Stevens Institute of Technology Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Anna

I hope my advice would inspire a passion for Teamwork because I think that is core to success in not just college but also life. At Stevens I learned teamwork was not just important to get assignments done, but to inspire other to enjoy it and grow from the interaction. My excitement for group challenges made other realize they can be fun and a valuable learning opportunity; we found pride in ourselves, new skills, and wonderful accomplishments. I may have doubted that one person could make a difference, but working as a group has clearly shown the value that each individual contributes and how individual abilities can mesh to create a greater whole. Another benefit from sharing group projects is the bonds we form with others. As group assignments became more complex, I learned the value of planning, coordination, and communication. Most important, I learned the value of leading as a partner with appreciative praise, appropriate instructions, and a “Can Do” attitude to encourage and inspire others. I would tell the seniors to take every opportunity to work with others to build their team skills. It will forever change how they remember high school and what they accomplish in college.

Jordan

My college experience has given me the drive and maturity that I need to be succesful in my life. It has also shown to me that my past academic struggles have all been due to my own fears of failing. Doing so well when I was very young gave my parents high standards of me, and in high school those expectaions were a great intimidation. Taking College Success courses at my community college allowed me to become aware of this fear that I have always had, and it has given me the motivation to push past it all, because what I have found out is that when I actually try my best, I get my best, and I am constantly surprising myself. This skill of consciousness has been applicable to many different aspects of my life, and I am becoming a very independent and motivated person because of it. I owe this invaluable gift to college.

Anuja

The enormous knowledge, wonder classes nad labs, fantastic teachers and lovely colleaugues.

Paige

Knowing what I know now about making the transition into college life, the main thing I wish I knew as a high school senior would be to not stress out and to just relax. Making the transition is not as hard as it may seem. Every college-bound high school senior is going through the same thing and it always turns out the way it is supposed to. College life is amazing. Being on the women's varsity soccer team, I had no idea that my teammates would turn out to be my best friends. Knowing this the summer before college would have been extremely helpful. I constantly stressed about the upperclassmen on my team. I thought they would boss me around and make me feel very inferior but that was not the case.

Andrew

I would have honestly taken classes more seriously. I was a mundane student, who didn't try hard enough. If I would have studied harder and received better grades, I could be at a better school. My study habits were not as developed as they were when I left high school. Additionally, I would have participated in many more activities. for leadership roles.

Christina

College seems so scary and complicated when one is in high school. Thousands of questions constantly run through one's mind. Will I make friends? Will I be able to do all the work? What if I hate my roommate? If I could go back in time, I would try and ease all of these silly questions out of my mind. Freshmen are always worried about making friends, but everyone is in the same situation. No one knows anyone so everyone is friendly. Just keep your door open and be open-minded when you meet someone. Also, if a student does not like their roommate, the staff is very helpful in switching dorm rooms to accommodate both parties. I would tell myself to relax and have fun. College is difficult, but there is a lot of free time to enjoy life. I have a 3.787 out of 4.0 GPA and although I do study, I still relax. Something very important is to keep a planner. Your mom is not there to make sure assignments get done on time and it's easy to fall behind. College is the most important time of your life so just have fun.

Melissa

Life as a college student is much different than that of a high school student. At college there are no parents to make your meals, remind you of activities, or tell you when to go to bed. You must be prepared to make time for three meals a day, complete your schoolwork, get a good night's rest, and spend time with friends. Begin developing good study habits now. Even though you can cram for tests the night before you take them in high school, you will not be able to do that in college. The exams are much more difficult, so you should set aside at least one hour a night for the three nights prior to an exam. You should begin studying for finals the week before the exam, because they cover so much material and count for forty percent of your grade. Be careful not to immerse yourself in studying all the time, or you will burn yourself out. Try to get to the gym a few times a week so that you can keep in shape. Working out and taking the time to relax with friends are good sources of stress relief.

Cris

Hey Cris, I hope wearing that uniform every Thursday and Friday are getting old, it won't have to happen much longer. Rooming with John will be great, and pre-orientation should definitely set your friends for the freshman year, so don't feel out of place talking to them. School work isn't so bad, but keep up on calculus homework, I hate it just as much as you, but you aren't alone so work with your friends. Don't fret about Sam and Sarah, there's more fish to be had at college, specifically Carolyn. You should try to meet her early, we're perfect together. Either way she's in your Chem Lab in the second semester so be yourself. You might be dating cherie right now, but don't let it last past the summer, she has to be stable before you can ever have something. If I could get you to do one thing that's been bothering me, it would be to follow that dream of inventing. Get a notebook and jot the ideas down so you remember. God knows my head is full of them still. Good luck, I love you.

Quentin

Get involved. There's so many things to learn and do at college - especially at Stevens. And you meet so many great people - you develop almost an extended family. And that helps with the transition - it makes you feel like you never really left home. So get out and get involved - hey, if you don't like something, you can always just say "Hey, this isn't for me, but thanks" , and leave it at that. But at least you went and tried it. There's a saying by Mark Twain, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover...."

John

That a lot of your friends will forget about you once you go to college, dont hang on too tightly.

Patrick

Find more information about schools and find more schools.

Pedro

Picking a school where your son/daughter will be for the next 4 years of his/her life is very important. The most important part for me is the financial aid because if the school costs a lot of money, usually the child has to be working and taking out loans throughtout the shcool year, and that can affect with the schoolwork. You want to make sure you visit the school a couple of times and not only during the weekly campus tours, but also on the weekends at night to analyze how the nightlife is as well as the schools safety. You want to always ask about the cooperative job options that the school has because with today's economy the employers are looking for as most experience as possible. Another important factor to research is the class size and the tutoring services available to make sure that your child has a good opportunity to receive a good education. Also, look at the job placement percentages that the school has for its graduates. This is what I would advice to parents of incoming freshmen.

Kyle

The best advice that can be given in regard to finding the correct school is that you must talk to as many regular students as possible, if possible. The students that guide the tours will paint the most favorable picture that they can for the school, while the regular students will tell it as it is. In order to make the most of the college experience one must make friends early and often in order to develop a group of people that you can develop connections with.

Elizabeth

The advice that I would give to students about finding the right colege is to keep your options open and take advantage of opportunities that some schools offer such as open house, tours, sitting in on a class, or even staying the night on a prospective student sleeping bag weekend. All of these options help you better see what the college has to offer and help you narrow down your choices ,giving you and idea of what goes on around the campus. I would do some research on the shool before you attend an interview and ask questions so that you have an idea about the school that you may end up attending. Keep an open mind and remain positive because this time in your life can be very stressful deterimining where you want to spend the next four years of your life. Never loose hope and always believe in yourself for making it this far in your school career. Best of luck !!

Michael

When looking for a college it's important to understand that beyond being a place where you will learn for the next four years, this is a place that you will live for the next four years (assuming that you will be living on campus). You should go to school somewhere where you are interested in living. Academics are important, but you can usually find similar caliber schools with much different atmospheres within a reasonable radius of where you are looking to go to school. The key to making the most out of your college experience is learning and exploring within the classroom as well as out of it. Don't be afraid to try new things. College is a place where you can figure out what you like and who you are. Push yourself to your limits and you will discover your full potential.

William

Choose your college based on your own interests and your feelings about being on a particular campus rather than being swayed by your parents' or teachers assessment of the best fit for you.

Tyron

You, the student decides to make the most of college. College should be considered for its academics and social life which should be a factor that should not be overlooked. There must be a balance between them both to feel comfortable as an attending student, but staying focus on academics should never be forgotten.

Eric

Be sure the college you decide to go to is the right fit for you, but don't be afraid to take chances!

travis

dont chose Steven's Institute of Technology

Jayme

Visit as many schools as you possibly can, and try to talk with students from all years about how they like their school.

Randall

Parents should take an active roll in helping their childern search for a collage, but the final desision should be left for the student to make. Parents can intriduce the student to prospective schools but should not influence the students final decision. After all the student must be completely satisfied with their choice. If they feel they have been pressured into a school they might find it difficult to stay focused. Students must be one hundered percent satisfied with their choice in order to succeed.

Jenifer

During the college enrollment process, parents and students are given a tremendous amount of advice, whether it be for better or for worse. The best advice a student could receive is to follow one's heart. It may sound silly, but typically you will know the minute you arrive on campus to tour the college that this is the school for you. If that feeling is not there, don't settle on a school and don't be pressured into one. This is the place where you will spend the next 4 years of your life, and it's somewhere that will become your home. It should be the choice of the student. Along those lines, the best advice to give a parent is to let his/her child choose for him/herself, within reason of course. The child should never feel pressured into the choice of another, but should be encouraged to find what's best for him/her. Ultimately, the smartest choice is to work together and listen to each other to make the best selection possible.

Allyson

Visit as many schools as you can and if it feels right, apply. At school, participate as much as you can because you're only there once!

Geraldo

When looking for the right college, the main thing you must do is visit the school, stay overnight if you can. You must also ask yourself, do I want to live here for four, maybe five years of my life? You must also ask about financial aid even if you think you are not going to need and/or qualify for it; there is always the possibility of your parent's income from changing. If you are going to be playing sports get to know the coaches and your future teammates, before making a decision. The two main things a student is going to need to do well in college are study habits and time management. If you are able to develop study habits then you would get good grades, which is the key in succeeding in college. By having time management you would be able to balance academics, athletics, social life, and other activities. Then by being able to balance all of these you would get the full college experience. College is not all about studying, but it is also not all about partying and athletics...trust me on that one, it's from personal experience DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!

Ekatherina

It is important to consider the student needs, and their comfort zone. Some schools offer great social life, but not a gret curriculum, and both the student and parent should be able to recognize what is more important. The location is very important, and the type of studeny body it has. Some schools offer its graduates promising futures, and others do not. Make sure you know what your college has to offer you for your money!! Also make your own choice. Do not make the mistake to follow a friend, a boyfriend, or a crush. You might miss out on good opportunities at a different colege that would have been your perfect fit.

Chad

The right college will not always be the one you had in mind as your first choice (I ended up going to my 4th choice school, and looking back I definitely feel like it was the best choice). Apply to as many places as you can, even places you don't really think you would want to go or that you don't think you will get into. While you're at college, just keep your attitude in check. Attitude can be everything! It can determine how much you enjoy school, how well you do, and your outlook on life. Be positive and get connected somewhere on campus. A well balanced social life is the best foundation for strong academics, because if you aren't happy with where you are and what you are doing, then you definitely won't be motivated to do schoolwork!

Pedro

Having gone through 2 tough years dealing with a little bit of everything, sports, fraternities, clubs, and schoolwork, I feel confident in answering this question to a concerned parent/student. College is where you/your child will spend most of the time in for the next four years. You have to know where you feel comfortable and high school is a big help for that. If you go to a big high school and the size bothers you, then you might wanna change that when you go to college. For me, I prefer a small school because every teacher you have gets to know you and that can be very helpful with the course work as well as connections for after graduation. Living on campus is also a great experience. While there may be concern about dorming affecting the student's study skills due to too much socializing/partying, there is nothing like dorming. Not only will you make great friends, but you will make great connections which can come helpful when you have a project or a hard test to study for. Lastly, you want to choose a school that has a high job placement after graduation.

Jingjing

Go to the campus and talk to the students.

Marc

The upcoming student needs to examine what he or she wants out of college. If the student knows what they want to do then picking a school based on that is a good way to start but college is more then just academic work. The location and social life on campus are also big factors in the decision. My advice would be to visit many school. If the opportunity arises to sleep over at these school, definitely go for it. See what kind of environment is most productive for you. Also you should look into the other activities and programs on campus such as co-op, rotc and research opportunities on campus. Many of these activates are good ways to obtain financial support as well as valuable experience before entering the work place. The price of the school is definitely one of the factors in deciding which school is best but it should not be the final factor. If you think a school is perfect for you go out and find the financial aid and support you need. There are tons of scholarships and aid programs out there. If you have enough drive you can get what you need.

Samuel

Analyze your dreams, face the reality, and choose the best course of action.

Timothy

First advice would be to visit the college in question. See if they have an overnight experience for prospective students so the child in question could observe classroom settings and dormlife. Secondly, it depends on what the prospective student wants to do. Although I understand that not all high school or prospective know what they want to do, I think that the school, especially when identifying a school for its specific field, should be very important. For instance, I wanted to go to an engineering school. Thirdly, remember that a very important part of the college career is experience; don't get caught up in academics, though they are very important. Remember to enjoy yourself and get your work done at the same time. I feel like these are the three points that helped me choose Stevens.

Nick

Find out how it works behind the scenes to the best of your ability - there's almost nothing worse than finding a largely unresponsive and apathetic faculty and staff where you're investing the most important years of your life.

Donatas

Don't look at college as just something to get through. Find a college to enjoy, even though the money might be tight.

Andrew

Go with your heart. Visit a bunch of campuses to get a feel for them and go with the school that you feel most comfortable wtih because you will be living there for a while and you have to be ok with that.

Rebecca

Make sure you visit the college, stay over night if you can, to get a feel for what the college is really like before you make a decision!

Mike

tyj

Kevin

I still remember the uneasy/exciting feeling of looking for a college. I recommend to every person to decide what they truly want to get out of college. When applying is seems like they all offer the same education but with just a different atmosphere; I learned that this was wrong the hard way. I narrowed down to two schools. Assuming that the academics would be relatively the same at either place I chose the more 'appealing 'campus which had a few more things that interested me. After going through the first semester without learning anything and after talking to upperclassmen and graduates, it was time for me to evaluate what I really wanted out of college. I thought about it long and hard and decided to transfer to the other school; even though I loved everything else about my first school. I made my academics key. So my advice for those looking for a college: decide if you want to hang out, not learn as much and get a so-so degree, or if you want a hardcore degree that will really get you into the 'meat' of you major? The decision is harder then you may think.

Beatrice

stick with the place that feels most natural. You will feel it when you find the right place for you.

Aaron

Find a school in a location you like, especially if you live far away. Most academic programs are the same, but the social environment varies tremendously. Also, the size of a school means alot so do not take it lightly.

Scott

choose it for the area and the opportunities...not just because its the cheapest

Jibin

The best advice I can give is to choose a college that will give you the ultimate college experience. This does not mean having fun all the time and partying all the time. A college that can provide this sort of experience has a perfect balance between studies and having fun . Volunteering and hanging out with friends is an awesome experience. Definitely stay on campus and dorm-its here that you make friends for a lifetime. Network with people and go to career fairs...its here that you show yourself to prosepective companies that you may one day work for. Join a service fraternity like (Alpha Phi Omega) and have fun. Be a leader not a follower..don't just join a dozen clubs and be a member. Join 2 or three organizations/clubs/frat and have some sort of leadership in that group. Above all keep your gpa above 3.4 and you will do fine.

Sergio

Any college can look good based on rankings, pamphlets received in the mail, tour guides, or pure statistics. However, choosing the right college is more so about visiting the school and getting several first-hand accounts from students that aren't paid to "sell the school." Obviously the only true way to find out if a college is right for you is if you experience it yourself firsthand, but of course you want to pick the right school the first time around. What prospective students may forget is that in order to do well at a college, you need to be happy with your location and the people you're around. Many factors need to be considered aside from academics like the surrounding area(urban/rural), the type of people that attend the school(outgoing, nerdy, etc), and what you can do in the community when you have free time. College is not just school, but an experience and you definitely do not want to make the wrong choice before beginning your adult life as a professional.

Mary

Personally, when I took my first tour through my college campus, I knew it was where I belonged. Therefore, I advise every student I know that is on the college hunt to first visit the campus of a prospective school and imagine yourself walking around there everyday. Sometimes, you can just feel that it is the right fit for you.

Andy

Get Involved. Study Hard. Have some fun somewhere. Learn to become a Leader.

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Timothy

My sister is applying to college this year and she asked me the same question. I told her that academicly and socially all schools are exactly the same, because i all depends on what you make of them. So how do you choose? Well you decide on the things you cant control like location, classes and demographics. I knew i wanted to be an engineer, go to a small school but near a big city! Stevens is a perfect fit for that.

Marcel

Make sure to visit and really research student life. In the long run, being in an environment suitable and compatible to the individual will let that person truly excel, no matter what university.

Veronica

In order to choose the right college, you have to figure out exactly what you want out of a college. If you want to be guaranteed a job after graduation, choose a school with a good career development office or strong co-op program. If you like a college because of its location, make sure you actually visit it. If you're very religious, perhaps choose a college with your religious affiliation, or a place to practice your religion nearby. The most important thing is to know exactly what you want going into your college search, and to always keep that in mind while looking. It is very easy to get lost in the search and forget your goals. To make the most out of your college experience, again, you must always be aware of what your goals are. Many people float along, without giving thought to what they want or what makes them happy. You must always strive and aim for your goals instead of aimlessly hoping your studies or your major will get you there.

Andrew

First, I would urge students to do their best in high school, since their grades and GPA could prove the difference of whether or not they get to go to their favorite college. Second, together with their parents they have to discuss the cost of college and whether financial aid would be enough for them. During this economic crisis most banks are reluctant to give away loans to students, so it would prove a good idea spending the first and second years to a college of second choise. Another way to save money would be to attend a college in your own state. Last but not least, I would advise students to get involved in college activities. Making friends and joining clubs could prove very beneficial when it comes to studying and preparing for school work. Also, it is common knowlegde that college classes tend to be very crowded. Taking the initiative and talking to your Professors not only separates you from the rest, it also shows your Porfessors that you have a keen interest in that particular subject.

Bryan

Visit the campus, talk to current students. Even the tour guides will try to talk-up the school. To get an honest opinion, talk to a current freshman or sophomore.