Northeastern University Top Questions

Stephanie, I know you cannot wait to spread your wings and get out of the tiny town but here is what you need to know before you leave. Take the time to spend time with your little sister- one day she is going to be all grown up and you are not going to be around for it. While you have to work, and you already work more than most everyone your age- make sure you leave time to do some fun things as well. When it comes to making friends, pick wisely. Who you spend your time with reflects on the kind of person that you are. Join student organizations and go to the meetings even if you are tired, you will wish you had at the end of every semester. This time of your life will be a blast and you have to enjoy it because it will be nearly over before you realize.

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Dont underestimate how much more difficult college is than high school. Don't slack off because it will catch up to you and you won't always be able to fix things and pull things off at the last minute. Also, you have to take care of yourself because people aren't looking out for you like they were in High school. In college you're on your own.

I would tell myself to open my mind to everything, that I shouldn't expect anything in particular, but rather expect everything. I would tell myself to explore all of my options, and not close my mind to any possibility. I would make sure I knew to take every opportunity thrown my way and not rule anything impossible. The most important thing I would tell myself is to not be afraid. Go out, introduce yourself, make new friends and don't worry that no one will like you. In college, everyone is willing to give everyone else a chance; everyone wants to make new friends. However, the only way to make new friends is to try. I would tell myself to make sure that I don't hide in my room, but rather to get out and meet people. College is ultimately about the education, but if you live and learn for four years with no friends, you will be miserable. I would make it clear that I should do everything in my power to make college as enjoyable as possible and to eliminate any possibility of finishing my education with regret.

Everything you do and have done has brought you to a better place, and I am really proud of the passion and compassion that you have shown. Even though it may not be acknowledged, your hard work will bring you to where you are supposed to be. You will be disappointed by your college applications; it will be hard. But in the end, you will learn that everything works out even better than you can imagine. You have great friends, but you will lose some by the end of the year and more by the end of freshmen year at college. However, I know now that the ones that make it with you, truly will be your friends forever. Treasure them. Your family has a very tough year ahead, but you must not be disheartened; it brings you closer to them. Spend more time with your family and help them through this time. They will be there for you and you for them for the rest of your life. And lastly, college is hard, but you will find your niche at school and among friends that fits you perfectly. The present is hard, but future is amazing... don't worry.

It's a new experience. It's fun, exciting, and different from what you're used to. You get to meet new people, make new friends, experience new things. Take every chance to try something new, to challenge yourself and do something that you've never done or never would have even thought of doing. Take advantage of every and any opportunity; it will help broaden your boundaries and open up your world. But the most important advice is to buckle down. When it comes to your social life, you can do anything and everything. When it comes down to the academics however, you need to work hard. Networking and socializing will only get you so far. You can talk the talk, but you also need to walk the walk. Work hard and pay attention; slacking off will only be detrimental to your college experience as well as your grades.

I would urge myself to get involved with groups at school and also become friends with kids in your dorm. They will be your friends for the rest of the year and most likely, beyond. They will help you through the difficult parts of college and help you to study, but they will also have fun with you and provide a release. Getting involved with groups at the university will allow you to meet new people while also showing support for causes, helping others, and improving the university you go to.

If I could go back in time and talk to the high school senior version of myself I would tell her not to worry. When I first moved to college I was going to be less than two hours from home, but I still worried myself sick. I didn't know how I was going to be able to live on my own, with a stranger, in a place I had never been before. If I had the chance to warn myself my first year of college would've been so different. It would've been so much more at ease. Also, I would say what everyone else actually told me, to get involved right away. I heard this over and over but never thought anything of it until now. In my second year I feel like I'm starting college all over again because it feels so different and so much better!

I would tell myself to look for an apartment with some roomates rather than dorm housing because dorms are just overpriced, crappy apartments that have stupid restrictions. In terms of college life, the transition did not affect me in any negative way as I am too proud to allow myself to receive low grades and the partial seclusion was more to my liking than being in my home where I was constantly asked to things that interfered with my schoolwork. However another piece of advice that would have prevented a few problems would be to plan out how I was going to pay for my education. As my parents had long been unable to assist me with any finances I was prepared to take out loans and work throughout my college education but the restrictions on financial aid and applying for loans were a disturbing suprise.

Dive in head-first. Classes will be challenging but they're nothing to worry about if you just stay focused. Be sure to do your work in chunks because taking on mountains of work is not only an intimidating experience but you're also guaranteed to rush through some of it, therefore learning and remembering less. Beyond academics, be sure to keep an open mind and accept everyone regardless of how you feel about them after they've made their first impression on you. Everyone is in an experimental phase of their life and no one really knows who they are or how they should act quite yet. If you accept others, they will accept you too and you'll grow together with direction rather than alone and lost.