Some advice I would give to incoming Freshman is to always study for any tests, quiz or exam. Never leave anything till last minute, do not procrastinate it won't do anything to benefit you. Always do your work, including classwork, homework and turn it in on time. Participate during class and in any school projects, but most importantly behave and follow directions that you are given by your teachers. Respect all school staff and stay on task do not fail classes because you will have to take summer school in order to regain all your credits, it takes time away from you and it is boring, trust me I've been there. If you are failing a class ask your teacher how you can bring up your grade especially if first quarter or the end of first semester is near by, do not leave it till last minute. Don't be afraid of making new friends doesn't matter what grade they are in just go an talk to them, be yourself. Always focus on yourself and after all what is going to benefit you. Education is the most important and only you know what you'll do with what you learned. And as for me reading the advise on this article is definitely a great help.
3
As a Junior in high school, I think reading these advises from college students and graduates will help me when the first day of College comes. I have 2 older siblings who graduated from University and they have asked me what i wanted to be, but to be honest with them, I really don't know yet. Looking at the advise that are written on this article will eventually help me and i'm very glad about it because i actually did have thoughts about the first day of school where faces are unknown and nobody knows who you really are and not knowing anything about anyone, but after all it'll all be okay because it is just the beginning of your life and we need to face new experiences we've never been through before.
2
Sometime being courteous to address one of the students biggest fears toward high academic life is very inappropriate. So I would like to give my opinion and advice boldly and briefly :)
Truly, college life is absolutely different from what students have experienced before, particularly in high school. It goes without saying that it's totally a tough, long journey saturated with projects, research, courses' assignments etcetera, and not to mention hectic schedule.
From my experience, students who usually exaggerates and complains about stresses and how hard course is, most likely will influence and cultivate a bad-tempered around them, therefore, be cautious and immediately cut the relationship with them or at least make it so formal.
Here is a quote from a friend of mine who studied Low major in Harvard school "Love it or hate it, you have to face all academic difficulties, students will never enjoy unless if they taste it bitterly", so enjoy the trip.
What's more, you will confront unprecedented situations that you have never encountered before, academic life will cast a wide picture about your academic abilities, desires, luminous future. Verities of subjects will eventually enlighten your way. For instance, you might presumably major in music but you have taken a wide range of subjects such as economy, you might love the idea that being entrepreneur run for a music instruments company.
Truly, college life is absolutely different from what students have experienced before, particularly in high school. It goes without saying that it's totally a tough, long journey saturated with projects, research, courses' assignments etcetera, and not to mention hectic schedule.
From my experience, students who usually exaggerates and complains about stresses and how hard course is, most likely will influence and cultivate a bad-tempered around them, therefore, be cautious and immediately cut the relationship with them or at least make it so formal.
Here is a quote from a friend of mine who studied Low major in Harvard school "Love it or hate it, you have to face all academic difficulties, students will never enjoy unless if they taste it bitterly", so enjoy the trip.
What's more, you will confront unprecedented situations that you have never encountered before, academic life will cast a wide picture about your academic abilities, desires, luminous future. Verities of subjects will eventually enlighten your way. For instance, you might presumably major in music but you have taken a wide range of subjects such as economy, you might love the idea that being entrepreneur run for a music instruments company.
You will make friends and do well. Don't be afraid to try. But you have to plan, too. Prepare for the summer during the late winter/spring semester. The Student Conservation Association has a partnership with the National Park Service, it is not just for science/environmental majors - history majors apply! And the US State Department has internships. Travel - see the USA and if you can the world, too.
1
Do not work if you don't have to, you will have the rest if your life for that.
1
Don't be too attached to your friends at home. It's great to stay in touch with them, but I cannot tell you how many people I've met who refused to make new friends. One of my good friends in college was like that, but I ended up leaving the college and she hasn't made any other friends. I can already point out a few incoming freshman I know who are doing that to themselves.
Don't be afraid to have an "unconventional" college experience. It's okay to be there more than four years and change your major. The average is 5-6 years, changing majors 3 times. I decided to leave my school away from home, go do an internship in Disney World, take a year off and go to the community college at home, and then I'm going back to another state next year. I will not be changing my major, but I'm still all over the place.
Thank your parents, for Pete's sake! If they're paying for your college, thank them and listen to them. They wouldn't let you go out of state? Don't hate them for it, they have a reason. It's expensive, they don't think you're ready for it, etc. If you're paying for your own education you can decide everything for yourself. You're an adult, but don't forget how much you depend on your parents. Thank them for all they do.
If you're going to college very close to home but dorming, don't you dare go home and expect your parents to do your laundry. Do it at home because it's cheaper, but do it yourself!
(Somewhere college, graduating eventually, figuring things out)
Don't be afraid to have an "unconventional" college experience. It's okay to be there more than four years and change your major. The average is 5-6 years, changing majors 3 times. I decided to leave my school away from home, go do an internship in Disney World, take a year off and go to the community college at home, and then I'm going back to another state next year. I will not be changing my major, but I'm still all over the place.
Thank your parents, for Pete's sake! If they're paying for your college, thank them and listen to them. They wouldn't let you go out of state? Don't hate them for it, they have a reason. It's expensive, they don't think you're ready for it, etc. If you're paying for your own education you can decide everything for yourself. You're an adult, but don't forget how much you depend on your parents. Thank them for all they do.
If you're going to college very close to home but dorming, don't you dare go home and expect your parents to do your laundry. Do it at home because it's cheaper, but do it yourself!
(Somewhere college, graduating eventually, figuring things out)
3
In regards to the one comment saying your previous achievements don't matter, this is true but only to an extent. Your grades and such don't really matter, but some actual achievements do. You should still care about the volunteer experience that changed your life, that you were a Girl Scout all through grade school, your favorite high school theatre role. These are still things that help define you just because you were proud of them and they meant something to you then. You won 2nd place in a state business competition? Amazing! You were in a professional Shakespeare production, chosen out of dozens of other teens in a regional theatre? Awesome! People still care about these things. They should still go on your resume and be fun talking points.
2
good article. I found the best things to help in college ( I graduated with a degree in chemical engineering) in no particular order: always ask for help if you're having trouble. I work in trading/angel investing. I have found peopke don't have humility to ask for help in all sorts of situations. this is especially true in college with course work. 2) find yourself a good, reliable study group in your major and all your tough classes. 3) find time for me time. whether that's reading. I used to read a lot in college for fun. something physical is good too. I used to workout a lot. swimming is great and a wonderful way to clear your mind due to the mindless repetition of strokes. 3) lastly eat well to ward of sickness and keep up your energy. college was fun. I miss it. the real world is harsh, cold, and full of nonsense. put down Snapchat what a royal waste of time. have conversations with students and profs. drink good coffee. and read the economist at your college's main library.
2
The students' comments are all valid and good. (Brittanie Lewis in particular is impressively articulate.) But they all leave out my most common advice as a professor. That is, you should hustle to be part of a research group. If you're at a research university, most of the intellectual life of the university is in the laboratory, not the classroom. If you sit in the classroom only you're missing it. How do you find that life? Almost no one will post a job asking for an undergraduate assistant. Instead they either 1) keep an eye out for students who are especially good in class, and approach them (what are your summer plans? have you thought about research?) or 2) wait for someone to knock on the door (I wondered if you might have any use for a research assistant; here's my CV, I'm glad to volunteer at first.) Get yourself a desk in a research group, and you're a member of a family, a part of the core enterprise of the university, an apprentice in a group endeavor. You'll learn to think in a way that you won't in the classroom, and you'll grow up and become an adult in a way that the classroom can't teach you. A question on a test has a true answer that someone knows (or thinks they know). A question in research by definition is something no one knows. Dealing with that is nothing like dealing with memorizing facts for a test. I like my classroom undergraduates, but "my" students, the ones I write recommendations for, are the ones who work in my lab.
4
Lots of women were quoted for this piece—perhaps underscoring my advice: learn to respect women, for they shall inherit the earth.
2
I had to audit a math class at Stony Brook University for my work a number of years ago. It was a small class. No one seemed to speak English as a first language; students were from all over. But everyone communicated in English. Because of the language impediment, there was far more and better communication than I think you’d see in a class of native speakers, especially in a math class, and it led to a kind of fellow feeling and mutual aid. Better communication was built on poor communication. Maybe all college students should think of English as a language they don’t quite understand, although an awkwardly elementary question about unimodularly inequivalent finite groups of homogeneous transformations with integral coefficients will sound more plausible with a Hindi lilt (very memorable; I still move my head to the cadence; should be a song).
Plan B (for parents): When you’re wealthy enough, you have to go into charity: you pick a cause, a disease, and your lawyer and accountant set up one of these byzantine split-interest trusts to avoid taxes and provide for your wastrel son who flunked out of college. When it comes to self-interest, philanthropy is the only way to go.
Plan B (for parents): When you’re wealthy enough, you have to go into charity: you pick a cause, a disease, and your lawyer and accountant set up one of these byzantine split-interest trusts to avoid taxes and provide for your wastrel son who flunked out of college. When it comes to self-interest, philanthropy is the only way to go.
2
Find the quiet, natural spaces to retire to near your school--these exist even in the most urban environments. Go there often to recharge. Remember, just because a professor is highly recommended, doesn't mean they are good. They may just be easy. Challenge yourself and embrace rigor. You might surprise yourself. Be respectful of everyone, humble (no matter how awesome you are), fearless in your studies and keep your wits about you (even when there is free beer). Have a good time (for most, it is the best time of their life!) and make friends. Never again will friendship be so abundant, durable and freely offered. Getting good grades is important, but try not to obsess about them. Learning to think critically, learn and problem solve will serve you much better. Try not to take on outside jobs unless you absolutely have to--or keep hours to a minimum. Your job is school right now. I so envy all of you. If I could go back to where you are, I'd do so in an instant.
4
The single best piece of advice on here is to get to know the department secretaries. Especially in your major(s). And never, never cross them. They can be a great resource and a godsend when your need something. And your worst enemy if you don't treat them well. But at the university I attended most were really great people.
5
Get out. Go to welding school. Learn manufacturing tools. Get your CNA and work your way up to RN. Get you CDL. Masonry, electrician or plumbing.
3
As a just-moved-in freshman who is feeling slightly terrified and enormously overwhelmed, I want to say thank you to everyone who offered advice in this article and in the comments. Its really encouraging to know there are so many people out there who I don't even know but who have already given their time to offer advice and help.
6
Three more:
1. You'll meet students who claim to do little or no work, and yet say they are racking up straight A's. At least one of those claims is false, and usually both of them are.
2. You're not in school so the world can learn about you. You're there so you can learn about the world.
3. Have fun. But keep it within sensible limits.
1. You'll meet students who claim to do little or no work, and yet say they are racking up straight A's. At least one of those claims is false, and usually both of them are.
2. You're not in school so the world can learn about you. You're there so you can learn about the world.
3. Have fun. But keep it within sensible limits.
9
If the professor wrote the textbook you're using for the class, then read it. Know it backwards and forwards, because THAT'S where the test questions are coming from.
3
Go to professors' office hours. Get to know them. Show them that you care about doing well in their class.
Ask around and find out the good professors. If your requirements allow, take classes from the good teachers no matter the topic (this is easier to do in a liberal arts school, which I also recommend).
Ask around and find out the good professors. If your requirements allow, take classes from the good teachers no matter the topic (this is easier to do in a liberal arts school, which I also recommend).
5
Great advice, particularly about office hours...
Also, take part actively in class discussions, whenever that's appropriate, but have something to say -- don't just opine.
And above all, do good work. Your instructors will know who you are if you do --
Also, take part actively in class discussions, whenever that's appropriate, but have something to say -- don't just opine.
And above all, do good work. Your instructors will know who you are if you do --
5
Why did you not publish advice from a single community college student?
10
Can't say about the article, but random stuff I tell my incoming students:
1. Make new friends, go to club day, get involved in any activity or group to counter the dispersed, commuter college reality.
2. Read the syllabus. Really. Ask questions if you don't understand it.
3. Community college isn't like high school with looser attendance, nor is it "college lite." At least you'd be well advised not to approach it that way.
4. Campus buildings, however utilitarian or dated, may be better study space than many students have at home; respect quiet areas and the challenges a lot of your fellow students face
5. Don't default to Google. Community college libraries may seem small, but ask about online databases and interlibrary loan.
6. Plan carefully, get the best advice (and advising) you can, and try to pay as you go. It's not a bargain if you end up in debt. "Took classes" doesn't look as good on a resume as a completed degree or certificate.
7. Save all syllabi, reading lists, and anything that might help down the road if you need to get credits transferred elsewhere (e.g., a 4-year school)
Addendum to #2: Be very sure you understand what your grade is based on. Instructors vary, and extra credit is not a Constitutional right.
1. Make new friends, go to club day, get involved in any activity or group to counter the dispersed, commuter college reality.
2. Read the syllabus. Really. Ask questions if you don't understand it.
3. Community college isn't like high school with looser attendance, nor is it "college lite." At least you'd be well advised not to approach it that way.
4. Campus buildings, however utilitarian or dated, may be better study space than many students have at home; respect quiet areas and the challenges a lot of your fellow students face
5. Don't default to Google. Community college libraries may seem small, but ask about online databases and interlibrary loan.
6. Plan carefully, get the best advice (and advising) you can, and try to pay as you go. It's not a bargain if you end up in debt. "Took classes" doesn't look as good on a resume as a completed degree or certificate.
7. Save all syllabi, reading lists, and anything that might help down the road if you need to get credits transferred elsewhere (e.g., a 4-year school)
Addendum to #2: Be very sure you understand what your grade is based on. Instructors vary, and extra credit is not a Constitutional right.
4
Don't take on debt for degrees that lead to dead end jobs (debt-free is ok of course).
-Class of 11'
-Class of 11'
1
Nice to hear from kids from a wide variety of schools!
1. Preparation is key. Read the syllabus, prepare for class in advance and come up with questions. For science classes, do some problems from the assignment before class, you will absorb more in class. Take accurate notes (not on a laptop), write down questions during class and get answers to them right away by going to the instructor. Prepare for and go to the instructor's office hours! Consider copying over your notes and draw diagrams when you think they are helpful.
2. Preparation is key for exams. Prepare your own practice tests using material from class notes and homework assignments and do them under test conditions. Figure out what you didn't get right and take those tests again without looking at notes or textbooks.
3. If you don't like the textbook, find one you like better that suits your learning style. Check out online resources like Khan Academy.
4. Form a small study group for each class (4 or fewer people each) and focus on the work, the study group is not primarily for socializing but to help each other learn.
5. Get enough sleep! You can't focus or work well if you are sleep deprived.
6. For science exams, see if you can lay out your answers in a similar way for each problem. Write down what you know on one side of the paper and what you are given on the other side, then write down what you are asked to find.
7. Learn how to study! Being a good student involves skills that can be learned -- learn them! Study skills should be taught in schools.
2. Preparation is key for exams. Prepare your own practice tests using material from class notes and homework assignments and do them under test conditions. Figure out what you didn't get right and take those tests again without looking at notes or textbooks.
3. If you don't like the textbook, find one you like better that suits your learning style. Check out online resources like Khan Academy.
4. Form a small study group for each class (4 or fewer people each) and focus on the work, the study group is not primarily for socializing but to help each other learn.
5. Get enough sleep! You can't focus or work well if you are sleep deprived.
6. For science exams, see if you can lay out your answers in a similar way for each problem. Write down what you know on one side of the paper and what you are given on the other side, then write down what you are asked to find.
7. Learn how to study! Being a good student involves skills that can be learned -- learn them! Study skills should be taught in schools.
7
I'm 50. I graduated from college in 1987. When I think back to my college years it simply baffles me. I was very young. I had no idea what the world actually had in store for me. Since then I have had many ups and downs in my personal life. But i have kept my eye on the dollar, and the dollar has been there for me through thick and thin. It sounds a little harsh, but it's all about the bucks. Everything else is just conversation.
6
Yikes. I think that's the most depressing idea I've ever heard.
But okay: if your sole value is money, go for it. Rob banks, pan for gold, pick pockets. Sleep on piles of coins, like a dragon. Don't bother with college.
College is for developing your mind and spirit, for enriching your life, for expanding your understanding of yourself and the world we're all floating around on.
But okay: if your sole value is money, go for it. Rob banks, pan for gold, pick pockets. Sleep on piles of coins, like a dragon. Don't bother with college.
College is for developing your mind and spirit, for enriching your life, for expanding your understanding of yourself and the world we're all floating around on.
Hmmm, I skipped a year of track and cross country because I though I wouldn't be good enough. My sophomore year, on a whim and the recommendation of friends, I tried it out. The next three years, these would end up being my closest friends, my teammates.
Don't miss out on opportunity just because you don't think you won't be good enough. This goes for classes, friends, internships and entertainment. Go for it. Settling can become a habit.
Don't miss out on opportunity just because you don't think you won't be good enough. This goes for classes, friends, internships and entertainment. Go for it. Settling can become a habit.
13
When I transitioned from high school to college I went from being a big fish in a little pond to a little fish in a big pond. Most of the freshmen around me were in the same boat. In my experience the ones who thrived in college were the ones who embraced the fact that they could learn from students around them who were smarter and more talented. The ones who struggled were the ones who let others' talents make them feel insecure, who resented when other students did better than them or were always trying to one-up others with tales of their high school glory days. If you're a star student headed off to a top school, prepare yourself now that when you tell everyone you were valedictorian, play two instruments and went to state for three different sports, half your dorm floor will say "Hey, me too!"
9
Case in point - fully 16% of this year's new freshmen at BYU were high school valedictorians. Fully 22% came in with 4.0 GPAs, and 70% and 80% were in athletic or performing groups, respectively. Build on your talents from high school and don't just set them aside because you're in college now - but don't define yourself by them.
2
Meet new people , go greek or join another organization, travel with friends, live at the shore for a summer. Sled on trays from the cafeteria, participate in a giant snow ball fight, go on a scavenger hunt, eat ice cream, drink beer, sometimes drink too much beer but be safe, go on a road trip, go to football games, etc.
Said another way, I don't remember one word from any class I took 15+ years ago, but I remember the fun times, the friends I made are still friends and have provided support in so many ways as I have grown. I'm not saying classes don't count, they clearly do, but college life is an experience and the life part of it is very important.
Said another way, I don't remember one word from any class I took 15+ years ago, but I remember the fun times, the friends I made are still friends and have provided support in so many ways as I have grown. I'm not saying classes don't count, they clearly do, but college life is an experience and the life part of it is very important.
13
1.Remember you are not the only person who is trying to figure out who they are
2.Take advantage of services like tutoring, writing centers, and any time management seminars before you feel overburdened
3. Explore the area beyond campus, enjoy the people or culture of it
4. Work life balance is the key
5. Be mindful of your debt, get a job during school
6. Develop a love of learning, be invested in your education
2.Take advantage of services like tutoring, writing centers, and any time management seminars before you feel overburdened
3. Explore the area beyond campus, enjoy the people or culture of it
4. Work life balance is the key
5. Be mindful of your debt, get a job during school
6. Develop a love of learning, be invested in your education
6
If you're not ready for college after graduating HS, and you have the ability to do so, take a year off to work, intern, whatever. If you go to school when you don't think you're ready for it you might end up not finishing. My husband left school and only went back 15 years later when I convinced him he could.
Don't let everyone around you pressure you into a choice you're not ready for. Most colleges will let you defer admission for a year if you need to.
Don't let everyone around you pressure you into a choice you're not ready for. Most colleges will let you defer admission for a year if you need to.
6
I am a university professor: I would agree with the students who suggest becoming friendly with departmental secretaries and creating/cultivating relations with professors. Office hours tend to be underused and most faculty are willing to go to extremes to help students (but only if asked). Such relations can also lead to research opportunities and create people who can write you letters of recommendation in the future. Secretaries, particularly those who have been in departments for many years, can be extremely powerful and know all the inside gossip and how to navigate admin.
14
1. Have a plan for every class. Such as when you'll study and when you will complete projects.
2. Go to every single class.
3. Take Summer and Winter courses. These will help lighten your course load and might enable you to graduate early, if you plan correctly.
4. Have a routine for the week and stick to it!
5. Exercise!
6. You will never know who & how you'll meet someone, so be flexible and open minded!
2. Go to every single class.
3. Take Summer and Winter courses. These will help lighten your course load and might enable you to graduate early, if you plan correctly.
4. Have a routine for the week and stick to it!
5. Exercise!
6. You will never know who & how you'll meet someone, so be flexible and open minded!
10
Call your mom!
7
1. Do the readings and assignments BEFORE the class.
2. If possible, print out the posted notes before class and bring them with you.
3. Go to class, pay attention, and take notes.
4. Review the material a third time immediately after class
5. Talk to your professor after/outside of class and get any questions answered. ( Be sure they know you!)
6. Review the material a (minimum) fourth time before exams.
7. Show up early to all exams, knowing where it is being held in advance and having all required ID.
8. Have fun!
2. If possible, print out the posted notes before class and bring them with you.
3. Go to class, pay attention, and take notes.
4. Review the material a third time immediately after class
5. Talk to your professor after/outside of class and get any questions answered. ( Be sure they know you!)
6. Review the material a (minimum) fourth time before exams.
7. Show up early to all exams, knowing where it is being held in advance and having all required ID.
8. Have fun!
11
People who are living away from home for the first time will be ODing on poptarts and pizza. Eat a salad a day. You'll stay healthier.
12
Oh man, do not buy textbooks. Most of your professors will put a copy on reserve at the library (win/win because you're forced to schedule study time), and the rest will assign text books you wind up not really needing.
10
To those students who feel compelled to taking notes from Physical Bounded Books (nearly every student who is actually in school to learn something): BUY a hand-held Line-by-line OCR Scanner Pen. Like the Iris Air (usable for both Mac's & PC's). Wish I had one of these as an undergrad EE in the 70's or Law student in late 80's. I did use one (C-pen) in early 2000's studying for the USPTO Patent Bar Exam. Get one. You will say it was the Best Investment next to the School from which you will actually graduate from.
8
Five things. (1) Be friends with people who are totally different from you. Politically, socially, geographically, etc. Get in arguments but keep it collegial. You know, because you're in college. The best friends and lessons I learned in college came from late-night philosophical debates (even occasional shouting matches) in the dorm. You may never convince one another, but you'll both know what you think that much better. (2) Go home with your friends and visit their families. The best times I ever had were visiting friends from other places. (3) Let yourself be curious about lots of topics. Read things and take classes that are outside your major. If your campus has museums, go check them out. (4) Go to parties, but not too many parties. (5) Learn to fish. Whenever things are just too much, go sit out on the water. It puts everything in perspective. It doesn't matter if you catch anything-- that's why they call it fishing, not going to the store.
27
I'm starting my second career, after a 4-year degree and first career. I'm back in college.
I was disappointed that I didn't ace my first exam. So I discerned my priorities: first, learn what I came to learn. Second, earn my degree. Third, get good grades.
Looking at my transcript from my first degree, forty years ago, I'm surprised at how much I worried about those grades, when no one even really cared to look at them after I graduated.
Learn what you are in college to learn. The grades and the degree will come along if you do your best to get the knowledge into your head. Ask deep questions from the experts that are teaching you. After you graduate, you'll be answering the questions, not asking them.
I was disappointed that I didn't ace my first exam. So I discerned my priorities: first, learn what I came to learn. Second, earn my degree. Third, get good grades.
Looking at my transcript from my first degree, forty years ago, I'm surprised at how much I worried about those grades, when no one even really cared to look at them after I graduated.
Learn what you are in college to learn. The grades and the degree will come along if you do your best to get the knowledge into your head. Ask deep questions from the experts that are teaching you. After you graduate, you'll be answering the questions, not asking them.
13
One of my classmates would go back to her room after class, read over her notes, then take a short nap. She had the best grades ever.
Yes, go to class. Pay attention. Take notes with a pen on paper. Do NOT be playing games on your laptop or device.
Yes, go to class. Pay attention. Take notes with a pen on paper. Do NOT be playing games on your laptop or device.
11
Read the New York Times. (This is not an ad). It's not Dostoyevsky but its also not TMZ and it will give you a sense of the world beyond the walls of your classroom or dining hall. I also recommend going into your library and reading the print version--and especially issues a few days old as that tactic will likely gravitate you to other sections than the "news".
22
Also read a newspaper from outside the British Empire. That would be France, Spain or Germany, but not the USA or Australia.
Al-Jazeera is a strong and balanced news organization that is not dominated by the English-speaking world. Even better, they closed their USA bureau. For us readers, that gives us a more independent viewpoint that is immune from large American corporations. (Ever hear of "The Manufacturing of Consent," by Noam Chomsky?)
If you can, read in the original language. It's amazing how much the USA is still like the Mother Country (or, as I like to say, the Mommie Dearest).
Al-Jazeera is a strong and balanced news organization that is not dominated by the English-speaking world. Even better, they closed their USA bureau. For us readers, that gives us a more independent viewpoint that is immune from large American corporations. (Ever hear of "The Manufacturing of Consent," by Noam Chomsky?)
If you can, read in the original language. It's amazing how much the USA is still like the Mother Country (or, as I like to say, the Mommie Dearest).
6
Brittanie's advice was eloquent and touching! I really felt for her.
11
Brittanie could have been me, nearly 30 years ago. I only wish I'd been as self-possessed as she is now.
4
Buy all your books online, avoid the school bookstore. Older editions are frequently no different except the cover, and often vastly cheaper. I typically buy my books for around $5-10 a piece! There are some great search tools that help you find the lowest prices on line, directtextbook.com is my favorite.
Go to all classes, do all the work, and sit in the front of the class in the middle and avoid the back. You are there to learn, not to hang out.You receive full attention of the instructor and learn so much more when you are focused on the lecture. And the professor will remember you, which is a good thing! And don't be afraid to ask for help!
Go to all classes, do all the work, and sit in the front of the class in the middle and avoid the back. You are there to learn, not to hang out.You receive full attention of the instructor and learn so much more when you are focused on the lecture. And the professor will remember you, which is a good thing! And don't be afraid to ask for help!
10
I was absolutely going to say this. Get the ISBN number from the bookstore and punch that into google. You can buy used books or rent on Chegg or Amazon for cheap. That or Abebooks, half.com, etc. I die a little inside when I meet a new student who just bought all of their books new from the bookstore. Even their used prices are absurd.
10
Hey incoming freshman, one big tip that can't be overdressed: read books! And not just the assigned ones. Do this to put yourself in a position to learn as much as possible while living in an environment designed for learning. If you choose not to do this, you will probably end up wasting a lot of your time and energy and will contribute to a system that wastes much of the time and energy of those that really care and are truly interested
10
Don't go home the first month! Stay on campus. Students who go home to visit right away miss the chance to truly get a feel for the campus, dorm mates, to start putting down some roots to grow. Campus is now your HOME.
Leave all your high school stuff at home. NOBODY cares what you did in high school, NOBODY wants to see pictures of your high school friends. Time to start a new chapter.
You're not as smart as everyone said you were. You're not as great as everyone said.
Leave all your high school stuff at home. NOBODY cares what you did in high school, NOBODY wants to see pictures of your high school friends. Time to start a new chapter.
You're not as smart as everyone said you were. You're not as great as everyone said.
16
As a department secretary, we can be your best friend. Ask questions early, not the day classes begin. Remind us of your name since we see hundreds of students. When we send an email, read the entire thing, twice! The information is important, or we wouldn't bother to send it. If we ask for students to show up to hear a speaker, always come if you can. We will remember who was in the room and appreciate it. If you are overwhelmed, please ask for help. It's our job, and we want everyone to succeed!
20
"Expect the administration not to care about you," and, "Professors, on the other hand, can be your greatest allies."
First, is this addressed to the three freshmen who read the NYT? Second, this is catastrophically bad advice. There are people in the administration and Brooklyn and elsewhere whose whole job is to help students navigate. Professors? Ha! Let's see what happens the first time a freshman asks that intro course prof to help out with a 'bureaucratic' problem. I have never met a professor who was able to or willing to navigate undergraduate logistics.
First, is this addressed to the three freshmen who read the NYT? Second, this is catastrophically bad advice. There are people in the administration and Brooklyn and elsewhere whose whole job is to help students navigate. Professors? Ha! Let's see what happens the first time a freshman asks that intro course prof to help out with a 'bureaucratic' problem. I have never met a professor who was able to or willing to navigate undergraduate logistics.
7
False (the above): I'm a professor and I am always, always on the phone to offices all around the university, talking to people I've never met, trying to help my students navigate the university bureaucracy. I spend hours doing this -- and believe me, I'm not the only one; my colleagues do it too. For what it's worth, I'm a senior English professor, and I do all the stuff English profs do (teach, talk, read, think, write books) AND I phone all over the place to help the students I advise. I couldn't help them if I didn't phone all these offices, and I do it gladly. And usually I am successful and solve the students' problems. There are many professors who do this; I write with 40 years such experience, and of course, the bureaucracy has only gotten more complicated, so the students need us more.
28
Do it all the time as do many of my colleagues
11
How could professors (I exempt exploited adjuncts) not respond to students who ask and sometimes to students visibly struggling and unsure how to ask? Professors who help students navigate the shoals and riptides of bureaucracy aren’t seen as part of the corporate university’s prized “innovations for student learning excellence.” This advising work is necessary and unremunerated professional and pedagogic labor. We don’t do it for pay or praise. It’s mostly invisible to administration. But students figure out which professors (secretaries, lab staff, lecturers, librarians, tech people, and others) know the system. They hear who’s likely to help with extracurricular but essential questions, who gets on the phone to officials and administrators (excuse me, “leaders”) to get answers. There’s no glamor to this part of our jobs, no apps, no edutech logos, no clickbait, nothing for reporters on the NYT education beat to cover. Workaday educational stewardship is not news. But it’s something for newcomers to keep in mind about their school’s hidden resources. Ask around. The best scholars on your campus aren’t too busy jetsetting to academic stardom to talk with you. We know how to untangle the knot of distribution requirements, fee deadlines, enrollment errors, and other frictions and confusions of college life today. Your professors aren’t therapists. But we’re not airily detached, careerist robots, either. It’s OK not to know on arrival what it’s taken us years to suss out!.
1
Recent grad here. My advice based on my regrets and experiences:
1. Go to class (aim for at least 75 - 90 percent attendance)
2. Focus less on your grade and more on genuine LEARNING
3. If possible, try to get an internship or two by your Junior or Senior year
4. Have fun on the weekends. Seriously, just do what you enjoy, whether that's partying, sleeping, etc.
Last advice: You will meet a ton of people your Freshmen year. Your true friendships and romantic relationships will grow fairly organically.
Be nice, or at least civil, to people and have fun!
- Luke Gildemeister, University of Minnesota '16
1. Go to class (aim for at least 75 - 90 percent attendance)
2. Focus less on your grade and more on genuine LEARNING
3. If possible, try to get an internship or two by your Junior or Senior year
4. Have fun on the weekends. Seriously, just do what you enjoy, whether that's partying, sleeping, etc.
Last advice: You will meet a ton of people your Freshmen year. Your true friendships and romantic relationships will grow fairly organically.
Be nice, or at least civil, to people and have fun!
- Luke Gildemeister, University of Minnesota '16
8
As a professor myself for the last 40 years, I'd like to thank the students for all their good advice to freshmen. Let me confirm what some of them said: YES! your professors can help you work your way through / avoid / manage the college /university bureaucracy. And YES ask for help from your professors and YES come to office hours and YES one grade does not define you; nor do two or three. In my experience, the help of professors is under-utilized. Visit us in our offices and ask for help. And good luck to all of you.
15
This is never, ever brought up in these columns but here it is:
Do not --under any circumstance--join a sorority or fraternity during your freshman year unless you have given it very serious thought and know in advance the weekly time commitment for meetings, volunteer obligations, etc....they are an amazing time suck (among many other things but I digress...)
From a recovering sorority sis at Cal
Do not --under any circumstance--join a sorority or fraternity during your freshman year unless you have given it very serious thought and know in advance the weekly time commitment for meetings, volunteer obligations, etc....they are an amazing time suck (among many other things but I digress...)
From a recovering sorority sis at Cal
13
Advice from a former professor: please, go to class, please.
12
1. Be yourself, find a group of friends - not because they're "popular" but because you fit in with them! My friends and I were the weirdest group of people on campus, and we loved every minute of it! Unlike high school, no one (or barely anyone) in college judges you. You can safely be yourself- and as geeky (or not geeky) as you want.
2. Find a passion, figure out what you love, then follow your heart and your gut instinct from there. Sometimes it will take a while. A professor's opinion, while some can be helpful, is not the end all be all - I wanted to do and loved photography, and tried to take a class but my teacher failed me and told me I wasn't worthy to be a photography major (seriously). Several years later, I own my own business and - yup- do photography for a living! My clients are happy, I'm happy, and, well, I'm just happy.
2. Find a passion, figure out what you love, then follow your heart and your gut instinct from there. Sometimes it will take a while. A professor's opinion, while some can be helpful, is not the end all be all - I wanted to do and loved photography, and tried to take a class but my teacher failed me and told me I wasn't worthy to be a photography major (seriously). Several years later, I own my own business and - yup- do photography for a living! My clients are happy, I'm happy, and, well, I'm just happy.
16
Yes, find a group of friends. Do NOT do what I do and have a huge romance, spend all your time with him or her, and then after the inevitable breakup you don't have any friends from your college days.
10
Just listen to Polonius!
"Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
"Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
33
And while we're at it, read as much Shakespeare as you can. And never -- NEVER -- pass up an opportunity to see one of his plays live.
1
I haven't seen this mentioned a single time, and it is probably the most important part of being successful in college: read all of your syllabi. The professor gives these to you for a reason. If due dates are included, add them to whatever you use to keep track of dates. I'm old school for real: I not only use an electronic calendar but a wall one as well. You never know when your phone may die for whatever reason.
Color code your classes. Have your backpack ready the night before. Get to class on time - each syllabus will tell you how many times you may be late. Don't assume if you come ten minutes late to class every time and you don't hear about it that it is okay. You are not in high school. You may learn that even if you've done outstanding work your A has been cut to a B or lower. If you know you'll be late - for example due to bus route issues, discuss this early, during office hours. I have yet to meet more than one professor that wasn't there to help you.
I agree with the having fun, working, etc. but have your classwork done first. Wait until drop/add to buy your textbooks. You may decide to change courses, or your prof. may not require that you use the book. You have better things to do than stand in line to return the book. If the book you DO buy is shrink wrapped don't open it. Book stores generally will not accept them. Sell your books ASAP unless you want to keep them forever (you won't).
Color code your classes. Have your backpack ready the night before. Get to class on time - each syllabus will tell you how many times you may be late. Don't assume if you come ten minutes late to class every time and you don't hear about it that it is okay. You are not in high school. You may learn that even if you've done outstanding work your A has been cut to a B or lower. If you know you'll be late - for example due to bus route issues, discuss this early, during office hours. I have yet to meet more than one professor that wasn't there to help you.
I agree with the having fun, working, etc. but have your classwork done first. Wait until drop/add to buy your textbooks. You may decide to change courses, or your prof. may not require that you use the book. You have better things to do than stand in line to return the book. If the book you DO buy is shrink wrapped don't open it. Book stores generally will not accept them. Sell your books ASAP unless you want to keep them forever (you won't).
63
You are so right about the syllabus! Not only does it help keep you on track, but sometimes there is a test or assignment that is NEVER mentioned in class, but you'd better know about it and do it. "I didn't know....." is NEVER an excuse.
And I would also like to add: Sit towards the front of the class, especially the large lecture halls. It forces you to pay better attention, to stay awake, and you're not distracted by other students as you would be in the back, where they tend to goof around.
And I would also like to add: Sit towards the front of the class, especially the large lecture halls. It forces you to pay better attention, to stay awake, and you're not distracted by other students as you would be in the back, where they tend to goof around.
10
KNOW YOUR PASSION Whatever you come out of college with, have it reflect your passion. What is that you're interested in that defines who you are? That's because if you choose your major correctly, it will become your lifework. I've studied many things passionately, but not all with equal talent or aptitude. So I've gone with those where I succeeded best. I had a mentor who was very self-effacing and modest, yet he helped me immensely. It was the head of the Spanish department, who appreciated my talent for languages. I chose to major in Linguistics because it was more exotic than Spanish. But had he asked me to do a double major, I probably would have done that.
3
Take notes. Do the work. Don't delay, don't fall behind; it's much harder to catch up than to get the same work done on time. That means plan your time.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is when your brain transfers what you learned from short-term memory to long-term memory. My downfall was going to bed at 2 and 3 in the morning and taking calculus at 8am 4 times a week.
EXERCISE!! Eat less than you think you need. First year is stressful; students tend to overeat, underexercise, gain weight and feel lousy (both physically and emotionally) about it. That means you need to plan time not only for study, and that campus job, and a social life, but getting out and burning up calories.
Learn to do laundry, clean your room, and a few other dull, mundane chores. Because they're done with your hands, not your mind, doing them provides time for you to think freely and introspect. You'll be happier if you're not living in a pigsty. Your room will be more attractive to whomever you invite over (or overnite). And it's good preparation for living on your own or with future roommates.
Take courses outside your typical range of interests. You'll meet course distribution requirements, challenge yourself, and just might find some fantastic new field of study.
Find professors with good reputations for stimulating courses and take courses with them. Take some deliberately tough courses to prove to you and others you can do it. Don't overload yourself. Join study groups.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is when your brain transfers what you learned from short-term memory to long-term memory. My downfall was going to bed at 2 and 3 in the morning and taking calculus at 8am 4 times a week.
EXERCISE!! Eat less than you think you need. First year is stressful; students tend to overeat, underexercise, gain weight and feel lousy (both physically and emotionally) about it. That means you need to plan time not only for study, and that campus job, and a social life, but getting out and burning up calories.
Learn to do laundry, clean your room, and a few other dull, mundane chores. Because they're done with your hands, not your mind, doing them provides time for you to think freely and introspect. You'll be happier if you're not living in a pigsty. Your room will be more attractive to whomever you invite over (or overnite). And it's good preparation for living on your own or with future roommates.
Take courses outside your typical range of interests. You'll meet course distribution requirements, challenge yourself, and just might find some fantastic new field of study.
Find professors with good reputations for stimulating courses and take courses with them. Take some deliberately tough courses to prove to you and others you can do it. Don't overload yourself. Join study groups.
22
Much to our surprise, one of our daughters graduated Phi Beta Kappa from a UC. During her high school years we wondered if she even had the academic ability to graduate from college.
Her secret: "Attend and participate in all classes, read course material, complete every assignment, get to know a few professors, and save partying for the weekends."
Who knew?
Her secret: "Attend and participate in all classes, read course material, complete every assignment, get to know a few professors, and save partying for the weekends."
Who knew?
26
Don't take out loans.
You don't know if you'll get sick or be in an accident or if someday your future spouse or children will need very expensive health care or you will need to pay for a caregiver to your 90 year old mother. If that happens, you'll watch interest piling up on those loans you can't possibly pay and it will eat the rest of your life.
Nobody who arranges the loans for you is going to tell you that. But it's true. And no one is promised they'll be lucky.
Go to a state school part time, work your way through. Whatever you have to do to avoid the trap of taking on student loan debt. Never take on debt you can't discharge in bankruptcy if suddenly your life and finances are no longer manageable.
The whole system governing student loans is totally broken, opaque, dishonest and bitterly unforgiving.
You don't know if you'll get sick or be in an accident or if someday your future spouse or children will need very expensive health care or you will need to pay for a caregiver to your 90 year old mother. If that happens, you'll watch interest piling up on those loans you can't possibly pay and it will eat the rest of your life.
Nobody who arranges the loans for you is going to tell you that. But it's true. And no one is promised they'll be lucky.
Go to a state school part time, work your way through. Whatever you have to do to avoid the trap of taking on student loan debt. Never take on debt you can't discharge in bankruptcy if suddenly your life and finances are no longer manageable.
The whole system governing student loans is totally broken, opaque, dishonest and bitterly unforgiving.
15
State school is good, first two years at a community college is even better. I got a great start there - classes are smaller, but usually still first rate. CHEAPER. Don't think they are just 13th grade, they must prove they are giving you a learning experience much as a four year school, and most state universities will accept your credits as if you started there.
14
I used to tell my college students the best advice I myself have ever heard about how to handle your college education: Diligently seek out the best teacher you can find; it doesn't matter what the subject is. Introduce yourself, then sit at his/her feet for a year and get to know everything he/she has to offer, including conduct and interpersonal skills. Then seek out a second teacher, a third, and a fourth. When you graduate, you will possess an unique array of high-quality perspectives and models for your onward journey.
36
Bless you, Brittanie Lewis. Words of wisdom from someone so young, that would have made my first year better long ago.
28
Don't be intimidated by the professors. If you have questions or concerns, never be afraid to communicate with the professor, even if that person is not open to it, you will at least feel good for having tried and for having been honest. Most professors are open to this type of communication in my experience. I regret the times I was too fearful or felt too much like an idiot to ask for clarification, etc..
13
Take the time to explore the core classes (often part of requirements) before jumping into a major. That one class you ended up taking which you didn't want to take might lead you to your major. Also, don't expect to graduate in four years although that is the expected time. Take your time to learn and understand the world around you. And finally, please raise your hand in class. Although you might sound like an idiot in your own head, someone, perhaps your professor, might see your point and understand the logic behind your answer.
-Samrin Hasib, Hunter College '17
-Samrin Hasib, Hunter College '17
7
With 62% of all college students now being women it should not be statistically speaking surprize that a majority of published suggestions of "old" students are women.
Yet, a quick scan of those indicates that the percentage is (much, much?) higher than those 62%.
Men are now silent minority, underrepresented half of our nation even here and in college in general (while it is still to a great extent truth that college degree = passport to better life and better career).
Nonethless, girls and women only prep schools and colleges, "send-your-daughter-to-college" programs, foundations, set-asides, books, etc. outnumber those for boy and men (unless they happened to belong to preferred minority, i.e. not Far East Asians) about 20:1.
Yet there are no protests, no marches, no riots, no editorials in media, no politician sees the issue as potential vote getter.
Yet, a quick scan of those indicates that the percentage is (much, much?) higher than those 62%.
Men are now silent minority, underrepresented half of our nation even here and in college in general (while it is still to a great extent truth that college degree = passport to better life and better career).
Nonethless, girls and women only prep schools and colleges, "send-your-daughter-to-college" programs, foundations, set-asides, books, etc. outnumber those for boy and men (unless they happened to belong to preferred minority, i.e. not Far East Asians) about 20:1.
Yet there are no protests, no marches, no riots, no editorials in media, no politician sees the issue as potential vote getter.
2
Young women are there because they study, do the work, and compete. Young men who are willing to put in the hours and learn the material will find that many colleges are looking for them. They have too many young women and would like some men!
11
Do you think you were treated unfairly? What was your grade point average in high school? What were your SAT scores? Did you participate in extracurricular activities? Did you do the work? It is true that economic status. racial profile and male sex no longer guarantee you a place at the college of your choice. You have to do the work. And, you have to be a positive person, without a drug history or
criminal history. Did you drink a lot in high school? Did your teachers respect you? Teacher's recommendations count.
Your bitterness suggests that you think you were discriminated against. But I doubt it. Your sense of entitlement alone would make me hesitate to recommend you.
criminal history. Did you drink a lot in high school? Did your teachers respect you? Teacher's recommendations count.
Your bitterness suggests that you think you were discriminated against. But I doubt it. Your sense of entitlement alone would make me hesitate to recommend you.
11
So many good comments!
If a TA or Prof tells you that you're seriously good at something, listen to them and consider it. Your friends may think having an ability to code is boring and laughable, but learn to follow your talents.
If you're in class with an adult returned-to-school, see if you can befriend them. Likely they'll have a great work ethic and different assumptions about the world than you, they'll probably make great lab or team assignment partners and you've just extended your family. 20 years later, I'm still good friends with a former fellow student whom I met when I was twice his age. The good works both ways.
If a TA or Prof tells you that you're seriously good at something, listen to them and consider it. Your friends may think having an ability to code is boring and laughable, but learn to follow your talents.
If you're in class with an adult returned-to-school, see if you can befriend them. Likely they'll have a great work ethic and different assumptions about the world than you, they'll probably make great lab or team assignment partners and you've just extended your family. 20 years later, I'm still good friends with a former fellow student whom I met when I was twice his age. The good works both ways.
21
I cannot endorse this enough. I took night classes with adult students who worked day jobs . They were serious with no time to waste and made the best study partners! And I didn't like taking early AM classes anyway so win win!
1
This is such amazing advice on how to make preparations when attending new school & collages. One major role for you to be sure to do, is to always be on time for your classes, study, and be prepared for anything thrown or given. Don't be influenced by others, pick the right crowds wisely, and most important stay focused.
6
High marks don't come intuitively, they come from hard work.
This is my prescription for academic success: be prepared to take the final exam in every class you're in during a semester, at any time during the semester.
For me, it required treating my course work like I had a job- the job being to ace the course.
This in turn required understanding everything I had been taught on a current basis because usually knowledge of any given discipline is like building something- if the foundation is weak the walls will eventually collapse. In this regard, if something in a lecture confused me I would go to the professor at his/her next office hours to figure out what I was confused about.
I would take copious notes in class and outline them right afterwards, while they were still fresh in my mind. Professors tend to like to hear their opinions reflected in papers and exams.
At least once a week I would go over all my outlines to make certain I understood and had generally memorized them.
With this approach, although I was not the smartest person in my college or graduate school, I finished at the top of my class.
A final word of advice: in undergraduate school take a wide range of classes in the humanities. This will usually be your only chance to think "big thoughts" about existence and you'll have graduate school and the rest of your life to grind on the knowledge you are required to have in your given vocation.
"Epicanthic eye folds" in North American Indians anyone?
This is my prescription for academic success: be prepared to take the final exam in every class you're in during a semester, at any time during the semester.
For me, it required treating my course work like I had a job- the job being to ace the course.
This in turn required understanding everything I had been taught on a current basis because usually knowledge of any given discipline is like building something- if the foundation is weak the walls will eventually collapse. In this regard, if something in a lecture confused me I would go to the professor at his/her next office hours to figure out what I was confused about.
I would take copious notes in class and outline them right afterwards, while they were still fresh in my mind. Professors tend to like to hear their opinions reflected in papers and exams.
At least once a week I would go over all my outlines to make certain I understood and had generally memorized them.
With this approach, although I was not the smartest person in my college or graduate school, I finished at the top of my class.
A final word of advice: in undergraduate school take a wide range of classes in the humanities. This will usually be your only chance to think "big thoughts" about existence and you'll have graduate school and the rest of your life to grind on the knowledge you are required to have in your given vocation.
"Epicanthic eye folds" in North American Indians anyone?
15
Find the research labs, figure out what they're investigating. Find one or two doing things that you think sound cool and go hang around them. Make friends with the grad students who run them (bring food). Offer to do work for them like take measurements or other routine boring procedures. Project work is where you will learn the most and make the most connections to help you post-college. If you integrate yourself now, your junior and senior years will be infinitely better for it.
9
Get a job. The extra spending money is nice for beer, but working fifteen/twenty hours a week will make you a better time manger. You will have less time to get in trouble and more time to focus on what is actually important-studying, making friends, and exploring your interests.
Working in the service industry is humbling and will definitely build character. You'll pick up skills valuable to any career. I worked through college and just graduated feeling more prepared for the realities of the real world than most of my peers.
Working in the service industry is humbling and will definitely build character. You'll pick up skills valuable to any career. I worked through college and just graduated feeling more prepared for the realities of the real world than most of my peers.
9
Don't wait for someone to hand you a degree to start being a professional. Whatever it is you'd like to do with your life, start doing it in college. Want to own a business? Find a small business and start working there part time in exchange for shadowing the owner. Want to be a writer? Walk into a newsroom or publishing house and see if they need someone to run errands. Look for opportunities there to contribute. Want to be a teacher? Volunteer at a school. Life doesn't magically appear when you graduate, you have to build it. Take small steps while you're still in school toward the career you want, and you'll be much better off in the long run.
14
If you are not living at home and are really 'away', away from parents, boy/girl friends, high school friends, remain away. Live a new life with new people and new surroundings and new experiences. Don't call, don't text, don't return until the holidays. Stay away and become an independent adult able to work thru issues that will arise without the easy crutch of your folks and former friends.
You can always return to those past relationships later after you have matured and really become you. But for now, learn to stand on your own two feet. And study like you have never studied before. Good luck.
You can always return to those past relationships later after you have matured and really become you. But for now, learn to stand on your own two feet. And study like you have never studied before. Good luck.
9
1. The freshman 15 is very real. Colleges have food easily available at most hours, not all of it the best for you, pay attention to what you eat, how much of it, and how often.
2. Don’t go home every weekend.
3. Keep your dorm room door open when you’re there (within reason), you’ll be surprised who you’ll meet.
4. If you don’t want to go to house and frat parties don’t go; I rarely hear anyone say they wish they would have partied more in college.
2. Don’t go home every weekend.
3. Keep your dorm room door open when you’re there (within reason), you’ll be surprised who you’ll meet.
4. If you don’t want to go to house and frat parties don’t go; I rarely hear anyone say they wish they would have partied more in college.
12
Be nice to the cafeteria staff, especially if it's full of fellow students. Better yet, work in one of your school's dining halls. You'll seriously learn to appreciate the hard work that goes into preparing your food, and you won't ever be mean to a food service worker again once you've gone through that experience.
5
Make connections, friendships and mentors. Never limit yourself to the people you can, and hopefully will meet, and where they can take you. Everyone has a different story to tell and wisdom to give - even if it's just the quiet kid who sits next to you in your general studies freshman year course. Connections will give you places, friendships will give you memories, a voice and lessons (good and bad), & mentors will push you, open your mind and guide you.
Don't keep yourself from saying hello to anyone you meet. Really, those relationships surround you.
- Olivia Robin, Elon University, Class of 2016
Don't keep yourself from saying hello to anyone you meet. Really, those relationships surround you.
- Olivia Robin, Elon University, Class of 2016
6
Recognize that your primary purpose should be to learn how to learn; to learn to think critically and make connections. Content is a means to an end. If you truly understand this, then being "wrong" is highly productive, if you learn from it. Being silent or thinking there is only one "right" method to an end will be your burden over the long term. Enjoy the journey -- its a very quick one.
7
Academic advice: read the book or other assigned reading before the lecture. Then when the professor asks "Any questions?" you'll be ready with your question. Read first, go to every class, read again, outline the material, study before exams. Exposing yourself to the material three more more times will really help.
REad the experiment before lab: you'll save time and succeed in your lab.
REad the experiment before lab: you'll save time and succeed in your lab.
11
Take the time to learn a bit of everything, rather than focus too narrowly. You may never have the opportunity to take a class in French literature or entomology so easily again. If you don't already know how, learn to turn up a hem, sew a button, make a red sauce and a white sauce, wrap an ankle, treat a cold, identify a flower or a bird, read an insurance form or a lease...college is a great time to learn to live independently, think independently, and realize the future holds not just a job, but your whole life. G Smith, Cornell University, class of 1980
14
Some great suggestions have already been mentioned in the article. I am a retired Engineer. Choose the subjects purely of your interest because you are the one who faces the music. If you have already taken some subjects on the advice of your parents and if those subjects don't interest you, better change them immediately lest you will repent throughout your life. I committed the same mistake. So, please don't do it.
Friends make and break one's life. So choose correct friends. Displine in life is very important, more so in the case of financial displine. So be grounded and be very careful.
Majority of students more or less have same level of intelligence. Very few are more intelligent. They need not work hard that much and all others have to work hard more. Please understand the difference between hardworking and hardly working and never hesitate to seek help from intelligent and good friends and Professors if required. You will do better.
Lastly, understand the difference between smiling at others rather than laughing at others
Friends make and break one's life. So choose correct friends. Displine in life is very important, more so in the case of financial displine. So be grounded and be very careful.
Majority of students more or less have same level of intelligence. Very few are more intelligent. They need not work hard that much and all others have to work hard more. Please understand the difference between hardworking and hardly working and never hesitate to seek help from intelligent and good friends and Professors if required. You will do better.
Lastly, understand the difference between smiling at others rather than laughing at others
13
Great great advice. The last line is a zinger and so true.
Get to know the people who run your school. Of course the deans are important but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the cafeteria staff, the grounda crew, the maintenance workers, and the men and women who clean your dorms. These people work tirelessly so that you can have an extraordinary experience at college. So my advice to you is to appreciate and respect these hard workers. By doing so, you not only show respect, you also get some hidden benefits. The cafeteria staff loaded a bit more on my plate, the maintenance workers fixed issues in my room in a jiffy, and the grounds crew shoveled me out in a snowstorm. I not only received great treatment, I also made some lasting friendships. So treat the staff like family and they will do the same.
22
I went to college and post-grad school for too many years. But they were fun.
Here is the absolutely BEST advice that I can give students. First of all, never cheat. Cheating sets you up for more cheating and bad karma and that will come back to haunt you in many ways in future years. The second piece of advice is crucial- make a point to get to know your professors. When they hold student hours, go to them with your questions, and listen to the other student's questions. Not will they appreciate your interest, but will steer you in the direction that the tests will take. As far as tests go, apart from not cheating and talking to the professor, try to get old tests put out by the profs. They can be VERY useful.
Here is the absolutely BEST advice that I can give students. First of all, never cheat. Cheating sets you up for more cheating and bad karma and that will come back to haunt you in many ways in future years. The second piece of advice is crucial- make a point to get to know your professors. When they hold student hours, go to them with your questions, and listen to the other student's questions. Not will they appreciate your interest, but will steer you in the direction that the tests will take. As far as tests go, apart from not cheating and talking to the professor, try to get old tests put out by the profs. They can be VERY useful.
2
Would that our so-called political leaders read these comments...especially don't get stuck and others. As a retired academic counselor who worked for years with incoming students and students struggling to succeed, I would recommend these comments highly to everyone. some not so much, but they all point to issues and options out there...and to solutions for a great amount of angst.
These voices should truly embarrass the Scott Walkers of the world with their closed views of higher education and the lives students face as they seek out their directions
These voices should truly embarrass the Scott Walkers of the world with their closed views of higher education and the lives students face as they seek out their directions
24
1. Join groups. Lots of 'em. You won't stay in most of them. That's perfectly ok. Find out one or two or three things you want to commit to and commit to them.
2. Talk to lots of people, even if it's small talk, even if it's awkward. Show an interest in who they are and what they do. You don't have to be deeply close with most of them and you won't want to anyway, but it will help make campus feel like a community.
3. Go to office hours (and try to make an appointment, though showing up is ok too sometimes). Make a list of questions you want to ask, but be willing to let the conversation go elsewhere. Sometimes it will be awkward and some professors will be more interested in you than others. Keep going. Gravitate towards the former.
4. Write lists of yearly, semester, monthly, and weekly goals. Then write reflections on how you did. Keep a journal. Try to write every day, but no less than once a week. Write how you feel. You will almost always feel better after.
5. It's ok to fail. Sometimes is the most productive thing you can do. You will fail a lot, so keep practicing. Don't just criticize, analyze. Talk to you're friends often about how you're doing. Ask them the same.
6. If you are not 100% sure that both you and your partner(s) are comfortable with a sexual act, don't do it (talking to you, guys). Seriously, 100%. Ask if ______ is ok. Ask frequently. This will not be nearly as awkward as you think it might be.
Mike Stivers, Hunter College Class of 2015
2. Talk to lots of people, even if it's small talk, even if it's awkward. Show an interest in who they are and what they do. You don't have to be deeply close with most of them and you won't want to anyway, but it will help make campus feel like a community.
3. Go to office hours (and try to make an appointment, though showing up is ok too sometimes). Make a list of questions you want to ask, but be willing to let the conversation go elsewhere. Sometimes it will be awkward and some professors will be more interested in you than others. Keep going. Gravitate towards the former.
4. Write lists of yearly, semester, monthly, and weekly goals. Then write reflections on how you did. Keep a journal. Try to write every day, but no less than once a week. Write how you feel. You will almost always feel better after.
5. It's ok to fail. Sometimes is the most productive thing you can do. You will fail a lot, so keep practicing. Don't just criticize, analyze. Talk to you're friends often about how you're doing. Ask them the same.
6. If you are not 100% sure that both you and your partner(s) are comfortable with a sexual act, don't do it (talking to you, guys). Seriously, 100%. Ask if ______ is ok. Ask frequently. This will not be nearly as awkward as you think it might be.
Mike Stivers, Hunter College Class of 2015
48
All true - continue these suggestions in life post college !
Vassar College 90'
Vassar College 90'
1
Ask a bunch of upperclassmen which professor helped them understand the most important ideas they've ever learned in class. Take a class from the name that comes up the most, even if it's a subject that has nothing to do with what you want to major in.
42
And forgive yourself for not graduating summa or magna.
What do they call the person who graduates at the bottom of the class?
"A Graduate."
Your experience is yours, Make the most of it when you can; and keep in mind that it's about the journey, as well as the destination (the cap and gown.)
What do they call the person who graduates at the bottom of the class?
"A Graduate."
Your experience is yours, Make the most of it when you can; and keep in mind that it's about the journey, as well as the destination (the cap and gown.)
8
You should forgive yourself for not graduating summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude. But you should absolutely work hard to get good grades. Traditionally, a "C" is supposed to be an "average" grade. In today's college environment, it is not. Many departments deliberately maintain class GPAs of 3.0 or 3.2 - in other words, "B" to "B+" or even "A-" averages. It may be true that "C's get degrees," but they don't get good jobs, and they don't get into grad school. A close friend of mine graduated with a 2.95 GPA, which kept him from getting anything but a low-paying hourly job that is only distantly related to his studies.
Go to office hours. Come with a focused set of questions. You might even want to write them down.
2
"...be ready to fight for anything you need, whether it's permission to take a class, correcting a grade..."
Going to the administration to correct a grade? Seriously?
Going to the administration to correct a grade? Seriously?
2
I hope they mean when there was an actual clerical error or computer mess-up-- not dickering over the grade they earned.
1
Participate in one non-academic regular activity. Artistic, sport, service, etc. It can expose you to people outside your major or even off campus.
Interview older adults about their path to their present career.
Interview older adults about their path to their present career.
2
Social interaction is overrated. You are there to LEARN, not to become friends with the entire world. Make a few good friends who are as smart or smarter than you and study with them. Keep your network of friends small and strong, not wide and weak.
Never, ever, skip a class or homework assignment! Use notebooks, not laptops. Use your cell phone camera if you must, but always transcribe everything on the board onto paper.
Set time aside to relax, rest your mind.
Eat healthy!!! (This was the hardest when I was in grad school.)
Even if you understand everything in a clasd, go regularly to office hours. Put in face time with your professors. They are the ones who will write recommendations for you.
See if you can get undergraduate assistantships helping out with labs, research projects etc. This will be extremely important for your future. If you can afford it, volunteer to help in projects that interest you.
If you are dumb enough to do drugs or alcohol, don't kill anyone by DUI. You will probably remove yourself from the gene pool soon anyway, just make sure not to take someone else too.
Enjoy the experience, it is a once in a lifetime deal...
Never, ever, skip a class or homework assignment! Use notebooks, not laptops. Use your cell phone camera if you must, but always transcribe everything on the board onto paper.
Set time aside to relax, rest your mind.
Eat healthy!!! (This was the hardest when I was in grad school.)
Even if you understand everything in a clasd, go regularly to office hours. Put in face time with your professors. They are the ones who will write recommendations for you.
See if you can get undergraduate assistantships helping out with labs, research projects etc. This will be extremely important for your future. If you can afford it, volunteer to help in projects that interest you.
If you are dumb enough to do drugs or alcohol, don't kill anyone by DUI. You will probably remove yourself from the gene pool soon anyway, just make sure not to take someone else too.
Enjoy the experience, it is a once in a lifetime deal...
15
"It's impossible to focus in class if you are 'taking notes' with a laptop." Amen. As a professor myself, I have banned laptop use in class, as have many of my colleagues.
30
Put your cell phone in your backpack, purse, whatever. You may think the professor doesn't notice, but s/he certainly does.
6
Advice from a professor:
DO THE WORK. College, despite what naysayers will have you believe, is really not that much different from the rest of your life: the only reliable way to get ahead is to actually do the work. Show up to class, do the reading/homework, study hard. Do this and most classes will feel 'easy' (baring, you know, abstract maths, etc.)...seriously!
If you have to write an essay do not leave it until the last minute. Give yourself time...even if it is just a day or two...to EDIT your work. Most essays are pretty poor right off the assembly line. Editing is what separates B and C work from A work. Yes, you can reliably get good grades if you put the time in.
Advice from a former student:
There is no such thing as a 'typical' college experience. The 'college experience' you see in Hollywood movies is every bit as real and authentic as everything else Hollywood churns out (i.e. it isn't). Unless you are from the leisured class and attend a big university your college experience will probably be a lot more 'low key' (but so much more humanizing!). Take your time, build friendships (you really will know these people for the rest of your lives), take the opportunity to sit around and philosophize, hypothesize or even exorcise if need be! After college a lot of people put their heads down and race towards middle-aged myopia. Expand your mind/world-view while you still can! It just might change your life...
DO THE WORK. College, despite what naysayers will have you believe, is really not that much different from the rest of your life: the only reliable way to get ahead is to actually do the work. Show up to class, do the reading/homework, study hard. Do this and most classes will feel 'easy' (baring, you know, abstract maths, etc.)...seriously!
If you have to write an essay do not leave it until the last minute. Give yourself time...even if it is just a day or two...to EDIT your work. Most essays are pretty poor right off the assembly line. Editing is what separates B and C work from A work. Yes, you can reliably get good grades if you put the time in.
Advice from a former student:
There is no such thing as a 'typical' college experience. The 'college experience' you see in Hollywood movies is every bit as real and authentic as everything else Hollywood churns out (i.e. it isn't). Unless you are from the leisured class and attend a big university your college experience will probably be a lot more 'low key' (but so much more humanizing!). Take your time, build friendships (you really will know these people for the rest of your lives), take the opportunity to sit around and philosophize, hypothesize or even exorcise if need be! After college a lot of people put their heads down and race towards middle-aged myopia. Expand your mind/world-view while you still can! It just might change your life...
11
Starting college is like writing a book. You can have it go whatever way you want. It is an empty slate, nobody knows what you are made of, and you have the ability to be whoever you want to be provided that you put in the effort. Try your best every day. Hit the cover off the ball at every opportunity, and always try your best.
The biggest thing that I learned my freshman year was how to get up after being knocked over. Sometimes, you try as hard as you can, and it is just not good enough. The best thing you could do might still come up a little short. Do not give up. Keep going. Eventually, a door will open and you will see the fruits of your labor.
You make your own choices, and those choices make you.
The biggest thing that I learned my freshman year was how to get up after being knocked over. Sometimes, you try as hard as you can, and it is just not good enough. The best thing you could do might still come up a little short. Do not give up. Keep going. Eventually, a door will open and you will see the fruits of your labor.
You make your own choices, and those choices make you.
6
I speak as a university instructor.
Don't be afraid to take classes you think you have no interest in - the point of college is to try out things. And you may be surprised. Ask who are the most inspiring teachers and be sure to take a class from them, no matter what the subject. Also take classes where you don't agree with the faculty's politics. Good ones will let students engage, and you can better clarify your opinions.
We as faculty get many many students who think the way they get what they want is to demand it. It is fine, and advisable to ask if something is possible; you never know if you don't ask. But demanding I add you to a class is the best way to go to the bottom of the list.
Most faculty are human (I have known a few who I wonder about). We understand when real personal issues occur. But tell us as early as possible so that we can work something out, not at the last minute (or often after the last minute).
And have fun. College can be a wonderful experience. And getting straight A's is a lot less important than learning how to think, and to experience new things.
Don't be afraid to take classes you think you have no interest in - the point of college is to try out things. And you may be surprised. Ask who are the most inspiring teachers and be sure to take a class from them, no matter what the subject. Also take classes where you don't agree with the faculty's politics. Good ones will let students engage, and you can better clarify your opinions.
We as faculty get many many students who think the way they get what they want is to demand it. It is fine, and advisable to ask if something is possible; you never know if you don't ask. But demanding I add you to a class is the best way to go to the bottom of the list.
Most faculty are human (I have known a few who I wonder about). We understand when real personal issues occur. But tell us as early as possible so that we can work something out, not at the last minute (or often after the last minute).
And have fun. College can be a wonderful experience. And getting straight A's is a lot less important than learning how to think, and to experience new things.
11
The first 2-3 weeks of a semester, the material is usually easier and it's more likely you can earn a good grade on the first test/paper. This is especially true in math/statistics courses, where more complex concepts are built on basics presented in the first weeks.
So give it your best effort early and establish a good baseline. It will cushion the blow of a later poor score. You will also make a good impression on teachers, who may cut you some slack later if they see that you have worked hard at first.
So give it your best effort early and establish a good baseline. It will cushion the blow of a later poor score. You will also make a good impression on teachers, who may cut you some slack later if they see that you have worked hard at first.
8
1. Go abroad for a semester. Assuming you behave reasonably well, you will never regret it.
2. Don't expect profs to accommodate unreasonable requests. Yes, that means if you have a Friday afternoon flight and a Friday afternoon test, plan on rescheduling the flight.
3. Be patient. Do the work and do the time and you'll be fine.
2. Don't expect profs to accommodate unreasonable requests. Yes, that means if you have a Friday afternoon flight and a Friday afternoon test, plan on rescheduling the flight.
3. Be patient. Do the work and do the time and you'll be fine.
6
Go to class. Ask questions. Take part in discussions. Be curious: that is actually more important than knowing things, is to want to know them. Engage!
Your professor has lost count of the number of students whose grandparents have died. Regrettably, if in your case the story is true, she will not believe you. She might pretend to; but she won't. The same goes for most of the other stories.
Ask for help before you are drowning. We get paid to help you. By the time you have missed 6 classes and an essay is 2 weeks late, the damage might be past remedy.
Your professor has lost count of the number of students whose grandparents have died. Regrettably, if in your case the story is true, she will not believe you. She might pretend to; but she won't. The same goes for most of the other stories.
Ask for help before you are drowning. We get paid to help you. By the time you have missed 6 classes and an essay is 2 weeks late, the damage might be past remedy.
13
Use your voice. When I was in undergrad, I never spoke up or discussed with the professors any issues I was having with the class or assignments. It's imperative that you be proactive in your education and be responsible for yourself and what you understand, or don't for that matter. As a grad student in my thirties, college is a relatively different experience than it was in my twenties.
Being proactive in your education is very important, if you want to open up opportunities for yourself in the future. Developing relationships with your professors as well as other students in your class could lead to multiple opportunities in the years ahead. Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind or to disagree with something in college that doesn't work for you. It's your education and your experience, you should be proactive in ensuring that you have the best educational experience in college possible. You are investing in your future so make it worth while.
Being proactive in your education is very important, if you want to open up opportunities for yourself in the future. Developing relationships with your professors as well as other students in your class could lead to multiple opportunities in the years ahead. Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind or to disagree with something in college that doesn't work for you. It's your education and your experience, you should be proactive in ensuring that you have the best educational experience in college possible. You are investing in your future so make it worth while.
5
Remember that your voice has tremendous value. Be your best advocate, believe with unrelenting might in your instincts, and come at every challenge from a place of joy, and not fear. Seek out professors and researchers in your field of interest and build professional relationships of value. Enjoy these years of learning, communicating, connecting, and creating.
3
Attend class, sit near the front, take good notes, GO TO OFFICE HOURS and try to build some kind of relationship with your professors, particularly those of difficult classes - a professor who knows how hard you've been working is more willing to grant you a little leniency if you end up needing it. If you have a condition that would make you eligible for testing accommodations, set up an accommodation plan ASAP at the beginning of the school year and NOT after you've had your first test.
Also, learn your alcohol limit and then don't go past it.
Also, learn your alcohol limit and then don't go past it.
9
Get some rest. As one of those who many years ago worked a 50 hour a week job all through undergraduate plus took a full load so I graduated in 3 1/2 years, my biggest joy was sleep. Second, time management. Don't let the lure of others knock you off your schedule but do schedule a little fun now and again. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Most instructors want to help you succeed. For parents and students, you are going to college. You are supposed to be an adult. Act like one and do all your homework before you actually select a school. Lastly, don't let your peer group from high school necessarily influence your decision. Be your own person and be selfish. Do what you want to do. In some 40 years of advising college students, the biggest challenge for a student away from home is going home again. All too often we would hear students tell us (my wife and I), that they go home and hear from their parents or their former peers that they are too uppity and too good for us. Why did you go away to X college?
3
College is important but it is only one component of a full life. If you are a high-achieving student, learn how to deal with struggle and failure. Learn how to evaluate yourself in terms aside from your GPA. If you are struggling with school, keep focused on learning and don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether you are in school to party, get a job, or learn about the meaning of life, keep trying to grow. Check in with yourself every semester and see if you are meeting your own goals--not only someone else's. You may feel you HAVE to be there, but you may as well also get things out of it that matter to you.
4
Advice for the parents:
1. Before you buy sheets, know whether the mattress will be Twin Regular or Twin XL.
2. Watch carefully for required financial forms (warning: Health Insurance Waivers!) which may be hidden in your student’s chaotic college email among dozens of invites to mixers and dorm parties.
3. Ask veteran parents whether there are any glitchy malfunctions you need to know about concerning the college's tuition payment system.
4. Remember that all the furniture and clothing you haul up to school (plus more!) will have to be hauled back on a day when everyone is even hotter and more rushed.
Enjoy!
1. Before you buy sheets, know whether the mattress will be Twin Regular or Twin XL.
2. Watch carefully for required financial forms (warning: Health Insurance Waivers!) which may be hidden in your student’s chaotic college email among dozens of invites to mixers and dorm parties.
3. Ask veteran parents whether there are any glitchy malfunctions you need to know about concerning the college's tuition payment system.
4. Remember that all the furniture and clothing you haul up to school (plus more!) will have to be hauled back on a day when everyone is even hotter and more rushed.
Enjoy!
8
And possibly.....taking multiple daily facetime calls from your student might mean you can't let her go. And she needs to solve situations (like abusive roommates) on her own. I am surprised no roommate discussion here.
2
There's some great advice in the article, but I really disagree with the last comment about graduating early. I graduated from college in 3 years (rather than the expected 4) and I'm very glad I did. I saved my parents money and I got a scholarship that meant I did the equivalent of a junior year abroad after graduation at no cost to me/my family. Many of my friends were burnt out after the end of their senior year -- one even went to work on a cruise ship for a year to decompress! I didn't get to the burnt out phase.
The only small regret I have is that I didn't take a wider range of courses. My college offered a much wider range of options than my high school, but I don't think I took more than one course in those three years that wasn't from a department where I had taken an AP class (or at least an equivalent class in high school). I wish I'd been a bit more adventurous in my courses. (This advice is for people in settings where taking outside courses isn't going to jeopardise your ability to graduate in the normal timescale. Large state universitied -- I can't give advice there.)
The only small regret I have is that I didn't take a wider range of courses. My college offered a much wider range of options than my high school, but I don't think I took more than one course in those three years that wasn't from a department where I had taken an AP class (or at least an equivalent class in high school). I wish I'd been a bit more adventurous in my courses. (This advice is for people in settings where taking outside courses isn't going to jeopardise your ability to graduate in the normal timescale. Large state universitied -- I can't give advice there.)
5
As a professor who was a student not very long ago, here are my two cents worth. Please attend class and please put in the effort, without being too focused on the results. Your GPA is important, but what you learn in class is even more so. And trust me, what you learn will be useful when you get a job.
Ask questions. Come see me in my office during my office hours. It is my job to clarify abstruse material for you. I, as most of my colleagues, like talking to students.
Be regular with your work- it has a nasty habit of creeping up on you at the last minute. Please don't invent excuses for why you cannot finish your assignments at the last minute - don't invoke dead grandparents, lost/stolen cars, "personal" reasons. And please don't ask for extra credit AFTER grades are posted. It is insulting to those of your peers who bothered to compete their work on time.
Ask questions. Come see me in my office during my office hours. It is my job to clarify abstruse material for you. I, as most of my colleagues, like talking to students.
Be regular with your work- it has a nasty habit of creeping up on you at the last minute. Please don't invent excuses for why you cannot finish your assignments at the last minute - don't invoke dead grandparents, lost/stolen cars, "personal" reasons. And please don't ask for extra credit AFTER grades are posted. It is insulting to those of your peers who bothered to compete their work on time.
31
When the title said old students, at first I thought '18 meant 1918!
8
I'm pretty sure most, if not all, humans who graduated from college in 1918 are deceased.
1
I have to agree with you there. The title led me to this belief. Students who haven't graduated yet are hardly "old" students.
TOP TEN LIST
1. Do not miss ANY lectures. Sit in the first three rows.
2. Take notes during lecture. Review the notes later.
3. Make outlines of the material prior to exams.
4. Do not cram for exams. Start studying 1 week in advance, reviewing a little each day. Research has shown that retention of crammed material is short term.
5. Get 8 hours of sleep a night.
6. Have a weekly schedule.
7. Turn off electronic devices during study. Do not confuse texting etc. while studying with quality study time.
8. If you do reasonable time planning and don't waste time with excessive electronic communication, you can have it all (i.e. getting good grades and having fun).
9. Do not copy hw problems. Do them without looking at the solutions.
1. Do not miss ANY lectures. Sit in the first three rows.
2. Take notes during lecture. Review the notes later.
3. Make outlines of the material prior to exams.
4. Do not cram for exams. Start studying 1 week in advance, reviewing a little each day. Research has shown that retention of crammed material is short term.
5. Get 8 hours of sleep a night.
6. Have a weekly schedule.
7. Turn off electronic devices during study. Do not confuse texting etc. while studying with quality study time.
8. If you do reasonable time planning and don't waste time with excessive electronic communication, you can have it all (i.e. getting good grades and having fun).
9. Do not copy hw problems. Do them without looking at the solutions.
12
This should be cross-stitched on a sampler and hung in every dorm room, and a framed copy should be sent to every parent:
"Expect the administration not to care about you. You’re a single yellow hanging folder in an ocean of student folders, so be ready to fight for anything you need"
Some students and their parents relapse all the way to pre-K in their expectations. No, the administration will not "keep an eye on" your student. No, you won't get what you want by whining. No, your problems are not more serious than everyone else's—get back in line.
"Expect the administration not to care about you. You’re a single yellow hanging folder in an ocean of student folders, so be ready to fight for anything you need"
Some students and their parents relapse all the way to pre-K in their expectations. No, the administration will not "keep an eye on" your student. No, you won't get what you want by whining. No, your problems are not more serious than everyone else's—get back in line.
5
Take extensive notes during class by hand in a notebook--do not use a laptop and NEVER use your phone in class unless the professor suggests looking something up. Keep focus on the subject matter instead of your gadget.
Do all assigned readings before class and take notes by hand on key points. Generate a few questions as you take notes and ask these questions during class discussion.
When studying for exams, study your class notes and your class reading notes. Create exam questions for yourself and write essays in response, without looking at your notes. Then review notes as you grade your sample exam. Rewrite essay, incorporating what you missed. Repeat until you get it right. Now you are ready to take that exam.
Also make study groups with the students in class who are most engaged-you will learn a lot from each other. Study together in the library. Study alone in the library. Turn phones off in library- and do not allow yourself to check your phone while studying.
Commuter students: get involved on campus-join a club, student government. Do not just take classes and go home. Make friends!
Working students- the best job to have is waiting tables. Excellent for memory and organizational skills, plus you can trade shifts so you can work less when exams come up and more during breaks so you can save up some money. Work Sunday brunch so you can make a chunk of change for the week and you won't be able to have a late night full of regrets and hangovers on Saturday.
Do all assigned readings before class and take notes by hand on key points. Generate a few questions as you take notes and ask these questions during class discussion.
When studying for exams, study your class notes and your class reading notes. Create exam questions for yourself and write essays in response, without looking at your notes. Then review notes as you grade your sample exam. Rewrite essay, incorporating what you missed. Repeat until you get it right. Now you are ready to take that exam.
Also make study groups with the students in class who are most engaged-you will learn a lot from each other. Study together in the library. Study alone in the library. Turn phones off in library- and do not allow yourself to check your phone while studying.
Commuter students: get involved on campus-join a club, student government. Do not just take classes and go home. Make friends!
Working students- the best job to have is waiting tables. Excellent for memory and organizational skills, plus you can trade shifts so you can work less when exams come up and more during breaks so you can save up some money. Work Sunday brunch so you can make a chunk of change for the week and you won't be able to have a late night full of regrets and hangovers on Saturday.
36
Even if the professor hands out notes, and teaches what seems to be exclusively from those notes - put them away and take your own. Compare later. If the professor says you don't need to read the book, read it anyway. I had a philosophy professor who said that. I believed him once. The next test, I read the book and was the only one who PASSED.
2
Of the 25 student comments published, 20 (80%) were female. Clearly a problem with diversity that requires greater outreach to male students.
2
how many were white, hispanic, and catholic? Why does that matter?
I think it may just be that women are more likely to answer those kinds of questions?
2
If you think you don't have sufficient background to do well in a class, don't avoid it just to keep up your GPA. Instead, audit the class one year and then take it the next. This is your one big chance to try out new fields with the guidance of an expert--you can always learn later in life but you won't have a professor to help you once you're out of school.
4
Here's one bit of advice that might seem quint in this Age of Image, but try it anyway: Take people as they are and make friends as an individual. You will, at those schools which feature a 'Greek system', come under a load of pressure to join in, but realise that as bad as the hazing and the expense can be (And that's usually pretty bad), the key thing about these groups is that they're really a 25-8-366 moulding process. You'll hear that many big corporations pretty much insist of hiring 'Greeks', but unless you're comfortable with a controlling group mentality you'd find those jobs to be as much fun as a perpetual hazing. We get to live one life on this rock, as far as I know - why spend it as a virtual prisoner of conformity?
16
Wear a condom.
27
If you're a foreign student or a member of minority group, cultural shock can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. Learning the new culture and reading between the lines can be exhausting.
What to do?
Start with this. You're not alone! View the clips. He makes good points.
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall08/gao/cultureshock.html
What to do?
Start with this. You're not alone! View the clips. He makes good points.
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall08/gao/cultureshock.html
4
Additions/modifications:
1. Do NOT overextend yourself and then shirk your responsibilities; rather, be conscious of not overextending yourself in the first place, and never hesitate to take a step back (not blowing off a day and then going back to the madness, but actually dropping a class, an extracurricular, etc.)
2. Not everybody has lots of opportunities for "casual hookups"! Some of us are freaks, geeks, religious people, introverts, asexuals, non-traditional students who are already married and live off campus...and your college social experience is just as legitimate.
1. Do NOT overextend yourself and then shirk your responsibilities; rather, be conscious of not overextending yourself in the first place, and never hesitate to take a step back (not blowing off a day and then going back to the madness, but actually dropping a class, an extracurricular, etc.)
2. Not everybody has lots of opportunities for "casual hookups"! Some of us are freaks, geeks, religious people, introverts, asexuals, non-traditional students who are already married and live off campus...and your college social experience is just as legitimate.
29
Only 50% of college education takes place in the classroom. Get involved with activities outside the classroom.
Class of 2004.
Class of 2004.
2
Never visited my school until that first Monday morning that I walked onto campus. Take advantage of the school's tours. Some even have 2-3-4 orientations that students stay in the dorms and get to meet some other students. And remember, that you WILL walk a lot (getting exercise and you never even know it.)
3
It's unfortunate the teens who most need this sort of advice are the least self-aware and therefore the least likely to ever follow it.
11
If you're both open and lucky, you will meet people who will become lifelong friends. You will also meet people who make you sad, tired, scared or weary. The most reliable test for differentiating between the two types is this: pay zero attention to what people say, but watch closely what they do.
8
Advice for young students from an old college teacher: Congratulations, you got here! the essay worked, the cover letter worked, the grades were scanned. We know your general qualifications- we've seen thousands like you. Now go to work. Do what students should do- study! read the book. take notes, listen well, participate. Ask questions, come to me for questions- it doesn't mean there's something wrong. You're in the big league now, not HS- I will expect more, but I also realize you're only 18. Just a kid, with no experience and big ideas. Maybe too big. Start by being humble, not the show-off, big guy or gal, the top flight. We've got enough of those, but too few students who just do the work! Your time will come, you'll fit in soon, we'll help if you ask. It's a big world and you won't figure it all out immediately. Just try, fit into the mainstream if you can (gasp-- horrors I know), take it easy. Forget the beer, the drugs, the other sex, the cool style. That's not what you're here for, is it really? You can do that much more cheaply elsewhere. The last thing I need is to watch you nod off in class, fail to turn in assignments, try to just cram for tests, cheat in some subtle ways, all of which I've seen before. Just be yourself, a nice kid, hard working, honest, curious, open, and critically thoughtful. You'll be fine soon.
78
Don't be shy about establishing good relationships with your professors, but careful not to cross respectful boundaries or pretend to know more than you do. Your professors know a lot more about their subject field than you, so don't attempt to come across as their equals, either to the faculty or to your fellow students.
2
1. Do the work, no matter how much or how little the points are worth. In the end, it could make a difference between a C or an A.
2. Know what your professors want and do it their way. Some professors are narcissistic. Just do it they way they want you to and try not to take a class with them again. No one cares if they were unreasonable or unfair. They have tenure. Can't touch them, but they can screw it up for you.
3. Don't take advantage of your professors' niceness. You'll ruin it for future students.
4. Show up for class and participate. Most professors will give you that extra point or two which will bump you to the next grade. But only if you show that you tried hard.
5. Don't act like you know it all. You don't. Give your opinion but don't act like it's fact.
6. Take as many classes as you think you're able to handle with no more than 3 hard and 3 easy classes. Take summer classes. You never know what circumstances might arise that would cause you to quit school; cause you know, life gets in the way sometimes.
7. With that being said, don't quit! Even if it means taking one class at a time.
2. Know what your professors want and do it their way. Some professors are narcissistic. Just do it they way they want you to and try not to take a class with them again. No one cares if they were unreasonable or unfair. They have tenure. Can't touch them, but they can screw it up for you.
3. Don't take advantage of your professors' niceness. You'll ruin it for future students.
4. Show up for class and participate. Most professors will give you that extra point or two which will bump you to the next grade. But only if you show that you tried hard.
5. Don't act like you know it all. You don't. Give your opinion but don't act like it's fact.
6. Take as many classes as you think you're able to handle with no more than 3 hard and 3 easy classes. Take summer classes. You never know what circumstances might arise that would cause you to quit school; cause you know, life gets in the way sometimes.
7. With that being said, don't quit! Even if it means taking one class at a time.
34
If you can have some sort of study abroad experience. I I know that is expensive but you can often go on a bilateral trip with your same tuition. There are also lots of short trips during summer and winter break. Besides there are lots of scholarship opportunities for it and then else will you get paid to travel on someone else's dime? I wouldnt trade my semester in Ecuador for the world.
Drew Skidmore Bellarmine university '15
Drew Skidmore Bellarmine university '15
First, know that they wouldn't have admitted you if you weren't able to do the work. Go to class, do the readings, put in the amount of time YOU need (not what your friends need). Don't be intimidated by others; you are the one whose learning matters.
And get to know the many different types of people you're now meeting, do something that is not academic that you want to do, and generally just enjoy being in college.
And get to know the many different types of people you're now meeting, do something that is not academic that you want to do, and generally just enjoy being in college.
5
Office hours, office hours, office hours. I know everyone says this but really do go to office hours. I was too shy/scared to do this until my junior year when I was desperate for help and I wished I had taken advantage of them earlier. 90% of the time the professors are extremely helpful and happy to see you there (a lot of them have specific hours blocked out for this and often they sit there waiting for students to come in). If you are like I was, go with a very specific list of questions (written down!) that way you won't worry about forgetting what you came in there to ask. Also don't worry about asking a stupid question because I guarantee someone has asked the same question, as long as you've made the effort to get to the right answer you're fine (but don't go in expecting your professor to work out your problem sets for you without effort on your part). Two added benefits I found from going to office hours besides getting help understanding the material: often professors will give hints to what is on the exam or guide you in the right direction to study and these are the people who can write you recommendations in the future because you've established a personal, face to face connection with them. Please do not underestimate the advantages of office hours and start going early both in the semester and in your college career!
91
Also, if you ever need a reference your professor will remember who you are!
2
Advice such as this is extremely valuable to students such as myself who know college is quickly approaching. Students speaking honestly from experience ease the sense of ignorance I know of us feel overwhelmed by. I have personally become numb to the constant stream of information colleges publish selling a way of life that they think will seam appealing to potential paying students. Reading this personal advice is refreshing and I appreciate the time and effort contributed to make it possible.
7
Things I learned as a terrible student, that I wish I knew in my first 6 years of college.
* Read the chapter before the lesson. Either you'll know what words you have to learn, or you'll be prepared to pick up the nuances that will get you an A.
* Do your homework right after class. You've forgotten less, and you have time to get help.
* A glass of whiskey helps with studying. A shot does not.
* Wrap it up; babies delay graduating.
* Get the internships; that's where you get the job experience to get through the HR wickets when you graduate.
* Minorities in particular, find mentors. You shouldn't be alone.
* Read the chapter before the lesson. Either you'll know what words you have to learn, or you'll be prepared to pick up the nuances that will get you an A.
* Do your homework right after class. You've forgotten less, and you have time to get help.
* A glass of whiskey helps with studying. A shot does not.
* Wrap it up; babies delay graduating.
* Get the internships; that's where you get the job experience to get through the HR wickets when you graduate.
* Minorities in particular, find mentors. You shouldn't be alone.
14
Keep track of what you actually use and actually wear for a few weeks before you go, and don't over-pack! Dorms are tinier than you expect and there's no need to bring a U-Haul.
But that said: don't forget your sweaters and your winter coat!
But that said: don't forget your sweaters and your winter coat!
3
Forget all-nighters. In my first week I stayed up until 4 AM to finish a reading assignment. At class the next morning, I'd forgotten everything I read. I never pulled another all-nighter again - and I got terrific grades.
7
Don't worry if you aren't in a job in your field right out of college. It doesn't mean that you'll never get a job in your field or that you went though all that schooling for nothing, but any job after college will help you save money for impending student loans. Youll get into your field down the road! Plus, you never know what other skills you will pick up along the way that will benefit you and your future.
1
Advice to those top students:
First, make sure to check out a school's overload policy. I have a friend who went to WPI and is bored out of his mind because they charge you for more than one extra class (and they operate on a quarter system, meaning that you will be restricted to a normal load for one quarter every semester); meanwhile, I went to UMass Amherst and could take up to 8 typical classes in a semester without an extra fee.
Second, get into graduate classes if you can, particularly if the undergraduate classes are not engaging. They're a significant step up in both difficulty and content, so they can be particularly fun. (A note: this means go to a school with a graduate program.) This will also allow you to gauge whether or not you want to go to grad school eventually.
Third, plan out your courses to some degree in advance if you are in a structured major. Not only will this allow you to make sure you don't miss anything, it will make you understand exactly how much you can fit into your college career.
Fourth, if you are in a science major and want to go to grad school, see if you can get research with a professor as soon as possible - meaning talk to them and ask.
Fifth: if you can, double major. Specifically, choose one major that's likely to get you a job (Comp Sci, Engineering) and one major that's purely for self-improvement (humanities). This will allow you both to make full use of your time in college, and both be practical and follow your interests.
First, make sure to check out a school's overload policy. I have a friend who went to WPI and is bored out of his mind because they charge you for more than one extra class (and they operate on a quarter system, meaning that you will be restricted to a normal load for one quarter every semester); meanwhile, I went to UMass Amherst and could take up to 8 typical classes in a semester without an extra fee.
Second, get into graduate classes if you can, particularly if the undergraduate classes are not engaging. They're a significant step up in both difficulty and content, so they can be particularly fun. (A note: this means go to a school with a graduate program.) This will also allow you to gauge whether or not you want to go to grad school eventually.
Third, plan out your courses to some degree in advance if you are in a structured major. Not only will this allow you to make sure you don't miss anything, it will make you understand exactly how much you can fit into your college career.
Fourth, if you are in a science major and want to go to grad school, see if you can get research with a professor as soon as possible - meaning talk to them and ask.
Fifth: if you can, double major. Specifically, choose one major that's likely to get you a job (Comp Sci, Engineering) and one major that's purely for self-improvement (humanities). This will allow you both to make full use of your time in college, and both be practical and follow your interests.
3
Don't take an 8 am class your first semester in college. Even if you wake up early and have a class at 7:30 in the morning in high school, waking up that early will become extremely difficult by mid-October.
6
Make relationships with faculty. take them to lunch. Join them for seminars. Ask them about your interests and theirs. People are touched that others share their interests.... don't be shy.
--Sharon McDonnell, Dartmouth
--Sharon McDonnell, Dartmouth
3
But do not sleep with them. You are not 'special' in this way, you are just young and naïve.
That this needs saying is unfortunate.
That this needs saying is unfortunate.
5
The number one predictor of academic success in college is attendance. You can't learn if you aren't in class and many subjects are too hard to teach yourselves. Students who skip classes (emphasis on the plural there) usually spiral downward. The vast majority of professors welcome struggling students during office hours, but be prepared - write your questions down in advance so everyone's time is used efficiently.
74
Hardly anyone knows at 18 what they will be doing at 40, and many of those who think they do turn out to be wrong. Often the best parts of life are those you fall into, or that simply come out of the organic process of living. That is the best case I know for getting a liberal, i.e., broad, education. Learn to think. Learn to write cogently. Learn how to learn. Then you will be equipped to go wherever life takes you.
41
If you're in a major that has a lot of writing, take a class that specifically teaches you how to write. Not one of those waste-of-time freshman seminars that have a topic and tell you to write about it, but one that actually teaches you about rhetorical styles and how to think about writing, including what was wrong about the instruction you received in high school. There's a lot of life benefits to this, but here's what matters in college: if you get the knack of learning how to write well & fast, A's from all-nighters come easy, especially in upper-level classes that only have you submit a paper. And often you don't even have to attend class. My senior year, I attended about 20% of my classes, taking as many upper-levels as possible, and got straight A's because I spent hours my freshman year learning how to write as a competent adult. - Tyler Dillon, Northwestern University
23
Being able to write well is a skill that will pay off for the rest of your life.
5
... and you wasted a space at a fine university. some other deserving student would have gotten more than 20% of the education available. not only did you only get 20% of an education, you also only got 20% of your money's worth.
4
If you stood out in your high school for being kind of geeky and nerdy, don't come to college expecting to finally be surrounded by nothing but geeks and nerds like yourself. (There are exceptions, of course--but unless it's a techie school, and maybe even if it IS a techie school, don't assume this.) People go to college for many reasons. Some are there to party and have a good time on their parents' dime for as many years as they can; others are there because they see it as the necessary gateway to a lucrative career. Others are there because in their family, after high school, going to college is just "what you do," whether you really want to be there or not. Some are there to find and marry a spouse who they believe will make enough money to support them for the rest of their lives. Chances are you will meet students who fit all of these categories. If you're there at least in part to experience life, to learn, and to become a critical thinker, as well as to find some area of study that captures your heart and makes you believe you might be able to spin it into a livelihood, not everyone you meet will be like you. But you will find kindred spirits. Don't give up.
From a practical standpoint--as someone who just earned another set of graduate degrees in the past few years, and didn't have to worry about this the first time around--be sure to silence your phone before you go into class. And I don't mean setting it to vibrate--some instructors don't even like that!
From a practical standpoint--as someone who just earned another set of graduate degrees in the past few years, and didn't have to worry about this the first time around--be sure to silence your phone before you go into class. And I don't mean setting it to vibrate--some instructors don't even like that!
2
If you do poorly the first semester, get on with it, failure is life's best lesson. If you think you are the only one, you are wrong, Know where you need to improve and re-commit yourself to your education, look at the successful and do what they do. Engage in the process and love every minute of it.
24
Embrace the variety of college and the opportunities it provides. Too many people get stuck in the mindset of limiting their options (classes, orgs, clubs, friends) based on their major or career path. University is a chance to educate your whole self and broaden your horizons, and it's your last opportunity to be in an environment that supports that endeavor. I was an English Lit major, but some of my most stimulating experiences came from courses outside that field: astronomy, anthropology, political science, and philosophy. While those don't necessary add value to my resume, they do add value to my experience of the world, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity.
Along those lines, to those at more competitive schools (or not): DO NOT get bogged down in the accomplishments of your peers. It can be so intimidating to hear about the internships or positions your classmates hold. You will be alright. Remember that being in college is also a time to grow into your adulthood. Your worth is not determined by the number of internships you complete or how many exec boards you are on, and it will not be the sole determining factor between achieving all your dreams or a lifetime of failure. Some people write a novel before they start college, or found a nonprofit, or any number of markers of success. Some don't, and spend their summers bingeing on Netflix. Whichever you are, you will be fine. Breathe.
Along those lines, to those at more competitive schools (or not): DO NOT get bogged down in the accomplishments of your peers. It can be so intimidating to hear about the internships or positions your classmates hold. You will be alright. Remember that being in college is also a time to grow into your adulthood. Your worth is not determined by the number of internships you complete or how many exec boards you are on, and it will not be the sole determining factor between achieving all your dreams or a lifetime of failure. Some people write a novel before they start college, or found a nonprofit, or any number of markers of success. Some don't, and spend their summers bingeing on Netflix. Whichever you are, you will be fine. Breathe.
10
Don't be afraid to ask questions and talk to your professors, even in large lecture classes. Chances are that someone else in that class also doesn't understand the same concept but are just as nervous to raise their hand in front of 300 students. You don't want to go into a midterm or final staring at the test blankly just because you were afraid to speak up. Say something if you don't understand an idea, it'll help you in the long run.
-University of Arizona, '16
-University of Arizona, '16
44
I teach both large and small classes, and this is good advice no matter the size of the class. If you have a question, ask me! I want to help you understand, to learn. I want you to succeed. I have no desire to see you fail. Asking questions, in class and outside of class, is important. If you are shy, sit right up in the front. That way you can talk right to me without even seeing all those other people sitting behind you. It may be easier to raise your hand and ask that question if it feels like you are just talking one on one with your professor.
28
Amen to this, a thousand times. If you don't understand something in the lecture or the readings, you MUST ask someone. Ask another student - you're probably not the only one who doesn't get it. Try to work it out together - that's an excellent learning technique. If they're not happy to help you, you've met a paranoid or competitive jerk; move on.
If other students can't help, and you have a TA who seems knowledgable, ask the TA. Especially in recitation sections - that's what they're for.
I recommend leaving the professor for last. If it's a short question, try to catch him or her after class. For longer questions, make an appointment during office hours. If other students and the TA can't explain it to you, mention that to the professor. Good ones appreciate evidence that you've tried on your own.
While you're studying for the test, make a list of things you don't understand. Then see the professor. (I once had a professor - a Nobel Prize winner, no less - thank ME for coming to him with an organized list of questions.)
If a TA or professor tries to belittle you for asking questions, remind him that you're in college to learn, they're there to help you learn, and you're disappointed in their reaction to your questions. Then go to the department head.
I'm not the brightest light in the universe, but I managed to have a reasonably stellar academic career because I wasn't afraid to ask questions.
If other students can't help, and you have a TA who seems knowledgable, ask the TA. Especially in recitation sections - that's what they're for.
I recommend leaving the professor for last. If it's a short question, try to catch him or her after class. For longer questions, make an appointment during office hours. If other students and the TA can't explain it to you, mention that to the professor. Good ones appreciate evidence that you've tried on your own.
While you're studying for the test, make a list of things you don't understand. Then see the professor. (I once had a professor - a Nobel Prize winner, no less - thank ME for coming to him with an organized list of questions.)
If a TA or professor tries to belittle you for asking questions, remind him that you're in college to learn, they're there to help you learn, and you're disappointed in their reaction to your questions. Then go to the department head.
I'm not the brightest light in the universe, but I managed to have a reasonably stellar academic career because I wasn't afraid to ask questions.
20
PS - When I said "leave the professor for last" I was thinking of a large lecture section with a few hundred people. In more intimate settings, anything goes.
My film history prof said on the first day, "It takes two hours for the genius as well as the idiot to watch a two hour movie." Some tasks have no shortcuts; plan for them.
56
Get used to dealing with people who are not exactly like you. People from different backgrounds, people from different religions (or no religion), different ethnicities, rural or city folks, etc. College life is so great for learning to negotiate and deal with others.
My freshman year roommate was a goth girl who stayed up all night, I was a preppy/sorority girl who needed my sleep. Learning to navigate and deal with these types of situation is how you learn to be an adult.
I'm glad that I went to college pre-smart phones, such that I called my parents once or twice a month. Said another way, cut the cord with your parents (especially if they are helicopter parents) do not have them deal with our RAs or your professors. Also, develop your face to face, in person skills, stop communicating solely by text and email. I say that as someone who recently mentored a millennial in a work place setting.
Have fun, do some dangerous stuff, stay up all night, drink lots of beer!
My freshman year roommate was a goth girl who stayed up all night, I was a preppy/sorority girl who needed my sleep. Learning to navigate and deal with these types of situation is how you learn to be an adult.
I'm glad that I went to college pre-smart phones, such that I called my parents once or twice a month. Said another way, cut the cord with your parents (especially if they are helicopter parents) do not have them deal with our RAs or your professors. Also, develop your face to face, in person skills, stop communicating solely by text and email. I say that as someone who recently mentored a millennial in a work place setting.
Have fun, do some dangerous stuff, stay up all night, drink lots of beer!
19
I disagree with that last sentence! (Except for "have fun.") Don't do dangerous stuff, do adventurous stuff. There's a difference. "Stay up all night"? All you'll end up with is shaky hands the next day and you'll have to sleep all day the day after. You don't have to stay up all night to have fun. "Nothing good happens after midnight" is a good rule of thumb. "Drink lots of beer." What can I say. That is just stupid. Drink SOME beer, maybe. "Lots of beer" can just get you in trouble.
6
Nothing replaces face-to-face networking! Be bold and go to Career Fairs and events tailored to your potential major early and often. Even though you aren't looking for a full-time job as a first-semester freshman, networking events are a great way to hear career journeys from professionals that are involved in the field you're hoping to join. You may also be exposed to companies or organizations you hadn't heard of before as well as learn about exciting fellowship and internship opportunities. Freshman year is a wonderful opportunity to explore and to embrace the future with open arms; the best really is yet to come!
- Boston University, '15
- Boston University, '15
2
Don't wear your high school letterman jacket. Don't even bring it. Seriously, hang it in a closet at home. Nobody cares.
15