Washington and Lee University Top Questions

As a high school senior I was so worried about whether or not I would be accepted into the perfect college and what I would decide to do when I got there. If I could go back, I would tell myself that there is no such thing as ONE perfect plan or path. I would comfort myself with the knowledge that when you work hard, you accrue wonderful options and opportunities. I would tell myself that the most meaningful experiences were the challenging ones and that my life turned out so much better that I could ever have imagined or planned for. I would tell myself that by staying the course, and trying to be fair, and doing right by others, the future makes itself known and things work out for the best. I would tell myself that everysay is what you choose to make of it, and life is too short to be unhappy wor stress about the kinds of non-issues that plagued me when I was fifteen. I would say that people regurgitate cliches like "use your head" and "follow your heart" because they're true. I'd also say "don't worry, college is a blast!"

Prepare yourself for the real world. While it may seem like you are in a social bubble at college and it may seem like everybody there is a happy student who wants to make new friends, there WILL be people who will hurt you. People will make decisions that could adversely affect you for the rest of your life. There may not be a way to prevent this but at least know coming in that this could occur and mentally prepare yourself for dealing with people who aren't necessarily looking out for you. Within three months of attending school I was raped. It was not my fault and looking back I cannot see a way to prevent it. That being said, I didn't realize that someone who I considered to be my best friend would be capable of this type of action. You have to open your eyes and realize that not everyone in this world is good and they do not all have good motives. The people closest to you are the ones that are capable of hurting you the most.

Hindsight is 20/20, according to the old saying, and if given the opportunity to speak to myself as a high school senior I would impart what wisdom I have accumulated in my few months of college life to help increase his foresight. My primary responsibility would be to illuminate the two-edged sword that is freedom. I would warn him that soon he would have no safety net to catch his fall if he should stumble. My younger self should be told that having no one watching over him means that there is no one to warn him when he is overworking himself and needs to invest some time in his friends. Should I gain the ability to travel through time, I would tell my younger self that time itself will run too fast to control in college life, and that it will seem to be more valuable and more rare than gold. Should my younger self be blinded by fear at my dire warnings, however, I will impart upon him the exhilaration of being able to make one's own choices, and hopefully I will help the scales fall from his eyes.

I am well on my way to earning my Masters degree, which is my ultimate education goal. I have also learned what our society considers valuable and I have used that to strengthen my personal convictions and to become more solid and firm in my critical thinking skills area. In addition, I have learned how to interact with different kinds of people and how to live in peace with all who are around me. I hope to get a well-paying job in the future to support whatever family I have, and I want to be a source of growth and prosperity so that everyone around me and with me will see the benefits of hard work and will be encouraged to do the same to achieve their maximum potential as we all strive together to live out the American dream and help our country continue to be the greatest nation on earth. Going to this college has helped me learn just what kind of work that will entail, and I am now confident to the utmost that I will be able to meet any challenges that I encounter on my way to academic success.

I have realized how much I do not know by going to college. I came from a small town in Colorado and thought that since I had good grades, played sports, worked, and was involved in the community that I had life figured out for the most part. From the moment I arrived at Washington and Lee University, I was challenged by my new friends from all different backgrounds to view the world differently. My professors are brillant and I am often frustrated by the time constrants of classes; there is so much I have yet to learn in each subject. My college experience has been eye opening.

When I graduated high school I was so sure of where I was headed. I was positive I didn't want to go to college, instead, I had my heart set on moving to NYC and becoming a dancer for broadway. Now, almost three years and an A.A. degree later, I realize just how wrong I was. Living the dream in NYC would've been wonderful, but not very realistic. When my mom mentioned to me to go to Seminole State College of Florida for two years I decided to give it a shot . Once I was enrolled, I quickly grew fond of the experience. It was nothing like highschool, instead, I had freedom and I knew it was my responsibility to go to class, take notes, study Etc. My first year in college I had straight A's, something that had never happened in any of my high school years. I began taking pride in my work and began to experience a feeling of accomplishment. Attending college has put my life in perspective, I understand how important it is to have an education and I cannot wait to enroll in August to continue this journey.

I have learned many new things throughout my freshman year in college. I have learned how to complete a wonderful essay and also I have learned to organize my material logically. College has been very valuable to me because not only I can use my education for myself but also I can help people all around the world which was my desire ever since I was little.

I now appreciate more working as part of a team. At Washington and Lee, you are always part of a team. Further, becase of the small size of the school, I have been able to form lifelong relationships with fellow students. Again, most law schools have a cutthroat competiveness that brings in alot of tension. At washington and Lee, students are respectful to their peers as well as their professors. This is despite the competitive nature of the school's class ranking system. This has also made me learn that one can be agressive in achieving what they want, without necessarily making those that are around you uncomfortable. My college experience here will not only enable me get the skills I need to survive in a competitive job market, but also enjoy the experiences as they come.

If I went back in time I would take one look at myself in high school, stumbling and bumbling with armfulls of books or running off to a meeting, and think about how stressed I was as a high school senior. The success of getting into college was worth the work, but I could have gone about it a much different way. But instead of criticizing myself, I would thank myself. I would tell my old self that he is doing the right thing and that he has the right idea: work hard to get into college. But I would also tell him to consider his health and his sanity in the proccess. Getting into college is not an easy task. In fact, I would tell him, it is much harder than college itself. So work hard, I would say, but don't kill yourself. Narrow your focus and concentrate on five schools, not twenty! Take college level classes, but not so many that you end up with average grades in all of them. Do the work, but take time for yourself. College is all about finding balance.

Looking back I believe I would give my high school senior self the knowledge that pursuing and figuring out what interests you is the most valuable aspect of college. Instead of doing activites because they look good on a resume, do them because they make you happy. Take a little bit of time each day to do something that makes you smile whether its hanging out with your friends, reading a book for fun, or playing a friendly game with your classmates. Just doing schoolwork and concentrating on extra-cirrcular activities will weigh you down and you won't have fun. So have fun and enjoy yourself before heading out into the real world.