<p>Don't study too much, but study more than you would think. Don't bother with all-nighters--they don't work. Be punctual. Morning classes are NOT the pain that everyone always says they will be. Avoid Facebook; that way leads procrastination and hours upon hours of wasted time.</p>
<p>My most important piece of advice:</p>
<p>You will not survive college without naps.</p>
<p>Geologists study other planets too!</p>
<p>^wow, didn't know that.</p>
<p>I know! Nobody does!!
You understand why I got sidetracked into the wrong major (aerospace engineering) for 5 years before running into that extremely vital piece of information?!</p>
<p><em>ahem</em> econ is amazing.... major in it....</p>
<p>I agree with the naps. I actually scheduled one for next semester. Tues 10-10:45 I will nap.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Don't be shy! Feel free to just start talking to the people around you, that is how you make friends.
[/quote]
Is it really gonna work? Because as far as I know in some countries, like the UK, you can be considered to be rude if you just meet some person while waiting for your class or in a party and start talking to him/her.</p>
<p>Huh? Sounda like friendleiness is rude in the UK!</p>
<p>Well, I cannot say that it's kinda rude, but they are just very reserved people... And the same thing is with many Europeans -- they are reserved and look really serious, when you talk to them you sometimes feel that they hate you, whereas after some time it turns out that they actually like you. Anyway, it's just my experience, maybe other other people from Europe have different opinions/experience.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is it really gonna work? Because as far as I know in some countries, like the UK, you can be considered to be rude if you just meet some person while waiting for your class or in a party and start talking to him/her.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Really?! That's interesting. In America, that IS how you make friends. As an American, I'm used to just standing in line somewhere or sitting in class and having someone I don't know start a friendly conversation, or I will start it. I notice that its different in more metropolitan areas/big cities, where people are more reserved and careful about other people's sense of privacy and space. But in more relaxed settings, most people are not concerned with seeming rude when they start conversations with almost any person. It's not a sign of rudeness but openess and friendliness.</p>
<p>I remember moving from a very densely populated, urban city to a suburban neighborhood, in which the neighbors came by as we were moving in to welcome us to the neighborhood. It was nice. In many suburban settings, its not too unusual for your own neighbors to stop by your house simply to say hello, too.</p>
<p>If you don't start a random conversation, how else are you supposed to meet anybody? Haha...</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you don't start a random conversation, how else are you supposed to meet anybody?
[/quote]
It's quite easy: firstly, you get to know your roomie. Secondly, your roomie introduces you to every person he/she knows, then you start chatting with those people and so in a long run you make lots of friends.</p>
<p>But anyway, thank you so much for your advice. It's gonna really help me when I go to college in the US.</p>
<p>rytis but DONT expect your roomie to introduce you to everyone. you need to make friends yourself. don't use your roomie as a friend making crutch, because your roomie may resent you for not introducing him/her to other people.</p>
<p>
[quote]
firstly, you get to know your roomie. Secondly, your roomie introduces you to every person he/she knows, then you start chatting with those people and so in a long run you make lots of friends.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think so. I know a lot of people who, while friendly with their roomie's buddies, have their own better, closer friends. And what if you end up rooming with someone who thinks that YOU will be their social guidance? Hahahah.</p>
<p>You don't even know if your roomie will be someone who you'll definitely want to be friends with or if they're a good chooser of friends... You need to learn independence "firstly."</p>
<p>how to make friends... join organizations that interest you, it's really that simple.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Huh? Sounda like friendleiness is rude in the UK!
[/quote]
It is. It is an incredibly stratified country and you're supposed to "know your place". Part of how they separate out people is language; do you have the 'proper' Eton or Oxbridge accent? The classic play "Pygmalion" (later adapted into the musical "My Fair Lady" lampooned this over a century ago. </p>
<p>But language and clothing have become less foolproof, so they also rely heavily on introductions. It simply isn't "proper" to meet someone without the correct introductions, said system guaranteeing that you'll only be introduced to people of the right social strata. Imagine the horror of meeting someone, conversing simply human-to-human and striking up a friendship, and later finding out they aren't in the right circles :( So social conventions have been created that its "rude" to talk to people in lines, etc.</p>
<p>Needless to say England is one of the most dysfunctional Western societies around, going from running much of the world to a dour island filled with people with bad teeth and a lackluster economy. Your judged not on who YOU are but on what your ancestors were.</p>
<p>I've always admired Great Britain...I never knew it was like that. That's sooo...old-fashioned. Maybe I'll visit and take a look-see for myself. However, I really can't believe that Britain is still like that today. That seems a little bit over-the-top.</p>
<p>Take advantage of your freshman status and join organizations, try new things, do and try something that is out of your comfort zone. You will only find excuses to avoid trying something new as get older and older.</p>
<p>bookfreak89: </p>
<p>You are right. Badgolfer's comments are really a rather outdated cliche. Yes there are some social stratifications, but they are far less significant than they used to be. And what countries, including the US, don't have them - perhaps we are just more open (and nowadays hung-up) about them in the UK? </p>
<p>The British reserve is a truism, but not for those reasons. Valentina said earlier in the thread that in American cities people tend to be more reserved because they want to preserve their space and privacy. Bear in mind that in the UK there are 60 million people in an area smaller than Oregon, and about 50 million of those are crammed into less than half the space. A degree of reserve isn't really surprising.</p>
<p>However, my experience as an undergraduate 20 years ago was that even then there was not much reserve in student life. I would expect there to be even less now.</p>
<p>thank god for moderators</p>