Advice to pnms beginning their College/University experience…

JenMarie · #1 08-01-2005, 04:15 PM

Take at least one fun class during the semester. Be it a ballroom dance class, self defense class, Rec and Leisure class... whatever. It doesn't matter if it's only one unit and not part of your major requirement... it will keep you SANE! And you will meet lots of people.

Alcohol on a Tuesday night=no sleep=not a good idea... especially if you were a person in high school that would require a minimum of 8 hours of sleep.

Walk everywhere! If you have a compact campus, walking will help with that Freshman 15. I swear... after that dorm food, you WILL gain weight. And it can cut back on gas spending.

And good lord... stay away from the campus advertised credit card scams!

alum · #2 07-11-2006, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ucfpnm

Actually, I don't necessarily agree with this. You need to build credit. Find one that's from a reputable organization- Visa, Mastercard etc- take the application home next chance you get (and if they try to pressure you into filling it out right then, just walk away) and look it over with your parents or other knowledgeable adults, and decide if maybe it's for you.

If you get it, DON'T use it all the time, or, really, even ever. Buy one expensive item with it, something that's like $300-$400, I don't know, a TV or something, and pay it off, in installments, on time, to establish credit. As long as you're not stupid with it, having a credit card should be no problem. Just only spend money that you know you have.

If it's a bank credit card, it probably will charge a high interest rate unless you pay your balance in full every month. Read the fine print and make sure you understand it. Paying your cc balance in full every month gives you a much better score than paying the minimum balance.

adpiucf · #3 07-11-2006, 08:41 AM

Keep in touch with your parents. They haven't slept a wink since they dropped you off at State U. Seriously.

Oh and remember how incredibly dumb they got while you were in high school? Like, they didn't know anything? Amazingly, they have straightened themselves out and are a great resource for things like teaching or telling you about coupon clipping, saving money, credit cards, balancing check books, installing a light bulb and doing laundry.

Also, they're getting older and tend to be a bit forgetful. Hound them about getting their taxes done early so you don't get ripped on the FAFSA. I promise you that both you and your parents will be glad that you stayed on them when you're getting merit-based scholarships early in the financial aid cycle instead of receiving only loans.

They will also be good for helping you plot out classes. Use them as a sounding board. I doubt mom is using Calculus as much in her daily life, but she may be able to suggest some classes that may help you get ahead.

Also, now that you've picked a major... are you 110% certain you will be in this field your entire life? I didn't think so. Stick with the major, but take some courses outside of it to get a more liberal range of electives. If you're an English major, take Statistics and an Economics course. If you're an engineering major, take a non-technical writing course.

If you're pre-law, don't major in pre-law or poli-sci. Go with English or philosophy or liberal arts-- something more theory-based than vocational. The law schools see a ton of pre-law majors. Stand out. If you're going to get an MBA someday, you don't nececessarily need to major in a business-related field right now (much for the same reasons.) I've done my fair share of research on both of these professional degrees-- a unique profile stands out. Just make sure to earn high grades, get involved in a few meaningful activities/community service (excluding Greek Life) and work for a couple of years post-college. Then kick butt on the GMAT or LSAT.

Take one night a week where you do nothing with the sorority. Just kick back and chill. Sometimes it is good to have a girl-free day to put things in perspective. Oftentimes, whether you live in the house or not, living on top of so many women can stress you out. This can also be true of living in an apartment or dorm. Find your getaway spot.

As we've all been hammering home, don't make a mockery of yourself by fooling around with boys and wondering why they don't call. Here's a tip: you put out (or came close) and they got what they wanted. It's not 1956, but boys do still want a bit of chase. And guys in college tend to not be quite so relationship minded as they were in high school. Don't be one of their conquests. Respect yourself.

Go to bed at a reasonable hour.

LionTamer · #4 07-11-2006, 09:30 AM

Take time putting your schedule together.

If you're not a morning person, don't fool yourself into thinking you'll be up and at 'em for a 7:30 class. If you fall asleep around 4 every afternoon, don't take a 3:30 class where they're going to be showing films or PowerPoint presentations in a darkened auditorium.

Also - if you are hopeless in a particular subject which is required to graduate:
This may only work at schools with huge sports systems, but when I failed Calculus at Giant State U (in spite of tutoring and intensive studying), someone suggested I find out when the football team took Calculus. Huh? Well, it turns out that some classes are way over-subscribed with sports stars who may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer. They're popular with the Jocks because the person in charge of team scholastics (and keeping the Big Dummies eligible) has discovered that they may be paced or graded so that even Mouth Breathers can stay in school. I was the only female in the class, (and the only person who weighed under 250) and I kid you not, all the CALCULUS tests were all true/false, and a 51 was a passing grade.

And yes, I passed (barely - thank God for the matricies chapter at the end of Calc, where I got 100%, because that pulled me up to a 52% and a barely-passing D.)

tunatartare · #5 07-11-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LionTamer

Take time putting your schedule together.

If you're not a morning person, don't fool yourself into thinking you'll be up and at 'em for a 7:30 class. If you fall asleep around 4 every afternoon, don't take a 3:30 class where they're going to be showing films or PowerPoint presentations in a darkened auditorium.

Also - if you are hopeless in a particular subject which is required to graduate:
This may only work at schools with huge sports systems, but when I failed Calculus at Giant State U (in spite of tutoring and intensive studying), someone suggested I find out when the football team took Calculus. Huh? Well, it turns out that some classes are way over-subscribed with sports stars who may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer. They're popular with the Jocks because the person in charge of team scholastics (and keeping the Big Dummies eligible) has discovered that they may be paced or graded so that even Mouth Breathers can stay in school. I was the only female in the class, (and the only person who weighed under 250) and I kid you not, all the CALCULUS tests were all true/false, and a 51 was a passing grade.

And yes, I passed (barely - thank God for the matricies chapter at the end of Calc, where I got 100%, because that pulled me up to a 52% and a barely-passing D.)

Why didn't I have smart friends like that to tell me these kinds of things when I was in college?

adpiucf · #6 07-11-2006, 10:16 AM

Don't get used to taking afternoon naps and watching soap operas. The real world will quickly burst that bubble when you have an hour long commute and have to be at work by 8:30 AM. Get in the habit of treating college like a full time job in your junior and senior year and prepare for the inevitability. Do take a morning class in the fall and actually go to the class. You will be amazed at how much you can get done before 1 PM! I understand that not all of us are early risers or some are used to their afternoon nap-- but there are no milk and cookie nap times in the working world, so break that habit now while you can.

ETA: Greek Life is fun, but get involved in some other activities like a pre-professional club. If you're moving onto grad school, listing your sorority office on your resume as your greatest accomplishment looks trite. This isn't coming from me; just advice I have received from adcomms. Also remember that you're in school to get an education. Class before boys and socials.