San Jose State University Top Questions

When I was in high school, I hadn't chosen a career to pursue yet, and so the first advice that I would given to my younger self would be to think long and hard about what it is I want to do with the rest of my life. Once you figure out what you want to do then you can start taking the appropriate classes. It took me a couple semesters in college to figure out that I wanted to be a Psychologist, and so I feel like I wasted a year taking classes that I didn't need to when I could have just been taking Psychology classes. I?d also tell my younger self to take school seriously. Do all your assignments and never miss class because the things you learn in college are the things that you will need to know in order to thrive in your career, and so it is important to your future that you learn everything that your teachers are willing to teach you. View every homework assignment given to you as a learning opportunity to gain the knowledge that you will need to succeed in both your career and your life.

I would never want to go back to being a Senior in High School!!! I think that the most important thing that I would have liked to have told myself is that no matter what, there is life after High School. That maturity does not come automatically at different ages/grades in life. I would have told myself that it is okay to stand up for your morals and beliefs, and even though you may be lonely at times, it is only one small stepping stone in the larger picture of life. Knowing what I know now about the behavior of Freshmen in College, I would have become a bigger advocate of Students Against Drunk Driving for High Schoolers. I would have told myself to always remember that there is a bigger picture outside the walls of High School and learned how to relax a little, as there is enough time when I am older to be serious and mature.

To be able to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior would give me huge advantage over other students going to college straight out of high school like i did. I would tell myself to apply for scholarships all sorts of them. I would tell myself that its rough not being a wealthy kid in college, and there will be many obstacles in the way of my dream. I would encourage myself to be motivated and that there is always options in life and that there are dead ends. I would have told myself to join the military sooner than later. Maybe me going back in time and talking to myself wouldn't have changed a thing. I feel i became a good man going through what i had to.

Mencius, a Chinese philosopher, once said, ?Friendship is one mind in two bodies.? An individual can justify the discarding of his or her own self importance, not through rationality, but through the inexplicable human desire to obtain a certain connectedness with another human that we call friendship. A true friend is a rarity that I took for granted when I was a senior in high school; my friend, Matt, got a great deal of recognition as my best friend, but, since we would be going to different colleges in fall 2009, I always convinced myself that our friendship was disposable, nay, recyclable, and I would find an equally good, if not better, friend in my new journey. As I sit here, presented with the opportunity to conversate with a younger, less wise, high school Joe, there is but one notion worthy of divulgence: cherish the friend you have; the trust you have in him will prove to be one of the most valuable assets to your later life, for you have found a fantastic person that will be there for you in times of sorrow, joy, and loss; a friend like Matt will be there for you perpetually.

If I could go back in time and give advice to myself, I would tell myself college is not like high school, I have to invest more time. I would tell myself to invest as much time as possible in all the college paperwork, to do more research on majors and the requirements, and to plan everything out carefully. Even though I spend a lot of time, I need to spend more time because it will make my first couple of years in college much easier. I would tell my younger self to understand what classes I need to take but to never take more than 18 units in one semester. Another important thing would be to sign up for more scholarships because many of them don't take much time to sign up for and it is a lot better than taking out loans that include paperwork anyways. I would also tell myself that I need to look into housing in San Jose early and to go up to the city a couple of times before I start school. Possibly even consider staying in the dorms for at least the first semester because it would make the transition easier.

As a high school senior, I had no idea what I wanted to study as I entered San Jose State. I spent my first three semesters undeclared, but making sure that I got my G.E. classes taken care of. I think what I lacked as I made the transitions was a sense of the fact that four years was not a very long time, and I feel like I should have spent more time in the begining of my college career trying to discover different majors and really find something I enjoyed. If I could go back in time, I would have chosen a minor to broden the knowlede and experience that I had at SJSU. As someone that went on to work in the field that I majored in, I wish I would have spent more time trying to absorb knowlege from all of my classes, instead of studying just to pass a test or write an essay. I find that now in my life I really miss the opportunity to learn.

I would tell myself to plan for college and not just assume everything will flow once college starts. First, get a job and start to save money for college expenses because everything will add up, such as coffee, gas, books, and parking permits. Second, look into housing options and make a decision that is affordable and comfortable because the dorms are not cheap but do give the college experience and living at home is cheap but disconnects you from the campus. Third, look into the aspects of financial aid and get to know what options are out there and what stipulations come along with each option. Lastly, once you choose which college it is you are going to attend become committed to the college, research the college, and figure out where you can fit in at the college. By this I mean look into which clubs, organizations, events, and social activities best suit you and can become part of your college experience and can make your college career the best it can be.

If I had this possibility, I'd tell myself to not take on too much my first semester. I'd say to not be afraid to ask questions when something is unclear or to even get help such as tutoring if needed. I'd tell myself to find the most effective study method for me and follow through with it, not get side tracked with other things. I'd convince myself to spend wisely, college students rarely have much money to spend and they must decide whether something is worth the cost or if they can use their money on something better like textbooks or school supplies. Most importantly I'd tell myself to stay focused 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time, and although things will get rough, to not lose sight of the goal which is graduation and that Bachelors of Science Degree.

I want to change the world. This near-idealistic positive attitude that I can achieve that goal is a result of a life-changing experience at the Leadership Today Retreat. The intense workshops, activities, and discussions on discrimination (e.g., racial, sexual, financial, physical) broke me down to tears. After the four days, however, I learned that I needed to break down before I could build myself up. I needed to witness the effects of not speaking up, not taking action, and most importantly, not educating myself on local and global such issues. Education is often thought of as math, science, history, and English. In its Latin root, however, education can also mean the step out of darkness. One form of darkness can sometimes be ignorance of the dynamics in human interaction. If my Canadian study abroad experience made me want to help others, Leadership Today made me realize I NEEDED to help others. Undergraduate studies may be a time to become an ?expert? on a subject, but it is more importantly a time to become a better citizen. In addition, it is easy to think, but it harder to act. College is a great time to act against discrimination.

I would tell my senior self to keep my job at Mervyns for the first two years because it would have been consistent income and it would be hard to find jobs. I would tell myself, to get involved my first year. By getting involved I would have been more exposed to other students on campus. This would have helped me make more friends and get advice on my career path. My freshmen year I hung out mostly in the dorms with other freshmen students, while it was a good experience it was not all that fulfilling. I would tell my self to apply to the international house to get to know students from around the world. This would have prepared me more for my exchange experience. Lastly I would tell myself when you think you have problems with others such as roommates go and seek advice from consolers or from someone you find you can get advice from. By doing this it would help in distressing yourself and figuring what the problem is. I have enjoyed my experience in college but with advice like this would have made the transition just a little better.