Advice on college and dorm life

[DisobeyedCargo]

So next school year I will be starting my freshman year of colleg, and I just wanted to get some advice on stuff like time management and other such things, as I'm kinda nervous about going off to college, since this will be my first time living away from home.

[Dandy Druid]

I can't tell you too much about dorm life as I just commute to school instead, but I have friends who stayed in the dorm, and I've heard mixed responses. Some love their roommates and some can't stand them. Since you're a guy, it probably won't be too bad, depending on how crazy your roommates are.

Now for time management; I wanna say Don't Procrastinate but tbh I still do that. But the workload in college, at least in my experience, is a lot less than what I've had in high school, so my version of procrastination may differ from yours. 

But some advice I don't hear people give often is to make sure your professor knows who you are. If you go to a school where your looks stick out, this will be easier to do. I always make it a point to have my professors know who I am, that way, if I have a question, it'll be easier for me and them to answer it. Plus, it allows you to be more flexible. Say you get into a predicament/accident and can't make it to class, they'll be more likely to check on you and help you catch up with the class. It lets them know/think you're trying, and are more willing to help a student who seems to be putting more effort than the others. This also means go to class. Remember, you're PAYING for these classes, so don't ditch. The only reasons I've ditched before (and this was very rare) was to work on a paper for another class. Also, at the end of the semester, be sure to say thank you for teaching, because that'll be your last impression before they submit your final grades.

Now, if you want to know how to kiss ass and manipulate your teachers, that's another story. I'm not saying I do that, but I know a couple of techniques...

[Captain Karnage]

can't really help with dorm life, as I'm still living with my dad, as it's literally a 5 minute drive to my college 

as I'm in my senior year with 1 semester to go (all electives at that point)

1. be prepared to be overwhelmed with work, this isn't 13th grade. I assure you it will get easier by your sophomore year, and you'll laugh when you find out the assignment is ONLY 4 pages long

2. get plenty of rest, you'll need it

3 don't get morning classes, I promise if even if you like to get them done and over with they will kill you. As you'll be up late doing projects for other classes. Nothing earlier than 10 am is my standard.

4 online classes will save you a lot of time, but they can also be more demanding and your less likely to get reminders for anything. However every test is open book, so that's a huge benefit for taking them

5 Don't skip classes, trust me, missing one day can really bite you in the ass

6 drop a class ASAP if you know you're probably going to fail or if the professor is a hard ass, don't loose your schollarships

7 don't take the bare minimum of hours you need, with the exception of your first semester, you'll end up like me and need to take 1 more semester to graduate 

8 go in undecided for your first year, if you change your mind about your major those classes you took will become worthless and you will have wasted your money on them

9 if your having trouble with an assignment or anything, go talk to your professors, 9/10 of them will help you, unless they're the hard ass I mentioned earlier and will say something along the lines of " I don't need to explain it to you again, I explained it perfectly well, it's your fault for not understanding"fu*ing b*tch

10 rush with your schools fraternities, you're joining a brotherhood that will help you and you'll build life long relation ships. Just be sure the're not a party fraternity or PIKE hehehehe (most don't take student's with out established GPAs but it helps in their decision process if they saw you rush semester prior)

11 don't procrastinate, don't wait until the last minute to do/finish an assignment make your own due date. Also learn to really stretch out your writing, learn to turn a sentence into a paragraph 

12 Lastly, as generic as it sounds, don't give up, keep moving forward, don't doubt yourself, don't let it get to you.

[Dragoncat]

Ironically enough, even though I'm currently doing a joke crossover fic about college, I really didn't attend it much.

Don't miss finals and think it's hilarious. Even if you had a good grade for the rest of the class, miss the final and you will have to redo the class. Learned that the hard way. I forgot when a final was and yeah.

8 minutes ago, Dandy Druid said:

Some love their roommates and some can't stand them. Since you're a guy, it probably won't be too bad, depending on how crazy your roommates are.

How do guys have easier roommate experiences than girls? I've heard horror stories about roommates that were guys. Like a guy had an absolute sleazeball of a roommate who would...pleasure himself in the living room and not care if people saw him, put a chair in the shower and do it in there too, and literally shit himself because he didn't want to waste a trip to the toilet in case it was a fart. And invite his girlfriend over to have sex and when confronted about it, suggested that he could set up a tent so his roommate wouldn't have to see it. How this guy even HAD a girlfriend is beyond me...

[Rezzy]

5 minutes ago, Captain Karnage said:

can't really help with dorm life, as I'm still living with my dad, as it's literally a 5 minute drive to my college 

as I'm in my senior year with 1 semester to go (all electives at that point)

1. be prepared to be overwhelmed with work, this isn't 13th grade. I assure you it will get easier by your sophomore year, and you'll laugh when you find out the assignment is ONLY 4 pages long

2. get plenty of rest, you'll need it

3 don't get morning classes, I promise if even if you like to get them done and over with they will kill you. As you'll be up late doing projects for other classes. Nothing earlier than 10 am is my standard.

4 online classes will save you a lot of time, but they can also be more demanding and your less likely to get reminders for anything. However every test is open book, so that's a huge benefit for taking them

5 Don't skip classes, trust me, missing one day can really bite you in the ass

6 drop a class ASAP if you know you're probably going to fail or if the professor is a hard ass, don't loose your schollarships

7 don't take the bare minimum of hours you need, with the exception of your first semester, you'll end up like me and need to take 1 more semester to graduate 

8 go in undecided for your first year, if you change your mind about your major those classes you took will become worthless and you will have wasted your money on them

9 if your having trouble with an assignment or anything, go talk to your professors, 9/10 of them will help you, unless they're the hard ass I mentioned earlier and will say something along the lines of " I don't need to explain it to you again, I explained it perfectly well, it's your fault for not understanding"fu*ing b*tch

10 rush with your schools fraternities, you're joining a brotherhood that will help you and you'll build life long relation ships. Just be sure the're not a party fraternity or PIKE hehehehe (most don't take student's with out established GPAs but it helps in their decision process if they saw you rush semester prior)

11 don't procrastinate, don't wait until the last minute to do/finish an assignment make your own due date. Also learn to really stretch out your writing, learn to turn a sentence into a paragraph 

12 Lastly, as generic as it sounds, don't give up, keep moving forward, don't doubt yourself, don't let it get to you.

Mostly good advice.  One thing I would add is that you will have large gaps between classes.  Make the most use of that time and try to work on assignments in the hour or two between classes.  It's easy to slack off and waste that time and have a ton of work to do at the end of the day.

Clubs and stuff are nice, but don't feel compelled to join a fraternity/sorority.  I'm a bit of an introvert, and that wasn't my thing, but I did join other clubs, and got elected as a class rep my freshman year.  (I didn't even really campaign for it.  Apparently, random people just decided to vote for me.)

Along with clubs, try to find study groups to work on homework and study together with.

Are online classes ubiquitous now?  Online classes weren't a thing when I was in college, but that just proves how old I am.

[Dandy Druid]

1 minute ago, Dragoncat said:

How do guys have easier roommate experiences than girls? I've heard horror stories about roommates that were guys. Like a guy had an absolute sleazeball of a roommate who would...pleasure himself in the living room and not care if people saw him, put a chair in the shower and do it in there too, and literally shit himself because he didn't want to waste a trip to the toilet in case it was a fart. And invite his girlfriend over to have sex and when confronted about it, suggested that he could set up a tent so his roommate wouldn't have to see it. How this guy even HAD a girlfriend is beyond me...

All of my guy friends has had overall positive/neutral experiences. All my friends that hated their roommates were girls, like one said one of her roommates left bloody tampons out in the open.

But yeah that guy you talked about takes the cake. Seems like a rare case to me though.

[DisobeyedCargo]

12 minutes ago, Dandy Druid said:

I can't tell you too much about dorm life as I just commute to school instead, but I have friends who stayed in the dorm, and I've heard mixed responses. Some love their roommates and some can't stand them. Since you're a guy, it probably won't be too bad, depending on how crazy your roommates are.

Now for time management; I wanna say Don't Procrastinate but tbh I still do that. But the workload in college, at least in my experience, is a lot less than what I've had in high school, so my version of procrastination may differ from yours. 

But some advice I don't hear people give often is to make sure your professor knows who you are. If you go to a school where your looks stick out, this will be easier to do. I always make it a point to have my professors know who I am, that way, if I have a question, it'll be easier for me and them to answer it. Plus, it allows you to be more flexible. Say you get into a predicament/accident and can't make it to class, they'll be more likely to check on you and help you catch up with the class. It lets them know/think you're trying, and are more willing to help a student who seems to be putting more effort than the others. This also means go to class. Remember, you're PAYING for these classes, so don't ditch. The only reasons I've ditched before (and this was very rare) was to work on a paper for another class. Also, at the end of the semester, be sure to say thank you for teaching, because that'll be your last impression before they submit your final grades.

Now, if you want to know how to kiss ass and manipulate your teachers, that's another story. I'm not saying I do that, but I know a couple of techniques...

Well luckily the class sizes at the colleges I've been accepted to are very small so that shouldn't be a problem to get to know my teachers. Student population is about 4500 IIRC

10 minutes ago, Captain Karnage said:

can't really help with dorm life, as I'm still living with my dad, as it's literally a 5 minute drive to my college 

as I'm in my senior year with 1 semester to go (all electives at that point)

1. be prepared to be overwhelmed with work, this isn't 13th grade. I assure you it will get easier by your sophomore year, and you'll laugh when you find out the assignment is ONLY 4 pages long

2. get plenty of rest, you'll need it

3 don't get morning classes, I promise if even if you like to get them done and over with they will kill you. As you'll be up late doing projects for other classes. Nothing earlier than 10 am is my standard.

4 online classes will save you a lot of time, but they can also be more demanding and your less likely to get reminders for anything. However every test is open book, so that's a huge benefit for taking them

5 Don't skip classes, trust me, missing one day can really bite you in the ass

6 drop a class ASAP if you know you're probably going to fail or if the professor is a hard ass, don't loose your schollarships

7 don't take the bare minimum of hours you need, with the exception of your first semester, you'll end up like me and need to take 1 more semester to graduate 

8 go in undecided for your first year, if you change your mind about your major those classes you took will become worthless and you will have wasted your money on them

9 if your having trouble with an assignment or anything, go talk to your professors, 9/10 of them will help you, unless they're the hard ass I mentioned earlier and will say something along the lines of " I don't need to explain it to you again, I explained it perfectly well, it's your fault for not understanding"fu*ing b*tch

10 rush with your schools fraternities, you're joining a brotherhood that will help you and you'll build life long relation ships. Just be sure the're not a party fraternity or PIKE hehehehe (most don't take student's with out established GPAs but it helps in their decision process if they saw you rush semester prior)

11 don't procrastinate, don't wait until the last minute to do/finish an assignment make your own due date. Also learn to really stretch out your writing, learn to turn a sentence into a paragraph 

12 Lastly, as generic as it sounds, don't give up, keep moving forward, don't doubt yourself, don't let it get to you.

Well I do already know what I want to major in, so can't really follow that advice.

the schools Ive been accepted to advertise that the teachers DO want to know you and care about you, so that won't be too hard

nevet really thought much about fraternities much. 

I never really planned on skipping class anyway so I'm good there 

 

[Rezzy]

2 minutes ago, Dandy Druid said:

All of my guy friends has had overall positive/neutral experiences. All my friends that hated their roommates were girls, like one said one of her roommates left bloody tampons out in the open.

But yeah that guy you talked about takes the cake. Seems like a rare case to me though.

I got along with my roommate well enough; I just like having alone time, and having to share a cardboard box to sleep in starts to drain me after a while.

[Dragoncat]

2 minutes ago, Dandy Druid said:

All of my guy friends has had overall positive/neutral experiences. All my friends that hated their roommates were girls, like one said one of her roommates left bloody tampons out in the open.

But yeah that guy you talked about takes the cake. Seems like a rare case to me though.

I see. Yeah I guess girls can be nasty too and also maybe we aren't as accepting and a bit more cliquey? 

That's just disgusting, she didn't even throw them in the trash? To me it sounds like she was doing that on purpose to piss her roommate off.

[DisobeyedCargo]

7 minutes ago, Rezzy said:

Mostly good advice.  One thing I would add is that you will have large gaps between classes.  Make the most use of that time and try to work on assignments in the hour or two between classes.  It's easy to slack off and waste that time and have a ton of work to do at the end of the day.

Clubs and stuff are nice, but don't feel compelled to join a fraternity/sorority.  I'm a bit of an introvert, and that wasn't my thing, but I did join other clubs, and got elected as a class rep my freshman year.  (I didn't even really campaign for it.  Apparently, random people just decided to vote for me.)

Along with clubs, try to find study groups to work on homework and study together with.

Are online classes ubiquitous now?  Online classes weren't a thing when I was in college, but that just proves how old I am.

That's going to be the hardest part for me, adjusting to the work load and the new work schedule for assignments. 

[MacLovin]

1. Be chill all the time, but don't be afraid to try to talk in classes and get things wrong, the teachers aren't going to condemn you for getting something wrong, unless you're being a complete and total assfuck of yourself.
2.  Learn how to write prolifically and write well. It really helps to be able to churn papers out.
3. Read material. While cliffs notes and shit like that can help, it doesn't pay to rely on those and it's kind of stupid to do so.
4. Clubs and social activities is all up to you, but frankly it really depends on how you are. I do recommend at least trying one or two.
5. Drop classes where the teacher seems like a jackass or if the class is too heavy for your current load. 

[Midnight Torch]

I'm in the same boat as well for college.

[Captain Karnage]

10 minutes ago, Rezzy said:

Are online classes ubiquitous now?  Online classes weren't a thing when I was in college, but that just proves how old I am.

pretty much, at this point half of my classes have been online, and I kind of don't like as I'm not meeting new people

8 minutes ago, DisobeyedCargo said:

the schools Ive been accepted to advertise that the teachers DO want to know you and care about you, so that won't be too hard

That's a load of BS, you will meet some bad professors 

9 minutes ago, DisobeyedCargo said:

nevet really thought much about fraternities much.

Take them them into consideration, studies have shown that people in fraternities preform better and are more likely to graduate

[anniec8711]

Congrats!  Very happy for you!

A lot of good advice here.  But here's what I got.  I'm speaking as an older sister to a younger brother. 

I guess I would suggest for your harder classes (maybe more applicable for upper div classes) is that you form study groups with the smart people in that class.  NEVER study with friends, as you will most likely end up getting little to nothing done.

If you "experiment," pot is fine but nothing harder!  It's not much of in issue if you're in CA, CO, or WA.  Just remember driving while high is treated like any other DUI, so don't do it!

Coffee is always better for cramming than energy drinks.

Intramural sports is a great way to make new friends!

When dealing with passed out friends, take off their shoes and turn them on their sides.

Always use protection.  Non-negotiable.

Get a job at the library if you can.

But most importantly, have fun and enjoy yourself!  Soak everything in, and don't be afraid to challenge yourself both socially and academically.  College is a once in a lifetime experience so make the most of it.

 

2 hours ago, Captain Karnage said:

11 don't procrastinate, don't wait until the last minute to do/finish an assignment make your own due date.

We always say we won't, but end up doing it anyways.  I am a repeat offender when it comes to procrastinating.

[BZL8]

There is a lot of good advice already given here. Here's some of my advice, at least from my point of view (as an engineering student in a fairly-competitive college):

1. Time Management is Everything!!! : The most important advice IMO. Depending on what college department you're in or degree you are pursuing, you will have to balance your schedule a lot. Should you spend more time studying this topic, go out with friends/social, begin working on a project that is not due for quite some time, or go to this study session located in this building, etc? Knowing how to budget your time and keeping a sharp eye on your schedule can go a long way. 

2.  Take advantage of your college's resources: Know the resources your college offers and don't be afraid to use them!  My college offers a resource that includes peer mentoring, tutoring, exam reviews, and career services. I often find myself using that particular resource a lot in my studies. That tuition of yours is probably expensive; make use of the resources your college has!

3. Know when an instructor/TA isn't doing it for you: If you aren't feeling a professor or T.A., it is highly likely that professor or T.A. isn't doing it for you. Try and find a different instructor that fits your needs. Resources like RateMyProfessor and a Reddit page dedicated to your college (if there happens to be one) are chock full of people talking about courses, instructors, etc. Ask your academic adviser if you have any questions/concerns.

4.  Find clubs/activities to relax: College can quickly burn students out, especially if you're studying in a competitive one. Find activities or clubs to help you relax. Your college should have several registered organizations on campus or offer classes that are dedicated to various interests. For me personally, I am part of the school's orchestra as a violin player, and it really is a stress-reliever. Clubs/activities are also a good place to make a lot of friends.

5. Never ever try and study in your dorm: Just don't. Somewhere on the college campus should be a another place or building that you will enjoy studying there. Find it, and make it your study spot.

Overall, college is stressful, but it can also be a rewarding and fun experience as well. Good luck on your first year!

[Dandy Druid]

4 hours ago, Dragoncat said:

I see. Yeah I guess girls can be nasty too and also maybe we aren't as accepting and a bit more cliquey? 

That's just disgusting, she didn't even throw them in the trash? To me it sounds like she was doing that on purpose to piss her roommate off.

It was like within the first few days.

The cliques was a problem for my cousin. She didn't really do anything wrong, but one girl spread rumors to the others so all of her mates turned against her

[Excellen Browning]

The big things about college: don't skip class, don't phone browse during class, and do your homework and do it on time.

Work/study strategies vary. Most students seem to need some sort of "time and place" to study effectively. This can be study groups, going to the library, finding a quiet spot on campus, etc. Some need to be alone, others like the presence of others. Figure out what works for you.

If you have trouble keeping up, consider dropping classes and figuring out how and if you can improve. In my experience most students who fail to keep up do so because stress/fear paralyzes them, and they need to learn ways to deal with it. It's a good idea to go to student counseling for this. Other students fail because they've undiagnosed medical issues or disorders. Autistic spectrum, problems with regulation of emotions and simple depression are what I commonly find.

[Charmeleonbrah]

I didn't have the best experiences with roommates in college; best to stay away from drug dealers and hoodrats.  Look for mild-mannered engineering and IT guys instead,

Remember to not major in something that has no chance of making you decent money, like Exercise Physiology or Psychology.  You'll end up working some menial service job for two years and then enrolling in some "accelerated bachelors" program in a major that actually will make you money.

Stay away from cannabis after high school.

Remember that you will NEVER be around a ton of women in their physical prime ever again.  There's a big step down from college to the adult world dating-wise.

NEVER, EVER, under any circumstances, donate to a Patreon.  

Finally, don't ask for help from people on the internet.  As a rule, if you have an account on a forum you are insane, period.

[DarkSoul]

Rest, I mean REST A LOT, you won't want to end up sleeping in the middle of the class, but then I guess everyone knows that since school. If you are forgettful just like me, take note of everything you need to do and learn how to manage better your life since from now on, things are gonna get tough. More important, don't let college take a tool on you, take it easy, I'm a freshman too, I've been on it since two months so I don't have too much to say besides this 

Edited March 22, 2018 by DarkSoul

[Shoblongoo]

...I feel like any advice I can give you based on my own college experience would be absolutely terrible...but w/e...here it goes...

Work comes first. Go to your classes, study for your exams, and write your papers.

But when you've got the workload under control and you've got free time on your hands--go nuts. This is the time to do it.

Mingle with all types, get out of your comfort zone, and find your scene. 

 

11 hours ago, Charmeleonbrah said:

Stay away from cannabis until after high school.

 Fixed that for you.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Shoblongoo

[Charmeleonbrah]

2 hours ago, Shoblongoo said:

...I feel like any advice I can give you based on my own college experience would be absolutely terrible...but w/e...here it goes...
 

2 hours ago, Shoblongoo said:

Stay away from cannabis until after high school.

Fixed that for you.

Not hard to connect the dots here...cannabis takes another life!

Seriously though, college is hard.  Smoking weed in large amounts damages your memory, making it harder to excel in high-level classes.  On the other hand, high school is so easy, if you have above-average intelligence you could smoke mj literally every day, multiple times a day, and still get straight A's in 'advanced placement' classes.  I knew many people who did this, actually.  Not surprisingly, they ran into trouble when they went to uni.

[Shoblongoo]

...that's the worst advice you could possibly give someone...

It damages memory if you use it as an adolescent, when you're brain is still developing (i.e. in high scool). It has no such effects on long-term cognitive function when used by a fully developed adult. (your friends ran into trouble in uni because they were burnouts in high school ya dingus!)

College is a whole 'nother ball game. Work hard. Play hard.



 

Edited March 22, 2018 by Shoblongoo

[Excellen Browning]

Your brain develops,well into your twenties.

[Charmeleonbrah]

6 minutes ago, Shoblongoo said:

...it damages memory if you use it as an adolescent, when you're brain is still developing (i.e. in high scool).That's terrible advice.
 

Alright, you win.  I admit when I'm bested.  How about we come to a compromise; weed is best enjoyed your first year of college, when you take easy intro/survey classes, and have a unlimited meal pass at the cafeteria.  Listen to MGMT with your bros and go to free school-sponsored concerts, then watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas you downloaded from a Torrent.

[Shoblongoo]

7 minutes ago, Charmeleonbrah said:

Alright, you win.  I admit when I'm bested.  How about we come to a compromise; weed is best enjoyed your first year of college, when you take easy intro/survey classes, and have a unlimited meal pass at the cafeteria.  Listen to MGMT with your bros and go to free school-sponsored concerts, then watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas you downloaded from a Torrent.

...me and you had two very different college experiences...

Lets leave it at that. I really don't feel like getting banned today.