Boston, MA
University of Massachusetts-Boston

Once I started college I saw myself change. I gained more confidence in myself. I have always been the quiet one in school but after my first semester in college I began speaking up more in my classes and joining in the disscusions. I love the classes I have taken and enjoy learning. I know every class I take leads me closer and closer to my dream of majoring in Kinesiology.

UMass Boston is a constant headache, between ongoing construction all around the school sometimes right outside classes, unfriendly and careless staff, and the fact that the school was designed by an architect know for designing prisons, it is not a place I like to be.

The students at UMass Boston are much more mature than I had expected when entering college, and by mature I mean that the students are years older than me, some with spouses, most with children, and I've even met several divorcees.

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.

University of Massachusetts-Boston is very eager to help you learn and understand.

My school is best known for its nursing and liberal arts programs. University of Massachusetts-Boston is more of a commuter school so it is a very focused school since students come there either knowing what they want to study or have already begun to plan what they want to study. People go to this school to get their education and their education only.

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.

Commuter school so no on-campus housing. Very small class sizes despite large undregrad population.

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.

No on-campus housing makes it harder to make friends. It is also harder to find off campus housing that is affordable/close.

My school is a commuter school, therefore it is full of students who are serious about their education and less concerned with socializing.

My classmates are very friendly, helpful and intelligent.

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!

Although this school does not have a strong reputation compares to schools such as Harvard or Boston University, but it's quite affordable for many people. This school offer a decent financial aid package as well as a comfordable learning enviroment. Even though this school is quite small, but it have all necessities for learning (such as library, computer lab, online database etc. ). For those whom would like to seek for a higher education but have a limited financial budget, this school would be an acceptable choice.

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

I heard a lot of good things about the school. When i went to the orientation they made me feel very much a t home. The school doesn' have dorms so they make it a point to make sure that people get involed. I lked that because in some schools a lot of the people are alienated and do their own thing. I feel a sense of community in this school and I like that.

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.

I believe this school can accomadate any type of person. They have a little something for everybody. There are a lot of clubs and organizatins to represent any and all of someones needs. The professors are good at what they do and take their time to help the students. The also provide sufficient help for the student to succeed.