Students blog

From Scared Senior to Seminole

Four years ago, as a high school senior, I thought those would be the best years of my life. I believed nothing could surpass the memories built during my teenage years.

Choosing Florida State University was a challenge. My dad is a Gator, and FSU was seven hours from home, farther than I had ever been from my family.

Nothing can fully prepare you for the transition to college. Living in a dorm, so far from everything familiar, felt overwhelming. It seemed like everyone already had their friend groups, while I was left alone.

A Change in Mindset

For a while, I was at a standstill. Although many people see me as a social butterfly, I was also self-conscious. However, I believe your life is determined by your mindset, and your mindset becomes your life. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

It took me a while to internalize that concept, but everything slowly started shifting once I did. I began joining communities that welcomed me with open arms.

Little by little, I became involved at Florida State. I joined organizations like Student Government, Student Foundation, and my sorority, became a Resident Assistant, and started saying yes to opportunities that once intimidated me. Each experience shaped me into the woman I am today.

My Advice to You

Somewhere between late-night fountain throws, Tuesday nights out, Vice Philly cheesesteaks, second-floor study sessions at Strozier, Saturday football games, and meals at Pi Beta Phi, I discovered myself. In life, there are no “good” or “bad” experiences, only experiences.

My advice for anyone nervous about college or not yet enjoying their time on campus is simple: don’t be embarrassed to try. Embarrassment is not real unless you allow yourself to feel it. Go to karaoke, raise your hand in that big lecture class, or walk up to the person you always see at the gym.

Another thing college taught me is the importance of saying yes. Let “yes” become part of your vocabulary so “regret” does not. You will regret saying “no” far more than you will the times you took a leap of faith.

The time is now. Most of my mistakes came from convincing myself I would do something later. Procrastination is the thief of time and joy in everything from studying for exams to texting someone “happy birthday.”

There is no perfect place or perfect time. The right moments are the ones you create in the present. Life moves quickly, so grab the moment like it is a present wrapped just for you.

More Than a Degree

Success is not measured only by grades, internships, or achievements. It is also measured by the memories you create, the people you impact, and the person you become. I leave Florida State not only with a degree but with a version of myself that I spent four years building.

If my high school senior self could see me now, she would know this was the best decision I ever made. I came, I saw, and I left unconquered. Thank you, Florida State University, for the best four years of my life.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Spring Break can be a highlight of every college student’s Spring semester. This year, I traveled home to Miami! Here are some of my favorite culinary experiences in my hometown.

Travel glitches

My vacation started off chaotically. Leaving Tallahassee late meant I had no one to drive home with, so I bit the bullet and bought a plane ticket to West Palm Beach.

On my departure date I headed to the airport, where I ran into a friend from back home. We decided to travel together. Boarding the plane was already chaotic—we had to exit the airport just to board. The cramped plane ride only got worse due to bad weather. We had a few flight delays but once we arrived home, we stopped at Wawa for a quick late-night snack—a combo meal and a sweet treat.

Shop, Beach, Eat, Repeat

The whole week home featured shopping, great food, and of course, the beach! I joined some friends at Brickell City Centre for some shopping, then stopped by Nordstrom to grab a quick bite of their famous crab soup and gnocchi—10/10, would recommend!

No visit to Miami is complete without a day at South Beach and it is exactly how it looks in the movies. With a UV index of 9, we spent nearly an entire day there, only stepping away for the occasional slice of pizza. After soaking up the sun, we enjoyed a delicious dinner from Pollo Tropical.

On day 3, our first stop was Sexy Fish, an upscale restaurant known for its exotic flavors and pricey dishes. The bathroom was stunning, featuring a $2 million mural—we spent most of our time there taking photos! Later, we grabbed a sweet treat downtown.

A highlight of day 4, besides hanging out with my two baby brothers and the parents I had missed so dearly, was going to Crazy Buffet. It’s a family tradition to visit Crazy Buffet and eat to our heart’s content!

Finally, it was time to return to my college home at Florida State University. This Spring Break trip was one of the most fun experiences of my life. The spontaneity, the adventures, and most importantly, spending it with my family and my best friends made it unforgettable.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Participating in formal recruitment at a major Greek Life school is an experience that is incomparable to anything else. In the past I had heard many of my friends talk about it, but it is truly like nothing you can imagine. There was so much going on, and I had no clue what had happened until it was all over. Here is an inside look at how recruitment works and what to expect before you embark on this amazing journey.

Anticipation

Before coming to school in the fall, I was anticipating what rush would look like. My future roommate and I had talked about it over the summer, but it became real when we submitted our credit card information to pay. I hadn’t prepared for this experience and when I got to Florida State, I realized I had no outfits, no energy, and no clear idea of what was to come.

Each chapter put in so much time and energy during the preparation week for the sororities the week prior to rush, and it did not go unnoticed. There was also plenty of terminology to learn and remember, such as those going through recruitment being referred to as PNMs (potential new members), ladies in the chapter referred to as chapter women, and the sorority house called the chapter facility.

The Week of Rush

The week kicked off with an all-day orientation session to familiarize the PNMs with the recruitment process. The Panhellenic Association provided the shirt to wear, and most girls paired it with trendy pants or a cute skirt. The next two days served as round one and featured short visits to each of the 17 chapters at FSU. The PNMs went from house to house and spoke to the women of each chapter. Those felt like the longest days of the entire experience!

PNMs would narrow down their choices after each round. In round two, PNMs could visit a maximum of 12 houses. And in round three, they could visit a maximum of seven houses. By round four the PNMs had made the hardest choices and narrowed their final seven houses down to two. That day came with the highest emotions and intense decision-making.

At the end of round four, PNMs could either put down their two choices in order, or they could single preference selection and choose one house. This selection then determined which house the PNM received a bid for on the final day, called Bid Day. That morning, all the PNMs gathered together, opened their bids, and then ran to join their new sorority, spending the day celebrating their new sisterhood and forever home.

The Conclusion of the Experience

Through this experience, I met the most wonderful ladies in every house, every line, and in my sorority now, and I could talk about every one of the amazing people for hours and hours.

My favorite part of rush was waking up every morning and seeing almost two thousand girls gathered and helping each other with makeup and accessories. All the dressing up, all different girls going through the same process, the whole experience made me think of the recent Barbie movie. This truly is a girl’s world.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!