University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

Hey kid. Yes, you're still a kid. I know it feels like you are grown up now and should have it all figured out, but relax and enjoy the ride. College will be as awesome as you want it be; you will get out of it what you put into it. Also, sometimes you will find yourself in new, difficult situations. You will get sad, frustrated. Don't let it stop you though, everything is a lesson and a chance for growth. Keep working hard, playing hard, and not taking yourself too seriously. Remember that college does not have to be the "best four years of your life" and that you have a lot of life to live when it's over. Prepare for the future, but do not be afraid to try new things, be open minded, and experiment. Attend class and be deligent about learning, but take risks, and explore your youth. Make real friends, not just party buddies. Step outside your comfort zone with eyes wide open. Be present, be yourself, have fun. Trust me, you will make it through!

I would tell myself to try harder in my classes and to really reasearch what it takes to get into college. I would put more time and effort into my grades and my college reasearch. I would try to figure out what I'm passionate about and I'd make my homework assignments on time and ask for help in the college process. I never really realized how important college is until now, I wish I would have figured it out earlier.

I would tell myself to stay focused and work as hard as I currently am because eventually it will pay off in the end.

High school has given you a foundation of basic knowledge and taught you how to study, but this is only one aspect of college You're going to have to learn how to reach out for help. Chances are your classes are going to be far larger than anything you've had before. Professors will be more difficult to speak with and classmates will be less likely to get to know you. You have to learn to make friends, meet classmates, and form small study groups. A lot of your energy will be an effort to combat the large class size and competition that has been thrust upon you. This can be trying at times, but it's entirely doable. Everyone has the ability to ally themselves with others in their class. It's just that these skills weren't necessarily learned in high school due to the difference in environment. But now that you're aware of this transition, you can do something about it. Be willing to sit next to the mere acquaintance and start a conversation. Join the professional fraternity that relates to your major. Be ready to find others like you.

I would say to myself to go as far away from home as possible. It is the only time when you could grow up and learn who you really are. I am still a studious student, but I am having more fun now without worrying about how the family perceives me.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would probably tell myself to enjoy life and to remember that I have countless years to grow up. My senior year I rarely took time for myself. I was so worried about college acceptance letters, my grades and other extra-curricular activities that I forgot to take time for myself. All I could think about was finally leaving home and becoming " independent". However, now that I am thousands of miles away from home, I miss the simple pleasures that I overlooked during that time in my life. Although I am still relatively young sometimes I feel that I have aged some thirty years these past two years. At times I am extremely overwhelmed with everything that is going on in my life. Taking into consideration that I can not go back in time to my senior year, I need to take the advice now. Pursuing my goals will always be important to me, but I needed to realize that I also need to look out for my well-being.

It is okay to love whoever you like, it will not destroy your life.

Out of the dark, age’s course upturns Already we’re regressing to now sacred moments Already we’re nostalgic for times that have yet to pass. Here, We sink into no man’s land and seize every fading season Blindfolded and unconscious at familiar’s last extremity Until the physical hits and mental denies When your future is now and that person is you-- And you feel no different. The trouble is we think we have time. Your poem is no longer a distant musing. As you transition to college, you're so excited for beginnings and so attatched to idealized visions of your future self that you forget that one day that future self will become you and time will continue as it always has. Dreams of academic success become all-nighters and coffee-stained papers, dreams of extra-curricular involvement become traumatizing interviews and hours of project planning, dreams of boundless social interaction become lonely dinners and desperate phone calls home. The purpose of a dream is to motivate you to create a reality for yourself and to make those dreams happen. Don't make the mistake of waiting around for your dreams to happen to you.

I would tell myself to get involved in many more student organizations and meet new people. Also, use my meal points wisely so that I don't run out on the end.

Relax a little. Don't worry over completing every assignment. Just do the minimum for an A, or even a B. Grades and test scores are ridiculously overrated, and no one will care about them in college. Be ready to shed some bad high school habits. Don't be afraid to keep in touch with friends that you're not super close to. They really do like you. On move in day, stay at the car with your dad when everyone else goes to the bathroom, and make sure he listens to the authorities so the car doesn't get towed away. Be sure to hang out with your floor in the dorms often. You'll have enough time to study, and don't take unncessary textbook notes. Don't worry about getting 6 hours of sleep instead of 9 so you can try more new activities. This is going to be hard, but please try to fight your apathy and feel more enthusiastic about college so you can share stories when you come back. Get to know your professors. Talk. MORE. Try going to lectures in pajamas. Be yourself. And you'll be fine transitioning. You always adapt easily.