University of Central Florida Top Questions

Knowing what I know now, I have tons of advice I would give to myself. First, is to never doubt myself. Dreams can always be reached if you put enough dedication studying and staying highly motivated. Nothing can ever stop you but yourself. Second, always stay on top of school academically. Keeping a social life/work life is important but always learn to not let your social life/work life negatively take away from school. Sometimes for some, college is nothing like high school. In my case, high school was a breeze but with college I actually studied and worked hard. Also, I recommend staying in tune with your academic advisor every semester so you know that you are in a positive pathway to graduate. Even if your academic advisor may not be of help, there are many other resources and other advisors that can be at your assistance. I never took advantage of the academic advising and did everything on my own when at times I wished I had someone to help me. Lastly, I would say "College is the best time of your life. It only comes around once so study hard and enjoy every bit of it."

As a high school senior, I was ecstatic like anyone else to be at the top of the high school food chain. Although I wanted nothing more than to have fun and enjoy my final year as a high school student, I knew I needed to concentrate on the future. College was right around the corner and I had to be prepared. Unfortunately, I was not as prepared as I thought. Attending UCF was a new and exciting thing for me. It would be my first time away from home and away from my parents. I knew my parents didn't want me going away to college but they wanted me to go to a good college where I would have the opportunity to succeed. From what I know now, I would let myself know how lonely it would be away from home and to prepare myself ahead of time for a completely different lifestyle. No more procrastinating, no more skipping class, and no more home cooked meals. Now I was in the path of my career and I would let myself know to not let anything get in the way of my dream of becoming a civil engineer.

Don't go for a general degree. Pick a very specific career, as classes are much less broad after your sophomore year.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would strongly advise myself to never stop going to school. I took a few years of a break from college after I received my AA degree, and I now realize that if I had continued my education, I would have already completed my goal of receiving my PhD in physical therapy by now. I would also urge myself to be disciplined in setting aside time to study everyday to ensure that I retain the information rather than leaving it for the last minute. I would make sure I contemplate a career early on that I am truly passionate about (which I now know is physical therapy) and go into college with that goal in mind. Although I was a hard working student back then, now that I know that each class I take would add to the foundation of knowledge that will be used in the career of my dreams, I would be even more motivated to work my absolute hardest and be at the top of my class.

If I could go back in time, and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would only have a few choice things to impart upon myself. Firstly, I would tell myself to do what it takes to get the "A", everytime. Believe and you will achieve. Secondly, I would tell myself to have a little bit more fun. Enjoy yourself, you are young, and college is meant to be fun. As long as you work before you play, playing can be quite rewarding. You will feel more whole if you do those things. Lastly, in addition to working hard and playing harder, I would recommend applying for all of the scholarships and awards you can get your hands on. You never know until you try, and you cannot win games you do not play, so do not be afraid to give it your best. To go for the gold. To hope and dream and to never let anybody around ever tell you, you cannot be what it is you aspire to be. Play the game called college and play your very best. After all, "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women, merely players."

I would tell myself to concentrate more on school. Do not let life's hardships distract me from doing the best I can. Also, to concentrate on courses which will directly contribute to my ability to find a lucrative career in a field I enjoy. Like many people, I entered by undergraduate career with the goal of just getting by and graduating. I should have, and would now, apply myself to my courses with a strong focus on my career goals and future accomplishments in the job place. I would warn myself that when I graduate college I would face extreme personal and financial hardship--the country in a severe economic downturn would be difficult place to start my new life.

Looking back on my life in education, if I had the opportunity to restart my journey from high school through college the most important piece of advice I would give myself is to, genuinely and whole-heartedly do my very best and give my all in every aspect of school. I would stress how vital it is to take full advantage of the educational opportunity ahead, also help myself to realize that although four years of college seems like an eternity while working towards my diploma, those four years are extremely important yet they ultimately have a much longer lasting affect once they have gone. I would then not allow myself to be afraid to fail! Experience has become my best friend and teacher. Failure is simply a prerequisite for success! So I would push myself to do all and be all i could. Failure is in not trying and success is in complete effort.

if i could go back in time and tell my self one thing when i was in high school it would be to take general education classes at first. i feel if i could have taken time to decided what i wanted to do and i could have saved money in the long run.

Being in college is a whole different world than in high school. There are more responsibilities you need to take upon yourself and rely less on others (such as your parents and teachers) for. Motivation is key. Your professors will not keep track if you come to class or not nor will they keep track if you keep up with your assignments. Everything is on you once you enter college. Do not waste away your first year, this is the most important year of your life because it will set up how the rest of your time in college will be. Let school be your first priority and do not let things such as partying and working get in your way. However, do not stress yourself and maintain a good balance of work and play. Remember, you're going to school for you now and not because of mom and dad. College is a place to better yourself while at the same time figure out who you are and what you want to do in life. Good luck!

Looking back on how my senior year turned out, I would have definitely pushed myself harder in 12th grade and not have fallen victim to the ever popular bug, "senioritis." Before going into my junior year, I was an "A/B Honor Roll" student, but when I hit my junior year, I switched schools, leaving a mediocre school for a prestigious college prep school, Paxon School for Advanced Studies. It was challenging from the beginning, but I hung in there nonethelesss. Senior year, however, I began to slack off and not really care about my grades, and unfortunately, that attitude stuck with me for a few months into my first semester of college. So, as a second semester college freshman who plans to turn one bad semester into a college career of excellence, I would tell my "last-year self," if you will, to "Never take your academics lightly. Put away everything that will distract you from studying so that you can study effectively and efficiently. And whatever you do, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! You will never remember anything that way." I can now look back and only learn from my mistakes in order to make me a more successful adult.

I would tell myself to have a college in mind before leaving high school. I would also explain to myself how financial aid works and why i need to apply for it as soon as possible. In addition paying more attention in class will be more valuable due to the fact that college classes are paid for and not free like your ordinary public high school. Study hard and make a decision on what you want to major in ahead of time so you dont end up doing something you never had planned. You wanna look back on your life and know you made the decisions you wanted to make, not the ones were obligated to.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships, to make better grades, save money, and to do well on the ACT/SAT. I was also let myself know to live with my parents for as long as I can; free rent!

If I was given the chance to talk to my senior self, knowing what I do now about the 'college experiance', I would say "stay focused." The first semester of college will seem rough and like nothing you do is good enough despite how hard you work. However, as long as you do the work required of you and honestly study, you have nothing to worry about. Don't be a hermit! College is give and take, give 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your time to studying and getting the grades, but take that other 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} and have fun or else you'll burn out. By 'have fun' I mean enjoy the freedom. You don't have to party or drink, just hang out with friends on a Friday night. As long as you stay the studious person you are, you will do just fine.

Kelly! You've really got to stop freaking out. Everything will be fine... Honestly, don't worry about making friends or if people will like you. College is about independence, being able to go places and do things on your own without holding anyone's hand. Freedom to do what YOU want to do when you want to do it. If you just relax and be yourself, you'll make friends in no time! As far as the actually work load? It's simple. If you really try your best and do all the work then you'll get a good grade! Also, never be afraid to ask for any help with anything if you need it. Another important thing is to stay focused! You are going to college and spending thousands of dollars to get an education....NOT to party and slack off all the time. It's ok to party occasionally but NEVER until all the work you have to do is finished. It's a great idea to have a financial plan of how you are going to pay for everything before you start. Believe me, it will take off A LOT of stress! HAVE FUN!!!!!

I want to save this part and come back to submitt.

Based on my experiences, I would tell myself to find a college that fits my needs. Don't choose a school just because your friends are going there! Think about what is important to you in a school and go with one that fits the criteria! You want to be close to your dad because he's sick. You want a school that doesn't require you to live on-campus without your vehicle. You want a school that offers the classes you need, but not necessarily your major. You can always transfer after completing your core classes. Don't miss out on the clubs, organizations and other extras that college has to offer. It will help you transition to college life much easier. Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether its with your classwork, or because you are lost on campus. You aren't the first person to struggle and people are willing to help. Don't miss a class for no good reason. You never know when you really will have to miss class and if you have used all your days, your grade will reflect that!! And last but not least, enjoy it!

Follow your dreams and never give up!

I would advice myself to manage my time wisely in college because there is a time for everything. There is a time to play and a time to work hard. I would also advice myself to be involved in campus activites as much as i can because being involved helps one socially and mentally. I would advice myself to make the right choices when it comes to eating healthy, sleeping right, reducing stress and making the right decisions.

I would tell myself to research as many scholarships as possible and to get your admissions application in as soon as possible so that I could qualify for the multiple UCF Academic scholarships. I would also explain to myself that you have to apply to many scholarships before you win and to work really hard at it because in the end it really it worth the hassle and work. I would try to persuade myself to set up a schedule to help get all my stuff done, so that I don't get distracted with all my new found freedom. Also to get enough rest and not stay up till all hours of the night because no sleep catches up with you and when it does it hits you hard. And last but not least I would tell myself to go to the gym and exercise regularly to help deal with the mass amounts of stress and to help myself to not gain the much dreaded "Freshman 15".

I would tell myself to relax, keep working hard on school and push through a four year degree right away. Living on my own is not as important as going through the four year degree program. Maybe I will have different opportunities if I don't take the management route at the restaurant I work at. Take the time to branch out and do what I want to do before settling into life.