University of Florida Top Questions

Dear High School me, College is Hard! I know this may come as a schock to you since you've gotten all A's without studying for practically your entire life. But if you really want to succeed when you get to college you will study. Well you probably won't since you are arrogant High School me so you'll end up with a C+ in chemistry (yes you really did get a C !). You need to know that once you get into college that it is an entirely different pond there. The kids are just as smart as you are ; that's why they got into the same school ! To stay on top like you are now, you must put in a lot more effort which is actually manageble because you'll have a lot more time to be productive- or unproductive. Make sure not to procrastinate or else you'll just be repeating your high school habits but unlike the amazing results you got in High School it will end in disaster. Hopefully you'll listen to my advice and turn that C+ in Chem into the A everyone expected. Good Luck! Sincerely, College You

The best advice I would give myself is to relax and be open with the experience. There are a lot of stresses with the transition of college but there comes a lot of good times with the new people that you meet. You come across so many new faces that you just need to enjoy the moment with everyone. When there are bumps in the road don't let that get you too down because that's just small happening in a huge life event. Most of the drama and problems you face will not even be remembered by the time of next year. So don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy what is in front of you today. School can be stressful but once school is done it is the real world and no going back. College is the time of you life and just take it day by day. There is no reason to get overwhelmed because everyone is in the same boat as you and at the end of the day everything will turn out how it is supposed to be. Enjoy the company of the people you met and just have a good time.

Expect to work even harder, anything that you are taking right now is cake compared to what you will see in college. Also do not forget to apply for scholarships and have an open mind about things.

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as I can. I always thought that with Florida Prepaid and Bright Futures I would be set, but that it is not the case at all. I never realized how expensive college really is and I regret not applying for any scholarships. I would also tell myself to make certain that I would get along with my roommmate. I was fortunate enough to be able to pick my roommate. I thought we would get along great but, unfortunately, that was not the case. If I knew what my roommate would do to me then I would not have chosen him.

Do: - Be nice and friendly to everyone you meet, especially other freshmen (you're all in the same boat, might as well make friends in it) - Take your schoolwork a bit more seriously than high school (it actually requires effort and studying now!) - brush your teeth and shower, because everyone hates the stinky man in lecture Don't: - carry around a map.. you look like an idiot! campusmap.ufl.edu is your friend. - rep your high school gear all the time... Once in a while is okay, but nobody really cares that you were the track star out of 10 kids in the smallest school in the country. (harsh I know, but true) - pretend to be something you're not... There are over 50,000 students here. You are bound to find a few like-minded people. Conforming will make you eventually very unhappy. Being yourself and finding those worthy few can make college a wonderful experience to share with them.

I would tell myself to apply for scholarhips with local organizations. I've had a desire to attend graduate school since I was in high school. Graduate students don't have as many opportunities to qualify for scholarships as undergraduates have. The possibility of winning enough scholarship money during my undergraduate years to pay for graduate school expenses could have became my reality.

Number one thing is to get involved early and don't miss opportunities to be social. Academics obviously comes first but it'll amaze you how much more fun and easy college is when you know people. Get started with any student organization early on, stick with it and you'll have a great resume and great friends. Also, make sure you wear shoes in the showers...yeah.

Old self, don't forget to apply for those scholarships. Apply, apply, apply! Just apply! Also, don't forget to get started into setting time management habits. Make it a custom to stick to the agenda and not get distracted. Make it a habit to see my teachers because I definitely need to go to my professsors' office hours. Also, old self, don't forget to network, get connected someway and make new friends. Don' t be shy, people don't bite (well most don't). Get a bike both for transportation. You definitely don't want to be caught in UF's traffic jam on the way to class while the bike lane is barren empty. Also, exercise because the freshman-15 is not a fairytale, it is based on thousands of true stories. You don't want to go home on Thanksgiving looking like the turkey itself. Get involved, don't think that all that involvement on senior year is the end of the road. No, get even more involved if that's possible but do set a high mark for community service and different activities, and most of all - don't forget to be you.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself about college I would probably tell myself a few different things. One would be to not bring as much stuff. I share a dorm with one roommate and with the amount of stuff we both brought there isn't much room to move around. Next, I would tell myself to be more friendly towards others. Its easier on everyone if people are nice. Join a group and smile more to meet more people. I would also highly encourage finding a study group or a partner who knows their stuff and can help because I don't study very well on my own and for many of these courses studying is required. My last tip would probably be just remember to think positive and hold your head high and you can accomplish anything.

Going back to my time as a high school senior I would tell myself to enjoy every minute of it and to take advantage of all of the dual-enrollment classes that they offer. College is an exciting time in your life and you will love it but there is no need to rush through high school. You will miss your family and yes it takes time to adjust to college but you will be fine. Use your time wisely in high school and get as many classes out of the way as you can while you don't have to pay for textbooks or tuition. And the best advice I could give is be yourself and have a great time.