New York University Top Questions

Knowing what I know now I would advise myself to just relax and take it easy. I remember everyone knew what they wanted to major in, and it was all anyone talked about senior year, and it freaked me out. I had no idea what I wanted to do. Because of this I choose a major I thought I might like in order to fit in. Our generation puts so much pressure on high school students, who are only 18, to know exactly what they are going to do with their life in that moment. I wish I would have enjoyed my last year as a senior in high school instead of stressing about what I should major in. Its almost as though I felt like this decision would predict my future, so therefore I had to get it right or all would be lost! I was so wrong, we have so much time to figure out what we want to do in life. There is no rule stating that I have to graduate from college after four years. If I want to take it slow and graduate in five or six years that's perfectly fine as well.

My advice to my high school self is to break the mold, to find success unconventionally, and never to use fear of failure as an excuse for inaction. Once accepted to NYU Stern School of Business, I found myself freed from the shackles, homogenization, and limitations of our public school system. The linear, lockstep progression from grade to grade under strict guidance tends to train students to believe that there is only one path to success. I would tell myself that is not the case. Over just a few months, I recognized that education is not merely a culmination of classes leading to a degree, but rather a knowledge base which can be expanded within and outside the classroom. Through networking and cold calling, I met, established rapports, and shadowed with Managing Directors, Private Wealth Managers, and Advisors from companies including Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Franklin Templeton, Edward Jones and CapTrust. Each meeting taught me invaluable lessons and established connections that are vital complements to academic coursework. For these opportunities, I looked outside the traditional path and past the potential of rejection or intimidation in a professional setting. My advice is to bet on myself, not on a system.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would share the following advice: Don't be afraid to make mistakes. I've learned the most from those life lessons. College is a unique time in any young person's life, and for me, this was no exception. I relished in the opportunity and tried to experience as much as I could. I also made some mistakes along the way. Mistakes like not double-checking my calculations on the math exam, not visiting my professor during office hours, and eating the meatloaf in the cafeteria. But with all of the mistakes I made along the way, there was a little life lesson there that gave me perspective, self-awareness, and the confidence that I could get it right the next time. Mistakes are simply life's way of letting us know that we tried, and that it's okay to get back up and try again.

I would tell myself that change is a long hard-fought road, one that cannot be traveled within a day. I would advise myself not to attempt to completely change myself within the first semester of college, but rather focus on one aspect about myself at a time. People aren’t always satisfied with the person they are. Many people do change, but that change does not happen overnight. Don’t try to overcompensate in any area that you feel is lacking, but attempt to gradually work on that area as well as other parts of your life as well. College is a place where children learn and grow into the adults they will become. This process is long and takes time. Don’t rush it. Learn to enjoy the learning process and take things one day at a time. Success doesn’t appear one day as a single victory. It appears as tiny battles won each day through hard work. Know where you stand, where you want to go, and how you are going to get there. It will take time, but the results will be worth it.

Media has created many different depictions of the college years. Some show it as one big, booze-filled party, while others make it out to be a more demanding version of high school. Make of that what you will, but the college life is so unique because people get to cater their experience to themselves. In high school, we are still babied in many ways, and don’t get to make many independent decisions. Adulthood, on the other hand, calls for a newfound independence- we have to start worrying about things like finding a job, creating a family, and managing other necessities in life. College is that beautiful time inbetween youth and adulthood when we begin to discover ourselves without the leash of childhood or the burdens of adulthood. It is a time when we get to make our own choices and try new things- all while still in a safe environment. We can discover new hobbies, or try a new field of study without worrying about the consequences. It's a time in which we make mistakes, we learn, and we figure out who we are through the process. Don’t be afraid! College is just what you needed.

If I could go back in time and smack some sense into my old high school senior self, I would tell myself to get it together! When I was in high school, I was a lost sheep. I didn't know what my interests or disinterests were and was living life by going through the motions. I worked on a schedule. I woke up every morning, went to school like my fellow peers (resembling a herd of cattle), then came straight home, did my homework, went to bed. Rinse and repeat. Reflecting back, I wish I would have done more. Hence the advice to "get it together!" To graduate college, one has to fulfill an array of general prerequisites that covered a broad spectrum of different kind of classes, in hopes to make the graduate well-rounded and more aware of what is available for him/her once he/she stepped into the real world. Similarly, I would tell my high school self to intern/volunteer more, join clubs, and get out more. DO SOMETHING! One will never know what one likes or dislikes until he/she tries. There's so much life experience that comes with time.

If I could give myself any piece of advice, it would be to start the college process much earlier than junior year. Because I wasn't able to narrow down where I wanted to go until I received all acceptance letters, I found myself coinstantly debating on whether or not my choice was a good one. I was so focused on applying to schools that I thought sounded impressive on paper, that I didn't really take the time to research and hand-pick which school would be appropriate for my area of study. In addition, I would advise myself to really focus on choosing a standardized test to focus and do well on as opposed to trying to get a compatible score on both. I was unhappy with my SAT score and pleased about my ACT score, but instead of just focusing on the latter in hopes of receiving a better score, I went back to focus on the SAT. It would have been alot less stressful if I had simply focused on a single exam. Finally, I would advse myself to not spread muyself too thin in terms of extracurriculars , especially during my junior year.

Don’t be in a hurry to declare a major. Study wildly different subjects in your first couple of years. You may discover a passion for a topic you never suspected. Take your time to figure out not just what you’re interested in studying, but who you are and what you might want to do with your life. You’ll have people telling you what they think you should do based on your major and work experience for the rest of your life, so be sure to pursue what truly interests you rather than what seems safe or expected. College is one of the last best opportunities for personal growth and exploration. When you’re out of college you’ll be expected to have a career path; this is the time to blaze that path. College is not about taking a predetermined list of classes to get a piece of paper to land a job—it’s about making your first steps as an independent adult and figuring out who that mature person inside of you is. So try a little bit of everything. Even if something doesn’t work out, you’ll still have learned from it.

Do not assume that you will “be fine” in college because you are currently doing well in high school. College is extremely different because it requires more work, stronger commitment and better time management that people do not tell you because they do not want to scare you away. There will always be people smarter than you and work harder than you but do not take that as a sign to simply settle and think that you will never reach their level. Use that as your motivation to push yourself even harder and do the best you can. Those are the four years that will define your career. It does not mean that you should be focused solely on school. GPA is important but so is being proactive. Companies look for people who have skills other than on paper which you will not learn in the classroom. Be just as proactive as you are right now and you will further develop your leadership and people skills which are essential as an engineer. Join academic, social and cultural clubs and be active in them. Most importantly, never get tired of learning because that’s what will keep you young and motivated.

Jenny, It's not about you. You say you want to be an actor now, but you don't even understand that the first thing about good acting is the fact that it isn't about you. You need to always be willing to learn, and always be willing to accept that you were completely wrong. You need to mature enough to understand that there are billions of other people that need to breathe the same air as you to survive. People in college aren't going to wait for you to mature, they expect you to already be there. The more time you spend wallowing, the less of an impact you can make. Most of all, don't put so much pressure on your parents. They are going to be spending a lot of money paying for your tuition, so don't be a brat. It is so easy to make everything about yourself, but try to think of them more. APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS! You made it into your dream school, congrats, but its really expensive, so do everything you can to get money for it. You are so lucky to have everything you want. Appreciate it. Love, Jenny