University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

What you will get from your experience here at UC Santa Cruz will be exactly what you put into it. Understand that you must be the one to reach out to the professors, that you must be the one to find internships over the summer, and you must be the one to reach out to any of the clubs or campus organizations. The resources are there to excel in any field you wish, but you must be the one to take the time and make the effort to find the resources that are available for you to succeed. And, no matter what, don’t stop believing that you can pass any and all of your classes, don’t ever doubt that you are smart enough to major in engineering, for at times it will be hard, almost unbearably so but you will succeed and accomplish amazing things.

Dear Josh: I know you are pretty exhausted from your intensive high school career at Lowell High School, especially in your junior year, and yet your hard work and altrusim regarding the significant community service you have done as well as the helpfulness to your classmates and youir you8nger brother will serve you well. Before you leave home, let Mom and Dad help you be more independent - it will really help when you are away from them at college. Take on more personal responsibility to obtain healthy food, do your laundry, and keep youirself as organized as you can. Don't forget to take youir Ritalin and Strattera for your ADHD, even on the weekends, because it really helps you stay focused and orgasnized, even if you think you are not as outgoing or funny when you are taking them. Plan to continue the friendships you made at Lowell with those students who are also going to attend UCSC with you. Consider asking Kent to be your roommate, since you won't have any idea of the kind of roommates you get or how well you will get along with them otherwise. Be welll and take good care of yourself!

I would tell myself that I should always trust my gut instinct. If a subject in interesting I need to pursue that to the best of my ability. That I need to make friends with my professors and have a simple chat with them. That as long as you focus and put your mind to it you can fly beyond your expectations. I would tell myself that I need to be myself more to really enjoy my life and that Santa Cruz will allow me to do that. I would tell myself to go talk with other students and make friends. I would tell myself that it is okay to give strangers a smile because you just might make their day and getting a smile in return will make yours.

I would have taken more extra curriculars and been more active in my community. I would have also taken a lot more AP classes. It would have been best for me to not be so stressed out and not have worried so much about school and where I would end up in University. However, I have greatly learned from my mistakes and do not truely regret any of my decisions. I honestly am fine with how things ended up, and how my life has ended up. I love University of California Santa Cruz and would not have chosen any other place.

If i knew than what i now know. Yes this is a question i frequently ask myself. And to be honest the one most important thing i would tell myself is not to be embarresed and dont be shy. Reason being is that you are not the only one with questions. There are more like you with a lot of doubt. Remember no question is a stupid question. Stupid is not to ask and always be lost and not know whats going on. Also dont worry about what your friends are doing or going to do. they are not going to help you pay the bills later, and they are not always going to be there when you need them. To tell you what will be there? Well guess what? Your education will be. There is nothing or no one that can take that away from you.

As a college student now I have learned many things of which I lacked the knowlege to back as a high school student. The information I know now are things I could of easily figured out when I was in high school, but to which I never knew because I didn't want to take the time to ask my counselor how I could start preparing for college. The embarrasment and low self-esteem blocked me from learning and getting informed, and now I regret it because this has now put me in the spot as to where I recieve no financial aid what so ever, when I could of easily over came my emotional feelings of embarrasment and spoke to my counselor. The best advice I would of given myself was that instead of spending time with friends and being embarrased I should have met with my counselor at last once a week to prepare for college, and more than anything to figure out how I was going to cover my financial charges.

Remember when me and mom sat in the back of the classrom and I began to translate for her. Remember how as I spoke people turned their heads with their eyes pointing at us irritated, hearing my voice in the background, but I had to do it. This was a milestone for me, for us; it was the first time mom had taken a day off to come to parent’s night. In the back of my mind I knew mom was being criticized, but I learned English so she wouldn’t fight ignorance and racism by herself. Rrember that night when we returned home I cried thinking of those faces looking at her with disgust; that day I knew I had to do my best in school to prove not the world, but my mother, that I could become a face people would look at with pride not repugnance. Every day stereotypes try to dictate who you are, but you are always ready to overcome anything others bring upon yourself. You were the Hispanic kid less likely to succeed, yet you were the one who proved that people cannot be judged based on how they.

All right, listen up soldier. I mean, senior! The minute you leave for college, your drill sergeants (your parents) will cease to be your commanding officers. Their authority to make you do push-ups or scrub toilets when you get lousy grades will be stripped away. Once you leave home, the external scholastic motivation your sergeants gave you in high school will vanish faster than a stray bullet. This means you’ll have to become your OWN college drill sergeant. I don’t care how much of an academic wimp you think you are. Even kids with featherweight brains can do well in college and reach their educational goals. Just remember these three things: 1) Motivate yourself. Believe that you can reach your goals and then seek out people (like tutors and advisors) who will help you succeed; 2) don’t procrastinate. Bad grades on late assignments are instant enthusiasm killers; and 3) arrange your educational goals in steps, starting with the most attainable ones. You can’t win a war in a day and earning your degree won’t be easy. But it IS possible and it WILL be worth it. So square your shoulders and buck up, soldier!

Dearest (past) Christina: Please, for the love of everything, concentrate. You're in a rough place right now, and I know it's tough to balance everything, but you have to focus on what matters. I love our friends, too, and I haven't forgotten any of them, but if you want that theology degree that we always wanted, you're going to have to escape from the school with good grades! I know we tried so hard, but I think we could have done better. Forget about the teachers and the other students harassing you. Forget about the way that one principal always has to have something to say. Forget the girl in choir who outshines everyone. We could have done this! I'm sorry I can't change you, but I can change me, and right now I'm trying so hard to do right by us, to do right by everybody: so I guess this is a bit useless. But I'm going after that degree—and I have high hopes. I'm on the way. I know we didn't do so well back then, but I wouldn't be here without you. Love, (present) Christina.

My advice would be, "Talk some, and keep some." Not everyone has to know what goes on in your personal life. Be careful who you open up too but you don't have to keep a tough guard up all the time. It's a jungle out there but there are ways to navigate through it. Stay focused on what you came to college to accomplish. It's really easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by everything. You don't have to go to every party or every event on campus. Yes, it's good to get involved but don't bite off more than you can chew. Network with people and make connections! These people don't have to be your best friends but keeping in touch with certain folks can really benefit you in the future. Always try to put your best foot forward and if things start to go wrong, keep pushing on. Don't ever give up or run away. Always stay true to who you are no matter what. Don't pretend to be something you're not. Be yourself and get through it. And remember, your degree is the most important thing. The goal.