BHS class of 2022 alums Evelyn Zhang and David Kuang shared personal experiences and advice from their first year of college in an informative seminar held at the Beachwood library on Wednesday, May 17.

The seminar aimed to help high school and middle school students to adapt and prepare for a higher-level, independent college life.

During the seminar, these college students spoke candidly about their high school journey, sharing their regrets as well as successes and reflecting on the challenges they faced. 

They discussed their career prospects during and after college as well. They emphasized the importance of time management, effective study habits and extracurricular and community involvement so that students could find academic success while maintaining a balanced lifestyle. 

First, Evelyn Zhang, a freshman at Vanderbilt University, emphasized the significance of managing time wisely. 

“When you are in college, you have to worry more about time management because the classes are a lot shorter, and you have more time to yourself,” she said. 

Zhang added that she regretted not taking interest in this habit earlier, as the increased demands of college life made time management all the more important. 

David Kuang, a freshman currently studying computer science at Columbia University, discussed the importance of extracurricular activities and hobbies in high school moving into college. 

“Having enough extracurricular activities will improve your resume,” he said “Meanwhile, having a few hobbies that you do for fun is also good for you. It won’t appear directly on your resume, but it helps you give a better first impression.” 

However, Kuang frowns on having too many activities. 

“If the number of extracurricular activities you have cannot be counted on your fingers, then you have too many.” He reasoned that too many activities leads to inefficiency, as too many hours are put into them.

Additionally, Kuang encouraged students to start establishing their routine with a planner, or study schedule, for better efficiency.

Kuang and Zhang also emphasized the importance of a good recommendation letter, which had the quality of enhancing college applications.

“You can’t get into a good college without one,” Kuang explained. Zhang highlighted the crucial tips, such as finding a teacher whom you were very familiar with. They then recommended some high school teachers from their personal experiences.

This seminar focused on the important aspects of both pre-college preparations and managing an independent college life. They addressed many aspects, ranging from studying and time management to tuition fees and even jobs. 

The younger students who attended felt that their recommendations will be helpful in future decision-making and finding their way to a successful path.