Thoughts on UNH

I've really been in a reflective state over the past few days due to the semester coming to a close, and I have got to say that I am so happy I came to UNH. While I was considering schools, I didn't really want to even look at UNH because it is the state school, and at my high school we called it "Pinkerton Academy 2.0" because so many people from Pinkerton come here (Pinkerton Academy is the name of my HS).

After looking for colleges and thinking about the long term goals I had for myself, I thought that UNH would be the best school for me, mainly due to the 'lower' in-state tuition ('lower' because it's still outrageously expensive). As I stated in my last post, I came in to college declared environmental engineering, and UNH is known for being highly environmentally conscious and friendly which was another reason I thought coming here would be okay (although there is still major room for improvement in terms of lowering our environmental impact).

My first year...terrible. I hated all of my classes and had some problems finding myself, but I overcame mostly because of the amazing support that I surrounded myself with, such as my roommates and my RA (now my boyfriend). But last year everything clicked when I switched to HMP, yet another great program almost exclusively found at UNH that creates amazing opportunities for students in the major.

I think a lot about how the decisions we make affect our futures. It is crazy to think about the fact that I almost missed out on such a wonderful opportunity to be an HMP student and meet all of the people who have become some of my closest friends. I could have gone to an out of state school, but I don't think I ever would have even considered health management as a career because there aren't that many programs as good as ours. One thing I think I can take away from my college search, decision, and experience is that you should never overlook an option just because it isn't your first choice. Another example further proving my point is when I was searching for internship positions I almost cancelled one of my interviews because I thought I didn't want to go there. Turns out, I accepted a position and loved the woman I met with! Always give a potential opportunity the chance to prove your preconceptions wrong.

(And as it turns out, not too many people from Pinkerton ended up coming here, although some did, but it isn't a burden and when I run into some of them it reminds me of home, so having them here is kind of nice in a way.)