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If I could go back to my senior year of high school I would tell myself to save up money so I didn't have to take out student loans. I currently am in debt because I have taken out loans to pay for my education. If I would have either saved up some money or even researched scholarships and grants sooner I would not be this far in debt. My life would be so much easier because I would be able to apply for credit and be able to find myself a nice apartment. Because I haven’t found a job to pay for the loans I have bad credit.

If I were to travel back in time I would tell myself to to follow my heart. I would tell myslef that I made the right decisions in college, I am enjoying every moment in my life right now. I feel that the choices that I have made in college have been the right ones. I remember debating on if I should change my major to education and I did. It was the best decision I have ever made. The professors are amamzing and I've never been so eagered to pursue something.

I would tell myself its ok to be scared college is fun you just have to be motivated and stick with it. There are so many new adventures you will have, meeting new people staying up until all hours studying, working possibley harder then you have ever worked before, but the benefit of what you recieve is what your ultimate goal should be. I would tell myself to rest and really really try . Make sure you dont mess around because college parties are not the focus of the universe. Expect the unexpected and realize that yes right now you really want everything handed to you and 4 years seems so long especially since you spent the last 13 working so hard balancing youth and education. That college and adulthood is just another challenge to accept and conquor and that 10 years from now youll look back on your great career awesome longtime friendships and say wow where did the time go. I want to encourage my senior self to take chances, make sacrifices and try as hard as she can because at the end of the day its not so bad.

It’s September 6th 2010. I still don’t know if I’m ok, I’m shocked to say the least and questioning my sanity. On my way to second period, someone claiming to be me pulled me into the janitor’s closet. The scary thing is that she did look like me, except with better hair and two eyebrows instead of one connected at the middle. As I stared at her I felt numb but able to listen to what I needed to hear. She told me to let go of unnecessary weight I was carrying, to be seventeen and enjoy it. According to “me” all this talk about “high school being the best part of your life and to pick one of the many paths for your future are all bullshit.” Excuse my language, she said high school is nothing compared to what comes afterwards. Sounds great, the idea that high school is the greatest time of your life says that the rest of my life will be boring. I don’t have to pick a path, I’ve always been on one. I’ll be fine; after all it’s just high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to stay home with my parents instead of moving out when I was eightteen. Life would have been much easier if I would have just stayed at home, now I am in college, on my own, working a full time job and I am still barely making ends meet. I would tell myself to stay with my parents and not move out. I would encourge myself to work and save as much money as possible, and I would encourage myself to focus on school from the get-go and plan my life after college graduation.

My senior year, I chose to enroll in a new digital academy that my high school was introducing. If I could go back and talk to my self about how college life is, I would explain why I should have stayed in a regular school. I was so shy all through school and I would love to tell myself to not be like that; that college introduces you to so many people and topics that it's not convenient to hide from any of it. That maybe that last year that I would have gone to a regular school would have been the year I learned to open up to others. That I should have done Post-Secondary Option while I had the chance, because it would have helped me ttansition to college life better. The transition to college is not a difficult one in my opinion. I would definately tell my younger self that there is a lot more information in a shorter time span than high school, a lot of it being self-taught.

Don't be afraid to pursue the major that you truly want. As an undergrad, I transferred to a BFA in visual art from a pre-med track. I was worried that I would make less money and have less success, but I quickly found that my talents were just waiting to grow. Every experience I had in my new major was more than worth the anxiety of the transfer. Before I graduated, I attended a professional artist residency with the prestigious Robert M. MacNamara Foundation. When I applied for MFA programs, I was accepted into CalArts, one of the top art schools in the country. I have no lack of confidence in my career path now. Younger self, you will find a path to success, no matter what you do, if you love doing it. Take advantage of your education and find out how to make the most of your career training. College is meant to prepare you for the life you want to live.

If I could go back to when I was a high school senior, I would have told myself to be more studious and not revel in the future. I would have made sure I didn't make rash decisions for the sake of my future and work hard at everything I did. Asking others for help concerning my future decisions and making payment plans ahead of time insead of waiting until the last moment possible. Also I would tell myself that I will change my major a few times so don't spend a fortune on a career based class until I was sure that I was confortable with my career choice. I would tell myslef to enjoy my time and when I get to college, to relax. Its not much but even a few simple words can do the trick. This is what I would tell myself if I went back in time.

Dear Jackie, Congrats! You have made it to the final year of high school! And guess what, you've got a great boyfriend who will propose to you on Christmas Day. Bu,t before that you need to graduate, and ps dont waste your time with pima (they'll lose your paperwork) dollface. You're loving fashion class right now but by the end of senior year you'll realize a business is the way to go. Sure you're following in dad's foot steps but hey...he has got it together, and so will you. My advice to you right now is join more clubs! Scholarship people like that stuff and they don't consider reading a hobby...oh well. Keep with drama, rejoin kiwanis and if you got your head on straight you would get honor roll. Be yourself and never lose sight of what's important, your family and your future. Love, Yourself

Going back to the last year in high school, it was actually my worst year. I would tell myself in the past: do your work, and ignore other people's negative feedbacks. Don't let the negative feedbacks influence your mind. Focus on your concept, your work, your thoughts, and your efforts, be confident. What other people said about your work, when you were just about to explore and try out new techniques, couldn't help you to be successful. You, as an individual, whatever you produced is only about you, you don't have to please your audience when they didn't understand your work. Just be yourself. All of the great artists I've seen, they have their uniqueness in their work. They might not be accepted by the public in the beginning, but in the end, they successed. Why? Because they invented. The new things came from them, have been adapted by the following artists in the future. Abstract performance arts couldn't be accepted unless somebody started doing it first. So when people questioning about your work and don't get your idea, that's fine. Just keep working, one day, you will be successful.