University of California-Davis Top Questions

When I opened my eyes, here stood in front of me a high school senior version of myself. I watched him as he walks lazily, with little purpose, without a care in the world. He bumped into me and I stood there laying my hands upon his shoulders, “do you know where you are going?” He looked at me dangling in confusion as I told him, “I am you.” In a year, your world will change. College is a whole different game. Learn to be a man of value, a man who give values to others. Be a leader. He asked, “Then who am I?” You are your habits, learn to use them. Manage your time well. There are no excuses, don’t put something off what you can do today. With more clarity, he asked, “where should I look?” Look into business and Entrepreneurship, you will find opportunities that fits your personality and skills. There is much to learn. Here, I see myself in you as you are now. I see what you will become is better than what I am now. Farewell, until we meet again. As he disappeared from my sight, I now close my eyes.

As you transition from a high school senior to a college novice, EMBRACE THE CHANGES; this is your chance to discover who you are as an individual, your chance to determine what impact YOU want to make on society. Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from exploring. In college, there no mistakes made, just lessons learned. Try everything and anything you could potentially like because this is the one time you have the freedom to do so. Never miss an opportunity to join an intramural inner-tube water polo team or take that photography class you’ve always wanted to take. Challenge your dorm mates to an all-you-can-eat contest in the dining commons. Get to know your professors and fellow classmates, you’ll learn just as much outside of class as you will during lecture. Lastly, live in the moment because these are the moments where you’ll find your passion for life.

Everything will work out as it should

"Do things that scare you and be yourself." Beautiful and cliche. Plain and simple. That's what I'd tell myself. But telling a room full of 17 year-olds to 'be themselves' is like telling a room of Israelis and Palestinians to 'just get along.' Get over your problems and be friends! Adding a tablespoon of 'be yourself' into the equation might as well multiply the impact of my 45 minutes with myself by 0. Heck, a teaspoon, let alone a tablespoon, is enough to switch the 'off button' for the teenage attention span. Street cred revoked, no matter how funny I am. Bye bye time traveler, hello iPhone. I'd need a head fake. Lead my young innocent mind down a direction that's hip while still imparting my important message. If you've ever seen the Last Lecture by Randy Paush, I'd rip a page out of his book. Eureka! Rap our "be yourself" present in the sparkly packaging of pretty prose and give it to myself while dancing. I'll never know what hit me.

If I were to go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to pursue my goals by truly listening to my heart. It would have made my college decision much easier and it would have taken some of the stress off of my mind. I would also tell myself to take a look at what is most important to me. By aligning my values of community, support, adventure, and balance, I would have chosen my school in a heartbeat. Instead, I ended up letting financial problems get in the way of my dreams. As a high school senior, it would have been nice to have some reassurance that money is not the end-all, be-all when it comes to college.

Dear Catherine, Congratulations, you did an awesome job! You lived out your personal motto: to do the best you could and the rest is out of your hands. As you head into graduate school be sure to remember the lessons you learned about life and transition. Do not worry so much about finances, enjoying your friends and life is more important. Take responsibility of your education; know the details of the system so you can take advantage of more opportunities. That was an important one, take great advantage of the opportunities given to you by the university, friends, contacts and your classes. Lastly, remember this, that when the going gets tough and you feel out of place just be yourself and know that time will help ease the difficulty of change and uncomfortable situations. Keep your head up and be excited about what is coming but don't be in a rush even if culture says otherwise. You are only young once and there will be time enough in the future to be older. Gain wisdom and stay young at heart. Sincerley from your future self, Catherine Pearl

I would tell myself to try figuring out my career earlier on. I would tell myself advantage of more of the advising resources available to me, especially the Chemistry tutoring and workshops. I would warn myself to be more aware of my drinking/socializing back then too- old habits die hard.

3 very important pieces of advice for my high-school self: 1) Get off that high horse So, you got accepted at your top choice university? You think you're some sort of Einstein? Just wait until you start at Davis, bub. It's no walk in the park--be prepared to work harder than you've ever worked before. Those A's aren't going to come easily anymore. 2) Stress Less Yes, the workload is going to be more than you are used to. Yes, you're going to be surrounded by smart people who ruin the curve for you. No, there's no reason to panic and freak out. Remember to take time off for yourself, for your mental well-being. You aren't going to be a happy camper if you're constantly stressed. Happy students are good students. 3) Appreciate Mommy and Daddy's Rules You're not going to have mom and dad around to set the rules, to tell you what to eat or when to study. Learn to be responsible--they were telling you those things for a reason! Good time management skills are essential to allocate time for work AND play.

I would have focused on a degree that would have made me more marketable as a professional. I did well in all of my past positions as a Sales Administrator, Executive Administrator, Program/Case Assistant, Triage Assistant, etc., but I did not have skills that another profession, such as an engineer, may have had to ensure that the positions I have had would be able to support me in the Bay Area.

Participate in as many activies as possible during your senior year of high school. Volunteer for events! Join the soccer team! Attend all the games! Cheer as loud as possible! Relish every moment because it's the last time you'll ever be able to. You need to do everything you can because you will soon be moving on to the next phase in life- college. When looking for a college do not worry about where your friends are going or what your parents want. It is ultimately your decision to make. Think about the right fit for you where you can obtain a quality education while allowing yourself to grow as a person. One of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to make in life is what you're going to be. But what you're going to do is much more important. Who you are is defined by your actions. Your passion will be discovered once you find what you truly love to do. Do not limit yourself to what other people think you are capable of. Press harder, try new things, get outside your comfort zone-only then can you live life to the fullest.