University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

The year 2008:Hi, high school Arpan. Listen, what I’m about to tell you about college is important, so you might want to write this down… The one advice that I would give you about going to college is: the fruit of patience is sweet. You haven’t started community college yet, so you think that you would graduate with your associate’s in two years, transfer to a university, then get a job, right? But you don’t know that to to discover the career path that’s right for you while completing your GE and degree credits, you will become a very patient person. And it will be tough. I know because in a few months the recession will hit, and as a result schools will cut budgets to a skeleton, and getting classes will feel like banging your head against a wall. So I suggest that you don’t rush. Have fun and get involved; don’t just focus on studies. Join some clubs: I guarantee that those will only help you in getting admittance to a great university in the future. And most of all be patient, as the journey counts more than the destination.

I would tell myself to not doubt myself or feel undeserving of being admitted to such a great university. I felt that I was not going to be able to find friends, or excel academically due to belonging to an ethnic minority. I found that my transition was difficult because I helped support my family financially, but by being more open to meeting people and getting involved, it opened many doors. Overall, I would say, congratulations, you do deserve to be here so go out there and make your family proud.

The transition from high school to a four-year institution, nonethless UC Santa Barbara notably considered a "public ivy," is anything short of smooth. Like many other students, it was the first time I had the opportunity to leave the "nest" that has so long supported me. Entering my fourth year, I have learned and experienced some of the most influential skills and times of my life. As a student at UC Santa Barbara I experienced it all from the constant contemplating of majors, the midnight library runs, to a community coming together after the gruesome massacre. The biggest key to success in a four year institution is finding your place. That means finding the friends, clubs, and major the best fosters your academic endeavors. The faster you get involved and activiely seek out your place, the faster you can settle in and hone your skills. Rushing a business fraternity in my third year was the best decision of my undergraduate career. I was able to find the group of friends who had my interest, my ambition, and most of all, cared for me especially during the incident where I had no place to stay.

I would tell my high school self to not worry so much about people’s expectations of you, because in the end it is you who has to live your life. If you want to go for a career in art then go for it and if you want to write a book well then start writing. You will often get confused between what you want to do and what you ought to do. Do not let it puzzle you because it will only set you back in the end. Trust me, as much as everyone likes the idea of you going to medical school, deep down you know it is not for you. Over all just do not be afraid to admit what you want and find the courage to go after it. P.S. Take advantage of the time you have with your family. You will actually star missing them when you are away at school.

Dear high school Mary, Stop stressing out about what you want to "do" when you grow up. You think you know what you want to do, but you really have no idea. Be prepared to have an open mind and learn that there's more to life than a career. Don't put other people down if they don't attend school right away. Every person has a different timeline. Some people like you are going to attend college right away, but don't worry about what others do. Just focus on you, and enjoy your years now, and enjoy what's to come. Don't take yourself so darn seriously. Take your learning seriously, but never take yourself too seriously. I mentioned it twice because you take yourself too seriously. Lastly, please remember to be open to new ideas even if you have a strong opinion.

Enjoy the college experience as it comes, but be prepared. Preparation entails being knowledgable about all of the resources available at USC, in order to feel more confident about my support. Applying for scholarships before starting college would have allowed me to pay for the financial costs of schooling and housing, and would have alleviated the need to take out loans and work while taking a full course load for four years. Asking for help from family, friends and college support staff would have better enabled me to make swifter and more appropriate transitions. Taking advantage of summers to work so as not to have to work during school would have alleviated some financial strain and more time would have been allocated to my studies. Networking throughout my undergraduate years would have helped solidify connections and contacts to employment after graduation. Staying in touch with college support staff and key professors would have helped guide me through my graduate application process, rather than hoping a professor from the past remembers my name when asking for a letter of recommendation. Lastly, selectively choosing friends from college would have provided role models and sounding boards especially in challenging times.

I would tell myself that life is about to get 30 times harder, but that I will grow more both emotionally and spiritually in 9 months than I have throughout four years of highschool. I would tell myself not to be shy during the year and to go out and apply for jobs and organizations and get involved so that I could feel some sense of community. Remember that school is and always will remain the number one priority, so when you want to go spend time with your friends, you should probably finish writing that essay first. Remember that your family is your backbone and they will always be there for you, but at the same time, you also have to start supporting yourself financially. Last but not least, remember that in the end, the only person you can trust is you. Because there will be times where your so called new friends won't be there for you, and the only person you have to keep pushing you farther is yourself. So love yourself and accept yourself and never give up.

I would tell my high school self to enjoy home cooked meals, fresh laundry and having your own room. I would also explain that college is not about partying and who can make the most friends, so make sure you make academics your first priority and socializing second. Get enough sleep, becuase your biggest downfall will be sleeping through classes becuase you stayed up too late the night before. Take a class that has nothing to do with your major, becuase you may be surprised by what you learn and how the subject opens your eyes. Talk to an advisor when you first get to school or over the summer, so that you know what you have to complete for your major before it is too late and you are scrambling to finish your units for graduation. And lastly enjoy every moment of college, becuase before you know it you will graduate and be thrown into the real world becuase no, college is just a stepping stone to the real world.

Senior year was more or less a stressful year for me. My time was filled with college scholarships, applications, sports, friends and family. Balancing everything at one time was relatively difficult for a person who supposedly was able to manage his time well. Coming from a small town, I was not exposed to a grand amount of intelligence. In a sense I was limited by my environment. Because of that, I would make it known to myself that in college there will always be someone smarter than you. There will always be someone who gets better grades as well. I would tell myself to stop comparing and start working because there is no mom and dad telling you what to do and when to do it. But overall, I think the best piece of advice that I could give to myself would be to stop worrying about the little things and just get it done. It's as simple as that. It might be cliche to say and it might seem like nothing, but it nonetheless serves as advice that would have helped me personally. I think now I have realized that when experience serves, it is never wasted.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be that its never to soon to start planning for college. I wanted to go to a University, but realized I didn't have the money. If I would have taken duel credit classes in high school and applied for scholarships it could have helped me. This first year of college I have already taken thirty five hours of classes, and it has been extremely stressful but I am actually doing good with a 3.7 gpa. In high school I didn't realize how much I could actually accomplish. Everyday I surprise myself.