Western Washington University Top Questions

There is so much advice that I would give myself as a high school senior going into college the very next year, but the biggest thing that I would want to let myself know is that you WILL feel lonely and you WILL feel homesick, but it is okay and perfectly normal- every other Freshman at college is in the same exact position that you are in. I remember all of these thoughts flooding my mind overthinking things. "What if I cannot make any friends?" "What if I cannot find my classes?" "What if I get so homesick that I want to just leave and come home?" I stressed myself out so greatly that I almost forgot to enjoy the first quarter of my Freshman year. So the advice that I would give myself is to relax and breathe, because every other Freshman there is going through the same exact transition and you are not alone, even if it sometimes feels like it. Freshman year goes by in what feels like a blink of an eye- to spend the whole time worrying rather than enjoying yourself is just completely foolish!

"Do more scholarships!" Those are the wise words I would tell myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior. Although I did a lot to get grants and loans from the Community College I was attending, I did not do much to find scholarships from outside sources. I now know that that tactic would have eliminated most (if not all) tuition costs. In fact, the very reason why I am writting this essay today is because I have come to this realization! Although it is definitely never too late to start applying for scholarships, it is definitely helpful to start as soon as possible and to do as many as possible. That is a fact my "high school self" would have benefited from.

Be careful what friend group you hang around with. Associate yourself with people have have similar goals and ambitions while in college.

Emily, There is reasoning behind the struggles you've had in the classroom. You're not inferior to your friends or other students and you are certaintly not unintelligent. You're just different. You will find this out more your second year in college but until then understand that you have a unique way of processing and understanding information that is given to you. I know you want to follow the footsteps of your heroine, Rosalind Franklin, and become the next great genetisist but that's not your path. Keep to the social sciences because, as you already know, you're good with people. Learn to own your disability and learn to truly work with it. It defines you and your strengths and it also gives you a connection and the abilty to relate to your future job working for people with developmental disabilities. Learn. Believe. Become. Good luck!

If I was to go back in time, I would tell myself to work on my study habits. College is about getting good grades for me and in high school I didn't study much because the classes weren't that hard. I would also tell myself to work harder at my part-time job because college is definitely not cheap. during my first to years of college, it was hard to get the money and afford the tuition because I didn't have much saved up. As far as the college life is concerned, I adjusted very well. I have always been the type of person to get along with pretty much everyone so it wasn't a problem for me to interact with my new roommates.

I would tell myself to enjoy everything that the school has to offer and to have self respect. I would want to tell myself that even though you are too young, you are too old to waste your time with people in your life who do not make you feel geat about yourself or encourage you to be you. If someone is not a true friend or support you, then it is time to look for someone else or to only spend time with people who share their best qualities and support your best qualities. I would tell her that college provides many different people and that the best ones to spend time with are the ones who you can do nothing with and still enjoy their company, these are not people that have to party to have fun. Other than that I know I would find the right path form myself like I already have.

When attending college you will meet lots of new people and encounter lots of college experiences. Acedemically you will have to work harder then you did in high school in order to suceed and that means being in the library until they close at midnight. Or waking up at 6 in the morning to study before your exams. That being said we are going to fail once in a while the key is to NEVER GET DISCOURAGED. There have been times that you might doubt yourself and think that you don't belong in college or you won't make it into the career you want, but understand we must learn how to fail before we suceed. So when you fail take it as a learning experience and keep your head held high and truely believe in yourself.

If I went back in time to talk to myself as a High School Senior I would tell myself how much I have to look forward to as a College student. The Community College is just a stepping-stone to where I am going in life. Therefore, I would tell myself to make the best of it and aim for a 3.5 GPA or higher. I would probably also get myself to start applying for scholarships as soon as possible for my transfer to a University to be smooth and to help me stay out of debt. Overall, I have made good choices since High School. I feel that I chose the right classes to take to transfer to the University and to help me find the kind of career I wish to pursue. I know the University life will be somewhat different than where I have been, so I am not sure what I would advise myself for the upcoming situation. The last bit of advice I would give to myself would be to never give up and don’t let any distractions get in the way of pursuing my future goals.

If I were able to speak to myself as a high school senior, I would remind myself to breathe. At that time in my life I was overwhelmed by responsibilities as a student juggling courses, sports, a job, and a position as school newspaper photographer. I learned to slow down the hard way during the winter quarter of my freshman year in college, when I was diagnosed with a debilitating nervous system disease that left me temporarily wheelchair-bound. As I worked to motivate myself toward healing and recovery, I learned to take quiet moments to slow down, honing skills in mindfulness meditation and progressive relaxation. These coping strategies are among the toolbox of skills I hope to bring with me to graduate school next fall, as I pursue a degree in Couple and Family Therapy. My goal is to help clients struggling with chronic illness in navigating the complexities of disability, while learning to find peace within themselves. Mindfulness eased my transition into college, and helped me make meaning of my transition into life with disability. If I could speak to myself as a high school senior, I would emphasize the efficacy of this simple practice.

I would tell myself to keep focused on my studies and keep on studying. Senior year grades DO affect your GPA. I would also tell myelf to enjoy my last year of high school. College is extremely busy, stressful and hard. Stressing over my last year of high school would not be as beneficial as working hard but also relaxing.