<p>I was wondering if any current or recent Cornell students had any suggestions about adjusting to life at Cornell. Anything you did right the first year? Anything you did wrong? The best teacher is experience, and since I don't have any, I thought I'd ask those of you who have! Any suggestions would be appreciated!</p>
<ol>
<li>Manage your time!</li>
<li>Go to class :-)</li>
<li>Don't be afraid to go to office hours</li>
<li>Avoid all-nighters (can be counterproductive)</li>
<li>Stay on top of your work....always!</li>
</ol>
<p>prioritize your time with friends and having fun. that's what you'll remember after cornell...not what you've learned</p>
<p>^^haha...yeah...forgot to mention that one. Don't turn into a library troll :-)</p>
<p>Do you think it's wise to try and find a compatible roommate before I sign up for a room or just go for a random assignment? or should I try for a single? Do they really match you up with compatible roommates if you go for random assignment? If you think I should try to find a roommate in advance, how would you suggest going about that?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. They make sense and it's good to hear them!</p>
<p>That's always a sticky topic. When I got here, even as a transfer...I chose to go with a random assignment and prayed it would work out better than at my old school. And I was right....my roomie turned out to be one..and still is...of my best friends :-)</p>
<p>I honestly don't know how they pick roomies...b/c my roomie and I are complete opposites....USC party chick vs. quiet Upstate NY girl</p>
<p>I forget when the deadline is to submit your deposit/housing request....but I recommend you do it sooner rather than later. I'm not sure how you would go about finding a roommate in advance....maybe someone else has an idea</p>
<p>Yea I was wondering about the roommate situation too because I wanted to know, could they match up people with different majors or even from different colleges?</p>
<p>Do lots of freshmen live in singles? If you have a single room will it be within a suite or just all alone? Does a suite share a bathroom or the whole floor?</p>
<p>1) Make sure to get some sleep. My first month at Cornell, I was having such a good time making friends that I stayed up until 3 or 4 every night chatting in the dorm lounge. Try to limit this a little.</p>
<p>2) GO TO CLASS. As much as you don't want to. And if you are not a morning person, then do your best to sign up for later lectures. I am not a morning person at all. The semesters that I had 9 o clock classes, I got around a 3.2 GPA, but the semesters that I started at 11 (and yes this is possible) I averaged around a 3.8. </p>
<p>3) Do the reading, take good notes, and make sure you understand the homework before you turn it in (even if you have the right answers, actually understanding completely why that answer is correct will save you hours of studying later on)</p>
<p>4) Try out every resource (Office hours, tutors, group studying, weekly TA review sessions, reading the textbook even if it's not mandatory, flashcards, rewriting notes, takenote, etc.) and then find out what works best for YOU. It might take a semester or two, but when I finally learned how to study correctly for me, A's were no longer impossible to get.</p>
<p>5) Lastly, don't forget to get out, join clubs, go to parties, play sports outside, and enjoy the amazingness of Cornell. Although I love Mann library, I would never be this happy here if I had not gotten involved on campus.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>TurtleFever: yes!!! my roomie was HumEc/PAM and I'm CALS/Bio&Society</p>
<p>does anyone know how the facebook roomate finder thingey works? thanks =]</p>
<p>A random question: where is the best place for transfers to live? Dewdrop: where did u live as a transfer? Do you get plenty of chances to meet people and make friends?? How did you blend into Cornell socially and academically?</p>
<p>Question to you wisdomous people: I've only ever seen 2 US colleges...(from India)...Bryn Mawr and Columbia which my sister went to...was just looking at wikipedia (jobless I know)...Cornell is like 300+ acres or something!! Its HUGE!! Crazy HUGE!! so my question is whats that like? Whats the campus/life on campus like?</p>
<p>delivery man: when I came here there was a dorm called the Transfer Center...but it was torn down in Spring 2007. It's a shame b/c it's where I met most of my friends and is probably the biggest reason that I adjusted so well.</p>
<p>From now on transfers will be housed in groups and spread throughout the dorms on West.</p>
<p>I have to comment on previous post of "2) GO TO CLASS". Yes do so for the first 3-4 weeks to see if the professors lecture is useful for quizzes, hw, and even the prelim. However, if you feel that the professor rambles and doesn't teach the material (and if attendance is rarely taken), then don't go to class. I have found better use of the time that I otherwise wouldn't have (I go to the gym, sleep in, or extend my work hours doing research). Its a good idea to ask other people of the background and history of professor (i.e. teaching style, mostly lecture or textbook, quizzes/prelim hard or not, etc.) All this will be especially useful if you end up having 5+ classes.</p>
<p>dewdrop: thanks for the info. I am a bit disappointed that there no longer exists the transfer dorm...Still, does the housing option in the West give me enough social settings? I am afraid that people at Cornell already have their friends by Sophomore year.</p>
<p>I'm actually not sure of the new dorms on West are set up since I've never seen them....I'm pretty sure they're suites though and I'm guessing they will have suites reserved for transfers.</p>
<p>Each college hosts many transfer only events during orientation week and throughout the semester as a way for you to meet and mingle....I highly recommend going!</p>
<p>-Go to class no matter wat! If u don't it will start a bad downward spiral (I've seen it). If u do go to class it'll help u with essays, quizzes, hw, and tests. If u don't go to class u are COMPLETELY wasting ur parents/ur money and not truly getting a Cornell edu. Wat's the point of Cornell if all do u sit in ur room reading urself...??</p>
<p>And West is semi-social. U just need to c if u can find people on ur floor that u like. There are suites and singles. I hear they are moving more and more transfers here so that's good. Just make sure to join clubs and such. Plus it'll be mostly transfers in ur classes 1st and partly 2nd semester so that's extremely helpful. Also go out to party w/ transfers if that's ur thing. Once u've established that base group u then go out and make more friends. Then u can join a frat or sorority too. These are only some of the ways to meet new people...there are MANY and it is really simple if u act social.</p>
<p>and last but not least...in fact one of the most important things: DO NOOOOT GET BEHIND ON WORK! It's only manageable if u keep up. I also agree w/ no all-nighters unless ur desperate.</p>
<p>dhruv- Cornell's campus is definitely intimidating at first. I'm a tour guide, so I get a lot of visitors who are bewildered whenever I pull out the map and give them directions. But it really doesn't take long to adjust to the size of the campus. Classes are usually concentrated in one area. If you're an Arts and Sciences student, your classes will probably be clustered in the Arts Quad. If your an Engineer, a lot of your classes will be in the Engineering Quad. Same goes for students in the other colleges as well; all the colleges have their own little areas where a lot of their classes are held. Also, most students walk to classes, and it's not a big deal, even with snow and rain. Really, the Vet School is the only area that requires a hike to get to. But, chances of you having classes in that area are pretty slim unless you're an Animal Science major.</p>
<p>And I completely agree with all those who say that it's important to go to class. Freshman year, I was pretty much a bum. I lived in a dorm that had a reputation for being more of an "anti-social" dorm. Even so, I was like Cornelli2008, and a lot of times, I would end up talking with the others in my dorm until like 3 in the morning. It was brutal, since I would often choose to sleep rather than go to class. I got okay grades, but I would've done a lot better if I went to class more. The past fall semester (the beginning of my sophomore year), I went to almost all my classes, and I made it on the Dean's List. Going to class helps tremendously.</p>
<p>Also, this is kind of silly, but try to go somewhere warm and sunny over spring break. During the beginning of spring semester, you're going to classes for two straight months without a break, and you're also dealing with wintry weather. A lot of people get kind of burned out right before spring break. I love Cornell, but sometimes I just need a break from the academic routine. Last year for spring break, I went to Puerto Rico, and it was the perfect way to recharge and regain my focus once I came back to campus. It was amazing to feel the sun on my skin again. I'm a little upset that I won't be going anywhere this spring break since I have an interview for a summer internship, but oh well. Take a vacation when you can!</p>
<p>Be sure to have fun while you're here too. You're in college--you'll only have four years here, and then you'll have to be responsible in the real world. Make the most of your time at Cornell! My freshman year was a lot of fun. This year, I've concentrated a little more on my schoolwork and extracurriculars, so I haven't been able to go out as much as I want to. Still, I try to have fun as much as possible. If you just shut yourself in your room all the time, you'll be miserable. Socialize, go to events on campus, explore Collegetown and downtown Ithaca, join clubs and organizations. It'll make your college experience so much more meaningful.</p>
<p>I found that more than any other school here, you have to talk to people who have taken the class before. It will make you do amazingly better. Talk to people about the course and how to score well.</p>