Florida State University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself this advice: "Jess, you should take some A.P. classes, get into the dual enrollment program, and try to get done as many classes as possible related to your future major. Keep up with your good work and always stay positive because it is the key to your success. Good Luck and make me proud!"

Don't let others make you feel like you have to be someone you're not. Go through sorority recruitment as a freshman and find a house of girls that will become your family away from home. Join organizations and meet as many people as you can. Live on campus; it's an experience you can only get in college and there are endless benefits to living in a community of new, interesting, and different people. As much as you want to skip class just make yourself go and you will thank yourself when finals come around. Just do everything and anything new that comes across your path this is the time when you can experience things you have never experienced before and won't experience again after your college years.

The advice I would give myself would be to not take advantage of time and get things done in reasonable time.

I would say go into college with an open mind and try everything! Don't judge anyone and write anyone off, get to know everyone you meet. You never know who your best friend will be. Don't slack off freshman year or you will ruin your GPA! Try as many random classes as you can, there is a ton of interesting things to learn. Get involved with as manay organizations as you can, it is fun to be busy. Never doubt or lie to yourself, or you will just be unhappy.

If I had opportunities to provide advice to myself, I would say improve reading and writing skills. A developed vocabulary will improve your reading and writing skills. As you read, write down all of the words you do not know and look them up. This will facilitate correct pronunciation of words, identify part of speech, and provide definitions of words to incorporate in verbal and written communication. Encourage yourself to do better because faculty will not. A strong and developed vocabulary will strengthen foundation strong to support a dissertation without struggling to develop vocabulary as you advance in school. Knowledge is power and keys to a successful education and career. Strong and developed vocabulary will provide confidence to participate in class discussions without feeling apprehensive. This is the advice I would give myself if I could go back in time.

I would convince myself to take the risk and apply to the larger universities out of state that I had wanted to attend and to be an individual so that I can choose the school that satisfied my academic needs, not my social dependencies. I would discuss my anxiety problems since most of your freshman year will be spent on controlling your emotions and organizing yourself mentally or else you'll be running in place like I have been. Then I would emphasize on reaching out and making amends with my family instead of being so incredibly focused on being a rebel. Everyone in college is a rebel, being unruly is no way to get noticed and being self sufficient is not an easy task. You need support and family is the perfect crutch. Lastly, I would tell myself to get over high school, although all the movies concentrate on what a great time high school is, life does not end there. Yes everything was easier to access, but college is a better example of the real world. You need self motivation and confidence, stop being so reliant on others. Learn latin: Carpe Diem!

Completely follow your heart. Only do what will truly make you happy. Trust your brains, trust your instincts, trust yourself.

The first thing I would tell myself would be to do more research -- that four years at a college is a long time, and you don't want to choose wrong. Then I would say that I should look into more scholarships, and keep a tighter rein on my GPA, so I could get more money and not have to worry about fees and loans, like I am now.

Finding the right college is a very crucial start on the rest of your life. I know from personal experience that it can get overwhelming trying to find the school that is the most affordable and offers everything that you want and need. For parents, when it comes to finding the right college, it's important to allow your child to visit the campus and get a good feel of the university to see if its really for them without your direct influence in their final decision -- its important that they feel comfortable. Students, I highly encourage you to get a feel of each campus from your own personal research to visiting and asking any and every question you can think of. Remember there is no stupid questions. And once you get to the college you choose, get involved right away! Get out of the dorms, walk around, smile at strangers and show yourself friendly. Find the organizations that interest you and be proactive in getting involved, you will not regret it! These will be the best years of your life, so don't hold back. Jump in and have fun!

As cheezy as it sounds.. do what feels right. Choose your college based on what is right for you-- wherever you feel comfortable. Don't be afraid to let loose and have fun, you only get one chance to experience college like this so make the most of it. Learn to manage your time and money-- two very important life skills. Parents, I'm sure it's hard to let go, but your kids will be just fine on their own. This is the time to grow up and learn the ways of life. Enjoy!