University of Florida Top Questions

I would go to a school that was excited to have me as a student, and where I did not feel like just a number. I would have also choosen a school with more diversity, because in college your mindset and ambitions change and I would have rather been on a campus that offered that.

Knowing what I know now about college life, I would tell my past self to not worry so much about choosing a major or a career. College is a time for finding yourself and exploring who you are as a person and what it is you enjoy doing. The main goal is to find the thing that inspires you; you need to be able to wake up in the morning and say "I love what I do," regardless of how much the work pays, regardless of your level of success, or the prestige you aquire. In life, happiness is key, and college is the time to find out what it is that makes you happy. Plan FAR ahead in regards to financial aid, because the process can be tedious and long, but don't sweat the small stuff. A career isn't everything. If you do what makes you happy, (and make sure your financial aid is in order), the rest will follow. College isn't as hard as you think it is, especially when you enjoy what you're doing, and your proud of what you accomplish at the end of the day.

I would definitely advise myself to have done more laundry! As trivial and strange as that may sound compared to the magnitude of other more difficult transitions, I was really thrown off. Being so far from home? I was ready for that. Taking classes where three multiple choice tests made up my grade? I was prepared for that too. Spending a good majority of my time studying my life away cooped up in the library? I did that all of high school anyway. It was the simple task of doing my own laundry that baffled me. I was a wreck the first time I had to do it alone. Having done it with my mom for years, I never bothered to check the settings for different clothing types or anything like that. If I could go back and tell myself to be more observant for the little things in life that adults have to handle, such as the dreadful laundry, I would jump at the chance.

I would tell myself not to be so quick to become a realist. You have the rest of your adult life to tackle all your responsibilities and college life should be included in your youthful adventures and take more time to have fun throughout college and not take every single day so seriously. And most of all, never give up playing soccer because one day you'll be playing the "What If" game wondering how different your life would be if you were a professional soccer player instead of a future accountant. Both are rewarding careers but your true love will always be soccer and you should never have given that dream up. Also learn to say no to your older sister every time she asks for you to pay for rent because she has a job and just needs to learn that buying clothes and purses and going to Disneyworld are luxuries that should come after paying for rent and utilities.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about my college life, life for me now would most likely be totally different. I would say to take my work more seriously than I did and to take more inititive in aquiring the things I wanted. I could have skipped the grey area of trying to figure out what type of major I wanted to do and how I would go about completing it. I would write down a well structered list of ideas and events that I neglected to act on and tell myself to work hard to finish them. Not only would I tell myself about the academic side of college, I would also tell myself of the social aspects too. I'd tell myself not to worry about whether making new friends is hard or easy because I've found out that most college kids are very cool with people who have different personalities from the norm. The last statement I would say is dedication and determination can go a long way during college because those two attributes will keep you focused and set you up to accomplish the goals you are trying to complete.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a high school senior, I would emphasize the importance of spending money wisely and managing time. Currently I am attending a two year college while working a part time job that demands nearly fourty hours a week. I need the money to pay bills and college expenses but struggle finding time to accomplish all my tasks in a timely fasshion; this is my main source of frustration about college life. If I had of saved more money during high school instead of spending on what I thought was important back then, I might not have to work as many hours to support myself now. This information would have been helpful, but I am succeeding now nontheless. You live and you learn: that's the magic of life.

I would give myself advice not to expect everything that I had heard about college before. RAs won't be around, not everyone is friendly, and the administration just may not care. You'll have to make it on your own, but you can do it, if you relax and try to make new friends.

Do not be afriad. College is an experience that many people only have the oportunity to experience once in their lifetime and it is up to you to make it the experience you want it to be. There should be very little dauting during this time period because it is where you place a value on yourself; it is where you become the person you always hope you would grow up to be as it is the beginning of a new chapter in your life. There is no better feeling that being rewarded for something you worked hard at, but the only time you will ever be rewarded is when you take risks and become focused on completing the task to your best ability. Risks should never be feared but always proceeded with caution as rushing things has never worked since we all tend to forget and skip a step, which could cause problems later on. Thus, don't rush things and never fear because the only thing to fear in this world is fear itself.

Assume the unexpected. Students come in believing that they will be doctors, lawyers, and the like and tend to be shocked when they stray from their paths. However, college is not just about the degrees and the prestige of becoming PhDs and MDs. Colleges are oftentimes the institutions that help students “find themselves”. Enrolling in a university opens the opportunities for students to explore numerous fields and the diversity of classes will assist students in picking up on the aspects of their potential that will signal new future ambitions. So expect the unexpected, but still expect to be exceptional.

I would tell myself not to be afraid to try new things and that in order to truly experience life you shouldn't always assume that something unfortunate is going to happen. Furthermore, I would tell myself to chalk any bad experience up to life and simply keep on living. Getting used to a new place and new people isn't always easy and that's why it is so important to just put yourself out there. What you must keep telling yourself is that everyone has been where you are at one point, and is capable of empathizing with any apprehension you may feel and that because of this you should not be deterred from living the life that you envision yourself leading. College is a chance for you to completely re-invent yourself if that is something you desire. Go ahead and make the best of it, because it goes by quickly. Ultimately you find yourself ready to graduate and wonder where all the time went. Make memories you will cherish forever and never be afraid to just go for it.