West Chester University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Convincing myself of anything is hard, and taking my own advice has never been my forte. However if I could tell myself anything as a high school senior it would include enjoying the moment, organizing myself, and focusing on what matters. I am the biggest worrier in the world, and too often in high school and in the beginning of my freshman year of college I would let that stress take over and panic and it truly never helped the situation. Now I'm better at staying positive, doing everything I can in the present, and not worrying about the little things tomorrow may bring. That being said, I'd definitely tell myself to hone those organizational skills - no procrastinating or random slip ups. Use the time you have to get it together sister! It makes life so so much easier. Instead of focusing on the negatives, I know now that learning about other people, myself, and what I want is this huge process that is crazy, chaotic, messy, scary, and when you take a step back, it's what life is all about. It's beautiful. College has taught me tons I would love to assure senior Emily of.

If I could go back and address my high school self before making the transition to college I would tell myself to simply to make the most of the experience to come. I feel as though college, my freshmen year especially, has allowed me to grow tremendously as a person in ways I never thought possible. I've broken out of my once suffocating shell of hinderance and anxiety and become so involved with campus life I'm dreading the day I have to say goodbye. I would keep my advice to my high school senior self simple because I now know just how much college has transformed and strengthened me as an individual and I would never want to change a thing.

Stay in school and go to all your classes, study hard, do not party with the bad crowd, do not hang with these people they will only get you in trouble. If you stay in school and do well you will get very far and have a really great job that you enjoy along with the right crowd of friends who love and care about your well being and who will be there for you when nobody else is. Once you are done with high school you will go to college so you can get your degree and get a very good education and you can get a greatly rewarding job that not only pays well but promotes you for your accomplishments. You will be able to start your won business and succeed and all your dreams will come true but only if you stay in school and workreally hard and earn all you have. Sure there will be sacrifices that you will have to make but look at the big picture.....you will have all the rewards you earned and deserved and it's all because you kept your nose clean, worked very hard, and did not give up.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would first tell myself to not be so afraid in the beginning. I was so nervous to start college and I didn't need to be. I made os many new friends and I loved experiencing my college classes. Next I would tell myself that its okay to put yourself out there. To Get out of my comfort zone alittle and experince college. My first semester went super well and I can't wait for my second semester to start. I would definatly tell myself that college is amazing and to get excited!

Transitioning from high school senior to college freshmen was not as difficult as I had expected. In my high school, there were only 125 people in my graduating class. There was not one person I did not know in my class; and, I had a group of friends that I had known since elementary school. My biggest fear was losing my friends, and not being able to gain new ones at college. However, after the first couple weeks I quickly found a group. I played tennis so my team became a second family to me. Furthermore, I met people through housing and clubs. I think the reason I did not find the transition difficult was because I kept myself active in the university and surrounded by amazing friends. If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself not to be a nervous wreck. I would tell myself to enjoy the ride and that you will make friends. While college is very different from high school, it is important to not lose sight of who you are as a person. Change is an important part of life; however, accepting and embracing who you are is more important.

In highschool, I was very shy and unsure of myself. I was completely obsessed with trying to be perfect, and I worried so much about what everyone thought of me. College has completely flipped my perspective around. Through my first two years I have shed my self concious shell, and emerged a confident woman. If I were to travel back to high school and give myself some advice, I would say "Allie, there is no reason to be so concerned about what everyone else thinks. All that matters is what you feel and what you want. You can not let other's judgements hold you back from reaching your true potential." I am so happy with how much I have changed in the past two years, and if I could have made that transition earlier, I would have been able to enjoy my first semester at college more.

If I were to go back and talk to my high school self, I would say that college is a whole new, exciting, and petrifying experience. I would also advise that I choose very wisely where I want to spend the next four years of my life. Although, I love the school that I attend, I wish that I took more time looking into what University best matched the person I am. I come from a very diverse background and because of this, I live my life in a very different way compared to my peers. I am very accepting of difference and I would really love if the University I attended was similar to that. I believe if this world was a little more accepting of people's differences, we'd cut down on all the issues we face with eachother. The last thing I would go back and tell my high school self is that unlike high school, in college, the whole world is in my hands. The opportunities are endless and it's time to take advantage of every bit of it that you have.

If I had the chance to go back and tell myself college life, I would tell myself to get more involved. Building a resume is very important for future jobs. I would tell myself to join more clubs and to put myself out there. Focusing on school is important, but also making friends is something that is important as well. I would tell myself to make friends and to not be afraid of what other people think of me. Study a lot, and have a lot of fun. Get involved and make the best out of the 4 years in undergraduate. I would also tell myself to have a better idea with what I want to do when applying to college because changing majors is a set back sometimes. Overall, I would just let myself know to have fun and open up and let people know me instead of being shy and to myself. Involvment in campus affairs should be one of my priorities to help me build a resume.

I would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships while a senior in highschool. I would tell myself that college is a huge expense and now that at the age of 23; the loans keep piling up and the future is looking a bit grim. I feel that the path of going to my local community college was a great choice but there are cons to this decision. I would tell myself to prepare to be completely out of the loop when transitioning to a new school and not being a freshman. I would consider attending a college in-state regardless of the curriculum that they might have at that institution because going to a colleg in-state and having a support group close by is better than being thrown to the wolves. I'd also tell myself though that going to a school out-of-state with no one that you know helps build responsibility and independence throughout the whole college experience.

The number one goal is to obtain a degree. Do not worry too much on socializing because focusing on other people instead of your schoolwork is a bad thing to do. Know how to say no, if you are invited out but have a paper to do, make sure that paper gets done. If a crowd of your friend are doing activities that you are not into or that is illegal it is ok to say no. Do not try to fit in with everybody because you were born to stand out. Establish a solid foundation when it comes to deciding which degree you want to acquire. Look into the available resources on campus as well as talking with upper classmen. Be open-minded and try different course to help narrow down your focus. Channel all of your stress & frustration into something that is fun and will help give back to the community. Being around people while doing something positive tend to make what you are going through not as bad as you might think easier to cope with. That project can turn into something that will make you proud of & a bond with people that contributed to it.