University of Alabama at Birmingham Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself three pieces of advice. The three pieces of advice I would give myself would be to study harder, apply for more scholarships, and to focus on my goals and aspirations. The first piece of advice would be to study harder. By studying harder, I could have made better grades my freshmen year in college, which would have allowed me to earn more scholarships and helped to better prepare for med school in the future. Studying harder would have given me the work ethic required to become successful in every aspect of my life. The second piece of advice would be to apply for more scholarships. Applying for more scholarships would have made college a smoother experience. By applying to scholarships, the cost of tuition would have drastically decreased and would have elimated the struggle and anxiety that is caused by student loans and debt. The third piece of advice is to focus on my goals and aspirations. Being career-focused would allow planning for my future and would give peace of mind when the goal is completed.

During my senior year, I felt so hopeless that I couldn't even bring myself to be excited about moving away for college. Being at the end of a toxic relationship that ended up terminating most of the friendships I'd had since middle school, not being able to be out as queer to my parents, and struggling with an ED, it was hard for me to see past all the bad that was in front of me and look forward to a future of endless possibility. If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing, cliche as it sounds, it would be to let myself know that things were going to become so indelibly great that in a year's time-- that I'd be a completely different, wholly better person with goals, accomplishments, and a great job at an NPR news station. While I know none of this ever could've happened if it wasn't for the long road that brought me here, if my high-school self had even had an inkling of how great things were going to be, I think I could've saved myself a lot of trouble.

If I could go back in time and give myself adice I would first tell myself to take school seriously. Finals are not a joke. They can change your grade drastically. The biggest thing I wish I could go back and do is make more friends and get involved. I think it is now very important to have lots of friends. By getting involved it makes college fun and rewarding. Grades are very important, but I have now learned to not study all the time. It is very important to take time and have fun. I do not want to look back and say I had no fun or made life long friendships.

If I could go back to when I was a senior in High School and give myself some advise it would be to work on my organization and time management skills. In college, every time you turn around there's a new deadline coming up, a project due, and a test to study for. I would tell myself to go ahead and make a panner my best friend because keeping up with so much work for so many different classes is hard to do. I would also tell myself to learn to be more organized, to keep all my flash cards and notes from different classes, because you never know when you're going to need your old notes. But the most important thing I would tell myself is not to procrastinate. College tests are nothing like the ones in high school where you could study the night before and make an A. I would tell myself to start studying for any test atleast two weeks in adavance.

From freshmen to senior year, I was a participant in my high school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program. This enabled me with the opportunity to earn college credit through pre-college courses; if given enough credits, I could have entered my first semester of freshmen year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a second semester sophomore. Unfortunately because of the choices I made, I did not receive my IB diploma. By not prioritizing my time to study for my IB exams, this caused too low scorings on my exams to receive college credit and my IB diploma. If I could talk to my high school senior self, I would beat into my head how important it is for me to earn my IB diploma. I would stress myself about studying for those exams because now I’m retaking and paying money for classes I have already taken in high school. My high school self would know the expenses I have to pay now with being an out-of-state student and how getting my diploma would save me thousands of dollars that could go toward Medical School in the future.

Hey Arnasia, it’s me…….well it’s you a year from now. I know you thought that high school would be the best time of your life. Newsflash, things seem to be pretty great the older you get. College is indeed as hard as you thought it would be, if not harder. Those classes you used to get by in by doing the bare minimum? Change those habits now before you go to college. College requires hard work, effort, and studying—just doing well enough will not work, and that top ten percent GPA of yours will suffer. Those assignments you used to do on your own? College changes your mentality about teamwork completely. It is impossible to make it through college without the help of a few, or a lot, of your classmates. “We’re all in this together” stops becoming a Disney cliché and becomes a true statement. You are going to be fine, and you will adjust just fine to the big university. As you move on to this next transition in life, move with poise, positivity, and persistence. Take a deep breath and fluff your hair—the next four years are going to be amazing.

Ok, you are a high school senior now.... What's next?? I know that question is daunting right now but must be considered. Please take some time out and do a lot of research on different career paths. I think it would be wise if you did some shadowing on different careers to grasp an idea of what each entails. Once you have shadowed a few professions, start working on your networking skills. It is helpful to know people who are in your field of study. Additionally, I think it would be in your best interest if you purchased a planner and started working on being organized; that will help you tremendously. College is tough but you can do well if you apply yourself. After working on becoming organized, start applying for scholarships, college is expensive and will not pay for itself. Last but most importantly, start now! Break your awful habit of procrastination. It is a terrible habit and will only harm you in the long run. Read before class and take notes, ask questions if you don't understand the material and if you optimize your opportunities to learn, you will excel.

You will always find a place in a university. At this school you will meet very kind and intelligent individuals. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, make them early in the game and be the first one to own up for them. Be aware you are going to make many mistakes, but it's okay because it is a part of transitioning into independence. You go one day from showing up at the dinner table with your mom's cooking waiting, and then struggling to buy a can of soup nearly overnight. These struggles will only help you grow, and give some fun stories to share with your friends. In addition, try the things you are afraid of immediately. You will be surprised to learn that the things you feared most happened to be the very first things you fall in love with. Calculus being the main example. And also remember that unfortunately you have not figured out life's meaning yet, I'm sure that must be disappointing. However, don't worry, you'll grow to be happy with the realization that you know nothing. The journey becomes more interesting then.

Get focused early. It is alright to get out and explore being on your own, but don't allow this to hinder your schoolwork. Take every class seriously, even electives. Just because you can skate by and still pass doesn't mean you should take that route. Remember, that A that you could have earned had you tried your best will be useful in cushioning your GPA later in your college career when the course load gets harder. The more hours accumulate, the harder it is to raise your GPA. Give yourself a fair chance. Start reaching out to companies you would like to work for early. Volunteer or get involved in an internship. You will need these references later, not to mention the experience will be beneficial to your resume. Get out and make friends. All work and no play will drain you and cause loss of motivation. Surround yourself with positive individuals who want you to succeed and who know when and how to relax. When you look back on your college experience, you not only want to be able to say you did well in class, but also that you made long-lasting relationships. Best of luck!

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self I would give the advice, of patience, self motivation, and open-mindedness. Where college is a new and open world to most people who enter it, it is important to make a smooth transition on an individual’s way to adulthood while in this environment. Patience is key, the difficulty of making new friends with diverse groups of people, and also academically, where one could not get an answer or assistance in an instance. Self motivation, because my old environment was made up of adults who forced motivation, where in college, where almost every aspect of the learning process is completely left upon the student, motivation becomes difficult, but I must become independent and motivate myself, and not rely on figure heads or others to do the motivation for me, because that option will not always be there. Lastly open-mindedness, where high school introduced you to the world, college life constantly causes you to submerse yourself completely into new people, experiences, and ideology.