University of Portland Top Questions

Just relax. College is a time to explore your interests and to experience different things. You do not need to know all the answers to your life at the exact moment you walk through those college doors. College is the time to experiment and to find out who you are as a person and how you can impact the world. You do not need to know the answers to who you are as a person. College is the start to the rest of your life. It is the beginning of a new chapter out of your life and you should do everything in your power to experience life and what the education from college can bring to you. Lastly, be open to change. Change happens everyday in multiple ways and sometimes the best things in life come from change. College is the time to change as many times as you want and to just spread your wings and fly. Take a chance and see where life takes you, starting with the world of college by relaxing and taking that leap of faith!

My advice is to sit down, take a deep breath, and stop thinking about life as if you have to have it figured out now; that is what college is for! Think you have all your ideas and beliefs sorted out? You don't. You'll meet great people who will influence you. Your ideas will change drastically within the next few years. Your mind will change, your life will change, and you will change. The best advice of all: Embrace the Change. Despite what everyone has been telling you, college is not about having a career or a degree; it is about exposing yourself to world (you'll study abroad in Spain, by the way, and it is going to be awesome!) and becoming the best person you can be. Realize that college is an opportunity that most people do not have (you'll learn about this in sociology class and try not to lose Dr. Williams' email address this time) and because of this you should never complain about it. In less than two years, you will be a different person. I like the high school senior me, but I like me now a lot more.

I would tell myself to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the ride. College is the hardest thing you will ever do and there will be numerous times in which you will question everything you know. In these moments relax. Find peace in knowing time will go on and you will get through it. And don't forget to have the time of your life. You are only there for four years and it is up to you to decide what memories you create. Push your limits and be open to exploring new things. Going to college teaches you more than academic material, it teaches you who you are. So most importantly, be yourself and be confident in knowing that you alone are good enough. There is no better feeling than when you are perfectly content with who you are. Only after you have embraced who you are and accepted that as perfection will you find true happiness.

Thinking back on my transition into university, I can come up with many things that I could have done differently. First off, I wish I had spent more time with my family, because when the time came, I was definitely not ready to say goodbye. If one is moving far away from home, do not overlook the importance of spending that quality time with loved ones before departing. Furthermore, on top of suggesting more emotional preparation, I would advise myself to better mentally prepare myself. Coming from a small high school on Hawai’i where the education system is not as strong as some of the schools’ in the continental United States, I had not fully grasped the amount of knowledge that people at my university would have on top of mine. To cope with this, I would advise myself to just be ready. It helps to quickly make friends in all of your classes, not only so that you have people to eat lunch with, but also so that you have people to form study groups with. Relationships and education goes far beyond one’s high school career, transforming into networks, lifelong friendships, and an ever-expanding knowledge database.

Victoria, you think you have it all together. You're making straight A's and your teachers go the extra mile to help you succeed. Your school is so small that everyone knows everyone, even if they are not one of the "cool kids." Guess what Victoria... next year that's all going to change. Next year you will be an adult; you will be expected to make it on your own. Do not expect your professors to lead you by the hand. Do not expect everyone to know your name. The campus will be huge, and if you see someone you know it will be like a family reunion. None of these changes are bad... they are just changes. You will be leaving the protection of a fish tank and entering the ocean. You will need to learn how to fend for yourself, but do not be scared. It is not scary at all, but it is an adventure. It is time to explore the world and find yourself. Believe me, you will like what you see.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self I would tell myself to relax. I spent so much time worrying about grades in high school, but if I would have learned to manage my time better I would have done just as well, if not better. When it comes to preparing for college, I wish I could go back to tell myself to take a couple more science classes since it's what I'm most passionate about. Instead of taking contemporary living skills, I wish I would have filled that time slot with something that I was actually interested in. When you get to college it's not about what you did or who you were in high school. It's about the person that you choose to become and the person that you allow yourself to be. I shouldn't have spent so much of my time worrying about whether or not I was going to fit in, because in the end the best friends are the ones who accept you exactly for who you are and not something that you wish you could become.

As a high school senior, I almost did not want to think about college because of how scared I was. College was indeed just beyond the horizon, but I wanted to forget about it, like it was not happening. The reality, however, was that it was happening. Now, a year later, I would go back and tell myself to not be as anxious. Certainly, college is new and leaving your family for the first time is scary, but my college made the transition extremely smooth. Through the required freshman orientation class, I met most of my friends and made connections with upperclassmen. Colleges and universities want you to succeed. They do not want you to be lonely or feel swallowed up in a sea of faces. Most schools will do their best to implement you into the student as stress-free as possible. If I could go back in time and advice myself as a high school senior, I would try to ease my own anxiety and assure myself that the transition will be a lot more smooth than anticipated.

Now that I know what I know about college life and how difficult it is, I would tell my high school self to really push myself. I worked hard in high school, but now I would tell myself to work harder; to get all As instead of a few As and Bs. I would also tell myself to apply for all the scholarships that I possibly could. School costs money and I didn't realize just how much until I got into college and couldn't afford my classes. One other thing I would tell myself is to really buckle down and study for those AP exams. Those AP exams can count for college credit and can save me some money. I wish now that I had done what I should have done and worked hard to get what I really wanted in life.

I would tell myself to not worry so much about the transition. The first few months are hard but the experience is worth it. It teaches you how to deal with the challenges that come with living with someone. I would tell myself that making friends is not going to be as hard as you think and you meet some pretty amazing people. I would also make sure to tell myself that although the courses are more challenging, college is not as scary as it seems and it is okay to have some fun. Lastly, don't be so hard on yourself; college is a big adjustment and it is okay if you have a hard time with it in the beginning. Don't stress so much!

Hey there brain! Stop thinking so much about what you're doing this weekend, and start taking your school work seriously! Listen to your teachers, they've been through a lot more than you have, and you could probably learn a thing or two about life. Taking a year or two off to experience some real adulthood isn't such a bad idea, but make sure you get back on the right track and go have that college experience! Make something of your life! Go make friends, be happy, stay postive, travel as much as you can and always be willing to soak up knowledge! Last but not least: set a goal for yourself, create a dream, believe in yourself, and don't stop until you get what you want out of life! The only experiences you will ever regret, are the ones you didn't take.