University of California-Irvine Top Questions

If I could go back in time 2 years and speak to myself as a high school senior there are a few things I would say. I remember being very nervous and stressed thinking about college back then, so the first thing I would tell myself to do is relax. Now that I am two years into college I know that everything is turning out fine, so there is no need to panic. The next thing I would tell myself is to keep my job and participate in college athletics. These are two things I did while at junior college that I was thankful that I did. My job allowed me to pay for college as I attended without having to take out any loans and playing college sports was something I wasn’t sure about doing but it ended up being one of the most fun things I have ever done. The last thing I would tell myself to do is decide what you want to study sooner. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study in high school but if I knew I wanted to study business my academic journey would have been much simpler.

Study hard. Take the summer classes you are going to take seriously because it gets so much harder when the school year starts. Make as many friends during the summer session as you can because they are the people who will be there for you when the real challenges begin. During your last year of high school, don't slack off because good study habits are hard to build once school starts and things start piling up. Most of all enjoy your last year and the summer leading up to college. Irvine is a wonderful place with so many people to meet, so take chances and go out and make friends, take advantage of all the opportunities you are given this year and in college.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school I would give the advice to step outside of my comfort zone and be more assertive. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is helpful to allow self progression, growth, and builds character. In college you will be faced by various challenges and situations. It is good to be confident and assertive in taking the initiative to go outside of your comfort zone. It may be uncomfortable, nerve wracking, and scary but the experience can lead to big time opportunity and learning. It always good to try something new and it is a skill that can be applied to the real world. Somewhere at somtime individuals need to explore and be challenged. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will be beneficial to you socially and will be helpful academically. If you try its better than nothing at all. The same for being assertive. College is about you as an indivdual. Your choices and voice will account for your success.

Look, hurry up and get out of highschool. Don't mess around. Highschool life is just a first step to something greater you will come to see. Don't lollygag around and let the days pass you by. Prepair yourself for the future. When you get out of here she will be there. If you don't get out of high school and do what you are suppose to do you will lose her and any type of idea of what you want to do with yourself. You will wonder around trying to find a new path that you lost when you first thought of college. Trust me your life will be more fast pace and up beat when you hit college. College isn't how you think it is. It's much different from high school. You will feel more alive and more involved with yourself and your peers. Don't worry about what's going on now and what your friends are doing they won't be next to you all the time so make your own path and stick with it and your true self and your love will be by your side in the end.

Go to more clubs. Study more widely and deeply. Keep weight. Know more people and become friends. Take good care of parents and communicate with them more. Travel as many place as I can.

Some advice I would give to my high school self is to take the opportunities as they come and to take advantage of anything that seems remotely interesting. I think the biggest thing for me was having trouble finding people I could fit in with, and I would encourage myself to get involved in ALL dorm activities and to be outgoing because you'll find people with similiar interests quicker that way. Also, I would tell my high school self to remember all the advice my high school teachers had taught me about study skills and time management. These two skills are essential to making the transition from high school to college easier because, even though the amount of hours spent in class is cut in half, there is about double the workload of homework which could easily be forgotten with all the different activities to do on campus at any hour of the day. Maintaining a consistent study schedule, as well as attending class everyday, is the key to success for not failing all of your classes during the first quarter. To sum this all up, I would say to find a balance between school work and outside activities.

I would tell myself to get through community college and transfer in a more timely manner. After seeing how much debt all my classmates are in I don't feel negatively about missing out on the freshman experience, but I definitely should have gotten through community college faster so I would be closer in age to most of my classmates. I would have told myself to put off working so hard at various jobs and focus on my future more. I would have had less expectations as well. Additionally, I would have tried my hardest to find housing closer to campus.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell my self to stop goofing off and to get better grades. I would have told my self to take alittle bit of time out of my busy schedule and to fill out some scholarships because I need help paying for college. I would stress to myself to study for all of my tests and quizes. I would pay attention more in class and I would have done better on the SAT's. I regret not going to a four year school because I thought I didnt have the grades to get in. I would tell myself I can get in and i have the ability to get straight A's and make the top 10 percent of my class!

First of all, don't be pressured into thinking that you have to declare a major as soon as you enter college. You can have an undeclared major and while you're taking your general education classes, get a feel for what you're passionate about. Even if you do select a major, you can always change it. Most students change their majors at least once. Secondly, before choosing a school, ask yourself what kind of setting would motivate you to perform academically well and love life. Do you want an urban setting or a school tucked somewhere in the forest? Where your school is located will affect you, your studies, and the relationships you make there. You should definitely visit the school and get a feel for it before you enroll to make sure it is exactly what you want. And lastly, college is going to be emotionally tough. When you first arrive, you might feel left out or different but remember everybody else is feeling anxious and homesick. Remember to keep an open mind and try to make friends with people you never thought you'd be friends with, it may surprise you how much you can change.

I would tell myself to really try to immerse myself into the college atmosphere. Because I commute, it's difficult to attend the college events that happen later in the evening, because I would get caught up in traffic. I would also tell myself to try getting involved in the school's student run government. That would be the best way to get involved in the school and really show my school spirit! Most importantly, I would tell myself to take things slowly and not try to over work myself. It's often easy to get stressed and burnt out with school. By telling myself to take all the time I needed, there is more of a possiblility that the stress and fatigue would be severely lessened.