Advice from Seniors to their Freshmen Selves

As our graduating seniors are packing up their bags and starting a new chapter of their lives, I'm sure they were ecstatic to answer some questions about high school in the midst of it all. We interviewed 15 students from the class of 2021 to share their college and major (if decided) and a piece of advice they would have given to their freshmen selves. From relationships with their S/O to extracurricular activities, below are some words of wisdom for our rising freshman class to start the year off right.

Minseo Jeon

Smart is sexy"

Minseo Jeong is going to Yonsei University (for now), majoring in Business Administration. He wishes he could tell his Freshman self that “dating in high school is overrated.” Looking at his own experience, he advises us to “prioritize school over girls” and that "GPA comes first. Smart is sexy."

Jennifer Choi

On the other hand, Jennifer teaches us the importance of deepening relationships. She is attending Tufts University in Boston, MA as an art major. She advises her freshman self to "Get to know the teachers and counselors on a more personal level to talk about courses for upcoming years/ possible opportunities and advice".

Ann Pham

"Just be yourself, do what you enjoy and you will find your group of people."

Ann is majoring in Operations Management at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. When she started her freshman year, she was new to SSIS. She went through a difficult transition trying to understand the "school culture". In hindsight, she says, "Don’t set too many expectations on yourself. Just be yourself, do what you enjoy and you will find your group of people. Networking is important too, but make sure you have a small circle you can trust and will be there for you because school can get stressful sometimes."

Mohammad Raza Qayum Khan

Meanwhile, Raza takes a different approach by putting the academic rush on pause with a gap year. He advises the overworked students to "Do everything at your own pace, you’ve got all the time in the world."

Cleo Nha

"The most important thing is that you know what you want and you fight for it!!!"

Cleo is attending the Lasalle College of Arts in Singapore and majoring in Fashion Media and Industries. She chose her courses based on her burning passion for the arts, (which she highlights in her creative sticker business @cleochewsice). Cleo encourages the freshmen to be more optimistic: "High school can be tough but at the same time, it can be the best time of your life!!! You just gotta make the most of it! The most important thing is that you know what you want and you fight for it!!

Trinh Zhang

"Be more patient, don’t ever stress or worry too much about anything because everything eventually worked out very great for you in the end!"

Trinh is going to Northeastern University in Boston, MA. In our virtual interview, her frequent use of expressive emojis reveals her excitement towards her journey. She reminds her younger self to keep up the habit of "going out all day and night because in about 3 years time you are going to be staring at the same four walls for months - literal prison, no joke 😁☹️" On a more positive note, Trinh coaches to "Be more patient, don’t ever stress or worry too much about anything because everything eventually worked out very great for you in the end! 🤩" When asked about her activities, she remarks that "I don't know how on god’s green earth I played sports but I'm very thankful that I did so keep it up and try to build the habit of working out w ariel sooner so that you don’t become me right now 😬." Well said, Trinh! For more information on keeping up your fitness levels, visit: https://khtran22.wixsite.com/generationwellness

Lina Phan

Lina Phan is going to UBC in Canada as a Psychology major! A short and sweet piece of advice she has for her freshman self is: "Make decisions for yourself and your own benefits both short and long term because no one else is gonna be living your life :) "

Moses Tsai

"It is much like a head start to university."

Moses Tsai notes that high school is "much like a head start to university." He advises to "take the chance[of meeting new people] because it will give you more opportunities to make friends and get to know your professors and your surroundings." Moses will be going to the University of San Francisco while majoring in International business.

Yeonjae Yoo

"Not everything you do in HS can be written on your college application so play more!"

Meanwhile, Yeonjae warns freshmen that "not everything you do in HS can be written on your college application... so play more!" Well said, Yeonjae. She has not yet decided on a university but she will be majoring in biotech.

Jay Batara

"Cherish small moments and work hard, both will come in handy for the rough road ahead."

Similarly, Willard (Jay) Batara emphasizes balance by advising freshmen to "cherish small moments and work hard, both will come in handy for the rough road ahead." Willard is going to Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila, Philippines, majoring in Information Technology.

Pepe Huynh

Pepe Huynh is going to the University of Melbourne and is enrolled in the bachelor of commerce program. One piece of advice he would have given himself as a freshman is that "Regardless of what task I'm facing, no matter how big or small," he should always give his best because "it’s not just about achieving a certain standard" he says, "it’s also about building a good mentality that will set you up for success down the line."

Jan Hoang

Jan emphasizes the importance of friendship and encourages freshmen to "Cherish the memories you make with your friends while you’re still young. Experience everything you can." Jan is attending NYU and majoring in Nutritional and Dietetics.

Vicky Pham

Vicky is beginning her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth with a prospective double major in Economics and Sociology in Fall 2021. An important piece of advice she would give her freshman self is to "never shy away from new things." Although she has no regrets about her journey, she notes that "being involved in more extracurricular activities earlier would benefit not just my success but also my self-actualization"

Angel

On the other hand, Angel encourages freshmen to take it slow: “just enjoy your time and start worrying about college in junior year,” she says. Angel will be attending Pratt Institute in New York City, majoring in Digital Animation.

Eriya:

Eriya is going to UC Irvine and majoring in Criminology. School only gets harder," he admits, breaking the hard truth. Eriya shares, "the biggest piece of advice is to learn to create good habits early on!" he notes that "if you incorporate healthy habits you’ll learn to balance your time in regards to academics, hobbies, and a social life."

Nguyen Chau

Nguyen is currently a freshman at Princeton University. Though undecided, her prospective major may be Neuroscience or Psychology. "I didn't come to SSIS until 10th grade" she mentions. But what she would have told her freshman self is to "Embrace opportunities that come your way." She urges freshmen to "learn to say no when your mental health is at stake" and "pursue things that you genuinely care about!" Lastly, she reminds us: "Don't forget to have fun."

Kelly Mach

Kelly will be double-majoring in Elementary Education and Applied Psychology at Boston College this fall! Some advice she would give to herself as a freshman, as well as other high schoolers — is to "work hard and have fun. Keep a balanced lifestyle. Do what you love and give everything your 100%."