BBtB

Well you are just screwed then.

This seems rather specfic for this thread BUT sure why not still talk to her? I mean if she IS your best friend then keep her that way. On that note, yea, chase alot of college tail too.



And now I will say an ingeneral thank you to those offering advice. I too am going to be a freshmen this year. It shall be a trip I know. I just have to go about it one day at a time I suppose.

__________________
Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ...

"I would like about three fiddy"

madsenj37

Go to Class. You might be able to skip on readings but not class.

Get to know everyone living around you. The wierd guy down the hall might not seem as cool as the guy next door, but you do not know him yet. Network as soon as possible. This helps with doing stuff off campus and getting things like sports organized.

find a place to study in case your room gets to busy or the hall gets noisy.

Dont be the guy with the cool toys. People always want to use them and bug you and dont leave you alone.

Go to the cafeteria with different people. You will meet people they know.

If you like having friends, dont get a serious girlfriend.

Take some GEs before you decide what you will major in.

Never let stress get to you. If you screw up, learn from your mistake and do not trepeat it.

Do not live with any friends in the coming years that you know are bad with money or are irresponsile. You will pay for it.

__________________
"Only two things are certain: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe."
-- Albert Einstein

Jaseca

I thought these deserved extra stressing...

Drager10

Wow, this is some great advice. That's one thing I've noticed about these boards: people actually take the time to respond with something worthwhile (except my own post). Nice work.

blackdas

I'm with Drager...on most boards if you post anything longer than two lines everyone will just say "too much reading." The advice that people give on this board is greatly appreciated!

HiThereDear

tell her the truth - you don't know what's going to happen once you get to school - and leave the choice up to her.

bing bing

Don't expect anyone to push you because if you do, you will not last long.

Damnfinn

In English class, when your writing on some themes take the oblique approach to the subject. IE, I had had to write on women's rights, so I proposed we repeal womens right to vote and make them slaves, since women stated voting the country has gone to Hell.
A first year English intructor gave our class to write to the oblique, since he had read enough of, near death, favorite vacatin stories, and etc.
He also said that insructors become caught up in the content and will miss many techincal errors.
It served me well, as I never had less than a "B" on any papers I wrote.

__________________
I was told to get a life, but all the good ones were taken.

absorbentishe

A lot of alcohol... but only if they're women...

But seriously, party only on Fri, Sat, study, do your homework, and go to class. It works out good if you find someone to study with in each class, cuts the study time down, and makes it enjoyable...

gibber71

Everyones advise is good. I was a little different and it payed off.I met a girl who took impeccable notes,and paid her to photocopy them for me and paid her as well.This way I could concentrate on listening to the professor,absorb what he was saying and remember it.I also had a little recording machine and taped the lectures.I did all the required and supplemental readings and studied with my little friend to bounce ideas off each other.

I also worked fulltime teaching private music lessons and gigging and my friend was amazing to help me out. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have graduated.It wasn't one sided though,I paid her 300-400 dollars a month so she didn't have to work.

One piece of advice I do have.Listen to your professor.You wouldn't believe how many people are focused on writing down every word that comes out of their mouths. This is somewhat humerous when a prof goes off on a tangent talking about his summer vacation and half the class are writing down every word.

SidCitna

1st Off.
YOU WILL MISS CLASS, heres how to somewhat make up for it.

Find the People Tape Recording The Lectures and sit by them (there is always a few of them), and start recording the lectures with them. Now here is the genius part, when you miss lecture just ask one of them if you can borrow their tape from they day. Since you are a fellow recorder they will be ok with it, and they will ask you for your tapes when they miss. If you are screwing off you can listen to the lecture at least. If the professor posts the lectures to his website even better.

***RECON***

Do a Little Reseach in choosing classes, it will pay off big time.

ALWAYS GO TO A PROFESSORS WEBSITE BEFORE YOU TAKE THE CLASS.

Find out what book is being used, go to the library and look it over. Different Profs use different books, look at what each section is using for a book.

IF THE PROFESSOR IS NOT TO YOUR LIKING ON THE FIRST DAY CONSIDER OTHERS. YOU CAN GO TO JUST ABOUT ANY CLASS ON THE FIRST WEEKS AND LISTEN TO THE SPILLS. Or Go talk to them before hand. Good Professors Make going to class and paying attention a lot easier. This wont work if there is only one section, or one prof teaches them all.

Be Realistic, Be Prepared.

j_lonty

Get involved in a big way in some activity- don't be afriad if they thrust you up to some level that you think you are not experiencved enough for or somesuch - just go with it. College upperclassfolk are always looking for freshmeat (pardon the pun) to step up to the plate, show their talent, and take over various responsibilities and organizations around them. Becoming one of those folk gets you well liked, well respected, and well connected to folk who may end up becoming friends for life.

Remember, college is NOT a time of personal growth. It is a time of preparation for the amazing and wonderful personal growth you will go through when you get out. You are learning how to learn, adapt, and do well in the outside world - the real big adventure. Take advantage of everything around you to arm yourself for the journey ahead, and don't fall back into the complacency of "I'm just here to figure myself out and experiment" - while to some extent this is true, I don't think anyone truly can figure themselves out until they're confronted with the realities of life in the real world rather than school.

frenzal

wow! all this info is really helpful and will prove to be helpful when im off to college, thank you so much.

__________________
douche bag

TIO

Be careful of reputations. DO NOT come on to ANYONE in your first 2 weeks unless they make the first move, or you'll find that you're the college sleaze. DO buy the upper year students in your dorms a few beers the first time you see them at the tav. They'll buy you a few later on, so your money isn't gone, and they'll like you a hell of a lot more than the other freshers. This is very useful, not just because you have mates in the high years, but also because you just might score their notes and assignment solutions

Now that you have an upper-year friend, use the bastard. Ask about all of your lecturers, ask for help in your units, ask for text books they might be able to lend you. And don't forget to keep the beer flowing, so they know that helping you out pays. I'm not really talking about bribes or being a whiney little fresher who does nothing but ask for stuff and buy beer...make friends, but remember that they can be useful for uni stuff, and are usually more than happy to help, because first year wasn't that long ago for them.

There is only one way to study for exams: PAST PAPERS. They are a gift from above. If they're in the library, great. If they're not, it's probably because the examiner doesn't change the paper each year, so ask someone who has done the unit before if they can remember any of the exam questions

A minor one: if you know you're going to have a particular lecturer for many units, get to know them. Try and join their sporting team, or go to the same pub if they're young, or even just talk for 5 minutes after a couple of lectures. Knowing your lecturers, and more importantly having them know you, is invaluable.

Never, ever, EVER tell racist or sexist jokes. Even if you're just joking, and they're your friends, you never know when a self-righteous arts student is going to attack you, and believe me, there's no pretty way out of getting attacked by a self-righteous arts student. Besides, you can generally find a clean (or at least not racist/sexist) joke that's just as funny.

OWN ALL THE FOLLOWING THINGS:
(None of these are optional)
-At least one literary novel, and one book on philosophy. Read and understand both of them. Chicks love to see them on your shelves, but you need to be able to back it up.
-A kettle, at least 4 mugs, and a good supply of tea bags and instant coffee. UHT milk, sugar and teaspoons are also good. If nothing else, it means that you can at least pretend you really wanted her to come up for coffee.
-A swiss army knife. Until you move out of home, and no longer have the kitchen drawers to turn to, you'll never realisehow useful a swiss army knife is. Make sure it has a phillips-head screwdriver.
-A good dictionary and a good thesaurus. They'll help your essays to no end.
-A spare can of deodourant, toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste in your backpack, at all times, for those occasions when you thought you were going out for 10 minutes and didn't get back 'till Thursday
-At least one bottle of really good alcohol, for special occasions.
-A 6-pack cooler, for bring-your-own parties
-How to be a Man by John Birmingham and Dirk Flinthart

DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS:
-A TV. Sounds like a good idea, but you'll waste way too much time. If there's something you really wanna watch, find a communal TV (common rooms for 24, a pub for sports). It's more fun that way anyway. There is one exception to this rule: if you have an old (and I mean Atari 2600 old) game console, bring that up. It's great fun for getting pissed and having a few games of space inavders or Pong. But for god's sake, don't bring your X-Box. Not only will it eat your whole first year, you'll also never chase the crowd out of your room.
-A single condom within easy reach of your bed. Many a man has been spared from a very big mistake in the time it takes to walk across the room and back.
-Any porn mags. Ralph & FHM are cool as long as you don't try to hide them (if you leave them lieing around, people will believe that you read them for the articles), but you'll get a real bad rep with chicks if someone finds a copy of "XXX Shaved Shags" under your bed. Get your porn online.

__________________
Strewth

TIO

(pursuant to the porn thing: if you ever get control of someone else's computer while there are girls in the room, do a search on their hard drive for "*.mpeg *.mpg *.jpeg *.jpg" and watch the mongrel sweat)

__________________
Strewth

BillyBaldwin

Great thread. I'm glad I read it.

boredjerk

don't be a drunken asshole.

__________________
Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

nofnway

The single best piece of advice I ever found about college is this
"Show Up"

I've heard it from famous people and schleps, read it in books
and magazines and had a chance to apply it myself.....if you ever get a class that grades on a curve showing up guarantees a passing grade.......studying after that is just icing on the cake



Study hard and you might learn something

__________________
"Iron rusts with disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold water freezes. Even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind"
Leonardo Da Vinci

Captain Canada

Great advice in this thread. Been a very good read, as I will be a freshman at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the fall.

sportsrule101

try to buy your books used online, saves a ton of money. If not there then find a message board at the college with returning students selling or renting books. Buy everything in cash, no credit cards.

__________________
winning isn't everything but
losing isn't anything

dudemac

Don't Burn out, and don't miss the tu v. OU game or the tu v. Texas A&M game

__________________
Dudemac
Author
Somewhere

Mesmerize

Unless it's absolutely required, never, ever take a 1 credit class. They are all a waste of time.

ForgottenKnight

1. Get a couch. People will love your room for it.

2. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF! One of the biggest problems I've had with roommates is them not cleaning when it's their turn, and not cleaning up after themselves. They tend to think that their roommates are their moms and will clean up after them if they don't do it. Be cool and give them time to do it though. You will not have the same schedule as your roommate(s), so you may not know if they've had time to do something that day or not. Give them a few days or a week to do it before you complain about them not doing it, especially if it's an exam week.

3. Immediatley upon moving into the dorms, if not beforehand, sit down with your roommate(s) and set rules. Set a cleaning schedule of who will do what each week or two weeks or whatever. Always be sure you do your share of the work. Set the rules which your roommates and yourself will follow. An example is not to come in wasted at 3am waking up your roommate(s) more than once a week or something (one of my buddies had a problem with his roommate doing that every night). Have everyone sign it and give a copy to each roommate. You might want to give a copy of this to your RA too. That way they have a copy and can see what your rules are when they dispute an argument between you and your roommate(s).

4. ALWAYS be RESPECTFUL of your roommate(s)'s stuff! You don't want your stuff bothered or broken, so don't bother theirs unless you have permission. Set it in your rules that you have to have permission to use the other person's things unless it's something like the TV and couch. There was a guy down the hall from me my first year that kept breaking his roommate's cpus, bicycles, etc and then saying he didn't remember doing it due to being drunk. It got him kicked out of the dorm, but not after he caused a few thousand dollars worth of damage.

5. Be repectful of your roommate(s)! ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO STUDY! If they're studying and they ask you to turn down the music or to put on headphones, DO IT! And turning it down one single notch won't cut it! The best bet is to wear headphones when you want to listen to music when your roommates are studying. STUDYING has PRIORITY over EVERYTHING! You're paying to go STUDY in College, not just to have fun. Make sure you're respectful to them when they study.

6. Make sure your friends respect and follow the same rules you do when they're in your room. If they act like it's only the one guy's dorm, remind them that you live there too, and since they're guest, you can kick them out at any time. Don't wait until they've had their way for most of a semester or so before you do that either. One problem I had with one of my three roommates was that his friends would do whatever they wanted in our dormroom without any respect to the other two of us. They acted like it was just that one roommate's dorm, and since he didn't mind, it meant that they had the final say in our dormroom. It had gone on for so long with us just ignoring them that when we finally did need to kick them out, we almost had to call the police to get them to leave.

REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE LIVING THERE SO DON'T ACT LIKE IT! (and don't let your roommate(s) act like it either!)

__________________
"People say I'm strange, does that make me a stranger?"

THE MAC GOD

If you don't have a car, find someone who does. Just go to class... you'll do much better if you just go... (I know it is hard...TRUST me...)

__________________
Why continue fighting? Is it for Love? Illusions. All as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as Love.

phoenix1002

-Get along with your roommate. Not getting along with the person you're living with makes life miserable.Even if it's a pain for you, deal with it. Unless your roommate is an ass, he/she'll do the same for you. Example: My roommate went to sleep at about 1 almost every night, except for weekends. I tried to get all my computer work done by then, so I could move out into the common area. I got my work done, and he got to sleep. He did the same thing for me (though generally in the morning... I don't think I went to bed before 2:30 most nights).

-Don't wait till the last minute. I have trouble working on things until the night before they are due. I ended up averaging 3 all-nighters per semester. When you take the time to do the work, then proof-read it, have someone else proof it, and repeat this until you're satisfied, you'll have much better results.

-Most schools have writing centers where other students will proofread your papers if you give them a few days. Use this resource! Or, at the very least, get a friend to read your papers. Getting another opinion will only help your grades.

-If you have an all-you-can-eat style caf, take whatever food you want back to the dorm. Bread, milk, cereal, all that stuff that you would otherwise buy, can be easily acquired from the dining halls with the help of a water bottle and a backpack.

-Explore your campus. Most campuses have some sort of underground tunnels for electricity, water, etc. These can be fun. Same thing with the roofs of buildings. Note: don't do this under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Then you do stupid stuff, and get caught or hurt.

-Try new things. Always wanted to go skydiving? White water rafting? Do it! Just make sure you don't tell your mother until after you get back...

-I have to disagree with TIO about the TV... bring one if you have one. Just don't bother with cable, make sure you have a vcr or dvd player to go with it. That way you can watch movies with your friends (or a friend ) and not have to deal with other people. Sometimes you'll want to use the public tvs, but other times you probably won't.

-Do things on campus. The more activities you do, the more people you get to know.

-Have fun!

-Don't have too much fun during the week or sunday night...

Everyone reacts differently to being at school. Last year was my first year, and some people take it harder than others. I really was fine. I didn't have any trouble getting used to living away from home. However, one of my friends had a major breakdown at the beginning of the second semester. She's probably returning for the second semester this year. So don't let the stress get to you, and watch out for your friends. If they seem like they're having a tough time, help them out.

__________________
I'd rather be climbing...

I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...

clavus

Tips for entering freshmen?

I've found that if you get them drunk enough, they will let you enter them.

__________________
Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

djtestudo

Let me give you some advice, from someone who was kicked out due to low grades, so I know what not to do.

- Like everyone said, GO TO CLASS. That simple.

- Do all of your work, and in plenty of time before it is due.

Those were my biggest problems. I skipped classes everyday, and often didn't due work until the morning it was due, when I did it.

- Find friends wherever you can.

The best thing to do is keep your door open all the time while you are there. You would be suprised how many people will just walk in and introduce themselves.

- Find groups that interest you, and join as many as possible

I worked for the campus radio station on and off for my two years, and it was my favorite part of college, outside of several athetic memories.

Finally, do what you want to do. If you can get there somehow, go. If you enjoy doing something, do it. Even better, find a club that does it. Or even create your own, as most schools have ways you can do that easily, and often with school money.

Basically, enjoy your time there, and remember that you are spending SOMEBODY'S money to be able to go, so never forget your real reason to be there; graduate.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Marius1

Tips for entering college freshmen...

Well I would ask them first before entering them.
They may not like it and take offence.

wry1

Basically, you need to make sure you're well-known to your Profs and GTA's....just being a familiar face won't cut it if you need to pull off something big - like making up a test because you were too hung-over to get out of bed (and you weren't too sure whose bed it was, just that she was cute!)

Other than that, there's been a ton of good advice thrown at you already. Make sure that you remember girls' names - ESPECIALLY the ones you've had a "bunk-up" with - because they get quite pissy if you don't.

Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

kalisto_911

This is awesome advice, I am glad I read this so I will be kinda(but not really even remotely close) to being prepared in the future

__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato]

marshall26

I would like to thank all of you who have contributed great advice to this post, I know I will keep these things in mind when entering college.

cheerios

y'all have a blank transcipt goin' in. take advantage of it.

GO TO CLASS. I know it's been said, but it cannot be said enough, so i'm gonna say it again. GO TO CLASS!! Yes, you can ditch a day or two, but not frequetnly, because you WILL be lost. Go hung over. Go sick. Go Dying. I'm serious, you NEED to hear and see this stuff to understand it. and what the prof teaches is what he wants regurgitated. know it.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. "But the prof doesn't collect it" DOESN'T MATTER. "But it's not graded" DOESN'T MATTER. "But it's boring!" "DOESN'T MATTER. If you've got homework (this applies more to the maths and sciences, not sure about english/arts), you NEED to do it. 'Cuz 1/2 hte probs on your homework, you're gonna see again. wanna know where? Exams.

Take advantage of tutoring, of common study times, of that upperclassman sitting in the corner of the labs. if you ask nicely, they'll probably help you with your homework. And if they're in a major specific lab (Like our CS lab), they've more than likely had the class.

mattevil

ok how do i meet my neighbors if they are all in their rooms watching tv? i know i'm horribly socially inept(i got social anxiety disorder but i'm workin through it) i want to make friends in the dorms but i really don't know how. I'd also like some suggestions if you have them on meeting girls if you don't drink(don't make me explain this one). thanks for your guys advice so far by the way if i didn't like it i wouldn't ask your opinion now.

wry1

You want tips for entering college freshmen?

Okay....here goes.

1.) Get them drunk. They get horny when they're drunk.

2.) Get them back to your place.

3.) Get them on film. It's nice to remember the action once you both sober up. Or YOU sober up - there's no guarantee that the freshman in question will stick around when she sobers up.

hobo

If you do it that way, they won't come back to you.

djtestudo

If their doors are open, just walk up, knock and introduce yourself. If they're friendly, go ahead and talk a while, maybe join them. Just make sure you get to know them. It's weird when you see the same guy in the hall for two years and never learn their name.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Aaron0000

Remember, before anything else, school comes first, because without success in school, your not gonna be ablet to go to that college anymore, and your not gonna have the chicks and the parties. You see what Im saying? Also, dont try to meet girls at parties too often, sometimes it works (usually for a blow job), but its best to have a more mellow atmosphere if your looking for a decent girl.

Frozen North

Pretty cool that asking for advice ended up helping so many more people (including myself).

Thanks The_Dude for asking the question and everyone else for responding!

mulletJeb

holy crap, this thread is gold.. forget that, this forum is gold.. really, I can't think of another forum that I'd get advice this good from. I'm gonna print this thread and reread it when I get to college next fall. I'm pumped now

Rodney

I did the whole college thing a couple of dozen years ago, but now I'm back... so I've got a little perspective.

In the dorms, go to bed by the same time every school night. Call it at 11:30 or midnight or whatever makes sense and turn in. No matter what's happening out in the hallway. Close the door and turn out the lights. My dorm was great, a party in the halls every night. And some guys just couldn't make themselves leave it -- until maybe 3 or 4 in the morning. They didn't do so well.

Like others have said, ask around with the sophmores about profs they've had for classes you'll have to take, too. Avoid the losers.

If you're even thinking about going on to grad school, save every class syllabus you get. Some grad school credentials admins are real assholes; sometimes they won't count a relevant course toward grad school admission requirements because the course title is a little vague. If you're in the right and you've got the syllabus to shove in their faces, they'll back down.

Save all the course catalogs, too, the ones that talk about requirements for each major. In case requirements change in midstream, you want to be able to show whoever gives you flack that you did fulfill the requirements _as they were when you entered._ Most of the time, this will work; not always.

Find out where else you can buy textbooks besides the college bookstore. An off-campus bookstore can save you some money. The mark-up's always higher on campus.

Dorms are one of the best places on earth for making a lot of friends quickly. Enjoy yourself, but note that having a serious relationship inside a dorm is kind of like getting it on in a fishbowl. Everybody knows _exactly_ what you're doing.

Woody Allen said 90 percent of success is just showing up every day. Don't forget to do that. Do your assignments. You'll get by.