Advice to pnms beginning their College/University experience…

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by AXiD670
Go to class.

So THAT was my problem...............LOL

[SFHopefull!]

,,,,

[PhoenixAzul]

+To repeat this, because it is damned important...GO. TO. CLASS. Period. Even if your grades are not stellar, you will almost ALWAYS get brownie points on attendance/participation if you are just there, taking up space! (note, slightly more important at a small/mid sized school than a large one where there are 500 people in a lecture hall...nothing can prepare you for an entire 20 person lecture class plus professor showing up at your dorm door wondering why you aren't in class).

+PARTICIPATE! Make yourself heard. This also reinforces your name to the professor and shows that you still have a pulse and have something to say on the topic at hand. Again, those brownie points for demonstrated knowledge add up!

+ Don't put it off, DO IT. If you've got a longer assignment, break it up into smaller pieces. Use a wall calendar to plan it out. Write post-its or signs to yourself if you need to. Just do it. Even though it looks like this :

+If it doesn't have your initials on it, it is fair game.

+ Establish an "alone time" signal with your roommate. This comes in handy in so many situations.

+Get a good alarm clock with battery back up and dual alarms. Make sure it is loud.

[Dionysus]

You all are oh-so-PC!

1. Don't pick some lame ass college. Party schools rule! But, if you're planning to be career student, go to a commuter school.

2. Class rules are so much more relaxed than in high school. Take advantage! If you have to pee, GO! If you want to eat chinese food, EAT!

3. Don't fall asleep in class though.

4. Sorority is LYFE! If you keep getting cut, transfer schools! J/K But if you WANT to transfer for other reasons, do so.

5. Don't sleep with married men.

6. Get friendly with the cashiers at the cafeteria and campus convience stores. They may give you discounts.

7. Keep an eye on female friends who eat, sleep, and breathe guys. As soon as they get some testosterone in their life, your friendship may be a goner!

8. Don't ever go out with a guy that calls females c***s. It's not a good idea to befriend them either.

9. Be careful which Greeks you talk isht about on GC. You may never know who's lurking!

10. Did you know it was a federal crime if you mess with the geese on campus?

11. If you're a novice in drinking and if someone buys you a shot, drink up or don't drink it at all. If you sip it through a straw, your ass will get clowned on!

12. Be as careful who you put on your isht list as those you put on your cool list. Don't burn bridges. You might never know when you need something from someone.

13. Taking bids from more than one sorority. NOT SMART.

14. Sororities telling you it's okay to do so. NOT NICE.

15. If you're in the mood for drama. Attend SGA meetings.

16. Explore the underground tunnels, but tell someone you're going.

17. KNow the history of the dorms you're moving into. We have one that used to be a mental institution

18. Do more than one internship and do them early. You don't want to change your mind your senior year, because you discovered that you hate the real world experience in your field!

19. All-nighters are dumb. How can you learn and retain information if you're sleep deprived? Even caffiene won't keep you that sharp.

20. If you're want to be a kiss ass, don't be obvious.

21. I heard that dorms and gated university apartments are easy to get into...

[Indie_Superstar]

Originally posted by PhoenixAzul
+To repeat this, because it is damned important...GO. TO. CLASS. Period. Even if your grades are not stellar, you will almost ALWAYS get brownie points on attendance/participation if you are just there, taking up space! (note, slightly more important at a small/mid sized school than a large one where there are 500 people in a lecture hall...nothing can prepare you for an entire 20 person lecture class plus professor showing up at your dorm door wondering why you aren't in class).

+PARTICIPATE! Make yourself heard. This also reinforces your name to the professor and shows that you still have a pulse and have something to say on the topic at hand. Again, those brownie points for demonstrated knowledge add up!

+ Don't put it off, DO IT. If you've got a longer assignment, break it up into smaller pieces. Use a wall calendar to plan it out. Write post-its or signs to yourself if you need to. Just do it. Even though it looks like this :

+If it doesn't have your initials on it, it is fair game.

+ Establish an "alone time" signal with your roommate. This comes in handy in so many situations.

+Get a good alarm clock with battery back up and dual alarms. Make sure it is loud.

Phoenix, I love your drawing. By the way, can I add something that I kind of learned the hard way this past year? I just want to say, you (GENERAL you, as in "hey all you future first years/rushees!") should pick and choose what activities you do. Trying to pack in, say, choir, student government, and multiple volunteer commitments AND take extra classes all at once, is really not a good idea. So, it's okay to say "no," once in a while, it's okay to think, "All right, it says in the syllabus that we need to take Underwater Basket Weaving, but I don't really have room for it this semester, so it can wait," and it's okay not to feel guilty about it. I'm not really sure how well I'll be able to follow my own advice this coming year, though, so if someone could remind me about what I said later on, when I've stupidly said "yes" to one too many people, then that'd be awesome.

[KSUViolet06]

* SEE YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR REGULARLY. AT LEAST ONCE EVERY semester, SIT DOWN with your advisor and talk about what you've taken, what you need, and ANY important deadlines/applications in your program.

* KNOW YOUR PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. Seriously, check out your requirement sheet so YOU KNOW what you need to take. Know your pre-requisites, and anything you need to take sequentially. Your advisor can only help you if you are knowledgeable about your program and know your requirements.

*If you are UNSURE about what major you would like, do NOT DECLARE ONE freshman year. It's okay to be undecided (or what KSU calls "exploratory") for a year. Most schools have special classes, programs, and career exploration materials especially for those people who are undecided.

*If you're receiving financial aid (most people do), KNOW WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTED TO DO TO KEEP IT. Make sure you know what GPA you need to keep your scholarships and other aid.

[KSUViolet06]

*For the love of all that's holy, GET SOME SLEEP! Do everything you can do to make sure that you get a sufficient amount of rest every night.

*START YOUR PAPERS/BIG PROJECTS EARLY. Writing a 7 page paper on language patterns in Middle English the day before it is due SUCKS. Don't say, "Oh I work best under pressure." You'll do better if you complete assignments in a timely fashion.

*BE ON TIME TO CLASS. Freshman year, I had a prof who would intentionally mention all the important areas to study for the test at the BEGINNING (first 5 minutes) of class. Another guy I had would take attendance at EXACTLY 2:00 and ANYONE who came in after that was considered abesent. There are profs who lower grades for lateness. It's also just rude to walk in 10 minutes into a class while the prof is speaking.

*SAVE and/or COPY your course syllabi. They are VERY important. They list ALL the readings, tests, and due dates for the class. Profs won't always REMIND you when things are due. Sometimes, you'll walk into class and he'll just say "pass the homework up". If you hadn't been keeping track of your syllabus, you'd be COMPLETELY clueless and unprepared.

* THE SAME EXCUSES THAT WORKED FOR YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL, WILL NOT WORK IN COLLEGE. Saying "I forgot it." or "My disk magically erased it", just won't work (even if you're telling the truth). Professors WILL NOT accept late work. You might get lucky and have a prof who MIGHT let you turn in something late, but lower it a letter grade or lower your FINAL grade. So do EVERYTHING you can to turn your work in on time.

[AnonAlumna]

Originally posted by Little E
Don't sleep w/the first guy to hit on you. I swear there will be others.

LMAO!!! I married him!

[LionTamer]

The "go to class" vs. "read the textbook" advice varies by school and type of class. My "read the book" advice was based on huge state-school lecture classes with 500 students held in a giant auditorium. Hell, Accounting 101 was broadcast to over 1000 students via TVs in classrooms, and a bored grad student was there with us only to operate the TV and give out the handouts. Actual attendence at these huge classes was not 100% necessary, as long as you went to the first class to get the syllubus, did all the exercises, read the book carefully, and popped in occassionally to be sure the syllubus hadn't changed.

On the other hand, higher-level classes in my major and smaller, discussion-driven classes required regular, prompt attendance, preparation, and participation. Some of these were far more dependent on lectures vs. text. So it depends.

Also, on studying abroad, did I mention do it, do it, do it, do it. Find out the ins and outs right away. Ask upperclassmen about the best programs, find out the requirements and the costs, get on the list. My friends (none of whom had any money) say it's the best thing they ever did, and the best memories of their lives.

And something no one has mentioned. If you're at a Big 10, PAC-10 or SEC school and you've got a graduation requirement you just can't handle, find out when the football or basketball team takes the class that's tripping you up. I flunked Calculus twice (even with intense study, tutors, the works) and was facing the prospect of no diploma. Found out that the Team took it at night, and finagled my way into that class. I kid you not, the tests were all True/False, and the grades were curved so that a 51% was a D. I still don't have the foggiest idea what the hell a derivative is or how to figure the area under a damned curve, but I passed with a "D" an was able to graduate. God bless boneheaded football players and that pesky "student athlete" myth!!!

[Dionysus]

*In bookstores there are usually keychains with ID holders. They are pretty popular among students. I would think twice before using them, especially putting your driver's license in the holder.. If you lose it, they know who you are, possibly where you live, and the keys to your car/house/dorm.

*Keep an eye on all students when you're on campus at night or in an isolated area. ESPECIALLY keep an eye on people who don't have backpacks and/or books! Think about it, why on earth would someone be on a college campus without those materials? We don't have lockers. Then again they could be falculty or a students heading to a meeting, but watch your back.

[PhoenixAzul]

Originally posted by BetaRose
That might be good advice on a commuter campus, but on a more traditional campus, most people aren't carrying books or a backpack at night. They're most likely going to meetings, the gym, the dining hall, or over to their buddy's dorm room. There are a million legit things to do on campus after hours that you aren't going to need your books for.

Hey, I personally like to carry my art history text book as a weapon....

"Gimme your purse!"
"Take the Roccoco period, Jerk!"

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by BetaRose
That might be good advice on a commuter campus, but on a more traditional campus, most people aren't carrying books or a backpack at night. They're most likely going to meetings, the gym, the dining hall, or over to their buddy's dorm room. There are a million legit things to do on campus after hours that you aren't going to need your books for.

My campus is semi-commuter and semi-traditional. I see where you're coming from. On my campus the dorms, apartments, and gym is like a mile from the classroom buildings. The university center is pretty far from them too. So, I guess there should be no panic if I see students wandering aimlessly around the dorms and gym. I guess that never occured to me since I rarely go to the gym and dorms. I still like to keep an eye on wandering students when I'm around the classroom buildings since there isn't much to do except for going to class and studying.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by PhoenixAzul
Hey, I personally like to carry my art history text book as a weapon....

"Gimme your purse!"
"Take the Roccoco period, Jerk!"

LOL

I always thought it would be funny if I did a 180 degree on a person while wearing a backpack with three 800 page textbooks in it.

[Kasis-anon]

I just have to add an "Amen" to the mention of credit cards. Avoid them like the plague. They are a terrible financial decision, do not saddle yourself with one of these until you actually have a full-time job and are able to pay for what you buy. Getting credit cards while in college have ruined many students credit ratings before they are even out in the "real world."
Just avoid them.

[aephi alum]

Each semester, take a walk around campus before the first day of classes, and locate all the lecture halls and classrooms where your classes will meet. That way, you won't waste time on your first day trying to find an out-of-the-way room and end up walking in late.

Pay attention in class. Don't nap, chat on your cell phone, or surf the web. Don't arrive late or leave early if you can help it. It's amazing how much you can pick up just by listening and taking notes in lecture.

Do your homework ahead of time. Don't try to do it all the night before it's due; you'll stay up to the wee hours (or all night), you'll be too tired to do it properly, and you'll be too tired to concentrate in class the next day.

If you have opportunities available to you, such as cross-registration or study abroad, take advantage of them.

Try to make room for a "fun" class outside your major now and then - maybe a music or art class.

Get involved in a couple of different activities. Don't overextend yourself, but don't just sit in your room either.

Exercise. Find out where the gym, track, and pool are, and use them! It's great stress relief and will help with the Freshman 15.

Learn to cook. If you have a kitchen available to you, great - get a couple of pots and pans and learn a few simple recipes. If not, get a small microwave and/or hot plate (check first that your dorm's rules allow it). Cafeteria food, as a rule, sucks.

As for credit cards, they're not necessarily the devil IF you know how to use them properly. If you do choose to get a credit card, pay it off in full every month. Don't buy something if you know it means you won't be able to pay your credit card bill. You'll be establishing a good credit rating, and you won't accrue revolving debt.