Rivier University Top Questions

Get involved! I would tell myself to not be so self-conscious and never be afraid to pursue anything that you have any interest in. Be eclectic! Even if you have only a slight interest in any subject, music, art, sports, or photography, go out for the club or team, and sign up for classes that will challenge to think outside the box. Believe in yourself! You only get one time around this earth, so shoot for the moon and don't be afraid to fail! Failure is learning. You'll only regret never trying. Forget the haters, and focus on the people who want to support you. Be grateful. Be humble. Be honest. Never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do! Don't worry if you're making waves simply by being yourself. Be willing to let go of the life you planned so as to have the life that is waiting for you. And finally, each and every one of us has the potential to achieve something truly amazing. Go out there and get it!

If given the chance to go back in time, I would tell myself to focus more on my studies. I would also encourage myself to go to college much sooner. I would tell myself that i shouldn't feel like i can't go to school or that I'm not smart enough.I would tell myself to enjoy the experience of college life. Lastly, I would explain that college is expensive and that i should work on finding ways to get assistance to help pay for it. That way i can focus more on my studies and learning rather then on the stresses of how to pay for college.

With a racing heart rate, sweating palms, and a vast deal of hope, I held within my hands a letter from Rivier University. I tear the envelope open to discover I have been accepted into the nursing program for the fall of 2013. My excitement and sense of accomplishment was at an all time high, for I did not yet understand what the journey of making the transition to college life would entail. Upon moving into the residence halls, I was too excited to understand the educational struggles that layed ahead of me. Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would love to go back to the moment I tore open that envelope. I would want to tell myself to have faith and courage in my abilities to succeed, and to never give up, no matter the struggle. To study notes after every class, to do assignments well before they are due, to hypothesize original ideas in essays, to give my all into every assignment, big or small, and to understand what my objective is in life, are all pieces of advice I wish to have understood in that moment.

I would tell myself that college is nothing like high school. In college, you are more independent but you have so many resources to rely on for help. Making friends in college is easier because you are in classes with people who have similar interests based on major. College is not as hard as everyone says, as long as you study and work hard. Balancing your time is also not so hard if you keep organized. I would tell myself to work hard in high school, and get help if needed. I never used tutors in high school, but looking back I should have. You should use whatever resources are available to help you succeed.

Dear Emily, First, don't drop out. Dont hang out with the "bad crowd", and dont do drugs. I promise the path ahead of you is long and dangerous. You will lose yourself, your family, and your future. I know you dont want to go to school but believe me its such a short chapter in your life and you can do it. I know you are smart and if you put your mind to it you can achieve ANYTHING. I know for a fact you will regret not having a normal college life like all your friends. While they go off to college you will be stuck in the same damaged world for years. You dont want to be in your late twenties just starting out in college. Will you fit in? Will you feel old looking at all the recent seniors in classes with you? Please Emily, think long and hard about your decisions because they WILL shape your future. Have good fun and learn in school now, not when the rest of your friends are starting families. Live for NOW. The time is now. Good luck on your journey, Emily

Don't be so focused on one school. It may be your dream school, but sometimes things just don't work out and it's not your fault. Community College won't be the death of you, so apply yourself more, make your parents proud. Your dream school will still be waiting, and as luck would have it, you can find a school that makes you just as excited and jittery. Your experience is what you make it and there's always new things to discover on the way. Keep your chin up and your shoulders like a queen and you can do anything that you set your mind to; don't let anyone tell you different.

My biggest advice would be not to slack. Senioritis is a bad thing. It is not cool to not go to school. It isn't cook not to do assignments and it is not cool to drink and smoke weed. I wish someone had talked to me as a senior in high school. College is not joke, there is hardly any homework, but there are alot of reading assignments. There are also a lot of writing in each of my classes. I only wish I could tell my senior self to stay on top of things, write more scholarship essays, and not slack off. It would have helped alot.

Dear Diego, I am writing to you today to offer you my honest advice, before you enter your college years. College is going to be a lot different from high school. Remember those teachers who sat with you and listened to your excuses for not passing in your school work on time, and they made an exception for you? Those teachers are going to stay with you in your memory, and there only. College will be very different, you will be asked to be more responsible now, and self-confident. Please set aside time for you to do some reflection before you enroll in college. Think about what you want to do? Where you want to go in life? and more importantly: How much do you have to pay for school and how much do you plan on spending? This is going to be the most important step of your life. Trust me, I have been there and I can assure you it hasn't been easy. Working full-time and going to school at the same time is for the determined person. So please don't waste your years in school having fun! Be serious about it. Take care!

If is could go back in time would to tell myself to try harded. Not to just make it by in classes but to get As in all of then and really concentate on the work. and to keep the friend you made in highschool because when you first move to college it can be scary. Anf not just not give up my dreams to keep pushing though it!

When advising my high school self with college and what it's really like, I would have only two major issues to cover: STUDYING and PROCRASTINATION. All throughout high school I got so used to being able to just barely "get by" by putting forth minimal work ethic and paying little or no attention in class. College is A LOT different! Of course, I found that out the hard way during my first two semesters in college, passing 5 out of my 8 classes (with D's). This was all due to my lack of studying and most favorite pass-time, procastination. With that being said, I have since been struggling financially to pay for college. My grade point average was deemed unsatisfactory and I was put on academic probation (taking away my much needed financial aide). All in all, lesson learned and I have been working much harder to maintane a decent gpa. I only wish I had done this in the beginning instead of wasting my own time and money.

Don't let the judgemental atmosphere of high school discourage you from the mind opening oppurtunities of adult education. When I was in high school, I hated school because kids made it hard to feel normal, let alone successful. I was a D students and vowed I would never go to college. Just out of high school I landed a really good paying job. I found that I wanted to develop and grow in new the company. At age 30, I realized that in order to do that I would need some education. With much hesitation, I enrolled in a Supervisory Management Program. Before starting school, I had a chat with my mom. She earned her Nursing degree as an adult raising six children. I new if anyone had challanges with college it would be her. How does a person balance life, family, a full-time job and college? Her testimony inspired me to look beyond my insecurities and rise to the challange. It was the best thing I ever did. Adult education is so much better then high school. The students and the teachers are great! I have never felt more successful. My 4.0 GPA speaks for itself!

To be honest, I have always thought about going back in time to talk to my high school senior self. I wish I could go back and tell myself to work hard and strive for the best. I'm currently taking prerequisite classes to get into nursing. These classes are the same that I took while I was in running start trying to get my Associates Degree. I was too involved with my friends and socializing then actually studying and caring about school. I would tell myself, "The sooner you get it done the better." I could have been working as an RN from the time I was 22 years old. Now I'm 26, working on pre-nursing classes and will have another two years of the nursing program. By the time I'm 30 I would like to own my first home, have a great career, and start a family. Everything has been pushed back because my 18 year old self wasn't interested in school at the time. If I had a magic lamp, there is no doubt that I would talk to my 18 year old self.

You’re about to begin the most interesting journey You’ve ever had in your life There’ll be pressure and struggles, trials and troubles Plenty of good but plenty of strife And people you know may turn out to be enemies The road to success is not a perfect place You’ll be faced with decisions that stretch you to breaking But it’ll all be okay if you just keep your faith Don’t choose to be tempted, and run if you are So many situations put you to the test Choose as your friends those who bring out the best in you But never forget to be kind to the rest And when it comes to assignments, work as hard as you can It will all pay off in the end If you start on your homework as soon as you can You’ll do well and then still have time for your friends Yes, the workload is heavy, the pressure is hard But don’t let stress have the last say With every new obstacle of homework or peers Take a breather, relax, and then pray And everything somehow will turn out okay.

Make sure you learn time management and use it to the best of your ability. The transistion of work load and available time changes dramatically as you go from a senior in highschool to a freshman in college. It is a shock and can be very overwhelming at times if you do not learn how to properly manage your time. With good time management college students will be able to balance there class work and their social life much easier, with much less stress and alot more fun. It will allow you to get the good grades you want and still be able to go out with your friends. If you learn this skill early on your college experience with be much better and less stressful.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to my senior self about college life, I would defanitely give myself the advise to continue to work harder. College classes, professors, and assignments do not procrastinate. As someone who always used to procrastinate, I would tell myself to do the work as soon as I know what I have to do and to get as involved in the work as possible, and asking for help instead of pondering the assignments until the last minute to get it done. College is fast pased and there is no time for lazyness.

I would say don't be so nervous because college is great and yes it may be hard, but I know that I am more then capable of doing it.

Do not make assumptions and do not tie yourself down to any long-term career or relationship without first exploring all of the options available to you. It's not all about the money, but if your heart and mind aren't set on any particular school, try going to a community or other less-expensive college for a year or two while you figure things out. When you first enter college, join a variety of clubs and organizations. You don't have to stick with them all but try to find some passions and hobbies along the way. Even though GPA is important, it's not all about that either. When you graduate college your degree will represent a combination of all the classes, events, parties, sports, travel, and any other expierences you have along the way. Everyone in your class and major had to take a lot of the same classes, but it's what ELSE you did that sets YOU apart. Ask lots of questions. Always be present and interested in whatever you are currently doing. Always choose a new situation over an old, comfortable one... you will learn more that way.

Looking back at my high school years, I have realized that you need to work hard for what you plan to achieve, things do not always fall into your lap. I have always dreamed of becoming an Early Childhood educator my entire life, I thought it would be easier that it has. I went to Fitchburg State University for the first three years of college and am now enrolled at Rivier University for the fall. In high school I figured that just because I have always dreamed of becoming a teacher and helping to teach as many young children as I could, meant that it would happen no matter what. If I could go back, I would tell myself to keep my head up, continue to follow my dreams but continue to try my hardest and follow my heart. Look at more options, more schools, and avoid any negative feedback from others. Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

What’s up? It’s me your inner self “Big Mike” talking to you. As it stands our college future is in jeopardy. Been there, seen it. “High school baseball standout Mike Scanlon attends Manchester Community College; poor academic record keeps him from advancing to his college choice.” You play fall ball injured and get cut from the spring team because of unsatisfactory academic performance. Heartbroken, you transfer to Tunxis Community College closer to home and work full time to stay busy. You transfer again to Manchester Community College in the fall but school budget cuts include eliminating the baseball program. Let me give you a piece of advice. “Do what you do best, channel your passion for baseball, apply it in the classroom and challenge yourself academically.” This is a second chance, a huge break for a “DO OVER.” College is a great adventure, one that leads to an abundance of career opportunities and advancement over a lifetime. High school is a stepping stone, a journey that leads to the adventure. “Get it right this time.”

“A light at the end of a long and painful tunnel”; that is what I feel I am getting from my college experience. I went back to school late in life to change careers to nursing. After receiving an Associates degree, I worked full-time as an RN and part-time continued to work towards a Bachelors. I worked hard as a Medical-Surgical and then an ICU nurse. This type of nursing is very labor intensive. Just as I was finishing my Bachelors I sustained a devastating back injury, requiring three progressively more extensive surgeries. I was out of work for over eight months. At this point I have not been able to return to my previous position as an RN. I have decided that school will be my savior. I have been accepted into a Graduate program for Nurse Practitioners. Who knows, maybe this is how it was all supposed to happen. Years ago I wrote down “About the Tao”. On occasion I reread it to remind myself: “Let the world unfold without always attempting to figure it out…When expectations are shattered, practice allowing that to be the way it is….” And then go back to school.