University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Top Questions

It took me three colleges to get through, all in different places with different majors. I wish someone had told me to just stick to it. It goes by so fast if you just show up. Your brain will do the rest.

Stop worrying. Besides from the constant stream of nerves and worrying you are experiencing, try to focus on the great opportunity you are setting up for yourself. The chance to go to college and pursue things that interest you and will better your life is an exciting experience. The frightening parts like learning to live with a roommate and overcoming the classes with difficult professors are important life lessons to learn. Yes, you will make it out alive. The first semester is always the hardest, but I have true faith that it will not be as daunting as some students make it out to be. Everyone's experience in college is unique, and it will be what you make it. In a university environment, you will have the ability to explore almost anything. Breathe. Enjoy.

As a high school senior, I would ask myself what my priorities are . As soon as I got to college, I was more interested in the social scene and forgot why I had come to college. It was easy to become distracted and forget that my sole purpose of coming to school was to learn everything I possibly can in the classroom and prepare for my future career. My first semester grades highly suffered as a result and will affect the rest of my academic career and my career search after college. Students should not just solely emerse theirself in their schoolwork so that they have absolutely no contact with anyone, but should find an equal balance between the two. School is extremely expensive and should always come first. I thought I knew this coming to school, but wish I had this constant reminder throughout the semester.

I would enjoy every last bit of my senior year because high school is one of the best time of your life.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to be so nervous about going to college. I have had no trouble adjusting to changing schools previously and there was no reason why I should not be able to do so again. College may seem scary at first but once I got settled in and met new people, I was not so bad. The only thing some people have trouble with is being away from their family. I would definitely suggest not going home to new college students. Stay at school on the weekends, tough it out. It is the only way to make good friends and once one does, he or she will feel like he or she belongs there.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to take a second chemistry course, so that I could be better prepared to take the required freshman chemistry class for engineers. It was a very tough course for me and it would have helped to have a little more chemistry background. I would also tell myself to take ap calculus, rather than regular calculus, so that I would be better prepared for calculus 1. Learning to stay organized would definately be a good thing to have focused on senior year, especially because losing papers underneath all the stuff in your dorm room is far too easy, and college professors dont take late work. However, the most inportant thing that I would tell myself is to get involved. Get involved with the community and in sports, as a good way to relieve stress and interact with people who you probably wouldn't have met otherwise. The new friends that i made were there when I needed them and have really boosted my confidence, which has allowed me to stay on task even when I really didn't want too.

Plan ahead and don't be surprised if unexpected circumstances come up along the way. Even the most carefully laid plans won't always work out, but just keep on doing the best you can do everyday.

To put it plainly my transition from high school to college was anything but smooth. Moving in to college freshman year, like many young teenagers, I had the feeling that I was invincible and I was very much ready to be independent from my parents. One month into my freshman year, I was evicted from my dorm and found myself, again, living with my parents and commuting 40 mintues to school each day. I was embarrassed whenever I ran into people and they asked "Kyle, why aren't you at school, are you home visitng?" What was perhaps more embarrassing was that instead of being angry with myself for ruining my own opportunity, I was mad at the school for not giving me a second chance. It would take me another year and a half to realize that I was the reason that I was again living at home while all my friends were away at school, but I was finally ready to confront my penchant for breaking rules. Now it's my sophomore year and Im going to be living on campus again, this time im telling myself "remember what you're here for and you're not invincible!"

The best advice I could ever give to myself as a high school student is to live in the moment. Live life as if there were no tomorrow; and don't be afraid to take chances. Don't focus all of your attention on one event, one subject, or one problem; try your best to be the best in every obstacle that comes your way. Life isn't about the number of friends you have, the number of parties you attend, or even the amount of time you spend with family. High school is just a stepping stone to your future; it doesn't make you who you are, it makes you realize who you are. Study hard and focus on having a few true friends rather than a lot of untrustworthy ones. Your education is a fraction of your future; and the lessons you learn along the way give you a different outlook on life. Base every decision on what you want the outcome to be.

The one piece of advice is to not worry so much to be paralyzed and realize that you are in college to take advantage of the educational opportunity. It is also an experience to help become an idividual. Learn to rely on yourself.