Current Events > Leaving for college in less than a week, any advice for me?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Need some tips on what to do, what not to do, what to bring, etc.
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Party now study later
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Study hard, party a little, but not Frank the Tank style.
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dont ask CE for advice these ppl r so dumb
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learn how to do laundry, dishes and fold your clothes. Along with basic cleaning like polishing and like general day to day cleaning.

laptop if the college has no computer labs you can use. A laptop would help anyway, even a cheap one. Like anything with an i3, 8gb of ram and ideall an ssd. Get a screen with 1920x1080, not 1366x768.

Pens, notebooks, more clothes than you think you'll need. Have like two spare sets of outfits you can wear incase you fuck up the laundry.

Don't do anything you aren't comfortable with. Keep up with studying. Try to make as many friends as you can.
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ANewLeaf posted...

learn how to do laundry, dishes and fold your clothes. Along with basic cleaning like polishing and like general day to day cleaning.

Good thing I know how to function as a normal human being.

ANewLeaf posted...

laptop if the college has no computer labs you can use. A laptop would help anyway, even a cheap one. Like anything with an i3, 8gb of ram and ideall an ssd. Get a screen with 1920x1080, not 1366x768.

Got that down; typing on mine now, as a matter of fact.

ANewLeaf posted...

Pens, notebooks, more clothes than you think you'll need. Have like two spare sets of outfits you can wear incase you fuck up the laundry.

Good advice. Will definitely do that.
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where are you going to school
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pretty much everyone in universities hate keeners
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You will never have an easier time getting 8s and above to have casual sex. Pound as much as you can.
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You'd be surprised. A lot of kids in college for the first time have no idea how to do basic things.
Anyway in general: be pretty active and social. But not in like a "let's party" way. More like volunteer, get to know professors or student groups or whatever. College is really 75% degree, 25% networking. I don't know if you've ever had a job but treat college like the same way if you have - you're essentially letting yourself down if you mess up.

Keep ahead of assignments. And pretty much every college has some sort of mental health support if you get stressed out. There are literally numerous resources to help you out, from "I can't do basic math or read above an 8th grade level" to "I'm cutting myself to cope with exam stress" so please make use of them.

ThunderMuffin posted...

where are you going to school

George Mason University
MedeaLysistrata posted...

pretty much everyone in universities hate keeners

Good thing I'm not a keener
KiwiTerraRizing posted...

You will never have an easier time getting 8s and above to have casual sex. Pound as much as you can.

I make no promises except that I'll try.
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Remember that GPA is easy to change early on when you don't have so many credits, but harder to improve later.

Definitely start off on a good note and get some good first semester grades.
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Garioshi posted...

@KiwiTerraRizing posted...

You will never have an easier time getting 8s and above to have casual sex. Pound as much as you can.

I make no promises except that I'll try.

good advice, GREAT advice from a GREAT guy! its true, when I went to college I had never before or since seen some women be that fucking sexy and down. I was also in an arts program where women outnumbered guys 5 to 1 and we'd spend at least 12 hours a day together. Meeting people outside of our program was almost impossible... so purely out of necessity TheDarkCircle just kept getting his number called.

Anyways, say yes to everything in the beginning. I don't mean do something dumb, but if people invite you to hang out, do activities etc do it. Everyone is in the same boat of being thrown into a completely new environment where nobody knows each other. Everyone is looking to make friends and have a fresh start so take advantage of that. It's the only time in life where it will happen. Have fun!

don't major in something useless.
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Do something on-campus other than just class.

I got a tech job on-campus and it ended up helping me develop a crucial skill (broadcasting) that I eventually used to get more job opportunities.

Join a club. Easiest way to network and make new friends.
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Meal prep. Spend around 4-5 hours on your weekend cooking meal for the entire week. Store some in fridge, some in the freezer. Use the microwave to reheat.
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TheDarkCircle posted...

Garioshi posted...

@KiwiTerraRizing posted...

You will never have an easier time getting 8s and above to have casual sex. Pound as much as you can.

I make no promises except that I'll try.

good advice, GREAT advice from a GREAT guy! its true, when I went to college I had never before or since seen some women be that fucking sexy and down. I was also in an arts program where women outnumbered guys 5 to 1 and we'd spend at least 12 hours a day together. Meeting people outside of our program was almost impossible... so purely out of necessity TheDarkCircle just kept getting his number called.

Anyways, say yes to everything in the beginning. I don't mean do something dumb, but if people invite you to hang out, do activities etc do it. Everyone is in the same boat of being thrown into a completely new environment where nobody knows each other. Everyone is looking to make friends and have a fresh start so take advantage of that. It's the only time in life where it will happen. Have fun!

Can do.
XplodnPnguins92 posted...

don't major in something useless.

Unless physics becomes completely useless over the next 4 years, I think I'm good.
AvantgardeAClue posted...

Do something on-campus other than just class.

I got a tech job on-campus and it ended up helping me develop a crucial skill (broadcasting) that I eventually used to get more job opportunities.

Join a club. Easiest way to network and make new friends.

I plan to work on-campus and participate in some sort of club, so take that as you will.

davidg4l posted...

Meal prep. Spend around 4-5 hours on your weekend cooking meal for the entire week. Store some in fridge, some in the freezer. Use the microwave to reheat.

Actually, I've got a meal plan, so I won't have to cook for at least the first year.
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Have fun and try to make friends - which should be easier if youre staying on campus. Definitely volunteer and get involved.

College was a shitty experience for me and I didnt really ever have fun or make friends mostly because I stayed at home with parents instead of near campus.

Learn effective time management skills and use your resources.
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Be prepared to rhetorically destroy your leftest "professors" at any given moment. They're ruthless with the propaganda.
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All you textbooks and pencils and notebooks and all that bullshit are tax refundable, keep the goddamn reciepts. And join a fraternity.
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Advice in general, from my experience of getting 2 degrees at 2 different schools:

Learn your study habits early. That way when you get into later years, you can anticipate how a semester is formatted and what boring **** classes to skip or what textbooks you don't need. Know how to pace yourself when studying for exams or writing papers. Scheduling is a key skill that really kicked my ass going from high school to university in the first year. Unless you're a crazy savant, you can't coast and get an 88% average like I did in Grade 12. As a rule of thumb, your university / college GPA will be 10 points lower than high school. That was somewhat accurate for me.

Try everything once (But not everything)

Don't try to score by joining a social movement. These people are mostly broken losers. Focus on school and your social network of friends.

Join a social club. I met my ex GF of 5 years in a school club. Knowing as many people as you can can come in handy down the line. You never know when you'll run into people randomly. You might get a new best friend or a future job opportunity.

Try to make friends with the dorm people next door. If you're an introvert, this is a clutch move. If you're an introvert geek weirdo like me, this is a good place to learn some chops and talk / drink with guys. The fellas will help you out if you let them. Remember, a lot of other people are in the same boat. Try to bring something to the table and have fun with new people.

You can go on being a geek too, but for ****'s sake, take a shower and learn how to dress acceptably. Nothing wrong with being an introvert, but try to carry yourself with confidence.
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Oh yeah, this might be obvious but go to class all the time, at least during your first year.

Nobody will care too much if you miss unless there's an attendance requirement, but if you have to at least email your professor if you can, so they know you're not just slacking.

Know which weeks you can afford to miss, too. Don't even try it in the first/last couple weeks unless you're sick.

Matter of fact, some days you just don't feel like going. It's cool, just don't turn it into a habit.
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Highwind07 posted...

I'll recommend that you get your textbooks a few days to a week after the class has started. I got so much BS from books that I didn't really even need but were there just to add fluff and extra expenses.

For your freshman year I'll just focus on adjusting to the college life since it is going to be really different than HS. After a while you should seriously start hitting up some internships and professional organizations pertaining to whatever you are majored in.

Oh, I know they'll try to squeeze every last dollar out of you, believe me.

Good, going to try to enjoy myself as much as possible.

joestarrr posted...

Have fun and try to make friends - which should be easier if youre staying on campus. Definitely volunteer and get involved.

College was a shitty experience for me and I didnt really ever have fun or make friends mostly because I stayed at home with parents instead of near campus.

Learn effective time management skills and use your resources.

Any suggestions for what I should volunteer in?

ledbowman posted...

Be prepared to rhetorically destroy your leftest "professors" at any given moment. They're ruthless with the propaganda.

Found the person who didn't go to college

Makeveli_lives posted...

All you textbooks and pencils and notebooks and all that bullshit are tax refundable, keep the goddamn reciepts. And join a fraternity.

Not too fond of fraternities, but I'm willing to listen to why you think they're a good option.
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Don't even look at my party bro.
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There was a Smash Bros club at my school at it literally stank from the hall.
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ledbowman posted...

There was a Smash Bros club at my school at it literally stank from the hall.

It's the same stink that comes from a comic book shop that's doing its weekly Magic The Gathering meet-up. Just atrocious.

I love comic books but I hate geek fandom.
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Ask lots of questions if it looks like class is winding down.
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ledbowman posted...

Ask lots of questions if it looks like class is winding down.

To add to this, be the teacher's pet. People love it! Especially when it's the same exact person every goddamn class that delays the class from ending early!
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Make sure to tell a custodian when you're done eating so they can clean up.
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Make friends. You don't want to be the guy going into his junior year with zero friends. It's depressing.
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Learn to develop time management skills so you can have fun with friends while studying to keep up with school.
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Learn to play the ukulele some so you can go show people on the concourse.
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Parkour club is the least obnoxious club to join.
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Just keep in mind that as a physics major you can only really work in your field if you do graduate studies.

Thats not to say you cant find jobs, but dont expect it to have much to do with physics. Something in engineering would more directly correlate to a position in the workforce.

As far as physics advice goes, I recommend reading ahead in your textbook prior to lecture. They can get pretty dense, so it helps to have an idea of the topic, even if the chapter wasnt totally clear at first.

Also, find some classmates to work with on homework. Those will also likely get very involved, and you will eventually hit a point where you have to try fairly hard.

Dont be afraid to go for office hours if you have questions.
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You can pull numbers by acting like you don't know shit in whatever class (or genuinely not knowing). Eventually a brunette cutie will lean over and ask if you want to study together. French works well.

EDIT: Seriously.
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Ill cut to the chase since, honestly, if youre coming to a message board for sincere advice on studying, youre probably already fucked. If you dont wanna put in the work then dont fucking go and hurry up and start building your work experience in the food/retail industry.

Either invest in condoms or take advantage of how your university likely has free std testing.

Do yourself a favor and just say no to any drug harder than Mary Jane. You might have an inner addict that gets released once you get away from the confines of your parents. It can be hard to predict.

Keep your coffee intake sporadic, save that for being in the workforce.

And for the main course - just be careful with alcohol starting out. Liquor should probably be mostly avoided. Pace beer intake. If youre scrawny, trust me, you will get fucked up rather fast. By and large, if youre gonna drink, get yourself a support system.
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One of my best friends ruined his life drinking in college. Really smart guy. He was going to be a heart surgeon. Now he's just an alcoholic living on family money. Pretty crazy.
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Garioshi posted...

Not too fond of fraternities, but I'm willing to listen to why you think they're a good option.

Networking. There's a reason the saying "it's not what you know, but who you know" exist. My fraternity is loaded with ceos. So is the dean of my school and the head of greek life, the connections are insane. Getting internships and jobs were nothing to us. How many stories have you heard about people graduating with decent GPA and not being able to find a job? And we have our own houses on campus. Means we have the proximity advantage of the dorms without the bullshit rules.
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Dont jerk off in the community shower
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Dont overdo the partying and stay away from the illegal drugs. Study your ass off, cute chicks like that and will ask to study with you. Join groups but nothing nerdy, like anime or video game ones. Back to studying, take advantage of all the tutoring your school offers, it really helps and you can meet more students that way. Try to go to the gym, you dont wanna be unfit and feeling sluggish all the time, plus you meet students that way. Stay away from slackers, befriend people with good habits you hope to attain one day.

Most importantly, this is easier said than done but be confident. People take notice, let them be drawn to you.

Meet new people, be confident, youre there for an education.
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