<p>Hi. I made this post in response to some of the mental masturbation in the thread "mistakes to avoid in college," because a lot of the advice there is coming from persons with a narrow perspective who are basically forming evidence/facts to support their judgments/opinions, rather than the other way around. There's clearly too many topics to cover in college life in general and I don't feel like posting some all-inclusive, general college advice so I'll just respond to the topics brought up.</p>
<p>First, double majoring -- let's discuss this logically for a second. First off, this does not impress employers or grad schools. Your g.p.a. and MAYBE your courseload, both which have nothing to do with double majoring, have significantly more importance. Basically, in the whole scheme of your academic work, extracuricular activities, volunteer work, work experience, your skills, your plans, goals, personality, interpersonal skills --- double majoring has been the tipping point for jack ****<em>.
So then the only thing that remains is that your interested in two fields and wish to study both. Great ---except you can do that without double majoring. *Duh</em>. Say your an asian studies major -- or english, or chem, whatever -- but also want to study political science. Wouldn't it be easier to take the courses you wanted, rather than take the required political 'statistics' course and other hoops required for the major? Clearly. Let's face it - one major reason people want to double major is because they want to be known as an official 'expert' on two different areas, because they have a piece of paper that says so. Yet people with one major can actually have a more balanced education. The only real reason to double major is that your two majors have pretty lax requirements already and perhaps even have some overlap as well, which is more common in the social sciences/ liberal arts. So you'll take an extra course or two to get the T-shirt that says 'double major.'</p>
<p>"Give yourself free time"
What? Most people, college or otherwise, have too much free time. Wasting hours watching TV or playing video games. Seriously, get involved with things, have something going on in your life. You can meet a lot of people and have a ton of fun. For all the people on here seeking advice on the opposite sex, having things going on in your life will make you more attractive. Do you want to be in a relationship with someone who "has lots of free time?" Sounds like a pretty boring person to me. Resume padding? Forget that. This is your life; isn't it about time you start doing what YOU want to do? Yet at the same time, giving yourself enough sleep will also help you function better and make you feel a hell of a lot better.</p>
<p>Cramming? Yeah it works if you have a good memory and lots of energy drinks. I once read 400 pages of dense material the night before a test and got the class high score. However, it's extremely stressful - it's a lot easier to actually do the work as you go.</p>
<p>Next --- finishing college in three years. Are you insane? Your college experience is a one-shot deal that you'll never be able to experience again. The vast opportunities, experiences, and growth --- there will be plenty of time to work afterwards, I assure you. And, uh, if fun is "not allowed" in college, where is it allowed? **** that. Yes, academics are important. But if you're not enjoying yourself, or refuse to go out on a Friday or Saturday night, you're going to have a host of social problems outside of college.</p>
<p>"Don't drunk dial your professor" -- that's a real diamond there. Yeah don't egg the president's house, either. Here's a real tip: don't leave your facebook or email logged on when you're away from your computer -- some other guy may dial for you.</p>
<p>Cheating -- yeah, clearly held in contempt by many. I'm not big on preaching morality here, you can decide that for yourself. But in terms of practicality, a higher grade in a class is not all that important in terms of your future success. However, getting caught cheating gets universities seriously ****ed off. You can be expelled or have your diploma rescinded years after graduation. It's really not worth it.</p>
<p>"don't do all your req freshman year" ---- meh, getting all the req out of the way isn't a bad idea - esp if the required courses are in a variety of subjects which in most cases they are.</p>
<p>I agree that the professor is extremely important in choosing a course. Hell, the professor IS the course, because he/she basically determines everything from homework to what material is covered from which textbook to quality of lectures (obviously). If possible, if you know the professor for each course before registering, look them up on ratemyprof or ask around about them. Although rare, a terrible, unreasonable professor can really cause you problems. If there is one glowing review and a few scathing ones, usually the prof is the latter (terrible). It's tempting to think the critical persons were just lazy and got a bad grade or something. False. If you start the year with 5 'good' or 'decent' professors, you in for a smooth ride.</p>
<p>Finally, to all the people asking relationship/dating/mating questions on this board - c'mon. There are other places, hell other online forums, for this advice with a lot more experienced people, too. Getting dating advice from high schoolers --- excuse me, college confidential high schoolers (most people on here are pretty academically oriented) is probably doing more harm than good. And even if you do read all the hordes of information on seduction or what have you out there, it's like reading up on how to play basketball. It's not going to do you terribly much good without practice or experience. Just be social and get out there. With experience will come confidence, and with confidence you will become more attractive. Otherwise, get ready for some pretty awesome year come this fall!</p>