University of Florida Top Questions

High school is the foremost platform for preparing for college. It’s an important moment in all of our lives to iron out most of the problems one will face during the college years. My life in my early schooling years started a great exploration. There are so many options to choose from. Thinking who am I and where I want to go was a daunting task. Determining what I want from my life is a decision that will call out and scream “It is time!” I had to start figuring this out very quickly. I place a great emphasis on furthering my education in Fire and Emergency Services. The Bachelors of Science degree offered by the University of Florida is completely online. What I know now is skills such as time management, discipline, and being focused. These traits is what I would tell the high school Abraham “Get Ready.” I would tell myself to also “Be goal oriented and try to stay as focused on college admission.” Classes I take and activities I engage have a direct connection to my career. Accomplishing my degree is almost complete. A quality education can help me realize these career goals.

I would advise myself to take a couple of easier classes the first semester. I got so many credit hours through AP and IB classes and exams that I started my freshman semester as a sophomore. All of my classes were higher level and tough. I did not ease into college life instead I jumped in head first. Take it easy and enjoy a little more and learn how to juggle it all.

As a timid high school senior, petrified of what college life would bring both academically and socially, I wish I had known how much less daunting college would be than what I had expected. I would advise myself to take a deep breath and enjoy every possible experience instead of constantly worrying about what was coming next. I would tell myself that being gay isn't as much of a constant struggle in college, and that unlike in high school, very few people are preoccupied by your sexual orientation. I would encourage my high school self to join the UF LGBT group much earlier and not to worry about what others thought. My high school self was so apprehensive about college classes and exams, as I suffer from severe test anxiety and had an incredibly difficult time in my high school IB Program. I wish I could have told myself then not to obsess about quizzes and tests and to trust myself. I would tell myself to go to a few more Gator football games, to play more than one intramural sport, and to give myself a much-needed break every now and then.

Dear Courtney, it's me, your older self!! I have a couple of things to tell you that will help you with your upcoming choices and paths you can choose from. FIrst of all, go for it all! Have confidence! You are brighter than you think and stronger than you think. You have amazing soccer talent, go forward and find a college where you can play!! I promise , you will only regret what you didn't do. Secondly, think long and hard about what you want to study when going to college. Think about a career that you will love. Look at your personality and what your strengths are and act on that in confidence. You have divinity within you! Time will keep on moving and it is much more difficult to get back to school when you are older. Remember, anything is possible if you are willing to work for it. Third, enjoy your high school days. They are precious and fun. Enjoy your soccer playing days, as they won't last forever. Live your life to the fullest, enjoy the California blue sky, and remember to work hard, play hard!

So you’re about to go to college, live in a dorm with strangers, and share a bathroom with walls so thin you could hear an ant sneeze on the other side. You’re going to worry about whether the bathroom is going to smell. You’re going to try timing doing your business when no one is around. I can sum up my advice to you in two words: Just go. The beautiful girl at the gym has bodily functions, as does that med school student who seems to have it all figured out. The faceless, nameless hordes of people competing with you all relieve themselves every day. Remembering this will help ease some crippling self-comparisons. It’ll bring the world down to scale, hopefully pricking the huge balloon of stress in your chest and deflating your shoulders in laughter. I know you’re embarrassed, and this isn’t the most politically correct advice. It’s real talk, though. You’ll want to stay at home, wrap yourself up in a blanket burrito and hold it. Just go! Go to the bathroom, then go out and meet people. Go do something new. I guarantee you’ll feel better.

Hey, girl. Listen, don't sweat it that you didn't get accepted to the University of Florida. I know it was your first choice, but the University of North Florida will introduce you to your best friend, Mary, as well as give you a soft spot for Muscovy ducks. You'll be able to transfer to UF later and graduate with honors! And remember that boyfriend? Yeah, he introduced you to Dungeons and Dragons (which you'll keep playing, don't worry) but you'll find someone much better: someone who treats you with love and respect. Also, he'll know how to wash his own dishes. At any rate, don't sweat the small stuff, ok? That B- you made in Personality Psychology won't be that big of a deal. You'll get to write more, and travel. Spoiler alert! You'll get to see real medieval manuscripts and work on dead languages at a university that's been around since 1592. It won't matter that you're a bit of a nerd: your uniqueness is beauty unto itself. So cheer up! Life is good, and it's out there waiting for you.

Do not worry about college. Everything that is meant to happen, will happen. It is not as scary as you might think and remember to attend all the football games!

I would tell myself to really think about what you want to do in life and then set yourself for the best way to do that. Talk to more people in business and try to get out of your comfort zone more. Do not get so wrapped up in each little thing that you are doing because it is only little things. Always remember to get better.

I wish I got to know people in the Gainesville community better. Often times, students here think that all there is to Gainesville is the university. However, there are real genuine people that live here with their families and are eager to share their southern hospitality with the students. Do volunteer work and build relationships with the people you meet at church. It makes things so much easier when you have people in the area that you can count on!

As a junior in college, I've changed immensely since my senior year of high school. I'm smarter, more stylish, I have a much more diverse friend group, and I go to events, bars, clubs, and parties all the time now. I still work all the time. Bills to pay, ya know! College has been a huge change from high school and not just because of the distance from the 'rents. College has taught me that I never needed to stress over that little stuff, like Homecoming or Prom. Who cares? Turns out nobody. I didn't need to stress who was voted Queen of the dance. Three years later, I don't even remember the themes. Besides, you can't put "Prom Queen" on your resume. Resume-building is something I should have focused on more, and not for my future career. I should have applied for more minimum wage jobs so I would have experince for jobs in Gainesville. It is a nightmare with all of this competition. Finally, remember that high school classes are a cake walk compared to their collegiate counterparts. Form good study habits now! And relax, college is way better than high school.