Ramapo College of New Jersey Top Questions

I would tell myself to take a year off and really think about what I want to study and major in. I changed my major several times during my undergraduate career and feel that I didn't get the most out of the program I graduated from. And always pick a sensible major and a more fun minor to make sure you get that balance of fun and work in your schedule.

As much as I love Ramapo College, it took me about two years to discover it; I attended two other schools first, and was unhappy at one and even more so at the other. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I think I would suggest that I attend community college first. Although I didn't "waste" those two years, they really burned a hole in my pocket and negatively impacted my mental and emotional health. My high school not only put a lot of emphasis on attending a four-year school, but also, in effect, gave off the impression that attending a two-year school was something to be frowned upon. I would tell myself to ignore that impression and use those first two years to save my money while taking general education classes that could be easily transferred to just about any four-year school. Freshman year of college is overrated in many respects, and the experiences I was told I would have should not have been the basis for my decision. I'm happy now, but again, only after two years of unnecessary financial, mental, and emotional struggles.

Dear Joe, I know you’re looking at colleges right now and trying to make one of the most important decisions of your entire life. I just finished my freshman year at Ramapo College and encourage you to follow some of my advice. Here’s one helpful tip for starting your college career – make sure you realize that college isn’t thirteenth grade and up – it’s a lot more work than you would expect. From what I’ve heard at Ramapo, professors expect you to study at least 2 to 3 hours per ninety-minute class period. That’s more than I was used to at first, but I adjusted to it fairly well. Another helpful tip is to join as many clubs and activities as you possibly can, because involvement outside the classroom goes a long way in that you not only find new opportunities to socialize and make new friends, but this also looks good on your resume if you have a leadership role. My final tip for you here is simple: do not lose sight of who you are, and you will clearly go far in college and beyond. With warmest regards, Yourself

The advice I would have given to myself is first off, to have looked more colleges in depth. I am now transferring to a different college because I did not really like the environment of the college that I was attending. Additionally, I would have told myself to apply to more scholarships as a senior. I really struggled financially this year because I had to pay all my college expenses myself and not having that support hit me hard. Make sure to apply to as many scholarships as you can. Be responsible also. I know that college is a big change, and many want to have the whole college experience with partying, making new friends and all of that, but what I noticed that many students did was loose sight of why they came to college in the first place. Do not solely focus on the social aspect of college, you are there for your education, and even if you are that loser that stays in saturday nights studying, it's okay. Don't feel singled out because you're doing what you came there for--to learn. Lastly, college is stressful, so give yourself a break sometimes.

I would advise students to be involved. Join two or three clubs and really get to know the people in them. Doiing this will greatly enhance your college experience.

Assuming I could go back in time, I would give myself allot of advice. First, get involved! Try out new sports, clubs, AP courses and Honor Societies.

To My Past Self, Do your homework and learn study habits that will actually help. I know you do excellent without this, but learning the skills to succeed will help you when you do graduate. Practice time management better, college will consume your life and you need to know how to handle it. Also, appreciate the lack of responsibility you have now because having to pay for things and work overnights while having class during the day is not fun or easy but you have to do it to get by. Next, don't be scared; find what you love and go for it. Apply for every scholarship possible because then you can try to avoid this massive amount of loan debt. Finally, I know how easy it is to have friends in high school because you see the same people everyday, in college it is not the same. Make an effort to reach out to people you do not see regularly and see if you make any connections with them. I know it sounds scary but you will love it. Learning and growing is truly a beautiful thing. Just make sure you are working hard to get here.

There are times when life gives you breaks and allows you to breathe in between growing up and accepting new responsibilities, this is often not one of those times. Nothing you did in high school, including your AP work, will prepare you for the shock brought about by deadlines, extra-curricular work, expenditures and the sheer amount of time you will spend both doing your work and thinking about whether you should do it or not. Absences matter way more, and this time they count against your grade. Some teachers will become pseudo-best friends, others will not look you in the eye, and some will even hurt your feelings. You might cry, and there are days you will. Your roommates will snore loudly, and in the beginning you will feel bad about waking them up, but you’ll stop honoring their rest once it keeps you from yours. “Crap! It’s midnight” will turn into “Oh, it’s only midnight,” and later evolve into “3:00 am? Pshh, I got this.” Your parents will get tough on you, yes, tougher than before, and you’ll wish you had applied to many more scholarships earlier. So please, do them now.

I never took school seriously, but I did enjoy my time. I am not sure if it was ignorance or a lack of preparation, but my academic and social performances were very lackluster. During the spring of my junior year, I experienced an epiphany after overhearing a friend describe some accomplishment. I immediately felt inferior and insecure. I was the same age, was enrolled in similar classes, yet did not experience any sort of success. From that point on, I though long term. My immediate academic actions have long lasting effects. It doesn't matter how long you take, as you as you make an honest effort and not be afraid to ask for help. My story is different and is unique in that I may not have experienced any life challenging obstacles or major adversity; however I represent the group of people that fly under the radar and show we can be something. I would say this to past self, as well as to current students through my work as an admissions recruiter. People have taken me under their “wing” during my time at Raritan Valley community and at Ramapo College and have allowed me to develop my potential.

The number one piece of advice I would give myself is to start right away; don't wait until you feel trapped by circumstances of life and it takes you years to rediscover yourself. However, if, by chance, you find yourself years down the road and Plan A seems to have been so far away, it's never, ever too late to dream again. Your priorities will change and so will parts of you, but if you have the courage to take the first step, you'll realize that you're capable of doing things you never thought you'd have to do. Keep your head up, a smile on your face, and NEVER stop believing that the best is yet to come. Because, High-School-Me, do you remember that feeling of possibility? Do you remember feeling that life was simply grand and the sky was the limit? Well, you were right.