Brown University Top Questions

My college experience has been amazing! A big part of the experience is meeting new people with different backgrounds and Brown provides plenty of opportunities! My friends at school come from all over the United States and one of my best friends is even from Croatia! Everyone has grown up differently depending on geographic location, socioeconomic status, and family dynamics. My friends' views can be vastly different from mine, but we strive to maintain a sense of respect and an open dialogue. We all have the common goal of education. Our strengths and weaknesses are complementary, serving as a reminder of the importance of cooperation. Attending Brown has been well worth the cost of attendence because I am gaining an education in life as well as in chemistry. I am practicing tolerance of others while expanind my worldview. More practically, I am living on my own for the first time. Beyond all lofty talk of the paradigm changing experience that is college, I cook, clean, and care for myself. I am moving towards financial independence. For me, college is the first step towards taking full control of my life. Independence is truly valuable.

I have a greater understanding of who i am as a person and as a student. Before attending Brown i thought i knew who i was as a student; however, i had never been challenged or pushed to my limits before. At Brown I found out that i can overcome challenges alone and that nothing i set my mind to is impossible. I grew as a student and became more confident in my academic abilities as a result. In addition, i took the risk of exploring and possibly changing what i thought was my life dream. In the process i discovered that what i thought i wanted is not at all what i want. I found my true passion at Brown and dont think i would have been able to do so at any other institution. I am greatful for coming to Brown. I know what i am capable of accomplishing. My college experience gave me personal growth, made me more independent and brought me wisdom that i would not have obtained other wise. I love my college and cannot wait to see what the next three years will bring.

I've been attending college since I was a High school Junior. I was told that I should be a sign language interpreter due to my background of sign language. However, I just couldn't get myself interested and didn't have the passion and time to complete the program. I wasted valuable time and money on classes that I never will use. I then found the Dental Assisting program and have discovered my love for the human anatomy and teeth anatomy. This is where I found my passion to continue on to Dental Hygiene. I learned that no matter how much someone else can convince me that what they may think is the best for me or what would be the best beneficial choice for me, I have to be happy to succeed. I found a sense of accomplishment after graduating from the dental Assisting program that I hadn't found yet anywhere else. It is only because of my education that I can persue future dreams that I otherwise wouldn't be able to even come close to.

After Freshman year at Brown University, I cannot wait to go back after the summer to continue with my studies and foster the relationships I began with professors, advisors, and fellow students. Thus far, college has been extremely fruitful and completely worth the tuition! My professors have successfully stretched my mind and encouraged my intellectual curiosity. I have experienced discussions like no other with my peers and professors. In addition to education, I have been able to meet incredible people with the same passion for learning as me. Being surrounded by motivated people has brought out the best in me - intellectually and socially. College is a rigorous, close-knit community that I would wholly regret not being part of. I also know that I have chosen the perfect college for my needs. My goal is to become a neurosurgeon after majoring in neuroscience at Brown. The prestigious neuroscience program and excellent medical school preparation at Brown were two of the main reasons I chose to attend this institution.

As a high school senior, I wasn't worried about making new friends, or living in a new city, or taking harder classes, or choosing the right school for me, or declaring a major, or any of the typical fears and concerns about the transition to college. I knew that they would all work out in one way or another, and everything would be great. However, throughout twelfth grade, I was very concerned about leaving all of my best friends and being forced to start a new life. I knew that everything would change suddenly and I knew I would miss my friends too, too much. But now, as I'm beginning my second semester of college, I want to tell my high school senior self not to worry. Because we are all still friends, and though things have changed, it's a natural part of the transition, just like all those other things I didn't worry about. I want to tell my high school senior self that I still plan on inviting all of my high school friends to my wedding - nothing has really changed.

I would tell myself to have an open mind. I'd teach myself some serious time-management skills (don't procrastinate!) and point out the best places to study. I'd warn myself against choosing the seaside-scented body wash, volunteering my curtain rod as a pinata stick, and telling my friends where I keep the food. Otherwise, I think I've already had the best first semester possible.

Over a college career, your goals and interests change dramatically. When I came to Brown, I didn?t take this into account. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my career and life, and immediately began taking classes exclusively for the major that would take me there. However, as I did more research on career paths associated with my art history degree, what I wanted to do with my life changed. By the time I realized I might not want to go into the art field, I was stranded with few other options for my major. I am now plagued by ?what ifs?. What if I would have been passionate about English? What if there's a major I haven?t even heard of that would have been perfect for me? I should have explored my options more fully, researched different career paths and sought advice from counselors. Most schools don?t require you to declare your major until sophomore year. Take advantage of that extra time to really research all of your optios. Because I didn't, I now wonder where I would have gone if I had taken full advantage of my college experience.

The first thing I would tell myself is to not fret over whether I will do fine or not living on my own without the comfort or help of my parents down the street. I'm more than capable of taking great care of myself when left to my own devices and should have more faith in myself. I can even come to terms with cold weather, though I would leave out how much worse wind makes the cold. With that worry out of the way, I would then make sure my senior self applied to many more four year scholarships than one time scholarships even if it's more work. The third thing would be to steel myself for dorm life and the lack of alone time that comes with it. My senior self wouldn't have to worry about losing touch with my close friends back home, either, and there are plenty of good people to meet in college. Overall, senior self, get ready for a wonderful adventure that is only once in a life time. College life should be experienced with some caution but a lot of freedom as well.

If I had the chance to go back and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself, 'Indy. You know how you think AP Chemistry is a walk in the park, and you can get by without studying. College chemistry is not like that, and you should start hitting the books now. It'll save you a lot of frustration. Trust me'. I would say do not depend on homework and that reading the textbook and highlighting works best. Something important for me was the distance from my family, and that was difficult. I'd tell myself that my family is always there for me, and that I can always count on them, and as soon as I realize this the transition will be a lot easier. Why? Because my family is my heart. My mother and sisters are supportive and try to understand everything. I would tell myself that over and over again, and then sneak in that co-ed bathrooms aren't as bad as they sound, and that after I get used to it, it's actually funny to share a bathroom with boys. I'd also say, relax. Everything will be just fine.

First and foremost I would tell younger incarnation that it's okay to be scared of making the leap to college and that, although I will miss my family, I will soon make lots of great new friends and the time will soon start to fly by. Secondly, I would tell myself to be prepared to work hard, and that I shouldn't grow slack in my studies because the professors will not let up in assignments, tests, and papers, including a certain math exam that I would warn myself not to underestimate but would not dare give the answers to lest I change history. As a final piece of advise, I would tell myself to seriously give some thought in what I want to major in and what classes I intend to take, as well as to start polishing my resume for summer internships so the work doesn't build up and take me by surprise by the time winter break rolls around. Then, before fading back to my own timeline I would remind myself that I'm going to have a great time and that I should just relax and enjoy the ride.