University of Colorado Boulder Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that it is okay to take my time in deciding what I want to do with my life. I would tell myself that it is better to take your time and really think about what you want to do rather than waste time and money in college because you feel pressured to go. I would remind myself that I have my entire life to make money and work, so enjoy the time you have now to change your mind and try different things. I would tell myself to follow whatever inspires me and that I'm not going to get it right the first time, so don't worry about it. I would tell myself that it is more important to enjoy my classes and learning, than to stress about the grade I get in them. Have faith that if you enjoy your college experience, the rest will fall into place.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and speak to myself as a highschool senior; I would tell myself to work harder, apply for more scholarships, and read the fine print of everything. The reason for this being that if I were to have worked harder I could have earned a higher highschool GPA. WIth this higher GPA, in addition to applying for more scholarships, I could have been eligable for more scholarship money to help me pay for this outrageous out of state tuition. The reading the fine print statement is because of the insident that occured with my tuition classification. I was told I would be paying in state tuition but then that was retracted and I am now forced to pay three fold what I was expecting.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would definitely tell myself to take AP Chemistry. During my Junior year of high school I took Honors Chemistry and thought it was fairly easy. Because of this I chose to take Physics my senior year because I thought I was prepared enough for Chemistry in college. However, this year I realized that Chemistry was a lot harder than I thought it would have been. If I took AP Chemistry I would've realized that Chemistry is a lot harder at higher levels and I would've become more prepared for Chemistry in college. I also would've learned different ways to study for Chemistry that would help me do better overall in my first semester.

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior. Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would offer one main piece of advice. Discover and develop your study skills! In high school I adjusted my study skills based on which classes I had to study for. This made me inconsistent and perplexed in college. After much trial and error, I finally discovered which study skills work best for me during my first semester at college. I tend to study most effectively when I speak out loud, when I am consistent, and when I draw and rewrite. If I discovered this before coming into college I would have saved myself a lot of time and frustration. In the beginning of my college career, I wasted a lot of time making flashcards and studying in ways that did not help me. Going through the trial and error in high school would have improved my grades and made me more productive.

In a matter of only six months you can grow in ways you never expected so don't be stubborn and always keep an open mind because your certainty that San Francisco was where you were supposed to spend the next 4 years has left you feeling like you wasted your first semester of college. You didn't though. Although you view this as a mistake, your ability to sense negative situations and change your environment to guarentee your happiness is the trait I am most proud of. Listen to your heart when making this decision, not other people's opinions and demands. You must live your life for yourself and not other people. Go to USF and watch yourself grow by coming to the realization that although San Francisco is home, you need to see the world and experience new things. Spread your wings and fly to Boulder, Colorado.

The advice I would give to my high school self would be to go for a Linguistics degree first instead of a Graphic Design degree to save yourself the trouble of being in school longer than you had to. To say that a Linguistics degree would be the right career path for you and that you need to learn to be more independent in your life, and not to allow other people to get you down when you know who you really are. Become stronger and more confident with the way you do things and to learn not to sound so strong in statements that are being made so it does not come off worse than how you implied it to be.

If i had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would start by saying "you will support your undergraduate education successfully on your own so don't stress about that. Instead, remember to enjoy these upcoming years which will be some of the most difficult and memorable years of your life." As a high school student I was always terrified to attend four years because I knew I had to support myself financially. I worked while in school so I could afford housing, books, and my overall education and I would skip certain social functions because I constantly stressed about finances. I never really stopped to experience the social events that college had to offer, but looking back now I realize that supporting myself financially through school is not impossible and I graduate debt free. I would want my high school self to know that it is in those social situations that you learn the most about yourself personally and professionally and those experiences determine the person you will become. College is difficult, but it doesn't have to be so serious all the time. Lighten up and be a kid too!

I would recommend to myself that I not worry as much about socializing, and focus more on studying.

The most important aspect about your college transition is to explore new opportunities, no matter how scary or unsure you may be. This is the time to learn about yourself as much as you will learn about your studies. You should not be afraid to take a chance at trying out for a club sports team or learning about research conducted in your department. The numbers of doors that are open in front of you are endless, so don’t be afraid to poke your head through them and see what is on the other side. When you take these chances and succeed, you will find out what you are really capable of and it will surpass any limitation you set for yourself. You are going to be motivated and focused on your studies, which should be your primary objective, but remind yourself to step outside the classroom to learn about the world once in a while. Those chances you take to learn something different will be the best decisions you make.

The advice I would give to my high school self would be to find your true friends first before joining a fraternity, to work hard enough in school to where you aren't worried about failing out, and to save your money for the finer things in life like going up to the mountains for the weekend or for bringing out a beautiful girl on a romantic date. You are going to graduate from college no matter what and you are going to be able to drink with your friends for the rest of your life. Make sure you make the best possible experiences you can while at college because those are the memories that you will cherish forever.