Arizona State University-Tempe Top Questions

All right, listen up. You may have people all around you telling you what they think you should do and what the best path in life for you will be. And I know it is hard because you are not even sure of what you want for yourself yet. You do not want to disappoint your family and you want to impress your friends by seeming sure of who you are, just like they seem to be. But that is only going to lead you to what they want in life. Different things motivate different people, and what you have to remind yourself of is what will make you happy in life. College is one of the most important times when you will discover the things in life that make you passionate. So get involved in as many things as possible and do not be afraid to take risks. No one ever said, "I got everything I wanted out of life because I sat on the couch and dreamed it would happen." Dreams are for those who are too scared to take the risks to make it their reality. And I want you to have a reality, not a dream.

Alex, college is going to hit you like a hurricane, and if you just sit around and take it as it comes then it will blow you over. You will miss the marvelous and beautiful storm that's going on around you. This is the first time in your life where your education is entirely your own. YOU choose when and how you learn. YOU dictate your destiny. It's here, now. From here on out, this is for you--not for Mom and Dad, not for Coach--so you better sit up and start self-motivating. You need to develop a winning mindset so that when those winds come at your back, you can use them to push you forward. It's not enough for you to seize the opportunities for success put in front of you--you've got to make opportunities for success. No one else is going to do this for you, and no moment that you let slip by is ever coming back. So pay attention: it's time to invest in yourself.

As you ponder your academic future, here are three key questions that you need to answer to truly be satisfied in life: 1) What is your inward calling? What is it that you have an inward desire and longing to do that gets you excited and that you are passionate about? 2) What is your outward calling? What are some things that the people you are closest to think you would be good and enjoy doing? 3) One you have identified your inward and outward calling, ask yourself "will these callings benefit the world around me?" A career that focuses on self (pride, fame, money, luxury) will never satisfy. However, a career that focuses on caring for and cultivating someting that is bigger and more important than yourself will actually bring you more joy and happiness than one based merely on self self-indulgence. The deepest of desires is to love. How can you love on the world around you? Your career should be something you desire and enjoy (inward calling), something supported by those who love you (outward calling), and something that is other-minded. Finally, take this time to cherish and serve the people around you.

As a high school senior in 2010, I had more than my share of lofty ideals and timid confusion about college. Though so much about college life is confusing and counter-intuitive, here in 2014 I know there are more than a few pieces of information I would have benefited from having back then. If I could advise my high school self about the next few years ahead of him, my most urgent suggestion would be: do your research. I learned the hard way not to attend a university that fails to match my needs. I chose my first university for all of the wrong reasons, without considering important things like what the school's retention rate and campus life are like, or if programs at other schools in my major of journalism were better. I spent so many hours during my freshman year wondering if I had made a bad decision; though I now happily attend Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, to make such an important choice without considering the other possibilities remains the most important tip I would advise my high school self, or any other high school senior, to avoid.

The most wise advise I could give myself as a high school senior is to embrace every opportunity that is given to you. If there is someone sitting by themself in class, go sit by them. College is the time to make new friends and meet diverse people. All you know is what your parents taught and open you up to. Never say no. If an opportunity arises that could give you experience in the career field you are interested in, take it. Even if this means that you will have to stay up until midnight every night finishing homework. If you want to get ahead, you need to be willing to put some things aside and work ten times harder than your peers. Becoming successful does not happen overnight, just as Rome was not built in one day. The ones who work hard to get an extra course in, or more than one internship, will have more experience before entering the workforce. This will only make your resume stronger when applying for that dream job you have always wanted. Stay calm, relax, and go with the flow. Stress and anxiety only holds you back from your full potential.

The advice I would give my self is to pursue what I want to do and not what will gaurantee me a job. I would also tell my self that I should do duel credits for the AP classes I took in highschool because that would have saved me time and money. Another thing I would do is give my high school senior self a good lecture on not to be lazy, start applying for scholarships and actually research the college your family is suggesting you go to, and dont let people discourage you from pursuing something that you want to do.

Looking back, hind sight is twenty- twenty, right? I would tell myself to follow your heart. The pressures of fellow classmates are not always in my best interest, and I am the most important person in my life at this point. I would tell myself to be selfish, and make the most of every given experiene. Looking back, I always wonder about all the missed oppurtunities. I would tell myself to take chances on friendships, and really be open minded to meeting new people. These people are the networks that are going to get you places once you graduate. I would remind myself to smile more, and take each semester one day at a time. Class, and the transition is so overwhelming, that a day by day outlook is the most rewarding way to get by. I would tell myself to be proud, and never forget how hard you worked to get here. Believe in yourself, and trust your family. Take lots of notes, and to always take a bannana from the dining hall.. (hey, they just throw them away at the end of the day anyways...) I would tell myself that it is all worth it.

I would tell myself to start focusing on math a lot more. I would say that worrying about others really is not important and to just do your best. Have more confidence in yourself and your abilities and study, study, study. I would say that as soon as you are done in the Navy to focus a more on school and less on having fun, but not too much.

I would urge myself to reconsider my choice to attend community college, and instead to attend a four-year university immediately after graduating high school. One popular view is that community college is a smart way to save money while pursuing an undergraduate education; lower level general-ed. type coursework is almost identical at community college and most four year universities. This is the common argument in favor of community college; and the one which persuaded me to follow that path. However, what the majority of community colleges do not offer is the college-experience. This often abused term represents to me the opportunity to explore, learn and grow through new experiences and is a benefit that though intangible, is invaluable to a truly successful academic career. The community college I attended was lacking in the kind of extracurricular activities that I feel might have helped me to be more successful, and in retrospect, I feel that the benefit of attending a four year university immediately after high school would greatly outweigh the added cost, and if possible I would advise myself as a high school senior to attend a four year university rather than community college after high school.

When I was a senior in high school, I had applied to one college, got in and called it good. That's the biggest advice I would give myself: apply for every school possible even though you got into one already. I would also tell my past self to work harder in track and cross country, I had and potentially still have the talent to run for ASU. However, because I won so many races, I assumed I was going to get a scholarship to run. My diet during the time was also not the greatest for someone trying to became a NCAA athlete. I would eat burgers and drink sodas during track meets. Had I eaten right, maybe I could be running for ASU.