Vanguard University of Southern California Top Questions

Be brave and not afraid to step outside the box and get involved and make friends

Don't pay any attention to the boys, and read all the books you're supposed to. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, just do what you want to do. Learn how to sleep with the lights on and learn how to make a meal out of leftovers.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to not be afraid to fail. The transition from high school to college comes with many different challenges. The most important part is to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and and accept those challenges. To fail doesnt mean that all hope is lost. It means that you did a brave which is to step out and try.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior is that I would take more interest into classes I took in high school so that I can have a better chance of getting into more colleges. I would focus more on planning and organizing my life for the big transition. I would prepare for a whole new life especially because you're living on your own and you need to be able to support yourself, financially, emotionally and mentally. There are people who are there to help you and you should take advantage of getting the help you need. The main piece of advice is to focus and prioritize on what work needs to be done.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would make her sit down. I would tell her the great adventures that will take place and about the boy who will steal her heart, but most importantly, I would tell her that you ae there to learn. Yes, there will be times when you want to ditch the old smelly textbooks for the feeling of sand between your toes and salty hair, but don't. Stay in your room and study for Sociology and actually read the textbooks. It is so easy to get distracted and forget that you have a midterm worth thirty percent of your grade but you are in college to learn and be successful, this is your future that is at stake. You are the first in yout family to make it this far, don;t give up and please, don't throw it away. Time will fly by and before you know it, you will be walking the stage and onto bigger and better things. Have fun kid, just not too much fun.

This is an exciting time in your life, I know that right now it seems very stressful and scary, but there will be times of great excitment and joy too. I want to encourage you to be involved and take chances. You are going to miss your family and friends back home, but try not to go home on the weekends. Stay at school and go to your floor events, don't be afraid to get to know people, because you will find life-long friends there. This is a time where you are going to discover more of who you are, what you like, what you don't like, and what you want to do in life. You will get out of your experience whatever you effort you put into it. Most importantly, and this is one I think most people learn the hard way, is remember to take care of yourself before you try to take care of others. Be honest with yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help, you will be surrounded by people who love you. I am really excited for you and this new adventure, I know how much you like adventures!

If I could hop into a time machine and go back to High School I would first go with right mindset. Starting my freshman year I was all about the social aspect of high school, hanging out with friends and flirting with boys. My focus was nowhere near getting an education. It reflected on my transcript. My sophmore year wasnt much different. My junior i started realizing that I needed to get into college and put a little more pep in my step. My senior I really kicked it into gear. But througout my high school career I never gave 100 percent. That's the number one advice I would give to high school self. Always give your 100 percent in everything you do whether it be school or sports. Dont worry what others think or say of you because you need to realize that your not in school for them. In the end you will probably never see them again till your college reunion and what will you have to say for your self then. High school prepares you for college, and collge prepares you for the the rest of your life. Think of high school as a cornerstone.

The advice i would give myself is to start thinking ahead and working on scholarships to pay for school. It can be pretty expensive to go to school and follow your dreams but there are organizations out there who do try to help you out through scholarships you just have to look for them and be persistant.

I would of made better grades

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would say prepare for the most important step in your life. College is all about getting your degree and pursuing the career of your dreams, and college gives you that opportunity. When you go to college, you must be prepared. You need to apply for as many scholarships, loans, and grants as you can. It is important to have as much money as possible to cover your college expenses because college is very expensive; however, it is well worth it. Choosing the right degree for you is essential as well. Most college students end up changing their major and have to start over; therefore, it is wise to choose the right degree and stick with it. Preparing for the most important step in your life is the advice I would give myself if I was a high school senior again.

“Do not stress out!” This statement would be the first thing out of my mouth. I have a tendency to over think, which in turn leads to creating problems that do not really exist; this in turn leads to me experiencing excessive stress. As I was preparing for college, I found myself feeling unprepared for college life. I had never been away from home for more than a week and I felt that my high school classes were not challenging enough to prepare me for college. I also was not the most social person in high school so I also worried about not making any friends. Now that I have been at college for almost a year I find that I was worried for nothing. Sure it was strange not having my parents’ right down the hall but it was also a great growing experience. Also, my teachers did a great job in preparing me for what college would be like. Lastly, I have made some amazing friends. So remember “historic” me, don’t stress, you are going to be fine.

I would tell myself to better prepare myself. I know that if I had applied myself I would be either going to College of Idaho or University of Idaho. Also, that I shouldn't have let the amount of going to these colleges scare me. That I should have applied for all the help I could get. Right now I'm attending community college which I think was a good choice because it helped me stay used to going to school. But I promised myself my freshman year that I would transfer out in order to make my career dream come true. Since I was little I’ve wanted to be a lawyer and I know that I have to have my bachelor degree to get into law school. I was lost but now I’m determined to make that come true and I would really appreciate getting this scholarship. I will work my hardest and make it worth being picked to receive this scholarship.

If I could give advice to my high school self, I would tell myself to take high school as seriously as possible. I would tell myself rather than take electives and easy classes senior year, take classes that will mean more and be more helpful in my college career. Instead of taking Floral Design, Environmental Issues, and Early Childhood Education, I should have taken more foreign language classes or more math classes. I would want myself to know that taking those classes would be more helpful in my future than the electives that I took. College life would be much smoother and easier for me if I had taken my senior year of high school more seriously than just taking electives and taking the easy way out because of "senioritis". If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to straighten up and take senior year seriously, because it would pay off more in the future.

First off, I would have put more interest in taking the AP exams. Being a high school student, I got lost in friends and sports and was not even thinking about college until my last six months of high school. With that said, I would have tried to prepare myself more by looking into schools ahead of time, visiting them, and applying for more scholarships. Secondly, I would tell myself to spend more time accepting the fact that I might actually have to leave home, so that when the time comes I would be prepared and ready to face what the kind of curve balls the world would throw at me. Lastly, I would try to relax and enjoy my last year of being a senior, but still be motivated and diligent to get my school work done. In doing so, it would better my chances to getting accepted into all of the colleges that I applied to.

Time is valuable; it’s something you can never get back. In saying that, learning to allocate and balance your time is an imperative thing you should do. Procrastination can get the best of you and if you’re not organize e.g. homework, studying, projects, etc. it can all catch up eventually and leave you overwhelmed. That also goes for doing stuff at the last minute. If you know you have a project or research report paper due in a couple weeks or months, don’t wait until the last minute to do so. It can cause unnecessary stress and professors will know if you rushed on your assignments, its evident in what you turn in. When given the assignments, its best to start working on them little by little every day. Being in college is totally different than high school. Meaning you are accountable for everything you do; turning in homework, taking notes effectively, studying effectively, and asking for someone’s notes if you’re absent. Not only is college a great experience, it’s a place that determines what type of future you will have. Make decisions wisely and make the best of it.

work hard because it will pay off in the end

I would tell myself to step outside of my comfort zone a little bit more and make new friends. I would advise myself to stay up later for those late night talks, keep a steady job during college, and work hard at everything I put myself to. I would say to get creative both in my academic life, as well as eating in the Caf. I would also say to not waste valuable time, this is time I won't be getting back, so take up a hobby for those times when I have nothing to do, and challenge myself in a new and potentially unfound skill. But mostly, I would tell myself to not be afraid. Be fearless.

My high school self never gave much consideration to college. At the age of 15, I was advised to leave the world of education behind by my high school counselor. He claimed that "some people just weren't meant for an education". I believed him and gave up any hope of higher learning... or of any sort of academic education at all. I dropped out of school and dove headfirst into a full time job. Looking back, I wish I could have told my younger self that no one is incapable of learning. That everyone and anyone is 'meant' for an education, if they are lucky enough to have one offered to them. I would have told her that no one person, besides herself, could judge her abilities with any true conviction. Chiefly, I would have explained to her that she was capable of ANYTHING that she put her mind to, as long as she was willing to put some real effort towards that goal. Despite the setbacks I encountered after leaving high school early, I have proven that I am indeed very capable of an education. High grades and my newfound love of learning have made that quite clear.

I am currently attending Frederick Community College; I am in my third year. I will be graduating with my associates degree in general education/ undecided. I now know that when I attend Salisbury in the fall of 2012 I will be majoring in marketing. I would go back in time and tell myself that marketing is what I will end up majoring in in the future so I didn’t waste my time with all of the other unnecessary classes. I would have also told myself to take FIVE classes instead of four! I believe this is the main reason that set me a year back. I will now be graduating college a year later than I should be because of this. I learned one important thing about myself which is I can handle more than I expected! I hope I will be chosen for this scholarship. Thank you very much.

Dear Marina, I know that you are anxious to get out of high school and move on with your future, but I want you to be proactive and take time to focus on what you want to do and where you want to be. You have a habit of leading with your heart and not your head so I want you to remember that you can use both when you make decisions. As you are about to go into college it will be easy to forget what you have learned but I would like to encourage you to hold on to your values and keep in touch with your family so that you can remain grounded as the world tries to shake you. FInd friends that will uplift you and support you. Stay away from people who want to use you and break you down. Do your best to get involved so that you are not wasting time being bored. Try to focus on other people and not just yourself and your own problems. Don't be lazy, get a job and help yourself. You have a lot of potential when you go somewhere new. Love youself and others.