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If I were to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to stop stressing and to not worry about the future. I am a "worrier" and as I was in high school I did the best I could to get good grades, because I thought I would not be accepted into college. I worked extremely hard, and stressed myself out tremendously. Now that I am in college I feel stupid for actually thinking I would not be accepted or make any friends. Being in college has opened up many doors for me and has made me think openly about many different topics in life. It has changed me for the better and if I would have known this in high school I would have been less stressed out and would have made a better effort to make friends or be open to different types of things rather than killing myself to make A's. Now I am in college, I have a social life and I am still making A's without being stressed! Being in college has been a privilege and I am extremely happy to be a part of this journey.

First and foremost, this is an adventure so take risks and have fun. It's completely fine that you don't know what you want to major in or what career you want to pursue. Take the first two years of your college career to just make friends with all different types of people and have new experiences. Figure out what you're passionate about. I know that you've heard that college expects more from it's students, and you're not gonna believe it, but trust me college is no sunday stroll in the park like high school is, so don't slack off. You're gonna have a lot more freedom living away from home, so take that as an opportunity to exercise responsibility. Go to class, stay on top of your assignments, take notes, and do not procrastinate! I cannot stress that last point enough. I can't even tell you how many all nighters I've had to pull just because I didn't keep up with my course work, and I know you're a night owl, but trust me they're not fun. Lastly, just be yourself and make lasting friendships and memories.

I have often thought about my senior year of high school, and how different I am now that I am in college. If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would probably tell myself to be more open-minded as I approach college. During my first year of college, I took a philosophy class which changed my whole viewpoint on life. I was homeschooled or attending a Christian school all my life. I was told what to believe, how to act, and what was right and wrong. That class changed everything. The professor said, "What if I'm wrong?" which rocked my world more than I thought it would at the time. I came to realize that I could be as religious, or not, as I wanted, and that I had the freedom to decide what I thought was right or wrong. This didn't mean I had to abandon everything I grew up with, just that I had the freedom to evaluate the things I was taught. I would tell my high school self to question everything, and to realize how restricting high school was, and that college would be, finally, a chance to blossom.

Imagine flying back into the past and landing in front of yourself on the day you are going to graduate high school. What do you say? Do you tell yourself to avoid something specific? Do you warn of the hardships ahead? Or do you look yourself in the eye and say, “persevere.” In my experience, when faced with the question of how you would answer, many people say they would caution against something or impart a nugget of wisdom to help their future self, yet I think there is something more important for my old self to know. If I told myself not to do this or avoid doing that I think I would miss many of the lessons I have learned. The greatest wisdom I could endow to my former self is, no matter what may come you can muster the strength to fight through it and on the other side you will find wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Life may throw you a curve ball but in perseverance there are lessons to be learned and dreams to be formed. So to my past self I say “never give up, always persevere, and never forget to dream.”

Work harder, even if it seems like it's pointless, it's not. Doing your best and achieving your goals is important, because not only will it help obtain financial aid (since college can be pricey), but you'll make yourself and your family proud. Think about it, you're going to be the first in your family to attend college, you want to do your best. You're smart, and you can do this, even if it seems tough or if you don't understand, keep trying. You'll get it, eventually.

“Remain curious and use hard work and dedication to strive for excellence”. That would be the advice that I give to my high school senior self should I have the opportunity to time travel. After experiencing college, it became apparent that curiosity stemming from “the desire to learn” is necessary for any successful academic journey. Without the passion and the hunger for knowledge, attending college would become a burden without joy. Instead, of seeing each lecture as an onus, every class should be seen as an opportunity to grow and shine. This however must be coupled with hard work and dedication. For no true successful venture and no great work can be finished without toil and perseverance. The same applies for academic achievements as they are significant accomplishments in life that must be earned through a “marathon” requiring years of classes and hours of study. Intelligence and wit can only go so far but curiosity partnered with hard work and dedication will take one exponentially farther in their journey to accomplish their goals and dreams. Therefore, I cannot leave lesser words of wisdom to my younger self but to remain curious and with hard work and dedication, attain human excellence.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say there is a lot you don't know. First would be not to talk to or trust anyone hanging around asking for money on a fund raiser, scamers exist out there. Second would be not to think living 600 miles away is so easy like I thought it would be. Having no one around will come to a realization soon enough and the feeling of loneliness will be unbarable. Another would be to see the counsler sooner, there is nothing wrong with it and it does not mean I am crazy, it is best to spill things out to someone than keep them bottled up. Then I would warn myself about long distance relationships and the great possibility of it not working out. The last thing I would tell my future self is to swallow any self-pride or anti-social feelings and make friends because staying in on weekend isn't always fun.

If I could share the wisdom that I have now with myself as a high school senior I believe I could impact my current quality of living. The first thing that I would change is attend high school at Lincoln College Preparatory of Kansas City Missouri because the focus of their curriculum was math and science. With math and science skills your career options are endless. I would also instruct myself to prepare for the ACT; I truly did not know much about college entrance exams. I had no idea that the library had practice material for the ACT. Another area that I could have used some guidance was applying for scholarships. Additionally, I would advise not to be in a hurry to step into adulthood. I would say slow down, and focus on completing college. When I started attending college, I was also married with children and learned how hard it was to manage attending school and maintaining a family. The advice I would give myself would be to complete college before adding the responsibility of a family. I am currently in school and I want to set an example for my children by finishing college.

Justin, Although you are excited about starting your new life as a college student, you must learn how to prioritize your time so that you have time for classes, studying, and time with peers. And first and foremost set aside at least 10 hours a week for work, to make sure that you have extra spending money and dont have to dip into your scholarship (emergency) funds. Even though you may be a 4.0 student now, the transition from High School to College means that you are treading on new gounds. Dont go in thinking you are prepared for anything, because you are not. Seek advice from College Sophomores that you meet and ask them for hints on how to be successful.

The most important advice I would tell my high school self is to attend class every day and remember that all of the hard work and studying WILL pay off. Some classes that I took my freshman year may have not gone so smoothly if I were a person to skip class. I definitely believe that attending class every day and taking notes is the easiest way to achieve an A. Thankfully, I learned this all very quickly, but first semester, when I did skip classes, I realized how much harder it was to keep up in class. As long as you prove to your professors and to yourself that you are giving the most effort possible, you'll succeed in any class you take.