University of Central Florida Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Chelsea

I wish someone would have told me going off to college is much different than doing dual enrollment and being at home. Now I don't have any one cooking for me.

Emily

I wish someone would have told me about excess hours and how that would effect the cost of college for me.

Emily

I wish someone would have told me about excess hours and how that would effect the cost of college for me.

Haley

I wish I had come to this school directly out of high school instead of going to FSU first.

David

I wish I would have known about the impact this school would have on my life before I came. I was so worried about college life while in high school, but now I love it and I can't wait for the next semester.

Andrea

I wish I had known how to balance my workload more effectively than I did when I first started. I wish I knew how to manage my time better so that I could more effeciently keep up with my classes.

santos

The difficulty in getting around this enormous campus and the amount of work one has to do on one's own since class sizes are large. It's a public university so I expected that. Nonetheless, a degree from this school is well-respected.

Denise

Before I came to this school, I wish I would have known the amount of money that is required for me to attend this school leisurely. I did not realize that it costs a multitude amount of money starting with the entire admission process. I wish I would have known the countless amount of scholarships that were available before I attend this college, because at the moment, I am struggling to obtain money. Especially at the fact that I live with a single parent whose income reaches at a minumum of $36,000. I wish I would have thought ahead.

Matthew

The University of Central Florida (UCF), it's surrounding area, and Orlando in general have so many opportunities, sometimes its easy to miss them. Though UCF tries it's best to inform you of all the options some just fall through the cracks due to how expansive it is. I wish I had been given more information regarding opportunities in general and specific options through majors before I started. I would have been started my involvement much earlier if I had known the options.

tegan

Before attending the University of Central Florida, I wish that I would been prepared for long hours of studying and assignemnts, and I also wish that I would have had much better time management skills and that I would have been less of a procrastinator. My biggest flaw was propbably waiting till the last minute to complete assignments or studying for tests, making it all much harder on myself and increasingly my work load.

Tabitha

High school prepared me for the work and hectic schedule that comes with the college life. The one thing that high school does not prepare students for is how to pay for gas or food. However, that is not what I wish I would have known. What I wish I would have known is not to worry about money because there are so many options to help. Besides getting a job, UCF has a food pantry, shuttles, buses, and carts to help you if money is tight, which for me it has been. No need to worry, focus on school.

Jennifer

That you have to plan your classes out for the entire year in advance because some classes are offered either once a year, every year and sometimes every other year.

Kelly

I wish I had known a little more about being smart with money. I also wish I knew more about being outgoing and social, since my social life suffered; I have always been very introverted, so being around tons of other people was a bit off-putting for me. I was also unprepared for the homesickness that I faced all through my freshman year, and I had a startling lack of knowledge of the school until orientation came around.

Crystal

I wish I had known more about financial aid before I came to this school. Financial aid counselors can be a huge help, but ultimately only you are responsible for financing your education. It is very easy to confuse scholarships, grants, and loans. Additionally, each one has their own special requirements you must meet each semester. It is imperative that you figure out what types of financial aid you are recieving, and how to continue to recieve that aid in future semesters. Sometimes there are many factors to account for such as GPA, credit hours, attendance, and etc.

Marcus

I wish I would have known how hard it was to recieve aid.

Terrance

If someone would have told me how much college changed your views about people, such as not judging someone based on first impressions and that there is a first for everything because college is the time to experience with the different clubs and actvities you never had to chance to do in high school and we all want to live without any regrets.

Ariana

I wish I had known how happy I would be here. I was miserable in high school. I felt like I had no friends, and the stress of choosing a college was crushing me. I couldn't stop crying. Suddenly, I moved to college and everything in my life improved. I had friends, and no stress. I felt so free that I forgot what I was really here for. I wasn't a partier, but the coursework was still crushing me. I barely got by my first semester. The moral is, don't let your freedom go to your head.

Ericka

I wished I had known to get more involved on campus during my freshman year. I feel as though that year was wasted because I could have been out making friends and gaining experience in the clubs here. I'm currently trying to do so much in limited time. I could have stretched out my extracurricular activities throughout all of my years here.

Jacqueline

I was unaware of how many resources are available on the campus. So there is really no excuse for not succeeding in a classroom because everyone wants you to do well.

Michael

I wish I had known that academic freedom of thought is not a guarantee, but a battle.

Sheri

I was seeking a B.S.B.A degree with a major in management, however, it is only offered at the main campus, which is an hour drive from my home. The only business degree that is offered at regional campuses is a B.A.B.A and you must choose a minor outside the College of Business.

Khadijah

I personally do not wish that I knew anything before I came to UCF. This school is amazing , the campus is breathtaking , and with over 60,000 students , everyday is a new experience. An individual does not need to know anything before coming to this school because there are always different events going on and each persons perception is different.

Alejandra

I wish I would have known the exact cost and the exact amount of financial aid I would receive.

Jessica

I wish I had taken more Advanced Placement classes or Dual Enrollment classes back in high school and studied harder to pass the tests so that I would have been ahead of my credits. I wish I would have done better on my SAT and ACT tests so I that I would have been awarded more scholarship money through Bright Futures because college is expensive! I also wish I would have dedicated more time to searching for other scholarships. Its not just tuition you have to pay, but also housing, books, food, and fun.

Jasmine

I wished I had known more about the student loans that they offered

Rachel

Its okay to be by yourself! Just because you're alone doesn't mean you have no friends. And just because you're surrounded by people, doesn't mean you can't feel lonely. You have to surround yourself with people based on quality over quantity and some days that means hanging out by yourself.

Eric

I wish I would have know how helpful it would have been to take more college classes in high school.

Sarah

Before I came to this school, I wish that I had known more about how college is set up and how it works, especially regarding things such as homework, tests, grades, etc. It would have helped to know the structure so that I could prepare myself more, rather than be thrust in with a still-lingering high school mindset and have to try to catch up with the new style while learning new materials and trying not to fall behind in the process.

William

How hard it would be to find a job in orlando

Jasmine

That its not that easy as it may seem.

Victoria

I wish I had known that UCF did not have the academic superiority that other colleges in Florida have. I wish I had known where to buy inexpensive textbooks rather than being over-charged at the campus bookstore. I would have also liked to know how to skateboard because the campus is so big.

Laura

I wish I would have known that I could have received my AA through the dual enrollment I did in my high school by the time I graduated high school.

Kamsum

I wish I have known that it is the second largest campus in nation-wide. And it doesnt have enough parking lots for students.

Marilyn

I wish I would have known how much everything would cost. If I had known, I would have tried to save money from working at the movie theater, Cinemark. It would have helped so much!

Ashley

I wish that I had educated myself about the various excellent clubs and organizations at UCF so I could have taken advantage of them right from the start.

Jillian

I wish someone would have told me to save some of my general education classes for later! Now all I have left are upper level specialized chemistry classes left. It would have been nice to have a cushion/ break from the hard stuff.

Laura

I wish someone had explained to me how college class grades work and how student loans work.

Katherine

Go to office hours. Teachers like to get to know you and if you go to their office hours you develop a great relationship with teachers that could result in increased chances in research opportunities, letters of recommendation, not to mention seeing them on a regular basis greatly enhances your chances of doing well in school

Jennifer

The living in the dorms on campus with the meal plan is the best option. You need a car, avoid the frats, the gym is amazing!

Chelsea

Better ways to plan my schedule for my academic success.

Monae

I wish I had known that doing internships in my last semester would be very important to me finding a job.

Calvin

Before coming to this school, I wish I had taken my school work more seriously. It is not as easy as high school was, and note-taking is a must in order to succeed in any class. When I arrived here I had barely any idea how to handle myself in social situations so I had to learn that while also learning that missing classes can seriously hurt your academic standing. I also wish I would have known to take a car so that I wouldn't be isolated without any way to get around.

Jessica

I wished I knew how little parking spaces are provided on campus. There should definitely be more.

Ida McKenna

I wish I had known just how many opportunities there would be for me at this university. I was completely overwhelmed with the club fairs and organization expos and everything being presented to me at once. It's hard to keep perspective when there's 50 booths in front of you. It gets a lot easier to get involved and find the activities that really suit you once you've settled into your schedule and gotten used to the campus and surrounding area.

Joseph

I wish I had been told more about applying for classes, since when thousands of people apply simultaneously, it makes getting the class you want much more difficult. I also wish that I could have known more about the different programs that I was going into, although they were adequetly described to me during orientation, I found the descriptions to be slightly different from reality.

Catherine

How to interact better with students in my classes. I don't really know how to get along with others, but this is likely due to the fact that I was homeschooled and I have a shy personality. I mean, I'm not unsociable - I did have friends - but I just don't know what's "in," like the Jershey Shore, and other crap like that. So I don't really bother. Another thing I wish I knew was how to drive, because then I could attend night time activities and meet people that way.

Lakia

I wish I knew how different college is from high school so that I could have better prepared myself. It is alot more work than I expected and therefore alot more determination and motivation is needed. The key is to be and stay prepared.

Melissa

I wish I had known to be better acquainted with my own degree program so that I could get the most out of meetings with my advisor.

Matthew

I wish I had known that even though UCF is one of the largest college's in the nation the professors make you feel like you are in a small college with the attention that they give to their students.

Jodie

Before I came to this school, I wish I would have researched more information about the clubs and organizations in which it offers. With this research I would have been more prepared to join more clubs and organizations in the beginning of the year, giving me the ability to learn new ideas and meet more people interested in the same activites as me.