University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Top Questions

If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior I would tell myself to make sure to find that all important balance neccessary in college life. College brings about a lot of changes in a person's life; new faces, new places, living away from home and being expected to handle many different types of situations without the help of your parents can be a daunting task. The work load is increased ten fold from high school and many college freshman find it very difficult to balance academics with the new found social life of parties, school clubs, sports and wanting to make many new friends. Getting on the right track early and taking advantage of all of the resources available on campus such as academic tutoring, mentoring and professor office hours really helped me to maintain my GPA, get the inside scoop about UNH and still be able to socialize and maintain friendships throughout my years here.

If I were to go back to senior year, I would tell myself that in the coming year I should remain focused and do as I felt was best in regards to socializing and school work. Stay true to those friends who have stuck by you and have your best interest in mind as well as those who are on the path to success, as you are too. Don't stray to the freshman year party lifestyle because there are more positive ways to go about socializing on campus and to keep up with the focus on your GPA and classes because these things will both surround you with positivity in your future eneavors. Those who are not taking this lifestyle seriously will likely not succeed, as you need to, and the ones who are staying the course of smart decisions are the people who will join you in a positive and intelligent future when it's time to enter the 'real world' after college. As Helen Keller said, ?Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.? Show your confidence and stay true to yourself!

Though my high school self and college self are similar for the most part, there is one piece of advice I would give. Those nagging interests that were more or less ignored by the high school are encouraged by colleges. For me, I always loved being outside and simply walking around. At college, there is a student club designated just for that. There are no limits at college--it is all what I choose to do. High school was constricting and focused more on where I'd like to go rather than what I'd like to do. I followed my interests and made great friends. That is something that was never part of my high school career. I feel if that had happened in high school, I would have been more unique, more happy even. There are no regrets, however, for who knows what my first year of college would have been like had I not had those high school experiences.

Although at the end of senior year I wanted to have another year of high school, if I could have known then that college would be this amazing I wouldn?t have been nervous about moving on. If I could talk to my high school self, I would have told her that it only gets better. I would have told myself that college is a new life with new people and you will become so close to the people you meet at school that even though they were strangers when you first met them they are now family. So don?t be nervous, and don?t be afraid to talk to anyone because everyone is just as nervous as you are. As for finding your way around, it's not as hard as it looks. And by the way, that girl down the hall, she's going to become your best friend; and those boys in 3B, they will always be there to protect and take care of you. So put yourself out there and get to living.

First, save your money! It is amazing how much you spend on books and other college expenses during the first month of your freshman year. This is not to say, however, that you shouldn't enjoy yourself as a high school senior and spend time with friends. But make sure you don't over-spend the summer before college. Second, don't bring too much to school if you are living on campus. You will only end up bringing half of it home or giving it away. Third, if you plan on going to graduate school, don't wait until your junior year to start preparing. Find a job on campus that is related to your desired career path. Join clubs that interest you and work your way to a leadership position. Fourth, don't let a single experience pass you by. You may never get to experience such amazing things once you get into the real world. Make conversations with random people, milk a cow, explore every square foot of your campus, try rock climbing, eat foods you have never tried before; the possibilities are endless.

Knowing now that you have to get out of your comfort zone to go find people, I would tell my senior self to do just that. Go to meetings of anything that you might possibly interested in. If it doesn't work out, that's fine, but you might meet some people on the way. You can always find something interesting, but you have to get out there.

I would tell my high school self to consider finances before selecting a college because the more money I spend attending an out of state college the less money have to spend on traveling around the world. I would also emphasize living close to home doesn't take away my freedom and I have the rest of my life to go out into the world and explore other places. College has proven to be a time to learn about myself and gain confidence in my abilities both inside and outside the classroom. Believing in myself has helped me understand the world around me better and succeed academically. Learning to be confident is the most important lesson I've learned and would love to share with my high school self.

Enjoy every moment of college life because it is great but goes by really fast.

Looking back, I would tell myself to enjoy the stage of life that I was at. All through high school, I worked 20 to 30 hours a week on top of a busy course load and helping my parents who both are suffering medically. I worked hard at school and at my job, and did not have much time to do other things that I wanted to, including volunteering or just hanging out with my friends. During the first couple months of my freshman year, I pushed through school just as I had for the past four years. But then I realized how precious the time that I have is, and how I wasted so many possible memories in high school because I was working too hard to enjoy the time. Now, I am taking advantage of things that I should have been able to in high school. I am part of the leadership of a great organization, I am volunteering more, I help with my family, and I actually can make time to be with my friends. I have been able to balance my drive to do well with the things that make college what it is.

Having been able to experience college, there are some things that I would advise myself if I were to go back to being a high school senior transitioning to college again. For one thing, studying and focusing on your courses will definetly pay off in the long run. With acceling in your courses it makes you out to be a better person in the real world and it also will benefit you with creating a great GPA. Something else that I would advise myself in making the transition from high school to college is to make the best out of the time in college. These four years of your life will fly by so experience everything that you possibly could. If there is something that may be out of your element, try it because you will possibly never be given that opportunity again. Create friends that will last a lifetime, play as many club or intramural sports as you can, and really work hard in your courses. Work hard, and play hard. In the end you will see how much it will pay off for your future careers.