Fall Semester is Here!
Freshman Class Spotlight
We want to know how you found out about your acceptance to USF and what you're most looking forward to! Tell us your story and we may feature you on our Freshman Class Spotlight!
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Questions?
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April 12, 2011
Are you worried about how you are going to pay for your four years at USF? As a freshman, you should have nothing to worry about. There are numerous resources for financial aid including Federal Pell Grants, State Grants, USF Grants, student loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) and scholarships. Financial need aid is based on information contained in your FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) such as you and your parents’ yearly income. The State of Florida also gives funds to those who exhibit financial need such as First Generation Matching Grant Program for those whose parents did not attend college, and Florida Student Assistance Grant Program. There are also merit based awards such as Bright Futures.
Loans, if accepted cautiously, also can be a great source for having your education paid. Subsidized loans are based on financial need. Interest is paid by the government while you are enrolled at least half-time and during grace or periods of deferment. Unsubsidized loans are not based on financial need. Interest begins to accrue within 60 days of disbursement.
Not only does USF have a very giving financial aid program, but they also make plenty of scholarships available for everyone. USF does not want you to stress about where you will have to find the money to pay for the university on top of stressing over that 4.0 you are going to maintain, so they try everything they can to make money accessible to you.
For more information on financial aid and to search for scholarships, visit www.usf.edu/finaid.
March 25, 2011
Do you remember the time when you were a little kid and someone would ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up? We used to say we wanted to be princesses, ballerinas, astronauts, firefighters or any other cool storybook character we encountered. I used to say I wanted to be my mommy, a marine biologist, a singer and then finally an editor for books. I could not make up my mind because to me the possibilities were endless! Well, as you embark on your first year of college, this is the time when you really need to choose a path to follow.
As I said, I had so many ideas in my head of what I wanted to be I did not know how to go about them. I started narrowing down my decisions. Of course I am going to be a mom someday, but that will not help me make money, so that is going to have to be put on hold for a while. Then I took a look at my realistic prospects.
The way that I decided what my major was going to be was by eliminating all the subjects that disinterested me. For example, I am bored by science so I knew that marine biology would not be a good field for me to study. While the idea of working with marine life is interesting, the science that goes into it is not something I am willing to do. Now, I still held on to this idea of being a singer, but in reality there are few people who survive that industry. So then I narrowed it down to editing. I love to read and I have always maintained A’s in all of my English classes. Therefore, I claimed my major as pre-mass communications thinking that this major had what I was looking for.
However, things change when you start looking at the programs within the major that you apply for. When I actually took the time to read what my major entailed I realized that Mass Communications is not a good major for me, but it is a good minor. So I changed my major to English. While English is my current major, there are various programs within that major, such as literature, creative writing and technical writing. So I had to narrow down what exactly it was that I wanted to study. Once I did a little research and read what each program entailed, I came to the realization that technical writing offered exactly what I was looking for. So I decided to claim my major as English with a specialization in technical writing.
Deciding on a major is not always easy, and I know plenty of people who have claimed their majors as undecided. There are also plenty of people who have changed their majors from what they had originally claimed. This is normal. On average, college students will change their majors at least once. I did! Going through this process may be stressful, but do not let it consume you. Do not be afraid to seek guidance! USF advisers are excellent when it comes to figuring out what is best for you. So choose something that you know is going to interest you in the long run!
March 16, 2011
To start in summer or not to start in summer? That is the question. Definitely start in the summer! This same question was on my mind when I got my acceptance to start in the summer. It was a big deal for me because I had never done something like this. I had never even been to sleep-away camp! This was huge and I wanted time to say good-bye to my friends and family.
During the last few months before graduating high school, I contemplated that question. It was so stressful because I was deciding the fate of my life for the next four years. In the end I had to have a little shove in the right direction, and I am really glad I followed through.
So it finally came the day when I had to move in to the dorm and begin my new life. I was so nervous! I had my mom with me and those never failing butterflies. I looked around and realized I didn’t know a single soul. I didn’t even know who my roommate was! I had just found out her name that morning. So I finally got my key, moved into my room, met my roommate and settled in. I was so lucky to have such a great roommate!
Before classes started I thought I was going to have a hard time getting used to the flow of college classes. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up. My first class started and my professor was amazing! Luckily it was Sexual Human Behavior and the professor was super funny. I get to my second class and was not so blessed with my professor, but the class itself was extremely easy. I get to my third class and my professor was very relatable and made sure that we felt comfortable with the curriculum. As the semester progressed, I realized that all my classes were extremely easy. Unfortunately, college was not always going to be this easy.
Aside from my classes, I had made some great friends that summer. I was able to meet people who were my age and not worry about the intimidation of older students. A bond formed between all of us that was strong and that would stay with us all four years of college. So not only did I get all A’s in my first semester, I made great friends that I still keep in touch with today. If you got accepted in the summer, don’t shut down the idea. Go for it because it will be the best decision you can make!
March 4, 2011
Hi ! My name is Christina and this is my backyard back at home. It is gorgeous when the sun goes down and bursting with life during the day. Who would ever want to leave this picture perfect scene? I did. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida and I can realistically say that I have lived in every part of Miami. I wanted to experience something other than the life that I was leading in Miami. I am the only child (so far) that has left Miami to go to college, but I was ready to tackle the adventure of college life!
So here I am, a freshman at USF, and an English-technical writing major. I came onto this campus not knowing a single person. I actually got accepted to start in the summer instead of the fall and I was completely against it. I did not want to skip out on my last summer in Miami and miss out on the beaches and tanning! But I was so grateful that I was pushed into going for the summer term. By the time I started the fall term I had a group of friends and nine credit hours. I was ready to go!
Although it has been difficult leaving my friends and family behind, I do not regret the decision I made. This university is extremely welcoming and everyone is exceptionally nice. The adventures that lie ahead are endless and I cannot wait to discover each and every one of them. I hope that you will feel the same in your first year!