University of Central Florida Top Questions

The most useful and beneficial advice I could give myself as a highschooler would be not to rush into college if you don't know exactly what you want out of life just yet. And if you do, go to a community college first to ease into the financial responsibilities of college. I personally rushed into a University, eager to get out into the "real world" and out of the house and found myself changing majors halfway through, adding an extra 2-3 years to my college experience and adding a good deal of student loans as well. Thinking back I would like to have taken time before entering college to save up some money and evaluate my realistic values in life, where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to do. Maybe travel a bit. I'm stil satisfied with where I am at in life, but knowing this in highschool would have made things a little easier, but who knows, I think I've bettered myself through my experiences. I would just tell myself not to rush into things!

Hey! Some words of advice. Don?t be afraid to stand up for your decision to be so far away from home, and know that you can prove to everyone else that you can do it on your own. Take every opportunity that you?re offered, and make sure to research everything you can about financial aid and scholarships, they?ll be very important soon! Don?t forget to give yourself a break every now and then, and don?t be so critical of yourself. Finally, know that change will come, and you will grow from it. Change is necessary, and valuable. Especially when you need it for your laundry! Love, me.

i would have told myself to focus more on school clubs and orgainzations and actually take the SATs. i would have told myself back then that no matter if i was taking honor calsses or not an A is an A and to take advantage of scholarship programs they offer for high school students to get once they graduate. i would tell myself that your first choice or initial choice of college isnt always the best choice and no matter what road or path you chose make it your best one.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the first thing I would tell myself to keep playing soccer at the Varsity level to try and get a scholarship. The second thing I would tell myself that I needed to get a job that way when I was out of high school I could have more money towards a car. And the third and last thing would be to work hard, even though it was senior year it would definately have helped me get brightfutures and helped pay for college. Then I would not have to be working so hard now. All these things would have made things so much easier for me now.

Get as involved as possible. Pick any clubs or groups that you are interested in and go to meetings. It will allow you to meet new people. Make connections with faculty. Not only will it help in selecting classes, it is also helpful in the future if you need recommendations for internships, jobs, or graduate school.

study more kid and take classes that give you credit for the classes you need that are closer to your major. save your money for books, food, and tuition. Become or at least compete for 1st of class. take standard placement tests and score greatly. forget the drama that comes with ladies. not that im saying avoid them but do not, i repeat DO NOT involve yourself into a relationship. they all break ya heart in the end or you end up breaking theres. take learning seriously kiddo. your young but you got serious potential you can acommplish great things. also apply for a butt load of scholarships. its free money man just a lot of writing but its all worth it. either way you will accomplish your goal. you will become a great man and great person. you will be known by your person and not his legacy. you can and will be your own person and not a shadow you will be a light, that beckons others and shines in the dark. oh and don't forget to enjoy the few years of high school you got left. good luck kid

Since I'm still a freshman, I can still remember my senior year in high school in vivid detail. Of course, there wasn't much to remember. I was slothful and unmotivated. I had the so-called "senioritis" and my interest in my education took a dip. One might say I had a change of heart as I began college. My grades last fall were the best grades I had in a long time, with a 3.6 GPA for that semester. I outperformed my own expectations and finally realized my intelligence surpassed the difficulty of the work I was given. Success was always within my grasp, all I had to do was seize it. To get the A is a choice. I would tell my lackadaisical senior self to get his rear in gear because, unlike high school, your potential employers will see your college transcript. Establish good study habits now, so you don't spend potential work time in college finding a pace that suits you. High school is where you learn to be a student. NOT college. Give school your best effort NOW, because you you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Greatness is yours.

Get involved and meet as many people as possible. The transition will be better if you know other people who are dealing with it too. These friends you make will become your support system for the next four years and possibly beyond.

In terms of college life, I believe I was well prepared from the start. My transition was not very difficult. I comfortably speak professionally to those I meet. I am able to extract information from my surroundings. I have a heightened sense of independe being from a singe parent home. The one thing I would tell myself is to not make assumptions as often. Ask the important questions and obtain all the information. This mainly applies to my financial aid process. I assumed I knew how it deferred and was disbursed and then found out otherwise. In the end, I made out fine.

If I could go back to my senior year in high school, I would tell myself to really enjoy my last year of high school more. As a graduate of the International Baccalaureate program, I really overworked myself my senior year to pass my end of the year exams. Having studying most of the time that year, I did not get to stay really connected to some of my best friends. I did attend parties, birthday bashes, and school dances with my friends, but I never really took time away from studying to appreciate some of the best friends I ever had that year. I still keep in touch with my best friends, but I wish I could have made more lasting memories with them. Making new friends definitely is an experience I have had thus far in college, but keeping the great friendships I still had my senior year sometimes feels like an obstacle. Many of them have gone out of state for college, but I guess that's the appeal of school breaks and vacations- I know I will always have my old best friends to hang out with once again.

"Get more financial aid" I would say. I would tell myself to get all kinds of aid. I would be unable to stress adequately how important it would be for him to seek out small scholarships along with the large. I would also have to tell him to focus on merit-based aid, as need-based aid can be pulled away on a technicality (a fact I've learned the hard way). I would tell him not to procrastinate and to begin looking early, and I'm sure the fact that I came back in time to inform him would be more than enough motivation to heed my warning. I might also tell him to engage in more community service, become more active in school activities, and be more outgoing. These lessons are often lost on me, and I always fail to see their value. Perhaps it really would take an encounter with myself from the future to motivate me toward greater activity. It is not laziness that holds me back, but apathy and fear. In the world we live in, one cannot survive who falls victim to these traits. I would have to make my past self see that.

The advice i would give to myself is get my driver license as soon as possible and apply many scholarships.

College life is two-faceted -- there's the education side, and the social side. As far as education goes, I would tell myself that furthering my education by being diligently studious and a hard-working student in high school will only make my transition to college that much easier; and my college life would benefit as well. There's not much to say about socially preparing myself, as I view college as a cultural inundation of diversity and renewal - I'd tell myself to prepare to make new, lasting friends, and to choose the social path that will be most advantageous to furthering my educational goals. The best piece of advice I could give myself is that my education is most valuable in being successful in life. Alternatively, I would let myself know how I managed to travel backwards in time, so I could prepare myself to become a well-known pioneer in the field of time-travel. My college career would greatly be enhanced with that knowledge.

Go to college now while you can it's better and faster in two to Five years your done and in your career . if you wait you will be 40 still trying to make ends meet just because you didn't go to college.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and give myself advice, I would have pushed myself to apply for every possible scholarship and go to better school. Regardless of cost, I would not have wasted my time at community college. I would have taken the SAT and mapped out my future. I also would have saved every dime I had just to pay for school. In hindsight, all my efforts running so many clubs and organizations were in vain having gone to a community college then a second rate university. I would have taken extra classes, Advanced placement. I would have gotten ahead and stayed ahead, knowing what i know now.

The advice I would give myself would be to realize that my high school years would ultimately affect my college years. This would include my groups of friends, study partners and any academic clubs I should have participated in. To have devoted more time to studying and community service, which would give me experience and knowledge that would also lead to a more prosperous college life and transition into the workforce.

Hey Tray, It's me...I mean, it's you. Listen, I know you're about to graduate in a minute and you feel completely guilty about going to school out of state, but stay calm. You're more resourceful than you give yourself credit for and you don't take no for an answer. Don't waste anymore tears worrying about Mom and Dad and their empty pockets...I am coming from the future after all, and, trust me, we did good. Something else I should mention: You know that guy you're so in love with? Don't believe what everyone says about leaving your boyfriend at home. Keep him. He's hubby material and I can confirm that he is still a very permanent fixture. Oh, I know you were thinking about pledging AKA...yeah, you won't. Stay committed to keeping yourself sane. Roommates from Hell are NOT, I repeat, NOT a myth. They exist. And you might as well know you will have one, but the good part is that your college experience, from where I am, is the best. You're going to love that you followed your heart. Love, Tray :)

I imagine the conversation would be much like the many I have with my 12 year old daughter. I stress that her first priority should always be her education. I think more than any words though I prove to her everyday as a working, single mother and part-time student, the importance of getting your education early in life so that she doesn't have to struggle like I do. I also mention that when the time comes for her to have her own children, she can devote all her time to them and not have to choose between parenting or studying. I tell her not to expect college life to be a party and it will inevitably offer challenges but that's the point. College is supposed to prepare young adults for trial and tribulations of life. However, it's not necessarily what you accomplish but HOW you accomplish it.

Not knowing what you want to major is OK. Take your time in finding out what you really want to do and dont be afraid to challenge yourself. Universities have great programs to guide you in a career path and figure out what you're interest are so take advantage of those. Don't be afraid of being great.

Don't stress yourself out too much, everything will be fine. Take it easy your senior year and enjoy it. After graduation, take a semester of and work to save money for school and car. The time taken off just evaluate your options for college like majors and classes, don't rush take it easy.

If I could truly go back in time i would speak upon the challenges that most college speakers and counsolers do not disclose with seniors getting ready to make that next big step. Yes college is difficult, but thats only if you dont realize that you have to actually study to get that perfect score or grade. Yes college is stressful, but it can go pretty smoothly if you have your priorities in order and if you have matured. Yes college is very different from high school, because in high school you are constantly searching for the qualities that define who you are as an individual by trying different things from smoking to painting. Whereas college you actually discover you traits and qualities that seperates you from every one else. Finding yourself is the most diffficult part about college, because if your not carefull you can become sucked into a personality that is far from who you truly are and risk living a miserable life.

Take as many advanced placement courses as possible. They prepare you extraordinarily well for what is to come in college. Try to be more independent. Work on simple household chores such as washing dishes, laundry, cooking, and cleaning. Reach out to as many people as possible. Just because someone is a little different than you is no reason not to befriend them or at least get to know them a little better. Get used to committing lots of time to studying. Studying is a very important key to success in college. Apply for as many scholarships as possible. College is very costly. Learn how to manage your money. If your not careful you can easily get yourself in trouble in college.

As a high school senior, I took IB classes that helped prepare me for the next level. Although IB was a tremendous prerequisite to college, it still did not prepare me for the independent lifestyle that I am experiencing now. If I were to go back to high school knowing the information I know now, I would do some different things to make the transition from high school to college much easier. For instance, I would begin learning how to manage my time wisely in high school.because in college, I find myself with a lot of free time. I also wish I would have improved my study skills while I was in high school so I did not have todiscover new ways to study in college. For example, when I began studying for my first test at UCF, I did not know what to do so I was constantly reading over my notes and trying to memorize them instead of taking notes and reciting them in a way I would remember. Even though college has been the best time of my life, it still has been a learning experience.

I would tell myself to be prepared to study hard in my chosen career path and while I will feel depressed and lonely at times at this huge school thaty in the end it will all be worth it. I will have a good job that will allow me the luxury of spending a good deal of money to ensure my families well taken care of. All I need is my families love to sustain myself and ensure I continue on the righteous path. I would tell myself to be more proactive when it comes to writing essays for scholarships and take a little more time to prepare for the start of the semester especially after the December holiday. I would tell myself about the grocery store I now frequent and to start cooking to stay healthy. I would advise myself to be more active in my room assignment for my first year and ensure I did not get the room near the kitchen. I would tell myself about ll the sites I have learned about to ind cheaper textbooks and never buy from the school if possible. Finally I would tell myself to not lose my high school friends.

The one thing I wish I could have heard during my senior year of high school was that it was okay to let high school end on graduation day. I was so worried and so caught up in trying to hold on to all the same friends and relationships that I was to afraid to look to the future. Now I'm here and I love college, I've kept up some of the same relationships I had in high school and I've let some go. I just wish I had of known before hand that it was okay to let go. I could have saved alot of stress with that knowledge. I personally had to end a friendship that just was not healthy anymore, it was ruining my college experience as well as putting tons of uneeded pressure on myself. However ending it put me through an intense guilt trip, it took me months to realize that i had made the best decision. College is something to look forward to, and no matter how great a relationship is in high school there is no point in hanging on to something that is only hurting you.

Prepare for a totally different atmosphere and greater responsibilities. College is not like high school in any way, you have to study more, work harder, work a normal job, get sleep, and still make time to relax to keep a sane state of mind. Although it is more stressful just take everything one step at a time and try not too worry to much about future assignments that are due in the weeks to come. There are two important things to remember, have fun and participate in extra curriculars, and lastly, put a little time aside for yourself to relax and do nothing.

I have always been a student who has taken opportunities to finish my education quickly and save money during the process. I began working toward the success of these goals by participating in dual enrollment programs during my high school career. After graduation from high school I attended a community college to save money while I worked toward my degree. I later transferred to a four year university to complete my education. In the end, I was successful with paying my own way through my bachelor?s degree without accruing any loans. If I could go back and give my ?high school self? advise, it would be this, ?Don?t rush your life away?. I rushed through college and completed a degree in a field in which I do not wish to make a career. I missed out on plenty of life and campus opportunities during this time. I am now back in school to pursue a degree that will allow me to make my passion a career. Only this time I am doing it the right way. I will not be rushed or concerned with student loans. Time and money are only investments to cement my future.

Honestly (not pretentiously), I found the transition from high school to college quite simple. The second I stepped into my dorm room (which was not a very glamorous second, considering I'd just walked about a mile in scorching Florida-August heat carrying multiple boxes), I knew that collegiate life would be everything I'd expected. However, elaborating on the ease of the transition will not fulfill the wishes of this essay question. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that no matter how much you pray for continuity, things are going to change, and that eventually you will see that change as a blessing. I'd tell myself to prepare for the change, because no, I will not be talking to Amanda on the phone every night like we'd promised. I will not see Paul every weekend like we'd planned. But I will break from my high-school-shell and become, simply, a more mature, independent version of the person I've always been, and the person whom I'll always be. And when I'm finally satisfied with that person, I'll no longer cry over the change, but embrace it.

Do not give into peer pressure. At a big unviersity like mine there is so much to do at all times. Theres a lot of partying and you have to be able to say no. Theres time for fun, but always put school first. On nights that you have tests dont go out with your friends. Know your limits and never let anyone try to tell you differently.

Take every class seriously. Do not assume that because you have taken the class in high school that it is the same. Grades really matter and are considered when granting you with any type of award. Try very hard to maintain a very good GPA so that there will not be any speed bumps later on.

College students are not bad, evil people who only want to steal from you! Relax and you will find yourself and what you want to do, and you'll be surprised how many people are just like you, unsure of what they want to go into and eager to live their lives to the fullest. Don't worry about finances, either. There's no point in worrying. Keep your cool, and keep a level head, and you'll be able to figure out any tough sitation you may get yourself into. However, don't be too eager to look for a relationship, since you don't quite know yourself (nor do many of the people you'll meet), you're not sure what you're looking for, and life is easier when you just act yourself and keep your worries and stresses to a minimum. You will make mistakes, both dealing with the matters of people, and acedemically. It's alright though, because no one is perfect, and you will learn and grow from this instances more than you'll realize. Always be sure to keep your academics as your main focus, this is where grades matter most of all.

I would tell myself to not worry about meeting people. Don't worry about being yourself and fitting in. People in college want to work together because without one another, we fall apart. Not to say that we NEED each other to pass college, but without one another's encouragements, it makes the journey much harder. College is going to be tough and at times, it will be brutal, but do not give up on reaching your goal. Teachers and students are there to give you a hand and help you through difficult classes. Try to learn and listen better, if anything I wish I had done that more the past semesters. If you fall one semester, don't worry, keep looking forward and don't wallow in the past. The path is always brighter the farther we go, so don't give up! Let God guide you and He will lead you, don't rely solely on yourself... You are and never will be alone.

Don't slack off. Take a few more AP or dual enrollment clases because a little hard work now will make college that much easier.

I would give this advice to myself: Your first priority is to learn what the options are. You don't need to be in a rush to choose your life's work. What you need to do is discover what you like. You have to work on stuff you like if you want to be good at what you do. Don't get demoralized. Don't think that you can't do what other people can; you shouldn't underestimate your potential. Don't worry if a project doesn't seem to be on the path to some goal you're supposed to have. Paths can bend a lot more than you think. So let the path grow out the project. The most important thing is to be excited about it, because it's by doing that you learn.

I would have told myself to do a little better in French in order to get the IB diploma. In addition to that, I would also tell myself to take the PSAT seriously and to keep up the good work that I've been doing so far.

Assuming what I know now, if I were to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to study harder and participate more in school. College makes you participate in everything you can think of because if you don't, you won't learn to make friends. In high school I wasn't really into being a part of the school, but coming to college made me realize that it is one of the most important things to making your college experience better and more fun. So, if I were to go back in time, I would tell myself to start getting involved in clubs and organizations in high school in order to prepare for college.

I would tell myself not put myself through so much stress and be so hard on myself. I graduated from high school in the top 1{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my class as a student in the International Baccalaureate program while participating in many extracurricular and community activities. Consequently, I was awarded several scholarships. However, during my senior year, I spent a lot of time and energy worrying about whether or not I was good enough to recieve the scholarships I applied for because I didn't know if I would be able to afford college. So my advice to myself would be to trust in my abilities to achieve what I had set out to do - get into and pay for college.

Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition from high school to college, I would have developed better studying habits. I would have perhaps recommended to my high school that they spend time teaching us valuable study habit skills. Another peice of advice I would give to myself is to not worry about how I was perceived in high school because it has no bearing as to how you are perceived in college. High school is like regular season play and college is like the playoffs!!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior, knowing now what I know about the transition to college life, I would advise myself to start saving up for college sooner. I've been working a job since my sophomore year of highschool but still didn't set enough money aside to help me be financially responsible for myself. I would also advise myself to live in a dorm during my first year of college since that decision has helped me get acquainted with the layout of the campus as well as meet new people. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to get involved! Being a member of the Burnett Honors College has really encouraged me to get involved in community service projects such as Junior Achievement but I would like to have contributed more on campus. There are so many opportunities to get involved, you just have to make time to do it. Lastly, I would remind myself that college is more than just a classroom it's a learning experience. It may be diffcult at times but it develops you into the person you will be in the future.

I would have definitely tried harder to get a scholarship it would have helped my parents out tremendously, especially because of the current situation of the economy in the United States, and my mother trying to start her own accounting firm it would have made their lives easier. My parents did so much for me growing up and I just want to be able to give back to them and let them know it?s alright this semester and books are covered.

If I could go back to high school I would tell mysefl to stay in high school at the very moment I dropped out. I would also tell myself to take dual enrollment courses, apply for scholarships, and enroll in college full time as soon as I graduated from high school. Doing this would would have changed my life in so many ways and allowed me to stay on track instead of getting so far behind in my education and career paths. I would have told myself these things and maybe gave my then self some insights on which teachers and courses to take and which to steer clear from.

Stay focused on school. Take time to study. Get involved

I went to a college preparatory school and I would tell myself that going to my high school was the right idea. Going through high school, I had to learn how to make new friends and I learned that there is a way to balance academics and a social life. I would advise myself that I needed to take more time to enjoy the social aspects of high school. Although I am ahead in college, I feel like I would have advantaged from being more comfortable with meeting new people. High school for me was all about getting the most college credit that I could and although I am doing good with my academics I am still socially akward. College is a great experience to be able to explore new possiblities and show different aspects of your personality and I wish I could have done that more in high school so that I would be more comfortable in expressing myself to new people. High school and college is where you are supposed to find out who you are and I wish I had started that as a senior instead of jumping into it in college.

College is important! Don't caught up in everyone around you who says that college is only a pece of paper; it is so much more than that! Find what you love and stick to it and if you got a scholarship then you deserved it. Don't second guess yourself.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would tell myself is that need more motivation and passion to prepare myself for the challenges that colleges have. In high school, I didnt know what to expect and I didnt worry to much about it. Now I know I should of took my insentive to get more fininacal aid, knowledge, and motivation for what college life have in store for me.

I would tell myself that having self-discipline and motivation are important to keep. Knowing what you have to do, telling yourself to do it, and actually doing it are all very important. Also, being responsible for all of your own actions and taking charge of the decisions in your life are crucial. Having and keeping an open mind while you are there is also very important, there are so many diverse people, who come from all types of different backgrounds, that to not have an open mind deems you ignorant and starves your life of experience and knowledge. Do not ever forget that education is the most important thing in life and knowledge is power. You will be exposed and presented with so many different opportunities in all kinds of categories that it will take some judgment and decision making to decide on what you really want to do. Also, change is not bad. Change is inevitable. You will learn and grow so much, become so much more independent from your freedom, that you will finally see that you can do it by yourself, and that the world is at your fingertips.

Yesterday, a friend of mine asked me a simple, yet incredibly mind-boggling question through the internet. It was only four words. Sounded simple enough. However, the backspace key instantly became my new best friend. Nothing I typed seemed to be an adequate response for such a deep question. The question plainly asked if I had "any regrets in life?" My answer (after some serious thinking) finally was: "my college application process." Unfortunately, I had a rather arrogant desire to do it independent of help from others. Consequently, I made many mistakes. My most prominent one being that I only applied to four schools. I was ignorant of the fact that two of these were unaffordable for myself.... unless granted extremely generous scholarships. That left two available options. After being denied from my first choice school, only one remained - the one I currently attend. Although I am genuinely happy here, it still leaves that doubt, the big "WHAT IF?" What if I accepted help from others, what school would I be at now? Would I be more successful? So here's advice to myself as a senior: "Listen to the advice your superiors give you. They know better."

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to always keep an open mind. I feel as my transition from high school to college, I handled my academics and social life pretty well. Keeping up a high GPA while working part-time and still having time to go the the movies on the weekend, there is nothing I feel like I should have done differently, besides keeping an open mind. College classes are very competitive to get into and when a certain class that is only offered once the whole semester contradicts with the other 4 classes in your schedule, its not the end of the world. Also keeping an open mind when it comes to all the paper work that needs to be in by a certain time concerning financial aid and all the numbers flying around on your FAFSA, to just have an open mind, take a deep breath because everything will work out.

The advice I would give myself would be: develope good studying habits and processes now, because you will use them often in college. It's time to buckle down and start taking things more seriously. College is a wonderful, eye opening thing to experience. you will actually feel your brain growing as you learn!

"Consider analyzing your circumstances. Think of the reasons you made the decision to skip school or avoid doing your homework on multiple occasions, and decide whether or not they were worth the consequences you now face. You've had times where you actually completed your work and showed up to class daily, and you know how good it feels. My advice is that you forget the advice you received from the supposedly wise adults; the advice that one should make school a priority for some reason intangible to you at this point in your life. The reason to do these things is simply because they make you feel good, unlike other vacuous pursuits such as conformity, which has always left you dissatisfied because your efforts never quite seem to bring it closer to fruition. I guess I can sum this up in a rather skew analogy: you are aware that the Wend'y cheeseburger tastes incredible, but does it make you feel good afterwards? The advice thus becomes not only to do what tastes right, but also to do what feels right".