University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

To not procrastinate and put absolutely everything you have into your college applications because they truly determine where and how happy you are going to be the next four years.

Life as a high school senior differs greatly from the life of an undergraduate in college. One of the major differences is independence. As a high schooler, you learn to depend on teachers to tell you when certain assignments are due and you also occasionally depend on your parents to help you with homework, laundry, and food. However, once you're in college, you must learn to do these things yourself. The single most important thing to master independence is to learn how to manage your time. The best way to manage your time is to use a calander. Using a calander allows you to see when certain tasks are meant to be done. By learning this time management technique, you will easily be able to depend on yourself.

College. That word which causes even the strongest of high school students to tremble a little inside. However, after three years of college, the concept of higher education is not as daunting as it once was. I have shed much blood, sweat and tears to arrive at this point, but college has made me into a much stronger and well-rounded person. If I could travel back a couple years and tell myself something, it would be to stay one step ahead. When I maintained a jumpstart on the syllabus and my fellow students around me, I was very relaxed and able to contribute better to my classes. On the flipside, when I was just barely hanging onto my classwork, I was extremely stressed and started to fall behind. As a result, I would highly recommend to my senior self to schedule my time in a calendar to peacefully work on my assignments. However, the bottom line of college is just to enjoy the experience, your fellow classmates and most importantly the incredible opportunity to gain knowledge of this world!

Young lady: I am going to tell you some things that you need to keep close and grasp with all your strength. I am going to tell you things that you will not like to hear, things that you will cry over, but will ultimately make your young life easier. You resisted these things as best as you could, but I am here to tell you now that these things will resurface again in ten years’ time. First, you cannot escape the essay. Writing will dominate your world from now until the end of time. It will define your college career in more ways than you can imagine. Second, do not fear your classmates. You should all work together to reach your final goal. They are not your enemy; they are not your competition. You may meet them again one day and you may rely on them once more. Finally, you cannot be shy anymore. Even if it is scary, even if it is painful, you must expose yourself. You must meet and greet and hang onto the lifeline of every last soul you cross, because that is how you will advance through your life. You cannot do it alone.

I would tell myself to enjoy the presence of my friends in high school while I still can. Although I still talk with them every now and then, it is not the same as it used to be. Sure, I made new friends when I went to college, but one of the best friends that I have now is someone who I was acquaintances with in high school and is in the same college as me now. I did not have many true friends in high school, only one or two, most of the people that I hung out with were barely more than acquaintances like the friend I described above. For some reason, I was not letting myself get close to these people that I saw every day, but now that I am in college, I see that friendships are extremely important when going for a higher level of education if you want to remain sane. If I would have allowed myself to enjoy my friends more, I would have had a much more relaxed final year of high school, and many of them would continue to be my friends today.

Those whose joy bursts from their bodies like firecrackers are those who choose to be happy. You are just a young kid – the world that surrounds you now is not the world that is waiting for you. Don’t let shy passivity stunt the growth of your creativity. You are not old – don’t try to act older for the sake of blending in, your youth is worth so much more than to be wasted. Clutch your joy in your hands and don’t let it go. Give your all to the college you are accepted to: opportunities will ebb and flow as your time there grows, seize the ones that bring passion to your life. You are entering a time of “brand new” – go on adventures, stay out, explore, make choices based on the person you strive to be in order to better the one you will be at college. Most importantly, don’t hold back on forming new relationships – your friends will be your comfort when you feel homesick or lost among a sea of work. Nurture the time you spend with others.

I will look back on college as one of the best times of my life. However, there are a few pieces of advice I would give to a high school senior about to begin college: The first is purely practical - I highly recommend looking for a job on campus soon after you start. You will be able to get valuable academic and research experience that will skyrocket your chances of landing a successful job or graduate school application after college. Many of my extracurricular activities and recommendation letters came from a job I got during my freshman year. Second, stay organized and on top of your classes, both with your lecture material and with the schedule you need to keep in order to graduate on time. This will save you lots of stress and possibly a large chunk of tuition money if you don't need to stay an extra semester to take a missing class to complete your degree. Finally, meet as many people as possible, find friends to live with, study abroad, and take as many opportunities as you can. Make the most of your time in college, and be prepared to love your newfound independence!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to relax and center my undergraduate experience on what suited my career personally, not on "what I was supposed to be doing" or my GPA. I would tell myself to challenge myself with classes that I found interesting as well as subject matters that I wasn't as good at, in order to be well rounded and make sure that certain career options did not suit me. With the exceptions of fields such as pre-med or business, the undergraduate experience is a privilege that allows a student to explore and find what they are good at. Many do not take advantage of the tools at their disposal because they are set on a certain path or mindset, even if they haven't taken the time to test our their different options. Second, I'd tell myself that having issues adjusting to college is perfectly okay. I feel that I would have coped better with the mental health issues I struggled with (anxiety and anorexia nervosa) if I had allowed myself to be okay with how hard adjusting is.

I would tell myself to do more research on colleges and majors before deciding what you want to do. The more research that you do, the easier it will be to make a decision that will effect your life. The earlier you research all options, the greater the chance of you making a definite decision in your career path. The sooner you start searching and applying for scholarships increases the opportunity of receiving financial support. Stay focused in school and make the best grades you can for this will also increase your chance of receiving a scholarship to the school of your choice. Do not settle for second best. Strive for excellence.

Going from high school to college was an exciting yet nervewracking experience for me. Having gone through that period of transition before, I am about to go through it once more. I will be attending graduate school this fall and the same questions are running through my head. "Is it going to be harder?" "What will the people be like?" "How different will it be?" Advice that I give to my high school self is the same I'd give to my current self. It would be to take advantage of all the opportunities available. Take the fun classes like graphic arts or ceramics that are seemingly frivolous because those classes may actually help you in your career or become a serious hobby. I would also tell myself that I can do much more than I think I am capable of and to not be afraid to take on challenges. I never knew how hard I could work until I got to college. Don't sell yourself short because you are afraid you won't do well. I'll make sure to follow this advice to my past high school self as I embark on a new academic journey.