Florida International University Top Questions

If I could go back in time, the first advice I would give to myself as a senior in highschool is to apply to more scholarships. My first year of college, I had Bright futures 100percent and a Bank of America scholarship .This year however, I only had the bright futures scholarship because the Bank of America was only for 1 year, and due to Bright futures decision to cut back, I now have to pay 600 dollars for my tuition as well as for books. If, as a senior in highschool I would have applied to more scholarships, I would probably be in a better position, financially, right now. Second advice I'd give myself is to get more involved and learn better time management skills. In highschool I wasn't as involved as I should have been because I dedicated all my time to my academics. Now that I am in college I have realized the imporance of being in clubs, doing internships, and community service. However, I have struggled a little to manage my time with so much on my plate. I probably would have struggled less if I had realized all this in highschool.

The main point I would tell my high school senior self would be the importance of the college you pick. Back in high school I did not think the choice of which college I would attend would actually make a difference. I figured, naively, that college would be similar no matter where I went. Now however, I see that the choice of the instituiton should not be taken lightly. One must evaluate a school thoroughly starting with a visitation. Visiting a school provides you with information that you will never find in any brochure or website. During visitation you have the opportunity to ask questions to current students and administrators as well as find out if the school feels like the correct fit for you. I would advise my younger self not to pick a school solely on the strength of one department as college students are infamous for changing their mind in regards to their major. Instead I would tell my younger self to look at the general academic environment and seek out a school with strong departments in most fields.

If i could go back in time and advise myself on college life, i would tell myself to apply to FIU school of architecture from the start. I would start off as a freshmen to recieve the complete education for the first years instead of starting your first two years in community college. I would research more financal aid options and make myself aware of all the scholarship awards available. I will tell myself to get properly advised at FIU school of architecture and prepare myself to enjoy college like and make friends.

Join lots of study groups, and stay focused NO MATTER WHAT!! Take all the Core( science and math) classes your firstand second year to stay on top of your game. If tutoring IS available, Use itto your FULL advantage. Pick classes early and go to ratemyprof.com to choose a better then average professor that would make the class easier to understand. Go to CLASS, this part is VERY important, even if the class lecture is not mandatory, it will benefit you tremendously, especially when professors tend to point out particular things on future exams and quizzes. Use the resources on campus to the full extent; the tutoring can come very handy, but don?t wait till the LAST minute to finish or study for assignments. And for the love of GOD, DO NOT PROCASANATE!!! Use your time wisely, seriously!

You should have taken some Advanced Placement classes when you were in high school. Also it would have been nice to live off campus, so you should have gotten a job so that you could afford a better living situaion. You surely made the right descison with moving to Miami, don't think there is a city better in the country.

If I could go backi n time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to make sure that I am focused at all times. I would tell myself, "this is the time where you grow in becoming a responsible adult." This would be a serious and very important conversation that I have with myself becauses this is the beginning of a brand new chapter of adulthood, maturity, responsiblity, and a very bright future. I would tell myself to make sure I study hard and do everything to the best of my ability, because if I don't build a successful life for myself, then who will?

Think longterm. Will you be happy with your decision for four years, academically, socially, and financially. Be realistic!

Take the first semester very seriously, it impacts your GPA in ways that you will regret as a senior. Get involved as soon as possible in extracurricular activites. It is a great way of meeting new people and it will also help you determine future career plans. If you are going into any pre-health field, don't choose biology or chemistry. Everyone does it and your chances of being accepted go down, besides there are many other interesting fields out there. Going back to the joining of clubs and fraternities, it is better to be the president of one society than active member of 20. LEARN TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC . Establish good relationships with your professors, they will be writting your letters of recommendation. Do research, go study abroad for a semester or the summer and enjoy every minute of it because before you know it , its over.

Balance fun with acedemia.

During my first semester in college I lived in the dorms. Eventually, drinking and partying everyday caught up to me and I wasn?t even able to make it to my 1pm class. It wasn?t until I saw my 1.64 GPA that I decided to take school serious. Now, I am living the life that every college student should have, and I should've planned that out firsthand. Checklist to a successful college career: live on-campus to get full exposure on campus activities, always keep an agenda on you & learn time management, never cram & definitely avoid all-nighters, join a fraternity/sorority because it?s the biggest social network in school, get involved in clubs & organizations that help you grow as a person, avoid bad-influences, never neglect studying and always prioritize, do an internship, party less than what you study, apply for scholarships and use the money to study abroad, make friends, take full advantage of the library, never miss class & always sit in the front, don?t be afraid to talk to new people, and most of all, HAVE FUN because after these 4 years comes the real world.