St John’s University-New York Top Questions

Dear Marica, Sweet girl, you will make it. You will be a 2013 graduate of C. D. Hylton High School. You will attend St. John's University in NYC. College is not like the movies where you see them rarely studying. College is difficult. You will need to study in order to succeed. Do not party. Do not fall for those fraternity boys. Meet a guy that likes you because of your intelligence and your beauty. You will be miles away from home but remember, your mom and dad are only a phone call away. They want to hear your voice, so give them a call and tell them about your day. Remember, every time you visit home, dad puts a $20 bill in your glove compartment for emergencies. Do not spend it. Tell those you love that you love them. Try new things. Travel anywhere you can with what you have. Eat all the food you want. Eat the extra slice of pizza. Stay loyal and stay strong. You are beautiful sweet girl. Grandma and poppop are watching, make them proud. Most importantly, do what makes you happy. Love, Me

I would tell myself to carefully decide where you want to go to school. How you feel about the school itself impacts you're entire college experinence, good or bad. Especially, if you're in a situtaion where you cannot transfer, you have to find ways to make it the greatest experinence. It is what you make it.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior, my advice would be not to worry. As a senior in high school I was quite nervous about college. Not a single one of my friends was going to my college and I was afraid of having to start over. I was afraid of losing contact with old friends, I was afraid of the classes, I was afraid of the future. As I have progressed through my first year of college I realize it was a silly fear. I have made great connections with people who will hopefully remain lifelong friends, I have been engaged in some of the most interesting classes that have made me thing and wonder. And I am no longer afraid of the future. I have come to realize the future does not have to be this random thing where no one knows what is going to happen and where you will end up. I have set a goal for myself, and I intend to make that future happen. I wish I could tell this to my past self, without spending all that time worrying, I would have had a much better senior year.

If I could give my high school self-advice I would tell her that I should be taking my classes more seriously. I know I have the ability to be a great student and I chose to slack off and fly under the radar. I would tell myself to push harder and prove to everyone you are capable of being a straight “A” student. If I applied myself I would have been accepted to my dream university. I would tell myself it is way cooler to be a diligent student, than one who is embarrassed to speak about grades with friends. I would tell myself that when everyone was receiving acceptance letters from multiple schools, I could have been too if I studied more. I would tell adolescent me that it is okay if you are not good at a subject but if you apply yourself, there is so much to be proud of when you put in the effort to pass the class. I accept my flaws and my failures and although I made mistakes in school in high school, I am proud to say I learned my lesson to give advice to others not to make my mistakes.

If I could tell myself, as a high school senior, to do more early on, I would. Going into the medical field is extremely competetive and if you are not 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} focused on your goals from the beginnning, you will not make it. Start volunteering, interning, and reseraching from day 1. Don't let anyone put you down, or doubt your dreams. You can do anything you put your mind to. Don't be lazy. Spend your weekends studying, and party when its worth it. Have fun and don't stress.

17 year old Celeste Najera unfolded the paper she found at the bottom of her backpack while looking for her English homework: "September 16, 2014 To Celeste Najera: Hey dude! This is you from the future. Yes, I'm serious and no, you're not tripping. This is real and you need to read this and believe me...well you need to believe you because we are the same person. Anyway, the point is that I'm already at SJU. I've seen the dark side...and it's bad. You're not going to like it at all. Beware of the roommates! Trust me, you're going to meet them and they'll seem nice, but don't be fooled! Don't take anything that they give you and most definitely do NOT take their pizza! Just stay hungry and wait until morning to eat. You will think that they are trying to be nicer to you, but it's all a lie! Also, keep looking for scholarships because you're going to need it. Just do what I wrote and you'll be good, Future Celeste Najera P.S. Bring toilet paper. Seriously. P.P.S. Good luck!"

Knowing what I know about college life and making the transition, I would go back in time and advise myself as a high school senior to set realistic goals and deadlines to achieve. I would encourage myself as a high school senior to prioritize my short term goals and long term goals to help me succeed. Getting in the habit of setting goals that are achievable will help me to learn consistency and accountability. The idea and habit will motivate myself as a high school senior to strive to meet those goals by the deadlines set because in college professors set deadlines for assignments. I would also advise myself to learn time and date management. Time and date management is very essential during the college-career which would prepare me for a work-career upon graduating. A planner, calendar and myself as a high school senior should become best friends because in college ; timing is everything. With so many activities and events held on campus throughout the semster after academic studying , social life becomes interesting. I would encourage writing down all important dates as soon as they are discovered to plan study hours and extra-curricular activites accordingly.

Dear Stephen, Wassup man? How is senior year going? college is around the corner and you should really be asking yourself if you are ready. College is not just about party's, girls, and having fun with new friends you need to start maturing and getting everything together so that you will do well in college cause this is where it matters. Im Sorry I am 2014 Stephen, new and improved Stephen, and to be honest I dont think that you are ready for college! I think that you are too hung up on partying and worrying about missing out. Its time to buckle down and learn that everything isnt going to be handed to you on a platter and you need to strive and work for things. Oh and another thing START SAVING NOW stop spending your money on usless un-needed things. Start to put your money away for a rainy day, learn to love reading, and listen to mom when she says "do what you HAVE to do, so you can to what you WANT to do." Finnish Strong and and give a great speech at graduation, we dont want to mess up her name twice. Stephen

Hey Michelle! Yea you! It's me from the future, you have some really tough times ahead of you but don't let school become one of the many problems you worry about. It's time to say goodbye to Shaheen, yea I know I sound crazy but he's bad news. It's time to say hello to Socrates and Plato(way greater men btw) that ignite flames in your mind, instead of waste your time. What if I told you that in the future you lost everything and you had to try really hard to regain it and keep your sanity and life? Would you then believe me when I say all the worldly distrations will be there when you are extremely succesful and leave them alone now? He doesn't love you as much as he says he does, trust me I know. I know that you want more than anything in this world to be accepted and loved but you have to love yourself and realize that YOU and your FUTURE are more important than any highschool relationshit. Yes I meant relationshit because that's exactly what it is. Go before it's too late

I would tell myself to remain focused. With freedom comes responsibility and though it is easy to just skip class, always keep the end in mind. Four years can go by quickly and it is the future that matters most. It is important to do the most that you can in order to succeed. Don't be afraid of trying new things and don't hesitate to ask, is what I would say to my senior self. There are many resources on campus such as the Writing and Tutoring Centers, so it is essential to use those tools to help. Learning doesn't only come from the classroom but also outside, which is why St. John's Academic Service Learning program is so helpful because it teaches you hands on. It is a proram that teaches you the importance of service learning and how an individual can make a huge impact on his or her community. One thing I did regret not doing is studying abroad. I feel as though there is so much more I could have learned from by just going to another country. I would have been able to emerge myself within a completely different culture.