Western New England University Top Questions

Do not worry if you do not know anyone at the univeristy you will be attending, you are going there to be educated and develope yourself as a person, not to go out every night drinking and getting yourself into trouble. Focus on school and do not get behind. It is most rewarding when you achieve greatness in the classroom, rather than at any party for how much you can drink, or in the social competition of how many friends you might think that you have. College is about learning, academically and personally. Yes, you will learn in the classroom, but you will also learn about yourself. You will learn about struggle and having to work 4 jobs to help pay for the outrageously expensive tution, even for a commuter, and to pay for a car to get you to and from those 4 jobs, and to school, daily. It will not be easy, but you will feel a sense of independence and self respect when you look back and know that you successfully provided for yourself. The four years of college is a time to set yourself up to be succesffuly and independent for the rest of your life.

I would tell myself to immediately apply for college. I took a year off from school to work and save money, and now I regret not going in the fall with the rest of my peers. While I have saved some money, I don't like my job, and I feel stuck in my boring town. College will hopefully open new career doors for me and allow me to socialize and enjoy my education.

You've been through a lot to get here, and not everybody is going to get it. Stay true to yourself; I hate to give such hackneyed advice, but it's true--there's only one person out there exactly as you are. The day of graduation is the day high school is out of your life forever; the popular kids and the loners are on the same footing socially, and you have a leg up from them now. It's cool to be a nerd in college. People want to do well, and people will respect you for paying attention and doing your work. You can speak up in class and not be "that geeky kid." It's difficult to transition socially, but remember to make eye contact, smile, and always carry around a Harry Potter book--if someone comes up to you because of it, you've just met your best friend! Nobody knows each other in college; everybody is as anxious as you to make friends, so it'll be easier. They aren't the same immature kids you grew up with. Stay organized, do your homework in advance, and don't hide in your room!

If I was given the ability to go back in time and talk to my self as a highschool senior, I wouldn't give any advice. This is because as a senior, I already learned all of life'e lessons in terms of academics. It was my junior year that gave me the most issues. By that time everyone around me was mentally "college ready" as I barely scraped by in both grades and SAT scores. A wise man once said that in order to get to heavan, one must go through hell; what I firmlly beleve led to my sucess as a highschool senior was the "Hell" I experienced my junior year. Through the fire and flames of my junior year, this once sandy dessert was molded into smooth glass. I became more responsible for my actions and learned many new attributes that guide me as a college student today. As bad as my junior year was, I was able to survive and become a stronger student. That is why if I had the ablilty to go back in time and give advice, I wouldn't.

I would tell myself to just be himself. There would be no worrying about being afraid to be open to people. Everyone here would enjoy who he is and who he will become. The transition will be easy and your PA (Peer Advisor) will help you along the way to help you if you need it. I would let myself know that there are people you are going to meet that are just like him friendly, wacky, and non judging. My old self was more shy and not really out going I would tell him that it all gets better from here don't be afraid to be yourself and accomplish as much as you , because time flies in college.

To keep focuse, do not get distracted. Work even harder, don't give up when things turn differently from what you expected. Ask professors for help, ask questions and DO NOT Procastinate.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self about the transition to college I would tell my self 3 things. I would make sure to tell the younger me to not fear the future so much and to embrace change. I know now that time will keep passing no matter how much I fear it. There's no point in fearing something I cannot fight. I'd also tell myself not to be so scared of getting lower than an A, but to always work my hardest and appreciate that I am a smart person. Getting an A doesn't define my intelegence. Lastly, I would tell myself to always stick by what I believe. I'd tell me to never change my opinion just to fit in because two people can have different opinions and still be friends. I shouldn't change myself for other peoples' benetfit. These three things would have meant a lot to me to hear in high school.

I would tell myself to breathe, be more confident, think about what I want to do in life, and not be afraid to be a leader. College is easy once you dediscate the time. The people are so welcoming. There is nothing to worry about. Being myself and letting others see who I am is the most important part of becoming a part of any community.

Now that I have gone through my first year as a college student, there are some questions I would like to ask my high school self. The biggest question would be, "Why aren't you working harder?". Now I'm sure that thousands of other people applying for this scholarship would tell their former selves the same thing, but my case was extreme. High school was simply too easy. I never felt challenged enough to apply myself. While the teachers I had in high school were great, I knew how to manipulate them. It was so bad that I stopped doing a majority of my homework at the end of my sophomore year. Instead of making up the assignments, I could make a deal with my teachers to get them to drop some homework grades if I were to get a high grade on the next test. I knew I could pull it off but they didn't so they almost always took me up on that offer. I thought I would be able to get by in college with the same approach but it is not a possibility. I wish I could've broken my habits and hubris sooner.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell him to never procrastinate. I procrastinated all four years of high school, either receiving decent grades or barely passing. If I had pushed myself academically, I would've had more confidence in myself, and that would've gave me the motivation to apply for scholarships and colleges sooner instead of waiting an entire year. I have learned recently that you can (sort of) get away with procrastinating in high school. College, from what I've heard from relatives and friends, is a different story. With stricter deadlines and more assignments, procrastinating in college will only get you lower grades and low confidence. Procrastination is a habit that you should never create, but if you realize how bad it can be, you can stop the habit before it is too late. This is what I' would tell my high school senior self if I can go back in time. But I can only dream.