Advice on college and dorm life

[Mirania]

Start calling the college and such before you get to the actual college do not start looking into things till you actually get there.

Some professors let you use previous book editions so that is a good money saving method. 

Buy a organizer or a check list to help you stay organized 

 

[Tango]

Here's what I wish someone told me before I went to university:

Don't be the freshman who only goes to party and then drops out two weeks later or fails out at the end of the first semester. It hurts me to think of how much money was wasted, since the drop out rate for things like that is so high during the first year.

Plain and simple: You're there to learn, and if you don't want to learn, you shouldn't be enrolled. It's perfectly fine to not go to college if you don't like it or feel like it's not for you. Don't ride it out for four years. I graduated college with a 4.0 and no debt because I was on full scholarship, and I STILL think that it was the stupidest decision of my life.

I'm not trying to scare you out of college, but this is the reality that I wish someone told me. A degree in this job market is useless unless you're going to medical school. I would say a STEM degree is also worth it, but it seems like that's rapidly becoming false as of late. Experience is everything, and employers couldn't care less about your education.

That being said: NETWORK. Get an internship. Get a work study job on campus; fight to do all three of these things. This is the main point of college that I wish I had known. If you don't come out of college with any work experience or networking, I'm sorry to say that you completely wasted your time in the eyes of any potential employers. Start applying for internships your freshman year and try hard to get a job somewhat relevant to your field on campus. This is, in my opinion, far more valuable than your college education.

For your post: time management is the most valuable thing you can have in college. Don't procrastinate assignments and stay organized. Know when everything is due and work on assignments little bits at a time. I did a lot of my homework right after class if I had a gap of time between my next class. Stay on top of things, and you'll have the peace of mind to do whatever fun college-type things you want without the weighing stress of assignments bogging you down.

Do make friends and join clubs! Study with classmates if that's your thing, or study alone at the library if your roommate drives you nuts.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do! Your life is in your hands now, which is both exciting and terrifying. Stay strong.

[Charmeleonbrah]

College is for getting laid. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Rapier]

I'm not quite the exemplary student, but there were a few things that I noticed:

- Find out what interests you the most and stick to it. It is better to give it your all for classes/areas that you like/see yourself working with rather than try to ace everything or be a jack of all trades. That doesn't mean you should slack off on your other classes, however, just that you probably should set your priorities and aim to be good at what matters the most to you, because our time and energy are limited. This also includes other college events/workshops/extracurricular stuff.

- Tying with the former advice, it is really benefitial to approach teachers from the classes you like the most. By showing them effort and interest, they are more likely to lend you an aid/recommendation in return, especially in areas where networking is crucial.

- Separate work/studies from fun. There are people who are really fun to hang out with, but not so much as to work or study with. I'm not going to be a purist and say you should avoid "bad influences", but I'm going to say that having your feet firmly planted on the ground and using common sense is necessary.

[Ansem]

Agree with what most of user above mentioned. As someone who is finishing up my degree, one of my biggest regrets is not getting involved in any organizations. I think it is best to join one very early. You can cement a friend group that just might stay with you the whole four years. 

Another piece of advice I can give is to be wary of how temporary everything is. You will meet a lot of people, and they will all seem compatible with your mindset, but not all of them will stick around. Not because of anything malicious, but people just drift apart in college if they don't make the effort to see each other often. Again, which is why clubs are useful. 

 

[Mow Mow]

I would also advise getting to know the professors that you feel are passionate about the subjects you enjoy. Many professors make themselves available by e-mail or by office hours, and their knowledge is right there for you. If you feel that you are struggling in a class, I would definitely recommend looking to contact them (in-person is best) to try to better wrap your head around the subject.

[Phoenix Wright]

i was a ra when in college. this means that, in addition to just being who i am and meeting lots of people, i also had the pleasure of helping out first-year students with their problems. i got to see how many kinds of people went through college.

the number 1 suggestion i can offer is that you want to limit future stress. many students will spend all day in the library with friends and really only do 2-3 hours of work. this is obviously no good. and this would be during test times (midterms, finals, etc), so most days people wouldn't really do much at all. 

so how do you limit future stress? work solidly ~3-4 hours a day. doesn't need to be all at once--i personally like hr chunks throughout the day. doesn't seem as bad that way. there will be days where you need to work more, and days where you get to work less. on lighter days, i'd suggest remaining on schedule to make a habit of it, getting ahead in work in the process. all of a sudden you can party, hike, travel a city over, etc. (sorta) stress-free on the weekends.

kids that get straight a's probably work harder than that, ~4-6 hrs a day (depends on class schedule), but imo that is simply unreasonable to expect. the american school system works better for certain kinds of people.

the problem with your first year is that it's the lightest workload but has the highest learning curve, meaning it's hard to get used to how you need to work in college. so you wanna make a habit of it.

 

socially, this is a time you get to reinvent yourself. as others have said, get out of your comfort zone. don't be afraid to say hi. you'll meet lots of people this way.

[Rukina]

Dorm Advice:
1: Try to keep your room clean.
2: Seal up stored food and throw out the remains of food you've eaten or keep it in a trash bag/bin.  The dorm insects are always watching.
3: Speaking of dorm insects; Make sure your dorm isn't infested.  A pre-existing infestation can be a problem even if you keep your room spotless.  Ants are tolerable since bait can kill or control them but roaches won't yield easily to poison and some of the other insects wont either.
4: Find where the washing machine is and how much it will cost to use it.  Some dorms have a washer and dryer in a shared living room.
5: If you have to visit a nearby washing machine room than avoid going there at night to avoid unsavory campus dwellers.
6: Some washing machine rooms have machines with locking doors.  If they do than it is safe to leave your clothes unattended until they are finished.  If not than you need to be there while they wash or dry.  After the cycle ends get your clothes out as soon as possible since other people need to use the machines and you don't want any troublemakers tampering with your clothes once the doors unlock.
7: Avoid handling the clothes of other people even if they've finished washing or drying.  They might be temperamental about someone else touching them.
8: Try to wash loads before you run out of things to wear so you won't be caught at an impasse if the washing machines are occupied when you want to wash them.
9: Introduce yourself to your roommates and establish simple rules such as keeping the living room tidy.
10: If a roommate is engaging in criminal activity within the dorm than inform the dorm manager or the dorm's highest figure of authority.
11: Room assistants, a.k.a. employees who help students staying at the dorm, can be contacted to deal with lesser problems such as roommates throwing a late night party after hours or breaking the rules.  You don't have to report every minor offense but don't ignore these offenses if they are interfering with your studies or sleep.
12: Always lock your door when you leave.
13: See if a miniature fridge is allowed in your room or if you have to share a larger one with your roommates.  Sharing a refrigerator is fine but you might want to avoid storing small dessert items in it since they have a habit of disappearing.
14: Consider reserving space in the refrigerator if you are highly dependent on food that is stored in it or just want to make sure there is a little room available at all times.  Having something like a stand in container of water that takes up a chunk of space you plan to use is a clever way to do this.
15: Keep a small emergency food supply so you'll always have something to eat even when your usual food supply is exhausted.
16: Bring basic medicine with you along with any medication that is currently being taken.  Medicine for pain and allergies are good to have around along with a blood thinner which can be used in the rare event of a heart attack.
17: Keep in mind that dorm walls can be thin so you might not want to have certain private conversations in them.
18: Sometimes random or organized room inspections are held during school hours so keep your room presentable.
19: Make a list of items you'll need while packing to avoid forgetting things and check the dorm layout so you'll know how much space you have and what machines are available.
20: Ask your parents/guardians for advice when you're in a troubling situation.  Occasionally call them to say hello or have a quick chat.

[Phoenix Wright]

On 5/11/2018 at 9:47 AM, Sarracenia said:

11: Room assistants, a.k.a. employees who help students staying at the dorm, can be contacted to deal with lesser problems such as roommates throwing a late night party after hours or breaking the rules.  You don't have to report every minor offense but don't ignore these offenses if they are interfering with your studies or sleep.

1

on the contrary, that's the least important aspect of the job. got issues with your roommates? talk to them about it and work it out. we are not there to scold particular roommates for behaviors that one roommate might not mind and the other minds a lot. students are, generally speaking, adults. keeping that in mind, simple roommate issues should be worked out internally. if help is required, we'd be available to help.

rather, if at any point a student feels extremely stressed, depressed, or suicidal, we are around. we are trained to be the 'first-responders' to students and then send them to people that can help permanently.

[BlueHairedBaby]

Roommates can be difficult, my roommate was very difficult freshman year. Then I got my own apartment and roomed with some friends for the next 3 years and it got a lot better. Just deal with it by letting them know what your problems are and trying to work through it. And making sure you have other places you can go hang out with when you need to get away from the dorm. 

[SuperIb]

Oooh this topic is still going! I wanna contribute too~

So I just finished my freshman year of college and here is a couple bits of advice:

1. Communicate. Just talk to your room mate. You don't have to be friends or anything, but if you aren't capable of talking to each other, it'll be one hell of an awkward year. Also you of course need to communicate regarding plans if you want to have people stay over or anything like that. 'Tis rude if you don't.

2. Be assertive. If your room mate is doing something that you don't like, be assertive and stand up for yourself - it's your room too. Just... gauge what your actions, you don't want to be too nit-picky lol.

Anyways that's all I wanted to say.

[Anacybele]

I wish I could help... But my college and dorm experience was basically hardly any contact with other students and a dorm I had all to myself because it was a handicap room. They just happened to have the one on the second floor available and gave it to me. Though I would've had to move if an actual handicapped student came to that particular building.

Though even if I hadn't, I would've only shared a bathroom with another student, not the entire room, so...

It wasn't like I forced the lack of contact though. I just...didn't meet people. Couldn't really do so. Everybody talked about things I didn't understand or care about. Couldn't find ways to join conversations and nobody instigated conversations with me. I did run into an acquaintance from high school by complete coincidence, but that's really it. Was probably for the best that I had the whole room to myself anyway. I'm pretty picky about bathroom habits and can't stand certain things like toothpaste covering the sink and whatnot. My roommate would have to be very neat in there.

Aaaand, I didn't do more than one year there either because I wound up not taking the right classes and feeling too rushed into going in the first place. I know mine wasn't really the worst, but I hope your experience is better.