Syracuse University Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that college is not solely about the institution, but about the people that attend that institution. I would have told myself to look closely at the students walking the quad. What interests them? What holds importance in their lives? So much learning is done outside of the classroom. Look for people that will help you expand your mind and want to join you in your intellectual journey. In transitioning to college, always be yourself. Changing yourself to be accepted will only lead to a false conciousness about who you really are and how your newfound friends really feel about you. College. Four (or more) years of your life you may never get back. Make the most of it.

Don't worry too much about what you want to major in because there are so many different things that you can study in college. Be open to a lot of things because college gives you the chance to have many different experiences so don't lose the chance to really experience college. Also, don't abuse your freedom that you have from being away from home because you can lose track of your goal when you first entered college. FInally, make all the friends you can and be very close to them because these will probably be your closest friends by the time you graduate. They can be handy when you need connections once you enter the real world.

This morning, I blew dust off a folder in the depths of my hard drive labeled ?College Application Essays? to give myself some well-deserved advice. I cringed at what I?d written: ?As yearbook editor, newspaper editor, and youth group president, I have given up on spare time. In the morning, empty cartons of Ben and Jerry?s ?Chubby Hubby? mysteriously end up in the garbage.? Apparently, this was my attempt at humor, but it was just plain sad. While my peers gulped cheap beer out of red cups on Friday nights, I had sipped hot coffee in the yearbook room, editing and rewriting. I ran myself ragged trying to find my ?inner voice? ? that thing my guidance counselors insisted was the key to successful college essays. I guess there comes a moment when you find your own voice, but it can?t be forced. I spent so much time agonizing over searching for my voice, but I didn?t need to hunt. What I needed was to fall down and make a mess, to break something. Getting wounded makes you realize you?re moving in the wrong direction, and thus helps to point you in the right one.

Don't make this decision lightly. It is not something to be made in a snap decision. Think about the things you want. Think about where you see yourself for the next four years. If you're unsure about what you want to do with your life...IT'S OK! Discover and learn and take in everything you possibly can. Don't take things too seriously just yet and have fun!

Work hard in college...

im tempted to tell my past self everything he needs to know for the future so he could aviod all the mistakes ive made but, honestly i need them. So i will fight the temptetion and not tell my self anything and just treat my old self to a nice lunch and tell him to never give up, even though i know he wont give up its always nice to hear someone say it and reassure you.

I would tell myself to mentally prepare myself for the load of work up ahead of me. I would also tell myself to open myself up more to other races than just asian americans. I would definitely look for a job at school freshman year because a lot of money is spent on food and clothing. Clothing especially because I was not prepared enough for the harsh Syracuse weather. Also, being far away from home, it is hard to get anything sent from home. I would go over what I need most and leave the useless behind.

Without hesitation, I would tell myself to soak in everything about the area I live in. The culture, the people, the busy streets, the trees, and even the noise. Because once I left for school, it was all gone. I spent so much time thinking about leaving, I forgot to take in everything around me. I was so used to seeing everything on a daily basis that I took it all for granted. When I arrived at Syracuse, I was in a new world. I did not have the same culture, the people, the busy streets, trees, and even the same noise. I still went to school with an open mind and I am extremely happy with everything, but I still miss the area I grew up in.

Just go with the flow.

If I knew what to expect from my college experience, I would've told myself to enjoy my high school career a little bit more and not sweat the small things. Details matter, but I used to be so focused on academics and being "the best" in high school, that I often missed the important things and overlooked the things that really mattered - spending more time with family and friends, attending social events such as sport games and art shows, working harder as a track athlete and interacting more with people in my classes. Often, I was considered "the smart one," and kept to myself, and even though that is never a negative, people knew me as just that - the smart girl. Not Silvia, the person interested in things not pertaining to academics, the person who likes going to rock concerts and enjoys tennis, but "the smart one." Sometimes, I wish it weren't that way. So, If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, having forshadowed the future and what my college experience would be like, I'd tell myself to be me, and to do what makes me happy. Whatever that may be.