Current Events > Any advice for a kid who's going into university

(+) Yeah! (+)

Just graduated a couple a months ago from high school and here I'm going into university. I'm about to register for my classes today actually.

So, CE... Any advice for a dumb 17 year old kid heading into college?

Yes I will live on campus. Almost 3 hours away from home. I have no major. Living so far away from home makes me feel a bit uncomfortable but hey, I can't be with my parents forever so might as well start now.
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make sure to do at least one internship before you graduate
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Don't go. Become one worth nature and live in the trees.

chill02 posted...

make sure to do at least one internship before you graduate

Do you get paid for internship?
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Be sure to use time dilation as an excuse for lateness if you take a physics class.
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

chill02 posted...

make sure to do at least one internship before you graduate

Do you get paid for internship?

Depends.
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

chill02 posted...

make sure to do at least one internship before you graduate

Do you get paid for internship?

depends on your field, but you should be getting paid
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Get involved with stuff early, be it club activities or lab/research/work. It will give you something to do besides sitting around at the dorm/home and it'll look nice on a resume.
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Living in the dorms? Meet people. You also might need to bring your own shower curtain.
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make like a google doc to keep track of your passwords and usernames for FAFSA and school system shit

you dont really get to pick them and you use them sparingly so I just forget this shit all the time and when I need it its such a pain in the ass
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lilORANG posted...

Living in the dorms? Meet people. You also might need to bring your own shower curtain.

Yep, I'm going to be living on campus. Definitely gonna bring a chest.
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Girls have the power now to get your ass thrown out of college on pretty much their say so, these days. So let the drunk party girls be someone else's life-altering mistake...
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also try networking, join some academic club or professional group

you'll never know when you'll meet someone who might end up helping you get a job later on
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SEGASonicNinja posted...

make like a google doc to keep track of your passwords and usernames for FAFSA and school system shit

you dont really get to pick them and you use them sparingly so I just forget this shit all the time and when I need it its such a pain in the ass

Oh I'm going to do this. I just lost my school password when I needed to log on and it was pain in the ass to get back into the system.
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0TiamaT0 posted...

Girls have the power now to get your ass thrown out of college on pretty much their say so, these days. So let the drunk party girls be someone else's life-altering mistake...

I'm not even 18 yet and I can't be near upperclassmen dorms at night as a freshman. I'm good.
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what are you majoring in, anyhow
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If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...
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chill02 posted...

what are you majoring in, anyhow

Don't know. I'm thinking about nursing, criminal justice or writing.
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In all seriousness, know your studies come first.

Try and befriend powerful people like professors who can help you get a job later.
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Work your ass off dude it's time to focus on your future

Visit your professors often go to study groups do everything you can


And make sure you call your parents once a week at least
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

0TiamaT0 posted...

Girls have the power now to get your ass thrown out of college on pretty much their say so, these days. So let the drunk party girls be someone else's life-altering mistake...

I'm not even 18 yet and I can't be near upperclassmen dorms at night as a freshman. I'm good.

WTF is this some kind of religious school?

Also don't skip a lot of class because you never know when something really insightful will pop up during lecture.

Another thing is that a lot of the time with new clubs and stuff, you will feel like an ostracized outsider at first. Or at least I did. It will go away though if you persist with it, but it may take many months. It took me essentially an entire semester of going to this club in college before I actually felt comfortable there. If I had to give myself 1 piece of advice for college, it would be to keep persisting with a club or activity even if you feel ostracized.
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Pastryarchy posted...

If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...

I have a semi-private bathroom shared with my roommate and two other douches. I will keep this in mind although I'm currently trying to change my dorm to a apartment style so I can have my own room.
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Verdekal posted...

In all seriousness, know your studies come first.

Try and befriend powerful people like professors who can help you get a job later.

I've already learned throughout high school that becoming friends with your teacher can seriously help you in the long run.
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You don't need to intern for nursing.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

0TiamaT0 posted...

Girls have the power now to get your ass thrown out of college on pretty much their say so, these days. So let the drunk party girls be someone else's life-altering mistake...

I'm not even 18 yet and I can't be near upperclassmen dorms at night as a freshman. I'm good.

WTF is this some kind of religious school?

Also don't skip a lot of class because you never know when something really insightful will pop up during lecture.

Another thing is that a lot of the time with new clubs and stuff, you will feel like an ostracized outsider at first. Or at least I did. It will go away though if you persist with it, but it may take many months. It took me essentially an entire semester of going to this club in college before I actually felt comfortable there. If I had to give myself 1 piece of advice for college, it would be to keep persisting with a club or activity even if you feel ostracized.

Considering that I would be paying for it, I'm not going to skip any class unless I absolutely have to.
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im in a similar state TC in a few weeks im moving out to the dorm and im scared about how much life is about to change for me
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Don't procrastinate, try to be organized with your work and your life in general lol
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KlRBEH posted...

Don't procrastinate

That is easily one of my worst habits. Had it with me since middle school. How do I kill it?
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

Pastryarchy posted...

If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...

I have a semi-private bathroom shared with my roommate and two other douches. I will keep this in mind although I'm currently trying to change my dorm to a apartment style so I can have my own room.

Yup, wear some footwear for the shower then. Fuck i would even wear slippers in your room. Even if your bros are clean, that doesn't mean their girlfriends are. That doesn't mean their friends are, etc. Change of infection, you get it.

Some foot infections can show symptoms on your hands too. There's some heinous shit you can contract in a dorm, I know, I've lived in one.
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

Pastryarchy posted...

If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...

I have a semi-private bathroom shared with my roommate and two other douches. I will keep this in mind although I'm currently trying to change my dorm to a apartment style so I can have my own room.

Maybe don't refer to your suitemates as douches. Make the most of your situation, start things off positively.
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

KlRBEH posted...

Don't procrastinate

That is easily one of my worst habits. Had it with me since middle school. How do I kill it?

This is something that I still struggle with today as a senior lol

But i feel like I started to better when I:
-bought an agenda book for homework and due dates, try to use it every day
-literally force yourself to do whatever it is you need to do at a time with no negotiation with yourself (close gamefaqs and everything else)
-actually try to start on stuff early, even if its just a little bit (the part I still don't do enough tbh)
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IllegalAlien posted...

Best advice is to drop your pretensions and be willing to meet and befriend many new people. It isn't high school anymore, there are not cliques. There is no magnetic force drawing people together, you can hermit the entire time and make no friends if you wish no one will care or pay any attention to you.

But yeah, with that attitude I can assure you there is only one douche here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

Pastryarchy posted...

If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...

I have a semi-private bathroom shared with my roommate and two other douches. I will keep this in mind although I'm currently trying to change my dorm to a apartment style so I can have my own room.

I was in the same setup (I go to Mizzou, about to be in my 2nd year in a single suite with my own bathroom).

First off, if you are like me, and thought that you were going to be lonely the whole semester since even the High School "friends" you have don't want anything to do with you, don't worry, College is a magical place where friends find you. Seriously, I sat in the lounge watching the Cardinals game everyday (my roommate and I never talked, literally never talked, so I couldn't stand being in there), and eventually that led to me being friends with 6 people, and that is what a loner like me could accomplish. I even started playing my Nintendo Switch out there in the Main lounge as they just for whatever reason wanted to watch me play Breath of the Wild (and when I got MK8D, we all played that as well).

Are you a liberal, are you a conservative, doesn't matter at all, your friends will be of any variety (half and half split on the political spectrum. Funny enough, all my conservative friends are leaving, while my more liberal friends are staying, so I will be alone there).

Don't ever slow down. I made that mistake and it gave me my first B in my 2nd semester because I thought everything would be a cakewalk.

Don't be a tryhard for girls, you got a lot of years ahead.

I personally did not join any clubs, but I was Hall President!

Good luck dude, and update CE every now and then on your experience.
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PiOverlord posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

Pastryarchy posted...

If you share a shower room, WEAR SOME TYPE OF SHOWER SHOES.
(swim socks, sandles, flip flops, etc)

DO NOT walk around barefoot. You will contract foot junk so fast in a dorm...

I have a semi-private bathroom shared with my roommate and two other douches. I will keep this in mind although I'm currently trying to change my dorm to a apartment style so I can have my own room.

I was in the same setup (I go to Mizzou, about to be in my 2nd year in a single suite with my own bathroom).

First off, if you are like me, and thought that you were going to be lonely the whole semester since even the High School "friends" you have don't want anything to do with you, don't worry, College is a magical place where friends find you. Seriously, I sat in the lounge watching the Cardinals game everyday (my roommate and I never talked, literally never talked, so I couldn't stand being in there), and eventually that led to me being friends with 6 people, and that is what a loner like me could accomplish. I even started playing my Nintendo Switch out there in the Main lounge as they just for whatever reason wanted to watch me play Breath of the Wild (and when I got MK8D, we all played that as well).

Are you a liberal, are you a conservative, doesn't matter at all, your friends will be of any variety (half and half split on the political spectrum. Funny enough, all my conservative friends are leaving, while my more liberal friends are staying, so I will be alone there).

Don't ever slow down. I made that mistake and it gave me my first B in my 2nd semester because I thought everything would be a cakewalk.

Don't be a tryhard for girls, you got a lot of years ahead.

I personally did not join any clubs, but I was Hall President!

Good luck dude, and update CE every now and then on your experience.

The school I'm going is specializes in liberal education. I guess it will be fine. But I don't care much for girls so I will be alright then, thanks for the advice.
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Don't suck at IM sports
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My meal plan only allows 14 meals a week. Well, I can do it.
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

My meal plan only allows 14 meals a week. Well, I can do it.

That was actually my meal plan, and you may not believe me, but you probably are going to have a lot leftover.
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Grades:
- Pick classes by PROFESSOR and then specific class. The professor is more important than the specific topic. A bad professor can suck the life out of a topic you could have loved.

- As far as which professors to take, choose easy professors by looking at ratemyprofessors. There is no reason to take the hard route and opt for more difficult classes. You will just make it harder on yourself.

- If the class has essays, meet the professor. It's hard to give a bad grade to a student who the professor knows. Be more than just your student ID number to the professor.

- Always go to class. Especially since you live on campus, it's easy to get to class.

- Avoid taking classes back-to-back. Avoid two finals on the same day. Avoid "hard" professors.

- Do as well as you can with your grades. It's extremely difficult to improve a bad GPA. Note that GPA only matters for your first job or grad school or if you get honors. No one will care about your undergrad GPA after your first real job after college.

- College is (depending on school) much more difficult than high school. You are coddled less and much more is expected of you. That said, you have much more free time. Be sure to use part of that free time to study.


Social:
- Make friends in the dorms.

- Be chill, kind, peaceful. Don't take social life too seriously.

- Go to the gym, especially if you lack confidence. Anyone can easily achieve a nice fit model-esque body with a few months of dieting and working out. Then you'll have the confidence.

- Try to have a style of more than t-shirts and your university's sweatshirt. Button downs, polos, matching your belt and shoes, will all go a long way toward looking like you have your life together.

- You can "experiment," but don't go overboard.

- Don't be a serial romancer. That's for The Sims.

- Try to line up people to live with for your second year by Winter Break. That can sometimes be when people start looking for a sophomore place to live.

- Join clubs to meet new people.


Financial:
- Don't overburden yourself. A job is great, but if it gets in the way of your studies, you should really just take out student loans. Undergrad loans are often good loans.

- Think about your major in terms of job prospects. BLS is a good place to explore which majors lead to which jobs.

- Intern, free or paid. It will be harder to get a job if you have no real life experience.
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Unless you're going in with a life plan don't bother
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sfgiants posted...

Grades:
- Pick classes by PROFESSOR and then specific class. The professor is more important than the specific topic. A bad professor can suck the life out of a topic you could have loved.

- As far as which professors to take, choose easy professors by looking at ratemyprofessors. There is no reason to take the hard route and opt for more difficult classes. You will just make it harder on yourself.

- If the class has essays, meet the professor. It's hard to give a bad grade to a student who the professor knows. Be more than just your student ID number to the professor.

- Always go to class. Especially since you live on campus, it's easy to get to class.

- Avoid taking classes back-to-back. Avoid two finals on the same day. Avoid "hard" professors.

- Do as well as you can with your grades. It's extremely difficult to improve a bad GPA. Note that GPA only matters for your first job or grad school or if you get honors. No one will care about your undergrad GPA after your first real job after college.

- College is (depending on school) much more difficult than high school. You are coddled less and much more is expected of you. That said, you have much more free time. Be sure to use part of that free time to study.


Social:
- Make friends in the dorms.

- Be chill, kind, peaceful. Don't take social life too seriously.

- Go to the gym, especially if you lack confidence. Anyone can easily achieve a nice fit model-esque body with a few months of dieting and working out. Then you'll have the confidence.

- Try to have a style of more than t-shirts and your university's sweatshirt. Button downs, polos, matching your belt and shoes, will all go a long way toward looking like you have your life together.

- You can "experiment," but don't go overboard.

- Don't be a serial romancer. That's for The Sims.

- Try to line up people to live with for your second year by Winter Break. That can sometimes be when people start looking for a sophomore place to live.

- Join clubs to meet new people.


Financial:
- Don't overburden yourself. A job is great, but if it gets in the way of your studies, you should really just take out student loans. Undergrad loans are often good loans.

- Think about your major in terms of job prospects. BLS is a good place to explore which majors lead to which jobs.

- Intern, free or paid. It will be harder to get a job if you have no real life experience.

I'm planning for my schedule to have a 3 day weekend (Fri, Sat and Sun) just for that extra free time. According to my sister, I will have go to downtown by taking the bus if I'm going to take a criminal justice class.

But holy fuck, the finances stresses me out. I'm already going to have to loans for my first year already. I will be in debt so much it won't be funny.
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PiOverlord posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

My meal plan only allows 14 meals a week. Well, I can do it.

That was actually my meal plan, and you may not believe me, but you probably are going to have a lot leftover.

What did you do to have so much left over?
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SSJ2Gogeto posted...

PiOverlord posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

My meal plan only allows 14 meals a week. Well, I can do it.

That was actually my meal plan, and you may not believe me, but you probably are going to have a lot leftover.

What did you do to have so much left over?

Eat at places outside of the dorm, eat at ala carte places that cost less than one meal, or simply eat 1 meal a day (mainly out of laziness).

Funny thing is that I still gained a lot of weight.
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PiOverlord posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

PiOverlord posted...

SSJ2Gogeto posted...

My meal plan only allows 14 meals a week. Well, I can do it.

That was actually my meal plan, and you may not believe me, but you probably are going to have a lot leftover.

What did you do to have so much left over?

Eat at places outside of the dorm, eat at ala carte places that cost less than one meal, or simply eat 1 meal a day (mainly out of laziness).

Funny thing is that I still gained a lot of weight.

Freshman 15 is something I definitely trying to avoid. I'm 20 lbs overweight and I don't need to gain more. My uni has a recreation center so I will go there.
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Bump
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