Syracuse University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Syracuse University know before they start?

Erin

Most importantly, listen to those that tell you to get involved on your own, and go to any event that might interest you. You miss experiences such as listening to a member of the U.S. Army National Guard give his account of his tour in Afghanistan as an ETT with the Afghan National Army, if you wait for your peers to find the same thing interesting. Hearing the first-hand, uncensored stories inspire new ways of thinking, motivate change in your in life, and embed unforgettable yet meaningful memories into your mind. Do not follow what your peers do because you?re nervous to start something alone. There are going to be other students that feel the same uneasiness, actively trying to get to know one another. These four years are supposed to be the time when you can do whatever you want, and it may be the most freedom you?ll have to explore these different interests. It?s critical to take advantage of the events handed to you. Half the excitement comes from knowing that you?re going to gain so much experience in a short amount of time ? the other half is making it happen.

Meagan

I would go back and tell myself a few key things . One thing is that college is very different. The people and entire campus are different than anything at home. Immerse yourself in as many activities and social events as soon as possible. Most people are in the same situation, so making new friends is easy. Another key thing I would tell myself is that you need to speak up if there is a problem. Nothing will get solved if you do not speak up. This makes life with your roomate easier and also creates for less dramatic situations. Finally, do not let anyone influence your ideas or your way of thinking. If you do not want to do something or you think something is wrong then do not do it. Simple as that. This could lead to many situations that could alter your college experience or possibly your future.

Kirsten

Don't let the bitchy girls get you down. Stay true to yourself and everything will be fine.

Yaa

I would advise myself to save money to help with tuition, and living expenses, expecially going to a very, very expensive school like Syracuse University. I would also advise myself to balance academic life and social life.

Houtaneh

I would primarily convey to my naive high-school senior self that it's important not to be scared of anything. When a person is scared of something, or at least when I am scared of something, my mind's logical reccomendations become blocked, and I result in doing or saying something regrettable. Confidence, of course, is very relevant to my fear, so I would also emphasize having confidence in myself, in what I am doing, and in my surroundings to support my actions. I feel as though my lack of self confidence is my major pitfall, because as I reminisce on my experiences here, I realize that I could have engaged in a variety of activities that would have been infinitely engaging and advantageous to not only my academic life, but also to my social life. Therefore, to boost my self-confidence would be to boost my efficiency at school and my happiness with life.

Ying

#1, Adapt better habit, without good time mangement, first semster of collge life is really difficult. #2, Do better in literature class. Although English is my second language, I still think that I wasn't doing good enough in high school which could have totally help me in college. High school classes do help #3, I knew that finance is going to be a big issue for me, so I wish that I have more savings. Money is a big issue in college especially for me that I wasn't using my family's money at all. Everything pays off my check, I should have use my money wisely. #4, Make the right choices, do not regret what I had done. If I regret, I am only going to make my college career worse and the thing wouldn't get in the way I want. #5, know the true inside me. I had been pretending someone that I wasn't completely am for so long, that in college, I got lost. Don't know who I am. This creates a lot of daily life problems. I wish I could have know who I really am, to be really just myself.

William

prepare for college, but do not stress out,l it is not as bad, but much better than high school

Rebecca

College is not another stepping stone towards your future; it is a determining turning point. It is a place of opportunity, a place where you can experience real life by experimenting and testing your limits in this microcosmic society, while safe within the shelter of the school. Do not be held back by your apprehension or shyness - I know it is a big change for you: leaving all that you are familiar with behind and leaping towards an unknown future - but trust me, and have faith in the future and what it may bring. Seek out new excitement in these new primises: do not let your fear hinder you, and let your spirit of adventure steer you onwards to a new point in life!

rachel

I would tell myself three things. Try to save up as much money as possible. Join as many sports/clubs as possible to be eligable for more scholarships. And the last thing I would tell myself would be to have a couple different plans ready just in case Plan A falls through.

Fjolla

I would of definitely given myself lots of advice that would help me be much more prepared and organized. For example, I would of told myself to participate in as many extracurricular activities as early in the year as possible and take on leadership positions such as becoming the president of a club. I would of also told myself to apply to conduct research in the field that I am interested in which is Biology so that I can gain some experience and see what it is all about. Also, learning time management and teaching myself or knowing how to divide the work load up so that I do not stress myself so much and be able to get the work done on time without rushing would be another advice that I would tell myself as a high school senior. Meeting new people and getting to know the professors and faculty on a more personal level is another great advice that I would tell myself because this would really help me in the future when I am in the need for recommendations or references for when I apply to other programs or even Medical School.