University of Southern California Top Questions

You cannot do this alone.

Dear Andrew, You are in for one wild ride at the college of your dreams. It may seem sublime, but you need to realize that you are going to one of the most difficult schools in the nation. Remember that your school work comes first. You will be pressured to go to parties instead of studying for an exam or doing homework, but do not forget that it costs lots of money to go to college. You would not want to make our mom waste their money right? Just be sure to keep your priorities straight and be true to yourself. Do not try and impress the fraternity boys or try and be somebody you are not. You know who you are and you will be a success if you just stay on the right track. Always work hard, then party as a celebration of you success. P.S. Please do not get distracted by all the beautiful women on campus. Love always, Andrew Acosta

Dear my nervous, perfectionist, trembling High-School-Self, Do you know how beautiful you are? Do you know how much strenghth is balled up in your clumsy, awkward body (it's still beautiful!) that you're still growing in to? Why do you only say a tenth of the things you want to say? What are you so afraid of? You've worked hard. You've done enough. You are enough. You are about to pick up and move across the country and that's okay. You are going to stumble, you are going to miss your mom, you are going to regret this for a few weeks, you are going to cry yourself to sleep. And that is okay. This experience is going to grow you as a student, as a sister, as a daughter, as a friend and as an indivdual. You are going to be challenged and pushed around and not everyone is going to like you. And that is okay! You need to leave your hometown so that you can come back and see how much you've grown. Leave your footprints. Come back and see how far you've come. Love, ME!

I would tell myself that while the future is scary, complacency is scarier. Colllege is the next step in my life that can take my abilities to another level, and I should fully embrace the unknown ahead.

Lisette, Make sure to get involved in more school activities and build relationships through internships. Also, when looking at paying for school try not to take as many student loans because it will be debt that is not very easy to pay. You should start off by going to a junior college and complete your general eductaion classes first and then transfer to a more expensive University. No matter what you choose make sure to enjoy yourself and have fun. Don't worry so much about knowing what you want your career to be because you will figure that out with experience.

Don’t be afraid if you don’t know what you want to study just yet. Specialization is overrated and so is the idea that everything you study or do has to have some sort of practical application. Being interesting, having a story to tell, is more valuable than being valedictorian. Don’t devalue personal relationships and don’t let others tell you who you are. Taking care of yourself doesn’t make you selfish. Drink water, keep breathing. You’re doing just fine.

From first hand experience, I know what it feels like to lie in bed awake for hours wondering if I’ll get accepted to a college. I understand that months before acceptance letters, all you and your friends can talk about is college. I remember the self doubt when everyone seems to be getting early acceptances, and you’re just waiting to get the first letter. But in hindsight, I realize that many high school seniors, including myself, make the mistake of wasting months worrying and stressing for something we can’t even help. These emotions won’t give us better chances of being accepted, and frankly, getting into your first choice isn’t as grand as we all make it out to be. Yes, college is important, but why are we going to college? It should be because we want to learn as much as we can, so that one day, we can help make the lives of those around us a little bit better. With that aspiration in mind, we shouldn’t waste time worrying. Instead, we should continually live with passion, and trust that wherever we end up, is where our journey to a better world begins.

I would tell myself to slow down, stop and smell the roses once in a while. There is no need to hurry through life, college is something that should be savored. Just as important as the classes you take, are the lessons you learn about life. College provides you with life expierence that nothing else can match. Use every opportunity to network and meet people with similar interests and goals. They might someday be your future co-worker, boss or even help you get that job you've always wanted. College is about so much more than a degree or a series of classes you take, you wont remember half of them. Once you leave you'll recall little about what you were taught in the classroom but you will treasure the people you met and the expierences that shape who you are as a person, so try and have as many of those expierences as possible. Dont rush them, don't overlook them and don't forget about them. When its all over you have a lifetime to work and grow in your career but you can never get back those 4 years, so live a little.

Treat your depression. The same things you did in high school won't work here, not ever.

Hindsight is 20/20.This has gradually become my favorite phrase. It begs the question, what if? What if I chose a cheaper school instead of the University of Southern California? Then I would not have as much debt that haunts me everyday. Then again, I would not have met the love of my life. What if I volunteered more at Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL)? Then I probably would have gotten that prestigious job at SpaceX like my classmates who were in RPL. Then again, I would not have had time for the Christian club where I met all of my closest friends. The only “what if” that I do not have a “then again” for is: what if I majored in something sports related, which I actually enjoy, instead of Astronautical Engineering? Then I would not have wasted 8 semesters, an internship, and a year at an engineering firm. Then I would not have to go to graduate school for Physical Education and Sports Management and augment my mountain of student loans. So, if I could advise my high school senior self, I would say, “Go to USC, but choose a major based on your heart not on expectations.”