Rutgers University-New Brunswick Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to prepare more. I procrastinated a little too much while in high school, and it has taken a heavy turn on me currently at college. Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself to study much more than I have before. Studying is a key point in college, and I got away with barely studying in high school. I would tell myself to stop being so lazy, and go out there and show the world what I'm made of. I wish I had done that earlier. In college, it seems that I am behind many that are my age, and I wish I could have taken the initiative to find out more while I was in high school. Just pure intelligence can only take you so far without the research. Research, activity, volunteering, and involvement-- all keys to success in college. If I had known this earlier, I definitely would be more successful now. Never say never, because knowing this now still can put me ahead. It just would have been better before.

Talk to the girl in the duck hat. Yes this is odd, and piques your interest, but do not ignore her! Do not be afraid to approach people and learn about them. You never know if that person may be your best friend or may be the person who offers you a job a month down the road. Everyone has something to offer and to teach you. We are all products of our environment, a garden of different species all with a purpose that helps the garden as a whole look beautiful. The girl with the duck hat just got a concussion and is trying to protect her sensitivity to light, but when she heals she will bring you on an adventure that keeps on growing. She introduces you to new music, new stores, new ways of thinking and proves to you that out of any situation a positive can come forth to learn from. She teaches you that the present is the best place to live but that dreaming is even greater, for anything can happen. She shows you that college is fun yet serious so laugh at yourself and respect others but always stay focused on your dreams.

I wish my younger self had realized the impact of college freshman year on the remaining years of college. I told myself that it would be okay if I did not make too many friends freshman year, there were still so many more years to go. Unfortunately, I did not realize that friends from freshman year carry through the remaining years. Yes, you can still make friends, and, yes, you can be close with those people. But the majority makes their close friends freshman year and sticks with them for the rest of college. So, right from the beginning, when you have the most opportunities for making friends and the most chances for visiting them and living with them, meet and stick with the right people. If they do not have a good influence on you, let them go. If you really like them, try to get closer. Having those friends can make the difference between a bad school year and an enjoyable one. High-school students should realize how important freshman year is for your social life; start college right with the people who can make a positive influence on your life.

Learn to pace yourself and manage your time more wisely. Do not procrastinate and put work off till the last minute. Do not cram for tests because the purpose of school is to learn, not just to take tests. Pacing yourself will help you remember the material better. Take the opportunity to learn and grow, instead of rushing through your work just for the sake of receiving a grade. View your mistakes as chances to not only better yourself as a student, but also as a person. Try your best, but don't stress yourself out to the point that you are unhappy all the time. High school is only a small portion of your life and there is much more to come.

Time travel movies are very hit-or-miss; a concept that many fail to interact with is that going into the past can have significant consequences on the future. For this reason, I would refuse to advise my past self, even if just theoretically. My college career so far has been so life-changing that I can’t imagine ever altering it. I am now posed to study abroad and pursue an international career, something that I couldn’t imagine doing before attending college. I made some mistakes in the past two years: not pushing myself to be all I can be, not participating in class and forging bonds with professors, and not taking advantage of all the resources my school has to offer; just some aspects that are crucial to master. However, had I not marched through my own trials and crossed these obstacles for myself, I’d have ended up in a different world. To all future college students, just relax. The best part of your college experience will be discovering how to deal with the challenges that life throws at you. It is up to you to tackle college head-on and carve your own future.

The main advice I would give myself is study harder in classes and balance out your social life with it. Time management is a crucial thing in college. Cramming does not really work if you don't know the material that well.

Dear High School Self, This letter is from the future you in college. College is in no way how high school teachers and guidance counselors describe it. Yes, college is the gateway to the real life. Yes, if you succeed in college, you will most likely end up getting a job. Unfortunately, there are countless things that I have realized as a college student that truly disapponits me to the core. High school fauculty and staff only somewhat educationally prepare you for college. The do not prepare you mentally at all. High school students usually go into college blind, and find out a lot of these things too late. You have to understand that alot of the courses you learn in high school are, well, completely useless. You will come to realize that high school curriculum should be more geared towards taking courses that will benefit you in college, such as Student Loans 101, or Financial Aid 101; all science and mathematics classes are mandatory with most colleges so make sure to get a good basis on those courses. Unfortunately, this is not something we can just change. But we can warn other students of this to prepare them. Bye

After completing my first year as an undergraduate at Rutgers University, I've come to realize that the ability to manage time well is definitely one of the most useful characteristics a student can have. The skill of being able to balance school work, extracurricular activities and social life will increase a student's chance of academic success. If I were to go back in time and make sure I developed this trait before attending college I know my freshman GPA would be stronger. Also if I were to go visit my highschool self back in time I would be advised to take more AP classes and attempt to excel in them. If I were to do well on the final exam for these AP classes I would not be required to take some necessary core courses as an undergraduate, allowing me to save time and money. I'm content with the decisons I made during my senior year, but there was definitely things that I could of done differently. With this advice my freshman year would have been more successful.

I think I would suggest that I take as many college courses as possible if they are available. Lessening the workload at college, giving you the opportunity to enjoy under less stress is a big advantage. I think that I might also look at attending a school in-state so I would avoid having to pay the double tuition out of state students have to pay. There is no reciprocal tuition payment for state schools and that is very difficult to come up with especially with extenuating circumstances within your family makeup.

Hey Carl, Next year when you go to college, take into heart what your upper-classmen friends say. It really is up to you, your health and your grades. Just because you don't feel like eating doesn't mean you shouldn't, and just because the professor doesn't collect homework anymore doesn't mean you don't have to do it. Keep up with the work or you will go through a lot of stress during finals and midterms, and that stress will have an effect on your health. In high school, if you were sick you would just miss school and the teacher would allow you to make it up. Here, there's nothing like that. No extensions for any reason. Just stay healthy and study hard. Best Regards, Current Carl