Florida Atlantic University Top Questions

If I could give advice to my younger self it would be financial advice. By attending Florida Atlantic University, I was able to receive enough financial aid to graduate without debt. I was able to work and put money into savings instead of towards my undergraduate degree. Now planning to attend graduate school in the fall, I wish I had known that I should be investing this money to save for graduate school.

I would tell myself that college is nothing like high school. College is such an important part in furthering your future. You have to enter college with a determined mindset. Take as many classes as you mentally can. Just because you have the option of taking one or two classes a semester doesn't mean you should. The more you study the better it will be. Do not try cramming the night before. Get as many A's as you can. And sign up for as many scholarships as you can, it will make a huge difference. Graduating without any debt will make graduation day so much better. Its okay to change your major but understand that now some of those hard courses you take won't count towards your degree. As much as that sucks you will be closer to making a difference in the world.

If I could go back in time and inform myself as a high school senior and give myself advice I would say do not wait to apply to scholarships. In college, you pay for everything and it adds up. Do not procrasinate and think you can wait till the last minute to apply; scholarships take a lot of focus and time to complete.

The absolute best advice I can give myself: get your college books early and start to go over the notes/chapter BEFORE the class starts. This will enhance your understanding and get your GPA higher. College is a differnt animal compared to High School, You need to put in more time and effort in preperation for the next class. Also, If you choose to participate in early classes, get your cloths and backpack ready the night before--incase you wake up late for class, you'll have a headstart to making it on time.

If I could go back in time I would be more involved in high school programs such as clubs and organizations. I was an ESOL student which made a big diffirence for me. Now that I am in college I see things very different, it does not matter your race or what language you speak, what matters is what you want to accomplish in your life.

I would go back and tell myself which major I would be the happiest in pursuing. I changed my major so often throughout my first few years of college and that set me back in graduation. I would tell myself of all the best studying habits that I adapted over the years so that I would be at an advantage going into college as a freshman.

You need to buckle down. Stop joking around and trying to just get by. That's not going to help you at all because high school is nothing like college. Getting by in college will get you nowhere. It's very true that some teachers in college don't care if you're in class or not, but if you miss a certain number of classes then you'll fail that class and have to take it all over again. Apply yourself. Use your brain and do what you do best. Studying is a necessity in college. You're going to be up late in the night, but it will be well worth it when you're prepared for the tests that come. Be wise when it comes to money. Scholarships are your best friend so apply for as many as you can. And manage your time wisely. Don't think that just because you wake up at 5:45 every morning for high school you can easily take 8 o'clock classes everyday in college. Make sure that you get your sleep, that you get to know your proffessors, and that you do what you've got to do.

Always dream the impossible and that will be the future. Ask lots and lots of questions. There was not enough information in my school about going to college. What I should have done was to self educate more. Never think that you know it all and never assume people are going to give you all the anwers. Research a lot more then I did and I should not have been afraid to step outside of the box in all aspects of my life. I went to college 22 years after I graduated HS. I know now that college is key and it has to be done straight after HS becuase life has a funny way of making you do detours.

We're always in a rush. We rush to work. We rush to get home. We ultimately rush through life. My senior year in high school was especially difficult. My high school boyfriend had recently passed away that summer, so when I returned for my senior year I was understandably different. My mother had lost her job and I started working full time to help take some of the stress off of her. As an adult, I feel as if I rushed through high school and especially my senior year. If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be to take it in. Everything is going to be okay. You don't have to rush through this. Enjoy the moment. Go to football games and school dances. But most importantly I would tell my younger self to slow down. Don't grow up before your time, because in the end everything will work out the way that it should.

Talk, it's so easy to have friend when your around the same kids for four years in a row, but you have to break out of your shell even if you think the friends you have right now are adequate. In college you only get a semester to make a friend.

The advice that I would give myself is to just take it easy and go with the flow. I have realized that even though college is a little bit harder than high school, I succeed just fine in college just like I did in high school. I would tell myself to get excited because you are going to meet some very nice people and make new friends but overall to just enjoy the journey and be happy and stay strong and think positive!

Pay attention more in classes. What you learn now will follow you to college. Don't worry about not knowing what you're going to do or be scared about going off to school. Everything falls in place once you get to college and its really an amazing thing. Good things are coming your way.

Deanna, I just want you to know that life only improves from this point onward. Having your independence is everything you thought it would be and then some. Freedom comes with a catch, though. Know that you can't blame anyone else for your mistakes, and only you are responsible for the outcome of your life. Your appetite for adventure is admirable, and you should encourage that aspect of yourself. Try new things, meet new people; it’s all a part of finding yourself. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew! With all the new options available, you will experience temptation like never before. Stay away from trouble and trust your inner wisdom. If you don’t think something is a good idea, don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise. Be humble. Arrogance is dangerous. Know your limits and accept them. You’re not super-human, and that’s OK. Throughout your college experience, you will feel an intense pressure to succeed. As long as you try your best, you WILL succeed.

If I could go back and give my naive self some valuable advice I would begin by strongly encouraging taking a break from school to live in and explore the real world at least until the age of twenty four. I stress this age for two very different, but wise reasons. The first reason to wait until twenty four to begin college is based on the fact that I learned the hard way all about financial aid and the ridiculus rule that your parents income is considered until you are 24. This rule is true even if you are living independently and your parents contribute nothing. Private loans are a slippery slope. The second reason to wait to begin college until twenty four is it gives you time to experience life. When I was eighteen all I knew were child-like ideas of perfection and a feeling of being invinsable. How can a child with no life experience decide what major they will love and best utilize to impact the world. A decision like that takes time to rise-up and fall down in order to form an interest of passion to pursue that comes from personal pain and suffering.

Really make an effort to get involved in college life. Don't go to a club meeting once or twice and then just stop, don't hide in your room. During that first week, go out and really force yourself to talk to and meet people, don't let your anxiety run your life. Trust me, college will be a far more enjoyable experience for you if you go out and hang with people who you really like instead of staying in your room.

College isn't scary and bad as everyone says it is. It takes a while to know your way around, but don't be afraid to ask help. Also Homework and extra credit will be your best friend. It wasn't in high school, but in college it can be a grade or two changer. I would also tell my younger self to read the syllabus, it was not in high school, but because I didn’t my first semester of college I lost my A to a C+. I also would tell myself not to take a full semester in the summer if I want a life. Unfortunately, that mistake cost me my GPA because of the two C’s I got. Last but not least I would tell myself not to worry about talking to people. People in college are so much nicer than high school people. They don’t care whether you are popular, skinny, fat, black, white etc… They will respect you as long as you respect them.

If I can go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to try as hard as I can to get good grades in order to get a scholarship. I would tell myself to not procrastinate so much with college stuff and get financial aid out of the way as soon as possible. I would tell myself to learn to be more outgoing and less shy and to quit stressing so much because everything will be just fine. Lastly, I would tell myself to believe in myself because although I may not think so yet, I have great potential in me.

Stephanie, This is your future self. You’re typically known as Nancy now. Long story, you’ll know in time. Right now, you probably think I’m living it up at college, and that it’s coming for you soon. But it’s not coming as soon as you think. You plan on graduating high school and going straight into Grand Valley State, but that’s not going to happen the way you’re planning. You’re not going to be able to pay for school. You’ll think you’ll have it covered, but the grants you get and your FAFSA won’t cover everything. You didn’t try hard enough for scholarships during your senior year, and that’s why I’m here today. 15 minutes ago I was filling out an application for McDonald’s. That’s where you’re trying to get a job because you aren’t going to college until next fall and have to pay rent. We both know that everything will be okay. It’s just that sometimes plans change and you need to be ready to embrace the challenges that come your way. Our way. Good luck. Sincerely, Nancy

If I was able to talk to my high school self the first thing I would say is to leave the boys alone. Now that I’m older I realize that the boys are still there. I messed up in the IB program because I was distracted by wanting a boyfriend, only to realize that boys are a waste of time. If I would have succeeded in the IB program I probably could've paid for school. The next thing I would tell myself is to remain focused. In college it is always about focus. There is no second chances and no one to tell you to turn in your homework. It one person taking care of themselves.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to focus on school. I'd tell myself to not waste my time trying to make it in a band. I would tell myself to buckle down and go to class. I would tell myself to face reality and to understand the value of education. I would make an emphasis on my experiences in the service industry and try to get myself to avoid the hassle that it brought me. I would tell myself to be a student first and foremost, and put everything else after that until I had a career.