Rutgers University-New Brunswick Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would tell myself that studies come first. Social life and Rutgers football games, have to come second to my studies. There will be plenty of time for me have fun later on in life. I would also tell myself that I will be paying about 25K a year so that I can attend, and that if I dont make the most of that money then I would be throwing it away. I would say, be active and join as many organizations as possible. Network with people because there are thousands of people that are graduating yearly from Rutgers and that I may never know when a contact I meet may be able to offer me a job further down the line.

The best advice I could give myself is to figure out where I'm going and how I plan on getting there. If I sat down to think about what I really wanted, I could have avoided changing majors and taking unneccessary courses. One you realize what you want to do, the next step is figuring out how to get there. Looking at classes and deciding what I needed to study before hand would paint a picture of my degree for me and make understanding college a little easier.

I would have, without question, told myself to find every scholarship I possibly could and apply for it. Most college students tend to hide from tedious scholarship applications since they just finished an already tedious process of applying for schools.; I was one of them. Slacking off and enjoying senior year was nice, but not nearly as nice as it would have been to have stayed at my number one school for all four years without any financial trouble. After attending the school of my dreams freshman year, I had to transfer out after I no longer had the funds. I now attend my last choice school, and am desperately trying to find a way out. If I had not only applied for more scholarships, but also studied more to qualify for better scholarships, I would have been able to enjoy my college experience for a little bit longer. If I had understood that most high schoolers hide from the longer application scholarships, and that I had a higiher chance of getting money than I had initally thought, I would have tried harder to gain more money towards my education.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time to my high school senior year I would take time to consider what I REALLY want to study and pursue. Much money and time can easily be wasted by a capricious and poorly informed student. I would research and investigate more of the fields/subjects that interest me so that I could go into college more focused.

Follow your gut instincts. Know what you like, make a goal out of it, and make steps to follow through. Setting goals is so important. Do not meander through your college career hoping one day life will just magically be figured out for you. Figure out life for yourself.

Make sure to keep a balance in your life during college. I wish I knew that sooner. Schoolwork is, of course, the most important thing, but it is important to make sure you don't stress out too much and still have fun. After all, college is as much a social experience as an academic one. The social connections you make in college can last a lifetime. Don't put your schoolwork second; still make it a priority, but make sure you leave time to have fun, as well, or else you will drive yourself crazy.

I should have looked more into the credentials to transfer. I should have done the research bc now it is taking me six years just to achieve my bachelors.

I would advise myself that in order to succeed and graduate on time, it is more helpful to know what you want to do going into college and what kind of classes you want to take. It is very hard to graduate in 4 years without knowing exactly what classes you want to take. Also, find people who are able to help figure things out around campus because many academic advisors are unhelpful and cause more problems than you began with.

I would tell myself to look into the courses I would need to successfully complete my major and minor so I could be more prepared than I was coming in. I would also remind myself that college is not like high school and that piling on a bunch of classes like Biology, Chemistry, and Calculus all at once probably isn't the best idea. I would tell myself tp utilize all of the academic resources available to ensure I get my money's worth; The Learning Centers, Tutors, etc.

My mom graduated from Oxford, Cambridge and MIT. She is the smartest person I know, and my role model. So my whole life, I've been OBSESSED with getting into an ivy and measuring up to the high standards she set for me - and that I set for myself. My senior year, I took four APs, almost went postal trying to get a perfect SAT score, and on top of that refused to give up any of the activities I'd enjoyed during high school - tutoring, piano, dance, debate club, math team, select choir... the list went on and on! I was averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night, but I didn't care. I loved my activities and prioritized keeping my committments over my health and sanity (lol) Ultimately, I didn't get into a single ivy. I guess I didn't stand out enough - maybe because it was glaringly evident that I'd stretched myself waaaaaaay too thin. Like a lot of kids do. So If I could go back in time, I'd tell myself to CHILL the @#$! out!!! Rutgers is AMAZING, and if I could do it over, I wouldn't even apply anywhere else :)