Dear baby Gators,
You’ve been in summer B for about two and a half weeks now. You know how to get to your classes half asleep, you and your friends have had your first bar and/or club night in Gainesville, and you’re pretty much feeling like you own the campus. But honestly, you have so much left to learn about UF and Gainesville. And truthfully, you’ll never stop learning things about yourself, UF, your classmates and the interesting characters of Gainesville. So, while I definitely don’t know everything about UF life yet, I do one thing: I’m far more wise going into my senior year now than I was before I started freshman year. And since I’m so kind and awesome (just kidding; I’m not pompous enough to say that seriously), I would like to share some of the things I’ve learned.
- Plan ahead. And that’s in regard to everything. Plan your schedule ahead, plan your living arrangements, your extracurriculars, your post-grad life and your entire life ahead. I know that seems really overwhelming, but I’m not saying it to scare you; I’m saying it, so you can always think ahead because that’s what will help you be successful at UF. It’s an amazing school, but it’s also huge; if you don’t think ahead, you could lose out on a lot of opportunities. For example, if you want to TA for a professor, don’t expect he/she to come ask you; go ask before the professor asks another student. That professor probably teaches hundreds of students a semester, so it’s no surprise that you might not be the one who came to his/her mind, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t do a great job. By asking, you’re showing initiative and have just moved yourself to the top of the list for that spot.
- Don’t live on campus during the summer ever again. UF housing would hate me for saying that, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. You’ll save hundreds of dollars. People sublease one bedroom and bathroom of an apartment for $500 for three months during the summer. Not every apartment is that cheap, but a lot are.
- If you want a certain organization on campus, make it happen. That’s how you’ll really make a difference at UF. There are tons of opportunities open to Gators, but the thing you want might not be one of those, so it’s up to you to find ways to achieve your goals. Blaze the path; don’t just follow in the footsteps of others.
- GO TO OFFICE HOURS. Hands down; no questions asked. I don’t care why you go; just go. And I know you’ve been told that 5838332585 times already, but there’s a reason for that- because it’s true. It’s how you get letters of recommendation, find out about new opportunities and make a good name for yourself. Plus, if you mess up in anyway, your professor will be more lenient with you if he/she knows you personally.
- Start building your resume and networking NOW. You definitely should enjoy freshman year and that includes making lots of stupid decisions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make good ones, too. Even if it’s just joining a campus organization that will help you eventually get an internship, you’ll still be ahead of everyone else. And once you’re ahead, you’ll stay ahead.
- Get good grades freshmen year. You’ve probably heard stories about the guy who almost flunked out his first semester of college but turned his grades around and ended up doing well, but know that’s rare. Very, very rare. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but it’s much better for you if you can get your freshman year off to a good start with a good GPA. Getting one bad grade won’t kill you, but a bunch could. Classes will only get harder, and you’ll only get busier.
So, enjoy the rest of summer B and have an amazing freshman year. Do things that will make you shudder ten years from now. Do things that you’ll regret the next morning. Make tons of new friends, and make some good decisions, too- ones that you’ll be happy you made in 2023.
