<p>I have learned so many things, both positive and negative. More than anything, I’ve really learned that I am not the same person who first applied to my school, nor do I want the same things out of my college experience and out of life in general as I did then.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Our machines still require $1.50 in quarters. Such a hindrance. We’ve only started implementing card swipes, but it’s a little late…</p>
<p>Some things my sister learned after 1st semester of college: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bring an umbrella. </p></li>
<li><p>Agenda/Planners will save your life, especially if you fill them up with important dates AS SOON as you get your syllabus. </p></li>
<li><p>Keep your syllabus somewhere on the wall where you can see it. </p></li>
<li><p>“Just because you go to an Ivy League, don’t think everyone is smart.”, lol, I quote her on this. </p></li>
<li><p>Record your professors because if its a 8AM or 9AM class, you might forget what he/she is saying… or you just might fall asleep. </p></li>
<li><p>Bring a lock for your laptop. </p></li>
<li><p>Dont walk anywhere, except your dorm without slippers or shoes. </p></li>
<li><p>You will write papers until you die.</p></li>
<li><p>Orientation is the best time in college, hands down.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>when you’ve just been invited to do something awesome, new, exciting, or different, always accept. the opportunity to have one of the most memorable times of your life is always a better option than studying or doing something mundane. save that stuff for later. you will forget and not use most of what you learn in your college classes, so make your time outside of class memorable.</p>
<p>…but overindulgence will bite you in the ass. keep yourself in check academically in order to make time for these new experiences, lest you fail out of school or you graduate with a gpa that prevents you from future employment.</p>
<p>
Yes, yes, and yes. Depending on where you live, bring an umbrella, a raincoat, AND rain boots.</p>
<p>I definitely bought a rain coat and boots by October my first year here. When I wear them at home people look at me like I am crazy but in Ann Arbor they are standard student uniform for girls.</p>
<p>Helpful Tips and Stuff I’ve learned - No particular order
Clean/change your bedsheets at least once every 2 weeks; it’s really nice to snuggle into a clean bed
reorganize your desk once a week (i did every sunday) - helps sort out papers you do and dont need.
Get one of those stand-up cardboard organizer things where you can see the spine of all your books and folders, much better than using a huge pile
dont stress yourself trying to join tons of low-participation clubs. try to see if there’s an interesting internship or campus job that is major focused (that’s what i did, and make $11 an hour)
go to every class and take detailed notes - make a system for your notetaking so it’s not just a novel. also, take only 5 minutes every day to read the day’s notes for each class, really ups your retention level
instead of wasting your life on the internet, leave your computer at home, go to the library and set an alarm (on vibrate). study until the alarm goes off.
don’t stress about making a friend “group”. hang with people you find interesting, and always make casual pals in your classes you can text with questions.
DO NOT spend your ‘fun money’ on food. it’s so disappointing to realize that you’ve spent $200 on junk food and restaurants.
If you have a facebook addiction, do what I do: make it so you receive an email when someone posts on your wall etc, and otherwise don’t go on the site. otherwise you are just refreshing pointlessly and reading up on other people’s lives- who cares? only use when necessary.
it may be hard to swallow - i know, trust me - but break up with your bf/gf BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. also get ready for a tough semester if you’re going to the same school. Having this relationship, esp in the long distance case but either way, chokes your opportunity to develop “organic” (self-created) friendships, develop your own interests, embrace the general freedom that comes with being at university. one of you will come to resent the daily phone calls, obligatory hang-outs that enforce mutual, not original friendships, anxiety about partying (going ‘out with the girls’ is suddenly a guilt fest), disputes over study habits, all of it. besides, i know you will disagree, but you do not know that your significant other is right person right now. you haven’t let yourself even sample the thousands (literally) of other options that are out there, and you will end up feeling gyped.
go to tutoring! i went to tutoring for math at least 3x a month, so helpful.
if you’re too shy to go to office hours, email.
don’t try to reform your personality - people can tell when you’re faking it (exhibit A - a girl pretended she had a british accent. ***?)
exercise! even if you haven’t ever been athletic, most gyms have tons of cool classes where you can make friends and work out-really helps with sleeping habits. I take bollywood dancing, for example.
eat healthfully. dining halls can make or break your waistline - but if you must indulge, all the more reason to work out.
realize that you are great. really. dress the way you want to dress, smile at who you want to smile at - don’t worry “will this person fit in with my other friends??” doesn’t matter. He/she is YOUR friend. it’s not like hs where you only hang in groups.
pick up or continue your old hobbies. i continued playing piano, and now i’m teaching myself spanish cause i don’t have room for the class.
dream big and SMILE!</p>
<h1>Hit the gym!- Spring season sports come by faster than you think and you dont want to have anxiety over passing the outrageous fitness test</h1>
<h1>Work hard all semester- its a short couple of months</h1>
<h1>Not everyone is emotionally ready for college, so a Gap year is not a bad idea</h1>
<h1>Groups of friends change fast- due to schedules and people dropping out- i know about 20 people who decided to throw in the towel</h1>
<h1>Transferring is always an option</h1>
<h1>Living in the dorms is not as great as it seems, COMMUTE!</h1>
<h1>Colleges really change after the welcome week thing</h1>
<h1>Have fun, the real world sucks!</h1>
<p>Well, the first thing I learned in college was how to pick a lock with a credit card. Im not saying you should learn it, but if you have the time its a great way to overcome leaving your key inside. However, with great power comes great responsibilty. That and sit towards the front, be on time, be very conscience of the syllabus, go to on-campus events, understand grading policies, and don’t be afraid to be the one to approach and start conversation (I’m working on this one).</p>
<p>“anxiety over passing the outrageous fitness test”</p>
<p>OK seriously are there a lot of people in ROTC or sports teams or something on CC? *** kind of school has fitness tests aside from military academies and the like?</p>
<p>Get up early, pace yourself during the day, work steadily up until dinner time, and you should be able to have (most of) your weekend free. </p>
<p>Look at chores like going grocery shopping and doing laundry as FREE TIME and FUN. </p>
<p>I always called it quits on Friday at 5 pm and didn’t get back to schoolwork until Sunday 5pm, with the exception of finals week.</p>
<p>Go to bed early. Socialize with other people that seem to have their sh** together. </p>
<p>Working out (like aerobics or zumba) at night will actually make you sleep better and clear your head. </p>
<p>Treat surfing the internet like an STD–you don’t want it!</p>
<p>“OK seriously are there a lot of people in ROTC or sports teams or something on CC? *** kind of school has fitness tests aside from military academies and the like?”</p>
<p>Actually it is very common- atleast among my friends. Me at my small private in the east coast, one at notre dame and the others in a d2 school.</p>
<p>Kapur said a lot of real stuff. You sound like a person with your **** straight.</p>
<p>But a few things:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Break up with girlfriend/boyfriend before school starts. Unless you’re going to marry them (not even a tinge of cringing when you think about marrying this specific person… I’m talking 100 percent) then stay with them, otherwise enjoy your freshman year. No one wants to be in the hall explaining to their girlfriend why they were out so late when they could continue the night dancing the night away in a gloriously rank college bar.</p></li>
<li><p>Sit beside of the prettiest girl in the class. Eventually you will talk to her and it will help with confidence and you might even get a good little date/girlfriend/friend out of it (plus its nice to have someone to text/call when you have a class question).</p></li>
<li><p>GO TO OFFICE HOURS! As Kapur said. If you don’t want to then email… which brings me to my next point…</p></li>
<li><p>Email with correct grammar and spelling, all the while sucking up profusely to the professor. Have no shame in doing this because it will get you a better grade in the long run. If you suck at grammar then have your roomate write it (seriously… both of you can’t be that bad). Be your professor’s best friend, and if they hate you annoy them so much that they can’t imagine having you another semester and pass you.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t regret anything. If you screw up, think about it and then get over it. Engage in thought every chance you get and don’t be afraid to be alone to do so.</p></li>
<li><p>Sophomore year is for girlfriends, freshman year definately isn’t.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>for me which i have learned one thing after my first semester from college keep always studying with your fevour its good for your future</p>
<p>Loonlake was right. High school does NOT end…</p>
<p>Study Groups/ paper reading parties are wonderful…they keep you from dreading your studying
Don’t work in the same place you sleep. If you must, work at your desk, not on your bed. But seriously you will be more productive if you find a new space.
Meet your professors, participate in class
Maybe done isn’t better than good, but don’t let perfect interfere with good.
Resist the urge to be competitively stressed. Having pulled more all nighters than your friends put together should not be a source of pride.
Heat up late night snacks are important, try to avoid total junkfood</p>
<p>If you have a class that doesnt have pop quizzes, and the prof goes largely off the book, it will be ok if you skip classes. </p>
<p>DO NOT TAKE EARLY AM CLASSES</p>
<p>If you have to take classes close together time wise; I liked to either study for my next class or take a nap before the next class. The nap kept me recharged longer. </p>
<p>Bring snacks with you from home. Vending machines seriously eat at your wallet when you add it up. </p>
<p>Before the semester starts find out if you can find free parking that doesnt get filled up and you can walk to class. You can save outa not buying a parking pass.</p>
<p>It does not matter how early you woke up in high school, you will not wake up for early classes in college unless you get quizzes/hw in that class.
Study at least 2 days before a test.
As much as you love them, your friends WILL distract you, try to do work when they’re not around unless you need their help. Or go to the library (trying the next semester lol)
Engineers take so many credits >.<
Office Hours will be the best hours of you life…
Don’t write papers the day before they are due…</p>
<p>8AM classes suck. Professors are a pain when they take attendance in a 200+ person class. I have one 9AM class next semester which is better but 8AMs suck.</p>
<p>I don’t know what all of these people are saying, but I’ll add my own two cents despite (perhaps conflicting) previous advice.
First of all, early classes are what you make of them. I’m a relatively early riser, and I had a class at nine in the morning. I went to every class (except for one friday where I had an awful hangover) and got an A for my final grade. Do what you feel comfortable with - the only time the world will conform to your wishes (at least to a certain extent) is college.
If you are at all inclined to look for some sort of hookup in college it will come to you. The college admission officers saw something in you that was similar to the hot girl sitting in front of you in your anthropology class. Talk to her if you want to, don’t talk to her if you have no such inclination… If you are looking, you’ll find someone (even if it’s just a drunk hookup (p.s. especially if it’s a drunk hookup)).
I wrote every single one of my essays in my bed. Make whatever works for you work for you; every once in a while I would fall asleep while doing my work - and when I woke up, whenever that was, I finished it. I’m not gonna lie. Most of my friends couldn’t handle working in their beds. But I could, and it was awesome. I was really comfortable when I was doing my work with almost negligible repercussions.
If you are someone who can study for one day before a test and recall all of the information, all the power to you. If you are someone who can party the day before a test and do well on it, you’re awesome. I myself couldn’t, but I had friends who could. I know I’m probably beating a dead horse, but figure it out for yourself. You will probably get hints in high school whether you can do these things. I would trust those hints, they worked pretty well for me.
Be as good as you can be. If pulling all nighters makes you a better writer, do it. If not, don’t. I had several unsatisfactory grades on papers, and they were ones that I stayed up a little too late to write well. I also did the best on papers I wrote myself, with no outside input. This might be a little different from people who posted before me; once again, this is the formula that worked for me.
In summation, college is the most individualized experience you will have come across in your life. Take advantage of this great customization of experience.</p>