Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Top Questions

Dear Young Jared, Do not get complacent like I did. I was having a good time where I was in high school and did not have the vision to see I could have been preparing myself for my future. You are going to be a culinary major, so make more of an impact in the industry now. Take your culinary class at the career center on that field trip to the restaraunts downtown. Stop working at a restaraunt that you know you've outgrown just because it's convenient. Learn and grow as much as you can now so that you will have an advantage when you get to school. Apply for every and any scholarship you can find, even the ones you won't think you'll get. You never know what could happen. Stop being so timid, if you want something go out and get it. Ask that girl who you took to prom out, you'll always regret it if you don't. Stop wasting so much energy hating the Miami Heat, Lebron's coming home after this season. Enjoy this last year but just remember you have a bright future ahead of you. Go get it.

If i could go back, and boy do i wish I could, I would tell myself that I need to take my senior year more seriously. I would tell myself to fill out scholarships everyday and to never give up. I would also mention that joining more clubs wouldn't hurt either. I would tell myself to not spend money on things that aren't important because I would definitely need it in the future. I would end with insuring myself to stay focused because the only thing I need to worry about is college so I'd make sure that I only focus on the important things.

Never doubt yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to and do not let the failures you will encounter discourage you because when one door closes another opens. Never think that you cannot do something because the people around you are not being as supportive as you hoped they would. Apply for scholarships until you are blue in the face because they will help you so much financially, so you can attend the school you want to. You have prepared yourself well enough to be successful in college so do not worry about your future academic achievements. Be confident. Be aggressive academically but also have time to socialize and get to know peers from different majors as well. It is okay to make mistakes; the first year of college is a major adjustment from high school. Just know that God would not put you through anything you could not handle. Do not worry about the first C on your first College Algebra Exam. (Heads up: You pass that class with an A) So work extremely hard, stay focused and do not eat the cafeteria meatloaf. Just trust me on that one.

If I have to talk to myself all over as a high school senior my best advice becoming a freshmen in college is to maintain my grades, participate in college programs that will help get me better opportunity and enjoy my college moment. First, to maintain my grades I would had to study a head of advantages before taking any test so I can have a better standards. I will make sure I learn the objectives that the professors is lecturing in class. I would tell myself not to over study as much for a long period. If you are having a difficult time with some class courses in college just ask for help and make appointment with a professional tutors. Professional tutors in college are free to you out if you need any assist with certain classes. Always try your best at any assignment that the professors assign to you. Finally, participate and join a college programs to be active around your years in college. Make sure you take advantages of every opportunities that you get from the organizations. It can lead you a internships or job positions by getting the right connections you need from others.

My first year in college has been a journey like no other; I've learned and grown a lot as a person. It was my first time being away from home for longer than a few days. If someone was to invent a time machine that I could use right now, I would go back to the day I started my senior year in high school and tell myself to try to get over as many personal struggles as I could. In high school I was a shy person and I still struggle with it now that I'm in college and that is something I could've overcame in high school but I chose not to. I would tell myself to be more social, not to be voted most popular or prom queen, but to make myself comfortable talking to my peers. If I had gotten enough courage in high school to become more social it would be better off now. One other thing I would tell myself is to manage my money well because I would never know what emergencies will come up in my life. One quick pep talk to myself would've changed my freshman year.

I would tell myself to get a part time job within a restaurant or food industry to obtain some experience before going to culinary school. Focusing on school is very important, but saving for the future is also important. Everyone is not your friend, so pick your friends wisely. To get a driver's license now while it is still easy to obtain, city life is fun but its hard to travel if you want to go places that are not within 5 miles of Uptown Charlotte. Pack light when you are going place to place it's hard to carry or transport heavy items. Don't hang out with the wrong kind of group they are more likely to get you in trouble than yourself. Always stick by your beliefs, no matter what others say. Continue to be what defines you and to never change for anyone else, unless its a change to improve yourself to be a better person.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would grab myself by the shoulders and remind myself that life is not always about stress and worry. I would tell myself to free my inhibitions and let go. It is hard to dive into a world that we are so unfamiliar with. It is also hard to know exactly what is going to happen, but if you step back and take a breath, you will know what to do. In college, the classes are shorter, but the stress is higher if you let it get to you. I would thrust my hands into the air and exclaim, "relax!" to myself. College is a time to have new experiences on your own or with good friends. It is not a time to cry yourself to sleep every night because you're so oerwhelmed with work and school. So go eat another cookie or hang out with your friends until the crack of dawn because this is where you will make your memories last. This is where you will find yourself and this is where you can truly be happy if you let go.

I could not wait to get out of high school and get on with my life. One thing I would tell myself is stop and smell the roses. High school could have been much better for me had I just stopped and took the time to love what I already had. It is true that you dont know what you have until it is gone. I find myself missing the secured I had living at home. I always had time to fight with my sisters, but I never had time to actually enjoy always having them around. Another thing I miss is a promise of the future. While in high school we are given this idea that there is more to life, and we are forced to believe. We all the that college will come, a desire to do something will eventually come, and above all else, high school will end. The faces we have pasted since kingdergarden will soon be forgotten. The failing grade we got on our calculous final will stop haunting you. In the moments leading up to this we fall so in love with the future that we forget the love the present.

If I could go back to my high school self, I would ensure I knew what a commitment college really is. I would tell myself to prepare to work 10 times harder than high school. I would also remind myself that there is more to the world than just my small town. To make an easier transition I would tell myself that there is not going to be someone watching over you to tell you what to do so to get a head start and start movtivating myself to stay on top of all my work and activities.

When you unload your car to move into your dorm, don't be scared that you don't know anyone. Instead be excited that you can recreate yourself. In high school you may have been afraid to be who you are but now is the time. Everyone is finding themselves and you too should go through this process. Going through this process means you may need to experiment by hanging out with different people and taking on new hobbies. There is a reason why people say you find your lifelong friends in college. In college you are being true to yourself which makes even better bonds with people. Embrace the changes because they make for the best memories.