University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Top Questions

If I could go back and give my high school self advice on how to make my transition smoother, I would tell myself to be yourself. I would say that the major problem for myself moving to a new school and having to start my academic life over with new friends, was the fact that I was afraid to be myself around people that I wasn't familiar with. Now that I am well into my college life as a sophomore I have realized that I can comfortably act myself around others because that is the real me and the person that I want everyone to know. I want people to accept me for who I am, not who I try to be. I am now extremely comfortable around my group of friends because I was able to step out of my comfort zone and act myself around others, through that experience I was able to meet people with the same interests as me, and for that I am very thankful.

If I could go back and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to keep doing what I thought was best then. I know more now then I did back then, and I had made some mistakes, but from those mistakes I learned valuable life lessons that I carry to this day. I truly believe that I would not be the person I am today withouthaving made the mistakes I've made. An example of this would be severely underestimating my first college test in Zoology. I did terrible.... absolutely the worst test I have ever taken. However, I learned from my mistake. I buckled down. I learned how to study for the test. My next zoology test was significantly better. The rest were the top test grades in the class. Looking back I am glad I made those mistakes. I learned the hard way, but I learned well.

Be daring. Dare to surpass yourself, dare to confront others, dare to challenge the system. Push yourself to the utmost limits: no slacking and no corner cutting. Leave nothing half done. Four page paer due? Make it six. Strive to bring the best out of yourself and those around you. Ask the thought provoking questions that have no right answer, and give them rejoinders that only open more inquiries. Raise the discussions that teach everyone something about themselves, and don't be afraid to share your opinions on them. Stand strong against the social biases and normalizing waves of lethargy. Dare to double major, and then dare to minor as well, and then dare to master one of Earth's hardest languages, and then dare to master another, along with Multidimensional Calculus, Thermodynamics, and Statistical Mechanics. Fight your way through every obstacle, let nothing stand in your way, and meet each new challenge with a smile on your face and courage in your heart.

Dear Senior Annie, Going into college is nothing shy of a big change. You leave childhood friends and family behind to start over in a place where you don't know anyone, alone. But, you've never had a hard time making friends anywhere you've been, and college is no different. You are a bright, confident, outgoing, funny, and friendly young woman who is about to become more independent than ever, and you can do it. Hold your head higher than ever. Smile as much as you can and say hello to everyone who comes your way. Study hard, but in advance. Depend on yourself, not your classmates or teachers. Ask questions, be a stand out in class, pay attention. Most of all, have fun. As they say, these will be the greatest four (atleast) years of your life. Dont waste a moment. This is only the beginning.

Take time, stop thinking that everything about your socail status in high school is so important because when you grab that diploma it won't matter what status you held. During the summer stop spending so much money and thinking that they grow on trees, start saving for the costly books, and start thinking of your educational cost. Stop thinking that you have your own clock and everyone runs on it, because they don't. You need to learn to time manage, mom is not going to be there to tell you what your supose to do and what you shouldn't do. Start thinking about what you want to do, what is really important to you that it's worth the thousands of dollars your going to have to pay to go to college. If college is not for you then it's not, but if it is remember, you went to college to get a higher edcuation, not to party. Your going to make mistakes and it will be ok, but make sure you learn from those mistakes you do make. Make yourself proud, becasue this is your life.

Give yourself time to find the degree that will make you happiest. Happiness = success and if you have taken time to find the right path the academics will come easily afterward. Don't be afraid to work hard and take chances, college is the building block to the rest of your life. Do well, you have unlimited potential and opportunity.

One of the biggest challenges of college is learning to make hard decisions and sacrifices. It is easy to forget to do your homework or hang out with friends. Honestly, it is easy to forget to eat or sleep. Being in college is a balancing act that takes time to perfect. Your freshman year is not going to be perfect. It is going to take time to realize that sometimes you will sacrifice time with your friends to work on your grades and there will be times where you are going to sacrifice your grades to spend time with your friends. I made the mistake of going home every weekend my first year and concentrating solely on classes. I did not make close friends that first year and I believe it set me back. College is a great time to start over and meet new people. The friends you make during college will stay with you; however this does not mean that you should forget why you are there. You are paying to get an education. Do not lose sight of this. Find your balance and do not fear the changes and difficult decisions you are going to make.

I would tell myself to not be afraid, and not to worry about acceptance like I did in high school. In college, students are far more mature and for the most part have left behind the clique-ish/popularity mentality. I would tell myself to take the extra steps to meet new people and not to fear trying out new things or to take part in organizations and activities. I would also advise that I speak my mind, and to not be afraid to talk about my ideas. If I did happen to start to stumble and struggle with the new college life, there are plenty of students and faculty to reach out to who are willing to help you back up on your feet. I would ultimately encourage myself to be open to discovering who I am as a person. In college, there are an inordinate amount of opportunities to work with others and develop your interests and to find out who you are; you simply have to make sure you don't let those opportunities slip away.

I would tell myself not to worry about picking a major right away. It may be nice to have a few ideas so that you can take some classes in those areas and find what you really love, but don't stress about it at the very beginning. Many of your friends might have known since middle or high school what they wanted to study in college and do as a career, but not everybody feels that way. That's half the fun of academia in college! Also, don't be afraid to do your own thing. Find extracurriculars that you love, even if you don't know anyone right away. Chances are, if you love the same things you'll make friends in no time. And finally, as cliche as it sounds, don't feel pressures to engage in the social scenes colleges are known for. Do things at your own pace, and have fun the way you want to. Be safe. And finally, enjoy yourself and live stress-free, you're in for the best 4 years of your life.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about what I know about college, I would tell my senior self to never give up. Don't listen to what anyone says about your future career field. If you are passionate about what you want to do, just go for it! There is no one in the world that knows you better than you; so do what you think is right for your own benefit. People may tell you that there is no way to transfer out of a community college in two years, but guess what? You will. If you work hard enough and focus on getting good grades, you will get into your first choice of schools. Don't let anyone or anything distract you in college, whether it's work, or friends, just stick to your education and maintain a great GPA. You will succeed in anything and everything you do, as long as you stay focused and have fun in your college experience. You will not have to worry, for I know that you can do it.