University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to learn the importance of balance. In college life, no one is there telling you what to do, where to go, when to wake up, when to go to class, what to eat, who you are allowed to befriend, etc. Everything is essentially up to you. Having the ability to prioritize has already proved vital during my few months as a college freshmen. On a nightly basis with the option of going out to countless college parties, I have had to make the conscience decision sometimes to stay in and get a term paper done or study for an upcoming midterm or final. If I could talk to myself as a senior, I would also tell myself to research the countless clubs and organizations that UCLA has to offer prior to enrollment so that I would have a heads up on things I am interested in joining and when such meetings are and where they take place. Though I have now settled into and gotten used to the college life, with this advice, the seemingly overwhelming transition would have been much smoother.

I would tell myself as a high school senior to be more open towards people when discussing about college and to be more willing to take risks. College is a time to take risks, but you have to be practical at the same time. You have to work hard not in the classroom, but also outside. I'll tell myself straight that college doesn't teach you anything new that you can read from a book or discover on the internet, but the purpose of college is to teach you to think in different ways. You have to be welcoming to opportunities presented by others, and you need to take advantage of those opportunities when they arise. You have to strive to work in the now. Many of your peers will focus on the future as if it is promised to them. You realize soon that nothing is promised and everything is earned. Be a good friend to others and definitely take the high road when you see others do less unethical things. Take the time to speak with your parents or loved ones when you feel down, and always submit your best work regardless of other distractions.

I have often Looked back at the decisions I've made since high school until now and I believe that I could have more actively and efficiently prepared myself for further education. In highschool I didn't have many aspirations for my future and the only goal I had in mind was graduating. Having parents who did not graduate from college I did not recieve the support and guidance I feel I needed. If I could talk to my past self I would stress the importance of putting more effort into working hard and seeking guidance from other sources sooner. Instead I allowed myself to be ill prepared and ended up attending a community college for 3 years before transfering to a higher institution. I regret the amount of time I have waisted soley due to my lack of planning. It would be the greatest gift to go back and advise myself of this importance. I would strongly advise my past self and any other high school student to take initiative and follow through with their dreams.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that perseverance and hope is key to a successful college life. I would tell myself that even though circumstances become tough where everything seems lost there is always the opportunity to continue and reach sought goals. Although there are a lot of students pursuing the same goals, you must always continue working hard and never give up. For everything you do will be worth it in the long run. Nothing in life is free or easy, everything is an obstacle. There are a lot of people who support you, who will guide you, and encourage you. However, you must learn to become independent. You must realize that you have it in you to succeed and you dont need to be dependent on your family for they will always be there with you. There are times where you will fee inferior to others in college but you must realize that you belong there along with them. You worked hard and got there with your efforts. College life will be difficult but it will be an experience you will always cherish.

College is a medium and one might say a transport to a place of freedom devoid of parental supervision. In my experience, such freedom without many of the boundaries present in high school many times leads to a loss of morality and loss of innocence. Therefore, it is all the more important with whom I associate myself with in my university. It is definitely not about popularity here, they university is quite large and the numbers of students enrolled more massive; one must seek out close friends with whom to associate. The most important thing I would tell myself of the past is that such freedom also tests one's own self-control and motivations. One such example is completing homework or waking up to take an exam; the question is whether one had the will to and self-control to stop watching movies or surfing the Web late at night and get rested for such an exam. On the same note, nobody will nor can force me to go to sleep or do my homework so the question of why I do things, the motivation, plays out.

Don't be afraid. College is all about figuring out who you are, what you want to do and who you want to be. You don't need to know in a day, in a week, or even in a year. You don't need to declare a major freshman year. You don't need to join a million clubs. You don't need to stress about making friends. All that will fall into place. Instead of worrying, talk to your roommate. Explore the campus. Pick your classes. Study abroad. Check out the newspaper. Maybe write for it. Join an intramural sports team. Use the gym (you're paying for it). Go off-campus. Find your favorite place to just sit and read. Be open to everything. If the dorms make you claustrophobic, get outside of your head. Focus on meeting people. Take different classes. Hang out with your favorite professor. (Remember that you're equals, at least in academia.) Attend parties. Throw a party. Make connections. Call your mom. And above all, don't be afraid to have a different college experience -- it's just as valid as anyone else's. This is your time. Enjoy it!

1. Go to bed early. You'll thank yourself in the morning! 2. Absolutely no procrastinating. Sure, it might be ok in high school, but there will be no time in college. 3. Be social and join many clubs. It's all about networking! 4. Study, study, study! [Don't cram.] 5. Be an avid listener! 6. Build a resume. 7. Exercise! You'll be running from class to class in college. 8. Be flexible. 9. Look for scholarships. Tuition is not static! 10. Stress is inevitable, be sure you have a stress reliever. 11. If you are dorming, bring lots of photographs to remind yourself of who you are and where you've been. 12. Look for scholarships! And stay on top of the FAFSA!

I would tell myself to stay on top of my school work and balance my social life. I know while in high school it was easier to procrastinate and I could get away with it, but now that I have attended college on the quarter system I would have prepaired myself for the fast pase of UCLA education. In high school, social life was easier to balance so I would of told myself to be ready for the transition of having harder work and social life becasue it is different from high school and being able to have social life all the time. I would also tell myself to be ready for living on my own and making decisions for myself. Going to college I am living on my own with no one to tell me what to do or when to do it so I would prepare for making good decisions throughout my college career.

If I had the ability to go back, I will tell myself eight things. First, enroll yourself into community college courses, such as writing, sciences, arts, and other courses so you can experiment and do not waste time and money while you are college. Secondly, I will tell myself, to research all the possible majors, and see if you can double major. Thirdly, pick the same major with double minors, but add a major. Fourth, do not mess up in your AP classes. Fifth, school is going to be crazy the first quarter, don't get a job right away, get use to the pace of the classes, then you can add your job. Sixth, use your resources, such as free printing, psychologist, and secret libraries. Seventh, take any GE requirements during the summer at a community college, so you do not have to pay for cost at a UC. Eighth, you will be ok, be proud of yourself, do not question why you are in UCLA, they (admissions) did pick right. You will find people that you will relate to, even though you thought they did not exist in high school. Be proud of yourself.

There are so many things I would tell my high school senior self. I think the most important piece of information I would give would be to step back from your possible college preferences and to let go of the pressure. I don't mean the pressure you get from your parents, college advisors or other people in your life, but the pressure that you put on yourself. I would tell high school senior Vanessa to realize that going to college does not mean you have to pack up your life and completely remove yourself from your home. So many people say that to really experience college you have to move away and be completely independent. Because of this, I put the pressure on myself to move across the country, far away from everyone and everything I knew. Now, I want more than anything else to transfer home. I would tell my high school senior self to let go of all the pressure and simply decide based on what would truly make me happy, not what I think is expected of me. I would tell myself to not focus on the expectations but on simply, what I want.