<p>I'm not sure if there's already a thread like this (if so direct me to it), if not give me your best advice for the whole CC Community!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You’re responsible for all your decisions and actions- good or bad.</p></li>
<li><p>Learn to cook a variety of interesting, healthy and cheap meals. </p></li>
<li><p>Smile!</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Be bold.</p></li>
<li><p>No excuses.</p></li>
<li><p>Relax. It’s going to be fine.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Don’t pigeonhole yourself into one major during your first year. Also, make sure you like your major (it doesn’t necessarily have to be your true passion, but disliking your major is disastrous.)</p></li>
<li><p>If you don’t like someone, avoid them. If you’re not enjoying an extracurricular, quit. College is too short to waste your time on anything that brings you down. </p></li>
<li><p>That said, be courteous to everyone.</p></li>
<li><p>Start thinking about how you’re going to fill your summer. Don’t take summer session unless you need it to graduate on time (or if there’s a class that’s only offered in the summer.) Get a job/internship or study abroad instead.</p></li>
<li><p>Try things you never thought you would. Go skydiving, join the debate team, learn an instrument, go greek. Too many people just go to class and join the same extracurricular they did in high school. You’ll never again have this many opportunities at your fingertips. Take advantage of it.</p></li>
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<p>I am a freshman this wear and it’s been a crazy ride! First off don’t slack off what so ever. College is a completely different ball game and I already have friends dropping out because they would skip class or wouldn’t study enough. Just manage your time, grow up and be responsible, and simply just enjoy yourself. You’ve earned it and now is your time to shine for the next four years. Good luck!</p>
<p>Be sure you understand how to manage your finances (credit cards, check book, student loan, etc.). Do you know how to create a budget for the first semester? For the first year? These are important skills.</p>
<p>How to do laundry
How to write a check
How to contact someone professionally
How to cook some basic meals
How to take a taxi and tip appropriately
How to decline a drink etc at a party
How to drink a drink etc at a party and not embarrass yourself
How to eat a meal socially
Basic cleaning skills
How to drive</p>
<ol>
<li>Know you’re going to be alone.
You’re plopping yourself in a new environment. You’re going to be alone…at some points…a lot of times. Embrace it. Be comfortable being alone. Do not tag along with a group you do not enjoy for the fear of being alone. </li>
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<p>2.No one gives a fudge…and you shouldn’t either.
Not everyone is your friend. Not everyone is going to care about your well/being. To be honest, some won’t even give a flying flip of you still lived in the dorm across from them. Get used to it. Don’t care so much. You’ve got better things to worry about than nonfactors. </p>
<p>3.Go for the gold.
One thing you must do is try. Get involved for a club. Run for student government. Apply for that internships. Study abroad. Whatever you do, just do it. You know the saying…You miss 100% of the shots…yada yada yada…. Well, it’s true. Do it. Even if your under-qualified.You’ll gain something from the process. </p>
<p>4.This shift is tough.
If you’re not struggling at some point in your college career, you’re not doing it right. Continually, find your balance in academic, personal, social life, get used to it, and then all it up. You’ be amazed how much you can grow by doing this. </p>
<p>I have sooo much more…but I’ll post again at later time.</p>
<p>Niquii77 when you post the rest please direct me to it! I’m interested</p>
<p>Pay attention to the syllabus. Read it several times. Be aware of the policies – including attendance, late work, due dates, and the grading percentage for each assignment. </p>
<p>Have a planner. Write down all of your assignment and test dates. Consult it everyday. </p>
<p>Attend class all of the time.</p>
<p>Be courteous.</p>
<p>Meet as many people as you can the first semester, once it’s over it’s harder to incorporate new friends</p>
<p>If you have a professor who can’t speak English properly, unless that’s a language teacher, drop that class right away! </p>
<p>If you’re taking any math class, be prepared to watch tutorials and learn by yourself. Most, if not all math professors are useless when it comes to explaining the materials.</p>
<p>Not every professor is hired to teach, many of them are just there to give you a grade on what you learned by yourself.</p>
<p>Avoid drinking, partying. College classes are no joke. If you feel down, relax and play video games or watch some comedy. Don’t pour alcohol down your throat and jump off the rooftop. </p>
<p>:)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Be respectful of your roommates/suite mates. No one likes to have a roommate who doesn’t respect their space or possessions. If you use something that belongs to your roommate (with their permission, of course), put it back where you got it in the exact condition that you found it. You will be surprised how many people are incapable of understand the importance of this.</p></li>
<li><p>If your roommate isn’t being respectful of you, let them know. Don’t just sit there and brood until your anger explodes out of you.</p></li>
<li><p>Establish a bed time. Students who get enough sleep do better. Also, it prevents you from procrastinating. If you force yourself to drop everything at 10PM and go to sleep whether your work is done or not, then you will be less likely to leave stuff until the last minute because to do so would be to risk not finishing it at all.</p></li>
<li><p>Wear shower shoes if you are sharing a bathroom with anyone else. Seriously. I have had plantar warts, they are painful and difficult to get rid of.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are struggling with a class, get help NOW, not later. A semester goes by incredibly fast, and before you know it, it will be too late to improve your grade.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t deceive yourself. If you’re failing your math and physics classes, you probably aren’t cut out to be an engineer. If you’re failing your chem and bio classes, you probably shouldn’t be pre-med. Obviously there are exceptions to this (people with undiagnosed learning disorders, health problems, etc.) But just be realistic. Choose a field that you love and are good at.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>10am should be the earliest you have a class. Just trust me on this one.</p>
<p>Avoid the temptation of pulling all nighters. Recognize the importance of a regular, consistent sleeping schedule! It will make all the difference to your physical and emotional well being, the quality of your academics, and even your social life!</p>
<p>If you have any diagnosed health condition that may affect your education, register with the Office of Disabilities as soon as you get to campus. Let each of your instructors know in the first week of classes that you are registered with the office of disabilities and work out with the instructor any accommodations you need of the ones the Office of Disabilities agreed to. DO NOT WAIT until the term progresses and you fall behind or realize that you needed them but didn’t want to ‘make waves.’</p>
<p>Expect that there will be ups and downs in college, hard times and fun. It will be noisier and at times lonelier than you may be used to. It’s OK.</p>
<p>Try to resolve things on your own collaboratively. If it doesn’t work out, try to get it resolved sooner rather than later while you silently seethe and resent the problem.</p>
<p>There are a LOT of resources on campus. Your tuition and fees are paying for them–use them. There is help with studying skills, counseling, libraries, gym, resident assistants, instructors and teaching assistants, as well as career placement and counseling, as well as student health center/infirmary. YOU have to take the initiative and use the resources–the resources rarely seek you out.</p>
<ul>
<li>These aren’t necessarily going to be the best times of your life.</li>
<li>You may or may not retain long lasting friendships. A lot do not.</li>
<li>You will get slammed after college for the degree you picked, if you can’t find decent employment. It will suck to live with your parents. I know so many art majors who do.</li>
<li>You should have fun, but you should not neglect studying unless you truly know you’re smart. Not just telling yourself that.</li>
<li>You should take advantage of every resource you can on campus while you’re there.</li>
</ul>
<p>-Make studying and schoolwork your #1 priority from the beginning, regardless of your major or career plans
-Try to live on-campus for as many years as you can
-Get your friends together, sample some nice restaurants, go to movies and concerts, go to sports games, have fun
-Get the proper help and assistance when you need it, be it academic counseling, tutoring, financial aid, registration, etc. Never be afraid to ask for help.
-Reach out to your friends and family members whenever you’re feeling angry/depressed/worried/overwhelmed and seek counseling on campus if necessary. College will feature a lot of ups and downs.</p>
<p>Or, just buy “1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know” by Harry Harrison. It’s a great book!</p>
<p>Go to college with the inner commitment to complete a degree. If you’re not ready to complete a degree, don’t go! Save your money and wait until the time is right.</p>
<p>@TransferGopher that’s a nice thought, but an impossible idea for many. The program I’ve been accepted into at RIT has <em>mandatory</em> 8am Monday morning classes for the entire first year.</p>
<p>The upside is that if I build my schedule correctly, I’m compensated by a 3 day weekend and a free day during the week (eg, school Mon, Tue, Thu, free days Wed, Fri, Sat, & Sun), every week.</p>