University of California-Irvine Top Questions

An individual does not know what he/she is capable of until taking that leap of faith. My high school self would always be a recluse and settle for the bare minimum without being ambitious. The ability to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior would be priceless. Facing my younger self, I would tell him to get up and become the best he can be with his abilities, which would undoubtedly spark a fire, a zealous passion. Telling him to not slack off, especially during the his first quarter, would definitely be a priority. I would want myself to also find professional clubs and organiztions with similar interests earlier on in my college career. However, I would also tell him that despite working for long hours and stressing for days at length yet end up 'failing' is alright. My AP Literature teacher, Mrs. Panosian, had a quote on her wall that said: "Mistakes are marvelous." I would tell him that mistakes are indeed marvelous, but only if you learn and grow from them because there will be a point where you stop failing and start accomplishing.

If I could manage to go back in time, I would greatly advise myself to make some different choices towards my college life. First off, I would tell myself to take a breath and to relax so that no matter what University I chose everything would be okay. I would have also told myself to seriously consider living on campus rather than at home, because commuting every day is a hassle and has taken time away from my studies. I would have additionally advised myself to take certain general education classes as a pass or no pass, so that if I did poorly in these classes it would not affect my gpa. And to not take all of my GE's consecutively so that I could have a balance between easy GE's and more difficult major required courses. I would tell myself to try to schedule classes at certain times to avoid traffic. Also, to plan out my schedule with advisors so that I may have taken math earlier to be on track to graduate early. And I would have tried to be more social with others to make friends and to go to office hours for help.

If i could go back I would tell myself to save money because mishaps happen. I would tell myself to not get distracted or too caught up in making too many friends because even though having a social life is good, you have to remember what your purpose is. It's ok to feel homesick so don't beat yourself up about thinking you're overreacting if you miss you parents. I would also tell myself to learn to deal with peoplle who do not come from the same place as you; some live better, and some live worse but be thankful for what you have. Remember that you are growing up in this process so be responsible and remember that your life depends on what you want! Not what others expect from you. Be happy and remember that things get tough but God never gives you anything you can't handle.

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, the first words out of my mouth would be to keep a strict planner and write everything I need to do beforehand. College is different from high school, each class assigns multiple assignments on different days of the week and because there is just so much stuff to do and remember I will never be able to keep them all in order. That's why I will need to constantly check it so it might be better to use google calendar to get daily reminders and updates. If I just write them in one source I might remember to write it down but looking at it again is a different story. Especially since

Transitioning from high school to college was not easy, and although many people say that taking challenging courses such as Honors, Advance placement, or extra classes will ease the transition, that was not the case for me. If I were to go back to senior year, I would advice myself to reach out for help and not be intimidated. This was something I did not do my first quarter at UCI which actually affected me, however I am taking advantage of all resources that are available which have helped me incredibly a lot. College life is completely different from high school, there are people from different countries that are from different backgrounds and speak many languages and it is crucial to emerge ourselves in the diversity the campus has to offer. Being open minded will help you make friendships that will often last. Most importantly I would advice myself not to lose sight of why you are in college, there will be many distractions, but in the end you are the one paying for college, you need to make your own decisions in order to reach that goal you initially came here for.

I would tell myself not to apply as a physics major and to apply as a biology major. I would also have applied to out of state schools or at least some private colleges in California as I may have had better chances or opportunities I never thought of. I would tell myself to have put in more research in deciding a college and worked harder on my gpa in the year. I would also say to maintain a 3.0 in college in the first year as that opens so many doors for research and internships out there. The 3.0 is vital for almost anything involving scholarships, internships, and research programs and trying to bring your gpa back up to is is really hard. The last thing I would tell myself is have fun and that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so don't let the next four years slip by as they go by fast.

The advice I will give myself is to be prepare for the quarter system. The quarter system goes by in a blink of an eye. I will also take senior year in high school more seriously and don't be lazy so when you get to you first quarter in college, you will be prepared for whats going to happen. I would tell myself not to be afraid or intimitaded by college because college is not a big deal. College helps you prepare for the real world and prepare you to live on your own with resposiblities and consquences. College is not a scary place to go. College is fun and exciting and you learn a lot of new things. Another advice I would tell myself is don't forget what you learned in high school because you learn the same thing in college. In addition, be social and make new friends and form study groups. It helps you learn much quicker and have fun at the same time. It also makes studying something to look forward to. And lastly, don't give up when you hit a rough patch because what comes after that rough patch is success.

I would tell myself not to base your college choice on how prestigious or academically superior one school is to another, but rather to go visit the campus and take in the atmostphere of that campus and see if you like it or not. I was lucky and ended up at a univeristy that fitted my personality and learning style perfectly, but I also had friends who've already dropped out of school because the atmosphere they were put in did not match their personality. Also, I would tell myself to consider traveling out of state or up north to attend college because being away from home for college is an experience you only get once in a lifetime and shouldn't be missed out on because of financial problems. Lastly, I would tell myself to spend as much time as you could with the friends you made in high school because chances are you won't be seeing them anymore after graduation and the summer. The friendships that are made in high school are really the first true friendships you have with another person and you should cherish them as much as possible before leaving.

Breanna, take a deep breath, and reevaluate this time in your life. Those extra two hours of studying are not more important than the shut eye you could be receiving right now. And with lack of sleep will come the biggest zit of your life, which no amount of makeup will cover, though this is not the end of the world. Soon you will wonder where the time has gone and your life will be shifted into a whole other dimension. You will feel vulnerable, naïve, and utterly alone, but realize you are not the only one. When you walk through those doors on your first day of class, you will stumble upon someone whose math skills are just as terrible as yours, who appreciates nineties music more than Kurt loves Courtney, and who will be there though numerous late night study sessions. Do not fret over grades, thankfully you obtained your father’s memory. Balancing finances is slightly more difficult, though your mother’s sense of frugality will come in handy. Just remember to relax and enjoy the moment, and while the world is revolving around your last minute term paper, everything else will fall into place.

I would tell my high school senior self to be more productive in life. Look for scholarships so I don't have to take out as many loans. Be more productive in yourself by not procrastinating. Enjoy the last year of high school because things will only get harder from here. Spend lots of time with your family and friends because you know it'll be a good three months before you see any of them again while you're away in another state. Don't take your parents for granted because they put in a lot of time and effort to put you where you are today, so don't argue with them as much. Take another year of Spanish so that you won't have to take a language as an undergraduate. Set some realistic goals for yourself and work hard no matter what. While work is good, having fun is also important as well. Take joy in the little things in life and be optimistic about your future.

If I could go back in time and tell my younger self anything, I would tell myself that no matter how hard or overwhelming things will get, keep working hard and give it your very best. There will be moments when you start to wonder "Is this really worth all the trouble?!" you may feel like you are riding a surfboard on top of a tsunami! It is during these "Wave riding moments" where you have no other choice but to hold on and try to keep balance. Sometimes though you can't hold yourself up and you need someone to lean on. This is when you need to rely on friends who can help support you when you get that sinking feeling. If you try to keep doing things by yourself you will have nobody there to catch you. College life is hard and even scary at times, but just know that that at the end of the tunnel is a light unlike anything you have ever seen before.

If I could go back and tell my high school self anything, I would tell her to not do anything differently. I did well in high school and had a great time. I have many memories there that I will never forget. I went to a community college afterwards, and I think that was the best decision of my life. It was a good transition to college, it was inexpensive, it was a small community, and I met my husband there. I became close to many people, professors, staff, and students, and I was given great opportunities there that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Choosing UC Irvine was another great decision I made. I love that school. I am even choosing to go to graduate school there. I met many people I will be friends with for the rest of my life, and I learned so much. I feel that I am not just a college graduate with a psychology degree, but a well-rounded person who knows more about people, education,money, friends, health, and life in general. If I could go and tell my high school self anything, it would be, "Do what you want to do."

there are many things that i would do different. i had my son as a senior in high school and that has made my life much harder than it was for many of my class mates in high school. i love my son with all of my heart but i know that i could have made some different choices to make things a little easier on my self. i am now 25 and in my first year of college. i now have two children and am a single parent and life is not easy. i think that if i had gone to college right after high school i would be almost done now. i have been a busy lady with working full time and going to school full time. so i am taking a little of my own advice and trying to make things a little easier for myself and my children and applying for some scholarships so that i won't have to work so much and i can focus on my children and school. thank you for your time and i hope that you concider me for this scholarship.

The popular phrase, there is no sight like hindsight is more than applicable to the college transition process. When looking back, the two most significant aspects I would stress to myself would be research and discipline. I would emphasize research as it applies to different campuses, majors, future occupations, even clubs on campus and scholarship opportunities. My campus plays host to over 500 organizations and I wish I had taken advantage of these organizations and getting involved during my integration into college. They provide balance to the academic stresses of college and serve as an outlet to get involved in the college community and more effectively network. I would also stress researching counseling opportunities. In college, campuses usually have phenomenal counseling options including career, academic, financial aid, and therapuetic counseling. However, in college it is the student's responsibility to seek out these helpful options. I would advise myself to fully research these options and take full advantage of them. Last but not least, I would advise myself to remain determined and disciplined. It is easy to lose sight of what you're working toward at a four year university but it is more than worth it in the end.

I would call myself on my 18th birthday. "Don't talk. Just listen. This is you from the future. Get a paper and pencil. Don't believe me? You have a crush on your spanish teacher and you don't want anybody to know. First, call your family every week during college." I never realized until well after my first year as a college student how much family can support and ease the transition. "You are not as smart as you think. Your GPA will drop to 2.7 before you realize that you need to study much more than you are. Start now." As a high school student, I had passed my classes with ease; I never spent much time studying yet did extraordinarly well. This is not the case with college where everybody was just as intelligent, if not more, than I was. "And - listen well - you will find a lot of inspiration and friendship in community service." Some of my favorite moments as a college students were times me and other like-minded individuals donated our time to help a cause we all believed in. An interesting question: would I have listened to my own advice?

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give myself is simple."Major not in what will pay more, but in what you have a passion for".,is what I would tell myself. At my freshmen orientation,I found myself hearing students talk about how they wanted to major in dance ,but their parents stressed them into majoring in law or engineering. This becomes a problem for the student in many ways. Not interested in a topic study results into slacking off and puts the student behind and away from the path they really do want to walk on. Its hard to know what one finds an interest in even I found myself changing my mind now and then. Since a student is still finding who they are in college,what a students likes (music,dancing,cooking,reading ,swimming ect.) never changes! With that being said don't worry about the money,if you do what you love the money will come in later!

I would tell myself to study harder for all my AP classes and take more AP classes because if I had taken it more seriously, I would have gotten more units for college and is more capable of doing better in all my classes.

I would have told myself that the hard part about the transition is the emotional one, not the educational one. I moved nine hours away from my home and I have always been very family-oriented, so not being able to see them for months at a time was very hard. Unlike a lot of people who go to UC Irvine, I did not have a lot of friends from high school there, so it was slightly harder for me to make new friends, and living with a stranger was very hard as well. I had always thought the schooling would be the hard part about college, but my high school education had prepared me for that. For me, it was the emotional transition that was the most difficult.

When I was attending high school my goal was to get accepted to Stanford. Even though I had a high gpa and was involved in a plethora of extracurricular activites, Stanford rejected me. I believe my inability to attend this university was due to my mediocre SAT scores. I did not make time to adequately prepare for this exam, which may have cost me an acceptance to my top college choice. Looking back, I wish I would have spent more time studying for the SAT. If I could give my high school senior self advice, I would tell myself to study as much as I can for the SAT. I have learned my lesson and I have decided not to make the same mistake. I am planning on taking the MCAT in a few years and I will not fail to adequately prepare for this exam like I did with the SAT.

Work as much as you can before school starts because job and school do not mix. And, you do not want to be broke. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. Put everything you got into what your doing. Give 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}.