University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

As a high school senior I was anxious to get to college. I wanted a change of pace from what i thought was a dull school experience in high school. But even though I knew college would be different I I looked at college as just more school, and not as "higher" education. And so transitioning in to my first quarter in college I treated it like high school and got straight B's, instead of my usual A's in high school. But after seeing the B's on the school website it changed my whole view of college. If I could go back to my senior self I would advise myself not to underestimate college. It comes fast, the workload gets much heavier, and its not high school at all. I would make sure i knew that keeping up with work and reading is one of the most important aspects because it is easy to fall behind, and i would warn myself that although it's fun to be on my own and structure my own life, I also have to be mature about every decision I make, for it will affect me the rest of my life.

Primarily I would tell myself to have visited more colleges so I could have weighed my options. Furthermore, to be more open and outgoing. It took a little bit longer than I would have liked it to meet all the students in my dorm hall. I mean to say that I didn't seize enough opportunities to meet new people, among other things. Really I wish I had known that I can do things on my own, because I spent much of the first quarter relying on a few friends to try new things. I wish I would have just tried some of those things, like a certain club, or event alone, and I could have made even more new friends. Another thing I advise is to devise an exercise calender. Organizing a calender for everything is critical. Don?t worry about sacrificing a few hours with your new friends, they will still be there. Go take care of your own business, get your homework done, and be adventurous without them. Take advantage of the time you have at home to spend with your family before you leave, because you're going to become really busy.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have a lot of advice to give myself. I was always a bright kid, but very laid back and with not much motivation. I would not study a lot and still ace classes. I would tell myself that college is a big difference and is not a joke. Buy your books early, make sure to do the reading and study in advance. If you wait til the last minute like you do now in high school, you will be in trouble. I would tell myself to try to figure out what I want to do, as it took me a while to choose my major. You are great at math now, do not forget everything you know when you read college. Get some sleep and do not miss class too much or you will suffer gradewise. Get a job and keep it to make money instead of doing nothing productive. Make sure you try to do some internships to help out with your future as well. Do not forget any of this.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior with all the knowledge I know today, I would tell myself to take as many diverse classes as I possibly can. When I was in High School I took many science classes because they were requirements, but I was very intimidated by them because of my professors. Now, that I am a senior in college I have been putting off my upper division science classes, because I had such bad experience with them in the past. But now I found out that I love science, and I probably would have been better at it then business economics, my major now. I would tell myself to explore as many options and not limit myself because of financial and time limitations. I would encourage myself to take challenging opportunities, because they will make me a stronger person instead of taking an easy way out.

As I finished up high school, I was so relieved to be starting the next chapter of my life: college. I could not wait to move out and live on my own, under my own rules. But now that I have completed a year and a half of college, I feel I have truly grown and learned my own life lessons my parents were never able to teach me. If I was able to go back, I would remind myself that college is not high school: it is hard and requires much extra work and effort. Balancing school and a social life is much more difficult with so many social functions distracting me at college. I would tell my high school self that my mother and father would no longer be around to hold my hand through life; enormous amounts of responsibility are required to pay for rent, bills and groceries while staying on top of my studying. My part time job salary would not go towards a new outfit like in high school, but instead for life essentials to keep me on my feet during college. However, I somehow make it work while having the time of my life.

DONT STRESS OUT! You are an amazing person. Don't put off scholarship applications and letters of recommendations until the last minute. Enjoy the time you have with your friends. Yes, you do make lots of new friends in college but it is a different type of friendship. Spend time with your family because even though it might not happen at first you will get homesick eventually. Dont worry if you were the nerd in high school, everyone at the college had to be near your intelligence if they also got accepted. Plus no one will know about your image in high school unless you tell them. You can create a whole new person and start fresh. Just stay true to yourself because you will always be with you. Have fun and don't get caught on the tiny things. Be the change you want to see in the world!

Do not be afraid. Any apprehensiveness you may have about college life, new pressures, time management, or making friends will go completely out the window as soon as you arrive on the campus that you spent months working to get to. Out of hundreds of schools, you chose this one and this one chose you. Now is the time to change who you are. Try new things, interact with new kinds of people, and most importantly, listen to the cliches! They're cliche for a reason; over and over again freshmen have experienced the same feelings of overwhelming newness and freedom. Embrace it!

Everyone enters college with expectations. When I arrived last fall I was mainly worried about how to enjoy the extraordinary ?college experience? that so many people promised I would have. I was outwardly confident but inside I felt confused and awkward and a little bit lost. In an early journal entry I wrote, ?Part of the problem is that I don?t know how I?m ?supposed? to feel or what I?m ?supposed? to do. Am I ?supposed? to be hyperactive and meet 100 people a day or am I ?supposed? to love living in a half of a room with a communal shower?? I wish I had known that I wasn?t ?supposed? to do or think anything. I wish I had known the most important part of a ?college experience? is finding your own way and having confidence in your ability to make good decisions. I wish I had known the first few weeks of college are probably rough for everyone, not at all like a carefree scene out of Legally Blonde or Animal House. Ultimately, moving out of the house and into a tiny dorm room is a huge transition. It?s all about realistic expectations.

There are many things I would want to advise a younger, past self about before going to college. The first part of the transition into college that I would advise myself on would be the transition to meeting new people. "Melani, not everyone is as open as you are," I would warn myself. IT's easy to forget while living in a new place with close quarters that many people don't understand the habits and characteristics of others. I struggled finding a solid relationship with my roommates both my first year, and this year as well. It would've been helpful to have understood that by sharing a living space with other people, I must sacrifice some of my habits and ways, just as the people around me do the same. This would have aided in serious conflict management. The second part of the transition that is absolutely necessary to focus on is academics and the educational part of my college experience. "READ, READ, READ!" Those words would be key to follow in the future, as developing good reading habits early would have saved me so much effort and time. Efficient studying habits are completely necessary in college!

Right now at this moment you feel overwelmed at the idea of moving away, leaving the world you know, and taking a risk at being independent. You simpy need to stop prematurely missing your comfort zone and get out to see the world instead of seeing it through your textbooks. You are a naturally brilliant student filled with life and should stop studying unnecessarily and do what you've always wanted to do, be happy by having fun with your friends. For years, your main priority has been to shut the world out and act as though what your peers experienced was part of the mundane, that you lacked the capacity and ability to be around people, and that the future was what you had to live for. In reality, you have been missing out on important rites of passages, so before you leave high school you need to catch up. And don't be ridiculous, you may be socially awkward now but everyone feels that way deep down inside despite what they show on the outside, people who shun you for who you are don't matter. Most importantly, the future is built around the present you.