Hopes, Fears, a Turtle, and One of those Giant Calendars

Introducing...
high school senior, JG

Man, do I look like a baby or what?

This collage highlights a few of the major events and activities of my senior year of high school, from random shenanigans throughout the halls and dance performances in front of hundreds, to peer leadership commitments and formal events like birthdays and the infamous senior prom. And then there were my academics, which, as a victim of senioritis, was difficult to keep as a top priority. All of this was only two years ago--a span of time that can fly by so fast if you don't take the time to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Why, you might be asking, did I show you a quick snapshot of my life as a high school senior? Well, it's because I too was once apart of the population of students NSO serves. I had many of the same thoughts & emotions leaving high school and transitioning into the new world that is college life. 

Did I make the right choice? 
                    Will I make new friends? 
                                      How's the food there?
                                                   What if I don't find my place?

                                      Am I ready for this?

A huge aspect of our job is to try to understand where our new students are coming from in terms of their experiences, academics, expectations, hopes, and fears... the list goes on. And unfortunately, our society today does not have the technology to empower us with the ability to read minds (or does it?...) 
We can, however, ask questions and show a genuine interest in what others have to say. So to get a picture (or collage... get it, collage? It's funny because I put a collage up there) of what's going on in the minds of high school seniors and soon-to-be first-year college students, I interviewed two members of this population with a number of questions. And to make it interesting, one is actually going to Rutgers, let's call her Valerie, and the other is going to Ramapo, let's call him James. Here's what I got!

I started off with the question...

1) How is the high school experience going for you at this point of the year. General feelings as you near the end of your high school career?

... and both Valerie and James actually shared very similar perspectives. The feeling of "senioritis" and "being done with high school" has already kicked in, and overall, life is bittersweet at this point of their high school career. 

For the most part, they have learned such a great amount already, and both students are ready to venture into the next stage of their lives. College!

Next I asked...

2) Now, how are you feeling about going to college in only a few months from now? Has it sunk in yet? Give me 2 or 3 distinct feelings, and if you can, elaborate on each emotion.

Both Valerie and James shared the feelings of excitement because of the vast opportunities ahead of them: "the fresh start, the new faces, the independence" says Valerie, and of course, "being away from parental authority for a while" says James.

With those feelings of excitement, also come feelings of sadness and a bit of anxiety. Valerie says, "I don't know what's in store for me.  I don't know if I'm going to excel. I'm scared for my relationships." James adds that "I'm sad thinking that I'll be making new memories without a lot of friends at home."

And that is where we come in: to fuel those positive feelings, and to lighten the negative ones with reassurance, advice, red polos, and smiles. As student leaders, we have the wisdom and experience to tell students with these emotions that it IS possible to stay in touch with old friends, and that you WILL succeed if you work hard at it, use the resources available to you, and find that balance between work and play. We have a lot of power in empowering them, so let us utilize what we have learned and be those role models they might need!

For this next section, I asked about specifics in terms of excitement and worries, so here are their answers!

3) Name the top 2 or 3 things you are excited about for college.
Valerie:

1. Learning
2. Fresh start! meeting new people and making new friends.
3. Sleeping in the dorm and exploring the campus.

James:
1. Being in a new location. even though it's still in Jersey, It feels like a completely new environment. As of right now, I'm the only person from my school going to Ramapo so I'm excited to meet new people.
2. Rock climbing! Hahaha.
3. Even though I haven't even started my freshman year, I'm already excited to do field work my sophomore year. 

4) Name the top 2 or 3 fears/worries you have about college.
Valerie:
1. Scared of not fitting in... scared that I'll be too shy to fit in anywhere and that I'll drift away from my old friends so I'll just end up lonely. 
2. Scared that I won't do well in my classes and ill be a disappointment to my parents...
3. Scared that I won't make it into extracurriculars I want to do.
James:
1. I'm cool with the majority of my teachers now, so when I procrastinate, they always remind me to keep working. I know professors in college aren't going to be as lenient. I guess I'm worried about slacking off because no one's going to be there to tell me to sit down and study. 
2. Losing contact with the people I'm close to now.
3. Weakening my religious faith because I won't be surrounded by the same people. And people out there have different views/morals than i do.

And like I said, that is what we are here for as the first faces of Rutgers they will encounter--to genuinely care for these things they are excited and scared for, and use what we know to better prepare them for what's to come.

To change things up, I asked the following question.

5) If you could ask a college student any question, whether personal or professional, what would it be?
Valerie:
Why did you pick Rutgers? 
James:
"Is it going to give me food poisoning?" Just kidding. I actually don't know. Haha. 

And since I asked them to ask a question, I'll answer them.
To answer Valerie's question, I chose Rutgers because from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to go here. Financially, it was the most reasonable. Emotionally, I was close enough to home yet far enough that my parents can't make a surprise visit. And academically, I knew that I could find success here. For me, I believe in learning to love people, places, and things, and so that's what happened with me. By getting involved, by exploring each campus, by meeting new people, by seeing what's out there, I learned to love it here. And that is my wish for every incoming Rutgers student--to give this amazing opportunity a chance and make the most of it.

To answer James's question, I see that a lot of students have these preconceived notions about Rutgers, and college in general. And the biggest advice I have for them is to go straight to the source for the facts. During the Rutgers Open House, one student actually asked me about the sexual activity statistics at RU, and my answer was, of course, "Rutgers is no different from every other college or university in the country in terms of its sexual health facts and figures" but I also added to go Health Services for that kind of information instead of believing what this or that gossiping student said. Go to the experts!

And lastly, as a bonus question, I asked...

6. What is the number 1 thing you are excited to buy for your college room?

Valerie:

A giant, pretty, wonderful calendar with dry erase markers in every color to write down important due dates, meetings, and to keep myself organized. 

James:

A turtle, haha. Because apparently that's allowed. I'll have to double check that one... haha.

As you can see from this question, and from all the previous questions, no two students are the same. Valerie cannot wait to learn about what college has to offer in terms of its academics, and she is already refining her time management skills with plans to get a giant calendar. 
James, on the other hand, cannot wait for the adventure that is college, taking risks such as rock climbing and being away from his friends, and making changes, like preparing for field work and getting a turtle (which is actually not allowed at Rutgers--no pets for safety reasons!)

Each incoming student, whether coming from high school, transferring from another college, or coming from across the globe, is unique in terms of their hopes and fears, and we have the pleasure to welcome each and every one to our community. 

And,  I'm honored to say that I will be apart of that  this summer 2012.
We are...