Duke University Top Questions

Senior year of high school was an amazing experience. From prom to the football championship, you are going to make a multitude of memories that I would never spoil for you. That being said, I want you to remember this: as you get ready to leave high school to venture through this unchartered territory, you must hit the ground running. It is easy to get lost in the unfamiliar college atmosphere. Throughout your life you were used to being an "above average" student, or at least that's what you were told. College is one the most humbling experiences you will ever have. You are special, but what makes you special doesn't make you "above" anyone else. Nobody knows you or your accomplishments where you're going, and so you are going to have to continue to strive to maximize your potential. Never allow yourself to become complacent, whether it be academically, in your extracurricualr endeavors, or even playing a game of pickup basketball. Your best effort is the only effort that counts from here on out, since you are beginning to form the habits that will stick with you throughout your life. Good luck, and have fun!

Dear Ale, More than anything, relax. It may take a year to get used to the swing of things, but everything will be fine. Better, in fact. You’re going to grow in ways you never imagined, meet people from around the world (literally), and look back on these years with fond memories of a time when you learned about yourself enormously. Hold off on taking both calculus and Chinese the first semester. You’ll be trying to adjust to living with 200 other people in a dorm, and your immune system won’t be a fan of shared living spaces coupled with too few sleep hours as a result of your tough course load. Follow your gut! Deep down, you know you have a passion for French but think pursuing a more “business-savvy” language will look better on a resume, helping you get ahead after graduation. You will go to Paris your junior year and have more fun than you can imagine, becoming practically fluent in the language of love in the process and making lifelong friends. Stay true to yourself, but don’t be afraid to push beyond your comfort zone. And study hard, always! Love, Ale

Attending college has opened my eyes in more ways that I could ever imagine! The key lesson I have taken away thus far is that it is imperative to do more than memorize information; it must be completely understood on an application level. In high school, one could "get away" by merely spending hours memorizing vocabulary, processes, and historical happenings. Now, I know that I must apply this knowledge to be successful. That being said, I would advise my high school self to focus on memorization in amalgamation with full comprehension. It would save myself a huge percentage of my study time, and I would be able to place additional emphasis on furthering my knowledge in other subjects.

You are about to have more freedom than you know what to do with. Don't feel pressured to make decisions about the rest of your life too quickly. Do your best work, exercise your best judgement, but have a light heart. Have fun and get to know yourself. Try everything that interests you. Enjoy the college experience. There is plenty of time later for serious things like love and career. When you get stressed, take a coffee break with friends. You'll come back with a fresh mind. When you fail, don't worry. Just learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward openness to learning. College and adult life can be full of challenges. They are all opportunities to grow into the amazing adult you are becomming. Also, find a way to study abroad!

After I was accepted to college, I started making plans in my head as to exactly what I would be doing in six months, nine months, and one year. Almost none of what I planned for actually happened. The biggest piece of advice I would give to my past self is that college is a time of natural change. Everything is changing: your ideas, your body, your environment and there is little you can do to change this inevitable change. However, this does not mean we should accept everything as it comes. We have the chance to direct this change and one of the most important things to keep in mind is to expose yourself to the things that will help you grow the most as a student and as a person. Everyone knows that college is a time for new experiences, but it’s important to exercise some judgement as to what these experiences might be. Once we find the experiences that satisfy our ephemeral desires it’s important to be efficient when delving into them, find out which practices work best and move you closer to your goals and then make them habit.

The advice I would give myself is that college is a lot easier then high school the teachers actually work with you and would like you to succede rather then fail. I would also tell myself that even with a learning disability I can still succede with the help of the learning disability center and that I should have stepped into this path sooner.

I would never advise attending college while parenting to anyone who is not already a parent. I would definitely explain that to my 17 year old self and go into detail. Attending college while having a child is extremely draining. It also adds plenty of unnecessary stress on you. I would tell myself to wait to have children, make sure you have an education and can provide for yourself and your children first. I would tell myself how important it is to start college right away. You don't want to waste any time when it comes to college. Days, turn into months, months into years. You do not want to be 30 years old working in a retail store without a bachelor’s degree. Be smart and choose a major that would enable you to provide the things that you like in life. Just because you have a degree, does not mean you have a guaranteed job. Get ready to find yourself and figure out who you are as an individual. College provides that experience and many more. Never lose sight of your dreams and who you want to be as a person. You can make it happen.

There is so much that I have learned over the years that I would want to let my highschool self know, but three big pieces of advice come to mind. It would have changed my life. Number one, never take anything for granted. When you are in highschool, everything just is what it is and you never see the importance in what you have until something horrible happens in your life. Number two would be to think about the consequences of your actions. Never do anything in the spur of the moment because in the end it may cost you everything you have and it is not worth it. Look for opportunities that help your future and save all of your money. Finally, number three is the most important one, stay true to yourself and your morals. It is important to let other guys or friends know where your limits are and let everyone know them. Keeping your limits shows class and respect for yourself. It may not mean much in highschool, but in the future it is everything. Keep your head up and make sure that you see the value in life and all it has to offer you.

There are three things I would tell high-school-senior self if I could go back in time, and that I would tell any high school senior who wanted advise on college. These pieces of advice are: 1) When you get to college, be willing to take risks. Freshman year of college is a chance to remake yourself. Seize the opportunity to join Quidditch or start a try out for an accapella group. Now's the time! 2) You are not as smart and life is not as easy as you think it is. And that's ok. Just be prepared to roll with the punches and handle whatever is thrown your way as calmly as you can. 3) Don't procrastinate! The number one thing that leads to stress and missed opportunities is procrastination. Just get off your butt and do it already! You'll feel much more accomplished and be better positioned for greatness if you do.

I would tell myself not to worry so much about making friends right away. During orientation week, a lot of people rushed to find companions, and that was followed by multiple weekends of socializing and partying. I'm more of a shy person, so I took my time feeling my way around the social scene... and decided it wasn't for me. There was a lot of loneliness because of that, because I avoided getting too deeply involved right away. But I've found it to be beneficial in the long run. So far, I still don't consider myself to have very many friends, but I'm close with the ones I do have and it's been nice to take time to get to know each other. Could I go back and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would assure myself that it's okay to go at a slower pace- it's okay not to do what everyone else is doing, especially if it's not what I'm comfortable with. Doing what I felt was right for me has turned out to be best for my life.