Simmons College Top Questions

The main piece of advice that I would give myself for the transition to college would be that the feelings of transition and isolation go away. Going to college is a major change. You are in a new place where you don?t know anyone, and getting used to that will take time. However, things will settle down after a couple of weeks. When I started college the transition was incredibly overwhelming and felt like it would never end. Knowing that the feelings of loneliness and isolation eventually end helps ease the transition. My advice to my younger self would be to keep putting myself out there, meeting new people, and trying new things. Although it looks like every other freshman has it together, they?re in the same place as you and are feeling the same things as you. It feels overwhelming and like you are totally alone, but there are people and resources to help you. Use your resources. Ask questions when you don?t understand something. Go to a group?s meeting. Accomplishing the tasks that need to be done help with the feelings of being overwhelmed and interacting with people help with the feelings of loneliness.

Relax and take a deep breath. The fear that I have about college and how stressful it will be should disappear. I need to have more confidence within myself that I can do well and succeed. I have been working hard my entire life and my acceptance into my first choice college is proof of that. This school and the education I will receive will open new doors and opportunities which will ultimately make me rethink of what I truly want out of life. Its time to realize what is genuinely important and valuable.

I would tell myself to be prepared to work hard and to make many sacrifices. Studying will now be very important in understanding and remembering information that will actually be important in your life. Don't get discouraged with a lack of social life and fun in your life. Enjoy the people around you while in class and at work. Make the most of your surroundings. People at school and work will introduce you to a whole new world and way of thinking, so don't be afraid to open up to them. Most of all, when in the future you feel like you should give up, remember that although it will be tough and you might have no time for sleep or 'you time' while balancing school and full time work, it will be worth it in the end when you are employed in a field that you will thoroughly enjoy. Always remember the long-term goals as to why you are going through school when you feel discouraged. And last but not least, never forget where you come from and the building blocks that make you the independent and strong person that you undoubtedly are.

I would tell myself to get involved in evertything. I would tell myself to make as many friends as possible and always surround myself with people. I would tell myself to join in all activities, groups, study groups, etc... I would advise myself not to go home for the first month no matter how hard it may be and only go home once in a while. I would tell myself not to lose faith and confidence and to ask for help when needed. I would say not to procrastinate and to plan my days well. I would tell myself to start studying right away for tests or quizzes. I also would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships as possible and to keep a good relationship with my academic advisor.

The transition is simple, if you keep your mind and your heart open. Allow people to talk to you. Get to know your roomate. Try and look at your professors veiws without judgement. Study hard. But play hard too. If you get paperwork for something (like work-study) FILL IT OUT ON TIME! Quit waiting til the last minute. You won't have panic attacks and you'll be on top. If you put things off, like you normally do, you'll get sick, really sick. It's not fun. Be careful with the way you spend money. Just because you have an ATM card and you haven't reached rock bottom, doesn't mean you can just spend and spend, because it takes forever to earn back. Most of all, take the time to make friends. Don't curl up in a ball and facebook all day. It doesn't help anything, not your social life, not your grades, nothing. Get out there. Have fun!

The first piece of advice I would share is to never stop challenging yourself to do better. Do not take the easy class because the difficult class seems irrelevant to your interests. You never know when the knowledge you learn will come into play in the future. Knowledge is key to success! I would confirm that my parents really do know what they are talking about and to go to college where the financial aid is best - it is really helpful not to have student loans upon graduating in a tough economy. I would stress the fact that when people say that college is the best time of your life, they are really telling the truth, but always remember that your studies come first and to push yourself harder everyday to do your best. Lastly, I would say that you do not have to know what you want to be when you grow up. You will figure that out in time and the more you explore different areas of education, the more you will find out about yourself! Make sure to intern and job shadow in many fields - this is really important to seeing what real working life is like.

The advice that I would give myself would be that college is nothing like high school. I would tell myself to give ample study time for exams beside the amount of time that is used for going over material every day. You should strive to succeed in school as well as having fun and making friends for life. There is a balance that can be achieved between fun, school and work. School may be tough and at times but the important thing is as long as you are able to achieve the main goal which is to graduate you are ok. Have fun in everything you do at school and live to the fullest while you are in colleg. Good luck in everything.

As I sit here now, a female that will soon complete her college education, one of the main pieces of advice that I would have had for myself while I was still in highschool, would be to make sure that one is one hundred percent certain that they wish to continue their education right after graduating highschool. I wish at times that I had taken a year off to explore the world, along with myself as a young adult and an emerging member of this society. I believe that it is necessary to make sure one is ready for the transition into a fast-paced environment that does not have bumpers for what lays ahead. One is thrown into this environment of chaos, peer pressure, and intense learning. Although it sounds frightening when written down, college life and the transition into college is the most amazing and exciting experience one will ever endure in life.Entering college becomes the passageway into the "real world", real struggles, and the real you.

I would tell myself that college is not going to be as easy as high-school. During the first year of college, you have to adjust to so many different things and this is going to be hard. You have to adjust to living in a new place, being away from your family, and living with total strangers. It is rare that you will room with someone you know from home. In addition, you will have to deal with homesickness - some days are going to be worse than others. There is a bright side though. Once you get through all of this - usually by sophomore year - you'll start to realize that college is not so bad. When you are a college student, you don't have a curfew (if you choose to stay out until 2am, no one can stop you). College gives us the opportunity to be independent and think for ourselves since we can decide when we want to eat, sleep, and do our work. Last but not least, it also gives us a chance to meet new people that may become life-long friends. In short, college can be the best four years of your life!

When I was a high school senior I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was the United States Champion in the sport of figure skating and skating was the only thing that I was focused on. A few months after graduation, I broke my foot and my skating career ended. I had no other goals for my life except for becoming an Olympic Champion. I was completely lost and I found myself unhappily attending Emerson College with people who were completely different from myself. If I could go back in time, I would have told myself not to put all of my eggs in one basket, as I completely neglected to learn who I was as a person outside of skating. I would have told myself to explore additional activities in order to gain a more enriched perspective on life that would have helped me form other life goals. I would have also told myself to do more thorough research on the institutions that I applied to so that all of my choices were places where I would fit in, as well as, a place where I could attain a high quality education.