Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

I would tell myself not to stress over the small things, and really enjoy life. College has taught me that savoring the experience is a good way to deal with rough times. I have just started my second semester of college and I know that these 4 years will go by faster than I can imagine. So even though some moments are hard I just have to remember that it is all part of the experience of life and that I just need to slow down and think about the good things I have experienced. As a high school senior I was worried about getting into a good university so I could get into a good medical school, but looking back now I should have been looking for a university that suited who I was (luckily I found one!) rather than worrying about the quality or prestige of the school. College life has really taught me that the most important thing I will ever learn is who I truly am, and I feel that the college experience will allow me to discover my true self and help me understand myself more than I ever could have imagined.

I would tell myself that going to a community college for the first two years of school was okay. As a high school senior, I was dead set against it - I knew what I wanted to do, and I was also afraid that if I started going to a four year school in the third year, I wouldn't make any friends. Now, in my third year of college, I have gone through three different major changes, and I am still not sure if I am where I want to be. I also have learned that you can make friends in any level of school - I go to a community college now instead of a private college where I started out, and I am still making friends with each class that I take.

If I could go back and tell myself a few things I've learned about college, I'd tell myself that asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve learned that no matter how much studying and work is put into a subject one could always use a little help from someone with more experience. Also, it is important to plan your time and stick to the plan, because excellent time management is the key to sucess. This semester has taught me a lot about what I’m truly passionate about, and more importantly that it’s okay to pursue my passions. It scares me to not know where my life will end up, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out because I’ve learned that as long as I’m doing what makes me happy the rest will work out. Next semester, as I begin to truly pursue my own dreams, life seems very promising, and I am hopeful to begin because I have learned so much from these first few months at Washington University. If I gave this semester a title, it would only be fitting to call it “A Learning Experience.”

Don't commit too early. It seems silly, I know, if you already are certain of what you want to study, or who you want to become, or what you want to do professionally. But please, don't limit yourself, don't define yourself too early, and please dont cross anything off, don't deny yourself any possibilities, just because you thought you had it all planned. It's not to say your plans aren't good. I still like the way they sound, and I may stick to them, but what I've learned already in these first few months of college, is that there are way more opportunities here than you ever could have imagined. There used to be a belief that school was to learn, to expand your mind. Today, with the recent economic developments, everyone seems to believe college is a tool for professional success. It is, don't get me wrong, but it is still an incredible oportunity to take classes you never will be able to take again, to major in something you've never heard of, and to meet people who are nothing like you. Don't forget the process matters too.

I would tell myself to show my appreciation for my close friends and family more than I did. I took for granted all the love and support that they had given me while I was growing up, and I only recently realized just how much they have influenced me. Without some of them, I would not be the driven person that I am today, and I would not have made it in to my college. It saddens me to think that it took a near-death experience on my grandmother's part for me to realize that I have failed to be an appreciative son, grandson, and friend to the people who matter the most to me. Until that point, I didn't realize how much I still rely on those who mattered most to me, my friends and family. So, if I could, I would go back and tell myself not to focus so much on things that don't end up mattering in the end (i.e. parties), and instead devote my time to showing my mother and father, along with my closest friends, how much I appreciate all that they have done for me.

If I were to go back in time, I would tell my high school self to relax a little, remember to do scholarship applications, and think about the implications of running at certain schools, not just the prestige. When I was a high school senior, I was completely obsessed with the idea of going to and running track at Brown University. I let that idea govern almost my entire life. Everything I did was for Brown, and other applications were these stupid things I had to do to before I went to Brown, which is why I didn't do enough scholarship applications. I actually ended up getting rejected, but it was the best thing that could've ever happened to me. I was only just good enough that I might've made Brown's track team, and it probably would've been a huge source of anxiety rather than fun if I'd ended up there. Moreover, the people weren't as friendly and the team didn't seem nearly as cohesive. The school was amazing, but it really wasn't right for me. I wish I'd known things were going to work out for the best.

The advice I would give myself is to remember your own worth and achievements. When you enter college, you are going to be surrounded by others who are just as smart, or even moreso, as you are. It is important to keep in mind that your opinions and ideas are just as valuable as theirs and deserve to be heard. Whether it involves speaking up more in discussions, joining a cause you believe in, or just meeting with a professor to chat about an interesting topic covered in class, it is good to take advantage of and learn from all the resources college exposes you to. Additionally, because college is a time for growth and self discovery, you should be sure to try something that you have always wanted to do, but maybe never had the opportunity to in the past. You never know, you may find that a passing extracurricular activity becomes a future profession that you are passionate about.

I would strongly advise my past self to learn how to properly manage time. College life is fifteen hours of class per week, as opposed to 35 hours in high school. There is a lot of free time that was not available before, and if you don't know how to allot the various activities among the hours, you will either drown in too many activities or vegetate in front of the tv and fail to fulfill an enriching college lifestyle. I saw my roommate waste away his time playing video games and flunk three classes because he coasted through high school and never needed to plan his day. On the other hand, I took on activities in the school newspaper, sports information department of the athletic department, the Indian student group, campus tours and the first year center. As a result, I didn't have enough time for actual school work and did not perform as well as I wanted. The trick is to find the right balance of social life and school, and the best way to do that is to know what you can and can't do with the time you have.

You'll recieve a lot of good advice in college, but you'll find that its hard to stay focused on all the things you're supposed to be doing when you don't have an end goal in sight. But this is not for lack of motivation. It's because you'll want everything, and in college you'll have more resources to aid you in your pursuit of success and fulfillment than you can wrap your head around. And you'll worry that while you stand frozen with indecision, your peers are running fast into the future. But know that most of them feel just like you, and that the billions of people in this world who are not in your position would give up so much to be you: a college student in America. So, above all else, don't worry as much. Spend as much time as possible outside of your comfort zone. You may be told that it is most important to be yourself, but don't forget that "yourself" is hardly more than the specter of something that doesn't exist yet. You're evolving. It's hard to mess that up, so relax.

If I could go back in time and give my high school self advice, I would be sure to tell myself to stay true to myself throughout it all. The college transition is tough from high school, and it is important to be yourself and find friends who are compatible with you and don't expect you to change in order to be friends with them. I would tell myself that it will get tough every once in a while to balance school, work, friends and family, but it is important to find a happy medium. Grades are important, but college is also about learning to be able to manage all aspects of your life. I would tell myself to study as often as possible and not to cram the night before a big test, and that the teachers I had were usually right about work ethic. The last piece of advice I would give is to enjoy the years I have in college as much as possible while still maintaining good grades because it will be the easiest years of my life before going out into the real world.