Chapter 1 High School
Maybe I should have waited before starting college. My High School, in upper middle-class San Diego was more concerned about giving me enough time to pad the college application than learning. So I was smart enough to never have to work in High School. That is why I find it amazing that I finished college. Because even now, I still don’t know how to study efficiently, consistently or developed the ability to find focus. I am not an A plus student, or even a B student. I did not have some higher calling to push me. I am a regular guy with too much stupidity to know better and a bit too much ambition for my own good. But if I had developed the skills to study, focus and find the drive to succeed. School would have been a lot easier. So that’s why getting those skills early will guide you better through college and life more than anything else in this book.
But, in spite of my shortcomings, somehow through sheer will to show those who did not believe and through encouragement by those who did, I did what sometimes really did seem impossible. I feel that sometimes, those who accomplish what they set out to do don’t always have great confidence, they learn to have confidence through a series of ups and downs. A good example is Marilyn Monroe, a shy and awkward stutterer, she re-engineer everything about herself in her quest to become an actress. Or take Abraham Lincoln. HE was uneducated, poor and belligerent (serious anger issues). Yet, he took time to learn law and made himself one of this countries greatest politicians. I learned much from books, from friends and from personal experiences. You will have plenty of experiences of your own to learn from, but by taking my experience, you will be at least ahead of me without repeating my mistakes, and making your mistakes instead.
There is no one way to college
My parents are immigrants from the Ukraine. They understood that I had to do well in school and that I had to go to college to have a good life but they did not know how. By luck, from friends and councilors I found out that there are certain requirements that everyone has to complete to go to a University: one must take standardized tests and must do well in the required classes and finally, one must apply. Additionally, one must also have a portfolio of accomplishments, volunteer work, leadership and etc. On thing that no one tells you is that how well one does in those optional areas is not very important because every college decides on an individual basis and makes up their mind up according to objective and subjective benchmarks. So it is important to know what you want to do with your life, what kind of setting you thrive in and pick a school which fits those goals and preferences. Once you know that, you need to find out what you have to do to get into that school.
As for me, I knew I wanted to go to Berkeley. But my PSAT’s (practice SAT’s) were sub-par and I had a poor start in first year of High School. But growing up in San Diego meant that I had been to UCSD on several occasions, not necessarily for the academic activities but to raves and parties. I was there my senior year for a huge rave. The Price Center or the main plaza was full of kids dressed up in costumes; big fluffy pants, fairy wings, loud banging music and screaming kids. But, my first choice was was still Berkeley, for their atmosphere, prestige and last but not least (and often the biggest reason for most): distance from home.
To my disappointment but not surprise, I did not get into Berkeley, nor did I get into UCSD. But, I could do not give up easily. I found out that one can appeal the decision. I wrote an appeal and sent it with letters of recommendation from my teachers to Berkeley. I didn’t care about my rejection letter from UCSD but under advice from mother (listen to your mother), I figured I may as well bring an appeal to UCSD and since it is so close to my house, I came by on admit day and submitted it in person to one of the counselors.
Soon after I received rejections from both and resigned to go to UC Santa Barbara. A month later and about a week after sending a check to UCSB, UCSD sent me a letter of acceptance. My dad was there when I opened it and when I read the decisions he picked me off the ground. I didn’t even know the little man had in him. I think that was the proudest he had ever been or showed to be.
I want to show here that you don’t have to be the best, but you do have to persevere, don’t give up and use every avenue available until you move on.
Once I was accepted I had a choice, UCSD and UCSB. I made a matrix and to each choice I assigned a number 1-5 from most important to least important. Once the pros and cons with their respective weights (for me) were added up, UCSD came out to be the clear winner.
At one point or another, we all must make a choice, and everyone has their own criteria. I made my choice to go to UCSD for various reasons, it was essentially the best place for me to go given the choices I had. When parents and high school grads ask me how to choose, I would say that it depends on what’s important to you. To be more clear, I’ll go over the criteria I think one should consider before making a choice in another article.
seven year degree 