College decisions season is upon us, meaning Olympia’s seniors get to pave the way for their future. The school you pick can determine where you’ll live, who you’ll meet, and what your life will become. From social circles to career opportunities, this is what a few of Florida’s colleges offer.
Florida State University:
FSU, located in Tallahassee, was quite popular amongst Olympia’s staff as many teachers like Mrs. Elkins and Mrs. Parm graduated from there. It is a pristine public research university, specializing and providing some of the best programs for the sciences like biology, psychology, and political science. It is actually Florida’s oldest continuous site of higher education, founded in 1851, whilst still maintaining an amazing academic reputation.
The university values campus life and student connections, having over 700 student organizations that all provide students with the opportunity of finding their community and a sense of belonging. The dorms provide various benefits, like mini-fridges and desks for doing your school work comfortably. As for transportation, it is recommended to bring your car on campus, but being without one will not limit your experience and what you can do.
If you desire social exploration and exceptional academic opportunities, most definitely look into FSU!
University of Central Florida:
UCF, located right here in Orlando, holds the title of the largest university in Florida based on enrollment. It is also recognized as extremely affordable, as 70% of first-time college students successfully graduate with no debt at all. As for academics, it is seen as very beneficial for various majors, from nursing to game design. Their range of options welcomes many kinds of students with unique interests and goals, and offers everyone an opportunity to succeed in those.
Here at Olympia, we have Ms. Davies as a graduate from UCF, and she was kind enough to describe her experience, both socially and academically at UCF. She began with explaining how she chose to live in a dorm during her freshman year, which led her to the opportunity of making many friends and even getting a job on campus. Ms. Davies also 
shared how she “got to know the campus very well simply because of people asking [her] for directions all the time”, due to her working in a store at UCF. She described the campus, saying that “UCF is cool because it’s just a giant circle, because it is surrounded by all of your classrooms, and inside has places like your student union and the library. It feels like a big campus but is quite small compared to the other schools in Florida”.
As for why she moved off-campus, “Usually only freshmen stay on campus, other than if you’re a part of a fraternity or sorority. I also did it to avoid the traffic and parking situation, but when living off campus there are still shuttles so you don’t have to worry about driving or anything”. In terms of academics, however, she explained that the large size of the lectures limits how well you get to know your teachers. She added that it is when you actually begin getting into your degree that you begin to make friends during class.
Factors like dorm-life, and job opportunities are all things to consider where you’d like to go. If any of what Ms. Davies described sounded intriguing to you, definitely look deeper into what UCF can offer.
University of Florida:
UF, located in Gainesville, is recognized as the #1 college in Florida. While it is nationally recognized for its academic brilliance, constantly making life-changing health discoveries through research and successfully setting their students up for success in majors like marketing and business, it also has a large range of non-academic opportunities. With on campus internships and jobs that relate to your major, the University of Florida focuses on preparing their students for nothing but success and high achievements in their future careers.
The university also offers over 20 residence halls for students to stay in on campus, making class navigation conveniently and easy, especially for freshmen. However, living off campus is also seen as desirable with more freedom in your environment, as not everyone is ready to jump into living and learning in the same place. There are also more than 1,000 registered student organizations, welcoming a wide range of interests and, therefore, students in each one.
As for students interested in The Oracle, here at Olympia, the University of Florida actually has the largest school newspaper in the United States and UF will be happy to support you in your journalistic endeavours.
How Do You Pick?:
It is never too early or too late to begin preparing for your future, especially if it involves attending university. We interviewed Ms. Possell, the college and career advisor about any tips as to how to narrow your college choice down. She began by saying, “We’re gonna go based on the cost. In this climate, I would not want to come out of school in debt. Then, I would take a look at what the school can offer me academically, as well as major flexibility if I decide to change my major while in attendance there. What about extracurricular environments, like sports, sororities, and fraternities. Does what they offer overall appeal to me as a person and as a student?” At the end Ms. Possell emphasized that the #1 concern should be the cost.
As for the dilemma of on or off campus-living, Possell said, “100% all freshmen, hands down, should live on campus with someone you do not know. Go random! Why? Because it multiplies your friends, and makes your experience so much more unique as you’re constantly in the loop on what’s going on at school”. She also went more into depth about how important networking is, as it widely expands your opportunities socially and, possibly, even career-vise. Living with someone you already know sounds fun, but ultimately limits your experience to meet new people and do new things.
Choosing a university means choosing a new social circle, new academic opportunities, and shaping your future. Take all of these tips into account, and just remember who you are and aspire to become.
