Vanguard University of Southern California Top Questions

“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.