University of Rhode Island Top Questions

Don't be so incredibly shy! I know you graduated with a lot of kids that you'd known since elementary school and it's weird to be surrounded by all unfamiliar faces, but part of the reason you chose Rhode Island was to get out there and meet new people. Start conversations with strangers! When you do get up the courage to do it, I promise it leads to a new friend most of the time. The people you do get up the courage to talk to end up being really nice, so stop wasting time being preoccupied with whether or not they'll think you're awkward. Even though you might end up eating alone a few times when your roommates aren't around, remember it's only uphill from there. Besides, it's not bad to be self-reliant every once in a while. Keep in mind that it takes time to get to know people as well as you know your best friends from home... give URI a fighting chance! You'll find your niche soon.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would say that college is all about time management, discipline, and a once in a life time experience. You need to learn how to develop efficient study habits and juggle it between friends and extracurricular activities without causing harm to your success. Once you learn how to manage your time you need to use discipline in order to complete your goals without straying of the path you would like to travel. Through time management and discipline you will have the opportunities to use your free time to experience as much as you can. You never know what will come your way and you should always be willing to most new experiences. Continuing higher education is not only about improving ones wealth, but also about developing yourself in order to contribute more to society through experiencing new cultures and taking a piece of each one along for your journey of life. Now with that said, now go and make your dreams become your realities no matter how bumpy the road is.

A piece of advice to myself as a senior in high school would sound something like this: "Stephanie, you focus too much on the glory of leaving home for Rhode Island, and you are ignoring many other factors that will one day come back to bite you. Because you missed so many scholarship deadlines, it gives me a headache to look at how much we already owe in loans. I understand senior year is extremely busy and stressful because of AP classes, your job, and clubs, but scholarships need to take precedence over some of these obligations. Quit some clubs, cut down your hours, and start writing some scholarship essays. Mom and Dad said over and over that you either need to get tons of scholarships or go to an in-state school, and now I see why. I love URI and the people I've met here, but the weight of college loans has made it difficult for me to make as many friends and join as many organizations as I would have liked. Make things easier on the both of us, and put some more thought into what is entailed in getting a college education."

My experience as a high school senior were one of the best I have had. My transition from high school to college was very hard for me. After finding out what I know now about college, a big advice I would give myself is to manage my time better and work on less procrastination. If I don't do these two things, I will continue to get stuck into the midst of things goin on at school and will be less focused.

College is not like anything you've experienced before. You are going to have so many more freedoms. For example, no one is going to tell you to go to class, to finish your homework, to go to bed at a decent hour. This is going to be very appealing to you and the students with whom you are going to be sharing dorm space with. You have to be disciplined enough to know what you need to do to succeed. The primary reason you are going to college is to further your education and it is very important to keep this in mind. That being said, make sure you put some time aside to have fun! College is going to be miserable if you don't make an effort to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. A great way to deal with stress is to go to the gym. It can help clear your mind while making sure you don't fall victim to the "freshman fifteen". Remember, there are many people you can go to for help. Never be afraid to approach a professor or counselor if you need to. Good luck and enjoy!

Your status of your life will change beyond you know it, you are who you seem you want to be. Make that come true. Don?t rely on your parents or friends for support as that can easily tear apart, trust in yourself and work hard when you arrive. Arrive with your mind set on you and don?t be afraid, you?re not the only one afraid to enter college. Do what you feel is right, do what you want to, do rely on yourself to get things done. Take good notes; stay organized by mind to notebooks. Study and plan your time wisely. Take your SATs and study hard, find finical aid early and do your homework. It?s not the friends your with now that will make your future it?s you who make your future. Now go do it.

Although I am happy at the University of Rhode Island, I feel I could have done more research for my college search. I would have looked into more institutions and considered my location as a factor. I also would have paid more attention to the expenses a college education demands. I definitely would have made sure there were more oncampus living rather than off and closer to a city so there is easy access to almost anywhere.

I would advise myself to stay positive and focused. Excellence always rises to the top; work hard and do the best you can. Send in your applications and finish any andall paperwork for any colleges you apply for early! Remember these are suppose to be some of the best years of your life, don't let them pass you by.

Dear Sarah, You have finally made the decision to go to URI. You are excited and anxious for what's to be planned ahead. Graduation will be fun, and no, nothing scary will happen*. And don't worry, your summer won't ruined by the 6 week pre-mat program held by TD. Have your notebooks ready to be filled and don't forget an agenda. You will meet a whole bunch of new people so be yourself! Nobody knows how you were in high school. It's a new school, new faces, new reputation. GPA is important so pass all your classes now because these pre-mat courses will be the start of your academic career. Freshman year will be fun, so relax. You'll have your fun in the pre-mat program but there's more fun ahead. Keep focused in your studies and remember, school first. Party safe. Alcohol can lead to major judgment and can morph people's perceptions of you. So careful how you act and be mature about it. There will be challenges along the way but don't be itimidated. Just remember, work hard, school first, and never give up. Love, Sarah

If I were given the opportunity to speak to myself as a senior, one piece of advice I would give myself would be to not worry. Prior to entering into my first year of college at the University of Rhode Island I had many fears that I would not enjoy the school. I felt this way due to the fact that I never intended to attend the University of Rhode Island, as many of my classmates from high school also attend the school. My initial plan was to attend Boston University, however due to monetary constraints I was unable to enroll at the school of my choice. However, I have attempted to make the best out of my situation, and find areas of this school that I enjoy. I would also tell myself to join as many groups as possible; as I am currently a member of the outing club at the University of Rhode Island and have already seen the benefits of joining such clubs, due to the many friendships I have already made. I believe that both these pieces of advice would have helped alleviate my fears of attending the University of Rhode Island.

As a high school senior I was both naive and irresponsible, but i was also had a free spirit and and an enormous amount of courage. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself two very important things; take your SATs more seriously and make as many friends as possible. I would tell myself to take my SATs more seriously because at the time I assumed that my grades were good enough to get into any college that I desired. Looking back at this state of mind I want to smack myself, my SAT scores hindered my acceptance to two of my top colleges. The second thing I would tell myself would be to make and keep as many friends as possible. High school drama is hard to stay out of and because I participated in the gossip and caddiness I lost many friends along the way. Looking back at it, it was not worth hurting people and loosing friends. Overall, if I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would help myself better my college options and improve my highschool experience.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself about college life I would tell myself to live in campus. I live off campus and work. I believe it would be easier to live at school and not work.

Thinking back to my senior year in high school, I had big dreams of going to California for college. Now that I have completed my first semester as a freshman, I know that it is a blessing in dissguise that I did not go out west. The transition into college was difficult and I was only forty-five minutes away from home nevermind across the country. I was dead set on California a year ago and if you were to tell me I would be at the University of Rhode Island I would say you are crazy. Going into first semester I was crushed. I did not want to go to URI. Now, I have a very different opinion of the school. If I could go back in time I would tell myself to have an open mind. I had made my mind up about URI before even giving it a chance. If I had had an open mind my senior year in high school there would have been less tears, dissapointments, and stress.

It would be an ecstatic privilege to go back in time and reminisce with myself about the college transition. I would tell myself that all my High School habits and all the effort I ever put in High School would not even be good enough to survive half a semester in college. If I could I would hand myself a magical compass that always pointed towards success because it was not until college I learn to be optimistic. I would constantly remind myself that as soon as I step foot onto a college campus pavement that I will gain a thousand pounds more of responsibilities. I would make myself save every penny I could earn or find because it was not until college when I realized the true value of money and how it can affect me so personally. I would love to warn myself about all the scary things, but all the joys and laughter I would keep hidden. College is the place of opportunities, responsiblities, independance, and seriousness, but that does not mean you won't find yourself cheesing until your eyes resemble two sunsets as if you nose were a line of symmetry.

After finishing my first semester of college, I am stunned and overwhelmed about the amount of work and time that goes into preparing for an exam or even to complete one homework assignment. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advise myself that college work does not compare to high school. In college the library is your second home. To get away from the chaos of dorm-life, the library really is one of the only quiet places on campus. Another piece of advice I would give myself would be to budget money wisely and not carelessly spend money on mall trips, buying new books when used are in just as good condition, or other unnecessary expenses. And the final piece of advice I would give myself would be to meet people with an open-mind and to not pre-judge people, because going to a new school people do not know your past or how you may view your personality, all they know is your first impression, and you don't want to be viewed as someone who you don't think you are.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college life I would tell myself how important it is to be a self advocator. It is important for all high school students to know how to communicate their needs to the school they are attending to get the full benefit of their education. As a student with a disability, I know that colleges are not obligated to provide you with services you may need as high school does. To know how to speak up when you need help is the best advice i can give to myself or anyone soon to be attending college. Learning how to speak up appropriately in high school will help you have the best college experience you can.

If I could go back in time I think I would have really thought about my decision to be a nurse. I would have thought about the pros and cons and more importantly why I wanted to be one. It was important to me and I was more than interested in it but I think my childhood dream to be a nurse hid the reality of what it would actually take to become one. I would have considered so many other options that I have just now discovered. Another thing I would do if I went back in time is be more outgoing. I am so envious of some of my friends who have boyfriends and go out every weekend. Academics is most important to me, but I wish that I did more for myself. I have constantly been the shy good girl but there are some things I wish I could have done. Finally, I wish I could go back in time to volunteer in different ways. I spent 40 +hours per summer volunteering at a hospital, which was beyond rewarding. I could have done so much more for my community and learned more about different fields of study.

First off I would tell myself that procrastination is unnacceptable- even more so in college than in high school. There is a lot more freedom in college, and the freedom can lead to letting responsibilities and priorities slide. There needs to be a healthy balance between work and play, which can be maintained by creating a weekly schedule and sticking to that schedule. I would also tell myself to see my advisor more often, as I missed some opportunities because I didn't visit her as much as I should have.

If I were able to go back in time to my high school self, I would tell myself to relax and to not worry so much. When I was a senior, I was so nervous about leaving high school and entering college. I was excited about college, but I was also very nervous. The way I looked at it was I was good at high school, I got good grades, I was on the basketball team, and most of all I had my friends there with me everyday. Going to college meant starting new, not knowing my roommate, not knowing the type of course work, nothing, everything was going to be new. But once I got to college, I found that I spent all that time worrying about nothing. I met friends right away; in fact a friend that I made at orientation is now my roommate. I realized that everyone was experiencing everything for the first time too, just like me and that they were all nervous also. So if I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior I would definitely tell myself not to worry and to just relax.

Dear Erica, You should not have doubted yourself when you knew URI was the place for you. You are thinking Georgia Tech is the bst choice but you will be miserable. When you walked onto URI's campus for the first time this senior year you could tell it was right. The campus with the old style buildings were what you pictured when you envisioned yourself at college. The fact that cars were not allowed to drive through campus also appealed to you. You had that "feeling" when you toured the campus that it was right. And you had that same feeling when you toured it the second time. That gut instinct is what you should follow. You know what you want in life and that is your education, and the most important thing you need to know is that your education is what you make of it. No big college name will determine how good your degree is. It is how much effort you put into it and how happy you are while doing it. Being miserable isn't worth a big name, so keep that in mind when you decide where to go. Choose wisely, Future Erica

I have spent the last couple years of my life working aboard a commercial fishing vesel in my home town. When I graduated high school i chose to go into the work force instead of attending college. If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to go to school!! Living on my own and working has provided me with an invaluable experience, but i could have gotten the same experience working in the summer then going to school in the fall like all of my friends did. Now i feel like i am at a disadvantage because i took so much time off before going to college. I have also put myself into a financially tight spot because i chose to go into the fishing industry, which has been a rocky road. That is why this scholarship money would help me out in a big way so that i can go on to make the best of myself in college. Thank you for considering me.

the advice I give myself is to relax and go with the flow. there is a lot to learn, and a lot of people to meet. don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Everyone is there for the same thing. enjoy yourself and have fun.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advise myself to not be so nervous about beginning college. I was nervous about living in a dormitory with other girls, about finding food that I would actually enjoy, about leaving my dog, boyfriend, and family behind. My mind was filled with "What if?" - What if URI is not the right school for me? What if college is not what I expect it to be? What if I don't make new friends and completely hate the experience? These thoughts constantly raced through my mind throughout my senior year of high school. Looking back at the transition from high school to college, I realize that it couldn't have gone any smoother. As soon as I set foot on campus on move-in day, all of my worries seemed to instantly dissolve and I knew that I would be okay. I would advise myself that I shouldn't worry about going to college, because I would love it from the very beginning.

If I could go back in time and talk to my highschool self, I would tell myself to forget about physics and enroll in a biology major. I would say that although physics is fascinating, I truely love biology and the idea of somehow helping the planet we live on.

Get a job. Study every day. Do what makes you happy. If you get the idea that something isn't right for you, stop and think about why and then make the best decision for yourself regardless of what others will think or how it might seem to your parents. Life is too short to be spent doing things in which you derive not only no pleasure but are extremely unpleasant. And don't waste your money on stupid things. Work hard every day.

Put more effort into school work.

Start looking up careers and jobs that are in your intended major field NOW! Make sure you use the next four years (or more!) to take the classes, earn the certifications and aquire the skills you need to succeed at those jobs when you graduate. There is absolutely NO substitute for hands on experience and most jobs - even entry level - won't hire you without at least a year of experience under your belt. Get serious about what you're interested in early, and even if your ideas and goals change along the way, you'll know how to take the steps to get where you want to go and will have a great resume to boot! Work hard at school, but make time to play and get involved. Some of the greatest lessons I learned that help me in my personal & professional life today I learned outside the classroom through the clubs and teams I was involved with. Bottom line? Do your Research. Get Experience. Look for Inspiration and tools Outside the Box. Make time for yourself, figure out who you are, and nothing will stop you from getting where you want to go! Best wishes!

I would tell myself, that it is okay to make mistakes. It's okay to change my major. You don't need to have a whole long plan for the rest of my life at the age of 18 because you'll just end up changing it. (like i already did) I would tell myself to stay positive and enjoy college and all its resources because it really does fly by. I would say take in every moment and learn as much as you can. College is about balancing and adjusting; it will challenge you and change you. You will remember college forever, but it will not necessarily define you as a person. Getting an education is important, it does not have to be the top school in the country to receive a great education and a rewarding experience.

"I'm going to warn you. You've never seen a drug in your life, but about a quarter of the people there are probably carrying weed at any given time. It's fine, people are much less annoying when they're high than drunk. Also, when your room-mate pees on your floor at the end of first semester, It's alright, the school's going to compensate by giving you a single. The meal plan is a little difficult to get used to, but once you get into the swing of it, it's about 5 times healthier than the food at home, and tastes fabulous. The only other thing I need to warn you about is the housing department. They're gonna say they'll e-mail you, but they don't, they post your appointment on some obscure site online. They're the only department on campus that's terrifying though. This campus is your friend."

Looking back I would kick myself in the butt because I would honestly tell myself to try my hardest the first year in college. Sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice some social opportunities, but you can not let yourself get overwhelmed with the work. However, looking back I would not change everything about my first year at URI because a lot of the mistakes I made throughout that first year helped me to grow and realize what I had to do the next year. I understand better how to study for certain classes because I realized certain techniques did not work out as well. In addition I learned too break out of my shell and I'm not as shy as i was in High School. However the best advice I would give myself would be to never doubt myself and keep pushing through, college is going to teach you a lot about life and help you grow as an individual. Its going to be tough sometimes, but in the end it will all be worth the adventure.

To go back in time and talk to myself in high school I would tell me to try everything. I would want to tell me to work harder in and out of the classroom and even to play sports. To make friends outside of my click and get to know others for who they are and not who you think they are. Really I would tell myself to live life to the fullest while I could because the consequences in high school aren?t as sevier as they are out in the "real" world.

If I had a chance to re-visit my high school senior year, I would tell myself to keep doing what your doing. I was always very organized with my school work and always on time for class. My organizational skills have helped me a lot throughout college which I plan to keep up with. I would probably push myself a little more with school work because in college you have to be determined and focused to succed where as high school I was ok with pretty good. Lastly, I would tell myself to have stuck with soccer. I played for 15 years of my life and senior year I stopped. I would love to play for the URI women's soccer team because it was once my passion and to see the team play saddens me. Also, being a transfer student it is hard to make new friends and it would of been a great way too!

If I could go back in time to my senior year of high school I would tell myself to study harder, never miss an 8am class, and don't procrastinate. I would tell myself that if I procrastinated too much in calculus I would have to drop the course and take it over again in the next semester. I would also tell myself to relax and not stress out so much. Everything really will be okay in the long run. Oh, and decide on a Biology major, don't go with physics.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to follow my heart. I would tell myself to forget about what my mom said and apply to the University of Massachusetts. Umass was my first choice but I did not end up applying because my mother had me convinced I couldn't afford it. After thinking, I agreed. If I had applied, I could have looked hard for scholarships and I could have easily afforded the school. After attending the University of Rhode Island, I realized I belong at Umass. The university I attend now is beautiful and it is a wonderful school. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I belong here. I feel like I belong with the love of my life at Umass.

not a whole lot.

If I could go back in time with the information I have now on college, I would have a few things to say. First I would definitely take more time to search for the "right" school for me. I rushed to find a school and ended up behind in the process. It took me two years to actually go to school. The second piece of advise I would give would be to live on campus. I do not live on campus and since I don't I do not feel as involved. It is hard to spend the day at the University and not have too many people to talk to. I see roomates having lunch together and I wish that could be me. The final piece of advice I would give to myself would be to stay focused on the final goal. It really helps to remind myself that I am there to get my education and that I am doing this for me and for me only. So when I have a bad day, I try to stay focused on the final goal....graduation!!

You are beginning an exciting new chapter of your life. Take it seriously! There will be many temptations and obstacles along the way, use them as learning experiences. Don't be afraid to explore different majors, you will find the one that is right for you and when you do, it will all be worth it. Have fun but keep your eye on the prize and learn all you can in the process. Remember, that you can learn something from every person you encounter. You will learn more about yourself, from yourself than from romantic interests. Look inside yourself and listen! The sooner you take this advice, the sooner everthing else will fall into place. You will see your path clearly.

I'm the first one to go to college so I didn't have anyone in my family to give me cliche post-high school pre-college advice. After graduating, I had the same cocky, know-it-all attitude that everyone in my class had. However, on the inside I was absolutely terrified. Looking back, I laugh at all the stupid worries I had and would give anything to be able to go back and experience those very feelings that I wished would go away 3 years ago. If I could offer myself some advice, I would start with this: every once in a while, you have to stop, look around, and soak everything up. These are the four best and worst years of your life and when it's all over, there's nothing you wouldn't give to be able to go back to even the bad times. Don't think you're some hot shot college kid, but don't be afraid to go out and do crazy things either. Take risks, but use discretion. Within these four years, you will truly find out who you are, which is more vaulable than any degree.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself I as a high school senior, I would advise myself to apply for more scholarships. Everyone always says, "if you don't apply, you can't win", which I feel is completely true. Throughout my high school years, many people had advised me to apply for as many scholarships as I possibly could. At that point, I didn't realize quite how time-consuming some of them were. Most scholarships require an essay, which is not unreasonable with enough time. However, if you don't give yourself enough time to research the different scholarships that you are eligible for and to thoughtfully complete each essay, you are selling yourself short. I didn't begin my scholarship search until late in my senior year of high school. I wish I had started researching earlier, but now I know how important it is to give myself enough time. I am a full-time student during the school year and a full-time employee during the summer. Working during the summer definitely helps to pay for my education, but every extra bit helps.

I would take a lot more AP classes to make the college work load easier; then I could take less classes per semester and focus on the hard ones. I also would take more time to research different fields.

Let the student decide for themself, after all they are the one who is going to live and study there. URI was the only college I toured and I knew I wanted to go there immediately. Make sure the campus has everything you are looking for, and the surrounding area is lively. College is where 18 and 19 years olds find themselves, so the school should have an evironment that will allow, encourage, and support them in doing so.

I would start off with making a list of what you want in a college. This will help weed out colleges that might not fit your needs. Also after a visit at school on your drive home make a pro/con list. You make one and have your parents make one too. You will be surprised how many schools you end up learning about and visitng and will forget things as time goes on so these lists will come in handy down the line. When you are getting a tour of a college you will just get this feeling that you belong there. Thats how you will know what school to choose. Good Luck!

For students looking for a college, figure out what you want to do in life first. Think of what you would do as a job and not mind doing it without pay. When you figure that out, or something close to it, look for a school that has a really good program for the major you're looking for. Don't worry so much about the social life part of the college, focus on the academic because that is what you are going to college for in the first place. You'll find your social life will be just fine reguardless of whether the college has greek life or not.

Making the most out of your college experience is the same as in any situation. It is really just what you make it. If you start college with a bad attitude you probably won't like it, at URI they try and help start you off on the right foot with orientation and welcoming day. This really helpped me, not only to give me a better outlook on the school, but also to get to know the school better. Finding the right college is a tough decision, it really helps to go look at the campus or talk to an alumni.

The best advice I have to give is to get out and look. You need to explore and visit all kinds of colleges with different settings, sizes, academic programs, extracurricular activities and campus life. While visiting for a day will give you a feel for it, you will never get the full effect as staying with an actual student who lives on campus and can show you what it is like to be in their shoes as a full time student. When you know what you want, most of the research can easily be done online. Do this and know what to look for in a college before you apply. When you apply, don't stress yourself out by overloading yourself with college applications; limit yourself to 7 or 8. Of your applications remember to pick a reach school, and fallback school and a school that?s on target with you and that you think you have a fair chance of getting into. Above all keep in mind that applications aren't hard, just time consuming, so set aside special time dedicated to filling out applications and just get it done.

When finding the right college and making the most out of the college experience, I think that parents should allow their children to make their own decision. I know of people that wanted to major in an art related field, but their parents strongly discouraged the idea. I think that students should pick a field of study that best suits them, and makes them happy. The cost of college may also discourage students and parents to continue with school, or to enroll in a particular school. In my opinion that is definetly something to think about and plan for, but in the end it should all be worth it. Once you have an education no one can take that away from you.

Make sure you really look at the schools you are interested in and what the school as to offer you. College is a very important step in your life. The right college is going to determine where you end up in life along with it being the first huge step in the direction of your life as an independent person. I didnt take the time to find the right school for myelf and I ended up at a school where i was miserable and because of that my grades suffered as well. I then took my time and looked at schools from every aspect. I am now at the University of Rhode Island and its my perfect fit. I am getting good grades because I am happy and I can finally live on my own and be okay. I joined a sorority and now I have an amazing support system and it feels like a home away from home. The most importatnt thing when looking at colleges is to make sure the school you decide to go to is youre perfect fit. If you are happy with your school, everything else will fall into place!

Due to the severe economic times, have a good balance of practicality in addition to adhering to your wants regarding your college choice.

Be sure your degree of choice is offered at the university or college which you intend on attending. Apply to at least 5 colleges. Be sure to fill out your FASFA on time. Find a university inwhich you feel like you fit in. For example size/ housing/ and location. I recommend a university that is close enough to your home within 3-4 hour drive. Try to find a university that is within your state if at all possible especailly if you can attend a state university, it will help you financially. Look for schoolarships in your community, every bit helps. Be open minded. Once you decide where to attend get involved in school activities and supprt your school.

College is what you make it, and you should know that your personal motivation is a huge part of how good your education can be. Your SAT and ACT scores won't matter as much as people tell you, because in the end, it's about your attitude and personality. Choose a school for it's size and it's teachers. It's okay to change your major, most college students do multiple times! Take classes for the professors- it can change your entire outlook on your life and your future. Even if it doesn't, a good teacher can make a snail crawling along a desk more fascinating than an action film. Take your time when it comes to getting involved. Be proactive, but try not to overload on new things. It's okay to take time to get used to college. In the end, what you learn outside of the classroom is at least as important as what you learn inside. Use what you know, be open to new ideas. If you want it badly enough, you cannot fail.