University of Rhode Island Top Questions

If I could go back in time I'd start by saying and believing in three words: Erin, don't worry. I remember that thinking of where I was going to school next fall was so hard for me and the stress that came with it was not always necessary, Erin, don't worry. I wish I had not stressed so much or allowed the stress take me over in all aspects of my life. I enjoyed senior year to the fullest but it could have been enhanced if I didn't stress little things that appeared to be the big things at the time, Erin, don't worry. I realized this the moment I was walking up to get my diploma, nostalgia had hit me like a train and, although I was physically there, my mind was elsewhere. Highschool was a time of worrying over petty drama or worrying about exams but there were so many other happy memories and aspects of those four years that I wish I dwelled on. Now fastforward to walking through my residence hall doors on that hot August day, Erin don't worry.

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition from high school to college, I would tell my high school self not to stress the little things and enjoy what is taken for granted day to day. Stressing out for a project senior year of high school means absolutely nothing for your future, especially when you should have, at this point made up your mind what school you are going to attend for the next four years. Also, I would have told myself to buckle up because the enginering program (biomedical engineering) offered at the University of Rhode Island is one of the hardest undergraduate programs in the country. High school work was nothing in comparison to what they throw at you, your freshman year, and stress only makes matters a lot worse.

It's probably one of the most cliche pieces of advice, but I would tell myself not to hesitate to get involved. In high school, I was so afraid to join our theatre department because of stage fright and nerves from being around seasoned upper-classmen. I didn't join until the end of my sophomore year, and by the end of my high school career I knew it was the best decision I'd ever made. I acted in 7 shows, as well as helped design the set for two shows. By the end of my senior year, I had the best memories and the best friends I could've ever asked for. I spent my first semester of high school too afraid to get involved in theatre at college, despite my experience in high school. College just seemed so much more overwhelming to me. It took me until the very end of my second semester to get involved, and once again, I know it's one of the best choices I've ever made.

I would tell myself to not waste time, and do everything as fast as I can, a big problem I had as a freshmen was not being prepared for class, and that was because of my time management habbits. Another advice i would give myself is to not be afraid of meeting new people and socializing with others.

If I could go back and tell my high school senior self anything, I would encourage myself to take advantage of the experiences and opportunities that come to me. It is important to have an open mind when making life decisions, and that it is NOT important to know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. Life is all about experience, if you need to try something out to know whether or not you like it, then that's exactly what you should do. I remember being overwhelmed with making a decision about college, and therefore being very stressed out about my future, but after two years and transferring through three different school, I know that experience is what is important. You don't know whether something is right for you unless you try it. Not everyone knows absolutely everything, and almost NO ONE knows what they want to be at eighteen. Its okay to make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and grow.

Take risks. I know you would like to go to the local school with your best friend from high school, but don't. Take risks and try to expand your world-view. This is a giant opportunity to find out more about yourself and what you like. Don't be afraid to make new friends or change, because those things are part of life and should be embraced instead of feared. The worst thing in the world is to stay stagnant.

Dear Past Me, Focus on AP classes so that you come into college with credits built up already. This would be such a huge help just for the fact that you will not have to force all your classes together in a rushed type of manner. Additionally, try to really stay focused on those classes in high school that you have an interest in because then before you come into college and then have to decide a major you will already have your plans for the future picked out and ready to go. Lastly, volunteer more of your time, while you have more time to do so. Helping people is your passion and I wish I had more evidence to show the world just how much I want to make people's lives and this world a better place. Sincerely, Future You

Hey you, the one worried about completing all of your homework for this week, take a break real quick and listen to me for a second. I know you are stressed right now, but believe me, by next spring you will no longer be cursing all of this wretched work. These teachers, these crazy assignments, all of the hours you spend studying, they are all reasons for your rewarding success during your first few semesters in college. I know it is hard to believe, but one day you are going to be thankful for all of the nights you spent writing essays and doing lab reports, because once you get to college, your skills will be at a level that is way higher than that which is expected of you. With all of the knowledge you have gained in the past four years, you ought to be thanking many people in your life--your teachers and family of course--but most importantly, yourself. I just need you to know, most importantly, that all of your hard work is going to pay off. So please, keep studying, keep moving forward because this new and exciting experience is just around the corner.

I would take more advanced palcement classes or college level classes in order to have more credits before I statred college.

I would give myself a dose of humility. Being a smart-aleck with an answer for everything is a sure-fire way to miss out on a lot of learning experiences in and out of the classroom, and had I known that 10+ years ago, I wouldn't have had to learn so many valuable life lessons the hard way. I would tell my 17-year-old self that that corny old adage is true: "the more you know, the more you know you don't know." I would ask him, "how do you expect to gain knowledge when you're too busy trying to be heard over it to hear it?" And I would instruct him to keep his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut.