San Francisco State University Top Questions

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior; I would tell myself to dive deeper into my art. I love to speak and write, and during my senior year I had many opportunities to express myself in these venues. I was captain of my schools speech team, head editor of my school newspaper, and a very prominent thespian in my schools theater department. In all of these artistic outlets the one thing I allowed myself to do was supervise others. In my schools newspaper I never wrote anything; in speech I tried to educate all of the new recruits and never allowed myself to actually speak. Finally in my schools theater department I never allowed myself to act, I only directed. Had I known then, that my year would have been less fulfilling due to my voluntary responsibilities I would have acted much differently. Now that I am a college freshman I find myself with fewer creative outlets, and because of that I find my new work load more stressful. If I had even one new form of expression I would be much happier.

I would advise myself to learn how to accept and adapt. Being in control of my life is something I have always enjoyed and managed through careful planning. In high school, I easily kept on track by developing a schedule for which courses I intended to take each semester and what extracurricular activities I planned to participate in. Every semester the schedule was carried out perfectly. In anticipation for college, I did the same by outlining an academic course plan for the next four years. Additionally, I envisioned living with my best friend in a dorm, working as a student assistant, and decorating my dorm room a certain way. However, when I actually entered into college life, I soon realized that what I had pictured in my head no longer mattered. The reality of college was more complex than what I typed up in computer and there were many curve balls that I did not plan out. Usually most freshmen start learning how to plan. Ironically, my first lessons in college were learning how not to plan. I finally had to make myself realize that I could not always control everything and that planning is sometimes unnecessary.

I would probably tell myself to remember that everyone has their own track/path. You cannot compare yourself to your friends or your school peers, everyone makes decisions of their own, and through different circumstances result in its own unique destination. You weren't sure who you are now, and you're not sure who'll you be 10 years from now, but it's ok. It is also ok to make mistakes, you learn more about yourself when you make mistakes! Transferring from a 2 year college is the best suggewstion I could give you. You have time to find yourself, and you save money from the classes you probably shouldn't have taken. You meet people who can help you now and in the future. You get a taste of the real world. Everyone is trying to make it for themselves, you have to search your own.

If I could go back in time to give advice to my high school self I would say to stop worrying so much about what others thought about me and to be more adventurous--to take the plunge into unknown situations with gusto. In high school, I was always afraid to put myself out on a limb because I didn't want to be mocked or belittled by my friends and peers. Now that I have reached college and see how accepting people are of differences (and how little drama there is...) I realized that I should have adopted a whole "social-images-be-damned" outlook when it came to high school. To think of the experiences and the wonders I have missed because I was simply too afraid of public humiliation. I realize now that the fear of being socially outcast has hindered many wonderful experiences and that true growth could have been achieved if I had taken a leap of faith sooner. Live life fuller--less carefully--would definitely be the words I'd tell my high school self, but in the end, I'd like to beleive I'd still be the same person I am today.

If I could go back I would encourage myself to join an academic organization, apply to more scholarships, and take advantage of more internship opportunities. But I would also tell myself that I have good instincts, that the best way to meet success is to stay engaged in what I am passionate about. Throughout all my education and professional life following my passion for art, activism, and youth development has brought me more success than I ever anticipated, and has made all the hard work seem well worth the challenge.

When I was in high school, I was convinced that the only place to go was to a UC directly after high school. I had to have my major decided right then and there. I didn't consider community college as an option to explore my possibilities career-wise or just to explore the educational world in general. But after attending a community college and studying various fields from physical anthropology to history of theatre, I never would have known before that these subjects actually interested me. I would tell myself to have a more open-mind and to be willing to take a chance and experience a new field. Something I may have had an interest in in high school is not necessarily what I was going to have an interest in as far as a future career. There are different subjects out there that high school students are not exposed to until they reach college, so I would just say remember to look in new areas to see what's out there.

If I could talk to myself as a senior in high school with respect to what to expect in college I would only have a few things to say. FIrst off, enjoy college it is the best time of your life and very fulfilling if you treat it as a learning experience. Secondly, have fun with school but always remember you're there for a reason and to not lose sight of that. Lastly, college can be challenging at times but overall it is an enjoyable experience.

I could tell myself to attend class and get good grades, but of all the things that I could tell myself I believe the best advice that I could give would be to just go for it all out. After high school I decided that I was not ready for a four-year school and so I went to community college. For some people I know this to be the right choice. For me, however, I think I should have just dove in head first. Living at home and going to community college gave me the safety net to fail. I now know enough about myself to know that when i decide to do something I need to just do it with no hesitation and I need to do it all the way. I am an all or nothing person; a person of extremes. I tried to wade in the tepid shallow pools, thinking I was being responsible, but really just afraid of leaving home, of failing on my own, of being responsible for myself. I should have jumped, instead I tried to cautiously hang off the edge and try and reach the ground, and i found myself stuck.

College is for embracing who you have become and finding who you will be. Its a time for harvesting expieriences that set the stage for a successful adulthood and is another step toward becoming who you are as a person. My advise to myself one year ago is to know who you are going into college. Have a sense of self and show true colors to the people you meet. People wil respect who are and your beliefs if you are proud of yourself. If you are respectful to yourself and others, new and true friends will be apparant. Nothing will ever replace your life in high school. College is a whole different jungle and is expected to be explored. So let the expieriences come and learn from them. Being yourself and following your heart's intuition will lead you to a successful college degree and an expierince to remeber forever.

It's not the first time I've been worried about having a job, or the first time I knew I could make it out on my own, but something has changed since I started college. Of course like most other students my mind is broadening with advanced texts in more specific subjects, and I'm networking with so many new and interesting people. But the most valuable aspect has been the sence of independence I've gained in just one short semester. But not just independence from parent's rules and soceity's obligations that most students feel when they first move out, because I had already been independent of those. Rather, a new weight on my shoulders of true adulthood, a complete emotional and financial sovereign self emerging from the timid dependence of high school. The knowledge that not only am I taking a great step in furthering my education, and hopefully one day the education of others, but that I am fully capable of doing so on my own. The schooling may be forgotten with time and age, and friends don't always last forever, but this autonomy is something I am sure will never fade.