Florida State University Top Questions

Get involved. It's the easiest way to make friends. Join clubs, inter-mural sports, Greek Life, something! When it comes to academics, if you're going to screw up, first semester is the time to do it, anything after that could be detrimental to getting into your major, or your chances of getting into certain grad schools or law schools. I don't encourage screwing up, just know that the most lucrative time to do so where you will be least affected in the short term is your very first semester in school. After that, you're going to want to really keep your grades up. Don't party too hard. I know it seems appealing, but think long and hard about why you think it's so appealing. Do you really like to get trashed all the time and not remember your nights? Or do you only like it because you think everyone else does and that it's what you're supposed to do in college? I have had plenty of experience with the party scene and the clubbing scene. In the end, all it gives you is a hole in your memory, your wallet, and your liver. I'm not saying don't party, by all means! I'm just saying be responsible when you do. You don't always need to get blackout. Another tip is to call home. If not too frequently, at least once a month. You may be fine on your own, but your parents worry about you. Lack of communication also strains your relationships with your family members and could potentially put events into action that you don't want. Take time for yourself. You don't always have to be on the social scene. Sooner or later you'll burn yourself out. It's okay to spend a Friday or Saturday night by yourself or watching movies with your roommate.

The advice I would give myself is Save, Save, Save!!! I should have saved most of the money I earned through babysitting, lifeguarding, and teaching swim lessons while I was in high school! I also should have cherished the times I spent with my parents and my dog, because I miss them more than I can ever imagine! I love my school & friends but it would be nice to be a little closer to home - instead of 7 hours away.

Going back into my senior year i would tell myself to look into colleges and seeing what my intrested would be. I would tell my self not to wait and take my time in it and think through out that year what i would want to study. Knowing that my senior year was just about having fun with my friends and thinking i had many years to get into a college. I would tell my self taht it would be okay to go out and have fun with friends but to keep in mind my future. I say this becasue i took six months to decide what i really wanted to study in. I wasn't sure what to go for either RMA or Criminal Justice. Even though i'm still just eighteen i could've signed up right at eighteen and finish sooner than waiting six months. I would just keep telling myself over and over to make sure to look into the future and make the best out of it!

The number one piece of advice I would have given myself and others is to not be so narrow minded. In highschool it is very easy to get caught up in a routine and a certain group of friends and that is fine. Once you get to college however, everything changes. Your daily routines change often because of studying, taking care of yourself, meeting with professors, etc. Also your friends will most likely change. You may go in knowing some people but it would be very unwise to go in so close minded and not willing to meet others. I have learned you have to make an effort to meet new people and see what they are all about. After all, they may end up teaching you something you never knew before!

I thought I knew it all when I walked onto the Florida State University campus last fall. I had my bags packed, my schedule set, and a whole new world to dive into independently, for the first time in my life. But if there was one thing I could go back and tell my high school self it would that with freedom comes major responsibilities. It’s true that college is a wonderful time to find oneself and become a responsible adult. However, it is also most importantly a journey; one that requires an insane amount of work ethic and will power. You must learn to stay decline invitations on Fridays and instead get used to spending the night with a textbook; you will become more accustomed to the library than you do to the local clubs. College is a learning experience, where students become adults through a series of decisions. These same decisions can essentially make or break a student’s college and even future career. For example, in high school, there’s assigned homework. However, in college one CHOOSES to study at home. It’s an entirely different ball game out here.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would say to change many things. Maybe run a little harder at basketball practice, or attempt to hang out with your old hometown friends more often. But the most important thing about college that I would stress to myself as a senior would be to put twice the amount of effort into school as I did. If I were to take more strenuous classes, or even do better in the classes I was careless about, it would save me much more time as well as money now. As a senior, I didn't just procrastinate, but I simply didn't take my classes seriously. I'm very lucky to have gotten into Florida State, and I can't comprehend why I took all the easy high school classes for granted.

You are about to embark on a another chapter in your life's journey. Just be prepared mentally for the challenges you may face during this transition by holding fast to your beliefs and values. Never forget who you have grown to be and who you aspire to be. No matter what pressures you may get from your peers or insecurities you may have, just remember that this will be one of the most important stages in your life. Make it count! Make it Memerable! Never be afraid to try new things! Face your fears! Most of all, Have fun!

Explore life and find something you are interested in or passionate about. In college, its important to get involved with extra-curriculars to be successful and to manage your time well. The transition is harder than you think it will be, so getting involved on campus will be one thing to set you apart from other freshman and get a head-start on your successful career.

I would tell myself to not be afraid to pick a major that involves hard work. I think when I graduated from high school I was being lazy and didn't want to go to med school because it meant I'd be in school for a long time. Now I understand that the time invested would have been worth it. Plus everyone made it seem like it was sooo difficult. I'd tell myself to truly take my time and decide on a major that I truly loved, not just something I could do well. Ultimately choosing a major was an incredibly hard decision beacuse I was capable of many things. I went with what I thought was most prevalent, and easy. Studying hard and giving up some luxuries isn't the end of the world.

When I entered college I thought I had the discipline necessary to succeed. I was a very good student in high school and felt dedicated to my program in college. I assumed the same method of study, and time management would work once more. I quickly had to realize that giving back the facts was simply not enough. I had to teach myself to make connections, to form ideas about the material beyond the words in the text. My biggest lesson was Erikson's higher level of thinking. Synthesis and evaluation became the motto for all my newly acquired knowledge. My other realization came in terms of time management. I wasn't prepared at first for the amount of material I had to go through. Preparing to study is not the same as actually getting the job done. No amount of thinking about a project, collecting recourses etc. actually wrote me an essay. Unless I buckled down and spent time - lots of time - on my work, I was not to be successful. My advice to high school seniors: develop effective study methods that are goal-directed, rather than time-coonsuming.