University Advice/Help

[goat]

-Go to class. If you think you have something better to do, you're wrong
-No really: go to class (and take notes)
-Don't slack off on your work load. Just because the class' grade consists of 3 exams doesn't mean you can blow off all the work
-If you're out to get your dick wet: wear a condom
-Girls (or guys) are fun, but don't let "fun" get in between you and your classes. You're paying for this for a reason

[tak197]

To clarify the chumming up to the professors, it really is a matter of the course itself. I'd say if your class has two or more TA's, then talk to the TA's more often. If there is one TA and one Prof, either one is a good resource. Finally, if this is a course on an area of your studies that you find facinating, definitely talk to the professor and ask if they could suggest anything to to to continue self-directed learning. This shows them that you are serious about the course and the material, and if you end up wanting to specialize in it, they are your best bet for that Letter of Recommendation.



I have to say though, I totally agree that college was a good bit different than high school for me. High school was a period of bullying, division, and general loneliness. In high school, your social life is defined by who you know, where as college social life is defined by what you know.

I saw a lot of freshman girls at my job basically trying to get me to do things for them because they were the popular type in high school and they could tell I was a geek in college. Did I help them? Only if they actually needed it. To whit:

"I'm too short to reach my mailbox, can you pull the mail from the other side and give it to me over the desk?" - That would be illegal in most situations. The only people we do that for are wheelchair bound students who's mailboxes were just out of reach, and this girl was just your average chick.

"I'm too short to reach my mailbox, can you help me get my combination to work?" - This was usually something I would help with, if there was nobody else around to help them.

Long story short, college is about independance and trusting your own gut instincts, whereas high school is about depending on your group's alpha and following blindly.

In the end, my biggest piece of advice is to enjoy college. It's not as scary or daunting as you think, and it is what you make of it.

[ChiUnit4evr]

Remember that you are there to learn first and foremost.

BUT
have a little fun here and there. I'm not saying to shirk all responsibility for your 4th night of drinking in a row.

I am saying however that too much study can ruin a person. I've seen people who do nothing but study and they have a horrible time at school. In the end, you know what you are capable of academically so make sure you set SOME time away to have some fun here and there.

Also as dumb as some of the activities your Residential Assistant (Or whatever you may call them) are at times, going to them is still a great way to make new friends on your floor, and also garner the appreciation of your RA.

[Jillers]

It's always good to be on good terms with your professor - ask questions and what not - it's important that your professor knows your in their class for good reasons and not bad ones.

Basically what everyone else said.

PARTICIPATE IN CLASS - you have no idea how often class participation will influence your grade, or if it will at all - but it never hurts to share your opinons, ideas, and questions in class (assuming its relevent and shows you at least did the work you were assigned).

Keep on top of your assignments, projects, etc... and make sure you check your syllabus every day.

Bring flip flops for the shower.

Go to any event that looks interesting, but never (and I am speaking from personal experience here) put your personal life before your academic one.

Have at least 2 alarm clocks. You're not going to want to wake up for the obligator 8am class.

Make friends - they are what will keep you sane. Best way to makes friends your first year is to keep your dorm room open while you're in there. Also the going to events that interest you thing.

Don't put off 5 page papers until 3 hours before they're due. I tell you this, but I know you won't listen. It'll happen, and when it does just don't freak out.

Your college will have many different types of services - medical, counserling, tutoring, etc... use them as you need them.

[TomBrend]

I forgot one: buy a rice cooker. You can get them for 10-20 dollars, plus a couple bucks for a pound or two of rice. Soy sauce is practically free, and when you get tired of that, rice and gravy is freaking delicious.

The rice diet is significantly better than ramen.

[Master Gunner]

Thanks for all the advice, it has certainly being...insightful. Unfortunately though, I won't be able to avoid economics, as its a required part of my degree. I will, however, try to make all of my classes, and join various clubs.

If anybody's interesting to a, frankly, unsettling level (that is, mine when it comes to other people's business), you can see my fall schedule here and the full list of courses I'll be taking here.

[Machalllewis]

I've just finished uni (well I'm doing some re-sits actually) but I guess I would say to take it easy?

Especially for your first year! Stuff gets progessively more serious but at first so long as you get the work done then feel free to mess about? Go shag some chicks, catch an STD. Its all part of the learning experience.

No but seriously get drunk, get to know the people you're living with, make friends and all that jazz. Although I found that I actually got to know the people on my course wayyyy better than the people I lived with. (For example I still hang out with those guys but I havent seen the people from my first year halls in about 2 years haha)

Basically what anyone tells you isn't gonna help cos you're gonna make your own way through and make the exact same mistakes that everyone told you not to but it's cool cos you had fun while you did it!

[Citin]

Gunner your schedule looks pretty sweet. One thing about first year in a program like yours is that you should have few tutorials/labs first year.
This is both good, because you have more free time, and bad because you'll have less structured review/practical lessons. Giving yourself say an hour long study time 2-3 times a week would probably be a good idea. Spending an hour after you last class of the day reviewing a bit, will put you at the top of the grade curve come midterms/finals

(Or you could be like me and slack off a bit first/second year and watch your grades fall a bit)

[TomBrend]

Java sucks. If you have free time, try to teach yourself C or C++, or read The Art of Assembly (http://maven.smith.edu/~thiebaut/ArtOfA ... ofasm.html). It will really help you understand what your code is doing, and will make you a better programmer.

[ecocd]

Bring flip flops for the shower.

This. Seriously. This. It sounds like a joke, but it's not.

[TomBrend]

Bring flip flops for the shower.

This. Seriously. This. It sounds like a joke, but it's not.

Exception: when you have the grossest feet on your floor.

[Lyinginbedmon]

Well I'm back and wow has it been a bit of a disorienting day.

So of course today was August 20th, aka Results Day, so I was up bright, early, and lightly pessimistic about what I was going to get, so I spent an extra hour or so in bed than planned but I was still up around 10.

Heading out, I didn't notice the big brown envelope from Tesside Uni with my name on it, but mores the better I guess.

Entering my college building to get these results I was at least glad to see little had changed from the last two times I've had this day (First and Second year, this being my unobligatory Third)

Now, to get into my placement at Teesside I needed the equivalent of 2 C grades and 1 D grade. I got 2 D grades and 1 B grade, so initially I was a bit deflated and wandered into town to look around and deposit some cash for my upcoming trip.

On the way home, Solero icecream in hand (Meh, I missed breakfast and needed something cheery, despite the heavy rain today), I considered probable statistics, just as I had done during my ICT exams (Which, oddly, were both D grades), and considered the possibility that the dip in grades on one end could be equal or less than the rise in grades on the other (Ie. I might have gotten different grades than intended but still managed the tariff points to get my Uni place). I couldn't remember the numbers for what grades equalled in points, but I considered the odds pretty good that I'd, rather oddly, made it in regardless.

So then I get home and finally notice this big brown envelope sitting in the kitchen. So thinking they've been a bit optimistic or their system is continually inefficient, I open it, not expecting much.



Apparently I've been accepted and they're congratulating me on my exam results.

...

...

Yeah, I was quite flummoxed, especially since it was dated 2 days ago. But they've named me specifically in these papers, the specific course, they've sent all the stuff I need to enroll straight away, without even the slightest mention of what to do if I haven't gotten the right marks. Either they're being unbelievably optimistic (Which would mean they're doing the same for every single applicant) or they've gotten the exam results ahead of me (Would make sense) and have done the math I haven't.

So...hurrah, I guess.

Yeah, it's been a disorienting day.

[iamafish]

unis got results on monday i think, so congratulations lying for getting in!!!

[TomBrend]

Yay Lying! Good luck! When do you move in and such?

[Lyinginbedmon]

Term starts on the 27th (A little over a week after I get back from Canada, as planned), but accomodation is a bit of a hectic thing because of the aforementioned horribly inefficient system. If I'm lucky, I won't have to take a train with hundreds of people early in the morning to make a class.

[TomBrend]

Yeah. Do you know if you will have a roommate?

[Lyinginbedmon]

Yeah. Do you know if you will have a roommate?

Probably about 3-5 of them.

In a house, that is. But having just this day acquired the results to say I'm in in the first place, I don't have every specific detail just yet.

[TomBrend]

Yeah. Do you know if you will have a roommate?

Probably about 3-5 of them.

In a house, that is. But having just this day acquired the results to say I'm in in the first place, I don't have every specific detail just yet.

Riiight. In America admissions all happens much earlier, by this time most students will have gone to orientation already.

Also whoa! a house! Freshmen over here usually get stuffed into a closet sized room with a roommate or two.

[Lyinginbedmon]

Well there's a couple options open to accomodation at Teesside, mainly distinguished between the houses and the halls.

The halls are what first years get shoved into by default, unless they specifically request otherwise (As I have), they're essentially enclosed streets with extremely small apartments for homes.

The houses are, basically, exactly what they say on the tin. The Uni owns quite a number of small homes on or near the campus, where a small group of people cohabit. Second years and upwards seeking accomodation cannot take hall places, so they usually end up here.

The big difference for me besides the obvious population issue (Lots of people + Autistic = bad times, whether or not they resemble in manner my school peers) is the hygiene. The halls have a small number of bathrooms and washing facilities to several hundred people, whereas the houses have one set for half a dozen.

[TomBrend]

I see. Are the houses in high demand or is it relatively easy to get into them?

[Lyinginbedmon]

I have no clue actually, it probably depends on the people, very little of the literature I've seen mentions how popular the different places are.

[iamafish]

there's normally acomodation that is always rented by students, so it's pretty easy to get a place that is ideal for students so long as you get your moving fairly quickly

[TomBrend]

Well good luck, and have fun.

Don't forget my cardinal advice: don't die. Thank me later.

[InsaneFool]

Alright, since I'm on my second trip through the Post Secondary system here in Canada, I'll divulge a bit of wisdom.

I'm currently going to University, but I had failed out of a Programming Course at College, worked for two years before I decided to make something of myself.

First:
Have fun, you're in first year, live it up a bit. Esspecially if you had a rough time in High School. Finally being able to come out of your shell and discover who you really are without being made fun of by so called "peers" has got to be the most liberating experience ever.
Go ahead and get drunk, since you're in Rez there will probably be a "Floor Party" every night for the first two weeks...Obviously don't over do it, but its a great experience, esspecially since you likely won't have a hangover due to an uncorrupted liver.

Second:
Go to class and pay attention. This ties into the previous advice, I know I said have fun, but seriously getting drunk every day and shrugging off class is the fastest way to end up flunking out...seriously, trust me on this one.
This may not apply to your program, but I know with my Programming course at College, the first semester was a serious cakewalk...and the second semester was like walking into a brick wall. Most post-secondary courses are designed in some way to ween off the weaker students into other majors, or out of the school completely. Its a waste of time and resources for the institution to have students start failing out in third or fourth year.

Third:
If you're having trouble, be sure to talk to the Prof/TA as soon as possible. I had a lot of pride in College, and it got me into hot water since by 2nd year I had no idea what I was doing.
If you're really not comfortable talking with the prof or TA, at least get help from classmates... Peer tutoring is a great thing, and your school probably has a program that matches 3rd and 4th year students with 1st years who are having problems with their course work...Normally it costs like $5 a session for an official peer-tutor, or you can just study with classmates/friends.

Fourth:
Get to know the city you're in. The college I went to was in a City I had been to many many times, but I never realized how big it was until I hopped on a bus trying to get to a bowling alley across town...admittedly I'm from a small town to begin with. Get to know the public transit systems, and the routes to have to take to get to major landmarks (i.e. down town, bar district, etc).
Plus this will help if you choose to stay in that city after you've graduated and are looking for work/housing.

Fifth:
As was stated earlier, if you're gonna have sex, use a condom. And regarding relationships in general...Its great to have someone around you can rely on, just make sure it doesn't take up too much of both your times.
Maybe leave the serious stuff until later if you can help it, after you've established the good and bad habits of being at school.

Sixth:
Others have said this, but I'm putting it low on the list since I never really did it...but find out the kinds of school clubs are out there and find one you're really interested in. You'll be sure to meet life long friends through these organizations, plus you'll no doubt gain some kind of skillset that will aid you post-graduation.

Seventh:
If you have a WOW account, or any other kind of MMO, seriously cancel it before you leave for school... Don't even try it.
And in general, since you're in a Programming Course, chances are you'll have a laptop in labs and lectures...whatever you do DO NOT play games during these times, even if you're prof is a monotone uber nerd that reminds you of Ben Stein...don't do it...you'll see your classmates playing Snood or Bejewelled or the aforementioned WOW and be tempted...DON'T DO IT! It is a slippery slope.

*edit*
Addendum:
Chances are your school will have completely fucked up your residence assignment and placed you with people that are utterly unlikeable and you will dispise them as they have absolutely no redeeming qualities. If you can, try to get moved to a room with classmates or friends. Do this as soon as possible, but you'll probably end up stuck where you are for at least a month. Try not to kill your roommates in that time.

[CygnusX1]

defiantly spend time getting to know people, after first year when everyone moves out of rez, its nice to have some friends to get a house/apartment with.

usually takes a couple terms to get a hang of the schedule and work flow, so don't sweat it if you first term doesn't go so well

really your university experience is what you make of it, so ride that bell-curve to success and have fun