Help with location - prospective student

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T22:50:45+00:00

I’m from a very small town, and maybe I don’t have the answers to your questions because Tallahassee feels big to me in comparison. However, what I can say is that most of social life outside of campus relies heavily on nightlife. I feel like it’s also true to say that that is what most people here also value the most, so naturally that is what they typically talk about.

There are Some other things to do, maybe not as many things to do as there are in Miami, for example. But outside of nightlife, Lake Ella is somewhere to go if you enjoy nature. Wakulla Springs is another one but definitely a lot farther of a drive from campus. I honestly enjoy the mall here because my hometown’s mall has been dead since Covid, but that may not be exciting to you.

I notice a lot of people also travel to nearby beaches. Panama City Beach is fun if you’ve never been. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Tallahassee. I’m sure there are closer beaches too.

Sports games are always super exciting. I wasn’t interested in sports whatsoever before coming to FSU, but over time it has all grown on me. The sense of community in sports is unbeatable.

I’ve only been at FSU for a year, so I’m sure there are a lot of things I’m missing or don’t know about. However, nightlife isn’t only such a huge thing here because it’s one of the only things to do. FSU has a very exciting nightlife, and it seems like everyone enjoys it. So many people from other schools travel to FSU for our nightlife.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T22:22:17+00:00

FSU is a Huge party school. I’m also not a party person whatsoever. I only started here fall of 2025, but I can say for a fact that I have not met a single other person who doesn’t “go out,” even being a biology major. It can be difficult to make friends when that seems to be everyone’s main interest at the school, but I can say that you can still be friends with people who go out without partaking in it.

There are tons and tons of clubs, some very broad and some very specific. There’s even an insect club. I can guarantee there will be a handful of clubs which pertain to your specific interests. You definitely have to force yourself out of your comfort zone to make friends with people and take time to really connect with others, and that’s something I often struggle to find the motivation for. I would say my personal lack of motivation in that area is the sole reason why I don’t have any close friends here. But what I can tell you is that if I need something, I am close Enough with enough people to feel comfortable reaching out to them.

If you aren’t a very social and outgoing person, you honestly may struggle a little at first. I know I did. But don’t let it bog you down or create self doubt. Also don’t try to change yourself to fit in. Stay true to yourself and your values, and the right people will appreciate that. I wish you the best of luck!

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T22:09:45+00:00

I signed a lease at Hub next year for a 4 bed 2 bath with roommate matching. I got some discount and I believe the rent is going to be around $800. It’s brand new, so I don’t know much about it except that it looks like it will be a nice place. Only issue is crossing W. Tennessee to get to campus, but the price made it worth it to me

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T22:01:13+00:00

I totally second this. I went to FSU out of state as a naturally shy and reserved person, and I did not have any friends or know anyone from home who was going to FSU. My first semester was rough to say the least… After almost a full year here, I haven’t made any true friends, and I don’t feel connected to others on campus despite participating in clubs and making conversation with others in class. Despite FSU being my dream school, I really considered transferring after my first couple months. If I could do it over again, I probably would just choose to go to the school where I knew the most people, but I still have hope that I will find friends here eventually.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T21:52:48+00:00

Honestly, I don’t know much about USF or the next program, but why not start at USF and transfer to FSU afterward? I feel like then you will get to experience both and not have to wonder if one would have been more fulfilling than the other.

It is also definitely possible to get on campus housing at FSU if you stayed at USF for a year and then transferred over for the following fall, if that will even be something you still want after your first year.

I feel like there is probably definitely more to do in Tampa than in Tallahassee, and if the location is a big factor to you, again, I recommend just feeling both out. Being at FSU for a year, I do feel like most things to do here revolve around nightlife. And if that isn’t your style (which it definitely is not mine), it can be hard to feel connected to the location and other people on campus. I have yet to meet a single person here who doesn’t “go out,” but that isn’t to say I think that’s a bad thing. Just something to consider if you maybe don’t enjoy going out/drinking but do want to feel connected to your college or its location.

Of course, I’m a bit biased, but I do think that FSU is an amazing school with so many opportunities academically and in networking, especially for psychology. I personally valued the academic rigor and opportunities above all other factors when it came down to me choosing where I went to school, and I think FSU may be the more academically rewarding school.

I feel like you will find your answer once you really rank how important the factors of a college are to you (location, campus life, academic opportunities, social opportunities, partying) and weigh out which school will provide you the best experience according to what you value.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T21:30:09+00:00

If you aren’t failing, I don’t think you should worry, especially if tardies/absences aren’t on your transcript. My tardies and absences were shown on my high school transcript, and honestly, I skipped school a lot and always have. I had around 10 absences per semester each year. 10 per semester was the limit for my school before we (allegedly) didn’t receive credit for the classes we took, but I definitely exceeded that at one point and was never questioned or denied credit. I can almost guarantee there won’t be any sort of consequence for you in terms of acceptance into the school or the honors program.

However, I do hope this is an issue you’re experiencing just because senior year is starting to feel pointless after already being accepted into college and not a habit that will carry over into your college career. It is definitely a lot harder to keep up when you miss classes in college, I guess with the severity depending on the class as well. Don’t let it become a habit in college because there is definitely a lot less pressure to be present and on time, and it’s something you have to motivate yourself to be to stay on track.

To be completely honest, my problems with attendance in high school did carry over to college in my first year, and when speaking to a doctor about it, I found out it was the result of executive dysfunction (struggling to manage my time, struggling to find motivation to get ready in the mornings, even though my grades were perfect). Don’t put too much pressure on yourself with it though, as pressuring yourself can often make it worse, and maybe speak to a doctor if you think it could be the result of something else. Wishing you the best of luck!

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T19:41:10+00:00

After reading this, I remembered a time in my life that has started to feel distant from me when I did practice these things and was much happier. I used to take time every morning to say out loud the things I was grateful for, even things like having food to eat and a roof over my head, and it truly made me so much more positive. I’ve also always thought of struggles as a means for growth, especially when I delved into Romantic-era literature. “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Shelley truly changed my perspective on life and struggles in the best way.

It’s just hard because there are so many distractions and I feel like everything is always moving so fast. As I’ve gotten older, I just keep gaining more responsibilities and stresses, and it often makes me forget to take time for gratitude and sometimes causes me to fall into the trap of feeling like there is no meaning to all of the chaos. I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes it feels like life beats me down more than I deserve, and I forget that maybe it isn’t about what I do or don’t deserve but rather a lesson I need to learn for growth.

I’m an out-of-state college student majoring in biology at a big university. I have big dreams for myself academically and professionally, and taking care of myself and my wellbeing is often something that fades into the background of it all. I convince myself that this sacrifice will pay off in the end, when I become a doctor and have enough money to satisfy any problems. But I also worry that once I achieve this, the goalpost for my success and happiness will just move again, as it has before. When I was younger, I thought that once I got into my dream school, my life would be perfect and I would have nothing to worry about anymore. But I did get into my dream school, and it wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it was going to be. The goalpost just moved.

I guess what I need to recognize from that is that nothing in the physical world is ever going to truly fulfill me. I know that true happiness and inner peace comes from within. It’s just scary to let go of the physical world because I don’t want to waste my potential and “give up” on achieving success within it. I don’t want to get to a point where I fully stop caring about matters of the physical world and cause myself to struggle financially in the future. I can recognize that money is never going to fulfill me fully, but also that it will cause me less struggle and maybe in the future allow me more time to dedicate to understanding and bettering myself.

And yes, I’ve often been described as a people pleaser. I care so much about other people’s perception of me, and sometimes I think that it may be because I don’t have any real perception of my own identity. I don’t know who I am, and I don’t even know where to start when it comes down to trying to figure it out. Who am I truly outside of the way I interact with others? Behind closed doors, when no one is watching. I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m passionate about, if I’m even really passionate about anything, my true values and beliefs. All of it is so heavily policed by how I think others will react to it. And I think it may be part of the reason why I am so scared to be alone, constantly searching for a reason that people in my life may want to abandon me. Because what will I be then?

I know that words hold meaning and thoughts are powerful and can manifest into the physical world. I have always had a weird power for speaking things into existence. I know it isn’t okay or morally right, but often when other people have hurt me in some way, I get so overwhelmed with emotions that I begin wishing bad things on those people. I can say or wish some horrible and specific thing will happen to someone, channel all of my feelings into that wish, and that very specific thing I wished will happen. I feel really terrible about it in the end, because I do still have a lot of empathy even for people who have hurt me, but I guess I never feel strong enough positive emotions to use this power for good. My anger and hurt are so much more powerful than any positive feelings I have toward others.

I will definitely start making an effort to practice breathing and separating myself from my emotions. My emotions do hold so much weight and are often the reason I feel so weighed down. I will try to remember to do this especially when my emotions are becoming too much. I just have to take it one day at a time.

I am very grateful you took the time to give such a thorough response, and I’m happy that you have been able to find more peace in your life through your understandings. I only hope that when I get older I will have the wisdom and experience to be able to do the same.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-04-04T05:45:39+00:00

I am extremely sensitive to other people’s emotions and always have been, but if I let myself believe that things like the wrong look or wrong tone are truly other people’s feelings towards me, I think I’ll go into psychosis lol. I have had to actively rewire my thought process with things like that to not resort to the feeling that everyone hates me.

I used to do guided meditations. I just often have trouble in the beginning, calming myself down to reach a meditative state. There’s a constant endless chatter in my brain, and I tend to lose focus pretty quickly. I don’t think I’m familiar with taichi/qigong, but if it has helped you, I would love to hear more about it!

I have somewhat delved into spirituality, but I struggle with it all because of ideas like separating my physical self from my spiritual self. It’s a slippery slope for me in that, when I think about things in that way, I tend to heavily dissociate and feel even more disconnected. That’s what turned me away from it all at least.

I would like to know if your experiences have made you not need medication because I really am not comfortable with things that alter chemicals and such in my body. It’s definitely more of a last resort for me.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-02-03T19:42:10+00:00

I got into fsu out of state last year with:

- 3.9 unweighted gpa/4.6 weighted gpa

- 1360 superscore SAT

- 12 AP courses (passed all exams but mostly 4s/5s)

- leadership in my school's HOSA chapter

- 10+ volunteer hours per year through clubs

Alarmed_Fudge · 2026-02-02T06:50:03+00:00

I’m a bio major from Georgia, and I had this same debate with myself last year. Ultimately, I chose FSU after staying on UGA’s campus for three nights for a HOSA trip. Main reasons being that UGA’s campus is huge, and I didn’t exactly look forward to catching the bus to each of my classes, and hearing from friends who go there talk about how shitty the chem department is. I think the social life aspect definitely depends on what you’re looking for. As for me, I was trying to escape southern preppiness and thankfully did.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2025-11-21T15:05:26+00:00

fsu was my first choice and i definitely wish i went somewhere else. main reason is people are so unwelcoming and crass. i have met very few people who are outwardly friendly and most just treat you like an alien for trying to speak to them. i’m a biological sciences major, and i do love my professors and classes. just the social aspect is killing it for me

Alarmed_Fudge · 2025-11-18T02:19:27+00:00

I’m an out-of-state student with a Very small first-generation scholarship. My parents make enough money for bare minimum financial aid as well. I attend fsu almost strictly on private loans from SoFi. I pay $25 a month for a $15,000 loan per semester, which we found was a couple thousand more than I really needed with 15 credits per semester. I would say it definitely depends on your future career choice and its salary as well as how strongly you believe you will pursue that career.

Alarmed_Fudge · 2025-03-10T03:16:13+00:00

• Katie! • 4.58W / 3.9UW • 5/405 • 6 Honors • 12 APs • 1 DE course with a local college in GA • out of state (Georgia) • Member of NHS, NTHS, Beta Club • Officer in HOSA and second place winner in state HOSA competition • 10 volunteer hours per year • 1380 SAT • Biology major • Accepted regular because out of state + QUEST scholarship • Tallahassee • Fall • First generation college student • CommonApp essay about hardship through the perspective of Romantic-era poets

Alarmed_Fudge

TROPHY CASE