<p>I hope mystifire doesnt mind me posting this for you all to read. My son is going to decide where he is going to school tomorrow afternoon. He has been offered an incredible deal to a school near home. But if he decides to go to UF. I am going to ask him to read this:
I suggest that you all read this advice and take to heart. It can save you a lot of head ached and heart aches over the next 4 years.</p>
<p>Mystifire wrote:
"This varies wildly from student to student. UF is a very comprehensive large university with students ranging from 17/18 year old freshmen to non-traditional undergraduates, grad students, and postdocs in their late 20's and 30's. All of us share the same campus and general infrastructure but that does not mean we </p>
<p>I assume you are asking about what is typical for an incoming freshman who is taking 12-15 credits. Again... simply because UF is HUGE and relatively diverse you have a wide range. Many freshman students come in with a very independent mentality... where they may already be living off campus, orchestrating a class schedule around a work schedule, managing affairs, connections, and advancement for their careers or side-projects in and outside of the classroom. The majority tend to "follow the pack" for a while before focusing on what they want to do with the people they want to associate with. Some freshmen choose to be social and some choose not to be. Some come to party only and not study. Some vice versa. No matter which person you are, there is no policing for where you go at night, if you go eat lunch, or whatever. The RAs in dorms may act like they have some, even if minor, influence on what you do.. but that is just something they do because it is part of their job or because they actually care about "being leaders and mentors". To be honest, the idea of a 21 year old mentoring a 19 year old is downright laughable to me. But anyway, I digress.... in summary, UF is a huge, public, non-religious, state school. It is the prototype college atmosphere. There really are no significant moral or behavioral rules.</p>
<p>I predict one of the most striking things you will experience as a first year college student, and this generalizes to just being an adult in the adult world, is the self-liberation other adult students have and fulfill. There is no longer the necessity that just because you and so-and-so are both students that you both place the same value on being involved, working part time, going to class, or doing xyz at the age of 20. You will meet people that just simply won't do it. They won't have time/care for freshman-typical things and that is their prerogative. Group think mentality (at least outside of frats/sororities <em>ahem</em>) is much, much less than in high school because you do not have to do it; no one obligates you to anything in college. Some students will just study all day for 4 years and not even use their degree. Some will drop out. Some students will study while being over-involved on campus and focus on everything UF, relating to UF, UF extracurriculars, and this whole slew of past times that relate to their university.</p>
<p>As far as being 'allowed' to do anything. You are in college. You are an adult. You can do whatever you want. If you don't show up to class your professors will not care. If you want to skip class, feel free to do so. The rewards and consequences of doing so are things you are old enough and responsible enough to know the answers to all these questions on your own. There really is no "typical day". I know students who moved to UF as freshmen, lived in a Dorm, never moved out of that dorm, and are now 5th years. They have spent 5 years living on the university campus. I know other undergraduates who run their own businesses in orlando or jacksonville and come to UF 1 or 2 times a week to take courses.</p>
<p>What you should care about is not whether you are 'allowed' to do trivial things, but rather that you are using your time and resources wisely. Really.. college is just an opportunity. You will, most likely, never have another chance in your life to spend 4 consective years being able to exploit coursework, connections, involvement, experience, and qualifications relating to so many career paths at such a young age."</p>
<p>Go Gators!!!!!!!!!!!</p>