University of Washington-Bothell Campus Top Questions

I would tell myself the following: Dear Kayla, College is going to be an awesome experience. I know you're worried that you should have picked a college further away to get more independence but I promise you made the correct desicion. You are going to grow so much as a person and truly find your passion. Do not be afraid to get involved in school activities. You are going to see things going on on your campus and I am sure you will wonder, 'should I check that out?' and think, 'hmm..that looks fun' but you wont stop. Stop. Meet people and get involved. If I could do it over again I would get involved on campus so much earlier. By being involved, you get to meet people and make fantastic friends. It is amazingly rewarding. Additionally, trust your gut. If you think something is the right thing to do, then it is and if you have a funny feeling about something, do not do it. Trust yourself, have fun, do not stress (too much) and enjoy! You'll do great!

As a high school senior student I would actively progressed toward fulfilling the requirements of computing and sofware system. Along with that, I need to organized study groups, attended various campus events, socialized with other students and built stable friendships. There are two main reasons why I believe majoring in CSS would be the most suitable and beneficial field of study for me. First, I highly desire to increase level of my computer skills in addition and couple it with my artistic talent in painting in order to meet the demand in the society in the field of computer. Second is my expertise to pay close attention to details, which comes from my artistic perception. My brain and eyes are well trained to capture all the details and interoperate them to useful information. I will gain proficiency in computer problem solving and strengthen my critical thinking skills. I should not faile to achieve a goal that I desired in life no matter how hard it has been. Furthermore, my hard-working and artistic nature allows me to quickly adapt to different situations.“Do what you love and you’ll be successful in it” by my professor.

The one piece of advice I would give my highschool self would be the same words my mentor has given me as a junior in college: "to be successful in this life identify the opportunities presented to you, and be unafraid to pursue them." The day I told myself I would say "No" no more because I was, "too busy" or because I would rather "have a life" was the day I began enjoying my work. When a friend said to me "you should check out the part-time AmeriCorps program" I didn't just brush it off, I went and checked it out. When I got a mass e-mail reminding students of student government elections, I didn't just let the deadline go by, I submitted a proposal and campaigned. Last month I was elected student body president. I one piece of advice to my younger and more inexperienced self would simply be, "you have this one chance to be the best person you can be, every moment is a unique moment to learn and grow that you will never again have to take advantage of. Do not let these moments go by, seize them!"

I know you don’t feel smart enough, but you are. I know you don’t feel you have the ability to attend a good university, but you can – you just need to ask for help. Don’t be afraid of new things and new ideas; bathe in them. When you think you’ve tried harder than you can imagine, try a little harder. Push yourself, and don’t stop. The aneurysm in your brain, that the doctors say will take your life, it doesn’t – and you live, your memory returns - and your actually good in math. So don’t limit yourself to something little, go big. Live away from home when you go to college, spend a year studying abroad, get your ears pierced, and for heavens sake – learn to balance your checkbook!These new things called computers, you will love them – buy a few shares each month in a startup called Microsoft to help pay for your education. Spend more time with your father; you will miss him as he slowly leaves you. Lastly, seize every opportunity and person who crosses your path – a computerized tool to help you do this isn’t a bad idea either.

If I had the opportunity to travel through time and counsel my then 18 year old self about how to succeed in college, I suspect it would go something like this. I would order myself (and I) a tall nonfat hazelnut latte, and assure myself that this will get me through nights of studying for exams. I would tell myself that I will have times when I don’t understand something – and that is the time to reach out for help. I would tell myself it is important to take advantage of all of the free tutoring centers on campus. I would instill in myself that every rough quiz or exam wasn’t the end of the world. I would make sure that I wasn’t afraid to get involved in school activities, because those are the experiences that will broaden my views and understandings. I would leave our conversation making sure I understood that the next few years will be frustrating at first, but rewarding later. I would make sure I embraced every bump in the road, because they are the fruits of success in the future. Embrace the difficulties; because that’s the only way I will grow.

If I could have spoken with my eighteen year old self I would have taken her to the base of a wildflower covered mountain I know of. I would ask that young girl how the view looked from the bottom. I'm sure she be confused by my question. I would encourage her up those steps to the top of that very steep mountain and I would not have let her tell me we needed to turn back or that it was taking too long. I would joke with her and have a good time with her and make her feel good about herself every step of the way. Every time my younger self wanted to give up I would just tell her, "No. You'll see. It's worth every bit of work when we get to the top." When we reached the top I would show her the view and I would ask her how proud of herself she is and how it feels to have reached the top, and then I would take her picture standing at the top and later give her that picture to remind her of her goals and to never give up.

The main bit of advice I would give myself would be to never allow for my own procrastination to get the better of me. In high school, I remember wasting time waiting to apply for scholarships until I couldn't make the deadlines, and then would also take similar stands on how I handled assignments. During my first two quarters in college, this bad habit followed me, and threw me behind in a couple of classes - don't let this happen. My GPA for the most part could have been at the very least a 3.5, but, instead, it's just skimming along the 3.0 line because I couldn't get myself to actively take part in class or turn in assignments directly on time during the beginning of my college career. Basically, do not procrastinate - it will definitely hurt you in the long run!

In college I plan to: Keep a to-do list to write things down as it comes and transfer them the next morning to an hourly calendar schedule Give myself plenty of time for a task to allow for flexibility. Leave room for extra-curricular later in the afternoon or in the evening Cram in study time as early in the day as possible and study in quiet spaces and change spaces often. Take water-breaks often when studying. Check off other small tasks in my to-do list during these breaks Plan major projects or exams well ahead of time usually at the beginning of class to make sure I will be working for them throughout the quarter so that I won't have to cram at the end Get help early as possible Attend class regularly Connect with the professors daily. Network with people of different/interesting backgrounds and professions Carefully choose what I really want to read thoroughly and what I want to skim. Look-out for campus events and activities. Look out for internships, study abroad programs and research opportunities Meet with the advisor regularly at least twice each year to check on my progress.

The transition from high school to college was not very difficult because the community college I went to was not very challenging. I felt understimulated. If I could tell my high school senior self anything, it'd be to challenge myself. Apply to universities, don't accept the concept that you have to go to a community college, that you wouldn't make it at a 4-year college. I was given the idea that I wasn't good enough, that I wouldn't handle the change well. Now I know I would have. Don't second-guess yourself. If you want to get out of your small town, then leave. If you want to experience more, find it. Don't settle for ordinary because everyone around you is. Be extraordinary.

As a high school senior I was more than ready to leave and move on with my life to experience college and everything else that life has to offer. If there was a time machine that allowed me to go back in time and give myself advice, I would tell myself to keep going on the path that I am on. Yes life is going to be difficult, but that is what helps to shape us into the adults we will be for the rest of our lives. I would not want to tell myself anything that was going to happen that first year of college and I would not want to tell myself that it is going to be a challenge because I already knew that. But i would tell myself that it is important to stay true to my heart and values and to not let the difficulites in life get in the way of my own happiness.