and your passions. The only way to get to know yourself is to listen to your impulses, and follow what "shimmers" to you. Do the work, put in the hours, be nice--these are what you will come to live by, and they will be helpful in all aspects of life and study. Only hang out with people, nice people, you actually like--time is a premium and you don't need to be phony for fear of someone (who doesn't deserve your time or freindship) not liking you. Live generously, but be selfish about your time. Implement a strong work ethic and know that every second you dedicate to bettering yourself and your craft will be a second well-spent. Most importantly, be as nice to yourself as you are to others.

Do not take things for granted, Baotran. As a psychology major in an undergraduate program at San Diego State University, I have made a strenuous journey through academia. I have identified with my lowest point in my college career when I was on academic probation. I was entangled with family affairs and my own personal dilemmas that caused an imbalance in me. These caveats distracted from concentrating on my classes. With regard to that issue, I was able to recover through strong willpower and support system. I was raised that only through arduous work will you attain success and that continues to be the mantra I recall when I strive to excel in school and work. My only advice for high school self is to never lose hopes and do not let fear keep you from finishing. I would tell myself to not underestimate the classes at a university and to explore the different opportunities being offered such as scholarships and interships.

Senior year was a whirlwind of emotions. When there was a break from senior activities, I was either doing homework or dreaming about college (honestly most of the time I spent doing my homework, I dreamt about college). As corny as it sounds, if I could go back I would tell myself to appreciate the present rather than thinking about the future so often. I know if high school seniors are reading this, they are probably scoffing at me and mentally telling me how bad high school sucks. From the mandatory classes, strict campus rules, and regulated bathroom trips; high school almost seems like a prison to teenagers. While high school may seem like a bore now, soon students find themselves missing things that high school life offers that college doesn't. I would tell my high school self to appreciate the little things like a home-cooked meal, school dances, or a warm shower you can take without having to wear shower shoes. Because even though the present may seem dull now, appreciate it, because once it is gone it is gone for good; the future will always be there and college can wait.

Fabian, you must feel proud of yourself for reaching senior grade in high school. Your GPA is now 3.5 when in junior year it was 1.3. You are two years drug free but the battle is not over yet. You have done plenty to reach your goals. College is more than what you can imagine. Prepare yourself to meet people from all over the world. You will be challenged in every way. You must be independent from your parents because your father’s own alcoholism and drug addiction is severely affecting you and that will make your college transition harder. With this emotional barrier, you will not be able to succeed in college because college is mind challenging. There are plenty of services for you, don’t be shy to get assisted. There is a career here in college waiting for you as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. You are not the only one; there are people here in college that have overcome your same obstacles. Do not give up because there is a beautiful future waiting for you here in college. There are youths waiting for you to share them your life and how you changed it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself the advice to learn how to cook good healthy meals. I would give myself that advice because many of the meals at school are not healthy. They help you gain the freshmen 15. I would also tell myself that I need to be more productive with my time because in college there is no time for procasination. My schedule is very busy mostly every week so I need to learn some time management skills to accomplish everything that I have to get done.

Dear Marissa, Just breathe. Although balancing your time between college applications, scholarship applications, senior activities, a job, extracurriculars, a social life, family time, and homework may be stressful at times, trust me, it is all worth it when you're in college and can say, "I'm living my dream. My dreams became my reality." Remain passionate about learning, passionate about your future, and passionate about your desired career. If you keep your eye on the prize, everything else will fall into place. Think positive and positive things will happen. If you do not get accepted to one of your "top colleges," realize that all things happen for a reason- you will end up where you're supposed to be. Embrace the atmosphere of your last year of high school. This is a pivotal moment in your life, it should be celebrated as you're preparing for the beginning of the rest of your life. There are times to be serious but don't forget to have fun. You should be able to go to college with no regrets about what you "should have done" in high school. Again, just breathe. Everything will be okay. Your future self, Marissa Torres

The advice that I would have given my high school self is to relax about the transition. College is not as different from high school and that time of my life than it was made out to be. Really it is all just continuing to be the same person that you are in high school in college and everything will go smoothly.