A Student’s Advice for Prospective Students (Zeina Gabriel)

“What advice would you give a prospective student”?

Zeina Gabriel, Business Administration, Lebanon:

• Please be patient and give the University the benefit of the doubt. It might be frustrating to wait a few days to hear back from the Admissions’ Office, but it is worth it.

• Your Admissions’ Advisor is your life savior and your point of contact with everyone at the University. Trust him/her.

• Once you are admitted to the University, find ways to connect with others: search for, and join social media groups, and build your network. It is a small world after all, and by learning from other students who have been around for a while, you get to understand and see things differently. Don’t reinvent the wheel by trying to figure out everything by yourself, search, ask, and connect.

• We all have our fears and expectations. Don’t let your fears blur your expectations. Go with the flow, things will be okay.

• When offered an orientation session, please attend it by all means.

• If you doubt your English writing skills, don’t worry. Just search for free English online courses and take a few courses while waiting to start your first term or whenever you have time. Having solid English skills is your passport to success.

• There are a number of assignments to complete weekly per course. Start early, plan ahead, meet your deadlines, and don’t procrastinate. Commit yourself to succeed and please stay motivated.

• Once you are admitted to the University, you will be assigned a program advisor who will be with you for your entire journey at University of the People. Build a good relationship with him/her. Cherish all the help you will be getting and never forget to express your gratitude whenever you get the chance.

• Whenever you encounter plagiarism, report it and don’t commit it yourself. Tell your course instructor about it.

• Provide constructive feedback that allows your colleagues to understand their mistakes, find ways to correct them, and grow. Peer to Peer Assessment is the foundation of University of the People and we all have a role to play in it. Use this power to change the world!

• Whenever you feel that you don’t understand something, reach out to your course instructors and to your colleagues. Speak up, express yourself, and go after what you want.

• Finally, “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you would go, just remember how far you have come, all the battles you fought, all the setbacks you overcame, all the chapters you wrote. You can go as far as you let yourself go. Let go.”