Humans of Rutgers University

“I would say [what drives me is] knowing that I have to make people proud. It’s one of my biggest drivers. I would say, my mom, she is always on me. She calls me and wakes me up for class on the days that I oversleep, or I’m about to oversleep, and here’s her call. I’m like, oh my god, hey mom! She keeps me going, and she keeps me on task. Although I’m older and everything, I still appreciate it. She keeps me going.”

[If you don’t have a support system] “I would say journal. Definitely journal, and also find good friends. I feel like this campus is huge. You know, you can find people that can be in your corner or that can help support you.”

- Ciara Bennett, School of Communication and Information, Class of 2026

📸: Ashley Caldwell

“The biggest part (of the change between high school and college) is definitely the independence. I feel like I have freedom to do a lot more than I did in high school because now I have more gaps between my classes, and I have more freedom and power over the type of classes that I take. I can also get food anytime that I want. So when I have a large gap, I can go take a bus to College Ave and then go hit up a place by myself. I think I also value my alone time a lot more now because before, I used to think, ‘Oh, I need to be with people all the time.’ But in college, you realize the campus is so huge — you’re not always going to be able to meet up with your friends. ... It’s just enjoying the little things more. ... It’s really fun, actually.
“I think (my advice to first-years would be) just push through it. If you’re struggling, if things are hard right now, it may seem like it’s never going to get better. And I know it’s cliché to say, ‘Oh, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,’ but that’s so true. You think it’s the end of the world — everything is crumbling, you have 10 assignments due, you have no friends, you’re not going to parties, or you miss your parents, whatever it is. Push through it. ... If you need to cry, cry it out — you’re going to feel better. But just know that if you keep working hard and you keep just believing in yourself and trying to stay happy and positive, things will get better no matter what.”

- Veronica Manevich, School of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2028

📸: Aditya Suresh