College + Advice?

TheGoverness · Aug 24, 2017

So tomorrow, I'll be heading off to college. Classes start Monday, so we've basically got 3 days to move in, and get my textbooks and all that. I've got most of my stuff packed and ready to go, I just need to run down to the store later today to get a few more things. But for the most part, I'm pretty much set.

I'm both excited and scared about this. While I'm sure it's gonna be great being more independent from my parents, and doing things all by myself for a change, I think it might end up being too overwhelming, at least at the start. I'm gonna have to make new friends, and unfortunately for me, I have difficulty talking to new people sometimes.

So I was wondering if anyone here has any stories they want to share about their first year in college?

X Factor · Aug 24, 2017

Congrats Gov. I remember being on my own for the first time. Feeling homesick is normal but overall it's an awesome fun time (try not to have too much fun initially). I bet you'll make friends quickly, if you're anything like you are here in RL.

Linc · Aug 24, 2017

TG has a great outlet on DP for people to actually positively live with her and interact with her mentally in RL the next 4 to 8 years or so and see her grow into a Wonderful adult, especially when you consider DP has been around 13 years now ...

Ikari · Aug 24, 2017

Meh, if you stay in the dorms then you'll meet people to hang out with right away (whether they become friends later on in life is a different story), but everyone is in the same boat and looking for the same thing. I wouldn't sweat that portion of it. Even I, as anti-social as I am, was able to meet a good number of people my first year and have a lot of fun.

Look for clubs to join, even if it's silly like an anime club (I had lots of fun in my school's anime club, lol). You can meet people of similar interest at those. Just get involved with some stuff and soon you'll be rolling in friends. Well not literally...less that's like your thing or whatever.

Don't sell short the Greek system. I think I was the antithesis of the "fraternity bro". I majored in Physics and Chemistry with minors in Math, Political Science, and Botany. I was president of Physics Club, Vice-President of Chemistry Club, Dean's list scholar most semesters, etc. I was (am) a nerd's nerd. But joining a fraternity was one of the best decisions I made as an undergraduate. I had a blast, I met life-long friends, it was a great experience for me and something that certainly challenged myself as well particularly along social lines. Lots of people want to poo poo the Greek system because that's what the cool kids do these days. But I found it to be worth everything I put into it and more.

Just enjoy yourself. Keep up on classes (though undergraduate is CAKE, especially the first 2 years) for sure. But you will never again in your life have so much freedom and so little responsibility. Take advantage of it.

MaggieD · Aug 24, 2017

Well, Missy, congratulations! What a wonderful adventure you're embarking on.

I don't have any stories to share about college, because I didn't attend. But I know what life has taught me about immersing ome's self in change. Go for it! No one knows who you are and you can be the person you've always imagined you'd like to be. You have a brand new opportunity to make a first impression! We don't often get that in life with peers.

If you're shy? Act as if you're not and you won't be. Introverted? Act as if you're not and you won't be. If you're anxious, act as if you're cool as a cuke. "Act As If" has served me very well since I embraced it many years ago. It can serve you well, too.

Have a blast, young lady! And don't be spendin' a whole lot of time here for your social interaction. There's a whole wide world out there just waiting for The Governess.

How I envy you this wonderful opportunity! Make the most of it!

Quag · Aug 24, 2017

I have stories, boy do I have stories.
Do I want to share any of them?
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Rexedgar · Aug 24, 2017

I began my higher education at Villanova. I was a boarding student and like you I had to get textbooks and other sundries for my journey. The year was late 1971. While walking around campus, I noticed many football type jerseys worn by the rank and file. So off to the store I went. I had noticed in my travels around campus that the number "75" seemed to be everywhere. When I got to the store I decided that I liked the look of the number "73" better. I caught flak for the next week especially from my roommates who, me included were slated to graduate in 1975. Have fun and don't take yourself too seriously! You post older than an incoming freshman.

Nilly · Aug 24, 2017

First off, congrats! I have two pieces of advice, the first academic, the second lifestyle related.

1. Become best mates with your lecturers. I wish I had. You can get better grades, more help, more opportunities. Stay after class for a chat. Ask them questions. They honestly love it.

2. College is 'supposed' to be some of the best years of your life. They were great for me. Don't take that as pressure, but don't forget to have fun! Lose (and find) yourself a little, go a little bit wild. These are the days you can do it without (major) consequences.

OlNate · Aug 24, 2017

Congrats, lady, good times ahead!

Umm...best advice I can give: Just say Yes.

Be smart, of course, and do what you need to do to get to year 2, but you only get this once, so enjoy the hell out of it...it's what you'll look back on when you're working at the job all of this gets you for the rest of your life, wishing like hell you could go back for a day.

longview · Aug 24, 2017

A good rule of thumb on the hard classes is to study for 3 hours for each class hour.
Most Universities expect a lot more out of you than high school, so be prepared for that.
Don't neglect your diet, ( I think may daughter ate nothing by ham sandwiches for her first semester)
Have fun and figure out what you like and don't like.

Winston · Aug 24, 2017

Hey, it is a leap of faith but, you will find out how exciting it is to be on your own.

Hmmmmm, wellllll....

Walk around campus and get to know the place. Don't feel stressed out about logistics or getting stuck somewhere not knowing where you are. So, definitely explore campus and feel confident in your knowledge of the layout. Make sure you know where the computer lab is, what their hours are. Figure out the best routes to classes. Spend a couple days just exploring campus. College campuses are usually a lot to take in, in a good way, like a new city. Figure out what you want to do for transportation. Sometimes a bus pass is way cheaper and convenient enough that you don't need a car with costly insurance payments.

Also walk in pairs at night.

Get into a routine of doing chores that your parents normally do for you. Set up good habits of rinsing dishes, cleaning bathrooms on schedule, etc. Because you'll notice really fast how a home can go to ****, when no one is up 3 hours before you are cleaning it.

Look for good roommates. Good roommates are hard to come by, but, are an invaluable connection to have. You probably will want to find one solid roommate when you want to live off campus. They cut your bills in half and you probably won't want to be working full time, which is almost universally necessary to afford a 1 br or even a studio. Look for someone who isn't at risk for dependence on substances, someone who you just get a good vibe from.

Try to always save, save, save, everytime you get an income save even $20 of it in a savings account. You'll thank yourself down the road when you want to put a downpayment on a car or, you need move in money for an apartment. Always put some money away, even if it feels like it's pointless. If you want now may be a good time to establish credit. I didn't get a credit card until my mid-20's, but, if you're responsible enough, they can be a backup plan if you really need some money in a jam.

Your freshman year of college is a time of exploration. Time goes really fast, so, remember to breathe and feel in tune with your life.

hanger4 · Aug 24, 2017

Not a story but the advice I gave my daughter some years ago at the beginning of her freshman year.
Mon. thru Fri. your 6 priorities;

1) Eat
2) Sleep
3) Personal hygiene
4) Classes
5) Study - homework
6) Softball (athletic scholarship)

Weekends no classes free up some time. She listened and graduated on time.

Fledermaus · Aug 24, 2017

When scheduling classes I always liked to "stack" like classes...

Example: I had to take multiple sociology classes. I took three one semester. One was the basic sociology and I was able to use what was learned in that class in the other classes. In another case it was history. American History and the History of Mexico. Both countries shared a history until the 1800s. Made it easy on the first tests it was the same Columbus, early Spanish explorers, etc.

Best wishes.... Hoping all 'A's your way.

Mr Person · Aug 24, 2017

"Don't take any guff from those swine" - Hunter S. Thompson

1. I don't know. Don't fail out. Get your As. But make sure to have plenty of fun along the way.

2. Pay attention to graduation requirements. I made the mistake of assuming without checking that calculus would fill "quantitative reasoning". It didn't. That was some unnecessary pain.

3. Try new things.

4. My parents had told me to take courses I enjoy. I did. The problem is that this meant I ended up taking enough Philosophy to effectively major twice over in it, and I hadn't thought about what came next. I realized I definitely did not want to spend my life in academia. Ended up going to law school. I suppose it worked out, but I wish I'd had an end goal in mind all along.

5. As for social anxiety, the only solution I've ever found is to simply force yourself into the anxious situation and stay there. Repeated exposure --> anxiety lessens over time. I'd expect there to be a lot of people wandering from group to group around orientation, feeling the same.

Fruityfact · Aug 24, 2017

Make a schedule, tweak it, then stick to it.

The oldies often think so otherwise, but college is more difficult and stressful than it used to be. Kids smarter, competition tougher, tuition harder to pay.

Carjosse · Aug 24, 2017

Get to know the people who live near you and attend any school events that interest you. They tend to run frosh events in the first few weeks, try and go to as many as you can. Also make friends in your classes, easy to find common ground.

Also just do things because you can, be independent. After four years it is still great.

Academically make sure you plan out your classes or they come back and bite you.

nota bene · Aug 24, 2017

I wouldn't needlessly stay after class for a chat; the prof may have back-to-back classes or a meeting to attend, and trying to get out of the classroom sometimes feels like dragging ankle-biters every step. But do go by the office.

Profs do keep office hours, but few students drop by or make an appointment until they're in a jam ("Yes, I know I haven't turned in any major work yet and that 70% of the grade has already been earned...but I can still make a B, right?"). Make a point of coming by; this is how your profs will learn your name and you will be "more than a number." Until the semester is well under way, always identify yourself by name and by "I'm in your T-Th whatever class." And don't waste the prof's time. He or she will be delighted to help any student who is genuinely interested in learning.

Some first-semester freshmen are already alcoholic spree-drinkers by November. And many more are going to learn the hard way how to manage their time too. Mercy, I did. I had trouble making academics my priority; I was too focused on "the other education."

RabidAlpaca · Aug 24, 2017

Congrats on starting an exciting new phase of your life. The social aspect will come no matter what, you'll be fine. For surviving the academics and getting the degree I recommend you consider it to be your full time job, so schedule it like a full time job. I used Google Calendar to plan every lecture through the week and fill in the gaps with study time. If you make a really detailed plan with everything you need to do for each day throughout the week, you can just follow your schedule and it will take a lot of stress off you, you always know where you need to be and what you need to be doing.

I hope you have a fun time and learn a lot! What is your major?

Linc · Aug 24, 2017

Sage advice for high school students also ...

Winchester · Aug 24, 2017

The freshman 15 is no joke. Handle the cafeteria with care. :lol:

And oh, buy a pair of shower slippers.

shagg · Aug 24, 2017

First year in college ..... Goldeneye on nintendo 64 was all the rage, and I got a couple Ds because of it. Have fun, but no one is going to push you into being a good student anymore, I retook a few classes while learning that lesson.

Also, never let your drink out of your site, and don't accept a drink you didn't see poured.

I'm fairly anti-social myself. I joined a few clubs/sports, made some acquaintances, went to a couple parties. I didn't meet anyone in college I kept in touch with afterwards. People are fairly tolerant and accepting, most have their own struggles and insecurities they're dealing with. Just don't fall in too deep with the crowd that blows everything off to party, they have a chapter at every college in the country.

Expect to see drugs you probably didn't see in highschool: pills, ecstasy, cocaine, steroids, LSD, mushrooms, opiates, you will probably see at some point. Decide how you feel about these things if you think you'll be in that situation so you don't have to figure it out on the spot. Stand by your decision unless you feel you have good reason to change your mind.

Always pick your classes as soon as they let you.

Always make a payment on your bill before the deadline where they drop your classes on you, even if you have student loans coming that cover all your tuition (mine always came in after the deadline). I had to take a semester off because of this. They would have let me re register without any special paperwork as long as I made a payment, but most classes are full by then.

Make yourself aware of the conditions to graduate, and always have a goal. I didn't actually look at what I needed to graduate for a particular major until late in my student career. Familiarize yourself with the credit and class ranking/sequence system early and it will take a lot of the worry and uncertainty out of the experience.

15 credits x 8 semesters = 4 years for 120 credits. If you take 12 credit semesters, you'll be there 5 years. I was discouraged from even taking 14 credits by my orientation instructor, who said it would be a "heavy load". Decide if you want to be out in 4 years or 5 (or 6) and stick with your plan untill you decide to change majors, then do the math and re evaluate your position there. But don't just meander through the course catalog, dropping whatever classes you don't end up liking for an easy semester here and there, and graduate with a debt that isn't justified by your degree like I did. I also knew people who had the opposite problem, taking 20+ credit semesters, on top of working. They may have gotten out a year earlier, but it cost them a few years off their life expectancy and wasn't worth it imo.

Have fun, be careful, and take care of yourself :thumbs:

Rogue Valley · Aug 24, 2017

This is probably the best time of your life and it goes by so quickly. Enjoy each precious day. Tough situations? You're never alone Gov. Your family and your extended family here at DP are always available :rock

MACS-24 · Aug 24, 2017

Sorry, my 1st year was 35 yrs ago and now I can't remember past yesterday. Good Luck! Judging from here you'll do very well.

Lutherf · Aug 24, 2017

I started college after I got out of the service so I was a few years older than most of my classmates. The main difference that made was that I was able to buy them beer.

Rule #1, many of your professors will have an opinion regarding what is a "right" interpretation of what they are teaching and what is a "wrong" interpretation. I highly recommend handing them papers that embrace, rather than challenge, their beliefs.
Rule #2, if a professor offers office hours then take advantage of that once or twice. Don't suck up to them but make sure you ask them to explain an important concept in their own words. Feel free to use those words in your written exams. It makes them feel important.
Rule #3, while it might suck to get up for 8am classes those are the ones that are usually easiest to get into and it gives you the opportunity to get some of your homework done during the day instead of at night when you'll probably want to go out.
Rule #4, eat breakfast every morning. If you start your day with a real breakfast and a cup of coffee you'll find that you focus more in class and get more stuff done during the day.
Rule #5, wild and crazy weekends are fun. Take advantage of them but remember that they are a treat, not a way of life.
Rule #6, every campus I've been to has little pockets of culture you may not think is up your alley. Try a few of them. If there's an art museum and you're not into art just give it a shot. If there is a sport that you really aren't into then at least stop to watch it being played once or twice. You never know who you'll run into and it will give you a better feel for the overall academic experience.
Rule #7, walk from class to class with your head up and your mind on where you're going. If you're on a bike or glued to your phone you'll miss a TON of stuff that's happening around you.
Rule #8, you are at school to learn so keep your mind open even if what you're hearing sounds crazy. Some of the craziest stuff you hear might come in handy one day.
Rule #9, if you're going to work while attending school I recommend restaurants. You'll meet tons of people and save on food cost.
Rule #10, this is the big one. Begin with the end in mind. You're going to want a job after you finish school and the best time to find one is BEFORE you graduate. Get to know people in your chosen career field while you're still at school and find out if there are additional classes or experiences which will help you land a solid job even before you get your cap and gown.

justabubba · Aug 24, 2017

consider holding off buying those (often expensive) books. often, on the first day of class, the professor will advise that it will not be used and something else will be required in its stead

study as much as you party and party as much as you study

begin with the conviction that - no matter what - you WILL continue until you receive your diploma

good luck and have fun!

College + Advice?

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