When I was in high school, college seemed so overwhelming. My sister, who already was in college, was always studying and taking exams, and it seemed as if she never had time to relax. I thought, “I could never do that…I don’t have it in me.” On top of that, her campus was so big and felt so impersonal that I just knew I would get lost in the crowd, and who wants to go through freshman year all over again? But I got accepted to Rutgers on my first try and decided to attend the Newark campus, and I am so glad I did.
Rutgers-Newark has a strong sense of community. There are many activities going on: homecoming, snow fights on the lawn, de-stress fest during exam week, and Greek-week are some of my favorites. During de-stress fest the provost, associate provost and deans, as well as some faculty, get together one night and serve the students breakfast at midnight (since they expect us to be studying and cramming at that time for final exams) as a way of encouraging us and letting us know they are with us.
There are also many opportunities to work on campus. My sophomore year I worked in the Housing and Residence Life office, which allowed me to meet more people and make life-long friends and connections. Later that year, through the work-study program, I was placed in the Human Resources Office, where I still work. There I have not only gained more skills and knowledge of the professional world but also wonderful friends who have always given me their support and advice throughout my college career, and to whom I will always be indebted. This past summer I got to work for the College of Nursing Equal Opportunity Program as a Teacher’s Assistant and ResLife Coordinator. It was an experience I will always remember and look forward to again this coming summer.
God willing this May I will graduate from the Nursing program. Yes, I am just like my sister, studying hard and preparing for exams, but I’ve had a great team of professors, counselors and staff in my corner who are genuinely interested in my success and excellence and who know me by my name, not my social security number. Rutgers-Newark is a small campus with a big name behind it. Rutgers-Newark is about opportunity and growth in all aspects of one’s life. It is where I discovered that I do, in fact, have it in me to succeed.
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