University of Rhode Island Top Questions

What should every freshman at University of Rhode Island know before they start?

Sean

I would have applied myself even more to my academics in high school. Many Seniors that have done an acceptable job in high school seem to take somewhat of a break during a portion of their Senior year of high school. Even though I had better than average grades as a Senior, knowing what I know now about college, I would have chosen to take classes that prepared me better for college work. I would tell high schoolers now, when you feel the urge to coast through your Senior year, tell yourself that you only have 4 more years of school to achieve greatness. What you will do the next 4 years will affect the rest of your life in many ways. Push through and stay focused. Achieve at a high level and you will be rewarded for your hard work.

Alexander

If I could go back in time to see my high school self, I would let him know that I should follow the path that is closest to your heart. Do not worry about what the future has to offer. Take every day one step at a time. In the long run, if you love what you are doing, then nothing wrong will come out of your experience. I would enforce the idea of listening to my heart instead of my mind. So many paths to choose from can cause a person to become anxious and overwhelmed. I had to go to counseling because of how stressful the college selection process was for me. I eventually made up my mind to go to URI because I could not decide on what to major in. I did not want to have to spend a lot of money somewhere when I did not know how long my future would be in attendance. I have now changed my major to Political Science because I feel that this is where I belong in my heart. Do not fret on the immediate results because if you keep working hard it will all work out.

Steven

The most important advice I would give myself is learn how to manage time as quickly as possible. Timing is everyting in college, you have to know how much time to put aside for studying, homework, projects, etc. so that your time for having fun and relaxing doesn't interfere with your schoolwork. Especially if you have a job. Although it sucks to have to not go out with your friends sometimes because of school, it's worth it in the end. Don't ever give up, and keep working hard.

Luzelly

Something I tell my younger friends and family members who are in high school is time is precious. Make use of your time here in college because it will go just as fast as high school did and maybe even faster. Plan your time accordingly because you will have a lot more freedom and freetime to get things done. Procrastination should not be your best friend, but what you work against. As a junior in college and a resident assistant I have learned to balance two jobs, class, and a social life. The key is to set reasonable goals that you wish to meet every so often. Rememeber to manage your time well and set your priorities straight before you head off to college. Always remind yourself what you are working so hard for because sometimes all of the stress, work, and partying can make you rethink why your doing this. Just remember that all the hard work, all nighters, study sessions, and money will pay off when you cross that stage on graduation.

Henry

I would tell my self to prepare my self for long nights filled with studying and doing papers. To start the semester on a good foot because its harder to bring your grade up rather than just keeping it at comfortable A. I would tell my self to take advantage of all the help they provide In the University of Rhode Island because the help they provide is invaluable and a great tool to take advantage of. I would warn my self that the classes i will be taking are going to be very difficult because I am a biology major and taking chemistry is not going to be a simple class and that I should stufy very hard in order to get that A. Probably the biggest warning I would issue my self is to avoid procrastination at all times because it will lead to problems and useless stress.

Jenna

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would do it in a second. As a high school senior, I did not have the self confidence that reflected in my academics. With the workload from honors and AP classes, I felt inferior. I really believed that I was incapable of accomplishing an A in a class. With that mindset, I convinced myself that I would never be able to recieve an A. After graduating high school however, I enrolled into college as a college freshman. During my first few weeks of college, I observed my classmates. I saw that every sucessful student had an optomistic attitude about their school work but most importantly, they had an optomistic attitude about themselves. Soon after, I tested this observation on myself. Instead of feeling bad about myself I made myself workout, eat healthier, study longer and pay attention harder. After a few weeks, I felt content with myself and my academics. Because of this new mindset, I have gained better grades and did accomplish A's. If I was a senior again, I wouldnt have to wait till college to feel satisfied with my accomplishments.

Kirstie

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Bryna

If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger,freshman self that I needed to worry less. I would tell myself to be calm and peaceful and not be too proud to ask people for help. I would tell my younger self to be more focused and not worry about the future. I would show my younger self some of the helpful programs that we have on campus; like the academic enhancement center. In my first semester at school I was completely overwhelmed with the whole college experience. It was difficult for me to find a balance between making new friends at my new home and getting everything done for my classes. I started to worry and stress about these two goals, and could hardly function. I started failing several of my courses and found myself isolating myself from other people; but I was proud and didn't want to ask for tutoring. I've realized since my first year at school that as long as I am worrying so much about my work, I don't do as well as I do if I am peaceful and calm.

Jackelinne

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know about college life and making a transition. I would tell myself to have good time management because in college it's all about having time management. You have to balance certain amount of classes and homework. It is difficult. Trying to put studying time into your schedule is very hard because sometimes you want to do something else. I would also tell myself to be more open and not hold back to making new friends. It is hard making new friends if some of your classes have 200+ students. I would recommend joining clubs because it's easier to meet new people. They have the same interest as you which is even better. A good idea is trying to introduce yourself to other people because you never know you might be good friends after. College is all about going out of your way and trying to do things you would of never expected yourself to do. It's an experience that helps you find yourself. It's all about trying hard. You never know what the outcome will be.

Brittany

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I'd advise myself to take AP courses! When I was in high school I never really thought that colleges really looked for stuff like that so I never took any of them. Now that I finished 1 year of college I now know that AP courses will make you life so much easier! I would also tell myself to learn some helpful study habits. Although this is very cliche, college is all about studying and unfortunately during my high school career I did not have to apply myself nearly as much to receive the grades I did. Another tip I'd give myself is to buy little energy snacks to put in your backpack to eat throught the day, there has been many times were I did not have time to eat because I was so busy. And lastly, I would tell myself that in college your peers aren't as mean and cruel as they are in high school. Knowing this would have taken a lot of stress of my shoulders when getting ready to move in!