Florida Atlantic University Top Questions

If I could travel back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior-knowing what I know about college life-I would sit myself down and say, ? No more playing in the sun, it is time to get down to business. Through your freshmen and junior year in high school you have been focusing on the wrong things: when is the next party, is that boy really in to me, can not wait for senior skip day! You allowed yourself to get behind, and you put unnecessary things before your education. Although, as the dedicated and determined person you are, you did not give up! I am very proud in you achievements, but do keep in mind that in college you most be more focused than in high school. The professors have high expectations and you must live up to them. As long as you apply yourself, attend class and do the required assignments college will be a breeze. Most students complain and whine about how difficult college is, but in reality it all depends on how driven you are. Forget about the parties, clubs and outings, those things come second and your education comes first!"

Study, study, study! Never before in my life have I thought, "So tonight I'll study until 2:00am, wake up at 7:00am, and keeping working until class time." Of course, college is harder than high school and I can assure you it is worse at an honors college, but in high school, my brains were enough. I could pass a test by just listening to a lecture and by common sense. It worked, I came out with a 4.1 weighted GPA and was accepted to a number of schools. However, I never developed good study habits and that is what killed me. I can only describe the transition as trying to jump out of a speeding car on your feet and running. It can happen, but you stumble. So my advice is to get into good study habits. Read material daily, find practice problems even if you were not assigned them, and get some sleep. I have heard it put like this once: There three things you can do in college. Study and get good grades, have a good social life, and sleep. Pick two. Welcome to college. Learn to study effectively and you'll do great.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would warn myself that instant gratification and material things are not the most important thing in life. I would emphasize the importance of a college education and a goal oriented career. I would not be so selfish and think further ahead into the future than taking one day at a time. I would emphasize the value of an education. I would make responsible decisions about what will be important when I am 45; what type of financial security is necessary; and what kind of opportunities I wanted to provide for my family. I would make sure that I was in a secure, financial position with alternatives in place for unforeseen issues. I would not choose a career in real estate appraisal because then I would not have to explain to my nine year old son why Mommy has missed every one of his basketball games because she is working two jobs while trying to finish her degree so that she can go to law school and have a career in which she can provide him with every opportunity that he deserves.

Things will never be this easy again. College can be fun, but it can also be very difficult. Always ask questions, learn from others, keep an open-mind, and don't worry if you aren't sure what you want to do with your life. Some of the smartest people in the world are still trying to figure that out. Take advantage of every positive experience you can in college. The memories are going to last forever.

If I had to go back and talk to myself, I would tell myself to first and foremost stay in school. I never finished High school, I earned my GED instead and although I am currently in college and have a good job. I would tell myself to finish and earn a scholarship and really look into what I am interested in and stick to it. I would tell myself to study hard and prepare myself for what is ahead and that it's a lot easier to go to school full time on a scholarship then trying to work full time and still complete a degree. I would also tell myself that college is a tool that will serve me for life and not to take time off, and instead go straight to college, so that it won't be so hard to remember what you know you learned already. College has been a very rewarding experience but if I could go back in time I would change everything I could about the path I chose to get to where I am now.

I would tell myself to replace the regular classes with AP classes so I can have a combination of both AP and honors. I would also tell myself to take those college classes that were available to gain some credits. I would tell myself to continue what to do what im doing because my senior year was one of my best years academicaly.

Dont waste time and put off taking your SATs and doing the college application process. Do everything as soon as possible. And really think about what career and major you want to pursue so you dont waste time and money once your in college. Dont be afraid to stay close to home or go far away. Choose your school based on the qualities of the school, not where your friends are going, money issues, distance from home, etc. Doing all this early planning makes it so much easier at college. Live on campus. When you get to college, GET INVOLVED!! Join clubs, sports, anything. Dont be afraid to go out and try something new and meet new people, you will make a lot of great friends this way. It also helps develop connections for later jobs, etc. Go to class and study! Dont fail out and think its ok, its not. Party and have fun, but be safe and smart about it. Try to have a balanced lifestyle of school, fun, friends, work, excercise, etc. Have confidence in who you are and be proud of it, dont let others influence you to do something you are not comfortable with.

I would advise myself not to do so much as to overwhelm myself and allow my academic performance to suffer. That specifically means not working during college and instead applying more actively for scholarships and accepting loans to pay for school. With the number of AP and IB credits I received that transfered from high school, I should have easily been able to graduate college at least a year and a half ago. However, being that I was a new mother when I started college, I felt a lot of pressure to provide for myself and for my son - which, to me, meant working; and I couldn't rely on my parents for support because they simply weren't financially able to help. Ultimately, I struggled with balancing how to be a full-time mother, student, and employee; and my grades and school work ethic suffered as a result.

To a young child, 4 years may seem to be an eternity. Now, as a freshmen in college, looking back at my 4 years of high school I realized I could have made my high school experiance more enjoyable. I believe the best advice I could have given myself would have been to participate in more school related activities. Being involved with student government and school sports would have enabled me to make the most of the opportunities being presented. I also believe that as a freshmen and sophmore, most students, including myself, are not focused on their grades and future but rather the newest clothing trend or hottest rap star. Knowing that even my freshmen and sophmore year would impact the rest of my life may have motivated me to look beyond my material focus and turn towards my education.

If I was to go back and return to myself as a senior, I would advise myself to prepare myself for alot of reading. The most important thing in college is reading the materials to help you understand what is being said in a lecture hall by a professor, even if it is boring or if none of the questions on the test has to do with the book. I would try and get used to and prepare myself for a lecture type classroom because you have to be able to take effective notes by just listening to the professor, not what is written in front of you on the powerpoint. Another thing is to GO TO CLASS! Going to class is important because it helps you understand the material better if your rereading something from the book and you heard it more than once. Another thing is to see your porfessor during their office hours if you have any questions, or at least e-mail them so your not lost in the dark. It would be better if high school english teachers would grade at least one paper that is like a college paper in a writing class.

In a sentence: Live your authentic life! You have finally moved away from home and the religious fundamentalism that you were raised with is six hours away. Meet new and interesting people rather than stick with the "safe" crowd at church, and above all, come out of the closet while you have the chance! You did not choose to be gay, and there is nothing wrong with you. While you are looking for your authentic life, choose an authentic career while you are at it. Forget what your parents wanted you to do, and forget what the "noble" careers are that your church embraces. TAKE LIBERAL ARTS COURSES! Nothing will prepare to live a complete life like a philosophy, sociology, or anthropology course, so take them in your first semester. Take a course that is diametrically opposed to your belief system just to challenge it and see if it can withstand a good debate. If it collapses, then it is a good thing you got rid of early. If it withstands the pressure, you will be able to rely upon that for the rest of your life.

My words would be simple and direct. Plan ahead. Transitioning from high school to college is an adult process. You grow up quickly and immediately need to make adult decisions. The decisions made at the high school level most likely will play a major role in a life long career. Ask questions, utilize the advice of your advisors, parents, and teachers. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but ensure you learn from that mistake. Be flexible and willing to change. Keep one goal in mind, but be flexible in how you acheive that goal. Make decisions from your heart, think clearly about what choices best suit you. To perform successfully throughout your career, you need to love that career. And lastly, after gathering all of your information and listening to all of the advice thank those close to you who have given their endless support.

Hmm...if I was able to go back to my High School Senior year I would give myself loads of advice and preparation steps for my college transition. If I was a senior again I might've said something to myself like "Do more extracurricular activities!" or "YOU HAVE TO GET STRAIGHT A's!" If I have a chance to go back to my senior year with the knowledge I know now I would most likely be more successfull. I would tell myself to not go out with friends as much because I'd need to pay attention to my homework assignments and study material discussed in my classes. By saying no to going out with friends I could've gotten into a better school than Palm Beach State. If I were to have that opportunity again I would sieze the moment and buckle down on my time management skills. Time for school, work, friends and family. I would have prioritized better for maximum success.

I would tell my self to save every penny. When a graduated the economy was fine. Now im living paycheck to paycheck and trying to go to college. I would tell myself not to settle for fau like my parents oushed me to do. Go to pbcc and then go to ucf like I planned. Also I would save myself a lot of wasted time and money and tell me that i don't want to teach math, buit what I really want is to teach third grade.

If I could go back in time and find myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply for classes early and choose more comfortable hours. I would tell myself to check all the classes and spend more with the guidance counselor and on the wonderful website 'RateMyProfessor.net.' I would also tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible, because they are the greatest thing ever to your education. I would also tell myself not to get morning classes, since they are very annoying and that classes are very easy to miss. Applying for comfortable hours means not to get classes too early in the morning and not to late. Get classes that don't interfere with other schools hours. Sometimes you lose time waiting behind elementary, middle, and high school buses. I would also tell myself to look for clubs and ask about what each club contains before considering to join. College can be stressful, but if your organized and plan everything accordingly and ahead of time, it will be a breeze.

Growing up I had always dreamed of one day becoming a famous singer like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion. Education never really seemed to play a significant role in my life until about my freshman year in high school. I lived in and out of foster homes and was under the care relatives. When i finally settled down i was able to discover that there was more to life than I had known before. The idea of college was sort of enforced in the hose hold in which i resided. Tranistioning into college was not hard, it was rather strange. Being in another new environment for me was different and took some getting used to. After settling down I came to find that it is more than just attending class every day. College is about self motivation, assertion, comprehesion, hard work, and determination. Knowing what I do now I would have like to have set an actual career goal for myself , being an undecided student really affects you as a student and as an individual. I wish that i would have been more decisive and actually took heed to advice given to me as a teen.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and coach myself as a high school senior, there would be so much to say. First of all, I know I would have told myself to pressure my parents about living on campus my freshman year, because it is so active and there are so many more possibilities socially and educationally when you are involved and are experiencing the true college life. I would also prep myself for the work load that is to come, and teach myself that procrastinating is definately not the answer. Another piece of advice I would give is to stay active, and avoid that freshman 15! College life is much different than high school; nobody tells you when its lunch time. One with a busy schedule is more prone to a junk food infested, heart clogging lifestyle, and that is something I would like to avoid. Most importantly, I would advise myself to expect the worst. If I think that way, then nothing will turn out as bad as I thought, and I wouldn't get off to a bad start. Staying focused, motivated, and having your priorites in order is key to college success.

To talk to my past self would be very interesting I think I would have told myself to study harder for my advanced placement exams so that I could get out of more classes and get closer to my major. I would tell myself that money is very important and that when dealing with large sums of money it is sometimes very hard to spend and save wisely. It is so important to know as much as you can about the colleges you are applying to and the places that surround that college. I would reassure my high school self that it is okay to not know anyone that is going to your college, sometimes it is an advantage that way you get to make yourself a new person and meet tons of great people. I would tell myself to not be afraid to join clubs and organizations on campus, most of all though I would tell myself to have fun and learn something.

I would have told myself to pick one volunteer or one on campus activity that I'm really interested in and stick with it instead of half-heartedly being in five or six organizations. On scholarship and college applications, they usually ask what your role was in that group or organization, and if you were just a body warming a seat, it's not impressive. It's better to pick one thing and really get into it and use that as your extracurricular if you're not in sports. Another thing is I would have gotten recommendation letters from teachers that I liked or who taught classes I excelled in. I've found that many scholarship applications want letters of recommendations from former professors over any other letter, so that would have given me the extra leg up I needed in some competitions. Other than that, I would have told myself that the school I picked is the right one for me and to stay ACTIVE in homework to avoid laziness. College years really are some of the best years of life.

If I could go back in time, I would advise myself to apply to more than just one school, and that going away from home is a GOOD idea. I would tell myself that college is suppose to be fun. Don't stress out senior year because you will do enough of that when college exams come around. Make lots of friends because when living on campus, they are the ones you will hang out with all of the time. Go to school events, no matter how lame they seem to be. Getting involved is a healthy way to spend free time; locking yourself up in your room is not. Do not agree to share appliances, such as a refridgerator, with assigned roommates before you meet them; it only turns out a disaster. Take extra time to fill out as many scholarship applications as possible; definitely do not get lazy about writing essays for money- every penny counts. Scout out different places and older students to buy textbooks because they are more expensive than you could possibly imagine. Finally, I'd tell myself to explore everything and definitely study abroad.