Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Top Questions

To my High School Senior Self, Please get involved and stay committed to what you were doing! Not only will it help you with college/scholarship applications, but also will help you explore your true talents and interests while making new friends. Do not get discouraged and give up searching scholarships because all you see are need-based scholarships. Just keep pushing and I am sure you will find something to help you pay for this out-of-state tuition. Also, remember to love yourself for who you are and stop comparing yourself to others. Trust me, it is really hard to pick yourself back up after tearing yourself down with such comparisons. Please do not get overly excited if a boy talks to you. You are going to college to get an education, not to find a husband! When God is ready, he will send you the right person at the right time. Do not be afraid of getting out of your comfort zone every once in a while! You never know who you will make a connection with and discover what other talents you have. Love Always, Your Future College Freshman Self

Ralph Waldo Emerson describes my situation perfectly, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be”. After graduating from Georgia Tech and commissioning into the USAF, I entered pilot training. I dreaded going into training because I did not have a passion for it like others had. My priority from AFROTC had been to be the best officer I could be and to serve my country, while everyone around me seemed to think that being a pilot was the most important aspect. I had dreamt of the opportunity to lead other airmen, and as a pilot the reality was that I would just be leading myself for quite some time. I came to the conclusion that I could not envision serving my country as a pilot. Though the decision to drop pilot training was risky and quite taboo, it was the best decision for me and my family. Ultimately, the lesson learned is not to get absorbed with what others think should be your highest priority, but what you know in your heart is right for you. We need to find balance in what others want from us and what we want for ourselves.

I would tell my senior self to take life one day at a time. As I looked forward to the next four years of my life at Georgia Tech, I gained a sense of excitement as well as a sense of impending doom. As the thoughts of four years of caffeine filled all-nighters and stressful days of essays and exams crept up inside of me as I received my high school diploma on graduation night, I realized that those four years are made of individual years, which are made of individual days, which are made of individual moments, and so on. I wish I could tell myself that as much as college seems to be a huge looming natural disaster that will cause an inevitable panic, the only way to survive these all important four years is to take it all one moment at a time.

Freshman year, though adventure-filled, was not as exciting as I’d hoped. I didn’t run for leadership because I was afraid. I didn’t have the most engaging social life because I was shy. I failed to make half the connections I wanted. But this summer was different: I let go, did research, joined a design team, and made a ton of new friends. You see, I let fear stop me from having what could have been the best year of my life, and when I let go of that fear, a whole new, brighter world opened up. So I say to you, past me, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid of failure, and don’t be afraid of success. Don’t be afraid to dream, to hope, to love. I let so many wonderful opportunities pass me by because I was afraid, but I refuse to live in fear’s shadow anymore. I want you to live your life to the fullest. Be bold. Be brave. Because you are special, intelligent, and perfect just the way you are – and don’t you dare let anyone tell you otherwise.

If I was to go back in time, I would tell myself to really explore my passions early on, so that I can further build on them at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech has the resources and connections to help me succeed both professionally and academically, so the more prepared I am about my goals and interests, the more I can benefit from the resources at this school. I would also tell my younger self to outline a plan about how I will utilize my time at this phenomenal institution, both during the school year and in the summer. For instance, I would outline my plan with my course schedule as well as internships, leadership and extracurricular activities, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships to take part in. Additionally, I would tell my future self to live on-campus, so that I can study in groups and with friends as well as be a part of the vibrant campus community. Lastly, I would tell my younger self to join the Student Alumni Association, so that I can be paired with alumni who will be my mentors and help me navigate successfully through college and the job search process.

I would tell myself to be more abitious. Tech offers many amazing opportunities to its students. These opportunities include the ability to work hands on with Tech's renowned Faculty, or to attend career fairs and interviews with huge companies such as Exxon and Coca-Cola. All of these opportunities are extremely impressive and many high seniors, such as myself, may feel as though they are not fully prepared or courageous enough to fully take advantage of them. The fact is that even though these offers are highly esteemed, so are Tech students. I would have encouraged my self as a high school senior to be braver in pursuing all of the options available to me at my new or prospective college.

My advice to myself would be to find a roommate that I live well and stick with them through college. Trying to adjust to different living styles on top of the heavy course load is mentally taxing. Also go seek career and major counseling first semester to make sure you're on the right track for you.

To High School Brittany, Prepare for disappointment. You have never failed academically before in your life, you have strived to be valedictorian of your class this year, and now you are making your final decision for college. This is the big leagues. You will not make straight A's anymore. You will fail many tests, quizzes, and even a couple classes. This is a new experience for you I realize. You will struggle to keep your scholarships because of your slipping GPA. You will realize that it is almost impossible to get internships in Biomedical Engineering in the field you want. But I promise you, even though you will never be broken down more in your whole life up to this point, it will be worth it. You will make the greatest friends you have ever had. You will experience so many new things that you just can't get in high school. So even though you are scared to leave the state and travel down south for school, I will say one last thing. Prepare for disappointment, but it is worth it. College Brittany

Congratulations! You are about to embark on your first voyage into adulthood. But there is reason to be cautious. The greatest piece of advice I can give you is: remember why you are in school. You are here for your education. Your parents won't be texting you, telling you to come home. Your mom won't take your phone away if you skip class. Your dad won't scold you for getting a bad grade on a test. You are entirely on your own. College will provide you with a whole new world of opportunities, both positive and negative. Each and every day you will be faced with choices. There's a fraternity party tonight, but you have a physics assignment due at midnight. You have a calculus lecture at 8 a.m., but it's midnight and the Stacey from down the hall asked you to watch a movie with her. These new freedoms are exciting, but they should be experienced with care. Less than one percent of the world's population is given the opportunity to pursue a college education. Remember that when Stacey asks you to watch that movie.

The biggest change that I have seen in myself revolves around my newfound desire to branch out more and participate in events that make me uncomfortable; I truly believe doing so has made me a better person. So I would tell myself not simply in a general sense to try to do more, but to instead say “no” to less. Simply doing more may not have a direction or a purpose, while saying “no” to less implies there was an invitation to join someone in an action, to accompany another person to live out a situation they would otherwise either not do, or simply do without you. This allows you to accomplish more, create fulfilling memories, and strengthen relationships. While many times as a senior I enjoyed the simple routine of my life, and I was not fond of breaking out of what I considered to be comfortable, those moments were not memorable or important. So instead, I would urge my senior-year self to take that last year of high school and do things that my junior-year self would never do. To join others in new situations is what creates growth in self and an understanding of others.