Azusa Pacific University Top Questions

If I had the ability to speak wisdom to my younger high school self, I would encourage him to live a genuine lifestyle. In high school I was afraid of being myself. I was afraid of being oppressed and ostricized for being who I was born to be. I was afraid of being ridiculed. This was counterintuitive on my part. Instead of being genuine, I oppressed myself. I ostricized myself. I ridiculed myself and lowered my self-esteem. I know now that had I been honest about who I was, I would have lived a more joyful life.

I would tell myself that every decision I make has a dramatic impact on my life. I would remind myself that life is short and to take advantage of every opportunity possiable. I would tell myself to stay humble and to know that nothing is possible without God in your life. If I fall down, get back up and know that every failure is a lesson learned. The most successful people failed a million times before they succeeded. Life is not easy and this knew journey of college will test your character but know that God is at your side ready to pick you up when you fall.

My high school self would hate me because i would have a lecture for him. I would tell him the perils of a lack of sleep, to jump on the opportunities to grow relationship, and to stop procrastinating. I would tell him not to worry about girls too much as there really isn't time. But finally, I would tell him to live. That there really is no feeling like living with the people that become your brothers, celebrating your successes together and mourning your failures together.

I would tell myself to stop stressing about what is going to happen in college. It's going to be really tough, the transition is going to push you emotionally, spiritually and physically but it's worth it. You will end in the place you are supposed to be and things are going to difficult but the beauty of college is in the journey. You get to decide what to do with what you are given, you can become the person you want to be or you can become a stressed out maniac. In college you find out who you want to be and realize that the things that mattered in high school don't really matter. Enjoy the process and the privealage that it is to get to go to college and learn and change and grow and become who and what you want to be. And know that all the trouble it is to get into college is totally worth it.

Becoming involved is a very important thing after high school. Getting involved is how you ultimately make connections, which lead to career opportunities later in life. Have as much fun as possible while still keeping up with your studies. I also would tell myself that traveling is one of the most important things to do in life between high school and finding a career. You learn the most about who you really are while traveling, especially while traveling overseas. In addition to just traveling, study abroad in college. No mattter where you go, I gaurantee that you will not regret it because of all that you will learn about other cultures, and ultimately about yourself. Also, don't pay attention to what other peope think of you, as it will only have a negative impact on you. Don't try to have as many friends as possible, rather have few close friends who you know will always be by your side and support you when needed. College is a place to discover who you are and make a name for yourself, so don't be afraid to stand out in whatever it is that you are doing.

As Winston Churchill said, " Success is not final, failure is not fatal, and it is the courage to continue that counts." College can be a life-changing experience, the flint to ignite your spark of individuality and success. I have had the privilege of watching so many people carve out their niche in life, a new path with new inventive strategies and experiences. However, college in itself is not a token to success. It is like everything else in life in that you get out of it what you put in. Being accepted to college is a triumph in itself, but it is by no means the end of the road, rather it is the beginning. If I could advise myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to go into college with courage, aspirations, and most importantly, self respect. College is a journey of discovering who you can be, not of who you have been. It has been the fresh start, the starting blocks that this once shy high school student, now junior in college, needed to launch into a brave new world of opportunity.

I would tell myself to not take a year off, go to a community college first to give you time to think about what you are really passionate about. Think about your options and what thrives you in life. Start saving money for when you transfer and apply for scholarships as much as you can. Also, do not get stressed over making decisions about what you will be majoring in and what school. Everything will fall in its place and everything will work out for your good. Take as many different classes so when you make your choice for a major you will know for sure what you want to do. Do not be afarid of mistakes because those are just blocks to help you reach your goal. Enjoy school, apply early and make sure all your papers and financial situation is taken care of. But above all enjoy this upcoming year because it will change your life.

I would tell myself to continue in my education through college and university, to get as high of a degree as possible in my major, and advise others to do the same.

I would say to relax, make the most of each day in college because it really is an amazing time in your life, and you may not get another chance to meet as many people at one time. I would also say to not stress about bad grades, or taking longer than 4 years to graduate. The amount of time you need to get your degree really does not have a big role in getting a job.

I would tell myself to stop worrying about the transition to college. Yes, college is going to be a hard journey, but you can do it. Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from college is going to be that everything is going to work out in the end. As long as you apply yourself to your work load, you can do it. Another thing to take note of is that you are going to need to just enjoy life. Stop betting against yourself and get out there and live your life. Focus on the friendships you are going to build and take some risks. You are going to be a difference maker, so stop seeing the small picture and focus on the larger reason you are going to college. Your time in college is going to leave an impact on the world, so live your life as if forever starts now. Never doubt that the work you are doing isn't making a change, because it is. Today is going to impact the rest of your life, so live everyday in that moment with your eyes on tomorrow. Oh, and one last thing: You got this!