University of South Florida-Main Campus Top Questions

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have all sorts of things to tell my younger self. I would tell myself to apply at several colleges, not just the only one I wanted to ever go to. I would tell myself to prepare better for applying for colleges by studying for the SAT, applying myself in classes, and doing more extracurricular activities and volunteering. I would also tell myself to not worry about going away for college because it is such a wonderful opportunity and a way to make lifelong friends as well as prepare for a career in the real world. Being in college gets you ready for being in the real world by giving you more responsibility than you can handle and giving you the resources you need to get everything done. I would tell myself to really think hard about everything I want to do and how I want to do it, from living off campus to trying to juggle work and school at the same time. I would tell myself it isn't that hard if you just apply yourself and try your hardest.

If I were able to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to really research the colleges that I was interested in. I chose the University of Florida just because all of my friends were planning to attend. I ended up attending the University of South Florida instead, due to the financial aid they were offering me. I would tell myself to base my decisions on what benefits me, as opposed to how it would affect others that surround me. In addition, I would become aware of different fields of study that exist. When I became enrolled at the University of South Florida, I saught counceling from an advisor in order to chose a major. I was so indecisive that I relied on the counselor to choose my major for me. I am now going to be a Senior in college next year, and have come to realize business is not my path. I recently went on a study abroad trip to Greece and came to the realization that I am deeply interested in International Studies. All in all, it is important to think your decisions through quite thoroughly.

I would first tell myself that college is easier that high school. I would tell myself that I want to be a teacher so don't waste time only taking a class here or there because 4 years down the road when you are watching people who graduated high school after you, graduating college with the degree you want before you, when you have another two years to go, it makes you feel like you'll never make it out. I would tell myself that even though I was never good at math and writing papers, I really can succeed without too much trouble. I would tell myself that I made it through community college with only two Cs, and if I can do that then surely I can do anything. I would tell myself to join a club and make friends so that college won't be so hard on my own.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a friend (HS Senior) in high school and give advice about college life and transitioning, I would tell myself to stay on track and keep doing what you're doing. Since I was in the International Baccalureate Program, I was a lot more prepared for the college school work than several of my fellow classmates. So I would just tell myself to keep studying and look into the future. The present is what counts most at the time because in the end, what you do in the present affects what you do in the future. Furthermore, I would tell myself to be more outgoing and join a club or some kind of program associated with the school. It's important to get involved right away, so you can transition into the school with ease. Now that it's my second semester in school, I am looking to participate in more things and get involved. Other than that, enjoy college; it's supposed to be the best years of your life!

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to work on my study habits. College requires a lot more time and effort to do well then it took in high school. Managing your time well is very important and a key to being successful in school. Making the transition from high school to college was not very difficult. I had a good support system which really helped me with the change.

After graduating High School I decided to stay home and attend our local community college to save money on tuition and living expenses. It was hard for me at the time to be the only one out of my friends to not leave home after graduation. I remember feeling like everyone else was better and smarter than me because they were attending University's and I was at a community college. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior knowing what I know now, more than anything else I would tell myself to not be concerned with what other people are doing, to focus on what I know is right and best for me and not on what other people may be thinking about me. Don?t compare yourself with other people or think that something is better simply because the majority may believe it is. No one can predict what the future has in store for us and everyone is different, life isn't about where you start or what path you take, it?s about doing what?s best for you and what you believe is right. Confidence is everything.

As a college student, I find myself frequently calling my younger brother who is now a Junior in high school and giving him advice about what to do in preparation for college and I share the regrets I have now looking back on the odyssey to my university experience. If I had the ability to go back in time I would have taken the SAT and ACT multiple times. I unfortunately procastinated in applying to take the SAT and ACT tests, which I found myself only taking each test only once. As a result for my poor decision making I found myself only receiving mediocre test scores. I now find that these tests are the crucial objective into getting into a university. I wish that I could go back and apply early to take these tests and had taken them multiple times. I wish I would have studied for these exams in order to obtain a better score and increase my chances of getting into the colleges of my choice and scholarship opportunities. Obviously I cannot change my past, but I can provide some advice for my brother and my other peers to not make the same mistakes I made.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in the senior year of high school, I would first sit them down and ask what they knew about college in the first place. I hardly knew anything as a senior so if I could go back and educate myself on different colleges, what to look for, how to get financial aid and how to apply; I would. Knowing is the key so I'd make sure my past self knew all about the apportunities that are out there for them such as scholarships, that only high school seniors could get. I'd also tell myself to apply as early as possible to colleges and go see the campus's just to make sure your making the right final decision. Last but not least, I'd go back and tell myself to keep my cool and relax and be myself. Just because your entering a new school and environment doesn't mean you should change who you are to fit that place. I'd tell myself to stick to your dreams and just go for whatever you believe in despite any obsticles.

I would tell myself to pay more attension and get all the help thats out there. Also I would explain that I needed to apply for a lot more scholarships and get my GPA as high as possible. Another piece of advice I would give myself would be about studying habits and getting stuff done. In college there is no or very little extra credit and there is no such thing as late work. Studying is very important and learning good study habits is crucial to be successful.

I would say to take every oppurnity to help yourself out. Your future depends on what you do in college and what you make of it. Every person has something to offer you, every book you read has something to offer you, and you never know what can help you out in the future. When writing that essay for your english teacher, write it to the best of your abilities because you never know if that slight GPA boost can get you into a great school, some scholarships, or something else. So look at everything you can do because you never know who or what can help you out later on. College is going to be hard, but if you do this i believe the transition will be much easier. Remember that everything is another oppurtunity to succeed.