St John’s University-New York Top Questions

The advice that I would give my high school self is to work on my time management skills early. In college, the most difficult transition is knowing when to have fun and hang out with your friends or discovering the new city that you will be attending for the next 4 years of life and studying and doing all of your school assignments and readings. Once you master that skill then you just have to remind yourself to do the minor things such as reading comprehension, proper studying skills and focusing at the task at hand which is eventually graduating.

My advice to freshman would be to come prepared for a lot more work than they did in high school and to not come into college with the intentions of just partying and taking advantage of their freedom. College is something that should be taken seriously from the moment you walk on campus. I'm not saying don't have any fun, I would just advise them to keep their priorities in order.

If I were to go back in time and talk to the high school version of me, I would tell her to get ready! College may feel like just another step but EVERYTHING is going to change. You're going to have to grow up whether you want to or not. Your friends will change, your lifestyle will change and you will change, but it will all be for the better. Also I would tell younger me to not be scared and don't hold back. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that not everyone has. You need to go out there and make the best of your time. You DESERVE all the great things that can happen to you, if you let them. Most people you meet, will be just as scared as you, so don't worry. Go out there, get involved, try new things, meet new people, experience the world (because your school’s going to have an awesome study abroad program, plus you’re extremely close to NYC) and enjoy every minute of it. Welcome the change, appreciate the opportunities and get ready to start your life Chelsea.

The main thing that I would try to hammer into my young and stubborn head is to, like Bob Marley says, don't worry. Though I would doubtlessly deny it, I was very nervous about going to college, meeting new people, and dealing with the general college scnene. I knew that a large part of the social life of college cenetered around drinking and I was and still am not a very big drinker. I was afraid that I would find no one but people who live to drink on the weekends. And adding to this, though I was accepted to my first choice school, NYU, I enrolled in St. John's University instead due to financial concerns. In summary, I was freaking out. But none of my worries were really warranted. I made great friends. I love St. John's and am happy I went there. It just goes to show that no one ever really knows how things will turn out, so we shouldn't worry ourselves into a panic. That is what I would tell myself from the past. And I would hope that any future versions of myself would tell me the same.

I would tell myself to go with my first choice because you are only an undergrad in college once in your life and you might as well be in a school you really want to be in.

To be honest, I've been prepared my entire life. When your in elementary school, your teacher give you, more like your parents, the ID & programs required for school. My middle school, your giving the ID & programs, because it's now your responsibility to keep them. In high school your instrucated to go to a specific location and pick up your own ID & program. In college, it's the same as high school except your not INSTRUCATED. You've learned your entire life how to be responsibility, it shouldn't be a major change in your system. Most college freshmen get overwhelmed, you shouldn't. College is just another phase in life. Be prephared.

I often wish that I could go back in time and tell myself that I should have worked harder. I wish that I could tell myself that high school was just another step in life and it only gets harder. High school was nothing compared to college. Sure I worried about every little thing in high school but I wish I knew what I know now. I wish I knew that college was so much more different and that it is yeat another step in life. Working hard and gaining an education doesnt end after high schoool and getting into college. In fact it is only the beginning of a very long journey. I wish I could tell myself to be more prepared for college; to anticipate everything possible because transitioning from high school to college was difficult.

As a high school student, I was very delinquent but still managed to make acceptable (good) grades. I absolutely hated homework and seldom did "home"work at home. So if I had a chance to counsel my former self, I would sit my self down and say, "Kinda, study. " I would advise the high school me to put a greater effort into my schoolwork, so college would be less of a shock. I would also train myself to get into the habit of doing homwork, so that meeting college deadlines would be less of a chore, and more of a routine. Finally, I would advise myself to stick with all my extra-curricular activities, despite the burden, for the perseverance and time-management skills garnered from balancing them all would be invaluable to the survival of college. I would warn the former me, that college is not all about academics, but academics sure play the greatest role; So work hard now to relish in the fruits of labor later.

The main I would tell myself if I could go back in time is remain FOCUS. In high school i got caught up in "Senioritis" and began to slack come the end of the year. I believe if I would have stayed focus i could have raised my GPA some more, over all possibly increasing my chances of recieving more money in scholarships. I also got caught up being with my friends. In college i learned firsthand that those who you thought were you friends, aren't. My grades in high school could have been signifignatly higher if I wasnt so caught up in what my friends were doing. I learned in college to depend soley on myself, not my friends, to remain focus. Remaining focus this year got me two internships as well as getting on the deans list. In high school i was caught up with being cool; in college i focused on graduating. The one thing iu wish i could tell myself in high school is to simply remember: these four years are the beginning of your life, literally. Dont wast time trying to fit in, establish your future now. Stay focused on the goal: a DEGREE!

If I was able to give myself any advise during my senior year I would say, if you don’t change your mind and value your education you will stunt your own growth. It was not until I enrolled in college that I saw the importance of education. I tried to continue the same bad habit from high school and saw that I was being left behind. I began to look around me and see what type of life other young girls my age were living without an education. I vowed to myself to be different and not become another statistic. Getting an education can be challenging, but with assistances from teachers and tutoring staff you are setting yourself up to become very successful. I would also suggest getting involved. I am currently involved in student government and I ABSOULUTLY LOVE IT! From joining student government it has given me the opportunity to enhance my leadership skills and bordered my horizons. Changing my mind about becoming educated has helped me mature tremendously. It has also made my family extremely proud to know I will be the first to obtain a college degree.