University of the Sciences Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to keep working hard and not give up if something seems too hard. I would tell myself that the transition form high school to college is not as easy as we would think it is and to take it more seriously. I would also tell myself that it I should socialize and have a good time but I should be mindful of managing my time between my social life and academic life and to learn how to prioritize mor efficiently before getting into college.

I was one of those high school kids that did only what I was interested in. I was an avid musician who was the steryotypical band geek and the science nerd who loved chemistry. As a kid, I always knew I was going to go to school for pharmacy with all hopes of becoming a pharamacist, yet I was also a great trumpet player, who did not know if majoring in music might make me happier. Although I decided to go with the more concrete and reliable path, I would tell my high school self to expand thier horizons before it is too late. In high school I only did band and some science clubs, and never explored anything else. Now, in college, I am a member of charity organizations, clean-up projects, mentoring students and even some art classes, in addition to minoring in music and obtaining a PharmD degree. I would tell my high school self not to be afraid of learning new things and to step out of my comfort zone to better experience the world and learn new things.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would try to convince myself of a few very important things. First, I would tell myself, not to worry about what other people think about you. So much time and energy is wasted on trying to impress others. Another thing that I would tell myself is to make life decisions selfishly. Not selfish in a bad way, selfish in the sense where you are not making a decision to try to please someone, such as a parent or teacher, but you are making the decision because it is truly the decision you want to make. The final thing I would tell myself is to work hard. It seems like a cliche, but nothing in life is worth anything if you dont have to work for it. As a high school senior, you have a huge sense of entitlement and believe you are the center of the universe, however if somehow I could go back and let myself know these few things, I might be a little more ahead of the game than I am today. Thank you for your time.

“Yesenia, remember this is your senior year at Garfield High School. Yes, your last year and that means prepare yourself for the real world. I know how much you want to leave and experience your first year at a University, so I recommend you to go to Cal State Los Angeles. Look, I know it is hard that you will not be able to dorm with others and get that first year experience, but it will help you save money for future unexpected circumstances that you will encounter. Aside to this, I recommend you go over all your math homework and exams. When you get your papers back, immediately after class or school, go to your teacher and ask for help trying to solve the question correctly. You are a future engineer and the math is the subject you must be able to master. Furthermore, apply for scholarships. You have the grades, just worry about sacrificing some weekends to finish a scholarship. Come on girl, the more money you earn, the less stressful it will be for you in the future.”

Take Advice I’m sitting in a cold white concrete room with a striped dress shirt and slacks. The door slams as a little girl walks in with burgundy red lipstick, crispy men’s jean pants with a small red spaghetti strap, and white tennis shoes. Her hair is long and naturally black, dark olive skin toned Persian eyes with big eyelashes, long narrow nose and full lips. She has an innocent glow to her, but her eyes tell a story of hurt and mischief. Finally, I said, “look I don’t have much time, but I know you cry yourself to sleep at night because no one understands you. I know that you can make a rose out of clay dough and that no one taught you how.” Her mouth flew wide open, “how…”. “I am you from the future and I need you to listen to me forget about your friends, skipping class, and focus on art. Make an effort for good grades and go to culinary arts school…. (Fading away) don’t listen to boyfriend. HE IS NOT THE ONE, DANIEL IS…” She sits confused. Walks to her locker and takes home her textbooks to do homework.

Dear Self, You have always been a smart and hardworking individual who would never stop striving until you achieve your goals. You have GPA of a 4.0 or higher every year and as a result was able to graduate third out of 250 students. My advice to you is to take advantage of all opportunities afforded to you that will help you in the future. Don’t be afraid to be an individual. Do what is best for you when it is not the popular thing to do because you can’t take your friends with you after you graduate. Your decisions matter, starting as a freshman in high school. Your choices in your freshman year affect your placement and chances of being at the top of your class. That will aversely affect the amount of scholarships that you will be awarded. If you are given a choice between college prep classes and advanced courses, take the advanced courses. Its going to be challenging but it will pay off later, trust me.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, now that I am in college, I would advise myself to take AP Chemistry, and Calculus, and to leave high school friends behind because in college there is no time for distractions. I would tell myself to take AP Chemistry because it would better prepare myself for the chemistry class that I had in college. Some of the material was completely new to me and I had not taken chemistry since tenth grade. Calculus is another subject that should have been taken because it prepares for the math classes here. The courses are called Mathematical Analysis, but it is really Pre-calculus, and calculus. Also, do not get distracted, study notes from class every night and build a habit of doing so. Do not get distracted about friends not in this school because college is expensive and all that matters is getting the education and getting out so there will be no more schooling when college is finished. I know if I had told myself this my first semester would have been better.

Looking back on my educational path, I am completely satisfied and thankful for where I am today. Over the course of spending a semester in Pharmacy school, I've realized that the study skills and time management habits that I have developed here could have completely altered my time in high school and would have caused me to be an even better student. I've learned to manage my time well and even have a weekly schedule where I write in my activites for each hour. I also have a planner where I write the dates of where all my assignments are due. By keeping my priorities in order, I sucessfully completed my first semester with a 3.92 GPA. If I had better time management skills in high school I would've been able to adjust easier to college life. I'm happy with where I am today.

Dear Suzy, Don't worry, you're going to do just fine! I know times may be tough, and you may feel like giving up is the best option, but don't. Two of your classmates that you grew up with decided giving up was the best solution, but that is not going to get them anywhere. Being a senior can be hard, but very rewarding once you walk across that stage and receive your diploma. School is not going to get any easier, so suck it up, buckle down and take classes seriously. No more goofing off or not trying your best. That will NOT cut it in college. Take advantage of everything your school offers. Afterall, this is free education. I know you're thinking, "But it will be different in college. I won't goof off...", but if you don't start preparing yourself for the oppurtunities that lie ahead, you won't get very far. Take this advice in consideration next time you decide not to do that Government work sheet, or take notes in Anatomy. Good luck! Sincerely, The future you. P.S.- I'll always believe in you even if no one else does.

I would tell myself to go to my computer and grind it out in terms of searching for scholarships and jobs. With financial issues settled, I wouldn't have to worry about money and I can completely focus on studying. This is important because it not only saves time, but it keeps me from having to stress. It saves me from a headache and that way college would be much more enjoyable. Not only would a job also provide finances, but it would also provide work experience and something to put onto my resume. It would definitely simplified the future.