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.

I would sit my past self down, look him in the eyes, and tell him that college is possible and that he is well on his way to get to the starting line. I would tell him that he needs to better prepare for the costs of tuition by applying to every scholarship that he finds, whether through the internet or through an announcement that comes through the intercom at Nile C. Kinnick High. He also needs to do more research into what needs to be done to attend San Diego State. I would tell him to look through the student manual, as troublesome as that sounds, and look for the missing pieces and to never stop. He would avoid a good amount of hassle and save himself from a few very close calls in the future. Though I am not completely out of the woods at present, letting my high school senior self know these facts would have made me further out of trouble, debt really, than I am now.

I was so shy in high school, and so terrified of new things. I was sure I was going to be stuck in my hometown forever. I wish I could go back and tell myself to just relax. I lacked all confidence like most teenagers do, and fortunately most of us gain it with age. Somehow I grew and became a confident, strong woman. I have gained so much knowledge over the years, and I have experienced some truly amazing things since I have been out of high school. If only high school me could see where we are now, what a shock that would be. Although I wish I could share what wonderful things were to come I don’t think I would actually go back in time. Why? Well, if I do that then I would never have the ability to experience the growth that has brought me here today. I would be cheating myself of something so priceless and beautiful.

Apply for more scholarships!! Also plan your time very wisely

The advice I would give to my high school senior self is to start thinking about what makes me happy, and what can I see myself doing long term after I graduated. I feel as if I had no idea what I wanted to do and ended up following the path of my parents. Now going into my third year of college I am starting to realize that sitting at a desk for hours at a time and not having the chance to truly interact with others, is something that is not appealing to me at all. As a high school senior, I would actually do research on the different majors, and reach out to the college counselors on what each major has to offer, instead of just picking something that was familiar in my family. College is a great experience that teaches you a lot about yourself, and sometimes it is nice to have known sooner, but if given the chance I would actually pick what speaks to me, and not just what speaks to my family. I would definately be more proactive in deciding my future rather than just allowing Accounting to be what I THINK I want.

Don’t be afraid of change and challenge. Be prepared to have the ultimate tool at your disposal, knowledge. Be inspired, look up in the face of difference and be a stronger person for understanding your goals, morals, and beliefs. Do not let those on the opposite side of the fence scare you, let them inspire you. Do not give up when things become challenging and it seems as if there are not enough hours in the day to complete the things needed, take a breath, play an inspiring song, dance around your living room, then get back to business. The stress you feel tomorrow with be the stress that helps you accomplish the goals of your life. Imagine waking up every day to a career that inspires you more and more instead of the retail job you hate today. Just stay passionate, do not let anyone tell you that you cannot accomplish every dream you have. Most of all do not give up when times are low, keep your eyes on the golden prize.

Dear High School Senior Carlie, Transfer to Poway High School so that you don't just sit around doing nothing with your final year when you could be out there exploring your options and utilizing a project to help your later career. Rancho Bernardo High has been a good high school but no one appreciates the hard work and effort you put in. Go to Poway to do something meaningful for your senior year. Go to Poway and work hard on your senior project so that you can leave a final footstep for others that will follow. College is going to be a big step and you're going to have to rely on yourself more than you already have. College IS hard, but it's so worth it. It's worth all the work you've put in already. And even though it's only going to get tougher, you'll never be given more than you can handle. You are strong. Nothing is easy because if it were, as cliche as it is, it wouldn't be worth it. YOU CAN DO IT. Love, Third-Year of College Carlie

I won’t lie, your first week of college will be strange and confusing. Classrooms suddenly grow to 10 times the size of what you’re currently used to, making friends somehow becomes even more frightening and difficult, and now you’re left with several hours between classes wondering how the hell you should be spending your time. I know the prospect of all this and more is giving you serious heart palpitations, but I’m here to tell you to take a deep breath and relax. I know by your very nature that you love to dwell and worry over every little thing so let me ease your anxiety by also telling you that things do and can get better, but that depends entirely on what you put into it. Take more risks, take more naps, study, talk to everyone (even the professors), get help, be helpful, laugh and cry if you need to. Just don’t be in the background of your own story for any longer. This is college-- you make the decisions. Also, don’t fall too hard for your awkward-but-cute Calculus TA, it will only end in heartbreak.

I would tell myself to approach every situation that you ever encounter objectively so as to be able to understand the viewpoint of the opposing side. In doing so, you better understand the wants, desires and needs of those whom you interact. Whenever you are able to understand such intimicies of a person's situation, you are then better able to devise a strategy that will provide both of you with the most optimal outcome. While opportunity costs may be incurred, a good comprimise leaves both sides unhappy, because they cannot both attain exactly the amount of extent of what they desire. However, by evaluating your opponent's case objectively, you have provided not only the most feasible solution to whatever problem may have arisen but have also grown in your understanding of the person in question. You can apply this across the board to business, to interpersonal relationships as well as to whatever may arise in your life. By understanding a thing from all viewpoints, we become a stronger collective working towards a unified, non-biased solution. In short, try and be objective so as to facilitate caring and love in the world.

Keep up the hard work, and you will achieve your goal of getting into graduate school the first time you apply. Ultimately your gut feeling leads you to the right path, and you will get to experience so much during your time at SDSU from being involved in clubs, volunteering in your community, and being a member of the SDSU Dance Team. You should absolutely continue to apply for scholarships throughout your college career. Trust me, we are in a lot of debt, and that is the one thing that I would have done differently. Being financially independent is hard, but try not to let it upset you. Also, when you find out that you are moving all the way to Massachusetts for grad school, make sure to apply for scholarships at that time as well. You will need a lot of money for when you have to travel to hospitals all over New England during rotations. College Self, you will learn and grow so much in these next few years. You will achieve great success, and even graduate Cum Laude, so I do not have a lot of advice for you, other than please try to decrease our debt.

Kim, You are nervous, and being nervous is completely understandable. However, also unnecessary. You are about to embark on a life altering journey. You will gain rich experiences, a wealth of knowledge, and relationships that will last you forever. The unknown is intimidating, but you are going to love it. You have recently joked that you are going to learn forever and be a college student for life! It's worth the fear of the future, the anxieties about making the wrong decisions, the unease of transitioning and soon, the late study nights! You will undergo change so drastic, it would be hard to grasp now. You will mature into a confident, passionate, and driven woman. Still, the most exciting development will be the realization and formation of your goals. Right now, you are unsure of the direction to take. That will soon change. You are about to fall into your passion and realize your dreams. I won’t give it away, but the best part of it, is that your life will be about improving the lives of others. That should be all the reassurance you need. Kim, get ready for some of the best years of your life!