University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

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".