Florida State University Top Questions

Being the first in my family to attend college meant many things for me. I was proud of what I had accomplished and grateful for the experience my parents never got the chance to have. I was excited but most of all, scared because I had no idea what to expect. I had heard stories, seen movies, but knew no one who could truly guide me. After graduating from a university I am proud to have attended, I would go back in time and tell my high school self this—don’t be afraid. The next few years will be worth every second. Get involved by joining clubs as quickly as you can and don’t wait around until your last few years. Take advantage of all the opportunities allotted to you and don’t pass up a chance for a fun night. College is about more than just books; it’s about finding yourself and meeting the people who will make it worth your time. But most importantly, enjoy every second of it. Once it’s over, you’ll wonder why you ever wished for it to pass more quickly. Breathe it all in, every second of every day.

I would recommend to take AP hard science courses, I wasted much time taking calculus and physics. I would also recommend to learn how to program so what you also are more prepared in college to get into a research program. Dont spend so much time on video games, it will hurt in the long run. You should work in high school and try to save up so you dont have to get in debt, or work during your time in college. Enjoy your mothers meals, that wont be happening when you go to college.

College life is very busy, and a great amount of hard work is required to achieve academic goals. I should start applying for financial aid and scholarships from now on due to the fact that educational expenses are more in college than in high school. I should decide my major ahead of time. In this way, I will have a better educational plan according to the requirements of the institutes where I am applying. In the college, I should be involved in extracurricular activities like clubs, organizations and community work. These activities will look good in my application for four year schools. If I have to go to a prestigious four-year school, I have to keep up my college GPA. Besides college GPA, high school GPA is important too due to the fact that the four-year schools evaluate students based on their high school and college GPA. I should concentrate on my studies of high school and college, and I should take as many honors classes as I can. I should work diligently to be an asset for the community, to prove myself a competitive student and to embark upon my future life.

I would tell myself to be fearless right off the bat at college. I feel like I missed out on so much being timid due to the change in surroundings the first semester and that I passed up so many new opportunities and friendships. The Florida State experience is engrained in the relationships you make with your peers and no time should be wasted!

If I could go back and tell my high school self anything, I would tell myself to get involved in as much as you could. I wish I had joined more clubs, gotten involved in more, volunteered more. That is so important to colleges. I got very involved my freshman and sophomore year in college and I loved every second of it. In high school, I was too shy and reserved. I should have just jumped in and done everything I could. I would have told myself to really think about my priorities too. I loved high school. I had great friends and great memories but I didn't even scratch the surface of my potential. I have really opened up and grown since being in college. I've learned I'm capable of doing great things. I can only imagine how my life would be if I was this on fire and determined from a young age. If I had been more determined in high school, I probably could have gotten into a better college or even finished earlier than planned. I don't regret anything in my life but it would be awesome to give younger me advice.

I would tell myself that going to a community college will be the best decision I ever made. As excited as all your peers are to go away, they will be homesick and in a lot of debt. I would tell myself about how vital my first two years of college are in growing up. I would warn my past self to not take Pre-Calculus and not to petition my original class placement. I would tell my passt self to relax about finding a major. Everything will work out.

Know that I have completed my freshman year in college, I would tell my high school senior self to enjoy the time at home as much as possible. Once you enter college, new responsibilites arise that can overwhelm many- rent, tuition, laundry, etc. I would tell my high school self to enjoy the times when mom can do your laundry and cook you dinner and when you have much fewer cares in the world. Entering college is your first step into adulthood and your success or failure when transitioning from high school to college can directly impact the rest of your academic career.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to stress as much about transtioning to college. I was worried about making friends and adjusting to living in a new enivronment. I actually found the transition very easy and natural. I became best friends with my roommates and began doing everything with them. They created a support system for me, and we all learned how to transition together. Academic life was also relatively easy to transition to. It is very different than high school, but I found I enjoy college classes much more because they are specific to your interests and major. I would tell myself not to worry because I ended up loving where I chose to go to school.

The advice I would give to my high school self would be to learn and practice a better way of taking notes like Cornell Notes. From what i've learned from my experience in college is that notes help you out tremendoulsy, not with just helping you memorize a lecture but it can definatley help you out with up coming tests and quizzes. Another thing I would tell myself is to spend some time each day at the school's tutoring center, even if I think I know a subject it will be a big help just to get more practice on at the tutoring center. The most important thing I would tell myself is that college is not as hard as everybody makes it seem to be, i definately can be challenging at times but if you put enough effort and determination into it, you will get through it and it will pay off!

If I were able to go back in time to speak to my high school self, I would have told myself to really think about what I wanted out of college. I would have met with my advisors in order to map out my path towards my degree. I would also have told myself to not let working a job distract from my studies. I have had plenty of time to work so far in my life and not enough time for school. One other thing I would tell myself is to really make an effort to make friends on campus. The people you meet could be in your life for a long time.