University of Florida Top Questions

The first thing I would tell myself as a highschool senior would be to appreciate my parents more. Once I left my house and moved five and a half hours away, I got a little homesick. Also, I would tell myself to thank my father more often for the food he would cook every night because cooking by yourself is significantly harder. It woud also have been nice to watch him cook dinner so I could eat things besides chicken breast every night and peanut butter sandwiches every morning. Furthermore I would tell myself to go out with my friends more often since going to college would severely limit how often I would be able to see them. Finallly, I would warn myself of all the things that go on in college that could distract me from my studies and to really focus on being the best student I can be.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice I could give myself as a senior about to enter into college is to plan ahead and take my first semster seriously. It is the semester that defines the difficulty of your college experience, and I wish I would have spent less time trying to diversify my activities and more time focusing directly on them.

Don't worry so much about what other people think. Just focus on my own dreams and not what others think I should or shouldn't do.

Dear Rachel, Life after high school is not as easy a transition as you first thought. There are two things that I would advise you to do. The first is to continue through to your Bachelor's degree without taking any time off. You will see if you make the same mistakes, that by not doing this, it delays your completing your graduate degree. The second piece of advice I have to give is to not delay your education for a relationship. Boyfriends will come and go. When you complete your first level of education, then and only then (think Geometry), will be mature enough and have the ability to be more insightful to be in a serious relationship. You most likely will meet someone with goals and that will enjoy motivating you to meet your goals. Best of luck, Rachel

Do not worry about the numbers, do not worry about what everyone else is doing, and do not be complacent. These three things are so important to remember while transitioning to college. It will not be necessarily be that different as far as being independent, but don't let all the numbers scare you. In college, there is a lot to do. There are so many opportunities, but don't compare yourself to everyone else because everyone has different interests and we all come from different places. The opportunities will come and you will get what you earn eventually. Although it may seem like some people get everything they want, your time will come and the friends will come. But, don't get complacent. You have to be proactive and go out there and chase your dreams and work hard. Nothing will be given to you. Have fun, but be intentional with your time. It goes by fast.

Listen to me. Stop procrastinating. College is nothing like high school. The teachers don't remind you of the deadlines, the exams are excruciatingly difficult, and the homework is often tedious and you actually need to put a lot of time into it. Worse yet, Mom is not going to be there to nag at you to do your homework. No one's going to wake you up in the morning. You'll have to use communal bathrooms and occasionally deal with hairballs in the shower and clogged toilets. But that's not it. You'll have to share a bedroom also. You might not get along with your roommate, but that's A-okay. A roommate is just like a pregnancy. 9 months, and they'll be out of your hair. College sounds fun, right? Enjoy your last year of high school. Bask in that senioritis. It's going to be okay. You'll graduate and your parents will be so proud of you when you walk across that stage. Just wait for the amazing moment when you get to toss the cap into the cair and think to yourself, "I did it." But that's just the beginning.

Find something you enjoy, something that makes you feel like you. Find something that brings you back to the person you are, because it's so easy to lose yourself in college. There will be days when you realize you have no idea what you want out of life and there will be days when you are incredibly homesick for a home you didn't even appreciate while you were there. There will be days of doubt, of comparison, of questions. There will also come a day when your eyes finally open and you learn that your entire life, and this whole world, is sitting right in front of you. On this day, and those following, you will ponder what you want out of all of it. It will scare you and at the same time excite your heart. Before this happens, focus on yourself. Know yourself. Know what you love and what you enjoy and the core of your being and never left the light in your soul dimmer. Know so that you can build yourself, explore yourself, love yourself- because in college, at the end of the day all you have is yourself.

It really bothers me how expensive college is. I wish I wasn’t so naïve before making the decision of being a college student. I did the math, and found out that I’m $59,000 in debt already. If I found a job that pays $9 a day for a year, that will be $25,000. $25,000 a year! If I’m $100,000 in debt, it will take me 4 years to pay it off! I wish I delved into the thought of receiving a full ride scholarship to a college or university. I don’t want to be an employee, I want to be an employer. But it seems I need to search for a job real soon in order to pay these loans off. I read somewhere that it takes 30 years to pay off student loans! I wish I was more aware back then. I wish I knew what I know now when it comes to receiving an education from a college or university. Back then I didn’t care how much it would cost me to receive a degree, as long as it was a prestigious university like the University of Florida…

Love yourself before you love anyone else. I know that sounds impossible, but the concept of faking it until you make it really works. Just act like you love yourself and soon will come to actually love everything about yourself. Drop Daena. She will break your heart and leave you emotionally unstable. What you are experiencing is not love. It's unhealthy; up until this point you have only experienced unhealthy love. You will find out what love is really like later, and although what will have gone through will almost break you, it will be worth it once you discover it. Don't be afraid to express your gender. You will be very afraid at first, but you will make friends that you can depend on for the rest of your years in college. Architecture will be very hard for you to switch into. Take care of yourself. Listen to good music. Broaden your horizons. If you get a gut feeling that makes you feel bad, DON'T DO IT. And lastly, you are loved, you are cared for, and you are worth so much more than you think you are. I love you.

It is okay to not continue at college, that it is possible to return when timing, finances, and motivation are improved. I would ignore the often simplistic advice of family and friends, "if you drop out, you'll never go back". This advice leads to students in 4-year programs taking 10-years to complete a degree and often with horrible GPA's. Don't register for a semester "just because that's what you're supposed to do" and you're not a failure if you stop for a semester or two. Be realistic and don't be afraid of the institution or the administrators, you're an adult now. It's okay to have fun and lots of it, you're in college! However, manage the situation by being realistic about work and school committments. Lastly, you don't need to find what you like right away, but it helps. Most course material will seem irrelevant, but it isn't to a non-traditional student after 20+ years of work and life experience. Just learn it and it will eventually impact your life.

If I were to go back in time and warn myself about college life, I would have to say that bragging about living on my own and not being forced to go to classes is something that you should not get caught up in. Yes, the glitz and the glam of a true college life is there, but I learned from my own mistakes, that grades and learning always comes first. You can brag about how you got into such a great school, you can be happy that you can sleep in and skip, but it will take away from your grades and your well-being at the school. My first semester in college was fun, but I let the fun get in the way of studying, and my grades suffered a lot. I lost my scholarship, and I'm trying to get my GPA back. If I didn't let the freedom of it all take control, I would not be in my predicament. And if I could tell my high school senior self that, I would have prevented so many things. I did learn from it all, but I wish I didn't have to learn this way.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior the first thing that I would do is inform myself that college is all about building relationships with people. It's about meeting people and networking. I would talk to myself about not worrying so much about what your major will be or what classwork you will have to do because that will come, but what you need to focus on is building relationships with people now so that it won't be such of a culture shock when you actually get to the university. Making the transition from high school to college is like moving from a small rural town into New York. For that reason I would advise my high school senior self to do a lot of research on the university. Find out what clubs and organizations they offer, and look up what goes on in the school, evaluate student surveys done on the campus to find out what you will like and what you won't like. I would have been grateful to have received information from my future self, but I am glad that I got to learn on my own.

1.You will lose friends.2.Chin up, that school isn’t for you anyways. Don’t sweat it.3.You are beautiful, no matter what they say.4.It is okay to cry.5.You don’t need that expensive organizer. Put it down.6.Being a member of a club is great in high school, but in college you need to be the leader7.Don’t expect to come home every holiday. Traveling isn’t cheap.8.Life at home will continue on without you so don’t be upset when your mom fills your room up with her clothes.9.Financial aid won’t kick in until AFTER the first week of school.10.A laptop is greater than a car. You won’t find parking anyways.11.Did I mention you will lose friends?12.And when you do, feel free to cry some more.13.It will all be worth it.

This time two years ago, I was spending Christmas crying next to my Father’s hospital bed. As a high school senior, I was bombarded with multiple tragedies in my life within a span of one week before Christmas. My grandmother passed away, my brother was in a critical car accident, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, my cousin home from Afghanistan committed suicide, and my father suffered a heart attack. During this time I wasn’t comfortable and never wanted to be comfortable; I felt as if that comfort would be shattered the second I received more bad news. Now, as a pre-medical sophomore at my dream University equipped with the 20-20 vision only hindsight can supply, I look back on my obstacles with a clearer mind and more experience on my plate. My advice to my high school self, specifically my senior self, is this: these struggles will mold you. The pain you are feeling is temporary. These hardships will build your character, and these experiences will make you stronger. Any hardship you will face in the future will be easier to tackle, because you know that you have been through worse, survived, and thrived.

If I could go back and tell my high school self anything, I would tell him (me) that it's going to be alright. That even though you'll be undecided when you walk across the stage, and you have no idea what you want be or if you'll be determined enough to do it, that everything is going to be ok. The expectations of yourself are too high, and you need to just let go and trust that everything will work out in the end. That even though all your friends left and went on to bigger and better things and you feel stuck right where you are, I would tell him that the feeling won't last, and that you are capable of making it. It's going to be difficult, and you're going to have to push yourself to the breaking point at times, but you'll look back on it and be greatful that you did. If I could go back to my high school self, I would tell him (me) to love people deeper and trust in yourself to always do the right thing. But most importantly, just love yourself and be strong.

I would definitly tell myself to take a deep breath and not to freak out about leaving all my freinds behind. Even though you're going to be far away from them doesn't mean you'll stop being friends. It also doesn't mean you won't be able to make more. I'd also tell myself not to be afriad to branch out and try new things you might even end up changing your major (*wink*). I'd also tell them to get involved on campus and in the community because that is the best way to find out what your passionate about and to meet people with similar interests. I think the most important thing I would tell myself though would be that your still growing and changing. You may think that you know exactly who you are but you are about to be exposed to a million and one experiences you've never had before. Don't be afriad if it shifts your views and maybe even starts to change who you are at your core. Embrace the change and love it because you're finally becoming who you were always meant to be.

If I could go back in time and give my high school senior some advice, I would suggest to make the best of the weekends. To study hard, because getting credits in highschool opens up opportunities to take fun classes and electives in college. Also i would put an emphasis on getting involved in positions within the school and community. I would encourage myself to get a job and save up money for college, but also to work on time management and be able to balance school work, and involvement.

I would tell myself to start every semester off on a good note because it is much easier to lower your grades than it is to raise them. It is also wise to form study groups whenever possible because multiple brains are better than one yet at the same time ensure that you engage in independent study because only you can earn you grades. I would also tell myself to get involved in clubs and activities to take advantage of my school, not to mention it looks good when filling out scholarship applications, graduate school applications and job applications as well. I would also advise myself to go to office hours in order to say on track with course materials, get academic help when needed, get to know the professor, and to let him know that your dedicated to doing well in his class. Lastly I would advise myself to go to tutoring when needed and if there is free tutoring, go even when it is not needed. There is always a chance of learning something you didn’t know and sometimes someone else can explain things in a way that allows you to understand better.

College is not high school. The classes are harder, the lectures are not personal, and you will have to study. But whatever you do, don't forget that mom or dad, they're only a call away if something goes bad. If you can't do laundry, call them. If you feel stressed, call them. Family understands you in a way most people won't so in a place away from them, it may be comfoting just to hear thier voice and thier opinion.

Hello High School Senior Self, Things may seem small to you right now, and you may want nothing more than to get out of high school, so rest assured: college will be a whole new environment. You're salutatorian now, and that's amazing. When you get to UF, don't expect to feel as superior, though. You're going from being a big fish in a small pond to being a small fish in a very big pond. There are many people at UF just as capable as you. Don't worry, though; it's going to be a humbling experience for you. You'll find that you actually like the anonymity of walking around campus and there being no one that's putting high academic pressure on you. You're going to get your first C in precalculus, and that's okay. You'll realize math isn't for you, and through your job at the performing arts center, you'll find you love working in hospitality and switch to that program of study. I know you feel trapped now, but trust me: college will be everything you're hoping it will be. Sincerely, UF Sophomore Self