What is a day at UF like?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Florida
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<p>I'm applying for class of 2016, and was wondering what is it like at UF?</p>

<p>Can you arrange your schedule so that you can take some classes at like 7-10P.M, or some classes in the very early morning?</p>

<p>Also can you skip classes frequently as long as you do well on exams/assignments.</p>

<p>-How much homework is given daily?(Compare it to an AP Curriculum in high school.)
-How do you navigate from building to building, do you walk etc?
--How are the schedules, like do you have classes right after the previous like in high school, and are the walkways always crowded etc...?
-Can you hang out with friends and go to your apartment/dorm whenever you feel like it/eat out for lunch?</p>

<p>Just curious because I'm kind of excited...</p>

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<p>Class of 2015 here wondering the same things!</p>

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<p>Goopmyband what was your SAT? and classrank</p>

<p>Im kind of disappointed that some smart people are getting rejected… its making me nervous…</p>

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<p>I’m also wondering this, and can’t wait to find out for myself this fall! And Indianguy94, I know you didn’t ask me but I figure you’d still be curious; I got a 29ACT/2020SAT and am rank 17 in my class.</p>

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<p>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>

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<p>Thanks for that detailed answer mystifire.</p>

<p>Now I’m even more pumped, but ever more nervous for my acceptance. I feel like I should get in, especially with a great SAT and GPA, but there are always these stories of smarties getting rejected…</p>

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<p>WOW mystifire, I loved the way you explained UF. I graduated from UF in 1981. My class was the first class to graduate in the Oconell center.</p>

<p>Tomrrow my son is deciding between UF and UM we live in Miami. He has been offered a full ride to UM. I personally think he should go to UF. but that is 10000% his decision. I have been biting my tongue for the past 2 years trying to be as unbiased as possible. So tomorrow is D day as in decision day. </p>

<p>If he decides on UF I will print out your description and let him read it. I will make sure to laminate it and make sure it goes with him to Gainesville.</p>

<p>Excellent advice thank you very much.</p>

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<p>Indianguy, I was a 2070/30 and a 3.7 uw (my school doesn’t rank)… But yeah, UF is getting increasingly competitive, as far as I’ve been told. Of the 10 kids that applied from the two schools in my district, I was the only one that got in, even though I was in the middle for GPA. I think what helped me the most was talking up my volunteer hours and experience as captain of the basketball and baseball teams. Since there are tens of thousands of applicants, anything you can include that will distinguish you beyond just your scores is a big bonus! (though I assume that holds true at other schools) I’m so excited for UF, in less than 5 months I’ll be starting. I’m definitely going to be “that guy” that paints himself orange and blue, hahaha. </p>

<p>Oh, quick question for any UF students reading this: How important are frats when it comes to having a social life? I’m not against joining one, I just know it costs big $$$ to join. And for anyone with experiences with frats, can you describe the best ones for a Pre-law/PoliSci student? If I do join a frat, I’d want to join one whose main focus is academics, with partying far back on the backburner</p>

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<p>to give an idea of what a day of one student will look like tomorrow:</p>

<p>Everyone studies on sunday, myself included, so I’ll be up until maybe 3 studying/working tonight.
Wake up tomorrow after 11. Read email, procrastinate, relax for an hour.
Take a shower. Eat breakfast.
Work on an assignment for an hour maybe.
Go to class for 4 hours (bike in between classes). Play angry birds in two of them.
Come back to room and procrastinate for another hour or two.
Make a late lunch.
Watch some funny videos.
Out of class at 6, I’ll probably be back to studying a little after 8.
I’ll be studying/listening to music/etc until about 2-3 am again.</p>

<p>life’s good. tomorrow is at least.</p>

<p>so my typical day is about 4 hours of class and 4-8 hours of ‘studying’. idk if that sounds like a lot to high school students, but it really isn’t. studying is interrupted with conversations with my roommate, reading random stuff on the internet, whatever. its not like hardcore or anything, but it is fairly serious.</p>

<p>in regards to homework, if you’re taking a math class, you can expect at least an hour if not 2 hours of homework every night. It should be more rigorous than AP calc, but not much more. if you do your calc homework, you probably have a good idea of the workload for math classes. it might take one person 4 hours to make sure they understand all of the problems, while it might take someone else 1 hour. and math classes just get harder as you move up, which might mean it takes longer or it might not. most classes don’t have daily collected homework, other ones will. most have assigned practice problems regardless of if they are due or not (after calc 1, i don’t think you’ll find another math class that collects homework. but it always depends on the professor).</p>

<p>currently i have a term paper due and a programming assignment that i’ve been working on all weekend. typically I only do work for my other classes when i have an exam within the next week. this should be elaborated on. some semesters you will have a schedule where you have no assignments or homework, and sometimes you will have semesters where you have to work like a dog to get stuff turned in. Regardless, you will likely devote the same amount of time studying, because you’ll always have an exam soon or an assignment due soon. my point being that even when you don’t have assignments due, you’ll still have ‘work’ to do. reading notes or the textbook isn’t assigned, but it needs to be done.</p>

<p>i think i’ve said enough for now.</p>

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<p>@aforautumn YOU ARE THE BEST!!! CAN YOU TELL ME HOW RIGOROUS IS THE MARKETING DEPT.?</p>

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<p>Amazing aforautumn!! Very good information. What year are you in? Waking up after 11 sounds so awesome haha.</p>

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<p>That is right! UF is the best experience I’ve ever had so far!</p>

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<p>i’m in my fourth semester.</p>

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<p>aforautumn - Thanks for all the info! what is your major?</p>

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<p>econ in clas.</p>

<p>karma is going to get me next semester when i have this schedule:
<a href=“http://www.webpagescreenshot.info/img/261459-411201164803am.png[/url]”>1CE - Awesome Extensions for Google Chrome [Shared Image];

<p>not having class 2 days a week might be nice though. we’ll see.</p>

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<p>oh, okay… I just got accepted as a political science major (upper division transfer) so I was hoping you knew about that department. Its okay, though! Your insight was very helpful.</p>

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<p>It is quite ironic that someone with good stats is afraid of rejection. I mean, there is an honors-type program, so many good applicants get in. I got in for the class of 2015 with a 31/2050 ACT/SAT and 4.6 GPA. You will be fine.</p>

<p>Also, although I do not have real experience at this, I believe it would be extremely unwise to skip class. Every college tips thing I have read or college students I have talked to have all said that going to class is a key to success.</p>