When I was a high school senior, I knew I wanted to go to Stevens. At this time three years ago, I had just completed the Stevens Pre-College Program for Business, and I really loved everything during my week here and knew I wanted to come back.
I planned to major in Business & Technology and pictured spending all of my time in the Babbio Center, enjoying the restaurants on Washington Street, and making a lot of friends. I thought being a business major at Stevens was the coolest thing ever, business with the “technology” edge. My parents back home were only an hour away, so I felt safe but far enough to feel independent. My high school was also on the smaller size, a tight-knit community where mostly everyone knew each other. I felt at home here and knew there would be many opportunities at Stevens for me to learn about the subjects I was interested in and grow as a person.
And, for the most part, all of that happened. I didn’t spend much time in Babbio because you learn it gets too crowded fast, and the bills from eating out all the time add up. I quickly figured out that business majors at an engineering school get put down a lot because “our major is easy,” but also that in the grand scheme of things it barely matters.
I ended up loving my major, minus a few accounting and finance related courses. Sorry Dad, I don’t think I’ll ever be a trader or work for a hedge fund. I found my other classes very useful though and relevant to my interests and internships.
Coming to Stevens, I was very determined to make the most of my tuition. In high school, I had a lot of regrets: I was antisocial, anxious, and quiet. I wasn’t outspoken enough to get leadership positions or meaningful experiences. When I was a senior, one of my teachers actually said I shouldn’t study business because “I’m too nice for it.” Luckily, it worked out and I did become the president of two clubs that I’ve grown to love and can’t imagine my life without. Through the process, I became less self-conscious and believed in myself more. Instead of being “nice” all the time, I decided to take more risks and say what needs to be said, even if it meant people wouldn’t like me.
College allows you to reinvent yourself — if you have a lot of determination and the grit to pursue what you’re sincerely interested in, and you’re conventionally pleasant to work with, you’re bound to be successful. Stevens is not an easy school. While your friends at Rutgers take 12, maybe 14 credits, you’ll take 18 or 21 here. People are stressed and work themselves to the bone. But, if you join organizations you’re interested in, such as clubs, Greek life, and sports, you’ll make a ton of friends and get a wide range of experiences that will make it all worth it.
Since it’s Accepted Students Weekend, I suspect many high schoolers and their parents may be reading through our paper and website for unbiased student perspectives of Stevens. Hello!
The best advice I can give is that you know if you want to be at Stevens. If you don’t feel like this is the place, don’t feel obligated to come here. If Stevens was your first choice, cling onto that passion. There are so many opportunities to be yourself and find yourself. But don’t have too many expectations — all institutions are bureaucratic and Stevens is no exception.
If you read my editorial last week, it may seem like I have a lot of beef with Stevens. In reality, if I hated Stevens, I would have transferred out by now. I’m almost a senior now, but I have very few regrets. Sure, the tuition is high (and rising), this construction sucks, and I’m definitely one of the lucky ones, but I think if you work hard and don’t lose sight of your goals and who you are — Stevens is definitely the place.
I do hope that if you’re reading this now, you do decide to come to Stevens! If you’re invested enough to pick up Stevens’ newspaper even when “print is dead,” you most definitely should come here and most definitely join The Stute. We’re a crazy bunch of kids way too interested in the school, but doing something you usually wouldn’t and learning something new is all part of the college experience.
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