University of Central Florida Top Questions

If I could go back to high school I would tell mysefl to stay in high school at the very moment I dropped out. I would also tell myself to take dual enrollment courses, apply for scholarships, and enroll in college full time as soon as I graduated from high school. Doing this would would have changed my life in so many ways and allowed me to stay on track instead of getting so far behind in my education and career paths. I would have told myself these things and maybe gave my then self some insights on which teachers and courses to take and which to steer clear from.

Stay focused on school. Take time to study. Get involved

I went to a college preparatory school and I would tell myself that going to my high school was the right idea. Going through high school, I had to learn how to make new friends and I learned that there is a way to balance academics and a social life. I would advise myself that I needed to take more time to enjoy the social aspects of high school. Although I am ahead in college, I feel like I would have advantaged from being more comfortable with meeting new people. High school for me was all about getting the most college credit that I could and although I am doing good with my academics I am still socially akward. College is a great experience to be able to explore new possiblities and show different aspects of your personality and I wish I could have done that more in high school so that I would be more comfortable in expressing myself to new people. High school and college is where you are supposed to find out who you are and I wish I had started that as a senior instead of jumping into it in college.

College is important! Don't caught up in everyone around you who says that college is only a pece of paper; it is so much more than that! Find what you love and stick to it and if you got a scholarship then you deserved it. Don't second guess yourself.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would tell myself is that need more motivation and passion to prepare myself for the challenges that colleges have. In high school, I didnt know what to expect and I didnt worry to much about it. Now I know I should of took my insentive to get more fininacal aid, knowledge, and motivation for what college life have in store for me.

I would tell myself that having self-discipline and motivation are important to keep. Knowing what you have to do, telling yourself to do it, and actually doing it are all very important. Also, being responsible for all of your own actions and taking charge of the decisions in your life are crucial. Having and keeping an open mind while you are there is also very important, there are so many diverse people, who come from all types of different backgrounds, that to not have an open mind deems you ignorant and starves your life of experience and knowledge. Do not ever forget that education is the most important thing in life and knowledge is power. You will be exposed and presented with so many different opportunities in all kinds of categories that it will take some judgment and decision making to decide on what you really want to do. Also, change is not bad. Change is inevitable. You will learn and grow so much, become so much more independent from your freedom, that you will finally see that you can do it by yourself, and that the world is at your fingertips.

Yesterday, a friend of mine asked me a simple, yet incredibly mind-boggling question through the internet. It was only four words. Sounded simple enough. However, the backspace key instantly became my new best friend. Nothing I typed seemed to be an adequate response for such a deep question. The question plainly asked if I had "any regrets in life?" My answer (after some serious thinking) finally was: "my college application process." Unfortunately, I had a rather arrogant desire to do it independent of help from others. Consequently, I made many mistakes. My most prominent one being that I only applied to four schools. I was ignorant of the fact that two of these were unaffordable for myself.... unless granted extremely generous scholarships. That left two available options. After being denied from my first choice school, only one remained - the one I currently attend. Although I am genuinely happy here, it still leaves that doubt, the big "WHAT IF?" What if I accepted help from others, what school would I be at now? Would I be more successful? So here's advice to myself as a senior: "Listen to the advice your superiors give you. They know better."

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to always keep an open mind. I feel as my transition from high school to college, I handled my academics and social life pretty well. Keeping up a high GPA while working part-time and still having time to go the the movies on the weekend, there is nothing I feel like I should have done differently, besides keeping an open mind. College classes are very competitive to get into and when a certain class that is only offered once the whole semester contradicts with the other 4 classes in your schedule, its not the end of the world. Also keeping an open mind when it comes to all the paper work that needs to be in by a certain time concerning financial aid and all the numbers flying around on your FAFSA, to just have an open mind, take a deep breath because everything will work out.

The advice I would give myself would be: develope good studying habits and processes now, because you will use them often in college. It's time to buckle down and start taking things more seriously. College is a wonderful, eye opening thing to experience. you will actually feel your brain growing as you learn!

"Consider analyzing your circumstances. Think of the reasons you made the decision to skip school or avoid doing your homework on multiple occasions, and decide whether or not they were worth the consequences you now face. You've had times where you actually completed your work and showed up to class daily, and you know how good it feels. My advice is that you forget the advice you received from the supposedly wise adults; the advice that one should make school a priority for some reason intangible to you at this point in your life. The reason to do these things is simply because they make you feel good, unlike other vacuous pursuits such as conformity, which has always left you dissatisfied because your efforts never quite seem to bring it closer to fruition. I guess I can sum this up in a rather skew analogy: you are aware that the Wend'y cheeseburger tastes incredible, but does it make you feel good afterwards? The advice thus becomes not only to do what tastes right, but also to do what feels right".

Tick, Tock, Tick.... I leaped from my seat the second the clock hit 2:30 and ran out into the hallway as quickly as possible to avoid the mass of teenage bodies. As I ran down the hall I saw what I thought was my reflection, usually I would keep going but something else caught my eye. My reflection wasn?t a reflection at all, it was me! I followed myself into an abandoned room in the back of the building. I faced myself, shocked at how much older and more confident I looked. Was I going insane? The questions waved through my mind so quickly I almost didn?t hear myself speak. ?I?m from the future I came to tell you what you need to hear before you waste the rest of your High School months wishing you were some place else, just enjoy it, relax, and stop rushing.? And with that she was gone, I was gone. I must be dreaming, I stumbled out of the room and into the hallway where I was suffocated with the smell of high school students, but didn't mind anymore. I remembered to stop rushing, I remembered to enjoy it.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I doubt that the senior version of me would even listen. But in the chance event that I would listen, I would tell myself that I should try harder and push myself. I would tell myself that the best is yet to come and that the friends I would have for the rest of my life, I hadn't met yet. I would tell myself to consider all of my options and be optimistic about the future. Having had my parents get divorced my senior year, made things a little difficult. I was focusing on the wrong things... So I would also tell myself to go to that SAT test on that lovely, early, Saturday morning. But most importantly, I would tell myself that those people who stuck though the hard times would be the ones that would make my college life the best time of my life.

The best academic advice I could give myself would be to try as many intoductory classes as possible. It's okay not to know what one wants to be upon entering college but, in order to find out ,one should take a variety of different classes and participate in as many internships/career researching opportunities as possible. In a social aspect, I would also tell myself that the people who try to bring you down as you are attending college and social events are the ones who will forget about you the next day. Do not accept the opinions of the people who do not care about you as important. Only those close to you and who care for you are the ones that matter. On a third, career driven note, i would advise myelf to build apersonal relationship with my professors. As a junior, I am finding that many things I am applying for ask for reccommendations from an academic advisor, counselor or teacher. With my classes being so big I wish that I had taken more time to get to know my professors personally in order to have that additional letter of reccommendation.

Plan ahead and be prepared. Dont be lazy.

Spend less, plan more. I would tell myself to stay focused on school and stay with it. Don't find reasons to begin other life endeavors. I would also tell myself to plan for the future. Don't spend money now on things that you can enjoy later in life, as that will only serve to make the journey more difficult by limiting your options to attend school. Don't face yourself with deciding between work and school. ALWAYS choose school. People make it work all the time, and so can you. Keep your head down and get your degree.

If I could go back in time and speak to myself about college I would simply tell myself not to be in such a rush to leave home. Enjoy the time with your family and friends while you're still in high school. The time will come for you to be on your own and make your own decisions. However, remember that when that time comes greater responsibilities will aslo follow with it. So, simply relax and remember what it's like to be a kid because once you're in college school takes priority along with work. Bills have to be paid and mom and dad are not always there to help. Don't worry though college has its set of responsibilities, but the new interesting people you will meet will make it worth its while.

Relax! and stop hyperventilating. College life is a welcome relief compared to the workload IB presented. The people are amazing, truly caring, genuine people that will make friends for life. The classes are engaging and challenging, the professors jocular and accessible. The campus like a walk through the park after a trying day. It is not an end to life as you've known it, but rather the beginning to the life you've always dreamed! The freedom to go out with friends, the momentary stress of preparing for finals only to be relieved by the A you've recieved in the course, pushing your body to its limit at the gym, and the feeling of elation for managing to live on your own. Take chances, try new things, become involved in the plethra of clubs and organizations UCF places at your feet. Above all else, HAVE FUN!

I would tell myself to study harder to obtain a higher GPA (in order to obtain more financial aid and avoid loans) and to get ready for the experience of a lifetime.

By the time my high school education was coming to a close, I was over the public education system due to its poor time management and lack of student and faculty engagement. I unfortunately wasted the latter half of my senior year taking classes that were not only easy but were a significant waste of valuable time. Taking AP courses in high school would have been so much more beneficial to me, saving me time and money in the long run and putting me a step ahead of students in my class. Furthermore, I would have gone directly to a state university, as opposed to pursuing an A.A. degree and subsequently transfering then to a state sponsored college to finish my B.A. degree. In summation, the changes that I would have made were in relation to the enhanced use of my time, and would have allowed me to achieve more during my college experience.

Hi Daniel!- how you doing in your last year? - Well just hanging in there, cannot seem to understand that algebra class. You know Daniel mathematics is really important, especially if you are planning on attending a major University or College, you cannot expect to just slide by the class and doing good in a University level mathematic. - I know man but how can I get better? - Daniel you have tutors that would work with you after school. - Wow, now that you say that my friend Billy has tried to talk me into going but iI have ignored every invitation, and look at him now his the best in algebra. - Just be dedicated and study hard because this is the last year to impress. I already know how bright you are, you just have to focus on that particular course, therefore you would be garanteed a smooth transition to the University. -Okai friend iI will follow your advice and study hard so I wont have a problem on the transition to a University. - Alright stay focused on the books man! - kool ,thanks for the advice.