This is Florida State University.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest
university you'll ever attend (or at least visit).
Since 1857, FSU students have been
granted the advantages of high quality academics and research. While studying at
Florida State, students gain service, social and leadership skills, and broaden
their appreciation of diversity. Where else can you take an elective course
where your final exam is performing on the trapeze? FSU has their very own big
top: the Flying High Circus!
FSU alumni are constantly seen in
the public spotlight. You may have heard of such famous actors and actresses
like Burt Reynolds, Robert Urich, and Traylor Howard. Or maybe you have heard of
famous athletes such as Deion Sanders, Charlie Ward, and Gabrielle Reece. FSU
has produced many successful alumni that you may not be so aware of such as
Academy Award Winner Alan Ball, Astronaut Winston Scott, Fortune 500 company
presidents and CEO's John L. Ruth and Kenneth Minihan, and Barbara Harris the
Editor of Shape magazine to name a few.
Know that worrying at FSU is as
effective as actually going to freshman Biology Class at Westcott. You can get
the same grade by showing up only for the tests. A piece of advice: Don't waste
your time on going to a class where the teacher reads verbatim out of a book or
from notes that are available on reserve. Sometimes they'll make a point, most
times they won't. The semester is long and in the end, you can get the notes
from Student Notes Services. At FSU, the real troubles in your life are apt to
be things that never crossed your worried mind.
Rush. Don't rush. There are
approximately 20 sororities and 30 fraternities.
Live free in the FSU tradition:
Drink. Scientists have proven the long-term social benefits of alcohol, whereas
the rest of this article has no basis more reliable than my own twisted
experience. I learned quite a few things at FSU, one of them being: Don't be
reckless with other people's alcohol, and don't put up with people who are
reckless with yours. Also, a dip in the Westcott Fountain does not count as a
shower.
To thrive at FSU, you must do one
thing every day that relaxes you. Gather your books and lay out at the Players
Club or the Melrose Pool. Keep your financial aid statements, throw away your
old exams, or stretch your money by going to nickel beer nights at Potbellies.
Maybe you'll date, maybe you
won't. Maybe you'll have a random 4 a.m.hook up at Underground, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll spend long nights alone on a hayride at George Wards. Maybe you'll
find the love of your life at the Leach Center. But whatever you get, don't
congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Falling in love at
FSU is half chance and so is being alone.
Enjoy the campus. Use it in every
way you can. Sneak into Doak Campbell Stadium and pass football on the
Seminole-head. Actually study at Strozier Library. Dance, even if it's drunkenly
and you have nowhere to do it but the Clyde's dance floor to "C'mon Ride
the Train." Read the FSView, even if it's just for the headlines and the
crush lists.
Get to know your advisor. You
never know when you'll need to get special permission to register for or drop a
class. Be nice to your favorite professors. They're your best link to job
recommendations and the people most likely to get you connections into your
chosen field. As with any school, understand that friends come and go, but there
are a precious few you should hold on to.
Live in the dorms for your
freshman year. Afterwards, move into a house with 5 friends and 2 cats/dogs. Be
careful about how much you eat at Crossroads Cafeteria and don't be surprised if
before you know it, you've gained the "Freshman 15."
You will learn to accept certain
inalienable truths: Tuition will rise, the police will try to crack down on
partying, and the football team will be good. And when you graduate, you'll
fantasize that when you were a freshman, tuition was reasonable, Tennessee
Street was awesome and everyone hated the Gators!
I can assure you that as an
alumnus, you leave Florida State with many fond memories; whether it be
reminiscing about watching the football team win the National Championship, or
vaguely recalling the fateful night your closest friends took you for the
infamous "Tennessee Waltz" to celebrate your 21st birthday.
