The University of Texas at El Paso Top Questions

I was 18 years old, my whole life was a dream there were too many dreams, goals and projects in my mind, though I was young very young. At that point there was not anything that I could think of that I "could not" realize, and as a matter of fact that was what I used to think; I was a dreamer. I did not know what it really takes in order to accomplish my goals even when I was an excellent student. If I could go back in time I would speak to that young dreamer with that big smile and just tell her to never give up her dreams for more unattainable they may seem, that every day we have one more reason to fight and succeed. Today the motivation for my success is not only my teenager dreams and my goals as a professional, that reason goes beyond anything, it is my son. Today I would say to myself that nothing is as easy as it seems, and as I thought it was while I was a senior, but that every effort we make and every sacrifice we make is worth it, do not give up.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now I would advise myself to take a tougher senior year class schedule with AP classes and no blow off easy classes that I could get through without working hard. I would also tell myself to make better use of the time you have as you move into college. When you get to college you are often pressed for time, especially if you are an athlete, as it takes a lot of time away from studying as you are practicing many hours a week and you are on the road for away games. Developing good Time Management skills is important to being successful in college. One needs to find time for class, studying, practice, laundry and the other college activities. As in all things in life that are worth accomplishing, you need to put the work in to be successful, this means many hours of studying, participating in class and not just showing up. These are a few important things that I learned through my first two years of college.

Being the first out of my family to graduate high school and attend college has been somewhat of a scary experience since I had nobody to guide me and advise me or teach me "the ropes". Given the chance of going back to my high school senior year and talking to my old self, the first thing I would say is "take it easy and take this serious!" I was all about girls in High School and as long as I passed without an "F", i was content. Not much of my high school was taken serious. I would tell my old self to already start thinking of college attendance and of where I want to be in the future. Partying is here forever and it can wait. Life is not all bout girls and going out. First you get an education which leads to a successful job, which then is followed by ll types of females that want that successful man. Think about it, you could travel the world at a young age and be a success just because you focused on your education! No breaks between semesters. All the way and lets get it done!

Hi Marilyn, as you begin UTEP I have a bit of advice. Get involved as soon as possible and get connected to all the "yes we can" type of people. Don't get discouraged when there seems to be no end in sight. When you feel discouraged just remember the enthusiasm you had when thinking about having your own counseling practice. A few years of college is tis but a scratch. Take every opportunity to travel. Descisons you make should always have YOU in mind. In the end have fun and don't let go of your wonder and awe. Also, break up with David.

The advice I give myself would to try to get more involved in more things, run for homecoming king, belong to more school clubs and play harder in sports. High school seems that it will not end but it does and you will not be able to go back so therefore get involve in hig school. You don't want to look back and have any regrets. Study hard and enjoy your senior year and since it goes by too fast. Do it , be silly and have fun. Take the time to say thank you for everyone for all their time and get to know your teachers and school personnel. Build friendship and stay true to yourself.

"Overcome the poisonous fear of failure of doing what you believe is right for you, regardless of any attacking opinions from those around you", would be the advice I would give my high school senior self before entering college. The difficult task of doing what is best for you will always have a shadow of doubt about whether it is what you want for yourself and if it is possible. Letting this shadow of doubt to transform into fear of failing prevents individuals to take risks to reach their full potential. There will always be fear in us but it is how we control that fear that defines us. I believe it is important for any senior to take this advice and let their heart grasp onto it because as they graduate they are facing the unknown; it is by pushing through this fear that they can succeed.

I would tell myself to go straight to college once I got out of school. I think that its harder to get back into scchool once that you have been out for awhile. That's why in August I will start going back to school. I would tell myself to keep my grades up. I would also tell myself that a social life isn't the only life you need in high school. You need to go to college and get a degree before you get tied down with a family. I would also tell myself to keep up my cosmetology liscense and not let it expire. Even though at the time its what I thought I wanted to do. If I would have stuck with that I wouldn't be in the situation I am now. The transition I will be going through will be hard because now I am a married and have two kids and I also waitress four to five days a week. It will be hard but I am confident I will make it through.

If I knew everything I know now before going to college I do not think I would have make very different decisions as I did but I would advice myself to have a totally different attitude towards life and changes. At a young age we care too much for issues that are not important and they make our lives harder that how they should be. I would tell myself not to care about what anyone is going to say or think about the decisions I make. Also, I would encourage me to be sure that every decision I make I do it for myself only. The decisions you make should be an investment in your life. I would tell myself to take every opportunity that comes in your way because they are only for the best. And most importantly, the best advice I could give myself is not to be afraid of changes or of the new things that come into your life, you get better with time and it is okay if you fail sometimes because nobody is perfect, but you have to learn from every mistake that you make because that will make you a better person.

The advice I would give myself would be to learn how to study. Before college, I never studied for test. I knew the material because of how much time was spent covering the material and having to do all these worksheets during class. However, in college it was a different story because all the professor does is lecture, so it became my responsibility to learn the material very well in order to pass the exams. Learning how to study and getting into the habit of study was very difficult for me because I simply did not want to do it. In my first set of exams I had scored very low grades which really opened my eyes as to how important studying is in order to succeed in college. After that wakeup call I began to study more and I sort of got the hang of it. Now, I can study for a week straight and it's not as difficult.

I would tell myself to apply to several colleges. In high school I only had one plan and that was to go to BYU. I dismissed all other schools as not being worth my time and didn't bother applying. Though I was accepted and had a scholarship, I didn't attend. My logic was I wouldn't be able to afford it, as at the time student loans seemed like a life sentence. I threw away several full ride scholarships and my pride kept me from attending local schools. I didn't return to school for 3 years and when I did, I had to go to a community college and pay for everything out of pocket. Now, I'm at a University and I have to take out substantial student loans and work to go to school. If I had just gotten off of my high horse and applied to this University in high school, I would have had a full ride and been essentially paid to go to school. The moral of the story is: don't let pride get in the way of your education. A less reputable school is still better than no school.