Yale University Top Questions

College is not a breeze. For the entire second half of high school, most students spend their time counting the days until "I can leave this miserable place!? Senioritis engulfs them. Daydreams about imminent independence distract them. And their focus falters, until it becomes too late. This story describes countless students every year who fail to realize that college is about stretching boundaries, growing potential, extirpating personal vice, and seeking challenge. I commenced college complacent: I was a national Presidential Scholar; I scored a 2400 on the SAT; I was accepted at Yale. I could not be more accomplished, or less worried about my future. But how fatuous I was! My grades suffered and my ambition collapsed. What I would recommend to any incoming college freshmen, therefore, is that they arrive with the robust understanding that they will have to continue to work to earn their admittance. They must discipline themselves to ignore the rich web of stimuli bombarding their impressionable minds. And they must learn to balance work with play, while continuing to play after every storm: brooding over past mistakes will only deepen malaise. Becoming aware of these ideas is the first step to a successful college experience!

If I were given the opportunity to go back in time and advise myself during my senior year, there is one word that would be repeated over and over: Relax. As understanding and simple as the college application and decision process has become since the dawn of The Internet, email, and websites like Commonapp and Fastweb, there is a certain level of stress that followed me as I was weighing my options, to a point becoming borderline unhealthy. This stress stemmed from a belief that my future's outcome and ultimate direction would be determined by where I spent the next two or four years of my life. Although I still acknowledge that the choices I make affect my future in a very real way, what I have also now chosen to acknowledge is that in the future, I will be just as able to make choices as I am presently able. Sure, every school is different and the "perfect" school might not be the one which I ended up choosing, but I would tell myself to take a moment and simply relax. Life will go on no matter what college I choose and that is a very good thing.

I would advise myself to relax and not let it all go by too fast. I would try to convince myself that being accepted into social circles is not the most important aspect of being a freshman in college. I would tell myself that this knowledge that is heading my way will be of great importance to me in the not so distant future, and to make sure to cherish it and realize that it leads to my future. If I only knew what I know now then!

I would tell myself not to worry about what was to come. I worried constantly up until move-in day about how I would start all over in a new place, keep up my grades, and continue my favorite activites such as dancing. As it turns out, making new friends came easily, I did well thanks to the resources provided to me and the study skills I perfected in high school, and I was able to join a dance team. I was well prepared for the transition into college life, but extra advice could never hurt. As a senior, I would tell myself to stay focused and far away from the laziness more commonly known as senioritis. I would tell myself to make a habit of eating breakfast, getting a decent amount of sleep, exercising, going to the library, and getting to know my teachers. I would tell myself to get used to keeping a planner and actually using it so I know when to say no to any of the many things always happening on campus. Above all, I would tell myself to smile, and plan on having the best four years of my life.

You've spent your whole life trying to get out of your comfort zone because you thought it would make you braver, stronger and ambitious. Now, you are faced with the decision to continue down that path or to change directions. My advice in your choice is this: don't be afraid to spend the next four years at a college that doesn't challenge you to try something you don't love. That just means you know what kind of a person you are and what kind of subjects interests you. And that knowledge of yourself is the first step to learning how to do what you love. And that is the point of college.

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are many things I would tell myself. I think the main thing I would say is to not take yourself too serious, as everyone you meet in the first few weeks of college is making the same transition as you are, and are as nervous as you are as well. Additionally, I would tell myself to beke sure to be invooved in as many different college activities as possible, in order to get a fuller college experience from the get-go. The overall lesson I would want myself to get would be to have fun, and to not be afraid to put myself out there and meet new people and try new things.

Let?s not waste time- while in our prime- to give ourself advice. College is coming, our brain is humming and you must ready the dice! The dice for what, you?d like to know? The dice of life, of course! Used correctly (with chance and skill) you?ll have no remorse! Take a chance- roll the dice- no hesitating to try! Combined with thought and common sense few things will go awry. The years behind you were great- family and friends all around, but college is new- as is the place- in which you will soon be found. So many classes to choose from, professors and friends to meet, and ready or not, here it comes- a ton of work to complete! But these aren?t the only things heading your way; the city and campus are, too. Thousands of people, places to go, buildings both old and new! It may be hectic and frightful not knowing what?s to come, but remember yourself and who you are and the beat to your very own drum. College means you own schedule, college means tons of time. So face what you must and you can trust- college will be sublime!

Tina, I know it's intimidating. You're about to go to Yale University, where everybody is supposedly smarter than you and very capable of doing important things with their lives. But here's one thing you HAVE to keep in mind from the very start: DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF. Yes, they are all motivated, world-traveled, multi-instrumentalists who have huge accomplishments under their belts, but you need to focus on learning from and with them instead of focusing on your inadequacy. Here's a secret-- everyone tends to think they're inadequate here. But everyone's incredible. Including you. Also, be involved in many different activities, try them out. But DON'T fall in to the typical Yalie trap of overcommitting yourself and then complaining about it. Never feel bad about not being too busy. Value that free time in your schedule, treasure it. Use those hours to go to masters' teas, movie screenings, potluck dinners; don't give in to that pressure to be in charge of everything. Sleep a full eight hours a night, or stay up late with friends. Don't always stay up late with homework. This is a unique place. Live it up.

I would advise myself to not be so hard on myself during the somewhat difficult transition to college life. I would warn myself that I will meet (and be forced to live with) people with very different values than myself, and urge myself to take it in stride. I would tell myself to put myself out there and try to find my niche during the time in which everyone is looking to make new friends and simultaneously making the huge leap into the unknown. I would also tell myself to select my classes carefully, so that I still have time for extracurricular activities and hanging out with my new classmates and friends. I would also remind myself that Yale University is the goal toward which I had been working for years and that I was about to acheive everything I had ever hoped for. I would tell myself to take a step back and appreciate the satisfied feeling of fulfilling a dream.

The last years of high school are so laden with concern over standardized tests and GPA, it is easy to forget that the four that lie ahead should be the finest days of your life. They are the days you'll return to in your mind--pleased with the passions you voiced and the challenges you accepted. The only parlous cloud lurking in your sunny horizon is coming down with a case of Expectitis. Expectitis is a spectrum disorder which can result in a mere annoying rash or can, in its most extreme form, be fatal to a college experience. Expect great things from yourself, but not if those expectations are so unreasonable that they keep you locked in a library, away from the diversity of humankind and human thought that brought you to college. You are not your GPA. It is no coincidence that when Presidents and uber-succeeders are asked to recount their happiest moments, they focus on college days which preceded their "success." So, remain interesting, open and inquisitive. Do not hide in the carrels in search of only the holy "A." Let joy and discovery be your expectation during this, the greatest adventure of your life.