University of California-Irvine Top Questions

Dear Jennifer, We have come a long way since high school. Through the challenges and successes personally and academically that made us the person we are now. It is difficult give advice to you since I wouldn't be the person I would be now. However, if I had to give you an inspirational talk or advice to motivate you, I would say don't let your fears keep you from taking the steps to make yourself happy. I have always been afraid of speaking up in classrooms since I had a speech disfluency when I spoke and was self-conscious that I would be made fun of. I realized that the fear we had was all in my head, it's not situation where you couldn't do anything about it, it's a situation where you have the choice to get over your fear to pursue self-appreciation and the feeling of accomplishment than having your fear eat you up. Fear is nothing but a obstacle that is keeping you from being the person you've imagined yourself that you wanted to be. It's better to have the "oh wells" rather than the "what ifs".

Dear High School Senior Lily, First of all pay attention in your SAT prep classes, try harder and get a better score! This will open up so many more opportunities such as more college acceptance letters. Secondly, research the college you are going to and do not pick a college due to location and proximity to the beach. Find a college that has a major that suits your passion. Thirdly, follow your passion. Do not go into the route of business and economics (although lucrative, you will be miserable); go into Health Sciences and get A’s so you can get a scholarship into the Baylor Doctorate in Physical Therapy program. Save your future self the trouble of going back to school while working a full time job trying to obtain the proper prerequisites to apply to graduate school. Fourthly, get your masters right away. Do not be tempted by graduation and getting a “real job” by ending a few classes short. Lastly, forget about popularity and trying to fit in. Be yourself, meet new people, be comfortable with you are, explore new hobbies, don’t be afraid of anything and have fun. Sincerely, 2015 Lily

Breathe in, breathe out. You'll be okay. It's fine to be undecided, college is meant for you to discover what you actually want to do. Enroll in classes that seem interesting (no, economics is not interesting, please save yourself from that one), and eventually you'll be able to sort through your likes and dislikes. That's the easy part. After that comes the hard part: so you've found that you love English, now what are you going to do with that degree? This is where college is much more helpful than high school--there are so many opportunities that will help you pin down future career ideas. Make use of the campus career center and academic advising--they know what they're talking about. And don't be afraid to apply for internships, even though you may not feel qualified, the experience you will gain will be invaluable to help form your future decisions. It's scary not knowing where you're going in life, but college is meant to guide you through it, and I promis you'll come out a bit more knowledgable and a bit more confident. Enjoy your time there--breathe!

Don't be afraid to be different. Be who you are and celebrate the uniqueness you bring to life. Everyone in high school is so caught up in fitting in and being like everyone else. Allow yourself to be unique in college. Try different things and open yourself up to what the world has to offer. There are so many experiences to be had and you don't want to reget later in life that you held yourself back from trying things because the people around you weren't comfortable with them. College will expose you to many different lifestyles and cultures and will be such a great time to experience a small slice of what is out there.

Overall, I would say to take advantage of all college has to offer, but if I could go back in time, I would tell my high school self not to rush into what you may think are your career plans and goals, but rather take time to learn and be true to yourself. In other words, do not just go with the rest of your peers and head to the best reputation college that accepted you. At 18 years old, you may think you know everything, but there is still much to learn about who they are and what they want; I am still learning about myself years after college. For instance, I should have taken the academic environment and rigors into consderation. That would have allowed me more time to socialize and perhaps make lifelong friends. It also would have allowed me to join clubs, activities, and organizations allowing me to really find my passion and purpose. I also realized I preferred smaller class sizes where I could actually interact with and learn from professors. Now that I know myself better, I can definitely choose the best school that will meet my needs and goals in the future.

If I were to give advice to my past self, I would tell myself to have done more work and looked for scholarships beyond than what my high school was showing to students. I would say that because college is more expensive than I had thought, and that the scholarships I had done aren't even enough to cover me for a whole academic year. In addition to that, I would also tell myself to do scholarships in the summer. Non-scholarship wise, I would tell myself to brace for the sickness that comes with the transition of moving away from home and the sudden difficulties in academics. All the AP classes taken during high school only count as elective units, so I had to relearn everything that I had learned in a year in an AP class in one quarter during college. But most importantly, take extra care of my health. Because I was sick nearly the whole quarter, I could not go out too much because I was forbidded by the doctor to exercise, and I had to make and pay for several doctor visits because of me falling ill. So, work harder and bring medicine to school!

If I was allowed to go back in time in order to give some advice to my high school senior self, I would first emphasize the advice that everyone always states, "DO NOT PROCRASINATE!" Then I would advise myself to keep my notes or study guides so that I would have the chance to be able to review the basics of the subjects that are discussed and taught in college. I would also advise myself to communicate with the teachers and advisors about colleges and scholarships. Then I would tell myself to properly research the colleges and ask friends that are already in college about the classes offered on campus. Lastly, there would be a moment where I would lecture myself about the importance of saving money because money important.

My cousin is a current high school senior and I will pass along my words of wisdom when she graduates next June. It’s been 9 years since I’ve graduated high school and I've learned a tremendous amount. Looking back, I would tell myself (and any high schooler) these things: 1) Confidence in yourself is crucial. Before you are able to convince anyone else of your abilities, you must first believe in yourself. Self criticism and negativity will put you at a disadvantage, so change your mindset from “I can’t” to “I am.” 2) Academics and grades are important, but it’s not everything. Be well-rounded: find internships, improve your social skills, and network with as many people as possible. Continue to challenge and strengthen yourself intellectually, physically, mentally, and emotionally - it’s all about balance. 3) Failure is part of the journey. If you aren’t failing, then you aren’t trying. Do not get discouraged when things don’t go according to plan because there are multiple routes to success. In whatever you do, be kind to yourself. Look back at your accomplishments and failures to see how far you’ve come. Stay humble.

First, I would tell myself to be more active in school in terms of extracurricual activities. It looks good to colleges and you get to make new friends in the process. To study more and study better. "Just getting by" is an easy way to go but it's not the best way. Forming good study habits will help in the long run. APPLY to as MANY scholarships as possible. One of my greatest regrets is not taking advantage of the time and opportunites I had to get free money because college is expensive and loans are stressful. Most importantly, I'd tell myself to spend as much time with my dad as possible. I spent a lot of time with my mom and never enough wtih my dad and by the time it was time for me to move out, it hit me hard just how much I was going to miss him.

Julie, do not be scared about the future or what it has to bring. You are capable of great things in life and all you have to do is believe in yourself even if that is something cliche to do. Be okay with who you are and love yourself. Don't stress too much about school because it's just high school. You end up doing great in the end so don't worry. In relationships, don't be so willing to believe the worst in people. There is good in everyone and all you have to do is find it. So, do not be scared to put yourself out there and stop shutting down on those who are willing to make you a part of their life. Those who accept your flaws and mistakes are the ones worth keeping around. Do not focus on trying to make other people happy and try to find happiness on your own terms. Finally, there are times when you believed that you deserve the worst. Stop carrying around that type of mentality. You have made your mistakes and it is essential that you forgive yourself. You'll be okay.