SUNY at Purchase College Top Questions

I attended Marymount Manhatten College in New York City last year and it was then that I realized what I really needed and wanted. I valued my time at Marymount but I came to the conclusion that I needed to be in a more focused environment and needed to be surrounded by dancers who were as passionate about dance as I am. This is not to say I didn't learn a lot not only about myself but my dancing at Marymount I just know that SUNY Purchase is a better fit for me. Purchase is a conservatory program whereas Marymount is not, Purchase is also located outside of the city in Purchase, NY providing me with a more student friendly and accessable campus. Thus far I have gotten so much out of my college experience, most importantly I found myself and really asked myself is this where I will thrive the most and be happy for my remaining years to come here? After realizing that Marymount was not the perfect fit for me I decided wo take matters into my own hands and in doing so have been accepted and will attend a great program at SUNY Purchase.

The three most valuable pieces of advice I could give to my younger self are: 1. Find money for college, 2. Don?t let a love problem control all aspects of your life and 3. Get a handle on strategic time management. Throughout my senior year of high school I was constantly told to come up with ways to help pay for higher education by looking for potential scholarships, applying for those scholarships, saving up money from work, and working more to save more. This good advice I didn?t pursue. I felt that personal problems were more important. Most important was my love life, which boiled down to one thing: I was fixated on my first love and needed to wake up. If given the opportunity now, I would explain to my younger self that love problems are uncontrollable. Your time would be best spent performing necessary tasks that are in your control, such as applying for scholarships and working more. College is a tremendous life change where only you control your life. Learn how to manage your own time wisely; I would say to my younger self.

Oh honey, relax! You have your whole life in front of you. The decisions you make today will only play a small part in your future. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Trust me, you'll make them anyway. There is a power greater than you with you every step of the way. She's got your back - and she wants you to enjoy every moment of your life...the not-knowing, the heartache, the exhilaration of leaving home for the first time, etc. You are safe. Even when you feel alone and scared she will be there. You can ask for her comfort, too. But most importantly, believe in yourself. This is a tough time for everyone. I know you are filled with doubt but you are extraordinary. You are going to bring so many beautiful things to people. The loveliest of these things will be you. You are a gift. Treat everyone around you like they are a gift, too. And finally, take a moment each day to say thank you...going to school is a gift too. Oh yeah, and call your mother...she'll miss you like hell.

Consider what you could really see yourself doing as a job for the rest of your life that will make you happy, and really explore different options of affordable schools that could get you there. I was in a Liberal Arts college for two years because I could not afford the inital arts college that I applied for. Instead of shopping around to find simpler and more afforadable options, I ended up going to a local school and taking random classes until I discovered Purchase College as a place that I could get the degree I want for 20,000 a year instead of the 40,000 most private schools charge. Also, really push yourself to apply for scholarships no matter how tedious the process can be, because the amount of debt I will be dealing with after having completed 6 years of college will be lingering as a constant struggle for a large part of the rest of my life. Other than that, make sure you go out there and push yourself to meet new people and have fun, because the friends you meet in college are the ones that will be with you every step of the way.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would first assure my earlier self that I was not of alien origin, his evil twin coming to kill him, a magician, or a demon in disguise to steal his soul, because with the overactive imagination and the "anything is possible" attitude I've always had would definitely rear it's ugly head if I saw my double. The second thing I would tell myself is to never lose sight of who you are and your beliefs. You meet alot of people in college, some of them not being such good people. People who look down upon others because of their race, gender, background, personality quirks, or culture. I would be inclined to remind myself that people are living in fear of human interaction and connecting with other human beings because they are scared of being themselves due to the everyday societal pressures that grow heavier in a rapidly growing and evolving American culture. I would say "Joshua, can you remind everyone in the future that everyone is beautiful in their own way, I don't want them to forget."

If I could give myself advice about college, I would tell myself to consider more possibilities. When I was looking at colleges I had some dreams and ambitions about my future in art, but I never thought I would work toward them in a college program. After I took some general education courses last semester I realized that studying art was exactly what I should be doing in school. If I had considered this possibility my senior year in high school I would have researched more schools and given myself more choices. Considering all fields of interest is important when you're making a decision as big as which college to invest yourself in. I would also tell myself to consider staying within my home state. I didn't research very much within Connecticut and may have found that there was more opportunity for scholarships and grants. Overall, I think the path I took has worked for me, and that the experience has made my decisions more rewarding. If I had known everything I know now, I may not have ended up feeling as in-control of my education as I do now.

I would simply tell myself to RELAX! There is extreme amounts of pressure and nerves that face a senior in high school. I felt like I was making the biggest decision of my life and that if I made a wrong choice my life would come crashing down. As I went away to school my worries melted away and I just adapted to everything so smoothly. There is no way to completley prepare yourself for the first year of college, you just have to go with the flow. Looking back on my first semester it seems that I was really so afraid for nothing. So if I could go back I would just tell myself to take a deep breathe and focus on the here and now. The future is important, but everything happens for a reason. What is meant to be, is meant to be.

Applying to college is scary, but it's the easy part once you're there. You'll go through your first few years without much to worry about and then suddenly it hits you that you're about to be thrown headlong into the "real world" with no idea how to handle yourself. College can only do so much; there's a lot you're going to have to figure out on your own. That's why living on campus is so important...you meet different kinds of people--the ones you'll love and the ones who make you squirm--every day, and you learn how to work with them. You can't learn that in a classroom. You only have one shot at this. Don't hold back. If you want to apply somewhere, DO IT. Don't avoid schools that could be incredible places because you think you might not be able to afford it. Who knows what can happen? I'm so, so happy where I am, and I know I made the right choice, but there's a part of me that regrets not reaching just a little bit higher. You should have no regrets.

You cannot know everything about the college you choose, even if you spend months finding everything you can about a certain school, you will never know how it actually will be when you get there. That said, don't be afraid to take a risk. You are not locked in to the first school, and after spending a year there, you become better informed and are able to make a different decision, if that's what you want. Some people, like me, felt obligated to get out of my home state for college. I thought that I would not get the full experience if I stayed close to home, but I realized that college itself is a completely different experience no matter where you are. If you live on campus, your life will be transformed, even if you only live a few blocks from your parents' house. Finally, stay overnight at least a day with a current student of the college you are interested in. Guided tours give little insight into what your life will be like at that college, but an overnight stay will show you what students do with their free time, how much work they have, etcetera.

It is January 30, 2010. I walk into my dorm and crawl sleepily into bed after a long day. As I begin to doze off I think about my life and how I got to where I am today and think if only... I wake up to the sound of my alarm going off. I pick up the alarm to silence it and notice the date- February 1... 2009? I'm very confused. Then I realize- I'm not in my dorm, I'm in my room at home! I look over at my nightstand and notice a pile of college acceptance letters. Then I remember that in this time of 2009 I haven't decided what school to go to yet. Knowing what I know now, I quickly write a note telling my past self to pick a school because you really want to go there, not because your friends are going. Make sure it is one you will be happy at. When you get there, take chances, join clubs and do new things. BRRRRIIIINNNGGGG!!!!! I wake up to the sound of my alarm going off and happily walk out of my dorm to start a new day.