University of California-Davis Top Questions

I would first tell myself not to worry and stay focused. You were accepted into this school for a reason. You belong there to develop your knowledge and graduate and become the doctor that you know you will be. The hype of college being the best time of your life is true, but first and foremost, you are at the school to study. Secondly, I would reassure myself that, yes, college is intimidating but it can be broken down into one aspect of life: time management. Whether it be studying and preparing for exams, going out and exploring your new surroundings, making new friends, sleeping, eating, etc. Everything and anything must be prioritized and time managed to be a successful student. Without priotitizing, you will fall behind and remain behind because quarter systems do not allow you any time to catch up. So I would tell myself, be the person you know you are; the determined, self-driven individual who knows where you are going in life and never let yourself stray from that path. You will save lives one day, let that be the constant reminder that all the hard work is more than worth your effort.

When you are in high school thinking of college is a little scary and very stressing. Senior year is when you realize, " Oh snap, I'm out of time!" People start asking you, "So where are you going after you graduate? What college are you thinking about?" as if you had everything figured out already; but you should not worry. Find someone to guide you through all the applications and the paper work that comes after being accepted into a school. Also, it helps to go visit campuses before choosing where you want to apply. Make sure you beging looking for scholarships and fill out a fafsa. Also, if you have chosen a major already make sure you meet with your major advisor. He or she will let you know what classes are required for your major, and what you can do with that major. Do not worry you are not alone there are a lot of people willing to help, you just have to ask for help. Good luck and I know you'll do great where ever you go.

Like many of my fellow student-peers in college, I had drifted through highschool with little effort. Studying was not required, nor effort, nor time. All that I needed to earn the A's and B's I had was enough intelligence to sit and listen. Tests and homework was more about repeating than anything. I was simply a sophisticated parrot. At U.C. Davis, I found things to be quite different. No longer, could I drift along. Now, I am fighting for those grades and though I often find my learning experience difficult and time consuming, I can finally say that I have some right to the knowledge that I posses. I no longer recieve my education I own it and that is best thing about going to a college or university. Going back in time, the first thing I would tell myself is to own my education by challengine myself to not just listen but to process and understand the information I was given.

Earning your Bachelor's Degree is not the end of the road for you! You will understand that a graduate level education will open so many more doors emotionally, professionally and financially. Please do your best in your courses and be open-minded with opportunities that come your way. Take advantage of the many clubs and resources available at the university. Challenge yourself to experience things outside of your comfort zone. Through this process you will learn more about yourself and the world around you. Enjoy your independence and try not to get too distracted with the social aspects.

Going back in time is a tricky and scary thought. But if i were to see myself as a high school senior, i would have told myself to never quit, when something got in my way push it out, when someone was stopping me, tell them they couldn't be in my life anymore. I would tell myself to take advantage of all resources outside of campus that could have helped me socially and mentally. I would go back and tell myself that life and death are things to worry about at certain times, just because someone did not have the strength to move on does not mean that was my fate as well. I would let myself know that school is going to be tough and to prepare more than I thought I had to. Strive to be the best not the first. I would tell myself that it means more to do what makes me happy then what makes my family happy. Because at the end of the day I am the one stuck doing what I learned for the next four years, not them. I would tell myself to love and believe.

This first advice that I would give myself would be "Do NOT take your first years' scholarship for granted." I have not been giving enough of an effort in getting college paid for as I should be. I have spent a lot of my time relaxing and doing nothing instead of focusing on getting my school paid for so I am not in debt for the years after I graduate. I would also tell myself "You need to give an effort these next years. I know you didn't in high school, but this is a lot different." I came into college assuming that I was entering Grade 13, but I was mistaken. My 3.3 GPA did not live up to the expectations that I set for myself. The next three and a half years, I am going to put in a much stronger effort than I did in the first quarter of school.

Figuratively speaking, college is a journey to be traveled, not a journey to be won. We all have different roads. Find out your goals and ambitions and take the path that best fits you. Let your morals and priorities be the underlying force which guides you. There is an uncertainty about the future, but take life as it comes day by day. Put your best foot forward each day and while you plan for the future ahead, cross bridges as they come. There will be rain and sunshine along your journey but all this will help you grow as a person. Endure and open up your mind, body and soul to what college has to offer. Explore your horizons, and embrace change. Keep focus and find a healthy outlet to alleviate your stress. Try your best and in doing so, despite the outcome, you will find success. Time management is of the essence, so hit the ground running, don?t procrastinate, but do take the time to slow down once in a while and appreciate the beautiful experiences along your road. Hold not fear, but the tenacity to explore the journey which awaits you and you?ll make it through.

The first advice is to seize every single opportunity offered to me such as joining a professional business fraternity or a club in order to gain professional and leadership skills. I would also tell myself to take advantage of different resources offered by the university such as learning skill center, the gym, experimental college. College life will be even more fun if you go study abroad to expand your horizon and your perspective of different countries. Do not drink or party too much because you want to make sure that you focus on your education. It is very important to keep up your GPA. Life is full of unexpected event so you have to think out of the box many times. You should have back up plans for every decision you make. Choose your friends because they are a big influence in your life. Go look for an internship because it will help you a lot on deciding your career. Do community service . Apply for scholarships because you will need money for school and not everyone gets financial aid. Take advantage of professors' office hour because they are very helpful if you take the initiative to come to them.

When I take time to reflect on my life and where I have gone with it, it is often hard to believe some of the things that I was doing as a High School Senior. At that point in my life, I was failing out of school, and I barely graduated High School. The levels of immaturity that I had at that time also were unacceptable and if I had the opportunity to go back in time to fix the things that I did wrong, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would go back in time to fix my poor academic concentration, to get myself into a good college/university, instead of having to attend a community college for two years. To fix that situation, I would tell myself to stop working 40 hours a week to support myself and just live with my mother for a couple of years; so, I could focus more on school and my education. I would also fix the immature me, and tell him that the thoughts I had and the things I did were not beneficial to my later life, so far.

I would encourage my high school self to stick to the same path. I would tell myself never to get discouraged or give up on my dreams. I would give myself the winning lottery numbers, and warn that certain future fee hikes would make it necessary to apply for many more scholarships. I would stress the importance of never letting go of my dreams, and never letting anyone talk me out of them. I would let myself know not to worry, but I would also tell the importance of hanging out with all my old high school friends before everyone moves away to complete their own dreams. I've made many friends in college that I will keep for years to come, but the friends I had in high school should never be forgotten. I would tell myself not to stress, that whatever happens happens, and I should just let it go and keep to my path. College is a gateway to finishing goals, you just can't give up or let things get in your way. Most importantly, I would tell myself to have fun and enjoy high school and college while it lasts.