University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

I would tell myself to relax. While most people regard senior year of high school as being easy, I was in a very competitive and high-pressure program. Exams were constantly looming over me, and I felt as if the workload would never end. Teachers constantly told us about how challenging college would be and how they only pressured us in order to prepare us for the more difficult classes. However, as a freshman in college, I have discovered that the work is nowhere near as stressful as the work I did in high school. While it is more challenging, I also have the freedom to choose which classes interest me as well as more time to study and really absorb the material. I would tell my senior self to breathe and enjoy the time in high school and to not be so anxious. College is full of new experiences, people, and ways of learning that were not possible in high school, but be prepared for the independence that comes with it.

To be a successful student, you need an open heart, determination, and focus. You must seek out help when necessary to remain successful in the classroom, as well as to enhance your relationship with your professors and peers. Attending office hours for extra helps shows dedication to the course and will only cement the material into your brain. It is not a sign of weakness or defeat, so do not consider it as such. Get involved in something that is meaningful to your future and heart. Show your passion for your field of interest by pursuing volunteer opportunities or obtaining a job in health care or a pharmacy. Engage in clubs that are gauged towards future health care professionals to show your commitment to the profession. Above all, stay close to your friends and family for support. There are going to be tough times where you need to call on your loved ones to help you pull through. Whatever the obstacle, it will pass and make you a stronger, more aware woman who is capable of conquering anything in her way to pursue her passion for pharmacy.

Go out and enjoy life more.

Expect the unexpected. As great as college and the freedom associated with it sounds, there are many more challenges and growing up to experience. There is neither a great way to prepare nor a way to completely avoid stress during the transition. Take on every challenge that you are capable of conquering and do not let other people bring you down. Life from here on out is dependent upon the choices you make. Avoid working too much and appreciate the time you have with your current classmates as you may not see them much after graduation. However, the people you will meet in college will be much more diverse and you will find many more friends. You will probably even find your soulmate seeing as how you probably did not do that as the senior you are right now. Keep your head up and take pride in the school you will be going to because it was your choice and has qualities that match your interests and wishes. Stay strong and live in the moment.

#1: Relax. I know you are stressing out about...everything. #2: APPLY FOR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS!!! Please, stop surfing Facebook for 10 minutes, go to an online scholarhip search, and look for things that may intrest you. Just mark some favorites and come back later to fill them out. Give yourself plenty of time, because let's be honest, you will end up on Facebook again throughout the application process. I know these things can seem overwhelming and useless, but $100 goes a long way when you are living on a diet of breakfast bars and Ramen Noodle soup. #3: Save up some more money. You worked a little during the summer, but step it up. You WILL want to spend money, and it is HARD to find a job at times. Be smart. Yes, you want the cute jeans to show off on your first day of school, but let me tell ya, that money would be much better spent on groceries, joining organizations, and the occasional night out with new friends. #4: Again, Relax. You are in for good times, no use in rushing anything. In time, everything will fall into place.

Going back in time, I would encourage myself to research diversity of clubs and organizations around campus. I was a community youth organizer and education reformist during high school, and I want to continue being active in a new community and environment. Since there is an open kitchen at the residence hall, I would also encourage myself to watch my mother cook dinner and learn her recipes. There?s no cooking better than my mother?s cooking, and as a warning, be prepared to miss a hearty dinner. Most importantly is trying out variety of methods to study. Whether it is memorizing or comprehending the concept, each course is going to require its own method to understanding the materials. As a warning, the television will be your enemy. It will often distract you from your studies, so be strong and fight the urge to press the POWER button. As a final message, you will be a tremendous addition to the university.

If I had the ability to go back to my senior year of high school, I would tell myself to form solid study habits. Throughout high school, teachers spoon fed students the information and upon immersion into the college life, new habits had to be formed.

One of my professors recently told me about a study which found that regardless of how much money someone made, nearly every individual will say they could be happy with just a few thousand dollars more each year. It was after hearing this story that I realized something: basing my academic and career aspirations on money would do one thing?ensure that I would never be happy. It?s because of this that I tossed aside my investment banker dreams and opted for a career in marketing, a field I?ve always been interested in where my creative abilities could be challenged and used to their full potential. Steve Jobs, one of the greatest business leaders of our time, once said, ?The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.? If I could tell the high school senior version of myself one thing, it would be this: do what you love, and success will follow.

As a high school senior, I wish I had received the advice to get involved early, and to familiarize myself with my professors better. Though academics are undeniably valuable, I wish I had been more concerned about joining student organizations and developing my leadership potential in my freshman and sophomore year. This year, I have served as director of an organization, the Global Connections Committee, in which we plan events to foster awareness of international cultures and issues. Through chairing weekly meetings, recruiting committee members and establishing leadership positions, and managing a budget of several thousand dollars, I have learned to allocate my time effectively, and have gained confidence and critical organizational skills. In addition, I wish I had not been so shy in approaching my professors from freshman and sophomore year. Many of my teachers are tremendously accomplished experts in their fields, and I could have learned much more had I asked to pursue an independent study or research with them. Though I have recently begun pursuing independent projects with professors, I have wasted time in not starting earlier. These two pieces of advice would have helped me greatly in enhancing my college experience earlier on.

Knowing what I know now about college life, I think the most important thing I would tell my self is to continue challenging myself with AP courses. I believe the biggest mistake I made in highschool was not taking enough honors courses. Taking honors courses and doing well on the AP tests not only gives you college credits, it also makes college a little bit more manageable. For instance, Calculus in highschool was a difficult course, but in college, it is on a whole new level. College level Calculus was an absolute nightmare, a nightmare that could have been avoided had I taked it in highschool and recieved AP credit for. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself how the little extra effort in highschool could have gone much further than I had anticipated.