University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

Take easy classes in the beginning of college until you have a feel of what college life is like. Make sure you ask for advice before picking your classes, you don't know how much of a difference it makes in your GPA. Don't give into peer pressure, some people are smarter than others, do what you feel comfortable with and when you are ready you will be able to take more advanced classes. Do not procrastinate, keep up with all of your homework.

If I were to go back and have a conversation with my high school senior self I would tell her to get her act together and apply for 4 year universities immediately as opposed to going to community college. College is a time to figure yourself out and while many people go back you only get one chance to be in your late teens/early twenties to truly have the '4 year college experience' even though pulling an 'all nighter' to study may not sound appealing now, you will look back and smile thinking about it one day. I would tell her she's going to have had a wonderful 2 years at UCSB, however I wish it would have been more and just because you're not positive you know what you want to do with your life yet, it WILL come to you in the next couple of years. The lessons you learn and the people you meet have an impact on you for the rest of your life. It was at UCSB I decided I wanted to become a special educator and it is at UCSB where I made some of my greatest memories and dearest friends.

This is an easy question for me. I am always telling my 2 teenage boys that I regret not pursuing a CAREER after high school. While I did attend college and earn my Bachelor's Degree immediately after high school, I graduated with a degree in business. Please do not misunderstand; it's not that I think there is anything wrong with a business degree, but it is extremely general. I had no direction after graduating college. I did not know what I wanted to do with my "business" degree. Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to attend law school, or medical school or anything that would have better prepared me for the world ahead of me. I am proud that I went to college and graduated with high honors; BUT because I did not pursue an actual "career", I am now going back to school as a 43 year old mother of 2. I am fulfilling my dream of being an RN. I am excited, but do wish I had done this right after high school!

Plan out your schedule ahead of time, look at all the requirements needed for your intended major. Research, Research, Research! Knowing what classes you need to take ahead of time is utterly important. Besides that everything really falls into place. Take advantage of the resources online and don't worry, everything is going to be just great!

I would tell myself not to be scared to go to a junior college. Going to a junior college really eased the transition.

I would tell myself to enjoy and cherish every moment you have with your family. Being a teenager and in high school you take for granted what your parents do for you. I would always tell myself, "I can't wait to move far away...i'm not going to miss my family." But as I soon came to realize it was a lie. The first couple weeks of college I was so homesick, and it was hard for me to focus in my classes because my heart and mind weren't in the right place. Also in college you have to do everything by youself, no one holding your hand. You have so much responsibilty and can't expect anyone to take on your problems. In high school your parents still do everything for you, and if you have a problem they fix it right away.

My family finds joy with academics and I am no exception. I found myself torn between two loves, history and biology and it was difficult to decide at the beginning. There were countless conversations concerning my future and my goals and I had few answers. I would tell myself, as a high school senior, to explore more of options I had at school. There was so much pressure in high school from the counselors about fulfilling the "A-G requirements" that now everything felt very forced. I would tell myself to enjoy the year more than I did. In high school, I was an officer of several clubs and stress about all the events was a daily part of my life. If I could, I would tell myself that the events all turned out great and a lot of the stress was uneeded. As a high school senior, the time felt like it lasted a long time but in reality it did not. I wish I knew that there is plenty of time to figure out what I want to do, enjoy the moment, and get excited about the school I would be going to next year.

College is a major priority all through out your life. It is very important and is almost a necessity to go through in this generation. If I had the opportunity to to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told my self to buckle down and keep studying because it's not going to stop after highschool. I would also advise myself to join clubs and be very active in the college community. Even in highschool other seniors would tell incoming freshman to be focused on school work, join clubs and play sports. The same is carried through into college. It doesn't stop, you're going to be making friends everywhere you go. But the best advice that I would give to myself would be to always study! Don't stop until you know your material so when you test on it you know you're going to do well. I mean, nobody knows exactly whats going on in college when they first start, the whole environment, the feel is different. You have to adjust the best you can and show everyone who you really are!

Dear Clarissa, Trust your gut when you walk on campus for the first time. It feels right because it is right. You got accepted into this school because you are smart and because you will belong here. Do not fear the acedemics, or your fellow classmates- you will not be overwelmed. You will thrive with new ideas and be driven by the motivation of the students around you. You will thank yourself for the smalltown experience you had growing up. It makes you unique because of the perspective you have on the world and the values you place in community. Don't run away so fast from your small town, but instead take it in so you may eventually return and contribute. UCSB will become your home, the people you will meet here will impact you mentally and emotionally. Lasting friendships, and valuable lessons will help expand your desire to learn and the asist the world you live in. Remember, you don't have to meet everyone at once, experience everything at once...you have four amazing years to do everything. The transition is easy-work hard, expand your horizons, and please enjoy UCSB to the fullest. Love, Clarissa

I come from an agricultural and hard-working family background. As a high school student, I learned English as a second language. Therefore, I thought that I would never be able to attend a university and pay for my education. However, if I had the opportunity to go back in time, I would encourage myself to continue my hard work. I would tell myself that there is financial, academic and emotional assistant for students in colleges. There are transitional programs at the beginning of every school year that assist new students feel more comfortable with the new environment. Academic and emotional counseling is also available to students that have difficult time adapting into the atmosphere. Help for academic work is always free and available to help students improve their writing, reading, and research skills. Financial issues might seem the most difficult challenge, especially for low-income students, but financial aid is available to help students reach their dreams of higher education; there is also a wide variety of scholarships available that can help pay for college. Higher education might seem a distant and impossible dream for some students, but with determination and motivation anyone can achieve and discover their potential.