Any advice for the college bound?
 

So yeah, that's me. I'll no longer be the lonely high schooler on the site, :p

I'm pretty conflicted, I'm sure it'll be fun and whatnot, but leaving all my buds is gonna be hard, just wondering if anyone has some nuggets of wisdom from their youth.

Thankee,
Benny J.

Re: Any advice for the college bound?
 

Graduation high school was very bitter-sweet for me. I had just started making friends (just moved to that school in my sophomore year) and now we were all going our seperate ways. I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

I did stay in touch with a lot of them, much to my surprise. When college started I began making new friends. Usually you'll have the same classes with a few people because you're in the same major. I had something like 3 classes with one guy one semester, and 4 the next. It was crazy. You start meeting the people in your core classes rather quickly, and since you have the same major you already have something in common.

You'll find that friends come and go. It's unfortunate, but it's just how it is. We grow and out friends grow. It's rarely in teh same direction.

As for college, I wish I could redo it and actually study a little more. I think you'll do fine with your grades though, as you seem to be a good student already. I worked 40+hrs a week all throughout college. I'd recommend not doing this. Take advantage of socializing with other students. Attend gathersings, hang out with people. Spend time figuring out who you are and what it is you want out of life.

Don't take anything too seriously and just enjoy yourself. College is a great opportunity to grow. College is NOT one more thing to suffer through on the path to the "real world."

The best advice I can offer is to enjoy college, because it's over before you know it.

Re: Any advice for the college bound?
 

LOL i only had 3 friends i cared about in my ~120 senor class

kinda uneventfull 4 years. no proms, or sports. just the computer geek :P

on my senor birthday i parked perpeindicular to the parking spots so i took up 4 spots :P

dont stop with highschool! i've been going to collage for 3 years and am almost ready to get my smog licance. so i can smog other cars and cheat err.... help my car to pass :P

College is just the start
 

After just getting out of college I can safely say it'll be the best time of your life. You might even learn something along the way, aside from how to make a meal out of EZmac and Ramen noodles. I think most people actually make a good majority of their friends in college. High school will always have its place though.

My advice is to take full advantage of any of the social opportunities that become available, and don't get too wrapped up in your classes. I'm not saying go out and drink every night, but don't be a hermit either.

For me....
 

I'm sure College looks like this looming, uncertain part of your future, but for any personality, it can only expand and grow a variety of factors in your life. I had to move to a new high school 800 miles away my Senior year, so of course I hated that place and couldn't wait to leave, but I did make some friends. But at both schools, I was more like Diemaster -- I had like 2 close friends while I focused on being the local dorky guy and on my education.

Long story short, people that matter to you will always be in your life. With technology today, the IM can keep you in touch. In fact, I moved back to Kansas from Ohio and started a computer business with my best friend from high school (advice: don't start a business with a friend). Once in a while I communicate with College friends too. It's hard at first when you move in, making friends and finding your niche, but then your first exam comes along and you shift focus. Then all of the sudden, you have a degree and you either go further or get booted into the real world.

I'm not saying it'll be easy, but it will become easier.

Don't work and take 3-4
 

Don't work and take 3-4 classes a semester.

I used to take a lot of classes and I couldn't handle them. Especially with work. Stay at home or in the dorm and take 3-4 classes and go party on Friday or Saturday.

I'm 3 years in and I got 3-4 left. Yes I'm slow.

Quote:You'll find that
 

This might've been the best advice I have gotten from a former teacher. He told me this last week, right now he's at stanford getting his masters in whatev, being a dork I guess.

I don't plan on suffering, school I like, I plan to be there forever in one sense or another, :p

Out of 70 people I know
 

Out of 70 people I know everyone, and I really only really love 3 or 4, but I will talk to a good 20 on any given day (I haven't had classes for a while, :p), which is really nice. I love my class.

I don't think the crx would take up two spots going sideways, it's just that short, :p

Quote:I'm not saying it'll
 

This is what I've been hoping for really, I'm going out of my way now to try and meet some of my classmates so I know that in the end they can't be all that bad. I'll just have to avoid the frats, damn Dartmouth and its frats.

Re: Out of 70 people I know
 

get a lincon or other very long car :P

Re: Quote:You'll find that
 

I moved to California from Illinois when I was 16. I then lived there for 10 years before moving here to Utah.

I can't think of a single friend I communicate with from high school in California. I communicate with a few (2 or 3) from Illinois.

Most of my "life long" friends I met elsewhere. Sadly I didn't make too many friends in college either, mainly because I was so busy making a living.

I have only 4 real
 

I have only 4 real friends.

The one I live near I haven't contacted in two months. The others? Been years.

My friends and I used to blow stuff up and generally terrorize the city we lived in with random Beavis and Butthead-esque bouts of stupidity. I can't count the number of times we ran from police, but they never got us! I'd have to say my favorite random act of stupidity was sticking some homeade chordite and a 30-30 rifle bullet on a railroad track, and watching a train pass over it. I still got a scar from some of the shrapnel embedding itself in my arm. Ah, to be 13 again, I so should have videotaped that... :smile:

I'm by no means old, 21 today, but I certainly have no problem keeping my friends few. Up until eighth grade, I literally had none. I spent my preteen childhood in my pajamas either reading anything I could get ahold of, doing illegal things with the telephone lines, drawing, writing angsty morbid goth poetry, or playing various RPGs.

Middle/High school was spent blowing **** up, reading, drawing, writing angsty morbid goth poetry, getting into fights, and getting drunk.

College? Studying my *** off, occassionally smoking reefer, working on my electric car, reading, drawing, and getting laid.

To me, human interaction was secondary to the things I wished to spend my time on. But with the internet, it has shifted form. I like to exchange information, and had much difficulty achieving that in the real world.


Go onto college and enjoy it. You may have been waiting to have access to its resources for a long time, only .you never knew it and never found similar interaction in high schools or elsewhere.

Re: I have only 4 real
 

haha ****ing awesome story! Lets see i moved a lot, so I never got to know any of my friends for a long period of time. Even though they were good people and all, there was something missing. Then I made a perminant move over here in B.C the west side of Canada I've been here before, in fact I was born here! I don't know why I went to the east but it sure sucked a lot of balls there. So here I am luckly got hooked with another group thanks to pc gaming, but for these folks i met it was more than that.

They taught me to open my mind as I open theirs, and there was this bond we all had even up till today. Sure the group had a long history, but I was glad to be a part of it. Almost changed me in a way and to this day we all still keep in touch daily via IRC. As some worked after high school and some went to school, we still managed to hang out and do at least some things we used to do although never the same as those youthful years. Now its more on trying to surivive and getting together to share those experiences.

As for colleage, I took one semester and dropped out after realizing how many of I were taking Information Technology. It was such a turn off and to be someone different I had to drop out and rethink why and how am I going to get through life if I can't stand being in school?

Then I took two years off and lived as a person trying just to live as if he just graduated from high school. Job after job after realizing how much ****tier life is without education, I turned to drugs and the internet for help. Next thing you know I got into a relationship (breaking her long distance she was currently on :) and then starting a family next thing you know it...

Now i'm back to school and fighting to climb the ranks to show the world what people with education should do...

Educate others for the better, hopefully a goal like Safety Health Inspector will suit me for the green status I have hehehehe. When I say green I mean in every aspect in how I do things ^^

Re: I have only 4 real
 

Drink beer! And don't take the brown acid! :p

Nah. On a serious note, the best piece of advice I can give you is to not focus all your efforts on studying...try to enjoy the college experience as well - ALL of it. I found that the key is to keep an equal balance between school work and the social aspects of college. Don't be in a rush to get out either. EVERY one of my friends that got out in four or less are kicking themselves in the *** for rushing it. Take it from me, a sixth year senior - get the most enjoyment from your college experience!

I took a short break between
 

I took a short break between graduating high school and beginning college.... about 11 years. I would highly recommend against that route. It is not fun being married and thirty something and in college.

Check the bulletin boards/
 

Check the bulletin boards/ posters. There is stuff going on all the time (free stuff too). Go to class (skipping is a bad idea)! Don't study too much. Don't drink to much.

Quote:Take it from me, a
 

4 years is plenty for me, 46k a year is a little too much to lollygag around. Plus I plan on a masters and mehbe phd since teaching is my passion, so it's not like I won't be in school for ever.

Quote:Don't drink to
 

No worries there. I detest drugs.

Drugs are bad...
 

That's what 90% of my friends said before going. Now they're all potheads.

Indeed, well, I have a
 

Indeed, well, I have a reason at least and have had plenty of access to free marijuana from plenty of sources, so I don't fancy that I'll suddenly decide I'd love to go be a pothead. Personally I'd rather shoot myself in the head, but that's just me.

as food and drink is needed
 

as food and drink is needed for the body, i think weed is good for the mind if used properly.

Dumbass gets high still a dumbass.

Smart guy gets high, he gets creative.

Re: Indeed, well, I have a
 

Damn you really DO get everything for free! :p Luckily for me, my marijuana experiences started and ended early. I was through with pot by the age of 16.

My gramma's farm has it
 

My gramma's farm has it every so often. It's kind of random, but it's there. This summer an area that I was working was very full of it, quite the test of will. I can certainly see why it's fun but I have the silly idea that if I love myself I won't forfeit my life to a chemical-induced haze where I can't particularly control my actions or afterwards do what I normally would.

My favorite thing is my friend who got high on a college visit, then when we raced for XC the next day he puked a green, mucusy slime for a half hour.

if you don't need it don't
 

if you don't need it don't use it. If you try to make up a reason to use it then I wouldn't recommend it at all. Just like you said there's almost no point and it could mess up your actions and maybe become dependant on it, I can see where your trying to come from so totally understandable but dang, I would have picked those buds :D

As for me, I got many reasons and as for your friend sounds like he doesn't know his own body at all I've never encountered that kind of experience, if it was green it was either a) there was seaweed in the guy's food he ate earlier (just brings back a memory of a person's puke in my washroom that smelled like the sea) or b) he was drinking something green or his body just can't take any more drugs.

Either or, you've got to know your limits and if you don't, don't try because your just going to make things worse. Irresponsible drug use just makes it all go down the drain and funds the war on drugs even further...

Don't allow a TV anywhere
 

Don't allow a TV anywhere near your room. They are hazardous to your grades.

If you aren't an early bird, don't sign up for any early classes. Missing class is a big oops.

Don't string classes together one after another. When test days hit, you'll have study/review time between them.

Don't incur anymore debt than you absolutely have to. Its tough to get rid of.

Yeah, I don't know why it
 

Yeah, I don't know why it was green, it must've been something he ate, it's just in all the XC throw ups I have seen I have yet to see a really thick green mucus.

Quote:Don't allow a TV
 

Definately. I don't much like tv as a concept anyway, I hope I don't get more addicted than I am.

Re: Don't allow a TV anywhere
 

Wow... this is great advice.

For one semester I had a class at 6:00am. 6 AM!?!?! WTF was I thinking?

Anyway, it was a horrible idea.

I also had class after class (often early in the morning or late at night) because i had to schedule my 40/hrs a week for work.

Space out your classes... be smart about it, and allow yourself plenty of time to study.

Yes, that is indeed very
 

Yes, that is indeed very good advice. I don't plan on working too much so I can space out my classes, and I will be running so no varsity sports, so woot.

I can't wait to pick my classes though, :p

Re: Yes, that is indeed very
 

At each college I have attended (three total) they offered some stupid orientation thing for new students. If you went to the orientation you usually were also given early registration.

I'd recommend doing it just to get the classes you want. There are thousands of 1st year students going for the exact same classes.

Maybe that's another reason I went for early morning/late night classes: No one else wanted them.

Well, there's 1k students
 

Well, there's 1k students going for the classes, and I am def into multivariable calc and japanese and blah blah for the other ****, prolly get my core courses out of the way.

There is a week right before classes that is an outdoors bonding trip, but all that is for is to get to know people and find a roomie.

haha dorm life, hope you
 

haha dorm life, hope you make it big. For a friend of mine, ironically school corrupted him, he was more of a goody goody before he left for university, after failing two years into it, he's now corrupted and any chance of him going legit is bare to none.

But your taking the hard courses! You'll be fine ;)

I took the orientation and
 

I took the orientation and the entrance exam early too. I also talked to a counsler in the first semester and **** on her advice. She talked me to schedule a bunch of classes so I could graduate in like 2007. I did my own way and I'll be graduating in 2009 or 2010. Not bad, I'll be either a 6th year or 7th year. All for $20 an hour.

Yeah it's kinda slow but I'd rather take my time, I've proved again and again that I can't handle 3 classes at a time. The best I could do is 2. Some people are good at learning while others can't concentrate worth crap.

Quote:But your taking the
 

Haha, I'm trying. I enjoy learning just enough that it's good for me, :)

Re: I took the orientation and
 

not bad at all, some classes is better than none and it'll be over as soon as you know it. Heck if I started school right after grad and worked hard maybe one more year I could have been making a good 5 figures by now. At least you have a goal to look forward to, right now mine is in the ditch at the moment.

Everyone learns differently, but as long as your consistant your ready to live in the real world.

Re: Don't allow a TV anywhere
 

\

Best advice EVAR. Credit card companies target college students. I'm steadily (but slowly) working down the debt I've built up over the past 6 years.

college goodness
 

Well, I have been through the first year of college. I went to a very small private college for some reason, and I feel that I missed out on that "college experience" that nearly everyone talks about. I definitely missed something, I tried the frat houses, went to a few religious things, hung out with new and different people. It all got seemed mundane by the end of the year. Try to vary what you do each day a little bit. Try to stay out of a routine, or else the days will seem to blend into one another.

Meeting new people...don't sit in the dorms and wait for people to come around, go knock on their doors and bug them after everybody has settled in. These people will be helpful if you ever need to talk to them about anything. Most colleges try to mix up the majors for the most variety possible.

Wild college parties - hmm...I can't comment on those, didn't get that part of the "experience"...maybe those Girls Gone Wild videos distort the true college image. When I did go to these parties, I noticed the same people doing the same exact things they did the week before. Also, be ready for RAP at a party...I was disappointed because I like rock, but the ladies can't dance to Smashing Pumpkins...

Oh, and classes...

Don't take a class that is more than 4 credit hours. They are not fun. Physics and Chemistry classes w/labs make a person get used to the fact that their life is studying. This is how it should be, but the balancing act between studying and socializing is tough. Find time to relax during the day, get away from everything else and try not to think about class, home, or girls...Try to find somebody that you can speak to that is not involved with school (although it is easy to talk about) because it does get very dull after a while..

At my college, the students that got A's studied during the weekends, and breaks. These people you will definitely want to get to know, but more than likely they will have their mind set on only one thing…their education. Try and find a person in the middle to help you out with anything you need, remember you are not the only one who was thrown into the same boat as you. (Use facebook to contact them!)

When finals come around, don't pull all-nighters. A person can only absorb so much information in one sitting. Sleep is better than caffeine.

Ride the debt train like the rest of us…I doubt there is any way of not getting debt (except working a full time job)…so just try to enjoy it while the interest isn’t compounding.

Here is another good advice.
 

Here is another good advice. If you know you can study at home without getting bothered then do it. I went to study with my cousin for a day at his University and he got almost nothing done. As soon as he stepped foot on the campus his friends would bother him on every corner.

He got maybe an hour of studying done, he spent the day talking to chicks, finding out what's on the tests, copying homework, getting people's lunches and etc. I spent my time reading a book, and studying my medical terminology words. I memorized the whole chapter and I read the whole book. I would of done more but it was very loud and I have a hard time concentrating. Now he's studying like crazy night and day to catch like his friends because they talk more what's going on than studying. All I have to do is read the same chapter 3 more times. Review the book, read another full book, write an essay, and read like 30 pages of a packet and get a 50% or better on my final. That will take me 3 days and I got 9 days to do that.

Next is the debt. I paid of my debt last year but it came back because my altima broke down. Make a plan to pay off a debt and always have money for a rainey day. If you have no debt then save your money, don't live from paycheck to paycheck. I learned this the hard way this year. I could of saved up a couple of grand instead I spent it on material things. When the time came to pay for repairs I had $14.85 in my bank account, and I had to resort to using my credit card and paying off slowly.

Next I would advice you to start building your credit now. I would get a card with cash back. That way you can save on gas and other essentials you might need.

Quote:Next I would advice
 

Meh, I might just get credit on top of my paypal account. I don't like the idea of credit, though, so I prolly won't get a card at all.

And in any case, I will drive 0 miles next year while I'm away, :p

What college are you going
 

What college are you going to tomauto? I envy the small liberal arts places, though there's only 4k at dartmouth, so it is indeed small.

I hate to tell you, but I will be the one constantly studying, :)