University of Florida Top Questions

As a senior I could never have imagined my college experience being what it is now. Originally I had no idea where I wanted to go, but I knew what I wanted in a school. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to worry because people will accept you and like you for who you are. There are so many different groups on campus that it is practically impossible not to find at least one group with which you mesh well. I have met so many people via my sorority, my classes, volunteering at Shands, joining a dance studio, and even joining ASDA, a pre-dental club that greatly holds my interest. The combination of these groups has kept me grounded, helped me maintain my focus, and also helped me to meet people like myself, as well as friends I will have forever. I would also tell myself to have fun and enjoy these four years. I'm almost halfway through my college experience and I feel like I have so much left to do! Time flies and it's so important to enjoy these last few years while learning some extremely important life lessons.

Looking back at me senior year of high school, I wish i could go back and tell myself just one thing: start studying and start some good study habits. Looking back, studying in high school was a foreign concept. It just was something that never needed to be done. But upon entering a university environment, I wish I had learned to study in high school instead of trying to learn to take time and focus all on the fly. My first semester was spent trying to learn good study habits instead of enjoying the college experience. Had I had good study habits already it would have been easier to make a smooth transition into college, but instead I was forced to not only learn college level material, but learn how to do so.

Don't doubt yourself. You'll figure out what you want along the way.

If I could go back in time and advise myself about what its really like to be in college I'd do it in a heart beat. High school does not prepare you enough for the transition of being a highschool senior to a college freshman. You must learn to THINK outside the box, act like an adult, make mature decisions, study, don't waste your time, dont spend your money. One may feel overwhelmed, and stress out about money. You must learn to save every penny or you wont be able to pay for your classes never the less the books one must buy for the courses EACH semester. The professors aren't as patient as a high school teacher, you MUST turn in everything on time. The way they grade is yen times harder than your high school teacher. The professor wont help you, so learn to think outside the box; explore your inner mind. You will have no time to be fooling around, you must behave like an adult. That means sacrifising your "fun" time for studying. Don't make your decisions based on what people say, or people do, make a decision based on YOU.

Looking back on my Senior year of High School only one thing comes to mind, AP classes. I took five AP courses during my junior and senior year and wish now that I had taken more. Getting credit for AP courses helped me get one semester of college out of the way. If I had taken more of the AP courses offered by my school I could easily be a college junior by this time. AP classes were way easier than college classes so taking them at a High School would have benefited be tremendously. Some AP classes even offer credit for two classes with a certain score. I loved my High School experience and getting into my first choice school was an added bonus, but taking more AP courses during High School would have eased me into college more.

If I were to go back and talk to myself, I would discuss two topics: social and academic. I would remind myself to keep some old friends close. While college is partially about new experiences, it never hurts to have some old friends as well. One this allows for some variety in the friends that you have and also provides for sociable possibilities during breaks and networking down the line. This is one thing I learned the hard way, as the multitude of friends I made while in college were ones who did not live in the same area I was from, which made some breaks less relaxing and entertaining then they could have been. However, the time in college with new friends is something special and illuminating. On the more serious concept of academics, I would have taught myself a very important lesson. In high school, it is very easy to just go to class, never study, and still get straight As. In college, this is not exactly a given. From the beginning, one must be willing to put in extra time, comparatively, towards studying. While this lesson can be learned, doing this from the beginning is less stressful.

Given the opportunity to go back in time and tell my High School self about the transition into college, I would be hesitant to say anything at all. Not that my transition was smooth, far from it. It was filled with sleepless nights, soul crushing credit card debt, car wrecks not to mention, heartaches, depression and loss. However, it was also when I learned how to deal with these things on my own. I was rewarded with inspiration, enlightenment and unconditional love. The choices I made that first year led me on the adventure that would become my life. They got me where I am today. Good or bad they were mine. Face to face with my 17 year old self, I would offer no words of wisdom (I wouldn't have listened to them at 17 anyway) but perhaps I would offer up a sincere and heartfelt, "thank you."

After spending a semester experiencing college life, I would tell my high school self to be outgoing and open to trying new things and meeting new people. College life provides so many opportunities for fun and self discovery and it is important to go out and find it because it will not necessarily come to you. So join a club or organization you can become involved in and passionate about. Also, college life so much less structured than high school so it is important to schedule your time wisely. In this scheduling, it is important to maintain a good balance between the amount of time spent on academics and on other things you enjoy. The transition between college life and high school life can be smooth if you have self discipline, time management, and something you are passionate about getting involved in.

As a high school senior I studied the life of a University of Florida student, therefore I knew what to expect once I started school. Knowing what I know now about college life the advice I would give to my high school self is to write for scholarships until my hands fall off. It's great to be a Florida Gator but financially it can be devastating.

Be open to every opportunity that arrives. You make think that something is not worth trying for until you've seen what you missed. I had the opportunity to be a Florida Cicerone but I decided not to apply because I was afraid that I wasn't going to get the position. However, my close friends applied and they were accepted. They were in the same boat as I was but they still gave an effort. Success is giving effort. Don't let anything pass you by because you never know what you are capable of until you do it. Even if a task seems impossible, go for it. Future employers love to see effort. You will gain success with effort.