School Is Back

As students head back to school, we asked Katharine Friedman, a senior at Rutgers, to give some advice to younger students:

School is back in session and for many juniors and seniors of high school they will be filling out applications or hearing back from colleges.

Going into my senior year at Rutgers University I will be looking towards my future as I enter the career I have wanted since I was a child. While I would not consider myself an expert at living the college life, please allow me to give some advice for anyone just a little bit nervous about the next four to five years of college life.

I know some people say going to community college is like going into “the 13th grade,” but it is further from the truth. Going to Brookdale Community College was the best decision after graduating high school. They offered courses to help me perfect my writing and skills to be a journalist. If there are high school juniors and seniors still unsure of what career they want to peruse, Brookdale will be the perfect start. They have a variety of courses for all majors ranging from biology, music, business, art, and so much more. Plus, Brookdale is not as expensive as other colleges. If students want to save a bit more money to go to the dream college that costs a fortune but still attend school, Brookdale is ideal.

Brookdale gives students a great experience of what college classes are like. Unlike high school, where the same faces are seen every day for eight hours, college courses stagger their times. For example, I had a math class that met only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a history course only once a week! It will be a little new, but it leaves enough time for studying or coffee breaks. The first week of college will be the getting to know everyone period, but by the second week it will be all business. All that free time that was going to be for fooling around will instead be used studying for a big test.

When the professor hands out the syllabus, read it and listen while they explain; it will give students a great outcome of what the professors expect from them and a look at the projects and tests to come. I once planed a whole project in the two minutes it took me to read what it was about. Look at the supplies required for the class and there might not be any mention of laptop. A laptop is great to have in class. A device used to work on assignments between classes and an escape when the day is done, but, unless it is absolutely necessary, I’d leave the laptop at home. No one wants to carry a few extra pounds on their back walking across campus. If a student needs to type up an assignment before they go to their laptop, find a computer lab on campus and bring a flash drive to take it home if work in unfinished. Campus computers get erased when they are powered down and/or at the end of the day, so do not type that five page paper due the next day and expect it will still be there in the morning, because it will not be.

Colleges will have a page telling the students exactly who their professors are. It would be a good idea for students to reach out to the instructors and introduce themselves. Give the professors a good idea of who they are, ask what books may be required and especially if a student may need help in the course. I was never really great when it came to science and I had to pass a science course before I graduated Brookdale. When I reached out to my chemistry professor and said I would need a lot of help, he obliged not only to me but to other students in the same position as me. Thanks to him, tutors and a lot of studying I passed.

Each person studies in a different way. Some require seeing, hearing or touching the material to understand it. I am the student that needs to see it, and re-read notes to study. However there are times when I have to do a bit more if I think I am not doing well, such as recording the lesson on a tape recorder. If students need to do that, ask permission from the professor first before turning on the recorder. I had a history professor my first semester of Rutgers who allowed a couple of people record his voice because he talked too fast and barely wrote on the board, so long as they did not share the lessons with anyone else. If the professor does not allow it, get a big notebook with a lot of paper because there will be a lot of writing ahead.

If a student feels they are not doing well in a course, it is alright to drop out or transfer to another course in the field. Keep an eye on deadlines because there is a small window of when to drop classes. If the deadline passes and students are still in a course in which they are doing badly, talk to the professor for help and find a lab or tutor to help. It is not weak to ask for help, I have seen a lab full of students needing tutors for a big math final. Getting help will help a student pass.

Brookdale does want its students to succeed, but it also wants them to grow. When it was time for me to consider leaving Brookdale, I was worried some of my credits would not transfer over. Fear not, Brookdale is partnered with major colleges such as Rutgers University and NJIT, among others, offering majors that will transfer all credits. It is known as a Communiversity, meaning students will go to a Brookdale campus in Freehold, Hazlet, Wall, Long Branch and/or Neptune but earn a degree from one of the four universities. This has saved me gas, time and money going to Freehold instead of New Brunswick. However community college may not be the first choice in high school junior and senior minds.

If students are going to a four year school and have the chance to move into a dorm, I would recommend it. It will give students the chance to live on their own, make life-long friends and give just a taste of life. Please take good care of the dorm like it was home. It is going to be for the next four years and no one likes to live in a pigs pen If the dorm life is not for student find an apartment as close to the campus as possible. There is also nothing wrong with living at home with family.

If the campus is pretty big, walking may not be the ideal option for everyone. Some schools offer transportation to get around. On the first day of school find the schedule for the transportation and make sure it is the same months/year as the term and memorize it as much as possible, and check for any delays mentioned in your email.

While going to college there are a lot of clubs and activities around the school. If someone has trouble finding friends, joining a club with people of common interests will help you not only gain friends, but enjoy what everyone in that club has in common. I have met some pretty nice people when I joined Brookdale’s newspaper, and some of them have gone to Rutgers to earn their degree. I hope when we all graduate we can still keep in touch.

My final piece of advice for those scared of going to college: Do not be. College is a bit harder than high school, but the rewards are worth the risk. I will be in my last year at Rutgers and the future looks good.