The University of Texas at Dallas Top Questions

Where do I begin?! For one thing, I would tell myself not to waste time, and that a college is definitly an important of my future. I would say to learn to manage money better to prepare for the expense of college. I would practice better studying habits. I would also recognize and pursue what would help me to progress in the future rather than what is fun at the time. I would tell myself to surround myself with individuals that would help me achieve my goals. Lastly and most importantly not to limit myself, and that I have achieved things and learned things that I would never believe as a high school senior, because I pushed myself to be better by futhering my education and have created a great network that puts me in a position to succeed.

Learn to set a schedule and be very diligent about your grades. GPA really does matter to companies that are hiring.

If I could go back in time and tell my high school self allthat I know now, I would tell myself first to apply to schools sooner because I missed out on really great scholarships that I qualified for but didn't attain becasue I applied too late . I would also tell myself to start getting organized for the schoool year in the summer because once college starts the transition is quick and I had some trouble with being unorganized for abut a month. I would aso tell myself not to be afraid to call the offices of departments if I had questions because I had roomate and financial aid issues that could have been resolved a lot sooner had I called and asked simple questions. Finally I would tell my self to pack for unpredictable weather, and just more conscious of the weather before going out because my first semester had sweltering heat, rain, snow, and perfect days jumbled together in no apparent order and I was not prepared for that at all.

To my high school self, Congratulations, you survived high school, and you're now moving onto the next big thing: college. The most important things you should know are: 1. Don't forget to have fun. School is important, but everyone needs a study break sometimes. Spend time with your friends, go out on the weekends, and make the most of these next four years. 2. People come and go. Your best friend from high school might not be your best friend in college, but that's okay. You will meet great people and create new friendships that may be even better. 3. Grades are just a number. Study hard, but don't overdo it. If you're tired, sleep. Your health is a priority. If you tried your best and still didn't do as well as you hoped, it is completely okay. 4. Pursue what makes you happy. This is your life, not your parents'. You have options. Your major is not set in stone, and neither is your career. There is no rush. You have time to explore your interests. College won't always be easy, but trust me, you are going to be just fine!

It was a wise choice to go to a community college while in high school, it has helped me see what college will be like. Even though I am not yet out of high school yet, I would tell my past self to never give up even when there is too much to handle, that there are solutions to everything, and to pick keep pulling myself up after every fall. There are many oppotunities in the future to give up so soon. Yes, there will be times when it all seems to be the end, but it can not be allowed to stop one self. I am to remember to keep on going, it will all be worth it in the long run.

I can't tell you what your passion will be, you just have to trust me in knowing that you will find it. Life will happen and you will search for a few years under every surface for a spark that ignites your mind and believe me there will be so many. You will untap interests and beliefs you never dreamed of having. Then one day, it will dawn on you where you want to go and the years of unorganized chaos will be worth every moment.

I would tell myself to study harder than I did in high school and I would tell myself what major to go in so I wouldn't waste time, which is to become a Physician Assistant. This would mean to make sure I pass all my AP exams, tell myself about going into pre-health, join AED club which helps PAs, maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher, to study for the GRE, and right away look for research along with schools to recieve a masters degree. Most importantly, above all, I will tell myself that even if it gets challenging and if I stumble and fall, to always get back up because the worst thing I can ever do is stop believing in myself and give up. Despite what anyone thinks this is my dream.

Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Better always be ahead of yourself than be late and have to cram all the works on the night before due day, although procrastination sometimes provide the best ideas to work out an entire project just in that fateful night. It's called last-minute inspiration. Meet and expand connections among peers and people around will be essential in proceeding onto the next level of your life as they will be valuable to you at a certain point in life. Be more proactive and always ask question, rather than be passive about it and regret. Don't hestitate of taking chance and falling right through the crack, because we're all living for experiences.

If I could tell my high school self anything about college now, it would be to learn all I could about financial aid. It can be a confusing thing to a young adult especially if you don't understand finances very well. Another thing I would tell myself would be to never quit. Keep going consistently and if classes get to difficult find the resources on campus like tutors to get you through it. It can be done, and with hardwork, dedication and persistence you will come out at the end knowing more than you did when you went in. Your life will never be the same.

Since I was out of formal schooling for almost a decade as I served in the Army, I realize now that this makes resuming my education much more difficult. I would tell myself not to wait to resume studies, but to continue on a part time basis throughout my military career. This especially applies to mathematics; I would like to have had the wisdom to take my college level math classes soon after graduation from high school. I would also have told myself to start taking classes during senior year at high school, as I had the spare time to do so. As an adult, spare time is often a foreign concept. I would tell myself to save some money for tuition and books, as these things are certainly not inexpensive. I would tell myself to enjoy my last year at high school, and to appreciate those friends that I had. I would advise myself to approach this endeavor with the same drive and intensity as I do most other things, and to prepare for an enriching experience. Most importantly, I would tell myself not to worry so much about perfection; that this was going to be fun!

If I could go back in time and tell myself anything at all about the future with college, I’d spill everything I know. That sounds kind of broad, but it’s true. When I first started this journey I didn’t have any help or advice on what to do because nobody in my family has ever been to college. I did everything on my own through trial and error, but I made it. I’m the first person in my family’s history to ever attend college and I will be the first to complete college as well. I would tell myself in high school to do everything ahead of time, every document the school wants, every project, and to try your best to fill out scholarships day and night because it gets rough being broke and in debt. I would let myself know too that everything will be okay, and don’t worry about school because of the amazing family I have that supports me every step of the way. I would tell myself to never give up, even when it feels like the world is bearing down on your shoulders. It gets easier with time.

Be prepared to work for what you get! College is the equivilant of a high demanding job and if you expect to succeed you have to be willing to put in the work. The workload is much more than you are used to, but it is manageable with careful time management and prioritizing school work over social wants. That being said, maintaing a social life is still important. College is a time to grow and learn who you are, what you like, what you want to do, and who you want to surround yourself with; extracurricular activites are a great way to do all of that. Your education is still the most important thing though, so embrace college and all it has to offer you!

Everything that you know about the world and yourself is about to be questioned and everything that you believe in will change many times over the next few months and years. Remember these words: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson, Self Reliance). An open mind can accomplish many things, whereas a foolish consistency will keep you from realizing your full potential. Accept that not everything you think that you know about the world is correct or that maintaining an invalidated belief is beneficial—a change in beliefs can be enlightening. Moreover, what you think you know about yourself is about to change and that change can open doors to exceptional places. Prove yourself wrong; accomplish the things that you never thought that you could manage: learn a second (or third) language, take every class you find interesting even if it’s not in your field, and never, never doubt what you can accomplish if you just try. Maintaining the belief that “I could never do that” will only keep you from your greatest self. Realize that you are wrong about what you can do and this growing period will be most rewarding and much easier.

I worked hard in High School preparing to go to college in order to end the poverty cycle I was in. That being said, I would go back in time and tell myself to that the hard work I was doing would eventually pay off, because I know at times, I did not see the end of the tunnel for the path I was motivated to be on. That hard work at school and on the job, like I was performing in high school, would leave me ahead of my college peers in preparation for the real life. College is not like high school, you are on your own trying to make good grades and provide a life to live. I would tell myself that even though working to help my mom, while cheering on the varsity squad and maintaining A’s in my AP classes was tough, it would prepare me to be able to maintain A’s in my college courses while holding down two jobs to pay for college. There is a light at the tunnel and hard work along with dedication will pay off!

To go back in time would be a great experience, and would give me a chance to tell a past me some things I did not know at the time about the future. I would, first of all, find my high school senior self, and have a heart-to-heart. My first bit of advice would go something like this: “Listen, you know how everyone worries about not fitting in right away at a new school? Don’t. Making friends is easier than it may seem. Just have a funny video on deck (ones that have to do with cats in some way will work best) and use it as an ice breaker. Trust me, it will work.” “You know what else? Make sure to be nice. Not just to friends, but to anyone you interact with. When you treat people especially kind, they will have your back when you need it, even if it’s just opening a door for you when you’re hands are full.” “One last bit of advice, my young grasshopper: be prepared to be over-packed with some weird stuff, but underprepared on other points. You’ll know what I mean soon enough.”

If I could go back, there would be so many things I would tell myself. First one being: "Don't procrastinate!!", because we all know that many of us college kids love to procrastinate. I would also tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible because it is so hard to pay for school these days and you never know what might happen in the semester that you are in school. Then, I would probably tell myself to work hard and never compare myself to other people. We are all different and we are all good at different things. I should only focus on myself and what I want to accomplish in my life. And finally, the most important piece of advice: "Never give up!" Life is full of surprises and to give up is to give up on life.

I would advice my former self to apply to branch out in my selections of school. When I was selecting my choice on school, i was so bent on applying to schools with high level profiling that at the end of the day, I had limited choices based on the acceptance letters I got. Also, i would advise my senior self to apply for fafsa earlier because it would have made my chances of getting more money better.

I would tell myself that although I am bored out of my mind I should go to every class and learn every detail. While I knew most of the material I am learning that I missed a lot of 'little' details because I skipped so much. I would tell myself to try to talk to the principal about getting into honors classes or even another school to try to keep me intrested. I would definately say not to fall in love with David, he will be nothing but trouble. Also to go right to college after high school- waiting ten years was not the smartest move and makes everything that much harder on yourself. I would remind myself to appreciate the friends I have, not to take them for granted, because a few years from now I will have needed all the friends I had. Listen to your mother, she knows a lot more than we thought she did back then, taking her advice now will save you a lot of hardship later.

I would go back to my high school senior year and instantly tell myself: Get out of high school NOW, because high school is truly not that important after all. Going to college is rather more important, especially the college degree, and is considerably a lot less stressful than high school. Never take more hours than is needed for your degree that you hope to seek, and stick to only one degree plan at a time. Applying for financial aid and scholarships is also extremely important. They will help yourself and your parents a lot so that they won't pay full price to invest in you. Study hard! Have fun! Meet new friends and make the best of your life. Don't work yourself out too hard because life simply does not only revolve around school itself.

I stop in my tracks. Up ahead is a young girl. As I approach her, she meets my gaze. “What do I do? I don’t know what I’m doing?” the quiet, timid girl asked. I smile and chuckle. “Don’t worry about anything. Everything works out for the best. College is nothing to be afraid of. College is full of fun and exciting times. You’ll meet new people and learn new things about yourself everyday. Stay in touch with your counselors and financial aides. They will help you discover where you’re going and how to finance it. Believe it or not, there are scholarships for everything. Try to loosen up and enjoy your time. This only happens once. Make as many friends as you can. Together, you will help each other succeed. And finally, keep your mind open to the career you would like to do in the future. Most students change their minds several times in college. It’s nothing to be ashamed of or to be concerned. Just be sure to have a plan and you’ll be fine.” I smile at the young girl, as I walk away from the bathroom mirror.