Florida State University Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to my self about college I would help myself become alot more prepared .First I would have to really think about what I wanted form college. For example what major I'd choose, location, diversity, and population. This way I'd have a direction and it would narrow my college search. Next I would look up colleges based on these critiors. After I pick a few, vist them to get a feel of campus life. This way I could see if the collge and its surrounding seem right for me. Then I would pick which college I'm instrested in and look up deadlines and begin applying!

Take more AP science classes and prepare yourself better for being in situations where you aren't already really comfortable with the individuals surrounding you.

As a senior in high school I was so focused on the future and my grades that would get me into college. I was always stressing out about silly little things. Knowing what I now know I would tell my 18 year old self to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. I was always so focused on the future that I never gave myself time to see the present. College is an amazing experience and I would tell myself that you will forget all the bad test grades, the long study sessions, and the difficult professors. I would tell myself to get more involved in campus life and make new friends because those are the memories you will keep forever. Of course studying is important, but I would remind myself that it is just a fraction of the time you spend while at school. If I could have told myself as a senior not to worry because at the end of 4 years I will have made good grades, graduated at the top of my class, and the future was still right where it always was.

I would tell myself not to live with strangers, ever. I would also tell myself to try not to be lazy and to be more assertive about getting A's. I would tell myself to participate in more organizations and volunteer work as well.

Don't be afraid to join clubs and get involved. If you are interested in something, go out and grab the opportunity. You're going to do it later anyways, and regret that you missed out on meeting the great people you've met earlier. No one is going to hand your life to you on a silver platter- it is your job to make things happen. Also, don't be afraid to be yourself. People will love you just the way you are, and there is no need to try to present yourself in ways that don't come naturally to you. The more forward you are with yourself, you more people will accept your own identity. Making yourself open to people will be frightening at first, but completely worth it in the end. Never forget to have fun, even during the most stressful times! These are going to be some of the best years of your life, so relish them!

The advice that I would give myself if I could go back in time as a high school senior would be to go ahead and go to college and get my degree, instead of waiting ten years later to pursue my college education. It would have been so much easier to do it right out of high school instead of letting my brain rest for ten years.

The best token of advice I would be able to offer myself, or anyone else for that matter, would be to relax! While college can be stressful, and certainly poses a challenge at times, it is also important to step back every once in a while, take a deep breath, and accept that everything will likely be okay. Starting out at a school where I didn't know anyone was tough for me: growing up I always kept the same close friends and was not used to branching out. I was a bit shell-shocked when I arrived from my small town to a "big city" (as I considered it) full of unfamiliar faces. However, as time went on I was able to become more and more comfortable, and now I can honestly say that I'm the most confident and at ease I have ever been. The thing to remember about college is that, while it is a time for studying, it is also a time to relax and have fun. My neurotic, nervous high school self would have been more prepared had I known then what I do now. Bottom line: it's college, have fun!

I would tell my high school self to start learning how to budget my money and how to cook. In college, I was free to do whatever I wanted. In the beginning I got a little crazy with the spending because I wasn't keeping track of my expenses. I would tell my high school self to keep a careful log of expenses for the month and only spend money on what I really needed. I would also tell myself to start cooking. I didn't have a meal plan in college because it was too expensive. I had never done grocery shopping before and when I went to the store, I was completely overwhelmed and ended up buying a lot of junk. If I knew how to cook some simple dishes, I would have been able to prepare a nice meal for dinner instead of popcorn or a bag of chips.

I would tell myself that starting to prepare for college early and looking for scholarships is so much more important than I think. I need to have good relationships with my counselors and teachers so they can give me good references and get involved in as many clubs in school as I can and to become an active member in them as well. Even though I am shy, I need to try and have at least one or maybe even two leadership positions at school. I would also make sure that I applied to as many scholarship opportunities as I can because I would later seriously face the consequences, even though it may not seem like it at the time. I should take school more seriously and focus on making sure I appear as a well-rounded individual to universities so that I could have the option to go to any university I would like. Lastly, I would advise myself to take all those AP courses I never wanted to take because it will make studying in college so much easier if I have some kind of background on the subject.

High school isn't all fun and games, don't throw away oppurtunities to advance while it is a bit easier.