Marketing Major | University of San Francisco

Girls are going to college because it’s up to them to define themselves, and I feel like, through college, you have so many opportunities and so many resources at your hands. And I feel like girls should feel empowered to pursue their dreams through trying to just figure out what they want.

I recommend going to your college counselor. It’s really, really helpful, and they’ll really guide you to where you want to go. I would also suggest looking at the colleges catalog, the ones that you really want to apply for and that you’re really into and just kind of scroll through their majors, see what they have to offer, what you kind of need to know beforehand. And some other advice on finding a major is try to do something you love. You want to say, “I majored in this major, and I knew that that was the right choice.”

One thing I wish I would have known before going to college is how homesick I would be. And the way I have been overcoming that is hanging out with groups of people and finding things to do, always keeping myself busy. Also, what I like to do is I write the names of people that care for me in my journal. So I know that when I look at that, I know I can go back home to people that I truly miss. You may be a little bit scared leaving your home, but it’s okay because you’re going to go to a whole nother place, and you’re going to find yourself, and you’re going to find yourself through that. It’s a crazy experience, but in the end, it’s going to be worth it.

Try to get the best grades you can. One of my mottos is try the best you possibly can, and that’s all you can do. And try to put 100 percent into school, and also try to find a balance between school. And maybe if you work, if you have a job, doing that and also with friends.

Talk to your parents and kind of just have them teach you adult things, for example, writing a check or making an appointment. Those seem like very minor things but when you go off and kind of define yourself and become an adult, you’re going to have to do that stuff. And for me, it was hard because I didn’t really ask my parents to teach me a lot of this stuff. So I just kind of came into college being like, “Oh my gosh, what am I doing?” Get out there and manage your time and just be yourself also. Just be who you are and do not change for anyone else because you’ll find the right people through that.

If I were talking to my high school self right now, I would tell her to sit down, I’d tell her to take a breath, and I’d tell her to not be stressed out. I’d tell her that she’s going to get into a college. I’d tell her that it’s going to be okay, and you may seem stressed out now, but then once you get in, you’re going to look back on that time, and you’re going to laugh at that like I am right now. I’m just thinking I didn’t have to be stressed out because I knew I was going to get into a college.

What my mentor told me is life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. So with that, you should try to get out there, socialize with different people. Who knows? Maybe someone that you thought was intimidating or someone that you didn’t really click well with or you didn’t seem to click with might be some of your best friends. That’s what happened to me. And I am really close to everyone, like everyone on my floor. We’re like a little family. So no matter where you go, you’ll always have family if you make the effort to get out there.

Enjoy your life where you are right now and enjoy your friends and enjoy your teachers. Again, just be yourself. Don’t conform to what other people want you to be. Live your best life in college, and you’ll be able to do that with the right guidance, the right friends, and the right mentality. Just run that through your head. Be optimistic. Just say, “You got this.” I always tell myself that. Every day in the mirror, I look at myself and I say, “I got this.”