The parties, the newness, the freedom, the independence. When one thinks about the college experience these are the first few things that tend to come to mind—oh, and academics too, of course. Florida State University will provide you with the best years of your life in every sense of the phrase. As a high school senior, I remember the day I got accepted very well. And I remember how small I felt given that I knew nothing about what to expect. As an established student, I can definitely say that coming to FSU is truly an experience like no other. This is truly where you’ll make the memories of a lifetime and the friends that will be with you from your first job to your wedding day and on.
Your college career will really begin in the fall, the time of all of the new experiences. From the first week of classes, aka syllabus week, to the classic football games, the tailgates and the Greek life parties. The activities in Landis Green, the concerts provided by the university and so much more. Even if you decide to live off-campus, you will find a community of peers that are really in the same boat as you are. Most apartment complexes do have activities and giveaways in which their residents can participate, a great way to make friends.
But your experience at Florida State will be more than just the university. The city of Tallahassee has so much to offer too. I bet you’ve never heard of a cat cafe… well, you can actually visit one in Tally. There is the First Friday of the month at Railroad Square Art District which is a cultural explosion of art, sculptures, food, local businesses, music and good times. You can go to the clubs to dance too; but if you just want to socialize, then Madison Social is the place to go, where you can go to meet new people, hang with friends or watch games—just to name a few places!
Once the spring comes around, you will find yourself emerging into the world of finding internships for the summer. The events on Landis with the nice weather will be way more fun than in the fall, and you can comfortably walk anywhere. There are other major events going on in the spring, including the most popular, the Spring Fling fair. Additionally, at the start of each semester, you can participate in the career and involvement fairs, where you can learn more about internships and jobs, and about clubs and organizations to join, respectively.
My experience at this university has been amazing, but this is not to say that it is perfect. FSU has had many controversies since it opened its doors back in 1851, and in recent years, students and faculty have grown to be more aware of them and the inequalities that they have perpetrated in the school’s population. Through all this, the way we now notice these inequities shows us that change is possible even for an institution as large as FSU, and as a part of the student population, I am honored and feel the full weight of responsibility of being part of this change.
Overall, college is the time where you will really grow up and learn how to truly become an independent and productive adult. That is exactly what I found at FSU. I have lived through so many things in the span of my time at this university, I have met people who stuck with me through it all, especially in the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have found a home in different clubs and student associations and even though today, I am still that shy, awkward and wide-eyed girl I was in high school, the experiences I have had have shaped me into a woman who can also project her voice and is not afraid to fight for what is right. I am going to start my senior year this fall and will be leaving this marvelous adventure they call college and moving on to the real world, as they say. With me, I take all the memories I made, the things I have cultivated, and a sense of peace because now I feel like I have learned where I fit in the world—for the most part, at least.
For the incoming freshman class of 2025, I can only reiterate how incredible your time will be and how amazing it is that you are to get to experience this place in all of its faults and excellence. All in all, get ready for the best four years of your life, quite literally. Where you’ll experience the weird, the ugly, the fun, the laughter, the beauty and everything in between, but most importantly, the place where you will eventually bloom into who you are meant to be because of everything you’ll learn and encounter in and out of the classroom here at Florida State.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube and Pinterest!