Thanks!

I'd say get a job as soon as you can. Even if you only take a few hours at first and build from there, it's worth it. You'll meet great people and you'll learn responsiblity. Supervisors are usually very flexible about scheduling around classes and extracurriculars. Plus who doesn't want to have a little extra money in her pocket? LOL.

And the job I started last year and will be returning to this year taught me time management...and they don't even know it. I knew when my classes and work hours were, so I could arrange around that for free time, homework, and any activities I wanted to do. My GPA went up a little bit both semesters from my freshman year (I worked freshman year, but my schedule was not as steady...it was almost a little too flexible, meaning I slacked a lot more than I should have). Not a drastic increase, but enough to know that I really could manage my time. I'm not saying you can't learn time management without a job, but since I had a steady schedule, it really helped me grasp the time thing.

It is normal to be nervous about going to college, but don't do what I saw some girls do and go home after the first weekend (yes I actually saw this happen freshman year). You need to stay at least one semester and see how things go for you. Everyone has rough times at some point in their freshman year and even throughout college. You won't know you don't like it until you stay awhile. Then after your first semester, if you really hate it, go ahead and transfer. But don't leave in the middle of the semester or at the very beginning. I just talked to an incoming freshman today who almost decided to not move in at all. Nervousness is normal. Don't let it get the best of you until you really have a feel for college life.

You can still have fun without getting drunk on the weekends. I know I did. I went bowling, visited a nursing home on Valentine's Day, went Christmas caroling, particpated in choir (which included a trip to Washington D.C.), and went on a campus ministry retreat. None of these events included alcohol and everyone still seemed to be enjoying themselves. Also, you will meet people who do not do the whole party thing. Not EVERYONE does it. I met a good amount of people who do not party and didn't seem to have any regrets about not doing so. I am 21 now and while I will be going out a bit more on weekends for drinks, I know I won't be going out all the time and it's not all there is to do with your friends. I actually want to remember college, and I don't want to be in a position where I don't have stories to tell b/c I was out drinking all the time. I didn't have any alcohol while I was underage, and my life was easier that way. I didn't have to worry about coming back to the dorm and getting busted...I didn't have to wonder how I could sneak alcohol past the RAs...I just felt better about myself by not drinking.

Only go out when you have the extra money to do so. It's common sense really and I know you'll be thinking your life will be boring, but you can't spend money you don't have. ATMs can be death if you withdraw too much from your account. Only withdraw cash when you absolutely have to and if you spend it all before you want to go out on the weekend, your best bet is to stay in for a movie night or something.

Hmmm...I think that's all I have to say that hasn't already been said.

Ironically enough, my international economics professor actually told me that sometimes you can get all the information that you need to write a paper just by doing a Google or Wikipedia search.

You can get the information, but it is not verified and most institutions will not allow Google or Wikipedia to be used in your bibliography or footnotes.

I can't tell you how hard I laughed when I read that, because it is SO true. I've always been actively involved in SGA and continued that interest in college, boy was I suprised by how heated debates can get. It's a lot of fun though, especially if it is something you are passionate about and have to convince your fellow members that its worth the time and money.

I also have to comment on a few other things:

1. Credit cards: I don't know if you all actually know this, but when you make a purchase on a credit card and pay it off completely when you get the bill, you are delaying the benefits. Sure it will reflect that you are capable of handling the responsibility associated with credit cards and it will raise your credit score, but slowly. Let's say you have a $200 balance on a credit card, make a couple of large payments to pay it off within 3 months! Do not let a balance sit long enough to acrue a ridiculous amount of interest. You should have read all the fine print to know what the APR is on the credit card and when balances begin to gain interest! Also, for the love of God 19.9% APR is NOT a good deal!!!!! Anyway my point is that if you make consistent large payments (way over the minimum) you will raise your credit score quickly, especially if the balance is paid off within 3 months. Having friends in the finance curriculum pays off ;) My credit score has skyrocketed in the past year because I followed this formula.

2. Classes: You will be suprised how wrong sites like ratemyprofessor can be. I took a class with a professor that had been praised on that site! There were very few negative reviews on his teaching style and testing. Granted his tests were incredibly easy, but I felt like I didn't learn a damn thing because he was SO boring. I think most of the class slept or entertained themselves with their laptops. I'm pretty sure the only reason he came so highly recommended was because he was so easy.
Also, I took a teacher that had some pretty tough reviews. Overall the comments said he was a great guy but graded really hard and his tests were insanely difficult. Well I didn't have a choice and I had to take him, but this was also in a subject that I am rather confident in (my minor). I worked my butt off in his class, but learned a great deal and made an A. I sucked it up and took a class against others advice. Sometimes listening to other people's opinions won't get you far and you won't learn a darn thing. Don't forget, you are in college to learn and to be challenged- so make sure you do exactly that.

3. Office Hours: I just feel I absolutely have to repeat this because of its importance! Please do not feel intimidated by asking for help! You are not weak or dumb when you ask for help, you are actually demonstrating that you care about the class and want to do well. Also, like others have said, you never know what kind of personal connections you will get out of it. I became pretty close with two professors this past year and they are so supportive of me. The professor who I mentioned in my #2 rant has definitely become my mentor and he has "demanded" that I take him for the rest of my classes required by my minor! He has so much faith in my capabilities and wants to do everything possible to help me succeed, so that's why he wants to make sure he's the one prepping me for my future. How awesome is that? I've got this incredibly powerful professor (he's the interim department head!) in my corner because I would pop into his office for help, but we would also talk about random things- like music. Also, don't waste their time either. Don't go to the office unless you really have valid questions and really want help. You'll be taking time away from students who really do need the professor's assistance and you'll probably annoy him/her. Like I said, by all means if you are there for help and somehow another subject rises into the conversation- go with it. Just don't go there for tea and cookies, ya know what I mean?

4. Nightlife: Ok, there is way more to college nightlife then college parties. If you are musically inclined, you will be suprised how many incredible bands will be playing near you. Good local, and small national, bands love playing in college town bars. Not only will you be exposed to different kinds of music, you will be suprised how many people from campus you meet. That cute guy in your bio class might be there and it would be a splendid time to talk to him. I've talked to people in classes that I might not normally had the opportunity to have a conversation with, and I've met people involved with all sorts of organizations. So look around campus for music flyers, find out the rock hot spots and get to it! Great way to get out on the weekend!

:D

Soliloquy, I agree with you on the ratemyprofessor.com deal. I took a math teacher that have received negative reviews. I was scared because I was terrible in math. However, she was a good professor, and I gave her high marks there. You just have to not fall behind and do your homework.

And some of the negative reviews on the site come from people who don't study or don't give an effort.

I agree with you too. However sometimes a professor can be a really bad lecture teacher but be a better one on one teacher. Don't just judge the professor in the classes room. A lot of the bad review might come from students that did not bother to go to the office hours or make and appointment with the professor. Go to their office hours and they can help out so much more (most of the time).

The reverse can be true as well!

I'd advise any new college grad to quickly look into research opportunities, especially if they think they might want to attend grad school or do internships/study abroad. The earlier started with research the better it will look on grad school apps. That said, don't single a prof out for mentorship or research advisory based on whether or not people like him/her in class.

A well-liked, funny, personable prof can end up being a disorganized mess one-on-one, or a control freak, or a total space cadet. Or it may simply be a personality clash. Make sure you really get to know a professor's personal style before signing on to endless hours in the lab one-on-one with him. Spend some time chatting with him after class and in the office hours before you commit yourself to assisting with his huge publication.

You can totally tell who the freshmen are with this.

Ladies, dress appropriately for the weather. Remember that college is not a fashion show.

...Because if you're that freshman girl who decides to wears heels on a rainy day, and you fall and eat shit on your way up to the Business Administration building because the ground's uneven, people like me WILL LAUGH AND POINT at you.

And walking to and from class is NOT enough of a work out to prevent the freshman 15!

Lol I totally learned that! I was thinking, "Oh, but we have brutal hills here!" Yeah, it's still not enough.

tee hee. Where'd you go to school?

My best friend's roommate busted out her "winter" jacket the first weekend in October. We immediately took her to the North Face Store, because she thought that jacket would last her all winter.

In all seriousness, if you're in a different climate than you are used to, it's really important to make sure you have the proper clothing to be comfortable. You can't make friends/study/enjoy college if you're constantly too cold/hot. If you're moving from the south to the north, a good pair of socks will honestly make the difference between skipping class when it's cold and being able to go.

Other advice:
1) Take the syllabus on your first day of class and write ALL your due dates on your planner. I can't tell you how many times that's saved me. Professors WILL NOT remind you you have a paper/midterm in one week.

2) On this same planner, WRITE THE DROP DATE. It SUCKS finding out you failed your calculus exam and can't drop the class.

3) Find out all the free things your campus offers: health care, safe cabs, gym membership, tutoring, etc. These things are awesome and your tuition pays for them. My campus has a program avaliable to all students that does a paper's bibliography for you. Barely anyone knows about it.

1.) Be somebody else. If you weren't happy with who you were in high school, then change it. This is the perfect opportunity to do so. No one knows you. It's like you get to start life all over. And now you're older and more mature. If you were shy, be outgoing. If you were the girl who dressed all in black but you want to try being a bit more "girly", wear a nice shirt and a skirt to class. It's your chance to be different.

2.) Selling back books. It's been said before, but there are usually a good portion of books that the bookstore will not buy back for a significant amount of money. Usually, it's not over half the amount that you originally paid for it. And as a general rule, you'll receive more money for a math or science book (and sometimes language), as opposed to a history or english book. And again, these amounts will drop dramatically if the book is not being used the next semester. And on some campuses, it might be a good idea to post fliers of the books you're selling in academic buildings and dorms. Sell them to students for under the asking price of the bookstore. You'll make more of a profit than if you sold them to the bookstore, and people will obviously be more willing to buy a slightly used book from you for $50, than from the bookstore for $75.

3.) Meet people. My freshman year, I still had a bf from high school who was going crazy because I was now living 600 miles away. He would call ALL the time and would get pissed if I didn't have my cell phone on me. I spent a good portion of my time talking to him, and or despising the girls that were on my dorm floor. Say goodbye to the attached bf and get involved with other activities on campus that will get you out of your dorm room. Meet other people that you may never have talked to. Also, DON'T GO HOME EVERY WEEKEND. You miss out on so much. That is the one reason I was glad I went to a school so far away from home.

3.) Keep track of absences and grades. While you should try not to be absent at all from classes, it does happen. Some professors are more understanding than others when it comes to this. And they will penalize you for missing too many. Keep a list of your classes and how many you've missed. I personally had an Excel spreadsheet with all my classes. For each one, I recorded how many absences I had, and all of my grades for homework, quizzes, and tests. This way you know how you're doing in each class.

4.) Make friends with the computer nerds. Because when something goes wrong with your computer (and it will happen), they're going to be the ones you turn to. And don't be afraid to go to the computer center on campus and ask questions.

Bumping because this is a good thread.

1) Do NOT take a job in retail unless you are SURE you can handle it. I made that mistake, and though I requested time off for finals week and the week before it way in advance, I still had to argue with my manager about my schedule when I got it. You are best off getting an on campus job where they understand about classes and exams and so on.

2) Better yet, if a professor offers a research job or allows you to do extra work for them, take it. Even if you don't get paid, this is great for networking, recommendations, and experience.

3) Realize that if you decide to room with your best friends from freshman year, come Christmas break of your sophomore year, you guys may not be that close. I grew way closer to people I wasn't close to my freshman year, and that happens. Freshman year is so stressful and crazy at times that while you do make some lasting friendships, you may grow closer to others in later years. And thats okay.

4) Try not to have a boyfriend freshman year at all. Most freshman relationships I've seen have ended, and I've seen many people who come in with serious relationships become fulling wrapped up in their relationship. Its sad to see, because they don't get to experience freshman year as fully as they could. I didn't meet my current boyfriend until I was nearly done with freshman year, and I'm so glad of that, because I was well established with friends and activities on campus before he became a part of my life...he wasn't and isn't my whole life, but he is a very good part of it.

Not to mention, call-ins totally suck if your job uses them.

Re the boyfriend, I agree, but in my personal experience I was so naive that if I would have jumped right into the dating different guys thing I don't think I could have handled it. It was nice to have a steady person to help me thru frehsman year. The problem came the next year when I had more confidence and had "outgrown" him and he thought we were getting married.

Just put it this way - college relationships are NOT like hs relationships. :)

I disagree with the boyfriend thing. Just because some people don't stay together doesn't mean you shouldn't date. That is just silly. Dating is good experience for later relationships that could be more serious, and it is definitely possible that a freshman WILL have a good and serious relationship freshman year.

I should have reworded that to say: Don't let you freshman boyfriend (or any boyfriend!) take over your life. College is a very self-oriented time, and you'll need space to let yourself experience and grow. If a relationship is part of that, thats fine, but never let your boyfriend (or girlfriend!) limit your college experience.

And I never said don't date at all! Casual dating is great...I never experienced it before college, and I think (as long as you don't do stupid things while you casually date that give you an unsavory reputation) it is something that everyone should try.

And while I'm on here, I've got two more pieces of advice.

1) When you go to frat parties or house parties, avoid the jungle juice (grain alcohol punch...whatever your student popuation calls it). It tastes like yummy punch, but it will hit you hard, and it will suck. If you want to avoid waking up with your head in the toilet, try to limit yourself on this to one drink at most. And while I'm on the subject, just because mommy and daddy are not there to yell at you for drinking does not mean you can go wild. Be smart about it, not only could you end up spending a night puking your guts up, but if caught you could end up in trouble with the university. Not a great start to your freshman year, right?

2) While I'm not telling you outright not to do it, if you do get a boyfriend as a freshman (or any other time you live in a dorm), be wary of dating someone on your floor. It could work out great, as my sorority sister is still dating her floormate from freshman year...but if something happens or it doesn't end well things could get really really awkward. It happened on my floor freshman year with two next door neighbors. When, after two weeks, it came crashing down (and I do mean crashing)....it just wasn't pretty. We call it floorcest or dormcest, and while I'm not saying DON'T DO IT, I'm going to warn you to proceed with caution.

Agreed - stay away from mixed drinks and shots!!
 

My dad gave me great advice before I left for college. He said "I know you're going to drink, so when you do, stick to beer. Stay away from mixed drinks, because you don't know how strong those guys are going to make them."

I followed his advice, and can't tell you how many nights I ended up carrying home or cleaning up after an inebriated friend who had the "Jungle Juice" or Strawberry Daquiri.

You have a better sense of when you're approaching your limit with beer, and have a better chance to stop before becoming drunk and behaving badly. (I'm assuming everyone will be walking and not driving).

I had a boyfriend who went to another school my freshman year and still managed to be involved in other programs, including joining a sorority. I don't feel like I missed out on anything my freshman year and if I had to do it over I would do it exactly the same. However, I also think it depends on the person. I'm now a sophomore and we are still dating and are very serious. I'm also Director of Rituals for my sorority and I show horses competitively as well as maintaining a 3.8 GPA (I got my first B this semester and boy was I pissed! lol), so it is possible to be well rounded and still enjoy a serious relationship, but don't hold onto a boyfriend that wants you to spend all your time with him. My boyfriend and I are both involved in a few different organizations and we know that we can't spend all our time talking or driving to visit each other lol. However, don't listen to anyone who tells you to dump your boyfriend for your freshman year if you really are serious about him. I had different people tell me that including family members and I know I would have really regretted it. Despite popular belief you CAN enjoy freshman year while in a relationship :) I know a few people who started dating their boyfriend their freshman year (or earlier) and now a few years later they are either still together, engaged, or married. I also know some who did not work, in fact some were complete disasters, so take it on a case by case basis.

Now that I'm done with my marathon lol, my own personal pet peeve: I work at our school library both at circulation and in laptops. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PRINT YOUR PAPER!!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how many people come in to print something and the printer is down and their paper is due in like 10 minutes. Don't be nasty to the people who are trying to help you print your paper, yelling does not help.

If you are driving to campus, especially on a mainly commuter campus, leave plenty of time to find a parking space.

Get to know your professors if you can, I find that it's a lot easier to ask a professor that I've talked to before for help rather than one who doesn't know me from any other student. And in addition to that, don't wait until the day before the final to ask for help!

Obviously, scenezip, you didn't read the post where I explained what I meant. And I never said to dump your boyfriend; I warned freshman PNMs not let a serious relationship to stop them from getting involved in college.

I guess I misunderstood, where you were talking about casual dating I thought you meant that a freshman should not be involved in a serious relationship, my mistake and I apologize.

However, I did not say that you said you should dump your boyfriend, I said that I had people tell me that, as I mentioned it was a couple of family members that said that to me and I thankfully ignored their well-meaning advice. I also had other people say similar things to me so I was just including that as well. Sorry if it seemed like that was directed at something you said.

I'm sorry I misunderstood; its much clearer now, so thank you for explaining. By no means should someone dump a perfectly happy relationship just because they are going off to college...I only would wish that they find a life in college outside of their relationship. (Some people, like me, are incapable of that and need a life first before they fit a relationship into it. Others, like you, are far more well adjusted :).

I agree with what you said about getting to know your professor, and I'd like to add to make sure your professor knows you in a good way. You want to be that student that the professor knows because she comes in and asks intelligent questions or tries hard for help when struggling. You don't want to be the student the professor knows because she always comes to the office with an excuse as to why she can't meet a deadline or complaint about a grade.

Lol sorry bout that, I'll make sure to clarify better next time :) I completely agree that it is very important to find a life outside of a relationship or else most people end up shoving their s/o other away by being too controlling and smothering, college is definitely a time to grow in your individual identity.

Good advice on the professor, going along with that make sure to volunteer in class to answer questions when the professor asks or participate in class discussions (if there are any). I'm kind of spoiled because I'm an English Ed major so most of my classes are small and we can have class discussions, where in big classes it's definitely harder. Some professors use class participation to determine grades and I know professors who have boosted grades before if the grade was borderline if the student participated a lot. It kind of goes along with attendance.

OK, I heard a rumor (tm Bananarama) that grain isn't available in a lot of states anymore, and if you DO buy it, you have to SIGN for it. Is this true?

Also, don't forget to use your advisers! Mine have been so helpful and they are really good at helping you map out your courses, especially in terms of ones that are only offered once a year, as sunny said.

wait do you mean grain alcohol? I bought some Everclear the other day for a house party, and I didn't even get carded.... the perk of school being located in the middle of Missouri?

On the other hand, last time I tried to buy white out at Wal-Mart I got carded. I had left my license in the car and the cashier wouldn't let me buy it. Because I didn't look 18 and was clearly going out to the parking lot to inhale half of it, and then make meth with the rest.

Seriously, it's ridiculous how many "harmful" things you can buy at your local Walmecca. I'm "young" for my grade, and I'll never forget the time my parents went out of town my senior year of high school, and I had to recruit a random patron to buy sudafed for me because I was still 17

I had that same problem with cough syrup. I got carded, could only buy one...must not have mattered to the clerk that I was coughing all over the place.

And 33girl, I haven't heard anything about that. I don't drink the jungle juice, so I've got no idea weather its available or not.

I know this might sound crazy, but get to know these people: The college president, the VP's of the college, the director of housing, the director of maintenance, the maintenance guys/gals, the student activities director, and the dean of men/women, and most importantly, the financial aid director (if you have need of one).
I say this because I got to know all of the people at my school. Of course, my college was a very small college located in Alabama, but it really helped me in the end.
When I was needing monies to get back to school, I wrote the a letter to the president of the college. Of course, he had a policy that if you ever needed him, to contact him. Well I was at home in TX, and they raised the school tuition, and I was a junior. All of my stuff was in AL and I needed to help. My Mom had just gotten back to work (after 2 years and with 2 kids in college) and I didn't know what to do. I wrote him, he called me at home, we talked and I ended up with a scholarship for my senior year that paid for me to go back home.
The VP's, I got to know all of them and one even ended up becoming my independent study teacher. They got to know me and helped me in many ways.
The director of housing, well, we are still friends to this day! After I crossed, she got me the second Elephant and I was pleased as punch! Anyways, getting to know her helped me in being able to get the "best" rooms that were available on campus. And it also helped me in getting away from a "rogue" for lack of a better word roomate my freshman year (that girl---ooo wee, I could tell the stories of THAT chick!)
The director of maintenance and maintenance guys/women--anything that you need, they will be able to help you. Room too hot/cold, toilet overflowing, trash--ect. They will be able to help you. Always be kind to them and speak to them.
Activities Director/Dean of Men/Women--pretty self-explainatory. They help you in different ways and they are usually good/cool people to know.
The Financial Aid director--man oh man these folks help you in many ways. If you are on financial aid, they try to work with you and they try to help you in being able to stay in school.
Be willing to help your friends/roomies/folks you don't know a variety of school based activities. I remember for all 4 years that I was there, I helped in building the set for the college queen's coronation. It was a fun experience.
Build your own business. If you have a skill at sewing, drawing, sketching, doing hair/makeup/nails, ect, let folks know of your talents and let them know your prices. I had a business on campus called "Everything Is Cheap Here." I charged for the price of materials and time--never more than 5 percent of what I put into getting the materials. If they brought their own, I charged less. It wasn't a whole lotta money, but it was enough to keep me in top ramen and soup and pepsi for the whole 4 years.
Keep a calling card. I know this is the day of cell phones, however, a calling card is always handy, esp. when you haven't got the money/time on your cell phone and you wanna call home.
I know snail mail is slow, but every now and then, write--yes--WRITE a letter home to your parents, your brothers/sisters, and your GRANDPARENTS and your baby cousins! They will actually be thrilled to hear from you!
Keep $20 in your purse/backpack/wallet for cab fare!
If you go out with a male/female, and you are getting uncomfortable--get away ASAP! And yes, males can be raped by females or males too!
Always keep a flashlight on you! If you're going to the lib or wherever, and it's poorly lit, make sure that you can get where light is and call campus police/a friend and let them know that you are the one waving the flashlight so that they can see you.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER do drugs in your dorm--9 times outta 10, you are going to be kicked out of the institution.
If you have a roommate that steals your stuff--invest in a good lock and keep the key! (I know, I had a roommate that did this)
Attend and join a local church. I say this because they will become your family while you are there and your family isn't. Mine was 768 miles away and my church became my family away from my family.
Just my few cents worth.

Just a few, eh?

LMAO--Doc you almost had me spilling my coffee on myself laughing so hard! ROTFTIP!:D