Florida State University Top Questions

Hey you, you know, you, the teenage girl that thinks she knows everything, I have a little secret to let you in on, “trust yourself!” You are a smart girl, talented girl, and so far, you have been doing a pretty good job, not screwing it up. Well, I mean other than the usual teenage girl drama. I didn’t come here to tell you how important your education is going to be in your future, or how much your social life is going to interrupt your studies and that you should stick with school because mom said that you should go now, I came here to tell you to change nothing. You will be blessed with a wonderful husband, and two amazing children. If we changed your path now, those precious things that have driven you to be so committed to continuing your education now, simply wouldn’t exist. You now know the value of that education, not just for yourself, but for your family. If you were to change the steps you make this year, the course of your steps that have lead you here may change forever.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You will experience many difficult situations that you're not used to, you'll lose friends and realize who is really there for you. You will lose someone that meant the world to you. Life is hard but it's what you make of it. You can do this. Your family will always be there for you. It is normal to really miss them, but just think of why you're where you are.

Be patient. Be prepared for a whirlwind of change in a short period of time. Be independent but always know you have so many people to catch you when you fall. Work hard and never procrastinate. Read the textbooks. Don't worry about getting a job as much as you should be worrying about schoolwork. Keep your head held high. Homesickness is normal. Everyone is supporting you. Be prepared for heartbreaks and for new friendships. Be frugal with your money. Understand you are a young adult now and mommy isn't there to take care of you when you're sick. Try different things out, you never know what will strike your interest and if it will give you your best friends ever. Always do your FAFSA as soon as it opens. You have a phone, you can call your friends and family whenever you need. You are at this school to get an education and get a degree in something you're passionate about, do NOT take that for granted. Ramen has a lot of sodium, you can still eat healthy on a college budget. It's okay to feel lonely sometimes. Live your own dream. Love it.

It's okay you don't know what to do, but push yourself in math because that is what you'll learn to love. Read everything you can about economics and don't let your educational circumstances allow you to think you can't make it. Just because you struggled with college early on I assure you it's only minor. The only struggle you'll have is finances and you can do everything possible to fix that. Keep hammering away because it'll happen you make it happen.

There are several things that I wish I could tell my high school senior self. Most importantly, I wish I could tell myself to spend more time with my dad before he passes away from leukemia. More trivially, I wish I could tell myself to dump my stupid, no-good boyfriend bofore he breaks my heart. Aside from that much needed advice, however, there is something else that I desperately wish that I had known as a high school senior. I wish that I could tell myself that no matter how scared I am of the future, that it is filled with so much happiness. I would tell myself not to be afraid of the unknown, because with every day that passes, my life just gets better. I would tell myself that such happiness doesn't just happen, though, and that it is earned through hard work. I work so hard to ensure that I succeed in academics, maintain and create strong relationships, and become an overall better person, and that what leads to such happiness. I wish that I could tell myself that isn't just going to be okay; it's going to better better than okay.

The advice I would give to my high school self is to not expect your high school life to follow you to college, especially in the aspect of friends. My transition from high school student to college student was a rather rough one. I had kept this idea in my mind that my friends from high school and I would still maintain the same friendships that we had the four years we were together in high school. Due to this thought, I spent more time sitting alone trying to contact through text message my high school friends instead of going out and making new ones. Now knowing the difficulties I have dealt with because of how I chose to isolate myself, I would be sure to pass on the advice that gaining a sense of independence is a major necessisty in order to make the transition an easier and more enjoyable one. I would let myself know that of course it will be difficult, but it will be well worth it; college is suppose to be the best four years of your life, so don't let high school life keep that from being true.

I wish I had known that it was okay to have fun, not just study. I spent so much of my time in highschool just studying and doing homework that I forgot to make friends, and it is something I regret now. I see how other people can simply begin talking to other people, but it terrifies me. I wish I had learned to talk to strangers with ease, because it is not enough to just know how to study and go to class and do the assignments, there needs to be a balance. I find myself feeling lonely, but I never learned how to make friends from strangers when I should have. I would tell my younger self to talk to anyone and everyone and not be afraid to do things with people, to do more than study. I would tell myself to find people that make me happy, that I love spending time with. There is more to life than studying, and I wish I had known that before it mattered so much to me.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to not take the opportunity of college for granted. The moments, people, experiences, and knowledge that one gains in a university setting is unlike any other. I think that it is a time to grow in order to find out who you are and what you stand for. If I could give myself advice it would be to take chances and do not hold back because these are four year that will impact the rest of my life. It is a time to learn priorities and gear yourself towards the person you want to become. Academics should be the main focus and no matter where your path takes you during college one should never forget that. I would give myself the advice to plan out the four year and set plans to achieve my goals. Studying abroad, joining organizations that you're passionate about, or going on medical mission trips are all on my college bucket list. All of these take proper planning and execution and if done properly college can be a time to find fulfillment while also succeeding academically.

While the obvious answer here is, "Study more, play less, and shape up!" I was never really drawn to partying in lieu of studying. I was in the IB Diploma Program--I've sinced earned my IB Diploma after years of hard work--and I was one of the few who actually enjoyed the academic rigor of it all. Without it, I wouldn't be the person I am today and without sounding cocky or arrogant, I like who I've grown into. In all honesty, my only advice would be to pay more attention to how the process of getting financial aid works and apply for scholarships much, much earlier. Had I known how strict the FAFSA guidelines were; my family received a burst of income via hazard pay from my step-father's tour in Afghanistan, but he has since returned and is no longer receiving increased pay. However, this made me ineligible for most of the financial aid that I could've received previously. Also, I've learned that college is very expensive and is not looking to become cheaper anytime soon, so anything and everything truly helps and does certainly not fall into ungrateful hands.

If allowed to go back to being a high school senior, I would focus on increasing my Advanced Placement course load, research jobs that interest me as a career option, and begin to do increased interviews with companies to see what would be required to gain those jobs. By increasing my AP load, I'd be able to not only save money on college courses but I'd also learn my strengths in schooling with more clarity. Researching jobs would help me discover my career path sooner, and researching companies that hire in that field would assist me to prepare for the post-college job hunt. Knowing what I know about college now and the transition into college, I'd advise myself to save more money and work hard while discovering what I'd prefer to study as a career.