An Interview with a Totally Random High School Senior

To gain a greater insight into the mind of the high school senior waiting to attend Rutgers, I chose to interview *GASP* my sister Eileen! EW.

It was a tough decision to make, but as an incoming freshman from a different year and gender than myself, I figured she might hold some fears/expectations that maybe I didn't have when I was in her position two years ago.

In times like this, I reflect on how awesome it must be to have me as an older brother. Back in my day, I didn't have an older brother involved in New Student Orientation ready to make sure I came into the college world comfortably and knowledgeable. Kids these days...so spoiled. But I digress...

Has no idea I'm using this picture.

I begin the questioning with your average query:

What is your biggest fear about coming to Rutgers, besides having to live near me again?

The ensuing rambling was impossible to transcribe, so I'll do my best to hit the highlights. The first thing she mentioned was dining hall food. Naturally she must have heard all of the horror stories that college students bring home (not me of course I love Rutgers dining services with all my heart). I suppose not being served morning, noon and night by your mother is a big shock to the routine that is often overlooked in the face of the larger issues. Adjusting to a new routine is sometimes the toughest part of college. Basic survival tasks like getting food and doing laundry now occupy space in your brain that was formerly vacant or filled with the comfort of knowing somebody else would take care of it for you. Those were the days...

On a more serious note, one concern she does have that can't be overstated is the crime and violence that takes place in New Brunswick, which has increasingly found its way on-campus. Even the tranquil Douglass campus, where she is set to move to in the fall, has experienced muggings, robberies, and threatening behavior.

The Rutgers Police Department keeps thorough tabs on all crime that takes place on campus, and crime usually takes place beyond a sensible hour of the night. I told not to worry about it as long as she uses common sense and keeps out of precarious situations.

What do you expect as far as classwork and workload is concerned?


She basically told me that she felt like Rutgers was going to be as easy or difficult as she chose. Since students pick their own schedules and ultimately the difficulty of their classes, she believes that Rutgers courses will probably be easier than many of her current AP level classes. From my own experience I can say that Montgomery High School classes did challenge me more than many of my current college courses, however, stylistically they can be a little tricky to get used to. Expository Writing I is a mandatory course for freshmen that turns traditional high school writing style on its head. As long as one is willing to work and adapt, then making the transition from high school to college work is no huge challenge.

How do you plan on getting the most out of the college experience?


Having heard the legends of my college triumphs, Eileen is eager to follow in my footsteps on the path to glory. Already accepted to the Douglass residential college program, she is hoping to become a student leader through the experience. She told me that she knows how many varied things that Rutgers has to offer to keep her busy. Radio stations, theaters, newspapers, sports clubs and many organizations that I've had a chance to explore, she's been hearing about. I think it is invaluable that she has had two older brothers go through the college experience before her, so that she could take notes and see what we did right and wrong, so that she doesn't repeat some of the same mistakes. Everyone has a period of discomfort and adjusting. The important thing is minimizing that period and making it as small as you can.

Just a few of the many groups/organizations Rutgers University has to offer

What do you expect will be the toughest thing about attending Rutgers?


Without a doubt she expressed that leaving the comfort of her friends and family will likely be the biggest struggle. When you live with the same people for 18 years, it's surely different to have a roommate and constantly be seeing new faces. Even in a high school as large as Montgomery, after a little while there are many more familiar faces seen each day than unfamiliar. That reality gets flipped upside down at Rutgers. Sometimes you will feel alone, and other times you won't be able to get away from people. The most important thing to know, as I told her, was getting involved in things early and often, so that you can begin to develop relationships and familiar faces.

All in all, a lot of her fears and expectations were not unusual. Despite the fact that we all can come from different schools, communities, ethnicities, genders, etc. we all seem to share common fears and expectations about how things will and should play out once we get to college. If I learned anything from interviewing my little sister, it is that going to college doesn't have to be scary at all. People like myself and the rest of the NSO staff want to help assuage the anxieties that prospective freshmen have about Rutgers, because a lot of the time the rumors they hear are unfounded, and sometimes the media gives college an unrealistic image. My advice is to reach out to as many freshmen as you can, because a lot of the time they are too proud to address their feelings. Especially when they are related to you!