New York University Top Questions

College is hard. You get to be an "adult" and freshman year is about decoding what exactly that means. It's not all sex, drugs, and rock n' roll--even if you hoped it might be. Some people find themselves caught up in all that "adult" behavior from the moment they set foot on campus, but not YOU. And you'll wish you could, because in your heart of hearts, you've always envied the kids who know how to partaay. Who seem so "grown up." And so you'll spend your first semester diving into your homework and cutting yourself off from a social life you're afraid to have, or afraid to fail at having. You can't find your "adult" life! Look up! Stop crying into your Nietzsche, walk out the door, turn to your right, and knock. If you want to live your new "adult" life to the fullest, you don't have to behave like a fratboy and you also can't hide behind your books. Just take some time, every week, to meet someone new, go somewhere new, and make your OWN adventures. They might not be glamorous, but they'll certainly be yours.

I would advise myself to look at all of the different factors involved in picking a college. I am happy at NYU, but there are many things I would have liked to know then about what my life would be like now. When deciding on a college, it's important to think about what kind of lifestyle you want to lead in college. Do you to live in a fast-paced environment where it's easy to succumb to the stresses of school and work? Do you want to attend a school with a close-knit community where it's easy to make friends? What do the students do for fun on the weekends? Also, pay attention to the school population. If you're looking to meet the guy of your dreams during college, don't attend a school where there's a very disproportionate ratio of males to females. It terms of making the transition to college, I would just say to try new things when you get there. You won't know where you belong until you try out different things, meet new people, and get as involved as possible.

Looking back on my transition from high school to college, I would have one large piece of advice for myself: everything is going to change. Growing up in a small town and then moving to the heart of New York City, there really was no transitional period. While I was used to working very hard in school and in dance classses, I would have warned myself of the physical and mental exhaustion that college life encorporates. While I do have information that I could tell myself, there really is no preparation for moving away from home, leaving behind friends, living with roommates, and starting your new life as an adult. Everything must be personally experienced in order to fully comprehend the change that your life takes when starting school at a university.

For me, the most difficult part of college has been the loss of the friends and family that I grew up with. This past year, I moved from the Texas Panhandle to downtown Manhattan for school, and I had to say good bye to everythign that was familiar in my life. I spent a great deal of time worrying about the transition through out my senior year, and it felt as if I was having to choose between my dreams and my loved ones. If anything, I would go back and tell myself to relax. Too often I would let the stress of moving get in the way of enjoying that time that I did have left with the people I was worrying about missing. I would assure myself that if I just enjoyed the present, everything would work out. I would assure that I would have a wonderful senior year followed by a freshman year filled with letters, keeping in contact via Facebook, and making new friends at college if I would just relax and let things happen.

No matter how much you want to leave high school right now, part of you will miss it. High school is simple. You have your friends which you have known for years and you are doing course work which does not require all nighters. You live at home where your mom makes sure everything is available to you. College is different from high school. You have to put yourself out there and try to make new friends instead of waiting for them to come to you. The work is more interesting, but far more challenging. College burdens you with more responsibilty, but it is worth it. The biggest mistake I made as a high school senior was not completely enjoying my last year in high school. College will come soon enough. Spend time with your friends and enjoy the carefree days. In college, you will transition to some of the best years in your life as did high school.

Looking back at my freshman semester, I realize that there are a few things that had I been aware of them, my transition from high school to college could have been slightly smoother. Being in the middle of NYC has been a huge adjustment to the busy city life, as well as the busy city people! I wish I had a better grasp on the difficulty the transition would be from a high school of roughly 2,000 students, where we knew the names and backgrounds of almost every person in our graduating class, to a college of over 50,000 where you might be in a lecture of over 100 students and not know the name of the person next to you all semester. I tell myself that sometimes it really isn't possible to do everything that you want, and that it is important to figure out what things you are really passionate for. NYC and NYU are both overflowing with opportunities that it can really be overwhelming. It is important to remember, especially as a college freshman who wants to do everything, that it's ok to drop certain things in order to maintain a good balance.

Firstly, I would tell myself to enjoy what I have, at home in Oregon. Although life was certainly stressful my senior year (family problems, massive amounts of extracurriculars, and International Baccalaureate), it was also a wonderful time that I definitely took for granted while I was there. The second thing I'd say requires an amount of prefacing. This last semester was my first at NYU, and I entered as an acting student. After a month of being miserable in that program, I began the hard and roadblock-filled process of trying to change over to the individualized study program mid-semester. Although I would not inform myself of the specifics, I would say that the first semester will be rough, not nearly as ideal as I imagined it. I would tell myself that, in times of difficulty, there is no shame in relying on my father and step-mother, my former teachers, and even NYU's counselors for support. There was great value and growth in experiencing the semester as it was, all of the difficulty and pain included. I would never change the fact that I went through it, simply my resources for handling the confusion and homsickness.

I would tell myself to take more college level courses. The transition from high school to college can be overwhelming when it comes to the difference in work magnitude and content. The college level courses that are available to us in high school can be extremely beneficial. For example, high school A's are college B's if you are lucky. When it comes to writing, what is acceptable in high school can be viewed as the bare minimum in college. College work requires so much more thinking and time. I would tell myself to get in the habit of studying and reading daily. Also, extending my vocabulary even more. I would tell myself to listen more and understand that my way is not always the right way and it is best to stay open minded because there are so many different views and ideas presented in college. Most importantly, I would stress the taking of the college level courses that I mentioned earlier. I would take them in the sciences especially because I am a science-based major, Biochemistry. Also, I would tell myself to sleep because in college that is a rare thing to come by.

If I can go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior while knowing the information that I know now about college life and transition, I would seriously considered giving myself advice about time management. As a freshman at New York University, time management has been the biggest problem to fix. Procrastination is a problem that is developed early and I was a victim of it during my high school years. The adivce I would give myself is to manage my time, projects, and personal life. College work compared to high school work is harder, longer, and requires maximum attention and effort. I would tell myself to schedule projects, papers, and readings ahead of time in order to balance my time. Time management can help balance stress, sleep-less nights, and increase the grade you obtain. The best advice to any high school senior now is to learn time management early and quickly as possible because it is the best tool in college life.

Originally, I chose to only go to college and get my associate's degree. At the time, I thought that would be enough to allow me to enter the competitive job market. However, I realized years later how wrong I was. I am now enrolled at NYU to finish my bachelor's degree, and am very happy that I decided to do this. If I was to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to get a 4-year bachelor's degree, not just an associate's. In this day and age, it is extremely important to have a bachelor'd degree. Employers often do not even consider a candidate without a minumum of that. Additionally, I would have told myself to study a little more and focus better. Education is something that no one can take away from you, and is with you forever. I would tell myself to take advantage of this time to the utmost, learning as much as I possibly could. As a returning student years later, I find myself in this position, and try to take advantage of my time at NYU as much as I can.