The University of Tampa Top Questions

Dear Younger and more beautiful self, Do not fear your college transition, you'll be fine. Link up with the right people who share your views and have the appropriate balance of work and social time. DO NOT stay up untill 5 a.m everyday, unless you are up studying. You dont want to sleep your days away and be up all night. Insomnia is REAL. Don't be afraid to explore your new surroundings and before you leave home force your parents to buy you a car! Walking while others drive is miserable. Join as many clubs as possible. That is the quickest way to meet new people and develop lasting friendships. Diversify your life. People from different perspectives can teach you a lot. Dive into their culture while maintaining and teaching them your own. Think hard about what exactly interest you, its okay to change majors once, but at a point being so indecisive effects how long you will be in school. Construct a plan and follow it to your best ability. Last but DEFINITELY not least, remember to have loads of fun. After college the real world smacks you and all the freedom and free food disappears.

Stay in school. College is not going to be easy. College is not a place to be playing around with your future. College is not about being the life of the party, it's about getting a degree. Work hard, don't be afraid of the library, don't be afraid to get help, don't be afraid to put other aspects of life on hold so that you can accomplish your goal of getting a college degree. Enjoy every step of the way. Be grateful that you are there. Be grateful that you have the opportunity to be in school. Be grateful for what you have. Be better than, "good enough."

Hello, Jess. I don't have much time but I am here to give you advice on your future college life. I know you've recently had your heart broken and to tell you the truth, you're going to have it broken a few more times. Don't let anyone control your life or make you so upset to the point where your grades suffer. No guy is worth throwing your future away. Attend community college for two years before transferring to UT. Believe it or not, you're going to be more upset with the debt you have than you would have been sticking it out at HCC. College is a lonely ride sometimes. Don't get distressed. One day, you'll see that the people who are there for you are the ones who have always been there. And don't freak out about your body in November 2009. Being six pounds heavier than you used to be isn't worth your health in the future. Exercise instead. You have people who love you, if you remember that you're going to be fine. I have to go now, but I'll see you in the mirror.

I would tell my high school self to step up my studies and practising. College is more challenging than I expected then. I would bring my sheet music to the hospital with me when I went for infusions. I would have told myself that this disease will not kill me and I am stronger than I ever thought I was. I would tell myself to fight just that little bit harder against my Lupus and kidney disease because I can do it.

Karsten I know you are worried about all of the choices you are about to make but do not worry too much. You will handle moving from Germany to the United States and even though your parents are back in Germany you will do just fine. The friends you will make in your freshman year will help you get through the hard times, and you will do the same for them. Classes will be great and your professors are informative and will help you when you need them. I know you are worried about the fact that you are still learning english and have only been speaking it for about 4 years. Do not worry about that there are many other students you will meet that have that same problem. You will even meet other people from throughout Germany at your university. Just focus on what lies ahead and remember that you can do anything you set your mind to do. You will go on to accomplish great things in your senior year. Just remember where you came from and the obstacles you had to overcome. Lastly do not forget only you determine how far you go in life.

I would tell myself to try harder in school, not be as lazy, and be more active in life.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to take my senior year more seriously. I would tell myself to take the SAT's more seriously to make getting into college easier. I would also tell myself to ask questions when I went to visit colleges. Visiting colleges could be a little overwhelming so the more you ask the more you know and that will make the transition easier. Finally, I would tell myself to enjoy my first year. I would tell myself not to overload on classes so much that I do not have a chance to enjoy the things that make my college great. I would tell myself to get out and enjoy the sporting events and to try to join groups to help meet people. In conclusion, I feel that this advice would greatly help my transition from high school to college which would ultimatly make my life easier today.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself to stay true who I am and what I want. I've always known what my dreams are, but I lost my morals along the way and now I am finally getting them back. I would tell myself to not worry about being popular, just be myself and have fun because popularity doesn't matter in college, grades and experience do. I would also tell myself to cherish high school, because I spent too much time trying to get out, and now I miss it and how much easier it was. I would tell myself to make time for my family, because 4 monthes away from them is a lot longer than it seems. The last thing I would tell myself woud be to live in the moment, because theres no way to get time back and life is full of amazing people and opportunites, all you have to do is open your eyes.

You're going to do alright, just try to keep your schedual straight, you'll bother less people.

I would tell myself Kaitlyn, these are going to be the best four years of your life; you have the rest of your life to worry about money and working so enjoy yourself now. If you're homesick remember Mommy, Daddy, Maria and Shannan are never more than a phone call away and they are all so proud of you for making it on your own so far from home. But don't go home every chance you get, home will always be there college wont. Make as many friends as possible, you are all in the same boat as freshmen away from home for the first time. Value the friends you make here because unlike high school the friends you make here will truly be your friends for life. Work hard but play harder that's what college is all about. Always stay true to who you are. But most importantly, know that whatever comes your way you can do this and you'll be a better person because of it.

I would have told myself to pretty much do the same thing i did. i looked at different colleges and choose the one that i thought was the best for me.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would explain essential information so I wouldn't stress as much if my first year. I would explain the whole credit and hours ordeal to myself so understanding would be much easier and smoother. Organization and having a schedule would be the best advice I could give myself. If I organize my day I will get through it much easier and have more time on my hands for studying, extracurricular activities and personal time. Also, another piece of advice would be to stay aways from bad friendships and try to be with people who will let me grow as a person, not undermine my values. Most important of all, I would reassure myself that everything will be ok in college because I know how nervous I was about the university as a high school senior.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would tell myself to not be so afraid and embrace the changes that are coming. I would tell myself that I'll miss home, but I can't dwell on it and to go out and make new friends; be proactive. Take that first week and find new people to hang out with, because you're going to meet some really great people who will be there for you when you need them most. I would tell myself that donating blood is great, but eat first and don't go an hour before class, because you'll probably end up being late the first day. I would also tell myself that reading the text book in all of my classes is a FANTASTIC idea and that I need to set aside some time each night to read at least a little bit. Oh, and don't be scared when you don't get A's on everything, it's ok. Life will go on and you'll still do great. Relax. Breathe. Go to the beach. Have friends and laugh often. Good Luck.

Dear Tatyana of 2010, I am a little older and wiser now that I have completed my first year of college. With this advantage, I would like to advise you to explore all of your career options and possible majors, so that you can go into college with a declared major. This way you will not be catching up next summer when you finally decided on a major in the middle of the school year. Also, it is not necessary to go to all of the parties the first week of college. If you do, the next two months will be spent sleeping in the library getting your 3.7 GPA. Last but not least, do not be so homesick. Yes, you are going to miss your family and friends, but do not worry. You are going to make life long friends in the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta, your roommate will become your best friend, and you will end up loving college.

I found every minute of my first year at college to be so enjoyable. Yes there was a lot of work and reading, but something was just different for me from high school. I felt more comfortable with who I was and I was far less stressed than I had been only a year earlier. Now, having this knowledge, the biggest things I wish I could tell myself as a high school senior would be don't sweat the small things and enjoy your life in the moment. I was always very worried and stressed out about my schoolwork in high school. I wanted the best grades, the best class ranking, and the best quality of work to ensure that I would be ready for college. I was in fact overprepared in a way. I wish I would have had more confidence in my schoolwork so as not to stress about it so that I could truely enjoy every bit of my senior year. Reducing the anxiety that I had would have allowed me to finish my senior year with a bang knowing that my transition to college would be a breeze and that I could enjoy every moment.

I would tell myself to not care so much what others think of you. Don't push so hard to make friends, but let them come to you. Focus harder on school and avoid distractions. Always read instructions to to assignments and exams very carefully as to avoid any careless errors. Finally I would tell myself it's not about how much money or material pocessions one has, but how a person takes a bad situation and can turn it into a good one.

I would of most definitely worked harder and looked into scholarships and other ways to help my parents in paying for my education. I did not realize the sacrifice they make to be sure my brother and I get an education. I would have worked harder my junior and senior years to put some funds away for school. I also would have listened and took a better interest in all the programs and applications I could have completed to help with funding. Never in my life did I think it would be so expensive. If I could go back to high school as a senior, I would take a much more mature approach to my future and not think like all kids do that everyone goes to college and it's just what we kids do. No big deal, mom and dad can afford it. I have a great appreciation for budgeting now and learning to live within my means. High School students need to learn more about college life from a real prospective of studies, costs, and living away from home. It's not all a party.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior I would tell myself to work as much as I could during the summer so I could devote more time to my studies during the school year. Also take a few more courses in high school that I was going to have to take in college or even help me along the way. Then I would tell myself that studying is a have to not a choice, and that I am very capable of accomplishing anything I set my mind to and to always rememeber that.

Laura, when you are nearing the end of highschool it will be very important to apply to every college you really want to attend. But, first find out as much about them as you can. Visit them if you have the opportunity as well as speak with students presently attending and alumni to make sure the college you choose is the best fit for YOU. Find out exactly how much financial aid you will be awarded and get this in writing. Don't wait 23 yrs. to do this like I did, go straight to college after high school so you can be in the career you choose and have the stamina to keep up with everything. There will be plenty of time later in life to go in another direction if you are not happy where you are. School is so much harder when you wait and you are competeing with younger students for EVERYTHING. Make sure the college you choose supports their students in all aspects and provides help when needed. Finding the right school will help make the transition easier and you will be glad you followed my advice. Don't make the same mistakes I did.

Hello past self. Don't worry, college is not going to be nearly as stressful as you think. However, you still need to focus on getting your work done as soon as it is handed to you, otherwise the work will rapidly pile up and overwhelm you. You need to think of college as the real world, like a 9 to 5 job, and use that time to get work done when you are not in class. Take college one step at a time and no matter how confusing it may be or how big the assignment is, you will get through it. Work hard and you will succeed. Also, do not stay up too late. Sleep is important and having class when you are half asleep is miserable. Lastly, make good friends with whom you can work together and have fun with. College can be hectic, and you need to takes breaks with friends or have some alone time to relax. If you take small breaks or even a quick nap and get your thoughts in order, your work will be better and you will be able to focus more. Good luck with college, and don't stress!