Webster University Top Questions

I think the transition from high school to undergraduate school and now to graduate school has been difficult for me primarily because I come from a home where only one other member of the family (my brother) had finished with a bachelor's degree. Both of my parents did not graduate high school. If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self I would tell myself to find a mentor early on. No one in my family was able to help me when it came to the nuances of networking or simple college life. I had to learn everything the hard way and I hope to pass my knowledge on to my kids. But if I could go back I think I would definitely choose to find a mentor to make my transition a bit easier. If only I knew that was necessary back when I was a pimple-faced teen.

It gets better. Cliche. But it does. The bullying stops in college. People are mature, or they just don't care enough to pick on you. Nobody cares how you do this, that, or the other thing. They don't care how you dress or do your hair. Sure, there are people who are still judgemental, but you'll never escape that. But now, you don't care about what people think. You toughen up a little bit more when you get to college. You grow. So, don't worry about the nay-sayers right now. They'll go away. They'll forget they bullied you and you'll forget too. Why? Because it'll become irrelevant. Once you're in college, social dynamics will change drastically.

I best advice that I could give myself if I were making the transition to college is (1) take your studies seriously, (2) keep your life goals in front of you as you marticulate through your studies, and (3) enjoy the ride.

Do not compare your future with anyone else's future. You are on your own path-- you do not and will not just go to a four year university and that is that. No matter how much you search, you will not be able to get into any universities, not that you would be able to get any scholarships in time. You will start out at community college and you should accept this, love this decision. You should get involved in community college. Join a club or two-- stop making excuses that you just can not make the time. Apply to more than one college when you decide to transfer. Do not settle. Explore and take your time in your decision. No matter what, go with your gut. You will make your way.

I would tell myself not to worry so much about grades. What I did not know then that I know now is that going from a community college to a four year college, high school grades don't matter as much as community college grades. I would tell myself to enjoy my senior year, take risks, go to all the clubs and sport outings. Grades don't matter now.

Write out a plan for college so that you don't get distracted or lose motivation part way through. It is very easy to lose focus if you don't have clear goals and steps for reaching those goals. It is important to write your goals and accomplishments down so that you can keep track of why you're doing what you're doing and see how far you've come. It is way better to choose a major and stick to it, than to just take general courses and decide later, because classes and study feel very pointless if you don't see exactly what your hard work is going toward. Most of all, don't give up! Keep pushing through, it will be worth it, there will not be a better time to go through college than now!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would have quite a lot to say. I would look at that person and tell them that things will get very hard in the future. There will be a tremendous amount of competition for the things you want and everyone will be fighting to get even a little piece of the pie. I would tell her to not be so afraid of stepping up and taking risks, that sometimes these are good things and can lead to opportunities that you wouldn't have known about. I would tell her to not doubt her abilities, but embrace them and use them to her advantage and to talk to her teachers and mentors about how to prepare for life as an adult. I would tell her to be brave and really research and understand what it is that she wants for herself and to set goals she knows she can attain. I would tell her that it's frightening sometimes, and it won't be easy, but she will be all the more rewarded for it in the end.

I'd tell myself to do what I did. Everything is good, no bad choices, no extreme circumstances.

If I had known in high school these three things, I would’ve possessed invaluable knowledge that may have led me toward a different path: It will be harder than you think to move out of the house and let go of your parents, you don’t have to have your life completely planned out, find what you love and never let it go. One thing that I’ve learned in college is how much I depended on my parents in high school. I never realized how special of a bond I have with my parents, but I no longer take time spent with them for granted. Since I am a huge planner, I have planned out my life hundreds of times, and each time it hasn’t gone accordingly. I wish I would’ve taken general education classes to get a feel for what I like instead of jumping in to a major that I ended up switching anyway. I have a passion for musical theater, and I’ve let opportunities pass me by because I wasn’t sure if it was for me. I’ve realized that it’s something I enjoy and should never give up on.

I would tell myself to save every penny, nickle, dime, quarter and dollar that I have ever had as my possession. I was always told that it would be wise to save for college. I knew this myself, but it did not really sink into my mind until I entered college and needed money for books, food, and extra activities. This would be this biggest talk that I would give to my "high school self". Budgeting and saving is crucial in college.