University of Massachusetts-Boston Top Questions

So far my college experience has not lived up to my expectations when I was first entering. The classes seem at the same level as my high school ones, and a lot of the material I have already learned. But just that has been a rewarding experience in itself, I'm miserable at the school I'm at now, but that has pushed me to search for other options, ones that will make me happy, and give me the rewarding experience I am looking for. I am currently enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the Zoology for the Fall of 2010. I am extremely excited to start the next phase of my college career and feel that if not for attending UMass Boston first I would have never been pushed to attend the University of my dreams, in a field that I have always had a passion for.

I've been out of school for about nine years now. So I will be starting school next month after a nine year break. I hope to get back into it slowly. I'm attending ITT-Tech in the Criminal Justice program. I'm excited about going, this will be something new for me. The curriculum sounds intense but interesting at the same time. What I hope to get out of this college experience is the knowledge and tools I can use to pursue my career in Homeland Security or becoming a Criminal Investigator. With the courses I'll be taking along with the hands on training I feel this will benefit me in the future. I researched a number of schools for criminal justice and this school in particular stood out because ITT-Tech brings in police officers, people that work for the FBI, and other fields of criminal justice to let you know what you can expect once you receive your degrre. That 's why I feel it is valuable and essential for me to attend this school and get knowledge I need to further my career.

The most valuable educational experiences that I have had since entering college have been my study abroads. I was able to study in Greece and in England. I learned more at these places in the short time I was there than I did in my 3 years at my school in the states. They are truly masters of their profession, especially for my major (Ancient Studies/Classical Languages and Archaeology.) The scholars that I have met and been able to interact with have been extremely enlightening both intellectually and emotionally. They reconfirmed time and again my passion and desire for classical studies and ancient history. I have also learned that in order to truly understand other people, cultures, and places one must first understand the history that has influenced them all. These experiences have helped me learn that if more professors showed passion and encouragement while teaching less people would be changing their majors. This is one thing that I will aim to change once I receive a teaching position. If the student sees that their major is worth the work then they will be more apt to pursue it aggressively.

I transfered to Umass Boston from a private school within Boston and I think that it is the best decision I have ever made in my life. I wish I had known what I know now about the differences between private schools and state schools besides the price difference. I strongly feel that teachers at state schools are actually interested in teaching you rather than private schools where I feel that the teachers just see the dollar signs and not a person. Teachers at Umass Boston take more time out of their class to help you understand better and make sure you understand before moving forward to a different topic. I am glad I started at a private school because I definitely got the college life aspect out of it, but I do not feel I got the best education I could have gotten for the money I was spending. By transferring to Umass Boston I have actually fallen in love with learning again. And you are also offered much more classes than could ever be offered at a private school.

There are 3 main things I would make sure to tell myself before going to college from high school. First, meet new people by being friendly and being involved. Just because you meet someone does not mean you have to be best friends forever; but you will never know unless you give it a shot. Second, stay organized and prepared. Schoolwork especially is much easier to keep track of and plan out if you stay on top of it and make sure you know what to do, when to do it, and how much time it will take. Lastly, be sure to take complete advantage of any neccessary services your college offers. This includes financial aid, academic advising, job fairs, etc. because not only are these programs/services obviously helpful, but you are paying a significant amount of money for an education and all that it includes. Actually, a fourth and finaal piece of advice, which can be applied to almost all facets of life, is to stay open minded and be accepting of others. This is key for the real world just as much as the college world.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would have a completely different stradegy for making the transition into college life. First, I would be more focused on my education. I would spend less time trying to fit into the college atmosphere. College isnt about partying and socializing. College is about your education and goals. It is important to have a social life, but school work should be your first priority. It is also important to analyze your likes, dislikes and goals before choosing a college and choosing a major. Don't be afraid to try something that intrests you. If there was any advice I could give to myself as a high school senior it would be to get involved. Participate in extra curricular activitites. Stay busy. Also, take advantage of the resources your at your school. Have fun with your education and try not to stress. The college experience is different for everybody. Your success is determined by your efforts and participation.

?That?s not the right way to do it?, ?you can?t do it like that?, ?you must follow the instructions? these are phrases that you?re often heard in high school saying by many teachers. In high school teachers want you to do things in a certain way, they regulate your creativity and freedom but ensure that you will successfully complete the assignment. They hold your hand and guide you step by step until the task is complete, during those times you might feel furious thinking that you have no freedom to do things in your way. College is different, when the professor hand you the assignment you can complete it in any way that make you fell comfortable, however, you?re responsible to ensure that the method that you choose to use will produce an accurate result. You have the freedom to do anything in your way, but that freedom come with a big responsibility. Therefore the only advice that I could offer is for you to master everting that you learn from your teachers and prepare to do it on your own when you reach college. You will make it through if you could do that!

Be careful and don't let anyone get in your way to becoming what you want to do. Just relax and be yourself.

The advice I would give myself is have all your thingsin order. Don't wait until the last minute to apply to schools and fill out the FASFA. I learned that the sooner you get that out of they way the better. Also apply yourself usually you might have a few test, a midterm and a final. Makeal those grdes count. Studying is key, its the only way to get the proper grade. College is nothing ike high school, everything counts so much more. I've learned that you are basically defined y number, your gpa. I would say to mae sure that number is as high as you can make it. It sounds like a lot of work but in the end it ill pay off big time.

to relax

Looking back, I would tell myself two words: "Try Harder". During the final stretch oh high school, I started to slack off and not work to my full potential. Those bad habits followed me to the first semester of college, making my GPA less impressive than it was in high school. I needed to try harder to acheive my educational goals, especially when I am in the tough spot of being unsure of what I want to do with my future. If I had tried harder, the transition in the school work load would have been easier than I made it out to be, and I could have been more successful than I was.

I would tell myself to go to community college first. It so much more financially responsible if you don't know exactly what you want to do in life because then you can complete all your core courses first while figuring out what you want to do with your life and then when that is figured out you can find a college you really like go live on campus and have the real college experince, graduate less in debt than most people and most likely finish on time!

I would advice myself to study more and spend less time on Facebook. I would get to know my teachers better to establish connections to getting know the college life. I would be more invovled with the student body and join more clubs and do more after school activities.

There are many things I might say to my young self, if given the chance. I might try to convince myself of the importance of a focused goal and of reaching my full academic potential; one I did not even realize existed at the time. As a 31 year old mother of two, with limited resources and a great deal of educational debt, this little speech might have made my current situation a bit less daunting. However, my decision to enter into a speech language pathology program is the culmination of experiences in my life, personal, professional and educational. While my journey to arrive here has not been smooth, it has been those bumps, detours and rest stops where real life has touched me that can not be explained, they must be experienced. If I arrived at this point without experiencing the feeling of helping a child with a disability to succeed or watching the complete change in a child, not only in his speech but his entire being after given speech therapy, I might not feel the passion I do now. If given the chance to speak to my young self, I would simply tell her to regret nothing.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now I would inform myself of the amount of seriousness that I needed to acquire in order to be a successful college student. In high school it was not uncommon for me to miss class, lack in completing assignments, and rebel against authority. Now as a mature adult I have found that it is more beneficial to be focused on my education eliminating all the mistakes I made in high school. For instance now that I am focused on earning my degree I have not missed one assignment . I also attend class regularly and instead of rebelling against authority I prefer to work with and appreciate the help they provide.

With an attempt of graduating high school a year early after doubling all high school courses up to my senior year, I was left with one class and a work study. My work study consisted of 10 hours every school day working in place of school time. With eight other siblings my parents were supporting I really needed to save up for college. This is the moment I would go back and change; I would never have gone to Becker College. Although I loved the school and learned a lot, I spent every last cent I had worked so hard for and had to transfer once I ran out of money. I worked 30hours/week going to school full-time and missed out on everything the school had to offer. Because both of my parents make what the federal government considers too much, I do not qualify for financial aid, despite supporting myself. I would have told myself how hard it is working full time and going to school full-time is. I will be working the rest of my life; I wish I had told myself to enjoy some aspect of life a little bit more than I had.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell my highschool self to, do what you feel once you get there. As a new student, adjusting to a new environment, you should have the freedom and privelage to explore your options before narrowing down your choices. Take your time! As a freshmen, take classes that intrigue you, spark your interest, and that you may find FUN! As a new student, you may feel nervous, insecure, or unsure, but that's normal! You want to make your first year as easy as possible; to get As, to make new friends, to become familiar with your new environment. You want to make your adjustment a breeze. Don't take classes you know you don't like! Its your first year, so have fun! Take classes that interest you and that you know you will succeed in. Do what feels right for you! Do not take others people opinion as your own, because only you know what you want and how you want it. Communicate with your professors, advisors, and faculty! They can be great guidance and help towards what you want. Take apart of the school community; ie. jobs, volunteer, social activities.

If I could go back to when I was a senior in high school knowing everything I know now, I would tell myself to relax! Instead of really enjoying senior year I, along with the majority of my peers, was pulling my hair out trying to find the best schools, with the best programs, for the best price, when in actuality I had nothing to worry about. I picked a great school and I wouldn't change my decision still to this day. Most high school seniors are extremely well equiped with the tools, resources, outlets, and support that they need to make this transition, but it such an overwhelming time that they usually let it get the best of them (as I did). I would tell myself to count to 10 and just breathe. I would reassure myself that I was doing great and that I had nothing to worry about, because in reality I really didn't. Everything turned out even better than I expected it would (except for the several bald spots that resulted from senior year, but rest assured the hair is growing back =D)!

Take your time, youre young and you have plenty of time for school.

Keep an open mind about your future, sometimes the paths we start on prove to be less then what we want. With that in mind, explore all the school has to offer; clubs, work experience, social gatherings, exhibits and concerts, these will give you the opportunities to meet a great variety of your fellow students. Take classes in as many areas of interest as you can, this will help you to expand your options and you might just find out that knowledge is fun. Be serious about your studies, this is why you are here, but have fun too, don't hide in your room, study in the library, and study halls. Join study groups and check out the tutoring services before you start having trouble. Try to stay on top of the work, have it ready when it is due and pass everything in on time. Call your parents....for more then just money, connecting with home can help keep you grounded.