University of Florida Top Questions

The top two things I would say to myself are max out on college credits, specifically with dual-enrollment, and work as much as you can. I took a lot of AP classes and passed them, but I could have maxed out my college credits if I had done dual-enrollment. I could handle my 6 AP classes in high school and my extracurriculars such as playing varsity soccer. Taking care of college credits in high school saves you money in college and puts you one step closer to graduating early in college which saves you time. In terms of working, I could have worked more in high school. College is expensive. Even though I was valedictorian of my high school and had a lot of extracurriculars under my belt, scholarships aren't easy to come by at the University of Florida. If I had gone to any other Florida school, I would have been set. I chose the University of Florida because of its prestige for engineering.

I would say that grades are not so important and that making friendships and being involved in extracurriculars is more rewarding. I would stress the importance of using time wisely.

If I could go back to being a high school senior, with the knowledge of what I know now about transitioning into college life, the one advise I would give to myself is to be fully aware of priorities(what truly matters) and focus on those things first. Ever since high school I was always a procrastinator; I did everthing last minute. And since it never failed me once, I brought that same attitude with me to college and that was the worst mistake ever. I failed to submit my paper on time by just one minute and that was it, I had to learn the hard way. I got a zero on my first paper and it was a huge detriment on my grade, I ended the class with a C, my worst nightmare. I knew there was no one to be blamed but myself, so ever since then I learned to organize my priorities such as assignments along with their due dates in a planner, and use that planner as my daily schedule guide to getting all my work done on time.

Due to having dropped out of high school in my junior year and getting my GED immediately afterwards, I missed the experience of a senior year. I avoided school and had no concept of the long-run. As a result, I almost failed out of high school, and had to learn basic information that I missed in my k-12 classes. Could I have gone back in time, I would teach myself proper note-taking, seeing as today I am well-known for my thorough and informative yet point-black note-taking skills, which could have done wonders for me with studying back then. I would also tell myself that k-12 is temporary and nothing like college or real life, and to just pull through and do my absolute best, because the information obtained in k-12 is indeed incredibly valuable. Finally, I would advise myself not to run away from my calling and not to doubt my own potential; I knew from the age of thirteen that I was destined to be a psychologist, but due to fear and doubt in my abilities, I avoided this path and compromised a focal point from which to advance college.

Dear Lina, Starting senior year seems very daunting now. On top of all of your classes, you're going to have to apply to college. I know you have dreams of going to an Ivy League school and making everyone proud. Listen to me though. The name of your college is not as important as the work you put into your classes. Chemistry will be just as challenging at any school in the country. Physics will cause you many sleepless nights regardless of your professor or your university. So stop worrying! You need to make the best choice for yourself. State schools have so much to offer, and I promise you that you will be happy no matter where you end up! Stay focused and keep up with your classes. Keep working hard at the lab and learn as much as you can before you have to move on. The most important thing to remember right now is that your future has so many possibilities. College is a whole new world where you can start fresh and gain new perspective on life. Sure, everything now seems to revlve around high school, but there is much more to life! Love, Lina

Make sure you talk to more people in your classes; make friends. You don’t need to be shy. Many of the other students are just like you, looking to meet new people. Take the time when you first move into the dorms to get to know your immediate neighbors and your RA. It will make the transition and your time there so much easier if you make friends with those living with you. That way if anything comes up you can call on them for help or to ask a favor, but make sure you do the same for them, too. Also, you should get involved in clubs and school activities so that you feel connected to the campus and meet more people. You never know, you might meet some really cool people that way. You might even meet people that could become lifetime friends, or even future colleagues. Don’t forget to talk to your professors and visit them during their office hours. They’re there to help, and if they teach classes in your major, then getting to know them will give you the chance to meet experienced people in your field.

The main thing I would advice myself is to do more research on the different types of opportunities the college or university has to offer. For example, I went to a community college and there are no bench research opportunities but they had a program that helped us understand what research was. The program also helped us understand how we can get involved in research once we transferred to a four-year university. Another thing I would advice myself is once I am in college to understand what opportunities there is for community college students to make a successful transition to a four-year university. I will just tell my high school self that college will be fine and that there are people that will help guide us in the right direction and that everything will turn out well.

Apply as early as possible to the schools you are interested in! After that, take the time to apply for ever single scholarship you are eligible for!

Would I have the ability to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior with the wealth of knowledge I have garnered, I would tell myself to simply relax. College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that older individuals always looks back to fondly, and that's because it simply is the best time of your life. School work and money can absolutely be stressful, but in the long run, you're only in college for a few short years, and time moves so quickly that you should have no choice but to enjoy it. To my high school self: enjoy college, because it's the only 4 years of it you'll have.

I would take my education more seriously and went straight to college right out of high school. College is just another learning experience that nobody will ever be able to take and there are better job opportunities with higher education.