<p>This question is for both parents and students. </p>
<p>What are some things that you wish you knew before arriving here? Things that you wish you brought? Things that you wish you didn't? Basically anything that you really wouldn't know until you got here and experienced it. </p>
<p>A few of mine are:
1. It is MUCH cheaper to buy a fridge and keep it all four years instead of renting one from UTrucking.
2. It is also much cheaper to buy all your books online or used instead of relying on the bookstore.
3. Take advantage of the Career Center early and often. They have a lot of services that students rarely know about until it's too late.
4. Weather here is really unpredictable, even within the same day. So always be prepared.</p>
<p>Addition to # 4: Always, ALWAYS have an umbrella with you. I went to class once, and it was bright and sunny. Left the bme building (as far away from the dorms as possible, about a 15-20 min walk), and it was pouring and chilly out.
Needless to say, I wasn’t too happy about the walk back to my room.</p>
<p>Addition to #2: Also, don’t buy supplies from the bookstore- I never understood why a few of my friends spent so much money on papers/binders/etc. from the bookstore when office depot is so much cheaper.</p>
<p>haha you’ll look like a huge tool if you’re always carrying an umbrella. Just bring a hoodie wherever you go, that way you’ll be prepared for the unexpected snowstorms too. I wish I knew how much uglier girls here are than in high school. Oh yeah could you say some specifics about career services, I’ve literally never used them before.</p>
<p>Or you could just keep it in your bag, like a normal person would. I always have an umbrella on me, and no one has to know.</p>
<p>Unless you don’t carry a bag around with you. How that works when some classes require books, I don’t know. No bag, plus no umbrella = ruined books, with or without a hoodie. (Unless its overly baggy?)
Besides, a hoodie in September or April would make you look far more like a tool than carrying an umbrella, especially with how often it rains in St. Louis in these months.</p>
<p>(I’d like to add a really witty remark, thats WUt i said, but my usual sarcasm fails currently).
And here ends my over-the-top snarkyness. Good day!</p>
<p>The Career Center, unfortunately, isn’t as effective as it should be since a lot of people don’t actually use it. But they do offer tons of resources that are really beneficial if you decide to take advantage of it. You can go in to get your resume and cover letter reviewed, do mock interviews (they even do case interviews for those looking to go into business), or simply ask for help on a job or internship search. They also offer MCAT courses, and are working on offering GRE courses in the coming year. They also had an on site Teach for America consultant there to help anyone who is interested in that. </p>
<p>Oftentimes, however, the Career Center simply doesn’t have the resources or knowledge to help a student though. I really think it’s because the program is so underutilized at WashU that they end up only catering to those that actually use them - business students and med school students. But hopefully as the school gets more name recognition and such, both students and employers will start to look at the Career Center more.</p>