CUNY Hunter College Top Questions

I would tell myself what I want out of my college career and my future career. I would tell myself to establish good study skills and networking skills. Lastly I would remind myself to never be lazy, never procrastinate and develop good sleeping habits.

As a teenager I looked forward to the day when I would be able to go away to school and start a new life. I had a troubled adolescence and felt trapped. When the time came, I made the decision to attend a school 1,800 miles away. The school I attended was a good school in a beautiful city and, had I moved there later in life, I could have been very happy. However, at the age of 18 I was immature and not prepared to be so far away from home. I was lonely, depressed, and eventually had to withdraw and return home. If I could speak to my high school senior self, I would say this, "There will be plenty of time later in your life to travel, live in other places, and experience the world. Don't move away because you're trying to escape something, because, no matter where you go, you will always bring yourself with you. Stay close to home for the first year or two and learn to be comfortable in your own skin. The only way to be content, no matter where you live, is through being content with yourself."

If I could go back in time knowing what I know now as a college freshman, I would tell myself to relax a lot more. As a senior I stressed out a lot about college, getting into college, the financial process, scholarships, going away from home. Knowing now that getting into college wasn't that hard and that there are tons of people to help the financial process, I would tell myself to take it easier and not stress out so much. Knowing that back then would have helped a lot since I did stress out a lot and it did effect my studies as a senior.

Coming from a tough situation of my family getting evicted and living in a motel/homeless shelter in queens, not to mention having all my middle school friends turn their backs on me in high school for no reason, and the breaking up with my boyfriend, I would tell myself to be more open to new friends and opportunities, to not think so much about making the wrong decision (not to be confused with good vs. bad), and to overall just go for it, because if not, I'll regret missing a lot of things. I'd also tell myself to just sit back and breathe every once in a while and take everything in and appreciate how far I've come, and to give myself some credit for my accomplishments.

I would tell myself to pick my grades and to work on my study habits. In highschool the work came easy to me but college is different, it's much harder. I would tell myself to stay focused and to take AP spanish and AP english so I wouldn't have to take it in college.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would focus on two major points. First off, I would tell myself to go into the college experience without any expectations. I would tell myself to do what I feel is right and go to the college of my choice instead of where of others think you should go. I would tell myself to stop worrying about if I was making the right choice of school and just let life happen. Allowing yourself to feel regret can break you. Besides having the right mentality, I would also tell myself to put more money away into my savings before starting college. To not have to worry about money while in school frees up your mind and energy to focus more clearly on your studies and your time outside of school. There are so many clubs and extracurricular activities waiting for you at school, which you may not get an opportunity to take part in if you are working full-time and going to school full-time.

I would tell my high school self that college life is very different. The high school-college transition may be difficult to handle, but over time it will become ritualistic and enjoyable. It requires a significant amount of determination and effort to be successful in college courses. You may receive professors that seemingly hate you and will do anything to fail you, but these are just obstacles that test your true strength as an assiduous student and person. When times get tougher and everything you do seems to never work, just take a breath and relax, clear your mind, and start fresh the next day. Remember to never give up, stay focused and just try again. However, college is not strictly about receiving straight A's and seeing that glorious 4.0 on your transcript. It is about creating an efficient balance between work and studying with socializing and having fun. Don't be afraid to join clubs and attend events that are offered and held on the campus, which is a great way to meet new people and develop lasting friendships. Keep in mind that college is a privilege that leads to new life-changing opportunities.

If I were to have a time machine that would transmit me to my senior year once again, I would give myself a lot of advices. I would let myself know that procrastination is not the best way to go in the application process. I will let myself know that time is something one should value a lot and take into consideration in one's senior year. Using time effectively to complete my applications and using time effectively to engender outstanding admission essays could've probably granted me my #1 choice in the list of my college preferences. I would've notified myself that college not only depends on the academics but also on ones financial status and I would've devoted more time to my fafsa and scolarship applications. Getting to know a college through a computer screen rather than physically visiting the college could also be a tough process, therefore, one should dedicate more time and effort towards researching universities. Our college degree is whats going to determine our future, therefore, it would be a smart idea to sacrifice the current time for the future.

If I could go back in time I would advise myself to follow my interests and major in something that completes me as a person. Never ever allow parents or anyone else influence your decisions, because college is the time to decide everything for yourself. College education is not about majoring in something that would get you a job with high paying salary, because if that major does not fully capture you, you'll end up miserable and with low grades. College is about following your interests and developing your talents, because once you are out of college, job will take the biggest part of your time and life. So, college gives you an invaluable chance to discover what you love and best at; and it takes courage and desire to do that. After four years of college I learned that one could get any job at almost any institution with any major. A history major can easily apply to work at the bank or physics major student can became a politician. I would let myself know that life changes, we all evolve, and this time at college is the crucial time to dream, experiment and just do.

I would tell myself that college is not just a breeze like many college students tend to claim. Studying is vital if you want to succeed on tests but also succeed in participation during classtime. I would also tell myself to use all available resources that are offered on campus, such as the tutoring centers, the computer labs, and most certainly the professors office hours. I would also encourage anyone entering college to fully investigate the academics at the school as well as ask some current students about how they feel in regards to its policies, its academics, and many other things mentioned in the past surveys.