Montclair State University Top Questions

I am jumping out of my skin at the opportunity to speak with my high school senior self. There is so much she doesn’t know, even about herself! My advice to her would be that it’s ok to be introverted. The media and peers around high school students portray the message that being outgoing is positive and being shy is negative. After all, what shy student is voted most likely to be remembered in the senior superlatives section of the yearbook? When I reflect back onto my high school years, I wish I realized that being timid is equally as important as having gregarious qualities. My high school self was trying to adapt personality qualities that felt alien, but were socially desirable. Despite my aptitude, I was sabotaging my own success by adapting qualities that were not my own! During my college experience I realized that there are outlets for people with every personality quality imaginable. I wish I realized that if I was true to myself from the beginning, I would fall exactly where I was meant to be. After college, I will always remember to embrace my personality with triumph instead of defeat.

I would tell myself that he should study on getting better grades and applying for scholarships because I am currently in alot of debt from my college bills. I would also say to make college the best you can make it and not to worry about the girls at your high school because there will be someone better waiting to meet you. As a senior, I went through a breakup and it took a toll on me affecting my grades and performance but today I have recovered and I am doing far better than before in my entire life.

If I were to go back to highschool and give myself a advise, I would tell myself to apply to more scholarships. I now know what it feels like to have financial problems in school. College is a investment; books/supplies are neede and their prices sometimes range between $20 to even $500 and sometimes even more, commuting to school is a expense and food adds more to the expenses. I should have payed more attention and be aware of these situations, considering the stories I have been told. I had a lot of opportunities to apply to certain scholarships but I never took advantage of it and those opportunity do not come all the time. Procrastination is no longer part of my definition but I most certainly should have started getting rid of this horrible hobby ages ago. I might have gotten a higher SAT score had I not procrastinate my studies and I may have won many scholarships had I not procrastinate the applications

The future is what you make it, and by choosing the path that you believe is right for you is the only way towards success. Just as they try to explain to you as they hand you your high school diploma, college is nothing like high school. There will be times where you must speak up for yourself, and gain your own opinion. Taking changes can make all of the difference within your college exprience; meeting new people and joining clubs can help with the transition process. If something isn't right within your life in college, do not be afraid to change the path that you are on. The real world is not going to decide your fate, you must do that for yourself to better your future. Learn everything you can, and use the knowledge obtained to better your understanding of society and yourself. The goal of college is to understand that you create your own destiny with your words and actions.

Work harder in trying to get better grades and apply to more scholarships. Also take more summer jobs to help pay for tuition.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the first thing that I would tell myself would be my mom is right. Everything that I have done over the last four years is to prepare me for what college will offer me. I would tell myself that my focus has to be committed, because unlike high school teachers, my professors will give direction and leave everything else up to me to complete that course. I would also tell myself that college, will expose me to a more diverse environment, which will only help me grow as a person. I would tell myself that the transition will depend on the person and because I am a friendly, out-going indiviual, that it will be a smooth transition. I would tell myself to put education first as always and everything else will fall into place. I would tell myself that these four years are going to be the best four years of my young adult life and to make the most of them. Lastly, I would say, LIFE is what you make it and college will greatly enhance my future life.

The advice that I would give my high school self is to not be afraid of taking more risks and getting involved on-campus. My high school self was afraid of putting herself out there and trying new things. My high school self was skeptical about discovering all of her talents and as a result she stuck to what she already knew and what she was comfortable with, but if I could go back in time I would advise myself to get out of that habit, quickly. I believe that it was these inhibitions that blocked me from being more open and honest with myself and ultimately I did not get as involved on-campus as I could have. My college self would advise my high school self to explore more activities . In addition, I would encourage my high school self to engage in more opportunities to interact with students who were just as new to college experience as I was and looking for a friend the same way that I was. College is a step that I took to furthur my career and education, so I would tell the senior that I was to take advantage of it all.

My high school senior self would need to know to be more open to strangers and outgoing because she meeta new people in classes almost every semester. There are more people with interests different from her and she would need to learn to talk to people who do not just share her interests. Confidence is trait that would help her in the future as well if she learns to just fake it. I would also advise her to save up money that could be used on textbooks and other college expenses. She would need to know to not worry about the future until she's in college since being exposed to new subject areas can make her change her mind quickly about her intended career choice. She should be enjoying her time left as a highschooler since college gets more stressful with work and huger responsibilities. She should drop the stress of the drama from classmates since she would never encounter them again and focus on friends, writing and giving back to the community. Ultimately college will be a great experience but enjoying her time as a current highschooler would benefit her then and later.

If I could go back in time I would have done so many things differently. Instead of wasting almost four years I would have transferred way earlier. I always wanted to move from Puerto Rico to New Jersey and go to college there. But I was scared at that time of leaving my family behind and I thought that a college in the US was impossible to afford, so I didn’t apply for any university outside of Puerto Rico. I went to the best university in the island, and I studied for around four years there, but I felt like I was missing something, like I needed to do something else. So I started looking for universities in New Jersey, I went to visit some universities and I finally made a decision. I transferred last semester to Montclair State University, and that is the best decision I could have made. This university has so much to offer, so much to learn and so many experiences I wouldn’t have back at home. If I could go back in time, I would have told myself to not be scared, to look for options and to never give up my dreams.

If I could advise my high school self, I would have a lot to say. But the most important thing I would tell myself would be to have a little fun. When I first came into college, I was so consumed with my academics that I never got a chance to experience all the aspects of college life. I spent most of my time in the library. I was so scared that if I took a moment to breath, I would fail in college. I achieved and have maintained a high GPA and I don't regret the extra effort I put in. But I do think I should have managed my time better so I could have a social life, after all, the social aspect of college is just as important as the academic aspect. The advice I would give to my high school self would be to get involved with student organizations because they are a great way to make new friends and the could provide leadership opportunities as well as networking connections which I have realized are necessary additions to academic success. I would also make sure to take more time to hang out with my friends.