My Freshman Year at Suffolk University I expected my professors to be mean and my grades to suffer traumatically; I was positive that I would be a C average college student. Due to watching way too many movies about college, I expected to be just a number in a gigantic classroom full of students. Would my teachers even know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life? Here at Suffolk, professors do care about you and your aspirations. Most, if not all, of my professors were encouraging and treated me like an adult. If it weren’t for my professors, I wouldn’t be a tutor at the Center for Learning & Academic Success and I wouldn’t have been offered an internship at the State House. If you let them, Suffolk professors will get to know you not just as a student, but as an individual outside of the classroom. It turned out that my grades did not suffer; instead they excelled. I earned myself a 3.925 GPA my first year of college. I’m not trying to brag about my GPA. I just want any freshman coming into Suffolk reading this blog to realize that they can achieve any goal they set. Concentrate on your school work! Take notes in class, complete all of your assignments, participate, and study. If you’re struggling, make an appointment during your professor’s office hour times or schedule an appointment with a peer or professional tutor at CLAS. I expected to be a small fish in a big pond called Boston. My hometown of Billerica, Massachusetts wasn’t really the most diverse place to live. I was concerned that I wouldn’t find my niche and that beloved Boston was too diverse for me. Would I be surrounded by people who were different than me in the aspects of socioeconomic upbringing, religion, life story, sexual orientation, or family life? I expected the worst, yet experienced the best outcome. Diversity turned out to be one of my favorite aspects of Suffolk University. The amount of diversity on my floor was quite incredible. Not only did I fit in and make many friendships, I learned about other cultures, hobbies, languages, and life experiences my peers had. A majority of my floor mates were from the United States, most from the Northeast. However, international students made up around half of our floor. We learned different languages, including Spanish, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese. My biggest lesson derived from diversity was: even though someone has different life experiences, political views, religion, families, and socioeconomic upbringing than you, you can still become great friends. It was eye opening to begin friendships with people who I would've never met back in Billerica. My roommates were going to be my best friends. Anticipation regarding who I would be living with during my first year of college was insane. I grew up with three older brothers and now I was going to live with three girls. Commonly, I heard that in college, your roommates become your best friends and in some cases, your bridesmaids. Throughout the school year, my roommates and I became good friends but not best friends. Each friendship had a different dynamic, so some friendships were closer than others. We all came from different backgrounds and were pursuing different dreams. I felt pressured that if I didn't become best friends with my roommates, there was something wrong with me. My roommates and I were good friends but I had made closer friendships with my floor mates, classmates, and co-workers. With that being said, don’t worry! You don’t have to be super close to your roommate; you will find other friends who share your same interests. The transition to college would be too much to handle. College is a great experience that includes many new found freedoms. No longer do you have mom and dad telling you to do your homework. I assumed that all my best friends and I would all remain super close even though we chose different schools. Basically, I expected college to be a free for all. Transitioning into college took a few weeks. I began feeling like an adult because now, I was responsible for attending classes, doing homework, and waking myself up for classes. Professors are not going to nag you to do your work or attend class, but it’s important that you do so since you’re paying tuition learn, not to slack off. Classes in college are more demanding and need more effort put into them. It can be very easy to stop attending a class you aren’t too fond of. Setting rules for yourself is a smart idea. It worked for me. I didn’t miss one class all year and I completed all my assignments. The transition of making new friends and keeping old friends was difficult. I would talk to my friends from back home once in a while. It’s healthy to make new friends; it isn’t healthy to desperately cling on to the past. If you become so focused on keeping friendships at home intact, you will miss the opportunity to make new friends at school. Although it isn’t the best circumstance, some friendships just grow apart. It is okay, you will get to spend time with your hometown friends during Thanksgiving, winter, and summer break. Transitioning can be the most difficult aspect about college, so use the first few weeks to adjust to these new found freedoms. Stephanie Hunter,
Tutor
4 Comments
Linda Vinay
6/12/2014 10:02:29 am
Excellent advice Stephanie, we are glad a professor referred you to tutor for CLAS! Many of our professors go out of their way to connect with students, it is one of the ways that Suffolk is unique.
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Robert Hunter
6/12/2014 12:34:16 pm
Stephanie I am incredibly proud of you. It is wonderful that your Professors were so good to you, but it is not just that that makes a great student . You are an amazing young woman who has endured a lot in life. You know how to stay focused and apply yourself. You have what it takes to achieve anything.You are the reason you did so well and should be very proud, because everyone else is very proud especially me. Love You xoxoxoxo
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Charlene&Tim Lear
6/12/2014 08:23:36 pm
Stephanie, we couldn't be more proud of you! You have accomplished all you set out to do and did it first class. What wonderful writing! Your professors sound like amazing ppl who really are great and helped you out. Keep your head high and that beautiful smile on face- you are an inspiration to others. Keep learning and teaching others, we love you XOXO
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Ellen Hunter-Hansen
6/13/2014 09:37:21 pm
Stephanie - I echo your uncle's comment. Your maturity level goes beyond your physical age. I am so proud of who you are and everything you are accomplishing early in life. Keep being positive keep being who you are and you will continue to excel in life. Much love to you keep writing, As you continue to work hard, remember to enjoy your life, make time for laughter, and make time for new friends love you
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