Erika
I would recommend everyone visits as many school campuses as they can, so don't just start in you Junior year. Find out what the schools that you are specifically interested in and see what their different entrance requiements or suggestions are and often the best way to do this is on the college tours. Going to the college prep seminars were helpful, also.
Don't worry so much about the theory of the "well rounded" student but try to step out of your comfort zone. Try different sports, classes that you wouldn't ordinarly take, maybe even hosting a foriegn exchange student.
Yelizaveta
Dear High School Senior,
You've worked so hard to finish high school! Don't let that slip! It's really important to approach college with the right goals in mind and make sure that you BALANCE your life. Health comes first, school second, then social life! Under no circumstances switch that around.
Good Luck,
The one that made mistakes and is now fixing them.
Taura
If I could go back and change my high school experience, it would revolve around math. As a college student at my former two year institution, I didnt take math serious given my learning disability. I figured as a historian that it would not matter. However, closing the door on math meant missing out on other career opportunities such as business. If I went back to my former self, I would advise me to understand that the small things actually do matter. Math, no matter how much I dislike it, will always be a part of my life. It is the things that I avoided young which has hindered my transition. I would tell myself to think and make better decisions before I move.
Dina
I would tell myself to not worry about all the small things like making friends, getting lost or being homesick. Everything works out if you have faith that they will.
Casey
In a return to my high school self, I would inform me that it is not yet time to go to college. I would not be ready yet mentally or emotionally. I would not have the study skills necessary or have the proper freedoms to handle my time away from home without skipping classes. I would tell myself to get a part time job and move out of my parents house and go to school a year later.
Cassandra
Dear Senior Year Casey,
Your senior year of high school will be the worst year of your life. Your world will be flipped upside down and you will wish you that year of your life never existed. However, I wouldn’t change a moment of it. This year will define how you choose the college you do, how you cope with all of the changes in your life, how you define the person that you want to be, and how you figure out who and what is most important to you.
If I could give you any advice, it would be to remember whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Every obstacle that you can overcome will help you find yourself and the person you want to become. Know that, from rock bottom, things in life can only go up. In college, you will have the freedom to re-define yourself and your life, just do not forget to work your hardest academically. High school has in no way prepared you for the rigorous study schedule of college. Review notes for each course a every day and let mom help you break your procrastination habits!
love,
Future Casey
Julia
As a high school senior all I wanted to do was grow up. I was rushing into everything, I had a brand new job, registered for the UW, and had plans for my life after college. Now that I have been to college I would tell my younger self to stop planning ahead so much and have fun. I know that it is important to have a job during college, but my first year of college I had a hard time making friends because I was only at school during class and then I didn't have free time to hang out with the people from class. My high school friends were all people that I had known since I was in 1st grade, so making friends was new to me. I would go back and tell myself to have fun, I'm only 18, 19, and 20 once. I need to have fun, explore the world, and create friendships that will last a life time. I can still have a job, but don't let the job run my life the way it has been.
Serena
Experiment with new ideas and discover your own person. Everyone you meet has an opinion worth hearing and being open-minded about. There will be many opportunities to meet new friends, many of whom will be with you for life. Enjoy this diverse and interesting pool of potential friendships while you can. Get over your shyness and talk to people - you never know who you'll meet.
Be genuinely interested in your classes and take full advantage of them while you are there. Once you are out of school, you will realize that college was a rare and amazing time fully devoted to yourself - learning who you are as a person, and exploring every and any possible interest you may have. Remember that you do the work in order to better yourself and explore things that interest you, and not in order to simply pass or do well enough to go to graduate school. Although you may not major in language or music or engineering or art, those classes are available to you. Once you are working, you will appreciate every moment of spare time you are actually able to devote to self-betterment the way you did in college.
Matthew
Fix your eating disorder now! It will be SO much harder with everything you have to deal with in college, and you will waste lots of precious time and money dealing with it later. As a high school senior, I already had 2 years of commumity college under my belt (running start) but university level is way different from CC level. The classes are larger, the campus is huge, and dealing with all this on top of a disability is tough. But it's worth it in the end.
All this physical pain you feel now? Yup, it's Lupus. Start treatment now and maybe you won't waste years of your life you could have spent finishing college in and out of hospitals. UW has a terrific disabilty resources center (much better than the CC and high school) and they'll be willing to help you out; don't be afraid to ask for help anymore, the resources are out there for you to finish this out and finish it strong.
Preston
Go straight for the GED program, get started to college... You have no time to waste!