University of Illinois at Chicago Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to my Senior Self; I would tell her to make the most of every oppurtunity offered. I would also suggest to really takingt the time and planning out what she wants to with her educational goal. Another piece of advice would be for her to not always spend money on things she really did not need. Over all I would suggest that she had a more positive out look on life and let her know that things can get better. Especially the obstacles she can easily avoid by staying focused and putting alot of effort into her school work.

If I could speak to any high school student about their future, I would advise them to work passionately, or not at all. College helped cement my own wisdom, my knowledge, and my passion. I would advise them to take every opportunity, even if it seems difficult. Every new opportunity is a chance to grow and to experience new challenges that can prepare for future obstacles. College is a period of change and expansion of knowledge. I would definitely reccoment to commit their time to projects that can expand their knowledge of any subject. Although it may be time away from a family and friends, it will help with learning time management and learning to commit to projects that have a greater purpose. The satisfaction of witnessing a project blossom will make every stressful obstacle woth while.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to avoid the common "Senioritis" that tends to take over. I believe one of the biggest transitions from high school to college is having to always focus on the material - a college student who is determined to reach their carreer goal must really work hard and study as much as possible. One of the common things to do as a high school student is slack off because you get the sense of being so close to finished that nothing matters anymore. Going into college, it seemed as though a lot of students slack off their freshman year because they're surrounded by a whole new environment that they want to experience. I think that going into your freshman year, you should be very motivated to stay focused and do your best so that you have a cushion for your GPA once the years pass by and your classes only get tougher. I would also tell myself to reach out and join organizations that could help me socially and/or with my career because in college, networking is crucial.

Hello 18 year old Heather. This is the 26 year old version of you. I know exactly how you're feeling right now. You are scared, unconfident, and you think that you'll succeed after you graduate without going to college. You are wrong. Eight years have gone by. The older version of yourself wishes you would have started college right after you graduated from high school instead of "taking some time off". One thing that you have learned is that education is the most valuable and important gift you can give yourself.

High school is one of the most stressful times in an individual's life. Constant peer pressure and expectations lead individuals to behave in ways they never deemed possible. I am no different from other individuals. I dealt with the same pressures and expectations. After completing three years of college, I have learned a valuable lesson that I failed to discover while attending high school. This lesson is that these pressures and expectations are vital to one's success. As a high school student, I viewed them as overbearing and constraining, but now I realize that without this stress I would have never been able to test my limits. Today, I find myself constantly pushing my limits and not settling for just being good at something. I want to excel in everything I do; I expect excellence and nothing less.

I'm at a point in life where I’m expected to start taking care of myself. I’m beginning to have my own financial responsibilities that I could ask my parents for help with, but I shouldn’t and don’t. If ‘do overs’ were real and I could request one at the moment when I realized a mistake, I would choose to have saved more during high school. Granted, I have been working since I was 15 years old to have my own money and have since held 5 different jobs, often having two at the same time. As a high school student, though, it’s difficult to see how necessary your own money is going to be when you’re in college, but it’s easy to see how your own money can help you get that nice pair of shoes you’ve been wanting. The scholarships that I have, though very significant, do not cover other fees that add up to a few thousand dollars every semester. It would have been very helpful if I had saved more specifically for this reason in high school; that would be the ‘do over’ that I would choose.

Dear Michael, I’m writing you from the future. If you don’t go to college now you will have to catch up ten years from now. Don’t start and stop projects so easily. Finish what you start. By the time your twenty-nine years old you will have had 30 jobs. None of which makes you happy. Go to school for Radiation Technology. That field will grow 28{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} faster than most of the fields you previously thought about. I know you’re thinking that quick money is the way to go right out of High school, but you’re wrong. Sixteen hour days aren’t what you want to do for seven years. You will be a father at age 28. Do what’s right for your daughter. Her name will be Hadley and you will be father and mother, luckily she’s amazing. Your personal reading does come in handy keep up the good work. Make sure you enjoy your youth. No one told you these are the days that you will think about in the future. Keep your head up it gets clearer as the years go by. You won’t have to regret your decisions.

Listen up, past me. You are an average student. You take classes as seriously as they should be taken, but no more than that. Something you need to know is that if you are not secure in who you are, then your education will suffer. You need to have a strong sense of mind. Hold on tightly to your morals, to your faith, and to your personality. Keep your family close and choose your friends wisely, and you'll do fine. Oh, and for god's sake, eat healthy.

I would give myself a great amount of advice. Up until now, I do not know what I want to major in or what career I want to have. So if I could tell myself something I would tell myself to research and read more and more about what the university offers so that I would have a better idea of what I want to do. Also, to always try and discover my interests and abilities so I am able to decide what I want to do in life. Another advice I would give is to learn time management skills because it is very important in college. Then I would start telling myself to take more challenging courses especially Advanced Placement (AP) classes so that I would be ready for college and maybe even fulfill college graduation requirements. Additionally, I would tell myself to get even more involved so that when I am in college it is easier to get involved and network. Finally, I would advise myself to try my best to not waste money here and there.

I would tell myself that although it gets very difficult at times, it is worth it in the end. The people you meet will change your life, and you will gain a lot of knowledge and learn many new and important skills and life lessons.