<p>Uhhh. The name of the university does matter. Employers do care (usually). They'll only recruit from certain universities in some cases, and those universities are often the Ivy League + top 20. I'm not saying that going to a prestigious university will necessarily = a good job, but it does increase one's chances of getting one as long as you're intelligent and not a total introvert.</p>
<p>I'd disagree with notre dame AL, serious realtionships can work. That said, make sure NOT to only spend time with your SO if you get one: still meet new people! And certianly don't spend all your time searching for a SO.</p>
<p>For double majoring - while I don't see the point of getting a degree in Chemistry and Art History some majors are complementary and help you get into a multidisciplinary graduate program. I am doing Econ and Intl. Affairs and it helped me a great deal to get into Hopkins SAIS :) --> my interviewer (SAIS professor) was impressed!</p>
<p>"Don't double major"</p>
<p>Can I ask what double major you took? And whether you plan to spend the rest of your life in just the one field you majored in?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Oooh... coot you haven't actually been through college yet? This causes you to lose some credibility, seeing as Argentum has apparently been through it.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I still feel my thoughts are more reasonable/practical. And I wasn't particularly giving advice, I was just refuting the points Argentum made.</p>
<p>And I have sister in sophomore year at Penn and she tells me a lot (too much sometimes) about college...</p>
<p>-The Not Sophomoric Coot66</p>
<p>coot, youre the one on this thread that has it right. thank you.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Oooh... coot you haven't actually been through college yet? This causes you to lose some credibility, seeing as Argentum has apparently been through it.
[/quote]
agreed...honestly coot, you could have an entire army of siblings going through college right now, but it doesn't mean anything if you haven't been there yourself. unless you definitively plan to stay in your room during most of college (and believe me, i know people of the sort), it's likely that your perception of college now will change dramatically once you get there.</p>
<p>i'll say this much...i was my high school valedictorian, and earned every bit it (although i had no intent of being valedictorian...i would have been fine, maybe happier without it). now my freshman year in college ends in 2 weeks exactly, so i can look back honestly and say that...damn, i worked a lot for the grades i got (4.0 first semester, doing pretty good this semester in engineering prereq classes). </p>
<p>but there was a major difference...whereas in high school i felt that i had the excuse to not have fun because "i would end up doing better later in life anyways," let me be clear about this...once i got to college, i realized just how much i missed out on being young, being with people who--while mature and hard working--still have the excuse to be silly, being active (and NOT active in the work-ethic sense). and on top of that, i realized that it's possible to work hard and learn, while still having a lot of fun, whether it be parties., hanging out with friends, doing whatever you do for kicks.</p>
<p>college DOES take prioritizing, and it DOES take hard work, but after an intense year in college (in more than just the academic sense), i can't for the life of me say that you shouldn't relax and have fun. everything requires balance...it takes an open mind and a level head, but eventually you start to figure out what works to find that balance...but i would say if you really want to be happy in college, and in fact, life...don't place an overemphasis on your future alone. there are things you can do now to be happy, while still being a responsible and "successful" person.</p>
<p>so all said, i more or less agree with the threadstarter, except maybe the double majoring thing...i agree that you shouldn't double major because you feel like it will help you get a job, but do it if you have a genuine interest you want to pursue.</p>
<p>Coot, How would your sophmore sister know anything about what recruiters and employers want?</p>
<p>The thread starter has gotten through college, and is in contact with employers. He has tons of more life experience than you do.</p>
<p>quote post #23: "For double majoring - while I don't see the point of getting a degree in Chemistry and Art History..."</p>
<p>actually this is an example of a double major that would be very useful -- if you were planning to go into the field of art conservation. I'm sure that while lots of students double major because they can't just choose one, others want the flexibility of more that one option for direction, and still others, have specific interests that can be joined with two majors working together that may not be obvious at first glance (like art history and chemistry!)
:)</p>
<p>Ya I totally hate teachers who turn a blind eye on cheating, you would do the work and get the same thing as one who didn't, then you would figure heck, then go ahead and cheat yourself, ya I'll definitely remember that in college.</p>
<p>Brown Bomber: She's crazy smart. Had a lot of jobs and contacts and so on. Wharton+Huntsman puts you in contact with a lot of helpful people. But whatever, I'll retract the sister statement. It seems to have caused a big commotion. </p>
<p>phobos: Here's my a quote from my second to last comment in this thread. Not sure if you caught it...</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you manage to balance work and fun, good for you. But everyone should prioritize. It'd be foolish of me to say you can't have fun and still succeed, but my comment was in response to Argentum's point; he vilified 'rushing through college' stating you won't have as much fun. There's no reason anyone should not graduate early if they can; it'd save them money and get them started on the career path early.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm not arguing that college should be boring and you avoid fun at all cost. That is taken out of context; I was simply refuting the OP's post.</p>
<p>And I don't know if my perception of college will change; maybe it will, but I'll stick firm with the principles I've defended in my posts.</p>
<p>Thanks ckmet13!</p>
<p>-The Brown-Bombing Coot66</p>
<p>On my first day in college, our president was projected on these giant screens and he told us not to double major. It's very interesting how some schools charge more for this type of a path while others discourage it.</p>
<p>I don't agree that cramming doesn't work. It helps me to get a good grade, but I probably won't have to cram in college 'cause I'll be learning stuff I want to learn. And you're not supposed to go to bed right after studying (brain hasn't had time to 'file it away').</p>
<p>And I'm planning on double majoring because I love both areas -- simple as that.</p>
<p>LBP asked about other "mistakes" to be avoided socially. Make an effort to maintain a cordial relationship with your roommate. Sure, you can request to switch out at some point, but til then you need to make the best of things. When I was in college, I had a roommate who pretty much slept with a different guy every weekend. She ended up freshmen year kinda screwy in the head from trying to "jumpstart" relationships that way.</p>
<p>Needless to say, my recommendation is to avoid sexual escapades - the risks of STDs are endless, not to mention messing up having a relaxing room to stay in.....the note on the door, or whatever you use to let your roommate know you have "company", gets old when it's that frequent. Don't abuse whatever relationship you might have with your roommate.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Here's my a quote from my second to last comment in this thread. Not sure if you caught it...
[/quote]
no, i caught it the first time. maybe in my post i did take your argument to be a little more strict than it was (especially by using your first post), but your language everywhere else still strongly conveys a different sentiment...just as one example, your concept of what a "successful" person or a "happy" life is. again, until you get to college, i don't think you quite have the authority to counter OP's thoughts with such certainty...you're definitely entitled to your opinion, but with this case in particular, you really need experience to be able to give your opinions credit.</p>
<p>anyways...other mistakes to avoid...not making friends with your floormates...for one, it can make your dorm life very frustrating, and two, you're always around them and they can be better than you'd think. i didn't hang out with my floormates much the first semester because i was hanging out with other people from all over campus. not that i didn't like them, just that i never really had time to in between doing work and hanging out with everyone else. then this semester i started hanging out with them more, and i realized that i had more in common with them than i thought...i just never took the time to get to know them first semester.</p>
<p>Hah, I wanted to thank you for writing that. You've reaffirmed everything I've been curious about in college, and some things I've believed without any accreditation. </p>
<p>This was well written, and just what I needed. I'm glad things worked out for you, I'm excited for next year.</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore now, and I have a bit of advice as well:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make sure you know which professor you are taking course X with. As many have already said, having a good professor means not only a better grade in the course (usually, all things considered), but also he or she will make the material all the more interesting to learn. I once signed up for a course entitled "20th century Chinese feminist thought." I couldn't have been more disinterested in the class, but the professor was absolutely fantastic, and I ended up doing very well in a course that I might otherwise have put no effort into.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to a private school. They're smaller, tend to have more open-minded students, and, best of all, geographic diversity. I don't care how many black, asian, hispanic, ninja turtle, or talking rabbits State University has. It's not diverse if they all went to the same high school.</p></li>
<li><p>Get in the habit of exercising regularly. You wouldn't believe how much healthier you'll be in all aspects (socially, academically, physically) when you make it a habit to do some form of physical activity for at least 20 minutes per day.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>"2. Go to a private school. They're smaller, tend to have more open-minded students, and, best of all, geographic diversity. I don't care how many black, asian, hispanic, ninja turtle, or talking rabbits State University has. It's not diverse if they all went to the same high school."</p>
<p><em>cough</em> Did I read that right? My friend goes to a private school, and I know for a fact it's not diverse. Are you talking about a top LAC? If you are then you may be right. Also, what do you mean by "diverse"? Does it mean people from different countries? Or from different states?</p>
<p>I just want to comment on the advice not to double major.</p>
<p>I double majored. I am currently in graduate school (in one of those majors). </p>
<p>I am glad that I double majored. I don't see anything wrong with it. If you have to take extra course hours then maybe it is not worth it. However, I chose two majors that did not have super strict requirements. This meant that I only took a normal load of courses and never had to take any summer courses. If you can do this I see no problem with double majoring. It can be fun, and if you decide to go to grad schools it opens up the types of programs you can get into.</p>
<p>lol. i drunk-dialed my professor at 2AM by finding his number from 411.</p>