University of Florida Top Questions

You can do this. Don't listen to your friends and other people who say that you aren't good enough for UF. You have the skills, discipline, and smarts to succeed at UF. Just make sure you do what you've done in high school: study, complete assignments, read, go to tutoring sessions, get help, and make friends. These things will help you succeed. You can do it. Listen to your instincts and do what you think is right. Don't shy away from your opinions, but don't force them onto others either. Keep your head up, think positively, and don't give up. UF is an amazing school and you will learn so much. You won't just learn new subjects and material, but you will learn a lot about yourself. Most importantly, you will learn that you can do anything you set your mind to. You will gain so much confidence in yourself that you'll be a changed person. Don't be afraid of change. Just go with it and you'll find out that change is usually for the best. You can do this, I promise.

Life is like a moving--sometimes fast, sometimes treading--train. It can compete with the wind for a while. Even better, it can bullet-speed through space, atop its tracks, and leave not a single trace behind of its amighty endeavor. Nonetheless, once in a while, when its engine falls ill to fever-disease, it begins to stumble and tumble over its high-raised walls of pride. The train shatters its reason for living. It asks,"If it is not for pride that the living lives for, then for what does it live?" Now, it was destiny for the super-duper train to see the highs and the lows, the sweet and the bitter flavors that life has to offer. This may answer the question raised earlier: pride is only worth living when a human gets a taste of all the emotions that breathe into what is called the "idea of life." This idea is what we humans will have to come to understand. I was just like the train in high school: doing great, and then burning out in the end. "College will breathe a new sense of responsibility that you will have to make your pride and commitment."

I would go even further back then senior year. I would now choose a high school that has a duel enrollment where i could have earned some college credit. By doing this I could have saved myself alot of money. I would have taken the engeering coarses that were offered at my school to help me with the classes I am now taking. I would have visted my family in their different cities for a week or two so i could get used to being away from parents. I would have saved more money so I could enjoy myself more in my free time.

Try things, take chances, make mistakes, and travel at every chance you get. Be proactive, explore program options - discover dual degree programs, double major requirements, and post-baccalaureate opportunities. Do not become fixated on doing "what your parents want" or "what will pay well". If you want to be an archaeologist, go be one! Your friends will be your friends no matter what. Do your best to not become bogged down in messy relationships or greek life drama; it may seem important at the time, but your academics should come first because they are your future. Do what feels right to you - if you dont feel prepared to take an upper level course, dont take it, take the pre-requisite first. Do not let the advisors or registar bully you into taking more classes or credits than you feel capable of. Most importantly, build connections with professors you like, who teach courses you find engaging and become involved in their research. Go to football games, go on roadtrips, maximize the availability of cultural and enviromental interactions available to you. Finally, try the $3 Krishna lunch BEFORE your senior year and most importantly, go on the study abroad to Ethiopia.

If I was able to go back and talk to myself when I was in high school. I would advise myself to take more GER classes at the local Kenai Peninsula College through the Jump Start program because it would have saved me a lot of money and time in the long run (cheaper to take college classes while in high school). Also, I would have gotten my C.N.A. license sooner because working as a C.N.A. is a great “survival” job to help work your way through college (Life is easier when you have a part-time job of $14 an hour instead of $8 an hr of minimum wage). And I would advise to apply for lots and lots of scholarships! I have found there are a lot of scholarships/free money out there waiting for a student to apply for and not very many people do. Last of all, try to find a balance between school, studying, friends and fun. Its not good to study all the time, and its not good to goof-off all the time either. Try to find a balance between everything to keep your sanity.

First of all, I would tell my 'senior self' to not rush to graduate. I absolutely LOVE college so far, but senior year flew and it would have been better if I would have saviored it a little bit more. This also ties into the part where I would tell myself to really appreciate everything from back home, like spending time with my family, friends, and horses. I definitely appreciated what I had, but I would tell myself to let them know how much I truly did. Lastly, I would advise myself to not stress as much! As crazy as it may sounds, senior year of high school was much more stressful that my first semester here at UF. I was so stressed about getting into college and being involved in so many clubs and activites, that I would encourage my self to slow down and enjoy my last year in high school. "Don't sweat the small stuff" is something I would have definitely included to the person of past. Most importantly however, I would tell myself to get ready for the best years of my life here at the University of Florida!

College life is a big transition. You are completely on your own for the first time in eighteen years and you need to take responsibility. Balancing your new found social freedom while maintaining an acceptable GPA is extremely challenging. Not only that, but you have to worry about becoming involved and getting internships to boost your resume for your future. College is not just a time to have fun and "find yourself"; you also need to realize that you are preparing yourself for the real world. Taking this expensive endeavour lightly is not an option. Buckle down for an academic ride far more intense than any high school experience could have prepared you for. There are a lot of temptations now that you are fully in charge of your social life. Your parents are no longer there to tell you when you are not allowed to go out for a night on the town when you have a test coming up. You need to be your parents and realize when going out for one night of fun is not worth doing poorly in class the next day or not studying enough for the test you have coming up.

The truth is, there is a lot I regret about how I handled college life. Not knowing what to expect, I went in thinking I could handle anything and everything, taking on 18 credit semesters along with clubs and organizations and sports. I also allowed myself to be swept in, at the time, into the social life at UF. If I could go back in time and give my high school senior self some tips, I would relay the pitfalls and dangers awaiting myself at UF (in the form of distractions), and I would advise myself to truly think about what makes me happiest in life, and what gives me the most motivation, so that I could properly determine my path in life (and major) ahead of time, and minimize the unnecessary classes. Lastly, I would tell myself to be more active in the medical clubs and the Catholic youth at UF, since these helped shape my college life in a positive way, as opposed to dance clubs and social groups based on ethnicity. Of course, I would never forget to smack myself in the head and tell myself to study harder as well!

I would definitely make sure I told myself not to slack off. My GPA was a 3.44 but it could have been higher. I feel like I missed out on a couple of scholarships because lots of kids I know qualified for funding over me that had over 4.0 GPA's. Putting my self on a more strict schedule would have been easier to adapt to early mornings. Our school started reasonably late and I always slept until the last minute. I know now it's better to get an early start and give myself plenty of time to get dressed, eat breakfast and sit and plan out my schedule.

If I could give myself advice as a high school senior, there are two things I would definitely tell myself. First of all, I would tell myself to plan ahead financially. College is expensive! All of the extra money that I made in high school could have been saved in order to pay for my college education. During this time when I had no bills or responsibilities, I could have been saving my paychecks instead of spending it on clothes and shoes and all of the other girly stuff I wasted it on. And secondly, since I already knew that I wanted to make a career that dealt with teeth but wasn't exactly sure which avenue to take, I would tell myself to go straight into a dental assisting program. I would have liked to start getting dental experience as soon as possible and also have a means of making more than minimum wage. That way, while I am working as a dental assistant I could be completing all the classes that I need to be transfer ready. Then when its time for the university, I'm ready and I have money saved up to pay for it.