University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

Be open to new ideas

I would say to remain as calm as possible. No one is as judgemental in college as they are in high school. For instance, if someone falls in high school, some people would laugh, but if you fell in college, people would actually show more compassion and sympathy for you. Also, everyone is more mature and social in college, so making friends would be extremely easy compared to high school. Honestly, if I were to see my high school classmates again, I feel like I would be friends with them all since I'm so social nowadays. Sure, there is some social anxiety, but everyone is so social that you don't have to initiate much anyways.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that grades are not everything. If there was one lesson that UCSB taught me, it was that a lot of the important and practical experience and knowledge does not come from the classroom, but from outside the safe confinements of campus. In addition, if you are interested in something and the school does not provide the resources for the learning you desire, it is up to you to go out there and find it yourself. There are two mottos that I live by and had wished that I had known these mottos sooner. The first one is: "Failure to accomplish any goal is not due to the lack of resources, but to the lack of resourcefulness. " The second motto is : "If you're not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space." The first motto has allowed me to always push for what I desire and to not give up from discouraging setbacks. The second motto always reminds me to push my limits, try new things, and take risks; otherwise, I would just be an average Joe and we have enough of those today already.

The biggest piece of advise I can give is to have an open mind. Do not go into college having numerous expectations, because they will not come true. You have to roll with the punches because you go through a lot within your first year. Don't shut down when you have a bad day, because it won't help you at all. Yes, there are times when you just need to take a good nap, but not all the time! Find people who you are comfortable around. You don't think you will need emotional support because you think you are ready for these new changes in your life? Wrong. I promise that you will have mental breakdowns at 2 in the morning and need a friend to get coffee with and vent to! College is a great experience, but only if you do it right. Don't go crazy because your parents can't tell you what to do anymore. I have seen too many beautiful people in the hospital because they do that! Be safe because there are crazy people in this world that do not care who you are. Love yourself and be you!!!

Your life is so easy right now. You see your friends every day (and let's not forget the fact that you actually have an established group of friends), and you don't have to worry about paying for classes or books. You may complain about the obscene drawings in ink around the borders of you economics textbook, but at least you didn't have to pay for it. When you go to college, take legible notes. I know your writing looks like chicken scratch right now because you want your teachers to think you're paying attention, but none of that will matter. When you sit in an auditorium filled with 600 other students, the professor will not care what you do. So have some integrity and actually pay attention. Don't scroll through tumblr on your laptop or listen to music during lectures. Even if the class bores you to death, you might be surprised and actually learn something if you start listening.

The first thing I would tell myself is not to allow anyone else to influence my choice of college. When I was a senior I had a boyfriend who lived in Santa Barbara, and because of this I chose UCSB rather than the out-of-state schools I had also been admitted to. If I could go back, I would choose differently. Not because I don't like my school, but simply because I came here for the wrong reasons. I would also tell myself to not be afraid of putting myself out there. The transition this year was hard for me because I've always been shy around new people and it takes some time for me to be comfortable with them. While this might have been okay in a class of 175 people, it takes a little more effort to make friends in college. You can't be afraid to start up conversations or ask someone to hang out on the weekend. I would tell my senior self that now is the time to be bold and confident, and that there's no reason to worry.

I would tell myself as a highschool senior to enjoy every minute of the experiences to come. I would not have changed one thing about my four years at UCSB. Everything I learned, all the people I have come to know and love, and the incredible opportunity for education was irreplaceable. I would tell myself to remember every minute of the laughter with friends, the challenging papers to write, the stress of all nighters that strengthened my mind and my relationships with roommates, and most of all the love I learned to have for myself and the people around me. I learned to appreciate hard work. I learned that being vulnerable was okay. I would tell myself to savor every coffee and Freebirds nacho order shared with my best friends. I would tell myself that I was going to be okay despite the period of unemployment that followed after graduation, and that I should never regret that time I invested in my education. I will tell myself that all of those experiences will lead me to finding my partner who has encouraged me to pursue my dreams of teaching and encouraged me to attend graduate school for education.

I wouldn’t advise myself to do anything different as a senior because the choices I made to focus primarily on academics and to ignore a popular social life shaped me to become the determined, hard working college student I am now. Academics in high school could be extremely stressful at times, and it pushed me to grow not only as a student, but as an individual. I would at least advise myself to recognize and respect the determination and resilience I had gained through my rigorous studies, and to use these traits in college not only to succeed academically, but socially as well. I would also remind myself to continually grow as a person and a student by remaining open-minded about the various opportunities that may come my way to learn something new, whether it be learning about another person’s culture or picking up and honing a new skill that will benefit me in the future.

It was completely correct to get involved with as many organizations and activities that you did when you were in High School. Although you would have gotten to "better schools" if your GPA was higher but the foundation that every student should focus on is participating in sports, joining clubs, and doing volunteer work. So honestly, I have nothing to say about the transition to college and say good job. However, I would give you better advice on women and to tell you that you should have just gone out with those girls who liked you instead of being a shy, "I'm too tough for love" type but alas this is about college, not dating. Now I'm almost 30 and still single partially because of you! Silly High School self. But you've done great for the college part.

If I could go back, six years and tell myself about college I would tell myself this. Never say no to anyone who is asking you to do something that will not cause you pain. Attend the club that someone invites you to, say yes to that study group, agree to go to your friends ballroom dancing recital. Everytime you get an opportunity to say "yes" take it. This ensures that you are exposed to every single person that you absolutely can be, and meet a whole variety of people. I do not regret all the things that I did in college becuase I did say yes to most people and most things. However, as time goes on people declare majors and start to hang out in a certain crowd because their career dictates the types of people you interact with everyday. While I can still interact with people with various backgrounds we still all share a similar history at my job. College is the only place in the world where you have direct access to someone who has absolutely nothing in common with you, and you can learn about them without fear.

After talking to many, most people seem to always wish that they could go back and tell their younger selves not to procrastinate, to take more AP classes, to study harder, or to join more clubs or sports. I would like to tell myself to not be afraid to try new things, to go out to more, to simply go spend some more time to slowly discover who I am. What I like and dislike. What I love and what I hate. For once you enter college, without the knowledge of who you are, you scramble to learn a whole life's worth of information which only gives you a limited amount of time to truly embrace your self, to truly accept who you are and move on from that point of life. So... high school minnie me, I hope you take time to identify yourself, for with that knowledge you can avoid that uncertainty that I am having now.

Dear High School Brenda, Make sure you read all your assigments, never push something for later because I promise it will add up more than you think. Go out and make new friends in different types of organizations, join clubs, get the most out of your campus and neveer think anything isn't for you until you give it a try. Try harder than you did in high school and develop better study habits. Everything may sound like nonsense, but every little bit of advice would have helped!

I would recite this famous quote from Dr. Seuss "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." When I was in high school, I did not tend to express who I was because of the fear of not fitting in. It was not until I entered college that I realized that it is more important to be yourself than to try and be someone who you are not. People who like you, people who matter, will not mind if you are weird or nerdy or if you make your voice heard for things you advocate. And those who do mind, do not matter. Our characteristics and our voice is what makes us unique.

Life seems bland and boring as a high school senior. As I was about to attend college, I would assume it would be more of the same. It absolutely is not. I wish I had known that college was going to be a time of education and academic exploration. I can take all the classes I was interested in, such as geology, astronomy, and math, and have the free time to explore other extracurriculars, such as swing dancing. I would tell myself to let go, and not be so shy, because that only creates missed oppurtunites. I wish I knew to make myself more accessible, not locking myself in my room and going out and enjoy spending time with people. My highschool self needed to learn to relax and let-go, and realize that I can make mistakes. This age is perfect for making mistakes, and as long as you learn from them and don't repeat them, they are not the end of the world. In fact, mistakes help you grow and mature, rather than make you a failure.

Truly know yourself and who you want to become. Don't waste time doing things that don't fulfill you, that you aren't proud of. Time management is the most important thing you need to learn how to do well in life. You think you're busy now, wait till you have a wife and kids. To manage time well you need to know yourself and the value you place on the things you choose to spend your time on. College throws a bunch of opportunities at you and tells you that you need to be a part of all of them. Learn how to say "No, thank you," and not feel guilty. None of these things are easy. They will take trial and error, and the answer might not ever be clear, but meditating on them will help you live the life you want to live. So study because you actually do love learning. Remember that each commitment you make means less time doing what you love the most. "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive…because what the world needs is people who have come alive" -Gil Bailie.

Enjoy the right now, and don't obsess over the future. All throughout senior year and the summer before college I obsessed over thing that I couldn't control. So if I could go back I would tell myself to enjoy being one of the big dogs on campus and spend more time with my family. I know that my family is only a phone call way but there is nothing like a hug from mom when stressing about classes. Give mom and dad hugs for no reason so that when you really need one; pull the memory out!

College will not be the greatest years of your life but they will be the most important years of your life. College is where you will experience overwhelming heartache, pain and hopelessness. At the same time, it's these times of suffering that give you a chance to brush off the ashes and regain your footing. Many moments of struggle and victory are within yourself but the college of experience is not composed of just individual experiences. The community of the university will weave itself into the fiber of your own self. I was skeptical of this but the Isla Vista shooting that occured my sophomore year shattered that misconception. The people you meet in college will leave at the very least, a shred or at the most, a whole piece of themselves within you. I am half done with college (just two years!) and yet I feel like I have lived and aged a decade. Much of what college accomplishes is grades and a diploma but more than that, college will forever change the way you live, interact and build connections with people. Don't take college lightly, grab it by the reins and let it work for you.

Definitely look at the students on campus. Their posture, mood, garb, and overall physical appearance can tell you a lot about the college. Try to find a college that excels in many different departments, not just the one you are currently looking into because that will probably change. Try to visit when there will be students bustilng to and from class to see how they get around, maybe sit in on a lecture. Don't apply to a school solely for its reputation or physical appearance (and don't remove schools from your list because they hold a certain reputation). Don't apply to schools to make your family happy. You are old enough to make your own decisions. Do not under any cercumstances apply to more than ten schools. It is unneccesary, just make sure you have at least one safety. AND most importantly, try to imagine yourself at the school as a student, walking to and from class, studying on the quad under a tree, or eating lunch with friends. You want to know you will be comfortable if you chose to attend that school.

Don't worry so much. It's going to be okay. You're going to go to college somewhere, and that place will probably be the place you should have gone to anyway, so you don't bother worrying about all the schools you don't get into. You can always transfer later, so don't bother stressing about picking the right school or going to the college with the best reputation. The right school for the person who sits behind you in class will probably not be the right school for you, so don't worry about comparing where they get into to where you do. Enjoy the moment you're living in. The future will happen when it happens, so take the time now to solidify your friendships and get to know your family a little better before you move away from home. College will be a big change, but you'll want to have rock solid memories to take with you. The things you do today will (probably) not have any effect on the rest of your life, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make them great.

Try as hard as you can in your academics as they are what will determine your near future. If you think you're trying hard, well try harder... a lot harder if you really want to be accepted into your top choice school. Don't slack off and let "Senioritis" overcome you and be the end of you. Become really involved in things like clubs and extracurricular activities. Also study real hard for the SAT and ACT so that you score the best you can. Another thing I'd tell myself is that I should consider applying to the Naval Academy as a Marine. But after all that I'd tell myself to "live life to the fullest and never look back" and to "live with no regrets".