University of California-Irvine Top Questions

I would tell myself to trust my gut and not to be so easily swayed by the words of others. I would also warn myself to approach matters at a moderate pace and never allow someone to hurry me along when I'm not ready. I would also tell myself to spend wisely.

Joey, you need to focus in school. The first year of college will be one of the most difficult years of your life because you will go through a big change. These changes are going to be academic, physical, emotional, and mental. Your study habits will not be very good because there will be many distractions. Focus on your studies because your grades will slip if you allow yourself to get caught up in "college fun." Also, don't trust everyone. You should socialize and make friends, but don't expect everyone to treat you the way you treat them.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior one thing I would advice myself is to apply for scholarships. I never paid much attention or even looked at scholarships and that is one thing I regret not doing. I wish I could have applied because it would help pay for the costs now. I would also advice myself to keep focus in classes and not let other things distract me from my education. Another thing I would advice myself is to go to my professor and TA's office hours to get additional help even if I think I understand the material.

I would tell myself not to be afraid to try. I would say that life isn't always easy and the way that you're studying now, you're never going to get where you want to go. I would tell myself to value the person that I have grown into. I would say you're just as good as the rest of them and don't sell yourself short. Go for it!

I would advise myself to visit the campus more than once and talk with other students and professors before making my decision. I would tour the campus and surrounding areas more thoroughly instead of deciding prematurely. Also, it would certainly be wise to apply to more than just a few local universities; traveling may be a better idea and offer more valuable learning experiences. Deciding to stay in the area near where you were raised may be good for some people, but I like to travel and see varied sights and more diverse cultural events. If I knew this as a high school senior, I would have researched institutions further away.

Relax, breathe, and never forget what you think is truly important. That would be my advice to the younger me. If someone had told me this before, I would not have struggled so hard in the past three years to adjust to the independence, freedom, and responsibility I attained after high school. Although I now know what my goals are and am working harder than ever in UCI to reach my dreams, I feel like I wasted time that I could have spent on improving myself. At the same time, the issues and problems that seemed like such big deals back in the past seem so trivial in retrospect. People say that in hindsight, one has perfect vision, and perhaps this is true. But I wouldn't want to tell my high school senior self everything I went through. Instead, I would reassure my younger self that I need not rush or stress out as long as I remembered what defines me as a person. The essence of myself now, and back then remain the same. The important thing is that I never forget that.

I would first tell myself that where I go to college should be my decision, but that I should not disregard my parents input. Rather, I should understand that my parents have four children to put through college, and that this poses difficulties over personal school choice. Therefore, I would tell myself to think about how my parents are trying to help me, not make decisions for me. I would also recommend to myself to go into school with a declared major, that is I would tell myself to declare a major in Latin or Classics, depending on what the school offers. I would also tell myself to apply to more schools. I would tell myself to write an essay about how having a dad from another country has affected me personally, and how it has shaped my academic focus. I would also tell myself to go talk to my school counselor regarding different school options that would benefit me as a person and would not financially strain my family.

If I were given a chance to go back to my senior year, then I would definitely take more time to choose the right college. I would weigh all the pros and cons of each campuses. In addition, I would take time to think about my major as well. Although I am declared as business economics right now, I am still not certain about whether it is a right major for me. Instead of just being hyped up about leaving high school and starting a new chapter of my life, I would talk to many college friends that I have and seriously think about which path to take for my future. Ever since I have chosen UCI, it seems like my life has been turned upside down, whether that is what people usually go through or not. I want to be able to enjoy my one shot of college life instead of being miserable 24/7.

I would tell myself, "Be bold Amber, take the jump to go far away from home because it is going to be one the best decisions you'll ever make. You're going to grow so much by living on your own and having to make things happen for yourself. Do not stress so much about the finances because you will find a way to make it without parental support because there are lots of scholarships and grants out there and you will find that people are willing to help, you just have to seek help and ask. As for dealing with people, the dorm experience is crazy but a great learning experience because you will be able to cope and adjust to so many different types of people. Be picky about the friends you choose and once you got them, hold onto them tightly, they'll help so much. And it is very important to network in college! Get to know counselors and make time to see career counselors and definitely look into studying abroad. There are so many great opportunities in college, so be bold and take them, you won't regret it!"

There are three pieces of advice I would give my high school self if I ever had the chance to go back in time. The first: Never stop planning excessively and extensively. Often times I would plan ahead and attempt to proceed with it until something arises to complicate matters. Taking this advice into account, I should have formulated multiple plans with alternatives in the event that something should happen, I would not be caught off-guard. The second: Never doubt my own limits and expect more from myself, since not taking that extra step is worse than taking that step and failing. It took a year into college for me to realize that I often only pushed for a little above the minimum when I could have challenged limits. My last word of advice would be to never take my blessings for granted. At first I was somewhat disappointed that I did not get into a more prestigious university. However, my mother, who endlessly works to supports me and my brother throughout college, always tells me that I should not take anything for granted and to work hard so that I would not have to suffer as she did.