Florida Atlantic University Top Questions

The advice that I would give myself is to just take it easy and go with the flow. I have realized that even though college is a little bit harder than high school, I succeed just fine in college just like I did in high school. I would tell myself to get excited because you are going to meet some very nice people and make new friends but overall to just enjoy the journey and be happy and stay strong and think positive!

Pay attention more in classes. What you learn now will follow you to college. Don't worry about not knowing what you're going to do or be scared about going off to school. Everything falls in place once you get to college and its really an amazing thing. Good things are coming your way.

Deanna, I just want you to know that life only improves from this point onward. Having your independence is everything you thought it would be and then some. Freedom comes with a catch, though. Know that you can't blame anyone else for your mistakes, and only you are responsible for the outcome of your life. Your appetite for adventure is admirable, and you should encourage that aspect of yourself. Try new things, meet new people; it’s all a part of finding yourself. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew! With all the new options available, you will experience temptation like never before. Stay away from trouble and trust your inner wisdom. If you don’t think something is a good idea, don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise. Be humble. Arrogance is dangerous. Know your limits and accept them. You’re not super-human, and that’s OK. Throughout your college experience, you will feel an intense pressure to succeed. As long as you try your best, you WILL succeed.

If I could go back and give my naive self some valuable advice I would begin by strongly encouraging taking a break from school to live in and explore the real world at least until the age of twenty four. I stress this age for two very different, but wise reasons. The first reason to wait until twenty four to begin college is based on the fact that I learned the hard way all about financial aid and the ridiculus rule that your parents income is considered until you are 24. This rule is true even if you are living independently and your parents contribute nothing. Private loans are a slippery slope. The second reason to wait to begin college until twenty four is it gives you time to experience life. When I was eighteen all I knew were child-like ideas of perfection and a feeling of being invinsable. How can a child with no life experience decide what major they will love and best utilize to impact the world. A decision like that takes time to rise-up and fall down in order to form an interest of passion to pursue that comes from personal pain and suffering.

Really make an effort to get involved in college life. Don't go to a club meeting once or twice and then just stop, don't hide in your room. During that first week, go out and really force yourself to talk to and meet people, don't let your anxiety run your life. Trust me, college will be a far more enjoyable experience for you if you go out and hang with people who you really like instead of staying in your room.

College isn't scary and bad as everyone says it is. It takes a while to know your way around, but don't be afraid to ask help. Also Homework and extra credit will be your best friend. It wasn't in high school, but in college it can be a grade or two changer. I would also tell my younger self to read the syllabus, it was not in high school, but because I didn’t my first semester of college I lost my A to a C+. I also would tell myself not to take a full semester in the summer if I want a life. Unfortunately, that mistake cost me my GPA because of the two C’s I got. Last but not least I would tell myself not to worry about talking to people. People in college are so much nicer than high school people. They don’t care whether you are popular, skinny, fat, black, white etc… They will respect you as long as you respect them.

If I can go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to try as hard as I can to get good grades in order to get a scholarship. I would tell myself to not procrastinate so much with college stuff and get financial aid out of the way as soon as possible. I would tell myself to learn to be more outgoing and less shy and to quit stressing so much because everything will be just fine. Lastly, I would tell myself to believe in myself because although I may not think so yet, I have great potential in me.

Stephanie, This is your future self. You’re typically known as Nancy now. Long story, you’ll know in time. Right now, you probably think I’m living it up at college, and that it’s coming for you soon. But it’s not coming as soon as you think. You plan on graduating high school and going straight into Grand Valley State, but that’s not going to happen the way you’re planning. You’re not going to be able to pay for school. You’ll think you’ll have it covered, but the grants you get and your FAFSA won’t cover everything. You didn’t try hard enough for scholarships during your senior year, and that’s why I’m here today. 15 minutes ago I was filling out an application for McDonald’s. That’s where you’re trying to get a job because you aren’t going to college until next fall and have to pay rent. We both know that everything will be okay. It’s just that sometimes plans change and you need to be ready to embrace the challenges that come your way. Our way. Good luck. Sincerely, Nancy

If I was able to talk to my high school self the first thing I would say is to leave the boys alone. Now that I’m older I realize that the boys are still there. I messed up in the IB program because I was distracted by wanting a boyfriend, only to realize that boys are a waste of time. If I would have succeeded in the IB program I probably could've paid for school. The next thing I would tell myself is to remain focused. In college it is always about focus. There is no second chances and no one to tell you to turn in your homework. It one person taking care of themselves.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to focus on school. I'd tell myself to not waste my time trying to make it in a band. I would tell myself to buckle down and go to class. I would tell myself to face reality and to understand the value of education. I would make an emphasis on my experiences in the service industry and try to get myself to avoid the hassle that it brought me. I would tell myself to be a student first and foremost, and put everything else after that until I had a career.