University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

Knowing what I currently know about college life and the transitions I made from high school, I have found numerous issues in which advice prior to college would have benefitted immensely. Throughout high school I was always a hard worker, but never really had to fully engage or apply myself in order to get a good grade or pass a class. This casual, easy-going attitude was given a quick reality check when I entered my first quarter of college. My number one piece of advice I wish I could have told my high school self would be to fully engage myself in my schoolwork and studying and to participate in a variety of extracurricular activites. I myself did not participate in high school sports, nor did I join ASB or any type of club. During my senior year though, I held a part-time job while going to my high school classes as well as earning community college credits. This offered me just a "taste" of what the real world is like - having to actually work for what you want and constantly being faced with a challenge in which you might not always see a straight-forward, undemanding resolution.

The advice I would give myself is that I should clearly understand what my field of interest is. I would inform myself of proper time management and to give more importance to understanding my field of study rather than playing sports and games. I?d recommend myself to study well in my advanced placement classes despite having a fair overall GPA. I would warn myself to take seriously the cost of college and living expenses and to find scholarships that I could easily apply for because I was awarded one ? attempting and earning a scholarship grant currently as a senior in college. I would inform myself ways to eliminate or prevent distractions. I also would warn myself to keep in touch with academic counselors to help myself understand the path to college and graduation requirements well in advance. I would direct myself to attempt to take part in extracurricular activities besides sports like club or school positions like class president. I would tell myself to go to my high school prom for the social experience. But mainly, I would advise myself to be more open-minded to networking with people in order to develop social skills.

You should be prepared. To be prepare having a C in the class, unlike always getting A in high school; to be prepare to stay up late just try to finish one thing, like one math problem, or writing a JAVA file. Don't under-estimated yourself, even though you have low SAT or ACT score, you still need to do your best to describe yourself in the personal statement that you are going to attach with your college application. You might get into Harvard, or Stanford, you never know. And I know you worried about money, and I know you have already applied as many scholarship as you can, however, you should not see it as a barrier to pursue your academic goal. Believe in yourself, you can achieve your dream if you move your first step and prepare.

College, essentially, involves the same general processes and situations as in high school. In reality, while the work load is obviously much more and the subjects you are studying are more difficult to understand, it's your attitude and motivation level that need to change with time. You've always been the type of person to get things done in a quick and productive manner, so why stop now? You might be intimidated by the huge campus, the throngs of people during passing time and in the classrooms, and those dreadful exams, but you know what? Those are all part of the experience of being a college student. You have to be able to assert who you are in this world, and it starts here. Sure--taking breaks and hanging out with your friends might not be the ways you spend your weekends, but at the end of it all, everything you've done up to this point is going to matter in the long run. When you see the fruits of your labor, you'll realize that nothing ever really changes--it's only people that change. Change is good, so be whoever you want to be.

I would tell myself to start working early on college applications. I would emphasize the importance of filling out the FAFSA. I was already in my second year of college through the Running Start program when I was a senior, which I feel was an excellent decision. I'd tell my past self to continue on looking forward, to always look for new possibilities and opportunities to advance myself. Going to college is a huge life event. Its a lot of hard work. I'd tell myself to put in as much time and effort as possible to do well in University classes. Community is a big part of college life. I'd suggest my high school senior self to look at clubs and associations to get involved in as soon as I could. Most of all, I'd tell myself to enjoy it all, and that going to college will be a wonderful and memorable part of my life.

I would tell myself that it is time that I begin to operate with a bigger picture in mind than my previous life that was a mere extension of my superficial and confusing high-school days. I would tell myself that I need to make sure that college, while being a joyful time of building lifelong memories and friendships, is not primarily for myself the end of a happy period of my life, but the means by which I can move toward another happy season of my life. I would tell myself to avoid both the extremes of spending too much time studying and spending too much time socializing. Those who fall into one of these two mistakes either deprive themselves of social and emotional connection with others (and, therefore, holistic- not just scholastic- growth) or end up trading their post-college aspirations for a short-lived good time, squandering all of their resources to meet that meaningless end. Finally, I would tell myself to examine thoroughly, and live out of fully, the deepest and most noble desires of my heart. Do not merely try to achieve an image, but do what brings you joy and serves others the most.

I would go to college right after I get out of high school!

My advise is to start at a community college to get the pre-requisites done for less money and smaller class sizes.

If I could go back in time and give myself advise about college, I would probably not stop at my senior year but return to my junior high years. I would advise myself to embrace learning and be passionate about trying to learn as much as I could. I look back and see that so much knowledge was offered to me and I feel that I could have absorbed so much more. The more knowledge that is discovered and absorbed, the easier life at a higher level of education will be. This said, I love my college life at the present moment and am thankful everyday that I have this opportunity. The world is an amazing place and I want to continue learning as much as I can. Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts.

As a high school senior, there is much I wanted to know about being in college. I wanted to know what the best classes to take were, how to make friends at college, and how to switch from high school life to college life. I now know a freshman should take introductory classes and complete general education requirements first because these types of classes give incoming college students a sense of what they will want to continue to study as an upperclassmen. Academics are an important aspect of college life; however, college students should not let themselves be completely overwhelmed by school work. They need to be sure to make time for themselves and time to spend with family and friends. A student who completely focuses on school work will eventually become exhausted and their grades will suffer as a result. The best advice I can give is to be you, by just being myself I was able make many friends which will last a life time, and it was this concept which enabled me to be a successful college student. This is not something I would only tell myself, but every other college-bound high school senior.