Arizona State University-Tempe Top Questions

If i could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to not rush into anything. I thought I wanted to be a pastry chef. I went through a culinary program. When I graduated, and started working in a restaurant. I realized its not for me. I’ve spent the last semester trying to figure out what I could see my self doing and what I'm good at. I would tell my 18 year old self to take college classes while in high school because they would of helped me a lot!

I discontinued high school due to an unplanned pregnancy at the age of 16. I would go back to myself and advise myself not to give up and do online school. To remain in actual high school and graduate the proper way with the rest of my class. I would hope that I could explain how much time is wasted by not fulfilling dreams right out of high school. It is better late than never, however I could express the desire to my success if I would have stayed in actual high school and experienced the graduation and to feel the accomplishment. I would explain how recieving my diploma in the mail was not good enough. I would have succeeded if I would have stayed and did not let others pressure me into the disgrace I would bring to my family. Best advice would have been stay in school and don’t do drugs. Focus on a positive future and go for what inspired me at that moment in time.

If I could go back in time to give myself advice, I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible, and to also find a job. In the summer of 2010, many businesses in Tracy were rarely hiring and that money would have been a lot of help for paying for classes, books, gas, and anything else that would be crucial for college. I would also tell myself to try and contact a sports recruiter because I could have gotten money out of football, track, and wrestling if I could have avoided tearing majority of the ligaments in my ankle.

I would tell myself to focus on school. I would say that freshman year may seem like the time to go to all the "cool" parties and just lounge around and do nothing but you really need to study and work hard. I would also tell myself that college will be nothing like high school. I would say that you actually need to study and work hard at getting the grades you really want to achieve. I would also give myself advice about saving money. College is so expensive as it is so you can not afford to eat out all the time and go to the movies every weekend. Save the money because you will run out.

If I could go back in time I would most likely tell myself to not go out of state. Although Arizona was a new and interesting experience I had no idea how amazing my family and my home state (California) really were. You will often hear college students say that they just want to get away from home or that they do not want to go to a school because it is to close to home. Once I was away I realized how lucky I would be to have my family close by and how many resources and opputrunities (not to mention beautiful weather) California has. Also I would tell myself to stop running. When you are in highschool you are always trying to get to the next place as soon as possible. Looking back I realize that when you take time to enjoy your life around you then you really gain more from it. Finally and maybe most importantly I would tell myself that although coffee may be a lifesaver durring finals it is addicting when it comes from Starbucks and my mom will not like getting those bills : )

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would begin the conversation by imploring the younger version of myself to listen wholeheartedly. Too often, as a high school senior, advice from my elders went in one ear and out the other. After asking for the younger me to respectfully listen, I would provide the following kernels of wisdom: 1) This is NOT high school. People are more open-minded and less judgmental. Do not be afraid to be yourself; you are an amazing person. 2) Take care of yourself. Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Do your laundry, and shower regularly. 3) Study abroad. Immerse yourself in another culture. This is a learning experience that no professor (no matter how brilliant) can replicate. 4) End the relationship. Joe Snyder was my high school boyfriend, and we tried to continue a long-distance relationship during my freshman year of college. By doing so, I missed out on some great opportunities to get involved, meet new people, and explore my surroundings because I was on the phone with Joe. 5) Avoid credit cards. Debt follows you long after your diploma is in hand.

I would advise myself to think about what you want to do before going into college. The biggest issue I had with my college experience was not knowing what I wanted to be until I was a junior. By that point I had already put in many hours into other fields and had to play catchup to finish my degree on time. This caused transitioning into college to take much longer as I was taking a lot of courses with no idea what the byproduct would be when I was done. After determining what I wanted to do with my life I was able to enjoy college much more, and apply myself better to my coursework.

If I went back to my old high school self, I would tell her to fill out scholarships. I did not have a problem with transition; however your family cannot pay for your education. I would yell at my high school self to force her to fill out as many scholarships she can. I would tell her that we need the money, especially now since we cannot even register for Fall 2011 classes. If I could I would also show her the amount of money her parents had to pay over the school year, and it still was not enough. Maybe hearing it from me would spark some kind of idea to follow. There would be nothing else to say. We did have a problem with friends or activities, we just need the money. So please DeAnna, get the money. I am only telling you this because it would benefit the both of us in the long run.

Hey, I am the future you. I have already gone through what you have right now and let me tell you it's a lot easier than you are making it out to be. Stop freaking out, there really is no need to. When applying to a college, do it early so you will know what you are going to do with your life sooner than everyone else and be able to plan accordingly. Also don't just apply to one college, apply to atleast three so you can have choices should you want to change your mind, which you will when you get to college-I'm the future you so believe me please. My final piece of advice to you is, don't assume that college life is like high school life. Everything is different and you WILL have to find your balance in terms of school and your social life. Focus on your classes and don't slack off; it pays off. Good Luck.

What makes going to college so interesting and intriguing is the simple idea that you dont know how your college experience will materialize. You have no idea how you will make friends, how you will fit in with the students in your class or if you will be welcomed to interact with the popular social cliques. With that said, if I was able to communicate with myself during my senior year in high school I would tell the "young Ade" to let life come to you instead of chasing it. During my college career and maybe this is relevant for other students, I found myself forcing the issue rather than letting a typical college experience unfold on its own. In life, a forced idea isnt going to produce the same results as a nurished idea would. We watch movies and listen to other individuals interpretation of what college life is like and we approach this new experience with that same thought process. I suffered at times because I wanted to live out what I saw in the movies or what I heard from previous college graduates. In everything we do, life will produce the experiences we are meant to have.