<p>What are some things you must keep in mind that are often overlooked at college? What are common mistakes students make?</p>
<p>Fold your laundry when you finish washing it; it makes it easier to deal with later. Both my roommate and I made this mistake first semester, I have rectified it, she has not, I feel it makes my life much easier to be able to find my clothes in the drawer when I'm in in a rush rather than having to sort through a basket full of unfolded laundry; it also frees up your basket for your dirty clothes.</p>
<p>Research EVERYTHING about a college including the social scene...I'm pretty much screwed the rest of the way in college because of the transfer</p>
<p>College isn't always fun. Sometimes it can really suck and it IS good to go home for a weekend once in awhile. And you won't transform into an entirely new person because you are in a new setting.
As for the little things:
-Delivery-so convenient, so fattening. Only order delivery once in awhile.
-Econ is hard and boring (IMO) I should have taken it pass/fail.
-Join facebook but don't let it suck up all your time. People will think you're lame if you update every 6 seconds.
-Keep an open mind to EVERYONE you meet.
-Wireless Internet is a blessing and a curse.
-All nighters are REALLY dumb. Don't do it! I've been there and done that and for tests, they don't work. (I've had a remarkable success rate with last-minute papers however)
-Being best friends with your roommate isn't necessary, and it isn't always a good thing.
Lots more but those are the ones I can think of.</p>
<p>Make friends with people in your hall!!!</p>
<p>I don't get along very well with my current roommates and am paranoid about having quiet space to work, meaning that I was hardly EVER home this year - meaning that I didn't get to know the people living around me. A large part of people's "social networks" come from this (as I eventually learned), so I effectively crippled my own social life. It's not as if I don't have friends, but very likely I could've had more, and now it's too late. I'm moving off-campus next year, so making those contacts this year would've been great.</p>
<p>the library's basement can be your good friend during finals when you need zip distractions and you don't (honestly) want your friends going looking for you.</p>
<p>Be open to new experiences, just give a taste and see if you like it. You can always back out and no one will give you a hard time about it.</p>
<p>There are two kinds of professors:
1) Extremely arrogant and infleixble to new ideas from students (or takes the students' ideas and doesn't credit them)... and hard grader, usually they're tenured.
2) Your best buddy. Usually the non-tenured ones because they're fighting for their jobs and want good reviews.
Make friends the #2. It'll go a very long, long way. #1s aren't worth your time.</p>
<p>If the freshman fifteen is going to bother you, watch out for it early on. It gets EVERYONE, so schedule going to the gym 3-4 times a week and at least keep an eye on the amout of fat you put into your body. Not only will you stay nice and in shape, you'll feel a lot better and have more energy.</p>
<p>***To be involved on campus you have to be vigilant in filling out applications...</p>
<p>Not something I personally had a problem with because I had my fraternity pushing me, but if you're in the dorms it's really easy to just get squirreled away in you're routine and never do anything outside of classes or people not in your dorm. Most schools have a central location where most groups will put applications or information - Get in the habit of regularly walking past it to pick up new apps.</p>
<p>Roommates suck, live in a single or off campus.</p>
<p>Or just don't be a complete social outcast :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I'd say.. save as much money as you can lay your hands on beforehand.</p>
<p>And don't try to be friends with everybody. Lots of people do it in the first yeat but it comes across as pretentous.</p>
<p>If you have your own room, get your own fridge. It's bliss :)</p>
<p>You can have privacy and friends, Ecliptica. Try it.</p>
<p>"What bare some things you must keep in mind that are often overlooked at college? What are common mistakes students make?"</p>
<p>Don't spend all your time studying.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, take an internship!</p>
<p>join at least one club or activity by th end of the first year. some people may seem like the uninvolved type, but you will be surprised to find out at the end of the year that they are on the school paper, and student gov't, and you did absolutely nothing (extracurricular wise) all year.</p>
<p>Answer emails/phonecalls/textmessages/letters form your friends and family back home. Just because your in college and have new friends and dont get to see your family as much as youd like or used to, doesnt mean you can alienate yourself and other people. Trust me. Calling your mom, sister or best bud who stayed in town will not only make them feel as if you havent dropped off the face of the earth, it will make you feel better as well. :)</p>
<p>If you manage your time well, there's no reason to pull all nighters most of the time. Watch your nutrition. Go to the doctor if you get sick- don't wait until you're half dead. Go to office hours. Make sure you get a really really good foam pad for your bed- just do it. Try to stay in touch with your highschool friends....vacations will be lonely if you've lost touch. Share your movies. And your popcorn. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Collect quarters all summer.</p>
<p>My #1 piece of advice: keep a ridiculously organized calendar. I use Microsoft Outlook on my computer and sync it with my phone and it is like my LIFE! I update it everyday and by knowing when each assignment is due, when tests are scheduled, when I have sorority stuff to do, and stuff like that I am able to know of a deadline far enough in advance to never cram. Cramming does not have to be a part of college life. If you are forced to cram its your own fault. If you have a busy week, start studying/working on it the week before. </p>
<p>The calendar goes along with what others have mentioned as well... budget time for the gym, for me I budget time for tanning and hours to go out with my friends during the week.</p>
<p>So yeah... that's what I'd say: get a calendar and stick to it.</p>
<p>1) don't let issues with your roomates build up. Scary/uncomfortable as it may seem, when things first arise that's the time to deal with it. Such as staying up with friends over when you have a test next morning, asking you to leave so they can hook up, etc. Some people are a little impulsive or not that considerate and may do stuff without thinking it thru; talk about it when it happens and its no big deal. But you ignore it or hope it goes away and it doesn't, the person figures you don't mind and didn't say anything before so you were ok with it, then it becomes entrenched and the person starts to figure they're kinda entitled to do it.</p>
<p>2) at larger schools, its on your shoulders to make the school work for you. Profs are great advisors and sometimes become mentors, but you got to go to office hours to get to know them. The career center is full of counselors but you have to go visit them. Your major and college have advisors but they're no going to call you and ask if you need any help, you need to make the appt. And so on ...</p>
<p>Don't be shy! Feel free to just start talking to the people around you, that is how you make friends.</p>
<p>Find something on campus to get involved with, but don't go out and join a million things, focus on something you care about.</p>