Western New England University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Western New England University know before they start?

Hannah

Do not worry if you do not know anyone at the univeristy you will be attending, you are going there to be educated and develope yourself as a person, not to go out every night drinking and getting yourself into trouble. Focus on school and do not get behind. It is most rewarding when you achieve greatness in the classroom, rather than at any party for how much you can drink, or in the social competition of how many friends you might think that you have. College is about learning, academically and personally. Yes, you will learn in the classroom, but you will also learn about yourself. You will learn about struggle and having to work 4 jobs to help pay for the outrageously expensive tution, even for a commuter, and to pay for a car to get you to and from those 4 jobs, and to school, daily. It will not be easy, but you will feel a sense of independence and self respect when you look back and know that you successfully provided for yourself. The four years of college is a time to set yourself up to be succesffuly and independent for the rest of your life.

Steven

I would tell myself to immediately apply for college. I took a year off from school to work and save money, and now I regret not going in the fall with the rest of my peers. While I have saved some money, I don't like my job, and I feel stuck in my boring town. College will hopefully open new career doors for me and allow me to socialize and enjoy my education.

Cassandra

You've been through a lot to get here, and not everybody is going to get it. Stay true to yourself; I hate to give such hackneyed advice, but it's true--there's only one person out there exactly as you are. The day of graduation is the day high school is out of your life forever; the popular kids and the loners are on the same footing socially, and you have a leg up from them now. It's cool to be a nerd in college. People want to do well, and people will respect you for paying attention and doing your work. You can speak up in class and not be "that geeky kid." It's difficult to transition socially, but remember to make eye contact, smile, and always carry around a Harry Potter book--if someone comes up to you because of it, you've just met your best friend! Nobody knows each other in college; everybody is as anxious as you to make friends, so it'll be easier. They aren't the same immature kids you grew up with. Stay organized, do your homework in advance, and don't hide in your room!

Joseph

If I was given the ability to go back in time and talk to my self as a highschool senior, I wouldn't give any advice. This is because as a senior, I already learned all of life'e lessons in terms of academics. It was my junior year that gave me the most issues. By that time everyone around me was mentally "college ready" as I barely scraped by in both grades and SAT scores. A wise man once said that in order to get to heavan, one must go through hell; what I firmlly beleve led to my sucess as a highschool senior was the "Hell" I experienced my junior year. Through the fire and flames of my junior year, this once sandy dessert was molded into smooth glass. I became more responsible for my actions and learned many new attributes that guide me as a college student today. As bad as my junior year was, I was able to survive and become a stronger student. That is why if I had the ablilty to go back in time and give advice, I wouldn't.

Michael

I would tell myself to just be himself. There would be no worrying about being afraid to be open to people. Everyone here would enjoy who he is and who he will become. The transition will be easy and your PA (Peer Advisor) will help you along the way to help you if you need it. I would let myself know that there are people you are going to meet that are just like him friendly, wacky, and non judging. My old self was more shy and not really out going I would tell him that it all gets better from here don't be afraid to be yourself and accomplish as much as you , because time flies in college.

Arlenys

To keep focuse, do not get distracted. Work even harder, don't give up when things turn differently from what you expected. Ask professors for help, ask questions and DO NOT Procastinate.

Mariah

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self about the transition to college I would tell my self 3 things. I would make sure to tell the younger me to not fear the future so much and to embrace change. I know now that time will keep passing no matter how much I fear it. There's no point in fearing something I cannot fight. I'd also tell myself not to be so scared of getting lower than an A, but to always work my hardest and appreciate that I am a smart person. Getting an A doesn't define my intelegence. Lastly, I would tell myself to always stick by what I believe. I'd tell me to never change my opinion just to fit in because two people can have different opinions and still be friends. I shouldn't change myself for other peoples' benetfit. These three things would have meant a lot to me to hear in high school.

Carolyne

I would tell myself to breathe, be more confident, think about what I want to do in life, and not be afraid to be a leader. College is easy once you dediscate the time. The people are so welcoming. There is nothing to worry about. Being myself and letting others see who I am is the most important part of becoming a part of any community.

Jaquan

Now that I have gone through my first year as a college student, there are some questions I would like to ask my high school self. The biggest question would be, "Why aren't you working harder?". Now I'm sure that thousands of other people applying for this scholarship would tell their former selves the same thing, but my case was extreme. High school was simply too easy. I never felt challenged enough to apply myself. While the teachers I had in high school were great, I knew how to manipulate them. It was so bad that I stopped doing a majority of my homework at the end of my sophomore year. Instead of making up the assignments, I could make a deal with my teachers to get them to drop some homework grades if I were to get a high grade on the next test. I knew I could pull it off but they didn't so they almost always took me up on that offer. I thought I would be able to get by in college with the same approach but it is not a possibility. I wish I could've broken my habits and hubris sooner.

James

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell him to never procrastinate. I procrastinated all four years of high school, either receiving decent grades or barely passing. If I had pushed myself academically, I would've had more confidence in myself, and that would've gave me the motivation to apply for scholarships and colleges sooner instead of waiting an entire year. I have learned recently that you can (sort of) get away with procrastinating in high school. College, from what I've heard from relatives and friends, is a different story. With stricter deadlines and more assignments, procrastinating in college will only get you lower grades and low confidence. Procrastination is a habit that you should never create, but if you realize how bad it can be, you can stop the habit before it is too late. This is what I' would tell my high school senior self if I can go back in time. But I can only dream.

James

Apply yourself in everything. Do not waste a single minute and cherish the moments you have.

Krista

I would suggest going to a community college and taking your general education requirements there to save money, unless you have a specific major that requires all four years to complete.

Elinor

I don't regret my decisions, because if I did things differently, I may have have not been here when my dog was put to sleep, or when my sister needed someone to look up to, but I do often wonder how things may have been if I did choose another school. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I'd tell myself to start being proactiv. I would tell myself to start applying for scholarships and look into schools more. When I picked the school I am currently in now, I didn't have any real knowledge about the school aside from the fact that I was admitted and my best friend was going there. I would tell myself to stop being so naive and to go look more in depth into schools and campuses. I picked the most prestigious school I found myself admitted to and I went with it. I would also warn myself that I really should not go to such a small school; that a bigger school is more suitable for me and that scholarships are more important then I could ever possibly imagine.

Tyler

The advice that I would give to myself is to be true to yourself. My high school offered a pre-engineering program. Since my dad is an engineer, I enrolled to see if I would like it. I did and decided to apply to college for engineering. The college courses were a struggle and my stress level was high. I did pass the courses but some just barely. After speaking to my college counselors, I realized why I had made these choices. It was because I wanted to show my dad up, that I could do it too. Well, my lesson is I did not belong in engineering because that is not what is going to make me happy. I am pleased to report I have found what will make me happy and I am doing it for me. It was a good lesson to learn and thankfully I learned it after my first year in college. If I had realized back then why I was making these choices then maybe I could have realized my true journey earlier as I did not give other options in college any consideration.

Macmillan

The advice i would give my self as a high school senior if i had the ability to go back in time would be something along the lines of try harder. If i had applied myself more in highschool i would have not only been able to acheive higher grades, but i would have been more prepared for the work load in college. Intead of just barely getting by with the minimum in high school, I would tell myself to go above an beyond because you are not expected to do anything less than that at college.

Amy

I would advise myself to not jump into anything too soon. I would tell myself that opportunities will arise and it is okay to take time to think about how you will feel about them. I would also tell myself to be open to new things. By meeting new people and friends it definitely makes the college experience more rewarding. I would make sure that I understood that college is different and challenging but as long as I stay focussed I can achieve my goals. Also, I would tell myself to utilize my resources and see that people are there to help if I ever need it. College is a place to discover yourself and I would inform myself that I will be doing just that by taking advantage of opportunities that arise for me.

kristy

Thus far I have gotten excitement. I have not been in school in almost 20 yrs. Just going through the process of registration, choosing classes, the finaical aid process has already shown me some of my strengths & weakness. Just going to the health care orientation, was a learning experience for me. It allowed me to make a choice on what would be my final degree plan. So just participatin in on event at the college even before my 1st class has been valuable to my by letting me know what would be a better choice for me.

Steven

I've made a ton of mistakes throughout my college career?and I mean a TON! Yeah, there were some great decisions made: I continued to participate in athletics as a varsity collegiate athlete, stepped into a few leadership roles, including work as a Resident Assistant and as a community programming chair. I fell in love, made lasting friendships, received a few job offers?but through all of these accomplishments, some difficult challenges occurred too. I forgot to do some assignments, did poorly on others, slept through class, let people get to me when I shouldn't have, disappointed some of the people whom I worked so hard to impress, and worst of all, disappointed myself. What I learned most from my experience thus far in college, is a lot about life. Not only are there going to be some great times, but there are also going to be some very difficult times. We need to grow from any and all mistakes that we may make, take that experience and turn it into the future that we all deserve. I feel that without attending college, I wouldn't have been able to gain this "true-to-life" kind of experience.

Joe

I am currently a senior in High School looking to attend college, for this I'll tell about my High School experience and relate to my intended college experience. As a freshmen in High School I was unprepared, with pressure from my parents, friends, and the school I had to juggle my priorities, sometimes putting homework in front of my family or putting my friends in front of my family. Into my junior and senior year I started to mature when I opened my eyes and realizied some truths in life that I never bothered to examine before. Upon querying further into these thoughts I began to reflect upon my earlier years of high school, perceiving that the four years of high school have been a test of maturity and judgement. Taking in other's faults with my own I began to learn from mistakes that helped me craft the person that I am today, preparing me for college. College will test me, college will push me until I break, and college will prepare me for the life outside of the walls of education.

Lynne

Make sure you choose your roommate wisely and don't slack with applying for scholarships because there is so much money available to help you pay your college bills. Apply to more colleges and universities this time that way you have a wider selection to choose from and pick the college that you feel will best suit you and your needs.