#11 Peer Interview for the “Mental Health Mentoring Series”

Junior at University of Hawaii at Manoa majoring in Psychology, and graduate of Gunn High School 2023

In high school, what was your overall stress or anxiety level from a scale of 1-3:  1 - Low

In college, what is your overall stress or anxiety level from 1-3: 3 - High

What contributed to your stress or anxiety in high school?  I just chose to not get so caught up in the Gunn competitive mentality.

What contributes to your stress or anxiety in college?  My job :(  My college courses and campus life aren’t that stressful.

What were your favorite high school activity(ies)?  Water polo and the anatomy and physiology club with my friends.

What are your favorite college activity(ies)?  Surfing and spending time with friends.

How have pressures you faced in high school differ from your experience in college? 

High school was very structured, and in college, it’s easy to forget how much free time you have and balancing that for school and other things because you're in control over your schedule.

How have your social relationships changed from high school to college or beyond? 

I had a really good group of friends in high school, and in college, I experienced that some people might not have as pure intentions as you would think.

How have your studying habits or approaches changed from high school to college?  

My studying habits are wayyyy better in college. I found people who study in different ways. I tried some of their approaches and figured-out what works best for me.

When you are stressed or anxious, what techniques, rituals, or ways do you manage?  

I try to single out a day or an hour just for me to chill and not think too hard about anything.

What do you think high school students misunderstand or get wrong about college life?

You don’t really have a lot of time to go out as much as you would want to in college even though you have more control over your schedule.

Knowing what you know now, if you were back in high school, what might you do differently? 

Try harder while not getting caught up in the Gunn culture.

What would be your best overall advice to high school students? 

If you do your best, then be satisfied with the results your best efforts get you.