<p>Can some of you post some important tips and hints on do's and don'ts for freshmen. Anything from where to eat, to which professors to avoid. Any piece of advice is appreciated.</p>
<p>Here's some stuff that I'd say definitely applies based upon my son's past year.</p>
<p>1) Try not to party right "off the top" too much. Yes, you are newly independent and living on your own--so you set your own rules now--but that doesn't mean that drinking until 2 and coming back to the dorm at 3 is good for you--especially if the next day you have your economics exam in a 8 or 9 AM class.</p>
<p>2) Try not to trash your dorm too much. Yes, it will seem like fun--especially when you are drunk, but remember that you will have to live with that missing soap dispenser or the shower that doesn't work right--or one less working toilet for the rest of the first semester until they can get around to replacing it.</p>
<p>3) Find new friends--not just the old ones--and preferably at least one of the new ones should be at least a year older than you. There is a real tendency to hang out with all the same people from your old high schools (if you are from Indiana) or email your old friends (if you are from another state). That's a good way to get some interaction, but it doesn't really provide a long term substitute for actually talking to someone one-on-one who can give you some perspective on life. Usually the students who have been at the school for a year have some idea on the "lay of the land" and can tell you about things you wouldn't expect would matter much--bus schedules, dining room hours, best times to do your laundry, how to prepare for the tests, which professor works off lectures and which one tests out of the book, etc. Also, they will help you feel less lonely--which everyone will feel after about 6 weeks into the first year's classes.</p>
<p>4) Remember where you live and where your key is. From experience my son said that at least 30% of the students end up being charged a "lock-out" fee from their dorm--which is crazy since they don't start charging until the third time that this happens--and usually you can get into the dorm at least 3 other times just by knocking on the door (but that guy that let you in the first three times will get annoyed the fourth time that you are banging on the door at 3 in the morning==trust me.)</p>
<p>5) Get to know your professors--just like in high school, the professor is the judge, jury, and executioner in the class. He/she can make life great for you, or torment you beyond your wildest imagination. Generally, the nicer you are to them, the nicer they are to you--and this helps when you asking them to forgive the time your alarm clock didn't go off and you were 1/2 hour late to your midterm exam.</p>
<p>6) Avoid classes taught by TAs or graduate school students. You may think you will relate to someone more your age or more in-tune with your thoughts--but the problem is that the test will be just as hard whether the course is taught by the TAs/graduate students or the professor. However, if the professor teaches the class, usually he/she will have done a better job of knowing how to convey the material to you, and summarizing what is important--meaning what is most likely to be on the exam.</p>
<p>7) Consider your major carefully. Almost everybody will have picked a major before entering the university. But you need to ask yourself if you are taking that because your parents told you to, because your friend is majoring in it--or because you really what to be in that field the rest of your life. Life is not a dress rehearsal--in most cases you don't get to go back and re-do college so you can major in something new. Thus, you should take a variety of courses in the first year so you can figure out what it is you truly are interested in--and you should research the career that your major is likely to lead to--so you can feel good about your major later on.
P.S. One caveat here--some majors require that you take some of their courses almost immediately. (Business school is one example). But this still doesn't mean you can't take 2 or 3 other courses each semester just to make sure you don't like those areas better--especially if you find that the courses in the original major you chose are uninteresting to you.</p>
<p>8) Speak up. You may have "floated" by in high school by just waiting until the professor gave you the answer to each question, but you are in college now. This is a time to show that you understand some things--and that you are willing to make an effort to learn what you don't understand. This is not the time to just sit in the back of the class and say nothing (unless you have a professor who wants to do all the talking--which is quite rare at IU).</p>
<p>9) How much fun you have at Indiana University is largely up to you. At first you may say--wow, this place is boring. But when you say that, consider whether you tried to get involved in all the activities offered. Did you go to any of the "sideline" lectures offered? Did you join any clubs? Are you doing any sporting activities? Are you attending some of the plays and musical productions they are offering on campus? Partying at the dorms is fun at first--but gets old mighty quick. Getting involved in some of the other stuff is exactly the opposite--a little less than exciting at first, but then more and more interesting as you get more involved. </p>
<p>I hope you all enjoy your next few years at IU.</p>
<p>I disagree about the TA comment, the tests I took out of TAs were much easier than the tests of the department (the class i'm making the comparison for is Economics 201). Also i've had many very helpful TAs who are there for a reason and want to help. Professors for the most part don't care about the students, and just say "talk to the TA".</p>
<p>With TA's, there is definitely wide variability. And in some cases, there is no way to avoid having TA's, as some required introductory classes are chiefly taught by TA's. My son has had some great TA's and some not-so-great TA's. who were just teaching because it was required by their major. You can try to get advice from older students about which are good, but there are times when you just have to take your chances.</p>
<p>I do agree with most of the advice given. Definitely reach out and try new activities and meeting new people. And make friends with people of different ages, backgrounds, etc. It can be a wonderful learning experience.</p>
<p>And remember that partying can have a hefty price tag, if you aren't careful--as in lowered grades, health problems (even trips to the emergency room or worse), getting off track of your goals in life, etc. Try to remember what your real goals are and stick to them. You may even discover that it is possible to have plenty of fun without partying!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips, if anyone has anything to ad, by all means please do.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback A2Wolves6 and Susantm.</p>
<p>You are both correct that my TA/graduate student comment shouldn't have been so generalized--since I was speaking only from my own son's experience (he had two classes taught by TAs, both of which went poorly--and from which he felt he learned very little)--and that this experience is not necessarily the norm.</p>
<p>The level of instruction from professors/TAs/graduate students will, of course, depend upon each individual. </p>
<p>Having said this, probably a freshman student should consider that at least a professor's ratings can be looked at on sites like ratemyprofessors.com, while generally, the same is not true for classes being taught by TAs and graduate students. This might help in avoiding the truly difficult professor, while no such resource exists (that I am aware of) for avoiding the truly difficult TA acting as an instructor.</p>