Syracuse University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself a few things about college life and making the transition. Your test scores do not define you or determine your success. High aptitude with a poor attitude is recipe for failure. I would have taken my studies more seriously in high school. While getting good grades is a nice benefit to having a study regime, the truth is that structure makes the transition to college freshman much easier. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are also good habits to pick up now and decreases the chances of the dreaded freshman fifteen later. Apply for scholarships every year to lessen your loan debt and you do NOT need to go on spring break if it means borrowing more money from Sallie May. College is a time to step out of your comfort zone and make friends with people of various races, religions, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations, and political affiliations. People who challenge your beliefs often help you grow the most. Lastly, learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom so, go Greek but, also go to class!

If I could to go back time and advise my younger self on college life and how to get the most out of it I would tell myself to step out of my comfort zone. I have never been unable to get friends and I am not socially unacceptable, however, I am just not the kind of person that will start a conversation with a random stranger. I am a member of the Syracuse football team so when I first arrived I automatically had 100 guys to call my friends. In my opinion this hindered my development socially. This is because I limited myself to my teammates and did not branch out to other students. In addition, being who I am I wasn't very comfortable with just going around my floor and introducing myself to all the other students. This led me to have few friends who were not on sports teams. I would tell my high school self to just leave my little bubble and introduce myself to other people during that first semester. That everyone else is as scared and timid as I am and that nothing bad can come from just saying hello.

I would tell myself to take a deep breath and know that everything will be okay! I would really consider looking into my true interests instead of brushing them off as things that I could never turn into jobs.

Put the effort in now! You know you need to develop good study skills and if you develop them during high school, it will make your college life much easier and abundently more fulfilling. You're a good student but you need to follow your passions. Put all you can into debating and become really good! It'll provide you numerous benefits you will never see coming and allow you to speak confidently in college classes, a skill many students are lacking. Lastly, put your effort into learning how to eat correctly, workout, and become better at dancing/cheerleading. These skills and dedication to keeping your body in it's best shape will prevent you from gaining the freshman 15 and help you to meet new friends. Don't ever think you aren't good at a skill, like dancing. Instead, use this as motivation to become better. Research Syracuse more and learn everything you can about it. You will absolutely love it and dump that stupid high school boyfriend: you'll be so much better off without him.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to embrace everything college has to offer. I would say to not limit myself to my comfort zone. Try something new and meet new people. I joined the ski team but dropped it because I was not sure I could handle that in addition to my class work and professional organizations. Looking back, I should have stayed with the ski team to meet more people outside of my major to share different experiences and friendships. I would tell myself not to take the easy Spanish class for the easy grade because, in the long run, learning the language, becomming fluent and immersing myself in the culture is more important than the grade in one class. I would tell myself while it is important to work hard, it is also important to have fun and build life-long friendships. I only keep in contact with a few college friends who still live in the area. I see the bonds other people have with their college classmates, and I wish I had spent more time with friends to build those lasting relationships.

If I could write a letter to me, I'd start off by saying that even though you enjoyed highschool, college is still way better. However, highschool does not even come close to preparing you for the amount of work that you have to do so do all your homework on time and DONT skip classes and ACTUALLY pay attention. With regarding choosing schools, you have a whole slew of colleges to go to, don't pick the one just because of the name. Pick the school that is free or close to it (to save a lot of money and stress our family), pick the school that would be most down to earth people wise, trust me you DONT want to be stuck with rich entitled kids. It kind of sucks being at this school and thinking "what if." My last piece of advise, life moves on, so don't dwell on changes that are going to change, trust me life gets so much better once you pick your head up and leave the past in the past. Also, very unexpected things happen on your journey through college that make things so much better and happier :).

I would tell myself to calm down and not be so skittish. I was nervous and did not know what to do or how to act but after a while I just relaxed and acted how I do at home and people like me for it.

Dear High-School Self, It's you, from the future! There are so many things I need to tell you that I'm not entirely sure where to start. I suppose I'll begin by telling you that you need to relax. I know you worry so much about everything; about getting into college, doing well on your exams, being a good friend to everybody (even when they may not deserve it). I need you to trust that everything is going to work out. The people who are meant to stay in your life will stay there. The ones who don't, you don't need. You are smart and talented. You are going to be just fine. You're gonna LOVE college! I need you to trust yourself. You have solid instincts, girl. Believe in yourself, and don't ever let anyone make you second-guess that. This is your life. Do the things that YOU need to do. You only get one shot at it. Lastly, I need you to have fun. You've only got one life. Enjoy the ride while you still can. Close your eyes and leap! You've got this. I promise. Love, Me

The first piece of advice I would give myself is to look at all of your college options. Just because all of your high school friends are enrolling in a certain college does not mean it's the right choice for you. There are numerous other reasons to attend a specific college other than which has the best parties or how many sororities they have; none of that will matter if your academics slip and wind up costing you excellent opportunities. You are going to have to study, and I don't mean for just twenty minutes I'm talking about hours for just one course. Take pride in everything you accomplish! Getting inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, heck yes, you best be proud because it's an academic honor that you worked hard for. Lastly I would tell myself, you are going to get through every obstacle standing in the way of your goals, please believe me when I tell you that you are a strong, independent young woman who is going to accomplish amazing things professionally, academically and personally.

Dear High School Self,Congratulations on getting accepted to college! Here are some words of wisdom for the journey ahead.First, don’t take anything for granted. College provides you with unique opportunities that are hard to obtain in the real world. Internships, study abroad programs, extracurricular activities, speakers, concerts, plays… there’s so much to do! Now is not the time to be shy. If you don’t give things a try, you’ll never figure out what you want to do with your life.Second, spend time talking to your professors, especially the ones who will make an impact in your life. They have real world experience and are always willing to help you. Ask them questions, visit them during their office hours, and definitely don’t be afraid to get advice on the future.Finally, learn how to be an independent thinker. No one is going to hold your hand through this process. There are going to be days where things look bleak and days where everything falls into place. Use your brain, problem solve, and don’t be afraid to fail. You can always try again, but you can’t try if you never get started.