Juanita
Considering what I know now about college life and making the transition from high school student to college student things currently would have been different. Coming from a small town I would advise students to attend community college first before attending a university away from their home. This will help with the transition process from being dependent students to independent students. Also, being focused and dedicated as well as being prepared for the college life is a must. You can easily be distracted from your goals in life.
Tera
As a high school student I got really good grades. I grew up in a family of five children and my parents did not have the money to be able to send any of us to college. Being that both of my parents did not have college degrees the idea of higher education was never really talked about as an option. High School to me was not a gateway to a brighter future and I ended up dropping out in junior year. It was not until I turned 23 years old that my husband who values education really supported and pushed me to stop working at a Subway Sandwiches and attend Maui Community College. If I could go back and talk to myself when I was in high school I would passionately explain to myself the importance of attending college. Not only to be able to gain a higher education and to earn more money but the importance of finding yourself, finding your interests and gaining important life experiences. I would explain that attending college even if you are from a poor family is very much attainable through scholarships, government grants, and student loans.
Tania
I would tell my high school self to trust myself, regardless of any outside influence which also includes parents and peers. Knowing that right out of high school I didn't have the focus or direction that my classmates had, I wanted to take a year off of school to either study abroad or work (some sort of productivity). Instead, for the last ten years I was juggling between making my mom happy and trying to get through school. College shouldn't be something you should "get through"; it's there for higher learning to get toward some goal. I eventually rediscovered my own interests and direction as an older, non-traditional student. Now that I have achieved that, I am more than determined to get there. I think I am better off after having found my own motivation within myself, and that's more important than doing what anybody says you should be doing or following some conventional pattern.