This mini blog series, entitled “Advice I Would Give to My Younger Self”, is separated into three instalments: Advice I Would Give to My Grade 11 Self, Advice I Would Give to My Grade 12 Self, and Advice I Would Give to My Younger Postsecondary Self. These instalments are a compilation of Minerva’s Learning to Lead (L2L) Alumnae’s best advice for high schools students and postsecondary youth, organized by the Minerva BC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC).
This instalment details our best tips for our grade 11 selves. We hope you learn as much as we have!
1. “Be bold.”
– Jennifer Zhang, Undergraduate Student at the University of Toronto St. George and L2L 2020 Alumna
2. “You are not failing if you’re working hard!”
– Adrienne Roy, Undergraduate Student at McGill University and L2L 2020 Alumna
3. “Start creating an inventory of all of the extracurriculars, volunteer, and work experience you’ve accumulated over your time in high school! Make sure you keep track of your hours, responsibilities, and have a contact for each activity. Some scholarships and programs (like UBC Sauder) will require you to submit a supplementary application detailing what extracurricular activities you’ve participated in. Having a document will allow you to be more organized when it comes time to write applications!”
– Orianna Lui, Undergraduate Student at Western University and L2L 2020 Alumna
4. “Do not stress out over every little mistake and over exert yourself.”
– Rasmeet Kaur, Grade 11 Student at Khalsa Secondary School and L2L Stem Program 2021 Alumna
5. “Make friends, be your best self, and do things that would make you happy.”
– Rainwater, Grade 12 Student and L2L 2021 Alumna
6. “Don’t try too hard just to have people like you. Do what will make you happy.”
– Finlay, Grade 12 Student at University of Victoria Discovery School and L2L 2021 Alumna
7. “Take advantage of all your opportunities, but also dive deep into your true passions.”
– Eva Kamimura, Undergraduate Student at Western University and L2L 2020 Alumna
8. “Start looking for scholarships now! Create a spreadsheet, track the date and requirements for each one, the link to the website and take note of the ones that are offered annually.”
– Jasmine Manango, Undergraduate Student at the University of British Columbia and L2L 2019 Alumna
