Temple University Top Questions

Figure what it is you want as soon as possible so as to not waste any time or money.

Push yourself beyond what you think is possible

I would tell myself to get out and do things more than I did. One thing I have learned that has been very important to me has been that there will always be time to finish an assignment or study for that test, even if I would've had to pull an all-nighter to do it. But the chance to go grab a bite to eat with my friends or wander through the city, won't always be there. So my overall advice to myself would be to take those opportunities while they last, and worry about the serious stuff later. There is plenty of time to stress about the grown-up issues of the world but a very limited time to live without a care. It's healthy to be a little care-free every once in a while. It's like a vacation for the brain and food for the soul.

The advice I would give myself is to not stress so much. Stressing out too much before exam reflects on your grade. Take it slow, take your time, and just breathe when feeling overwhelmed.

First things first, keep your grades up. Not just half the time, all of the time. Don't listen to people who say certain years aren't important. Your overall GPA in the end is what matters. Good grades make it easier to get scholarships and accepted to the college of your choice. Also, apply for scholarships! I know no one really talks about it much, but they are so important! Do things to get scholarships, like volunteering! Volunteering will make you more well-rounded and you will appreciate it in the future! I know you've always thought about doing it, but its time to take action! Also, stop working so much! You don't need to work all four years of high school, even though you want that independence. Take time to enjoy yourself and focus on school, extracurricular actives, and your friends! Once college starts you won't have a choice but to work to afford it. For now just work summer jobs and spend more time volunteering. I cannot stress how important it is to apply for scholarships and financial aide; doing so will alleviate an enormous amount of unnecessary stress.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would inform myself to give myself a chance. I limited myself to what types of colleges I applied to because I did not feel that I would be accepted because of my ACT and SAT scores. When my father passed away the beginning of my junior year in high school, I missed a lot of school which damaged my grades. I did not believe that colleges would see my full potential as a student. I would tell myself to apply to as many schools as I wanted and to not doubt myself. I would tell myself to not become so attached to one school because at the end of the day, that school ended up not being the school for me. I will never know if this would have changed what college I attend now but I would feel like I gave it my all. Now, I am a Dean's List student with 3.87 GPA with no doubt in my mind that I will never not give myself a chance. By sending this application, I am giving myself a chance.

I would tell myself to get more involved with academic and social clubs. There are endless benefits to joining clubs like this and I wish i had gotten into them sooner.

Don't worry about the little things in HS. Your life begins in college!

No regrets! If I were able to advise my younger self before making one of the most crucial decisions of my life I would simply say make a choice based off what I truly want with my life and do not worry. One thing I realized about myself through my choices in school is that life is what you make of it. Do what makes you happy because at the end of the day that is all that matters. Apart from the grades, internships, job offers, etc the only thing that will matter is the fact that I am happy where I am and doing what I love. After only two short years in college I have seen people very close to me take their own lives due to the pressure they feel at college which greatly upsets me. Looking back at two years of my life I saw myself grow and mature as an adult and being able to tell myself how my life will change is something I would want to experience the exact same way I did.

Senior year of High School is not the end. You are not done, and you should certainly not give up. It is only the beginning. If you are smart and want to ensure immense success in your college career, keep pushing forward, study hard and continue to get good grades because that will only help you once you get to college. College is 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} different than high school in so many ways, too many to describe. However even though they are very different from one another, tactics and habits you have in high school will carry over to your college career. If you start to pick up bad habits towards the end of your high school career those bad habits will continue to occur when you begin college. Prevent this by continuing to work hard just as if you were moving up to the next grade level.