University of New England Top Questions

Catherine, I am here to talk to you about your future. You need to go to the college of your dreams, not where someone else wants you to go. Though UNE is a great school there is not as much opprotunity as some other schools. It has always been your dream to study abroad and you should make that dream a reality. If you academic advisor says that it's impossible, don't take that as an answer! Fight for what you want in life or people are going to take away your dreams. Go into college with your head up and your heart in dentistry. You need to stay motivated to reach new levels of success. If your friends are distracting you and you need some alone time to study go to the library or a quiet area. I know it is hard when everyone around you is going out or having fun but just remind yourself that you are in college to learn and to become a professional in your field of study. It is always good to take a break and have fun with your friends but you need to always remember why you are at school.

I would have made very little changes to my college and graduate school decisions. I went to smaller sized colleges which I believe was the best decision for me. I would have gotten involved in sports and clubs sooner into my college career. In addition I would have worked less or rearranged my work schedule so I could have been more involved with campus activities. I would have also engaged in more diverse internships in my undergraduate studies and fought harder for internships I was really interested in, in my graduate school studies.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to prepare to work hard. College is not just a fun time, but it requires hours of studying a homework. I thought high school was hard because I took a few AP classes. I now know that high school is a breeze compared to the classes in college. It may be because I am a medical biology student, but I get hours of homework a night, and I often lose hours of sleep due to my studies. When everyone describes college students as broke and tired, they were not over exaggerating. Because of the work load, I get less sleep than I did in high school, and because I cannot work as much as a did in high school, I have less money as well. But I will also tell my high school self that, even with the hardships, college is so much better than high school. I would tell myself that it does get better, and that college will be the best years of my life.

i would tell myself to financially be more prepared. the additional worry of finances can add pressure.

The advice I would give to a high school senior about college is to not be afraid. Everyone in your dorm is going through the same thing as you, even though you may seem alone sometimes, someone is always there to talk to. You just have to go be yourself and you will have a great time and meet awsome people. There will be ups and downs, but you will get through everything with the help of your friends. The transistion may be hard at the begining but over time you will get used to it and learn to love life at college. In the end everything always works out the way it is suppose to. Dont be afraid to be who you really are and be open to making new friends. You never know, they become the friends at your wedding one day. Overall, just be confident in the person who you have become and be strong. College will do great things for you.

Think back to the story you learned about as a child called "The Tortoise and The Hair." Slow and steady wins the race. You are going to be tempted to just go go go and never stop. Just focus and do your best and everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Set good, strong goals and stick to them. Layout your school schedule at the beginning of every semester. After a while it will become hard to be persistent in planning but it will benefit you in the long run. I promise. I heard a quote by C. S. Lewis which said, “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” If you want to have an effect on others, then you will have to learn how to incorporate this into who you are as an individual. In order to have true integrity you will have to make a commitment to do the right thing simply because it is the right choice. When it is sought with this intent it is easy to do the right thing at all times because it will become habit. Work hard but have fun.

Appreciate the life you have, one day you will not be able to enjoy it as much as you want. The future will be very unclear and frustrating ad spend as much as you can with friends. You worked so hard to feel so comfortable with others so why waste the time you have when in the future, you will all be going to different schools and will not have the time to just be in each others' company. Be with family too because they will support you in your worst times, even if they aren't immediate family. Since so many of them are older than you, why not ask them for advice? They know what the college life is like and they care about you enough to not let you go through stressful times alone. You will miss them when they go back to college and you won't be able to see them as much as you can right now.

Never underestimate the power of a study group and adequate study time. I never really studied in high school, but once I got to college I studied so much, mostly with the same group of friends who were in most of my classes. I found that working in a group really works best because you can work off each others strengths and they can help to clarify certain things you weren't sure about.

High school is more oppressive than college. Don't be afraid to pursue your intrerests, to get involved, and to stretch yourself beyond all possible limits. College gives you the wings to fly, it really helps if you've been practicing before hand. Every trip, every service, every volenteer hour counts. Don't be afraid of the new people you'll meet. It's fine to be nervous, but there are many new and inovative ideas to be shared, and you won't discover them if you don't start talking to people. Home will always have the best food, but you'll be suprised how easy it is to adjust to the college campus. Don't try to avoid the whole experience. Jump in! Most importantly, books always look thinner online. Save yourself a trip to the doctor and buy a backpack with wheels.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school teenager, I would tell myself to go into collge and be myself. The advice I would give myself, is to do your best to make new friends, these people are going to be your friends for life. Doing well in class is the most important part of school, it shapes the rest of your life. College will be the greatest years of your life, do everything you can to make the most out of it.