Admissions

Apply early and get all required documents in early.

Definitely get involved with whatever organization/group you can. It will help you get over the whole idea of being away from home. Make sure you study for classes and don't wait until the last minute cause you will regret it. I would recommend living on campus for the first year but not wasting your money on the meal plan.

Going to college is an exciting and overwhelming time for many. It is easy to lose yourself in all the things that are going around you, especially at a large university like the University of Florida. I would advise incoming students to have a clear cut objective before attending the school. You can play but you have to work harder because it is easy to fall behind on your school work. A common problem that students run into at the University of Florida is making a large school feel homey. You can simply solve this problem by joining the endless clubs and organizations at University of Florida. These organizations range from SGA to fencing which makes finding a place to fit in and make friends easy. Another tip I would give is to form a study group for each course that you take and to attend your professor’s office hours. Doing this could be the difference between getting an “A” or “B” in a class. Final tip, live your college years to the fullest because they only come around once!

Do not be afraid to go to a professor's office hours. Although it is intimidating in the beginning, office hours is a great way to get individual help and for the professors to get to know you on a personal level which will be great for recommendation letters in the future. Also, I recommend taking a class on a subject that interests you that you never took before. It will help broaden your horizons and help you discover what you want to do. Anthropology was a subject that I was interested and I decided to try it out. I enjoyed the class that I decided to minor in it.

I would recommend to any incoming student that they live on campus! It's such a great way to meet people and really get a feel for being on your own without having to live too far away from your friends and awesome campus resources. There are things on campus that an apartment complex can't offer you, like the infirmary for if you get sick, the dining halls when you don't feel like cooking, the campus police on duty all the time to help keep you safe, and the friendships with people on your hall and in your building. There is so much more to living on campus than having to live in a dorm versus an apartment off campus. It throws you head first into college life, and provides for an incredible time!

Get involved on campus! UF is a very big place, and it's easy to feel isolated at first. We have over 800 organizations, so join a few and make friends. Also, be proactive about your education. With so many students on campus, you have to make an effort to stand out. Go to professors' office hours and meet with an academic advisor once a semester.

Just like any post secondary choice you decide to take, apply for financial aid and scholarships and do not stop once you're out of high school. Also, think of college as a way of being whoever you want to be, it's your time to mature and find yourself and become independent, utilize this time!

Try to get involved in something that you absolutely love. Don't join every single thing, but join one or two things that you are truly passionate about. Also, try new things because you never know who you are going to meet or if you may decide to fall in love with it. I decided to rush for a sorority my sophomore year, and I am so in love with it now and I do not regret my choice. As far as schooling goes, read and takes notes, go to class, and use Tutoring Zone (an off campus tutoring service). As long as you put time in, you'll do fine.

Get everything together early and be as prepared as possible to apply by that November 1 deadline - UF has scrapped Early Decision along with a few ivies in the country.

Buy your books online. Do not buy them before your classes begin unless you are positive you will be taking that course (i.e. chemistry). But for electives and such, wait until you go to the first week of classes to see if you will stick with that class. Do not buy your books from the bookstore unless absolutely necessary. It is a rip off. Online books are cheaper and you can also go to uloop.com where students sell their previously used books for cheap.