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Tips For Incoming 2002 Freshmen
An Anonymous Freshman asks: "I, along with many other individuals in my age bracket, will soon be heading off to college. It seems that it would be quite easy to become bombarded by the many changes and potential pressures that are on the horizon. So, as the fall semester/quarter rapidly approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to ask what seems to be an experienced (and, overall, educated) community for any suggestions that would aid myself and the numerous other 'freshman-to-be' in adjusting to college social life (or lack thereof), academics, and the like. I would especially appreciate comments related to the potential necessity of time management in response to increased study requirements (and the desire to have an existence, otherwise)."
There's always time for beer.
I am the very model of a modern major general!
Don't drink before exams.
Don't go to bed if the sun is going to rise in an hour.
Carry 2 condoms.
Don't go on that date if she's got an adam's apple.
First off, college is about more than academics, it's a growth experience. People who limit themselves to only the academic part of college are missing out on the best years of their life.
You've got 4 years to fucka round before you have to join the rest of the shlubs in the workforce, so take advantage of it. If you don't you'll be sorry.
This isn't meant to completly deter you from your studies, but you need to find a happy balance between partying and studying. Don't study so much that you have no social life and don't let your social life cause you to fail your classes...
another tip, if you don't like your roommate in the dorms, switch asap. Living with reality-avoidant linux nerds for even a semester will make you insane. completely insane....
DON'T JOIN THE ROLEPLAYING CLUB IF YOU INTEND TO PERSUE THE TENDER GENDER. Women with class avoid anyone who even own a D20...
Also, drinking before english classes does help, trust me...
My biggest regret about college was that I didn't plan ahead for the real world.
I don't mean that I regret meeting girls, hanging out with friends, occasionally forgoing my studies. That was all fine and if anything I regret not doing more of all three. I regret not being more physically active and losing touch with friends and family back home. I regret not being involved in more extracurriculars.
College is different than High School in that nobody is forcing you to do all these things. Parents and Teachers are not breathing down your neck and telling you what to do all the time. But this added freedom requires self-discipline to take advantage of it.
And remember the world outside of College. Plan ahead, think about whaty you'll want to be doing 2, 5, 10, 40 years down the road. Will you want to pursue a profession, start a family, get involved in changing the world, amass money and power, do some great thing?
Start thinking about it now. Don't wake up thirty like yours truly and realize you've wasted a lot of your life.
And don't watch so much tv or play so many video games.
And form study groups. They're a good way to make friends, and you learn a lot more.
evanchik.net
Live in the dorms, or find someone who does and hang out there a lot. My first year in college sucked because I lived by myself and I didn't know anyone. So I ditched that place and answered an ad for a roommate with 3 other people. Yeah, it detracted from my study time, and it definitely hurt my grades. But I'm probably a better person because of it.
Oh yeah, Frats suck, don't waste your time. After a year or so, you'll start to notice how much people despise frat boys, you don't want to be one of them.
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Finding a balance is hard and not worth the trouble. If your going to take 7 years to graduate might as well spend the first three in a row having a good time.
Hollow words will burn and hollow men will burn.
Don't be overconfident. Don't be underconfident. Just try to go through things and evaluate as you go what exactly is required of you.
Your previous successes don't mean a thing, and your failures really don't either. Going into University, you've got a clean slate. Do not waste it by assuming that you'll succeed without working, nor by assuming that you'll fail no matter what you do.
"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help" -- Calvin
By that I mean:
1. Live on campus if at all possible. You get to network with so many more people that way. That is important for the next points.
2. Get to know your (potential) instructors before you register for their class. Meet as many people in your major as you can, preferably who are a year or more advanced than you are. That way you can look at your proposed schedule and ask them what to expect from particular professors - the sad reality is that some instructors just do not care about teaching. Also, put your browser to good use - download the syllabus and read it before you register, compare one professor to another if possible.
3. A 3 hour class means 3 hours a week in class, and probably more than that in preparation. You will be given a warning by someone at some point that for every x hours in a lecture you need to spend y hours preparing. Take this seriously!
4. And when spending the time as noted above - don't just do the manditory problems in a math class, try to do at least some of the optional problems, and for lit/english, Cliff's notes are your friend, but read them AFTER you have read the whole story at least once, NOT as a shortcut.
4. Party when not doing the above, but don't get behind the wheel while you are blasted, and don't knock anyone up/get knocked up/catch an incurable disease. Use latex.
5. Finish the degree and enjoy these years. Once you join us out here in the real world, you will regret it if you did not take the time to enjoy yourself. Youth is wasted on the young - don't let that old cliche apply to you.
Try all kinds of new things; take the harder classes if they are topics you don't yet know about but are interested in. Find the people who will be good, reliable, long term friends, and stay in touch after college.
Go to parties, get laid, but be responsible! Know if you are the kind of person who is prone to abuse, and if so, address the issue. Otherwise, do some drinking, or whatever (stay AWAY from E), and have some fun. But find out about emergency contraception, and don't do anything to excess.
Manage your own bills, try to find roomates or housemates who will elevate you, not bring you down. DON'T watch lots of TV (unless it is in a social way), but go to movies with friends.
Go to the library, walk around, check out the journals, books, etc. All the ones you haven't seen before. Don't blow off the required classes that aren't in your major; try to find rewarding or interesting ones, and pay attention. Don't expect to end up where you think you will, expect to find NEW things. Talk with the professors in their office hours, and get to know a few (but don't be too pushy, just drop by, even if you don't have to)
If you like doing things on your own, try to find partners to do projects with. Expect LOTS of people to be working together, on homework, projects, even tests. Students cheat, don't let it surprise you. Learn to collaborate (and give credit when it is required), while turning in work that reflects what you have done.
Get outside, go to events. Hang out in the field; go to the gym. Try not to eat crappy cafeteria food all the time. Take some extracurriculars (aikido, fencing, swimming, whatever).
Don't shy away from theory stuff, even if it isn't your thing. If you are all about theory, get some practical stuff as well (and get to know people who are good in what you aren't, and talk with them). Geek out and enjoy, if you wish. But not always. Look into exchange student programs, and consider some studying abroad, in exotic locales.
Enjoy. I went in as a skeptic, and am very glad I went.
"It's overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill." - Anonymous Slashdot Coward
I lost the essay I had started so here's the four things I wish I'd listened to before college:
Take advantage of opportunities that you won't get later in life or didn't do before. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't take fencing my final semester.
Try to expose yourself to as many different types of classes as you can. I realize that it's very difficult to graduate in 4 years in a hard science without concentrating fully on your major, but at least spread out your electives.
Don't be afraid to change majors, even if other important people in your life expect you to do one thing. All through high school, everyone expected me to become an engineer, and I went to an excellent engineering school, Rose-Hulman, however, two years into the electrical engineering curriculum, I realized that I hated it, and wouldn't enjoy a job in the field nearly as much as I thought I would. So I transfered and finished my degreee in economics and finance. I loved that program, and my current job. My family was very supportive of the change, but if your's isn't don't let that stop you.
Finally the key to life is balance, if you learn that now your college experience will be much more fulfilling. If you study all the time or party all the time, you will miss out on quite a bit of the college experience. Good luck at college.
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
I'm only 21 and am not out of college yet, (I will graduate in May), but this is how I did it and here's how I'd reccomend new freshmen do it. YRMV.
Semester One: Take a light load of classes, spend most of your time meeting people and profs, developing good solid relationships that will last the rest of your college career.
Semester Two: Take a slightly heavier load of classes and perhaps join a group or organization that won't suck all your time up, but that helps you develop more good relationships. Here's the biggie for Semester Two: FIND A PROF THAT YOU LIKE A LOT AND LATCH ONTO HIM/HER!!!! This is the best advice I can give, offer to help them with projects and stuff, you'll learn a ton and make invaluable contacts.
Semester Three: Keep takes classes and somehow aquire the balls to ask that girl out that keeps staring at you in your mandatory Ethnics Studies class.
Semester Four: Keep takes classes and start looking a CO-OP or intership positions for the next semester.
Semesters Five and Six: Do a full year of interships at a cool company that will give you some autonomy to do cool projects, real world experience is so helpful. Not only for the work experience, but in learning about how insurance works, taxes, retirement, and all that "real world" stuff.
Semester Seven: Now your are done with your co-ops, start your own company! Yes, just a little one, I started cloudcitydigital.com when I was in school and it's been awesome. Keep taking classes and incorporate your classwork into your business where possible.
Semesters Eight - Graduation: Keep building your little company and using indpendant studies to satisfy both client and work projects! Kill two birds with one stone! Then graduate, throw a party, marry that chick from ETHN 101 and join the real world!!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!
Also, drinking is overrated. As is studying. Have fun and use the resources available to you at school to LEARN. You are there to LEARN, not to get good grades!!!!
Cloud City Digital: DVD Production at its cheapest/finest
Learn how to cheat, and cheat well. Learn the things to do so you don't get caught. When I went through university I worked my ass into the ground to get good grades, while those around me cheated and copied and stole exam papers from professors' offices. They had great fun in university, and have high paying management jobs now. I worked my ass off and now I'm unemployed. If I had to do it all over again I'd cheat like a motherfucker.
Three suggestions -- two I learned in time and one I picked up in hindsight:
1) Don't just take a high school schedule in college. A lot of freshmen, in particular, go in and sign up for math, English lit, history, chemistry because that's what they know. You're paying a ton of money -- take a few specialized seminars, a class in linguistics, Asian studies, art history, a course with the world's leading expert on something.
2) Learn a language or two. (If you're not American or Anglo-Canadian, you probably don't need to be told this.) It will stay with you far longer than you'll remember what the hell the Aeneid was about.
3) You'll have a once in a lifetime opportunity to take flying lessons, pick up a sport and play it on a serious level, do internships -- all sorts of things that you couldn't do before and will not have the time for later in life. Make the most of it!
(Note: 1 and 3 assume a major university or college, for the most part. To people who attend something else, no disrespect meant. Just writing what I know.)
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
It's another '"this'll be a lot harder once you're out of school" thing, it's a break from the stress of classes and at a lot of universities, it's cheaper to go abroad than to stay.
I was totally burnt out by senior year. Some travel would have done a world of good, and left me in better shape when I got back.
Also, your chances of hooking up are significantly improved -- in a foreign culture, your geekiness is less apparent.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
I'm about to enter my second year of college at a local branch campus (Penn State, New Ken)... I chose the school because it was small, thus, giving teachers the ability to direct their lessons towards 30 or so kids, rather than going to the Penn State main campus, where one might expect some rather large (900+ students) classes. The idea of being a number at a larger college did not appeal to me, although I will be headed there for my last two years.
In any event, my limited experience has lead me to believe that college is only slightly different from high school. The differences are obvious too... First, like someone else pointed out, teachers don't really care. They are there to teach, and you should be there to learn. If you don't care, neither do they. On the other hand, most of the teachers seem very willing to help any way they can and will spend time to answer questions you have privately. Things might be different at a larger campus, however...
Second, definitely don't be over confident (or under confident!). I had an economics class during the night for half a semester that, up to the first test, I already knew from high school. I assumed that, since I got a 100% on the first test without studying, I wouldn't have to pay attention in class, let alone study. My next two tests didn't go well (50% and 52% respectively). I put a good deal of effort into studying for the last test and managed a high 90%, bringing my final grade to a C+. I made similar mistakes in physics and calculus, although not quite as bad because my tests were spaced much further apart in those classes, which gave me time to realize I didn't know the material.
Thirdly, you will meet people from everywhere and they will all have a story to tell. My friend and I decided that we were going to meet a new person every day at college... We held pretty true to that and I'm a much happier person because of it. It doesn't matter what you were like in high school... who liked you, who didn't. College is completely different with different people... There was never a day that went by in college that I was lonely. My time between classes was spent studying with friends, or just chilling and wasting our time away. I formed study groups for classes that I needed a little extra help in and those helped tremendously. There was a very noticable difference in my grades when I studied with a group of friends as opposed to when I tried to wing it myself. My friends and I chose a place to meet, usually a place open all night, like Kings (a local restaurant) or Dunkin' Donuts, or someone's house/apartment (Penn State New Ken is a commuter college... I'd say at least 95% of the students drive from home to school)... We spent just about as much time studying as we did chatting and pissing the night away. Studying is an IMMENSLY boring activity and if it weren't for BS'ing with my friends half the time we were "studying", I would have fallen asleep on the books long before accomplishing anything.
So to sum things up a bit: Don't be afraid of college... Just be sure to pay attention in your classes, do your homework (even if the teacher doesn't collect/grade it... believe me, it helps! I would NOT have made it through calculus 2 without doing my homework), and get things done in a timely manor... Don't procrastinate too long. Any chance you get to work on bigger assignments should be used as such so later, when you decide you are ahead of schedule, you can blow it off a little for some much needed friend-time. Rather than cramming all the work into the last couple days before it's due at which point you won't be able to relax at all and you will get stressed out. And lastly, make friends... LOTS of friends. Don't think you can strike up a conversation? HA! "Hi. I'm so-and-so... Where are you from?" You'd be surprised how easy it is.
Welp, I think that's all I can say. Good luck!
Wear sunscreen!
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
You must have a different perspective than I do. That's not what I read from that post.
About the only "down" thing he mentioned was that he realized at 30 that he wasted a lot of his life. That doesn't mean that he wasted all of his life. It doesn't mean that nothing rewarding came from it.
You're assuming the converse, which is a logical fallacy. Too many people do it nowadays.
This is your best opportunity to meet strange, funny, smart, unconventional and other people who you will bennifit from.
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It may have sounded moronic when some asshole told you the same thing in high school, and then it was. High schools don't have dick for clubs and less for funding.
In college, it's different: There are serious clubs that get a lot of funding and do serious things. My school, GVSU has an anime club you can rent anime from free for a week and in conjunction with the RP club throws JAFAX every year. Next year, if we can get the money, we'll have Tracy Hickman himself running a game.
A friend at Perdue has a billiards club (pool actually, but for some reason they insist on calling it billiards... blech!) and they took the team to some sort of national college circuit or something.
The point is, there are actually serious clubs there, that do things, BIG things, that you can get involved in. You don't have to join some nerdy honors society; you can score anime chicks.
Do it early! Its a hell of a lot less uncomfortable to get involved in a club when its starting up for the year. Joining halfway through can be awkward, especially if they build towards a specific event.
On a random note, this may not apply to your school, but rennaisance fair chicks are HOT! if your school has one, consider joining :) I know I will next year :) (every school has a club w/ a lot of hot single chicks... and not necessarily the cheerleaders, either...)
I wasn't able to live on-campus, so I commuted every day. I can't give you info on dorm life, but I do have a few tips:
1. Schoolwork comes first. You're going there for an education, and someone (whether you, your parents, the government, etc) is paying a lot of money for you to get an advanced education. Make sure you get it! I knew a _lot_ of people who played around freshman year, and didn't come back for a second year because of poor grades.
2. There are no easy majors. You will hear lots of "urban legends" that the social sciences - Psychology, Sociology, etc - are easy. That's pretty much wrong. Some majors are easier than others, but once you get into 300 and 400 level courses, they will all be difficult.
3. Don't be afraid to explore campus. You may feel dumb just walking around aimlessly, but you'll feel worse being a 2nd or 3rd year student and not knowing where Building X is. (I'm guilty of this one!)
4. Plan for graduation. Sooner or later you're going to get a job and think about a career. Find out what you like now -- both in terms of employment and hobbies. Don't go for a major you dislike because of a lucrative career path. You'll be able to tell when someone is taking a class "just for the money"... it's not a pretty sight.
5. Be safe. If you're going to party, drink, or do drugs, don't do it to excess. It seems like every year there are a few college students in the state (Maryland, FWIW) who end up dying from alcohol (either intoxication or drunk driving). Likewise, find out how safe the campus and surrounding areas are. Getting mugged at an ATM is a real possibility in some places (like my school).
6. Enjoy yourself. Freshman year is difficult for everyone, but by the second semester you'll be more comfortable. Take some time for yourself: hang out with friends, go to parties, etc. College is the last chance you'll get to enjoy your youth and freedom before you enter the real world. You can make mistakes in college that won't follow you around in your "adult" life.
#6 is my one regret -- that I really didn't get into college life until my last year.
Anyhow, the thing I really got out of college was not the information and knowledge I acquired, but the skills. And the #1 skill was knowing how to learn effectively. On a day to day basis at my job, I use little if any technical knowledge I learned directly in my college courses. What I do use are the skills and the knowledge that I've learned in 6 years in the industry. I've been able to impress my management with my ability to pick up new concepts and solve problems that had stumped others, so I've done fairly well in the raise department - but not because of the facts that I learned in college.
If you can learn effectively, you can do anything you want when you get out of school. It doesn't matter so much what your major was, but simply that you got the degree and can show any prospective employers or clients that you can do the job they are looking for. The best people I work with are ones who didn't go directly in the exact field they majored in, but who sought jobs that would interest and challenge them, and that they knew they were capable of picking up.
With that in mind, make sure you choose a major that interests you. Preferably also one that you'll excel at, or that you'll at least do ok with. Don't worry so much about what the job market will be in that field - 4 years is a long time and things can change dramatically (just think about people who graduated this year - they started just as the dot com bubble was starting to swell up). As I said above, if you can demonstrate intelligence, an innovative spirit, and both a willingness and ability to learn quickly, employers won't care what your specific major was.
Along the same lines, don't stress about choosing a major too soon. Explore and take classes that sound interesting. If you stumble onto something that really excites you, great! By the same token, don't fret if you get into your upper division classes and start to lose interest. This happened to me as a physics major - I completed the degree but have no desire to go any further in the field. I concentrated on rounding out my education and diversifying my learning as much as possible.
My alma mater was a science and engineering school that emphasized the humanities, and I'm ever greatful for that. I had to take more humanities classes that most science and engineering majors at other schools, and it significantly broadened my horizons. I ended up taking some really neat philosophy, music, history and other classes that I wouldn't have otherwise. The music classes in particular led me to expand my hobbies as an amateur musician after I got out of school. Whenever possible, take classes outside your major that sound interesting and that you might not otherwise take.
Other people have already made some good comments about the non academic stuff. Make sure you have fun, take a break, get out of the dorm (and do live in the dorms - group study sessions were often lifesavers in those really tough classes), go to parties, exercise and all that. Take an extended break if you feel yourself burning out, but don't let it go too long. I can say after being in the "real world" for 6 years, I have little motivation to go back to school and get a graduate degree. I may do it yet, but it'll be tough.
One last thing I'd say is that you get out whatever you put into your education. Yeah, it's a little clich but it's true. My wife's school seemed more like a diploma mill than a real school. The vast majority of the students were only interested in going through the motions to get a piece of paper at the end. It not only made things difficult for her in group projects where she did most of the work because they didn't care, but I think contributed to an overall attitude of apathy at the school. Most of her classmates got little to nothing out of their years there. Some of them acquired some knowledge, but I'd say most never got it, never learned how to learn.
And unfortunately these people will probably be our bosses in the future... ;-)
Say hello to zMac.
Study abroad if you can. You'll never get overseas for this long, or as cheaply.
Live on campus. You'll have better internet access and you won't have to worry about tons of bs.
Ignore that 'real world worries' stuff people are mentioning. If you want that sort of thinking, go to a tech school. Remember, you are there to learn how to think and how to learn. If you want to learn how to do something, attend a tech school.
Ironically, I counter this with 'get out of the room'. Attend parties. Rush a frat. Join clubs. This is networking, and if you are on slashdot, you probably aren't as good at this as you wish. This is an important skill, and it's the one you'll best be able to learn in college. It is applicable to almost any vocation you follow after school. (Retired Jedi knight, living in the Jundland Wastes being one of the few exceptions)
If you are having major trouble in a given course, pray it isn't your major. If it is, you probably chose poorly. (Maybe it's just me, but I did far better in classes in my final major than in prior one(s), figuring in difficulty and types of learning.)
Get to know your advisor. Choose a competent advisor.
Get drunk before going to college. Yes, some people go through college without drinking, but you and most others won't. Safer to get drunk and learn your limits at home than around those who may or may not call an ambulance when you OD.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Three pieces of advice for incoming Freshmen:
1) Grow. Allow yourself to expand your mind and experiences. If there is something you always wanted to do, do it. Keep your eyes and ears open to what other people have to say. Don't stay cloistered in your narrow view of life, find out what other people have to say, think. I'm not saying that you need to violate your morals, if you have a strongly held belief stand by it, but don't be afraid of what other people have to say or think. The only way a person can change their beliefs is if THEY WANT TO CHANGE.
2) Be Teachable. There is a lot to be said for being willing to be taught, the entire amount of time you spend at college is a time of learning, if you aren't teachable you will miss half of the college experience.
3) Get Laid. Seriously, get laid, there will never be so many single, attractive people in your age bracket that close to you at any other time in your life. Capitalize upon the opportunity, but please think intelligently, wrap your equipment before you use it.
I would also so be careful, think intelligently and don't do what's cool, do what's right. You'll be happy you did!
Rule of Life Number 2: Remember, it can all go to hell at any minute. --Jimmy Buffet
The most important thing is to really know yourself. I'm the kind of person who can pick certain things up and they stick, so some courses didn't require me to study. A few of the more liberal art oriented classes demanded alot more of my time for studying. Spend the first year of college learning about how best to take care of your self. Now is the time to do it.
"This above all, to thine own self be true" - Prometheus, Hamlet
1) Get a fake ID so you can get into bars.
2) Dont dress like you are trying to 'get some'.
3) Go to crowded collegetown bars on Thursdays and Fridays. I'm talking about the kind of bars where it is packed, wall-to-wall beer swilling.
4) Find a decent looking girl at the bar who is obviously consuming.
5) Go stand next to her to buy your next drink.
6) Strike up a conversation while waiting forever for service. Don't be pushy about the drink - you WANT to wait.
7) Ask her about her name, major, etc... your arent trying to pick her up, you are just waiting for your drink. Dont talk much about yourself, ask her about her. Use NO cheesy lines or moves.
8) If the conversation goes well for awhile, tell her you will be leaving soon as it is getting late. If she is leaving soon too, does she want you to walk her back to her place, just to make sure she gets home safe?
9) Walk her back to her room.
10) If you made it this far, she's going to invite you in for a coke or for coffee.
11) There wont be any coke or coffee - the making out starts once you get in the door.
12) You get to walk back to your place the next morning with a big ass smile on your face.
You see, with the above you never presented yourself as someone trying to get into her pants. You were just a nice guy at the bar. You never "conquered" her, things just happened! That's what a girl likes, to feel like it was all natural and there was no point where she bent to your will.
This is for you, Squidboy!
Vonnegut was right: Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "It might have been."
Wow, I am really impressed. While some responses are amusing, most are seriously thought out and most stress the importance of diversity.
Take the outlandish class, interact with your classmates and enjoy the time. This is a rare time not to be seen again in most people's lives. When going through it I missed some of the experience as I attempted to "focus". Luckily, I met a lady who helped me see the forest through the trees. [We met the first semester in a Dark Age Studies class, an optional course that just sounded interesting. 20 years later we are still together.]
Good luck and thanks to the slash dotters who showed why I read here daily.!
In the next few months, you'll be deluged with advice, not just here on slashdot, but from all kinds of people on campus, from upper classpeople to profs to counselors to people who never even went to college but still like to give advice. The best advice I can give you (this comming from a senior at Michigan State) is to decide for yourself what the best decisions are. If you follow all of random pieces of advice ("you *must* get this prof!!), all of the rules of thumb (x hours of studying per y credit hours), and even all of the rules (no drinking, he he) you'll really shortchange yourself out of the true college experience, which is finding out what works for *you*. It'll take some time, and probably at least one semester that you'll have to write off as far as grades are concerned, but not only will you be a better college student, you'll be a better person as a result.
STAY AWAY FROM MUDS! Nothing can eat up more time than a mud -- from the old school text based ones I used to Evercrack. Other games may suck you in, but steer clear of the never ending, level building, just one more quest games.
Much better off doing kegs -- at least you will hate yourself in the morning, and might get some social interaction to boot. Course, better to study hard, work a bit, and enjoy the time.
+++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
If one has the opportunity to synthesize two fields in a double major, should one take that opportunity? For instance, Psych and English, Psych and Philosophy, Philosophy and English. Also, which majors are most likely to prepare you for a broad range of skills- critical thinking and the like?
Droz: Want some advice?
Tom: Well, yeah.
Droz: Well, here's all you need to know: Classes, nothing before eleven. Beer, it's your best friend, you drink a lot. Women? You're a freshman, so it's pretty much out of the question. Will you have a car?
Tom: Uhh...no.
Droz: Someone on your floor will. Find them and make friends with them on the first day.
~Philly
Or, more simply, 'Be open to change.'
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward does on a Linux box, how to handle isakmpd on an OpenBSD box, , the usual shit.) Open-and-closed case, right? A born comp sci or comp engineering major.
:)
I went to university relatively determined to be
an ubergeek. In high school I taught myself LISP, C, Perl, and pretty much all the usual ins/outs of UNIX (eg. intimate familiarity with vi, sed, bash, emacs, what the fuck
Four years and two universities later, it turns out that I'd rather be doing something else! Although for the past year I've had a comfortable 'junior software engineer+net admin' job and a relatively high degree of success here in this anteroom to the 'real world', I now desperately want to go back for two extra years (!!$$) so I can get accreditation and raise my GPA for what I really want to do -- graduate studies in philosophy. You will *not* want to see my student debtload two years hence.
Pay attention not so much to what you're doing (although do that too!) but to what you *feel* about what you're doing. Take as diverse a course-spread as you can manage --- abstract algebra, physics, bio, chem, and certainly those lovable, wacky humanities. Read things not published by O'Reilly. Read Heidegger. Read Faulkner. Read your mood, but don't try to read the future --- unspoken feelings of 'destiny' and 'fate' are often simply disguised habit and fear of uncertainty. Do not cleave to your adopted 'tribe', geekiness, simply because it is yours; if you ultimately follow this path, do so because it is the best possible option! If the *only* thing about university that you enjoy is the bit with the beer and the friends, take it as a big, flashing warning over the course, and courses, you are taking.(Although you are allowed to enjoy said beer a little bit.)
Less melodramatically: Think of the following four+ years of your life as a 'random walk' optimisation algorithm in n dimensions: To find the best solution, you'll need to step off of the coordinates upon which you currently stand.
But watch out for those downward asymptotes.
- undoware.ca
If you are not sure and think a teacher might be an ass, that IS enough justification to switch around your schedule IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait. Don't think you might be wrong. If you get bad vibes about a teacher, redo your schedule THAT DAY. You'll thank yourself later.
Try not to spend to much time with a certain segment of the female population which is looking for the MRS degree. (They typically will have an Education or a touchy-feely kind of major, like hotel and restaraunt management.) But they're looking for a degree in MRS, and will be quick to abandon their major!
if you're not already commited to a 4-year school, I'd see about going to a 2 year school first.
In california, community college is $11/unit. You can't beat that. Most of the professors are cool and laid back. Try to find a community college that is transfer oriented, and a few 4 year universities you'ld like to transfer to.
Get in touch w/ counselors at the 4-year colleges to see what kind of classes they're likely to accept for transfer credit, and take those. Be sure to get your Associates, cause if something goes wrong w/ your 4-year degree, at least you've got some college degree.
Even if it takes you 3 years to finish your 4 year degree, you'll have saved a chunk of money (on the average), and had a better opportunity to get some work experience while you're at the community college.
Need a Catering Connection
13) you go to the campus health center because "it burns when i pee"
14) You're on megadoses of cephalaxin or bactrim for that 'stuff' oozing out of your dode.
15) you get a call 5 months later informing you of an event in 4 months, that you'll be paying for.
16) You'll drop out of school and start your new job at Wal-Mart in 6 months.
17) You'll spend your free time in the Wal-Mart PC section playing with those "Preloaded with Linux" PCs.
18) You're a college dropout, wal-mart employed, linux geek father.
DON'T BUY THAT DRINK.
FUCK SORORITY GIRLS, NOT BAR WHORES.
The ink's not yet dry on my BS, so all of the following are still fresh in my mind:
:-) )
Spend at least one semester abroad. After you graduate, taking long-term trips will become vastly more difficult, and the experience is unlike any other.
If you got into a really great school but decided to matriculate at a less well-regarded one due to cost, get on the phone now and transfer. Debt goes away; the knowledge that you went to a second-rate institution doesn't.
That said, no matter where you go, make your degree count. While putting forth the minimum effort to get the grade seems like a good tactic, you'll rue yourself for it later.
By the time you graduate, you must have at least three professors who like you, preferably in your major. This is critical; these people are your references. If you're going to grad school, academic references are mandatory, and they don't look half bad on a professional resume either. To this end, visit professors during their office hours (few people do), and keep in touch after the class is over, even if you didn't do as well as you thought you would.
Another benefit of keeping in contact with your professors is the possibility of finding mentors. Mentors are great; you can learn a great deal that isn't taught in classrooms.
You will regret the things you don't do more than the things you do, and you will feel great fear and trepidation shortly before you have the greatest experiences of your college career.
Do something out of character for you. Join some student organizations you find interesting, even if (or rather, especially if) you don't know anything about what they focus on. Change your wardrobe, hang out with some different people, stop reloading Slashdot and get some fresh air.
Keep busy, but stop and smell the roses every so often.
View your course requirements not as arbitrary hoops to jump through, but as opportunities to take courses (and meet people) outside your major. Are you sure you know everything you want to know about art? About business? About law? About theatre? About literature? About journalism? About biology? About history? If you're sure now, will you be in a year or three?
Do not declare a major, either formally or in your mind, until the end of your first year at least. College is all about change, and yes, you will change. Making a four- or five-year plan is a good idea, but try to stay away from listing courses and instead list things you'd like to do or achieve.
You are not Carl Gauss. Do not take five upper-level mathematics courses in one term, no matter how smart you think you are. (I'm not Carl Gauss either, in case you haven't already figured it out. I know I hadn't.
On a more general note, if you've coasted through high school, you might be able to coast through your first and possibly second year as well. Eventually, however, you'll have to work. I know they've been saying that since you started middle school, but they mean it this time.
Learn how to navigate your school. Universities provide a mind-boggling range of resources, and most students don't take advantage of everything that's there for them. Remember, some resources (e.g. advising) won't do you any good if you get to them late.
Please email me if you have any further questions; I'm always happy to point out hazards.
#1. For your first semester, meet as many people and get involved in as many social activities as possible. The people you meet your first year will be the core of your friends for your 4 years, typically. Ignore your classes except to pass them, they'll be intro stuff mostly. Never turn down any social activity!
#2. If you think you're pretty smart, consider getting a double degree or double major. It's not too hard if you start early, though it may cost you the ability to take fun classes to fill your breadth requirements. But start early if this is what you want.
#3. Don't take any shit. College is not really any different from high school, except your teachers are smarter. (And so you deserve to take even less shit than you did in high school.)
That's it. Enjoy!
If you're one of those guys who was always shy in high school and wanted to be more social, start right off the bat. The computer can wait - get out and make some friends. You're in a whole new environment with none of the baggage from high school. Whatever you do, don't be shy.
Most of this has been said already, but I'll repeat it to add my vote. However, I'll start with one biggie I've not seen elsewhere:
Toward the end of your course start to think about what you're doing afterwards (so this is probably off-topic as I certainly do not think you should be thinking about this in your first year - quite the opposite! But I do recommend you keep it in mind. Maybe you think you know what you want to do. I would advise you that it's very possible that can change. This may be as a result of changing priorities, changes in your character (college/uni is all about growth in your character, and if you're a typical geek this hopefully means change for the good - tho be proud of the good parts of geekdom!). It may be that your experience of your chosen subject (likely science I guess) doesn't match your expectations. Don't feel bad if you end up changing courses.
The main reason I bring this is up is to recommend that you think about your job and career before you leave and enter the big wide world with nasty amounts of debt (something getting worse here in the UK). Keep in mind that lots of tech companies will target your college so keep an eye out and stay informed during your time there. Something to think about as you progress. Don't leave it til you're panicing about finals.
In all you do, be informed. Sex, drugs, new social groups and events, course decisions, whatever. Ask other people for their experience - this is a very good first step! :) Ask different sources, a lot of things you may have to deal with for the first time are in my opinion a matter of choice based on what is important to you. You can only listen to what others say, weight that up against your ideals and morals, and make a decision for yourself.
As others have said, play fun but play safe. Carry a condom, even if it doesn't look like you're going to need it. If the miracle happens you do not want to be stuck without one. (This goes for girls too - don't rely on guys.) When you're out doing whatever (which is probably a lot - and more extreme than you're used to - in your first year) make sure there're people there to look out for you. Ideally ones you can trust.
Build good friendships! Some of my best mates are from uni. People there will hopefully be well educated - you will have important discussions with them. That's part of the age you are and the atmosphere of uni/college.
When it comes to the crunch - work hard. Especially for your finals. This is something I regret - I could have and should have got a better grade. For me the difference won't make much differnce long term but it is something I would change if I could. However, you do not need to go to every lecture, work every day, etc. Party like the rest of them. But if you get yourself into a bad situation where you know inside you need to work then do it! Then go and get horribly drunk afterwards. :) Again, work is not the most important thing long term from uni/college, but it is a reason for being there. So for the important occasions, bother with it - otherwise it's just an annoying distraction and do what you need to. Of course if you really enjoy your course or find it easy then great! But it's quite possible one of other of those things will not be true at times.
You will probably be more free than ever before, and quite possibly than you ever be again (real jobs suck)! Take full advantage of this. I can't stress it enough. If you have an opportunity to go and do some random trip - take it! Party hard (but safe) - there're things we do and experiment with in these years we don't or can't do later in life. I'm not saying you should go try every drug out there, but if you're considering that or other things now is the time. Drugs are a bad example, but an easy one... I mean other stuff too. You'll probably know what this is relevent to in your own life.
Another thing people have already said: live in dorms/uni owned buildings - it is so worth it. Often cheaper (don't know about in the US), but the social contact is like nothing else. Get into different societies. Test yourself with new things you wouldn't normally do. Sign up for loads of stuff in freshers week - you can always ditch stuff later.
I could go on but that'll do. Good luck and enjoy yourself!
Plan on it now.
Talk to your advisor. Make sure you can do it and not mess up your graduation.
I spent 5 months in Australia and it was amazing. I know people that spent summers studying in Spain and Italy and they talk about it constantly. You can go almost anywhere and rarely does it cost much more $$ than staying in the states.
You'll never regret it.
A speech...
There is a lot of great advice listed above. Sometimes, the hard part of having so much great advice is not knowing how to carry out the recommendations. The really important thing is to Take the Initiative.
Don't wait for people to introduce themselves to you, go up to them.
Don't wonder where people are planning to go this evening and how you can be a part of it: make the suggestion that people come with you to a restaurant for pizza or beer.
Don't worry about what to do on a weekend or weekday night. Make your own plans and invite people along to see a movie.
Try new things and be adventurous: try new types of restaurants with groups, go see movies that are foreign with other people who might be interested. Some of the best memories I have from college are of walking across the Longfellow Bridge to go to the European for pizza with ten freshman and a random smattering of upperclassmen or road trips to Louis' Lunch for hamburgers or Hilltop Steak House.
Don't be afraid of trying a new language for the first time; you don't need to have studied French for years in high school to take French in college. They have intro courses. Take anthropology, psychology, sociology, art history; don't just take the requisites.
If you have the opportunity to take classes at other schools, do it! If you're at a tech school, there may be a local liberal arts college that you can cross-register at for a class or two with no extra fees. If you're at a liberal arts college, try to take a tech course.
Do sports and physical activities: join an intramural sports team, try ice-hockey, go watch the volleyball team, and even if you don't qualify for a varsity team hang out with people and play basketball or racquetball. Learn to Sail! This is probably offered and often does not entail any extra fees.
There will be all sorts of free or close to free events going on at your campus and nearby colleges. Attend symphony performances; go watch a dance troupe; pay a few bucks and watch the plays that are performed on campus or at local playhouses; go attend lectures or seminars that may be aimed at grad students in things that interest you or that might interest you. Encourage someone to come to these things with you. Even if no one you know wants to go, go on your own. You'll meet people at these events who have interests that overlap yours, but will also differ from yours. Then you can extend yourself.
There will be a lot of people with a lot of ulterior motives trying to grab a piece of your mindshare. The beginning of college can be a vulnerable time for people: a lot of religious proselytization goes on (and atheistic and
humanistic and libertarian and republican and democratic and socialist, etc.), there are many easy avenues for acquiring alcohol and drugs and STDs. Don't be too easily convinced of anything.
But DO NOT blindly disagree with everyone who is not just like you! You may not want to be converted, but college is a great time to debate religious and political philosophies with others. Assert your own ideas, but be willing to realize that your view may not be the only view that has to exist.
The benefit of being in a university or college is that, yes, everyone around you is like you in trying to educate themselves, but everyone around you has a lot of great differences that can be of benefit to you. Hang around with the exchange students; hang out with people whose politics and viewpoints are not the same as yours. There's nothing like realizing that people in your dorm are from different countries, too, not just from different states. Take the initiative to meet people, talk to them, argue with them, learn from them, and stay connected with them.
Volunteer if you can, and not just for APO or other services frats or organizations. You're not doing this so that you can put it on your resume. That may have been the thing to do in high school: padding your bio to get you to the next step. Volunteer so you can be a part of the world and see that there is more to the world than just the ivory towers you'll be ensconsed in. Helping out at a pet shelter or a hospital or a crisis center or suicide hotline will let you in on the many options that there are in life.
You get to make your own way and define your own path. It's good to join groups, but don't let yourself be defined just by what others suggest you should do. Take advice with a grain of salt: listen to what your parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and advisors have to say. But even the faculty advisor that may be assigned to you may not know enough about you to give you the right advice about everything. Trust yourself to make decisions about what classes to take and what major you'll be and what nonacademic things to do.
Think of college as a ski area.
You've obtained a four-year season pass.
The college provides the trails, but which trails you take are up to you.
There is supposed to be plenty of snow, but there will be some bare spots, and they won't always be marked. Some trails that are supposed to be open may be closed.
Signs may point out the most popular trails, but you don't have to take them.
You can have a bad day at a good ski area, and a good day at a bad ski area.
If you don't know how to ski, it's a good idea to take lessons; but just going to the lessons won't automatically make you a good skier. You have to spend time by yourself working on what you've learned.
Breaking with the ski analogy:
Calculate how much each class you attend will cost you. If you're attending 15 classes a week, attending two 20-week semesters, that's 600 classes; if tuition is $18,000, that's $30 per class. This is simply a number you should KNOW. It can put things in perspective. I don't say you should get $30 value out of every class; many will be valueless, a few will be priceless. I don't say you should never cut a class, but keep in mind that you're wasting $30 tuition whenever you do.
USE your college. This is not like high school, where someone else will make all the decisions for you. Take a few chances. If you have electives, elect something interesting.
Your college has facilities besides classes. Wander around. Find out what libraries it has. Make it a goal to enter every building on campus at least once.
Oh, and one bit of strictly practical advice. Find out what the rules are about dropping courses. It's important to know whether and when you can drop a course and not have it show on your record. I've never heard of anyone dropping a course and seriously regretting it, and I know several people who really were hurt by mistakenly staying in courses they should have dropped, either out of reluctance to quit or accidentally missing the deadline for dropping.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
My language skills improved a lot, but the overall benefit is much more than just learning a language... Studying abroad gives you a much better perspective on the complexities of the real world. You might have seen some poor folks before, but talking to farmers in the 3rd countryside will definatly widen your mind. Similarly, when you see people selling bottles of water for HOURS in the hot sun, or rich officials, or how pride may distort plans to do "what's best" for the country.
For what it's worth, I'm currently working abroad (England), and I can say that I'm very glad I didn't study abroad in a western, developed country. The UK/Europe is different from the US, but not nearly as much as, say, Russia or China. England has been relatively easy to adapt to, but that ease means that there's less things that are really different/entirely new to learn about/experience. Go for the third world -- it's probably cheaper, too. (I think getting a good job in a 1st world country is a good way to understand the culture, and you'll have cash to see the shows, enjoy local specialities, take trips, etc)
2 more things
1) I've found that travelling/being a tourist isn't as rewarding as living in a place. It's cool to go tromping around, but when you can speak the langauge and you have a local role (i.e. student at a univerisity that everyone knows about), you get insight into the country that you won't get from going to the big musuems and climbing the great wall.
2) Perhaps more important than the high probability of dating while overseas, you'll probably come back with some very good friends. Friends that were around when you had that 5 day period of food posioning, that were there when you were frusterated at communicating with locals, and that will be able to understand your experience when you get back.
Sorry if this sounds like a bunch of propoganda, but most people I know gained from their study abroad experiences -- even those that hated it learned a bit about themselves/others.
there is no thing
what else could you want?
She starts college too this year. *pounds fist*
I'm serious, start two years ago. In most states you can skip your last two years of high school to take college classes for NO COST!. I know several people who got their 2 year degree 2 weeks before they got their high school diploma. So for all your geeks looking over this early, see the consoler and DEMAND to get into this program. You have to be firm, schools lose money when you opt for this so they try to talk you out of it, but it is your future that you make better by ignoring them! That way when you finially get out on your own you only have to pay for 2 years of school instead of 4, and you have expirence. Likely you pay for 3 years because geeks tend to want a technical eduactaion, and you get a libral arts education, but that is ok. You will be dealing with libral arts people all your life (many of whom are smart anyway) so get used to it now.
For the rest, study the theory. Thats what I regret now, even though it is harder to study the theory, everything else changes. With the theory you can at least work out how things really work no matter how they change.
Seriously, it's a lot easier to meet people of the opposite sex you would like to have a serious relationship with in college than afterwards. Just look at the dating websites and see how many people say they're tired of the bar scene. This is even more true for socially challenged, shy geeks! You may not find your soulmate at college, but at least make sure you try!
-- Argel
I hope somebody reads this.
Being a longstanding member of a fraternity myself, I must point out that NOT ALL FRATS ARE GREEK, AND NOT ALL ARE BAD!
Keep in mind that the idea of a fraternity is that of a brotherhood. Before fraternities (and actually still), all the monks living together were known as this. And a sorority is likewise a flock of nuns.
That being said, there are three types of fraternities, and you are stereotyping only one of them. These being service, honorary, and social (sometimes you can talk about professional, but I'll put those with honorary, because they work about the same way). Greek fraternities are almost often social and are useful in that they are political machines. There are some LESS social greek fraternities, but it seems that what they have in common is an inward look, that is, the most important thing to the fraternity is the fraternity. I'll agree, they are pretty bad with that view. Of course, I can think of one right now that got around that...
Honarary fraternities require that the members meet some form of qualification, such as HKN, which is for electrical and computer engineers. (Getting in is something of an award, and members can often choose to do nothing with the fraternity). They rarely have hazing, and usually have a general purpose of benefitting the profession. Sometimes there are professional chapters of such fraternities (as in industry professionals). Of these, the only one that seems to behave like a social fraternity is the business fraternity, and then only sometimes...draw your own conclusions there.
Last are service fraternities. These are the wierdest. Like social fraternities, there is usually a stronger friendship with fraternity members than with those outside the fraternity, even though they don't have (as many) social functions. Also, most of these are coed, and have less strict requirements for entry. The majority of the entrance into one of these is a trial period to determine if you're willing to work or not. Wierder still, there are usually also coed sororities. I've never heard anything bad about these (except for um...mine. But that's because we know everything about our own fraternities and because we have a big country, and people aren't perfect).
So what was I in? An honorary service fraternity known as Kappa Kappa Psi. We invite outstanding bandmembers to join our ranks, and serve with us (you know, moving band equipment, painting fields...that sort of thing). I'm very glad I did it, and I don't regret any of it. I made a lot of close friends, and I learned a lot about working with people. I probably learned a lot more than I would have had I not joined. By the way, the bad thing? One of our chapters in Alabama got their charter revoked for hazing.
One other thing: when I was in college, there were people who I thought maybe held a grudge against me BECAUSE I was in a fraternity, until they spoke to me (we sometimes wore letters). Be careful with your judgement.
Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
While I have more advice, my best is- ask for numbers.
The school I was at last year had an awesome ratio (66% women, 33% men). The first few months, you could ask for anyone's phone number, or where they lived, and they would gladly give it to you.
Just sit down with random people, or go up and say 'Hi my name is FOO, what's yours?'.
It sounds unlikely, but even if the ratios aren't in your favor, you can most likely meet a TON of people really quick. I remember during orientation getting about 5 numbers of people, and thinking, wow look at all the people here, and then realized that there were 9 other freshmen orientation sessions!!! And there were upperclassmen and grad students too! There are so many people at even a small place, so take advantage of it.
One other bit of advice is learn an instrument (guitar of drums works well), and play it outside around people. People like it, and people will like you, not because they think that guitar is 'cool' but because for some reason it makes you more approachable, and allready they have a reason to come talk to you. People are scared of people often, it removes that fear.
Fly a Kite, people like that, and alot of people will talk to you as well. It's almost Zenlike to fly a kite for hours outside while meeting people or thinking. It's cheap too.
Everyone here knows how to help others with their computers. Do so, but don't get trampled on. Learn to say no, or point them in the right direction. Because otherwise everyone will be banging down your door to fix their computer.
Promote good computer usage. Teach people how to remove 'spyware', check for viruses, remove programs from startup, format their systems even so they can do it themselves. Teach people to defrag and they think you are god. Run an FTP server around campus, but only for those in your college's subnet (ipSec? or firewall rules?) People like that too, but it's not sharing out to the world.
Teach others, and let them teach you. Don't think that you are better than others, and can't learn anything, and don't think that you don't have something to offer. You do. College isn't just for learning from teachers, learn from each other.
Dress well. Wearing a tie even isn't out of line. It makes people respect you, and everyone will treat you more seriously. Look at the grad students, the teachers like them more right? Class is a professional place, treat it that way. It will get you far.
Oh, and watch out for Everquest, Nethack, slashdot, etc... they will hurt your GPA badly.
Do things you don't like. Go out for Sushi, so see a 'girl movie' (with some chicks), go to a Bible study (esp if you aren't religious, just don't be mean to people there), read about other religions, write, write, write, learn yoga, exercise, cut your hair different than you had it in High school, talk to gays and lesbians (my roommate was gay, but awesome person, and my school was very 'colorful') they are cool people, and unlike HS people won't think you are gay too. Go to plays, support your school, plan meetings, join clubs, start a gaming group at school. HAVE FUN!!!
Tibbon
tibbon.com
I saw one of their posters... the geek in the picture scared the hell out of me...
To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
--E.C. Stanton