University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

Worrying about college as a senior can be tough. You've been working hard for four years to earn a good GPA, participate in plenty of extra-curriculars, and balance your social life with your school life. Now, you're ready to graduate from high school - only to face another series of challenges as you move on to college. Relax. College is different. It's not about taking the same classes from 8 to 3 every day. It's not about doing math homework you'd rather not do. College is about new experiences. You'll get to learn what it's like to live away from your parents. You'll have to take more responsibility in balancing your social and school lives. You will choose classes you care about and do classwork because you want to learn. You will interact with tons of people on levels you never have. You will have more control over who you spend time with and what you spend time doing. You'll have a chance to get a job to pay tuition. You'll learn about making choices between buying a new pair of shoes and paying tuition. And you will love it.

Stay focused and not to let anything discourage me or distract me from my dreams and my passion

If I could give the "high-school-senior me" advice about college, I would tell myselfthat college won't be what you want it to be, it will be what you need it to be. You won't necessarily make as many friends as you want, but you'll make as many friends as you need. You might not get the jobs you want, but you'll get the jobs you need. You might not get all the classes you want, but you'll get what you need to get a degree. You might not get all the scholarships or internships you want, but if you work hard and ask for help when you need it, you will make it through. College is not the answer to all your problems, nor the fulfillment to all your high school dreams. But it is one of the best opportunities to find your passions and try new things, as well as have hard experiences that will make you into a mature, strong person who can thrive in difficult situations. So appreciate and savor even the difficult and miserable times in college, because they will help you survive and thrive in the future.

Time management. That is the number one advice a person should give to another. As a college student, one needs to know how to balance one's own time wisely. Procrastination is never a path anyone should take because all it gives you is an all-nighter and bad grades. Education is not the only the only reason for managing your time. You need to manage your time for your health purposes also. While being on top of studying, you need to keep in check with your health and eating habits. Allow time for a brief walk or exercise, and do not go out to eat a lot. Then, lastly, know how to use your time wisely between studying and "partying" or having fun. Allowing yourself to let loose from studying is a wise decision because it gives you a break from college. Overall, knowing how to balance your time correctly, will result in a success in college.

The advice that I would give myself is to really focus on school and work once I get to college. I think that I am in a great place right now grades wise, but I wish that I had still worked hard in school, but also gotten a part time job right away too. I was so concerned about making friends and the social/grades aspect of college I really let my finances slip away unnoticed. Now I am in a place I don't want to be because I am working incredibly hard, still trying very hard in school and at this point struggling to afford tuition and housing bills that I just don't have the money for. I am going to have to take out loans this year, but I wish I worked some last year so the loans would not have to be so extreme for the next few years of my life, especially because I want to pursue a career in medicine or physical therapy and both of those careers require grad school as well.

Don't wiat on going to school. Start as soon as you get out. It is harder to get to school as you get older. It takes time to get back into the flow of going back to school if you have to much time between high school and college. It is a very smart decision to go for after high school and not wait. It is also harder between certain ages to get the help with tuition money for school if you can't afford it on your own. I have learned that by experience.

I would tell myself that hard work pays off. In high school, at times it can seem like the teachers do not care how hard you work and only give grades based on biases. This may be because they are not only teaching, but having to deal with moody teenagers as well. For this reason I would often slack in classes when I felt like the teacher had branded me as a particular type of student. In college, it is a lot more open. Hard work is generally rewarded with encouragement, praise and good grades. Not knowing this caused me to skip many classes my first year and though I did well on tests and essays, my overall grades were not as good as they should have been. I finally learned that professors, for the most part, recognize a strong work ethic and are responsive to a student that puts forth a quality effort. In this sense, I would also tell my self not to worry because college is better suited to the way in which I like to study and learn than high school. If I had known these things, my first two years would have been much easier.

Don't go straight to college because there's an obligation to, but rather go when you are sure that what you are studying is worthwhile to you.

Don't sweat the small stuff. College seems overwhelming and competitive at first, but keep working hard and you'll do fine. I wish I would've taken more time for myself, to learn new things outside of academic classes (e.g. taking dance, music, karate, whatever - just something besides studying all the time). This is a great time to do those things; even though you feel like you're too busy already, your schedule is actually as flexible as you make it. Things don't slow down once you graduate - take the time now to have fun and expand your mind and skills.

If you know what you want to do, don't waste your time at a community college. Save time and money and dive right into what you want to acheive. I was suckered into attending a community college to save money. I've always known what I wanted to do with my life, but still I decided to go this route. I really wish I would have jumped right into a University. I love everything about it.

I would tell myself that high school is the diving board into college. It may seem scary and frightening but once you take that leap, you'll never regret it. It's the one time in your life where you get to bond with all types of people that you would never dream that you'd be friends with. You're exposed to the best professors in the field and have tons of opportunities to do what you want and how you want to do it. Just remember to keep an open mind and fun and learning will find its' way to you.

It is really important to get involved in clubs or activities right away and to try and develop friends as soon as possible. This helps to develop a support system of friends who you can rely on as soon as possible. Don't be afraid to initiate conversation with people or to invite them to something. Also be really careful in making sure you are ready for a particular class. One example is if the AP test placed you into a certain class, make sure you are actually ready for that class. When the AP Calculus test placed me into Calculus II for my first quarter of college, I really should have started with Calculus I. The college campus will be significantly bigger than high school, but don't worry you'll get used to it with time. By the time one quarter has passed by you be feeling pretty used to things.

I would tell myself to try to find a place to live close to campus. Living at home with my family would be fun, but the commute would take up a lot of time that could be used for studying. Living close to campus has so many advantages like being able to meet up with friends, attending sports events, and taking advantage of the 24-hour library.

I would tell students to take their language classes in high school and take the advanced placement test for the language if possible.

Learn time management skills early on!

Knowing what I know now about the ways in which education can influence your life I would advise my 'former' self to delve deeply into what I find interesting, what I find motivational. I would remind myself of the truth that college is an amazing opportunity while at the same time being not just a continuation of school, but a exponential increase in the depth and breadth of information and the benefits one can enjoy while being informed . I would also encourage myself as a senior to explore things that I find challenging - in ways that truly push me to think critically - and pay particular attention to the associations that are made. I would also remind myself to make the most of being in school and of the education system.

If I was able to go back into time the only advice I would give me is to be more involved. I would participate in many other programs because it would have allowed me to become more socially opened. I should have gotten more involved with the University of Washington during the summer of my senior year.

I would say this to myself upon traveling back in time: "Jamie, you have so much ahead of you. You do not realize now, but time does run quickly. Before you know it, you will studying for college finals. Now, it seems like life is rough, trying to get everything sorted out and organized, but there is so much more awaiting you. It is such an exciting experience. Don't worry! Do not worry about your roomate, whether she'll be nice, or if you will starve because you do not know how to cook too well, or even that you do not know anyone. Just imagine this: waking up one day after all it is done, not starved, surrounded by a well-known group of friends. You have just gotten a dress for graduation and you know now finally, that you made it and your dreams have come true. Put to rest your worries and dream a little, becuase in your dreams you'll find yourself."

I would tell myself to focus more on school. Like many college students I loved the new freedom and didn't focus enough on school as I should have. I would have also told myself of the study habits I learned along the way in college to help myself excel sooner in school. I would also stress how quickly you can fall behind in a class and how important it is to go to class. Most importantly, trust your gut and don't let people push you around and tell you that you can't do things. Focus on your goal and don't let anything get in your way.

Know thyself. Someone said this, right? That's why I'm in school now: to learn the origins of such iconic phrases that have survived history riding on successive waves of popular culture. What can't necessarrily be learned in school is the truth of that phrase. Trying to understand oneself is extremely important to getting the most out of the college experience. I would advise my past self to, "take some time off from school and try to figure yourself out." While it is alright to experiment and discover who you are and what really drives you in college it is important to make good use of the time there and to take advantage of the opportunities that really are unique to the college setting. Here I'm talking about the kinds of academic interactions that are possible and the scholarships and projects that colleges fund. Making use of these opportunities is much more successful when the 'self' is clearer, although never crystal.