Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to have confidence, but don't be afraid to make mistakes. I was extremely nervous about getting the high grades, being involved in an abundance of clubs and sports, and excelling on the ACT. While these things are important, the most important thing is to do what you enjoy. It is important to find your passion and be dedicated to it. Coming to college, there are many paths to choose in order to find yourself, but you will not be happy unless you choose the one that fits you. There are many pressures, but in the end, you are choosing for your future. Have confidence in your gut feelings and don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You may fail a time or two, but these are learning experiences and you will become a stronger person in the end. You can do it!

College has so many opportunities. Do not squander them. You have four years to make the most that you can. Even though it may be tempting to just relax and think that you still have a way to go, always remember that you are at school for a purpose; you are here to learn and to develop experience. There will never be a better time in your life to be immersed in such profound knowledge and to have wild and wondrous experiences that will become some of your fondest memories. Be sure to focus on your school work because come graduation - even come upper classmen years - you will find out how important they are in determining your life course. Do not always keep your head in the books. There is so much in college waiting for you to participate in. You will find that some of your greatest achievements and most impactful learning experiences do not come from the classroom but rather from the real world. Take time to meet people, volunteer, join an organization, or to work at a real job. Have fun. Most of all, however, always remember your purpose and always be looking out for your passion.

Crystal this is your final year in high school, you want take the time to narrow down your selection for colleges. This is going to be a life changing experience that is going to bring you into your adulthood. Do not put off your future for fun and games if you succeed now the rest will be a piece of cake. This is your opportunity to make a better life for yourself as well as your family. Do your best and make yourself proud.

The first bit of advice I would give myself is not to worry about the decisions made in life. Some things in life don't give you immediate answers. Instead, they become clear years down the road. You never made decisions because of how people influenced you. You made those decisions because, at that time, it was right. Stop worrying about how high school is going to affect the future. Just breathe, slow down and enjoy your true friends. You'll learn what you need to learn from the school and your friends will be there for you afterwards. College is going to be difficult but remember you have people that love you. Even though the first college turned out to be the wrong fit, you're still taking a huge step in the direction towards a better life. Nothing in this world can keep you from accomplishing what you truly wish to achieve. So just live for the moment and look foward to the future. One day you'll be done with college and you'll look back and think " I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I'm right where I want to be."

If I could talk to myself as a senior, the best advice I could give would be to slow down. Instead of spending all my time focused on cramming as much as possible into the twenty-four hours that make up a day, I should have taken the time to just hang out with my friends and enjoy the position I was in. After four years of high school, I had a lot figured out and life was easy. I knew who my friends were, what my obligations were, and how much free time I would have. Instead of enjoying the freedoms I had earned through years of hard work, I filled up the remainder of my time with work and personal projects because I had grown so accustomed to a lack of freedom. Transitioning to college, I no longer have the time to work the hours I did as a senior and none of my friends are in the same college as I am. While I enjoy meeting new people and experiencing new things, I wish I had enjoyed the life I had while I had it, because it only lasted so long before everything had to change.

I would first introduce myself and peak my younger self's unending curiosity. "Listen," I would say, remembering how I felt when our family began to struggle with the finances during those years. "You must do for yourself before you can do for others. Our family will be fine. Focus on yourself, and put one foot in front of the other. I know how much you want to be successful right now, but let me tell you something. Greatness is a lot of small things done well, day after day after day. You need to have faith in yourself as a person, in your actions that arise as a result, and in the Lord. Reconnect." I would pause and let that sink in. "I don't need to tell you anything specific for you to succeed in the future, but with this I hope you can do just a little better than I have, even though I have no regrets. Back then all I needed was a little motivation. You are a strong, a powerful, and a handsome dude. Just remember our father's words, 'Do your best, and don't worry about the rest.' Good luck."

Oh sweet adult, if you only knew that the transition you are about to incur is nothing like the fantasies you have concoted in your brain, but do not fear sweet adult. Just embrace the fact that you are going to lose all that you constructed in high school. Your place on the social ladder will no longer matter, nor will your athletic prowess, nor any other piece of your identitiy that you carved in your high school halls. And this loss, all of it, will be the best thing that ever happens to you. You will learn who you really are, unveiled and without social hinderance. College will let you flourish if you will just let go of who you ideally want to become and embrace the present self. Leave high school in those gloomy, tile halls, and transition to college with an attitude of adventure and self discovery.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't give myself too much advice. College is a time for learning, both academically and socially, and I think trying to be prepared for what college will throw at you takes away part of the unique experience of becoming part of a new environment. I may have had some rough patches during my first couple of years here, but those hard times always led to something more wonderful than I could have imagined. I guess the advice I would give would be to take a step back and absorb everything you can. Be open to trying new things, and enjoy every moment. That's it. Honestly, I'm glad my future self never visited me back then, because I would not be where I am today if I hadn't had the opportunity to learn from both positive ad negative experiences on this campus.

I've learned that although it definitely is important to focus on positioning yourself for a successful career after college, it would have been beneficial for me to focus less on that and more on really find out what I'm passionate about. As cliche as it sounds, I've really learned that having a great job and a stereotypically successful life post-college won't necessarily make me happy. Even though I was told that same piece of advice time and time again before college, I am just now figuring it out. So far I have almost completed a business degree that will hopefully land me a job for after graduation, but I want to take my Senior year to branch out and let myself take classes that have nothing to do with those practical goals and have more to do with helping me find out what I actually want to spend my life doing. If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to focus on finding out my true interests and goals much sooner than senior year.

The key to college success is to develop a noteworthy character, which begins with discipline of your mind, body and spirit. You must actively shape who you will be because your habits –good and bad- will determine your success or failure. Wake up early, establish a study routine, always meet deadlines, stop procrastinating, exercise regularly, pursue your passions, explore your interests, and be prayerful. This is not an exhaustive list, but it exemplifies positive habits that will enable you achieve long-term success. Acquiring positive habits is important because, despite your impressive academic performance, your education at HydePark is not preparing you for the social, mental or intellectual rigor of an elite university. Developing a habit of excellence will be critical to transcending these weaknesses. By sowing seeds of good character- self-discipline, dependability, intellectual curiosity, decisiveness, integrity and consistency-, you will ensure success in college and in life.