University of Florida Top Questions

Since I graduated from high school fifteen years ago, I have learned just how quickly life passes you by. I met many great friends in high school and in college, but I have only realized recently how much I took that time with them for granted. This past year I started to make this right by arranging a ten year reunion for my tight-knit study group from college. We attended a football game back on campus, and we all had a blast reminiscing over memories. We also found that we each shared the sentiment that we should have reunited sooner. Having the opportunity to go through it all again, I am not sure that I would make many decisions differently, but I certainly would treasure this special time a lot more deeply. I would also tell myself to carve out sacred time to keep in touch with friends after parting ways. It is far too easy for life's day-to-day challenges to take over and leave us feeling like we can always leave the important things until "tomorrow."

I would tell myself to do exactly what my parents told me, which is what I did. Choose a major that will get you somewhere, one that is a true career path. Never stay out past 2, nothing good ever happens after that, stay healthy, don't have more than one drink a night, more than two nights a week, and never drink more than three in one night. Be safe, never walk anywhere alone, always stay in lighted areas. Work through school, it will keep you grounded, and will force you to learn time management skills, take on internships to figure out what you want to do and to build your resume. Make school your priority, boys will come and go, as will fun, but that degree will stick with you for a lifetime.

The advice I would give myself is that you should apply to as many scholarships as you possibly can before you start college. It's a great idea to start early in earning scholarships, and it's an idea I took lightly. Now, I am hunting down as many scholarships as I possibly can to help lower the amount of money I must take out in student loans, which is pretty overbearing to deal with when you also have night exams and computer programs to write that take up much of your time. If I had looked for scholarships earlier, it's not that I wouldn't have to look as much during my years in college, but more that I wouldn't feel so pressured. Also, trying to apply for scholarships during high school could have given me more experience in the application process and could have shown me examples of the varied types of scholarships, instead of trying to explore on my own by trial and error when it is important to know what you are doing. Scholarships are an important thing for students to consider, and that is the advice I would give myself.

If I could go back in time and talk to my former self about college, I would most likely advise myself to cherish the time spent with the family. There is nothing I miss more than being at home and seeing my parents and brother every day. The transition of going from hanging out with my family all the time to seeing them only once every two months has been difficult for me. I wish I would have spent more time with them when I was back at home. Had I known I would not see them much once I moved away to college, I would have done more activities with them and been a better son and brother. The transition to college would have been easier because then I would have known that I spent some quality time with them before moving away. Because of I miss home, I would advise my former self to enjoy the time that passes by when hanging out with the family.

Don't say no

After having a challenging yet highly rewarding first year of college, three of the most important things I would tell my high school self are study well in advance for exams, get involved in only one or two organizations, and go to your professors' office hours. In high school, I'd have A's fairly easy because there are many assignments to bolster your grade. Then I'd cram one or two days before a test and could pull off at least a B, thus securing an A in the class. In college the exams comprise the majority of your grade, not to mention the difficulty and amount of information to remember has increased. In order to get an A in a college course, you must have mastery of the material which requires studying a little every day. It's important to get involved on campus but join too many clubs and risk spreading yourself too thin. It's much more rewarding to pick one or two organizations and become highly involved in them. Lastly, go to professors' office hours! This is a way to obtain help and distinguish yourself from other students, which is often difficult in large classes.

In high school I went to school everyday worried, anxious and confused about what was around the corner. Always wondering if I had everything done and prepared and if I knew what I wanted. I was so concerned about what was going to happen the next Fall that I never really stopped to enjoy the moment. I would tell my high school self to stop and take in what is around me and worry about the future when its the future. Enjoy your last year of being in high school because in the blink of an eye everything will change and the world will soon seem a whole lot bigger. When I came to college I thought I knew, I thought I was absolutely positive. I could not of been more wrong. I soon learned that I did not want to be a Psychologist and that I had no clue what I wanted to be or where I wanted to go with my life. It took me a semester and a half to figure it out and now, as an education major I couldnt be happier. So have fun while you can because everything else will work out in time.

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The advice I would give to myself is get involved with what interests you and make friends that way. It helps when classes get hard and you start to feel overwhlemed. I would also advise to talk to someone and utlixe the free counseling if school and life begins to be too much.

Do not let other people influence your decision of where you will further your education. This decision must be yours, and yours alone, as only you know what will truly make you happy. If you are not comfortable where you decide to go, you will most likely not apply yourself to the fullest of your ability. Research schools day-in and day-out, and find where you feel like you belong, because at the end of the day, it is you who will be committing a few years and a good bit of money to that school. Make sure your decision is worth it, as I can tell you that transferring is a timely and expensive matter, but it has put me in a place where I feel like I belong, and I could not be happier with my decision to be at Florida State in the Fall. This is your life, made up with your choices, where each and every one will shape your future, especially at this crucial point in your life. So make a choice that you will not regret down the road, because at the end of the day, the only person to blame is yourself.