Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Friday, April 25, 2025

News | Campus

NEWS  |  CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

This semester, dare to defy your status quo

For a college senior like me, the beginning of the Fall semester is a time to look forward, consider job prospects and tie up loose ends academically. It is also a time to reflect on experiences, good and bad, from the last three years. As my journey at UF has shown, a semester or two in college can alter the course of your life.


Alligator
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

Be like an alligator this semester

Last semester, we sat in the back of the class with our heads down and our mouths sealed shut. When we spoke, we prefaced our remarks or questions with “I just…” or “Sorry, this might be dumb,” conveying to our listeners that what would follow was of little importance. We would not blame them for disregarding our words, ideas and opinions; but we knew the right answer, we had something to add to the discussion and we had questions that warranted responses. We minimized our presence, our impact and our power. We made our voices small and let our classmates fill up the space. Our classmates who sat in the front. Our classmates who always had their hands raised. Our classmates who punctuated their statements with periods, not question marks. We chose to keep our depths hidden rather than make ourselves vulnerable.



Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2025 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.