University of Florida Top Questions

Get as involved as possible. Even if your burnt out from doing so much in high school, make it an effort to find a club or group and really indulge yourself in it. Also, make time to go out, don't take every part of school so serious. It's ok to not always make an A or a B even, the letter is not always worth the stress. Apply for as many internships as possible, and dont let rejection bring you down. Never give up on what your passionate about. Remember that everything happens for a reason and have faith in yourself.

Apply wherever you would dream to go. Now is the time to reach high! You never want to look bad and wonder where you could have been or what school you could have gone to. However, money doesn't grow from the ground. Three words: scholarships, scholarships, scholarships. They are out there! They are waiting for your name on the application list! College is all about gaining independence, and being able to earn that money will make you feel a sense of pride. If you are involved, stay involved. Nothing can make a better college experience than getting to know your campus and the people in it. Find a place you belong in and build yourself there. College is the time where you find your niche and grow. It is not easy to go through the years seeing people who know exactly what they want to do while you have no idea for yourself, but you'll figure it out. I know I still haven't, but I'm working on it and that is all I could ever ask for. Do things you like, do things you don't like, do it all! That's what college is about.

Don't be afraid to set high goals for yourself and never settle for what doesn't satisfy you. Apply for schools out of state, there are scholarships available and you would be able to experience the excitement of a fresh, new start. Do what you want, and don't worry about what others think. Live in the dorms, as much as it sucks for the year, you'll make new friends and wont be stuck hanging out with the people you don't like from high school.

Join clubs you enjoy right from the beginning; it will make it much easier to make friends. Do not try to go to school for what will make you money, because if you aren't happy with your major, you probably won't put your best foot forward and your grades will suffer. Be yourself. If people don't like you for you, then they aren't worth it. Be prepared. Especially as a fine arts major, my life is hectic all the time. If you learn how to apply yourself and not procrastinate, you will save yourself a lot of sleepless nights in the long run. Take every opportunity you can. Your teachers and professors are there to help you, and the sooner you get involved, the more likely you are to succeed. Don't be afraid. People are not as scary as they seem, and you will be lonely if you shut yourself off from everyone. Always pay attention to deadlines, you don't want to miss an opportunity because you simply forgot about it and missed the deadline.

You cannot be afraid. Fear of the unknown, of the future and of success will only hinder your college experience. I remember walking into my dorm room during Hurricane Faye last year with a complete and utter sense of fear. I didn't know my roommates, what the following week would hold or when I would see my parents next. These fears prevented me from making lasting impressions and friends within the first few days. As frightening as it might be, you have to propel yourself forward into the unknown. This will be the best time of your life, and you simply have to trust in that which may frighten you more than anything. Your parents will not forget you, your classes will be fine (for the most part) and you'll make lifelong friends. And you'll probably cry a little along the way. Because, I'm not going to lie, it's hard. But it's amazing all the same. You change forever, you become a better person. It's OK to be afraid. But just for a little while. Don't let the inevitable fear stand in the way of the best time of your life.

to work as hard as i can and do more scholarships

Don't bother with AP courses. Take dual enrollment.

Keep your job until you need to leave for college. Save as much money as you can because you are going to need it. Apply for more scholarships. It never hurts to put your name in the hat. Become serious about reading the material provided in classes. This will help you develop some study skills, and at the very least makes you more responsible concerning schoolwork. Loosen up some. People are friendlier than they usually look.

?Get off your bum!? would probably be the first thing to escape my lips. I had so many opportunities in my senior year of high school that I did not take advantage of. I was accepted to St. Louis University in Madrid, and let the chance to study in Spain slip through my fingers because I did not believe I could obtain the monetary means to attend. Instead of frantically searching for grants and scholarships that would allow me to study my major (Spanish) in a perfect setting, I sat around and let the opportunity of a lifetime pass me by. I wish I could go back in time and work harder to make my dream a reality, but because that is not a feasible option, I am going to start my search now for a helping hand. Study abroad is still an option, and I can still live in Spain like I have always dreamed of. Now that I am in college, I know that hard work and dedication is a necessity for everything because the amount of competition increases. If I had known this in high school, I could have been sitting in Plaza Mayor at this moment.

Learn to study and push yourself, just because you can ace each test without opening the book doesn't mean you should. Learn to study and work hard or it'll bite you in the butt. Don't go to UF, no matter how your parents push you. Go somewhere where the school is known for your major, like UCF, or even out of state. When you win a National Merit Scholarship, DO NOT go to UF with it. It will be the biggest waste you ever make. Go somewhere where they actually give you a reasonable reward for the work you put into that scholarship. Learn to self-teach. The professors don't care if you pass or fail, you won't even meet most of them because they'll be off busy doing research and getting paid to send their TA to class. A lot of professors are infamous for their difficulty and bad teaching skills, so learn to use ratemyprofessor.com or risk getting stuck with the 80 year old foreigner who had bad communication skills BEFORE he learned to not properly express himself in english. Again, don't go to UF.