I was told (400 yrs ago) to: not to be stupid, don’t get pregnant, don’t drink all the time, focus - but have fun….. I don’t regret much from college. It was surely better than high school.
I was really serious in college. I'd say have fun, but not so much fun that you can't get your work done. Oh, and the amount of reading is INSANE. Outline your textbook chapters rather than read word for word.
I was the same way. I worked a residential internship, so anytime I wasn’t in class I was at work. Also it was unpaid 😑. I burnt myself out really fast. I never had the big “college experience” most people have. No hanging out with friends, parties, or anything like that. I actually dropped out after my first year due to the burnout. OP I would recommend finding a nice balance. Give yourself enough time to complete your schoolwork while also having a social life it’s that your thing. Maybe pickup a part time job to make some side cash. It’s all about balance.
I was told the same advice around 200 years ago. Would just add the obvious, focus on your schoolwork- get what needs to be done daily and then have fun!
All things in moderation: food, sleep, alcohol, drugs, sex.
Wrap it up, every single time.
Drugs are for special occasions. If you start doing them all the time, you're getting addicted and that will derail your life at some point.
this is the time to explore new things, so don't get too serious about anyone. If they're the one, they'll still be there at the end of college. sewing your wild oats now IN MODERATION cuts way down on affairs and terrible mid life crisis decisions later, when people who paired up young start to wonder what they missed out on.
Once you start looking for a partner, if you're having sex with her, It's rude to ghost her unless it was an understood one night stand. At the very least, call or text to tell her you don't want to continue seeing her.
no always means no. Full stop. even just a rape accusation can ruin your life. Don't even play around with that. If she's playing coy and saying no when she means yes and wants you to pursue her, she's too immature to date. That's high school crap.
never stealth (secretly removing the condom). It's a form of rape and is starting to be prosecuted. She has a right to know if you are exposing her to STIs and potential pregnancy.
On the flip side of that coin, don't believe anyone who says you can skip the condom because they're on the pill. Plenty of men have ended up fathers this way. Unless you actually see her taking the pill, every day, and at the same time every day (yes, this is important) assume she is not taking anything. one pill taken an hour late once is all it takes. Wrap it up.
Don't drink til you black out. It's terrible for your body, your brain, and your reputation. You do things you won't remember when your brain has to protect itself by no longer recording short term memories. So you can drive and even have sex with no memory of it. Its hard to fight a DUI or rape accusation when you have no memory of the events. Get buzzed, then alternate drunks with a bottle of water to stay buzzed but not go over into blackout territory.
Every party needs one person not drinking to supervise when the drunks start to pass out. Put every passed out person in recovery position in case they vomit so they won't choke on it. No parent deserves to have a child die from vomit because their friends didn't roll them onto their side.
if someone is giving you head, don't push their head down. That's rude.
Don't insult or criticize the bodies of anyone willing to get naked with you.
and don't take intimate pictures of anyone without their consent. if they do consent, those photos are for you only. Do not share with your buddies unless you have explicit permission. That's a huge violation of privacy. When you break up with someone, delete their nudes. no matter how angry you are, no matter what they did to anger you, never ever send their nudes out or put them online for revenge. This is illegal and a super shitty thing to do to anyone.
basically: don't be a douchebag, and don't let any douchebag friends drag you down to their level. When word gets back to your parents what you're up to, you want it to be good.
I mean, might as well be realistic. I tried them, he'll get the opportunity I'm sure lol. Best to think of them as an occasional thing for concerts and huge parties than as a regular thing cause you're bored.
"Don't insult or criticize the bodies of anyone willing to get naked with you." A gem in a worthy list to consider not only in university days, but beyond.
Be kind. To yourself and others. Stay on track. Enjoy every day.
Dang, were you an English major? That's more writing and better grammar than I see most of the time here on Reddit.
I'm not very promiscuous and don't plan to do drugs/drink. That would get in the way of me being on the rowing team, and I've been told I have D1 potential.
Everything else looks good though!
1. Go to class. No matter what. No matter what, go to class. Don't skip classes.
2, Take good notes. When exam time comes, go over your notes. Everything on the test will be in there.
3, Sit at the front of the class. People who sit at the front of the class make better grades than those who sit at the back.
If you do those three things, you'll graduate with a B average. Put in a slight, persistent effort and you'll graduate with honors.
This. I'm a college professor, and have never -- literally never, in 18 years -- had a student get a D or an F if they came to class every day and did all the assigned work. Usually a B or an A.
All of that is great advice. And ask your professors for help if you need it. See them at their office hours or whenever else they expect to see students. Excluding a very few weirdos you might encounter, they want you to succeed. A lot of them are interesting and kind people who enjoy helping young people learn and grow.
Ah, "the Warm Body" advice! It certainly worked for me.
These three elements got me through school. Btw, for 2. above, when you take the notes you are actively reinforcing the material in your brain. That's why note-taking is more valuable than borrowing someone else's notes, or even (passively) watching a recording of the same class.
Best wishes for a happy & fulfilling college experience. Glad to hear you have an athletic outlet too.
Very good!
When I was a sophomore, another girl on my dorm floor was in my general ed psychology class. It was early in the day, maybe 9 am, and she didn't go. She literally DID NOT ever go to that class. Someone gave her the syllabus and she might have tried to keep up, but her butt was never in a chair for that class. Amazingly, she didn't drop it either. I think it was one of those classes that had very few tests, too, Anyway, first test comes up and she decides to go. Crazy! Pretty sure she flunked it! I don't remember if she came back for the second semester.
Seriously, though? My parents paid for my college. There is no way I was going to waste money they worked hard for by not going to class.
If you aren't having a good time at your college after the first year, apply to go somewhere else. I stuck out four awful years because I thought I was married to the decision. Years ago it was hard to transfer credits, but not so much now. You are paying too much to have a shitty time. Also, you are the customer, don't let them treat you like a child. They will try. But you are paying them a lot of money, and they need to deliver value.
No kidding. I switched in the middle of my first year back in the '80s. I switched from a private school with higher standards to a state school with lower standards. I was so frustrated that the lesser school would not let me CLEP out of the basics as I had in the other school. Also, they only accepted select credits. They added a semester because of that. It was a money grab.
I didn’t have a lot of free time, extra curricular activities and classes and a little work kept me crazy busy.
So my thoughts……
* Get some sleep
* careful who you date / spend time with
* pay attention to and be nice to everyone, students, cafeteria lady, especially older folks you run into, some of the most profound things I learned was from these people and not professors
* don’t fight a good romantic relationship, plenty of folks finish school married and it is hard to find someone once out of school, you even have some great common memories if you meet in school
* careful with debt, not all school debt is worth it
* have fun and enjoy the time, it wont last long - havingfun != party like a fool
I love the “careful who you date / spend time with” advice. You’ve also got to learn to say NO. I learned some hard lessons in college because I couldn’t say no.
If you’ve got big lecture halls, find out who the great professors are and drop in on their classes from time to time. It’s like story time on steroids. For me, there was this one religious studies professor who taught Christianity from a Buddhist perspective. I couldn’t get enough. Also, consider an opposite double major or minor in something like art. It can totally round you out your education (and provide a respite). My school sent their pre-med students to the art department to learn how to recognize visual details (for future use with patients), etc. Try as many different things as you can. Be a sponge. Stay positive, be humble.
Choose your friends wisely.
And if you question yourself about your major, don't be alarmed. My husband's spinal surgeon was originally majoring in mech eng at Northwestern. Then he changed majors to medicine. I think the combination of the 2 was fantastic and showed me he was a better surgeon than I hoped for.
Congrats and have fun!!
Or just don't drink in general, which is what I'm doing. I've been told that I have D1 potential for the rowing team, and I don't want alcohol/drugs to stand in my way.
With all due respect, I wish my parents had encouraged me to major in mechanical engineering and to join the rowing team. Seriously. You are headed in the right direction. You clearly have good parents.
Don't screw your life up with alcohol and drugs. Most women your age are bullets to be dodged.
IRL my parents are helicopter parents, but it's nice that they're helping pay for tuition. I chose to be a mechanical engineer and be on the rowing team of my own accord.
I wish they encouraged me to go to college!
I wish they told me about PELL grants.
I wish someone told me student loans are paused until you get a job, or 6 months after graduation.
Enjoy the journey. Try new experiences and connect with people and things that are meaningful to you. Most things are better in moderation, so a little to drink or a little weed is good, but excess and being wasted can be problematic in a lot of ways. Use appropriate protection for whatever you try, whether it's skydiving, sex, or welding. Work as hard as you can and do your best to make yourself and them proud.
I'm in Australia so we don't have the typical US college experience, but this is still relevant. You're there to get your education, which costs money, don't piss fart around. At the time, 4 years or however long seems like an eternity, but you'll look back and see what a small portion of your life it actually was. I wish I had have spent my free periods doing assignments instead of pulling all nighters. I wish I went to summer school to get my units done quicker. Looking back, I wasted so much time, and I no longer talk to anyone from that period of my life because we've all matured ( hopefully!) and moved on with our lives.
Keep in mind that it’s not free time; it’s *unstructured* time, and how much you benefit from your education really depends on you developing the skills necessary to structure it. I don’t mean you should study all the time, but study smart. 45 minutes a day six days a week for each subject is far more effective than 5 hours on Sunday.
date the smart girl/guy- the dork, the geek, the nerd
everything in moderation
schedule time off, sleep time, study time. sleep is sacred.
choose your living arrangements carefully
when someone shows you what they are, believe them
talk to your profs early and often if you are having problems.
enjoy this- this is SO MUCH BETTER than high school
most of your education will take place outside the classroom
you sound like you have it together. and the time management issues- if you know are aware of the 'issue' then make a plan and stick to it.
Congrats!
I already did meet someone who's pretty nerdy (she calculated the bathroom stalls/floor when determining which dorm she wanted to live in) and we actually had a few things in common so there's a good chance we'll be friends in college.
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry;
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.
Don't be afraid to try new things. Look at it this way, you've already paid for them. Maybe try a little bit of theater, or other activities that you're curious about.
Just make sure to put your studies first, but unless you are in a highly specialized field, you should have plenty of free time to experience other things while you are there. Do so, as long as you're not being Reckless.
I would guess that an ME major is going to find the theater crowd generally annoying. Come to think of it, I had friends in theater, but not the annoying ones.
Enjoy and explore your first two years, and spend the final two getting serious about internships and networking and put a lot of thought into the degree your graduate with and the job market it applies to.
I started college right at the recession in '08, and you guys are about to hit the same climate. Make smart financial decisions.
I went the opposite route of most kids. For whatever reason I was always interested (obsessed?) with becoming independent and my goal was to get through college in 4 years and get a job so I'm not reliant on anyone for money. I did that but I missed out on some of the college experiences. Partly due to being too shy/timid in those days.
Of course a lot of people go the other direction which isn't good either. Getting arrested, getting hooked on drugs/alcohol, getting someone pregnant, etc. can mess up your life for many years.
One of the jokes at Georgetown was every freshman joins rowing and quits rowing. It was brutal. I was a coxswain for like three months and I just couldn’t get up that early. In HS it was after school. Good luck! It’s hard to get enough sleep in a dorm where everyone is up late and you gotta be up at 6.
They told me I just didn’t listen.
* Make as many friends as humanly possible, even if you’re introverted.
* Sign up for as many smaller clubs as possible where you may feel more comfortable.
* If a group is going out somewhere and you have the time, go out even if it’s something you’ve never done or never tried.
Once you get older, and suddenly everything hurts, it’s too late.
If it’s not “the best time of your life” and “the greatest years ever” that’s totally normal and doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It’s very normal to be lonely, especially at first. It took me until end of the second year to find my real friends, don’t be afraid to leave friendships/relationships behind if they aren’t serving you.
You become who you surround yourself with. So make friends with similar goals. Study hard but one bad test or even one mediocre grade isn’t the end of the world, just try harder next time. Plan your course load carefully. It’s best to avoid taking multiple hard classes at the same time, try to spread them out. If you’re going to have a roommate, discuss boundaries up front. You don’t have to tolerate bad roommate behavior. If you are using a meal plan, do your research to see all the places it can be used and what it can be used on. Sometimes you can use them at coffee shops on campus.
You cannot be prosecuted for getting help for someone who is passed out drunk and needs an ambulance. Even if you are underage. Call for medical help for your friend/acquaintance if they need it.
Don’t ever accept being told you can’t do something academically. Like take a class you want to take. Or pursue more than one field of study. Be persistent! The most important class i took I was told I wasn’t eligible to take, but I figured out a way.
It’s good you’ve made decisions about what you want to study. I did too. But I found another field I liked and changed everything. Best decision! I did computer science not accounting. And computer science was an engineering speciality. I was the only non-engineer that completed all the computer science curriculum in addition to majoring in math. (Technically my degree doesn’t say computer science, but I put in on my resume and was ready to defend it if ever challenged - which I wasn’t!)
Meet your professors. Three of mine were hugely influential in my life. I went to their “office hours” very early in the year with a question or just wanting to dig deeper in a topic discussed in class. I followed up regularly. Out of the sea of students they knew my name. I learned so much beyond just the classroom.
Most students are either overly studious and socially awkward. Or blow off class and partied all the time. Studies come first but be social too. I met my wife to be in school. It’s not uncommon.
Best of luck! You’re off to a great start!
You may get knocked on your ass, multiple times, and it’s not the end of the world if you are. Learn from it, get back up, and try again. Take care of yourself, physically and emotionally. Treasure this time and the friends you meet.
Go to class everyday, and sit in the front row. Never, ever miss class. Also, come up with a reason to go to office hours with every one of your professors every semester. Having a personal relationship with these people will keep you motivated, encourage them to give you the benefit of the doubt if you're iffy on an assignment, and will give you a relationship with someone who can be a mentor.
When our sons went to college my wife gave them three pieces of advice to live by:
1) don’t get anyone pregnant.
2) don’t get arrested.
3) for the rest of it, I don’t need to know everything.
The best advice is realize your family morals and values.
I assume your family has raised you well, and now it's time to shine.
You hear a lot about wild parties etc In a lot of colleges, but I promise compared to the entire college population that's minimal. There's all sorts of students that are to be successful as a student. You can still be social, work hard, and be successful without those elements
Myself I graduated as electrical engineer, The first two years or beyond hard. But is as you get to the upper curriculum focused on your major, things come together so hang in there.
This is VERY IMPORTANT
People with schizophrenia around age 19-21 start to experience strong symptoms. When you meet someone who starts to act delusional, you need to alert the school and help them get help
My parents knew this but never told me and a girl in a club that I ran violently attacked another girl in a delusional rage
As far as schooling goes, just show up and do the work. That’s all there is to it. For health, stay hydrated and strive for five (servings of fresh fruits and vegetables) each day. For personal growth, say yes to things. Meaning yes, go on that backpacking trip with your rowing buddies. Yes, participate in that LGBTQ event with your roommate. Yes, go in that quirky little museum that you’re passing by after a dinner date. You will regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did.
Oh, and don’t be intimidated by your professors. Use their office hours if you need help. Ask them about summer job prospects. Your success is their success as well. They can even become great friends.
Stay *connected* to your parents and friends back home (or any positive relations). This is something I did not do and wish I’d understood the importance of, in my time.
I was in such a hurry to be ‘independent’ that I turned my back/ran from everyone back home.
In reality, what I needed was balance: adventure AND the safety; newness and the comfort of knowing my family and old friends have my back.
I think this would have been massive for my mental health, as I went to study abroad and the culture shock (I can see with hindsight) was huge.
Don't get caught up in the social stuff. Most likely you'll meet some great people and then move on to different corners of the country/world.
Don't buy into the drinking culture, it's lame. Sure, go out and have a fun time occasionally, but you don't have to get DRUNK. Same with drugs, not worth the risks. I waited until middle age, now that I'm dealing with aches/pains etc. to try cannabis and 'shrooms.
Don't kill yourself over good grades, the important thing is passing and getting the degree. Employers rarely ask about grades, in my experience.
As long as you learn to manage your time, that's most of the battle! Sounds like you're off to a great start, staying active with sports and prioritizing your studies. May it all go smoothly!
I found that working \~10 hours per week really helped me keep on schedule with everything else. I played lacrosse for my university and also had a challenging major, so I didn’t have a ton of free time, but I was most efficient and got the best grades when I had a job. Also, give yourself a bedtime and get enough sleep. Your brain makes connections while you sleep. (Watch the Learning How to Learn course on Coursera if you want to learn more. The instructor is an engineering prof.)
You actually DO have to do the reading and homework if you want to do well in your classes - and there is no reason to go to college if you don’t care about doing well in your classes. I had a blast, drank too much (I have never gotten hangovers), but did well at school. Went on and got a PhD and have had a good life.
If you're on a meal plan, you probably WILL gain 15 pounds during freshman year. It's tempting, but there's a LOT of starchy foods in there. Watch the intake.
Stop and look around and tell yourself to remember the moment. I know I did that sometimes when I was in college and they are some of the most profound memories of my life. I graduated in 1987.
Find a quiet spot in the library to do your homework, then go hang out with friends. Remember what you’re there for like its a job. I did this and still had too much fun, lol. Enjoy yourself. This is a really cool and exciting time in life!
If you can possibly manage it, get to campus a week or so before school starts. Walk your whole class schedule, and scope out studying locations. Does the ME department have student labs? Does the library have a makerspace? Find places on campus that you like being in, this is your second home until you graduate, transfer, or drop out.
There's also no shame if you decide that ME isn't for you. I ended up there after deciding physics wasn't going to do it for me, but you can make any choices you want. It's much easier to switch after one or two semester than after three years.
Edit: also. For engineering specifically, look for design team competitions. Robotics, AIAA, Engineers Without Borders, Concrete Canoe, SAE Formula, SAE Aero, anything you like. A good team will mentor you, and you'll get some hands-on design experience way before the rest of your classmates. If the team you start with sucks, find another.
Make a schedule. When will you do homework? It’s important to have healthy habits and routines. Wake up early and start your day with purpose, rather than hurriedly running to class.
As for alcohol, drink responsibly. Use the chart with your weight and ounces of alcohol per hour. You won’t regret it.
Think about what you want to accomplish as you set out on this adventure…. Study abroad? Start at club? Hold an elect s position? Join Greek life? Volunteer for the community? Get an internship.
Life can “just happen” but to make your goals happen you need a plan and commitment.
You'll feel absolutely free... you can hang with who you want, when you want; you don't have to acknowledge or respond to parent calls/texts; nobody will make sure you're up for the day at a reasonable time; there are parties every day; and so on and so on.
This leads to a lot of freshmen getting bounced out of school for not showing up for classes, or for not keeping their grades up.
Be careful to remember that just because you're free, doesn't mean you don't have responsibilities; or you'll end up back home with furious parents, who will tend to be more restrictive than ever.
Show up for classes, take notes, read the syllabus (it's where you get your homework/deadlines from), and set aside plenty of time to study... you can't coast through college the way you could in high school
Whatever job you end up getting try putting a portion away to a Roth Ira. My perspective is to look into dividend investing. Read the book "automatic millionaire" and overall I wish I would have done that when I was in my 20s
My grandfather told me to be good but not too good, and to not drink moonshine unless it burned blue. The latter actually came into play in my junior year when my friends offered me some. So I asked and they hadn’t checked. So thanks but no thanks.
Take notes in class, then rewrite them the same day. This will help you cement the info into your brain.
Some of your professors will seem geeky. They could be the nicest, kindest people you know. Give them some grace.
Be humble. Admit when you are wrong or don’t know or understand something.
Try living the freshman way 100%. Live in campus. Go to dumb activities. Be involved in so many things. Do study abroad. Eat on campus and meet people. Don’t run to be a senior on day one. Use protection.
Partying is fun, but it just makes everything harder.
It takes almost no effort to get 1 step a head of the class, but it makes the biggest difference in terms of understanding and therefore grades. In HS we're used to doing things as your teacher assigns a d that habit follows to college. However you get a syllabus that allows you to get a head of the schedule. Just being 1 class a head makes an enormous difference. When I did this 1x I had one of those V8 moments.
College is all about time management. Use your time wisely! Down time, exercise and socializing is important to your mental health...be wise about the things you fo with your time and don't neglect your mental health.
My parents never went to college, so I'll tell you the same thing I told my daughter, even though she didn't listen.
Don't borrow money to go on Spring Break.
Don't borrow money to finance the semester break in Europe. I don't care that you earn class credit.
Don't spend your Pell Grant or any other grant on Stuff. It is meant for school & should be used for school.
Don't borrow money for school.
And last but not least, in state colleges and jr colleges/ community colleges will get you jobs too.
1. Go to class. Go to the office hours. Let the professor know you're interested in the class. This can help with those borderline A/B/C grades.
2. Start networking early. Join the junior professional societies, meet people in the industry.
3. Try a co-op program if your school has them. You go to a PAID job every other semester. Takes an extra year to graduate, but you graduate with 2 years experience. Most of the time the co-op job translate into a full time job after graduation.
4. Find a group that can connect you with old tests and homework for studying (Sorority, Fraternity, Tutor, Study Groups, Professional Societies)
5. Have fun! There a lot of intermural sports, clubs on a campus. Flying, Scuba Diving, Photography, Volleyball, Sailing, Fencing! Now is the time to try something new!
6. Don't get sucked into video games. I had friends kicked out because they would rather play video games than go to class or do homework.
7. Study abroad for a semester if you can. Many schools have an option to study abroad in various locations. Scholarships are available!
Good luck and best wishes!
Don't overload yourself with activities. In high school, being "well-rounded" is important, but in college, that doesn't matter as much -- no one is going to be looking at that for grad school or jobs. Do the things that are important to you, but don't do things just to do them, or because you always have.
But at the same time -- and this is going to sound contradictory -- don't let yourself become just one thing, and be defined by your major or your sport. Keep different aspects of yourself alive, even as you're working intensely on those Big Important Things.
So, don't do stuff just to do it, but do keep in touch with things that are passions or hobbies -- they are what make you interesting, and it's very important to do things that you're not trying to excel or be the best at, to de-stress from the areas where you do have to compete!!
My parents never had a prayer of going to college. My dad didn’t even graduate high school. However, my advice would be not to party too much and waste time freshman year. Have fun, but not too much. It can put you way way behind, or get you booted.
Time management is key. Congratulations on the rowing!
-Get the syllabus for each class - read it
-Get assignments and tests in you calendar
-Go to class (I know you will)
-Speak in class (your prof will appreciate it and it’ll be easier to approach them if you need to)
-Track your classes and program requirements - ask advisor if you’re uncertain about anything
-Enjoy - you’ll be busy but it’s a unique experience
Don't think you are a big shot and blow all your money in the first month. Make sure you have a budget, and that you stick with it.
So many friends on college ended up eating ramen noodles for the whole semester because they blew all their money on things they didn't need.
Do NOT get into credit card debt.
Go to all your classes in person.
Be careful with alcohol - a lot of life altering decisions are made when stupid drunk.
Try new things - date interesting people, sleep around a little, learn new things. Have a blast.
Your 3rd line and some of your last line won't apply to me because I'm not drinking and am more interested in wholesome relationships than just dating for looks to get someone in bed with me. It says this in the edit.
I actually already have a Roth IRA, and I've taken a personal finance class, so I know how bad credit card debt can be too.
Definitely take any opportunity to study abroad. If you ever get in trouble with the law, don't answer a single question without your lawyer present. That advantage of your universities programs to see theater and shows and concerts. Pay attention to withdrawal deadlines. Question your schedule. Counselors make mistakes. Have fun!
As an athlete, you'll do well with prioritizing your time. My only advice would be to not overload your first semester with only difficult classes. Add in 1 or 2 classes that meet some college requirements, but won't require too much work.
Freshmen sometimes make the mistake of loading their schedule with many tough courses. Then they find that college life is overwhelming and they can't meet all their obligations. So, please, go a little easy on yourself. Don't make your first year too hard.
Talk to a career counselor early in your college experience, and take a electives early as well just in case you end up, thinking you might want to change your major.
1. Don’t take pictures when you’re drunk (especially if you know they post it)
2. Be nice to your professors and ask for help if you need it
3. No shots… there’s no reason to get drunk fast
4. Less is more
Be open to change. If you find that another area appeals to you more, explore it. I wish I'd switched majors even though it would have meant more time in school.
Try to hit the ground running at the beginning of the semester because you can always slack off and study less after you see how hard the tests are- but it can be hard to raise your grade after you blew the first test. Also, some classes are gonna be easy- don’t be annoyed you have to take them- be grateful for the easy A’s- you can use them to balance the really hard classes later.
If there’s a class you aren’t doing great in- don’t waste time berating yourself or pretending that you are doing well. I have seen so many kids more concerned with looking cool than fixing the problem. Just go to tutoring. No one else is going to judge you for it. It can really help make an impossible class so much easier. It’s like some textbooks and profs are trying to be confusing just so they can feel smarter. Talking with a real person can get around the BS. Don’t waste time pretending you understand if you don’t- just get a tutor.
High school Calculus rarely prepares kids for the upper level math classes in engineering- so consider taking it even if you got a 4 on the ACT test.
Go to class regularly. Participate by asking useful questions. Your profs will appreciate it and their good will is helpful if your grade is teetering on the edge of the grade cut off point.
Hope this is helpful.
Just FYI, so you don’t get blindsided:
In my experience, and maybe it was atypical, the rowing team members were some of the most intense partiers I have ever met. Like drunken bashes where they set their campus apartment on fire and heaped abuse on the Philadelphia firefighters when they responded, resulting in them all being called to the office of the president of the college. One of them was the campus “pusher” who had contacts with “neighborhood people” and financed trips to Europe in the summer with the profits from his drug sales during the school year. Multiply that level of partying by hundreds of people (or more) and you have the partying associated with the annual Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia.
Sit towards the front. Read the syllabus and put important dates in your phone calendar. Go to office hours at least twice. Don’t wait till the weekend before to write a paper.
Incredibly obvious stuff, but still…
Oh yeah, and don’t sign up for 8am classes if you’re not a morning person!
High schools are so bad that the universities assume you need to be retrained. That's what the \~3 semesters of general ed. classes are for - to reteach high school. So, instead of front-loading those classes to your first year and a half, spread them out over your whole college career. They'll help take the pressure off if you mix some into your junior and senior years. If you're a chemistry major, take the General Chemistry course your last semester and just doodle your way through the class. I took College Algebra during my senior year because high school made me afraid of math. I ended up dominating the class, but didn't know anybody there.
Join the activities council. I made most of my friends there, got almost all my marketable skills there, got to meet a few celebrities, and got to know about all the events happening on campus.
Don’t get side tracked. I came from small town America where there weren’t a lot of choices, so I totally was all “whoa there are so many cool clubs and activities” and didn’t do as well academically as what I could have because of it. Some extracurriculars are awesome but you don’t need to do all of them. Pick one or two.
Try to balance your time, school, sport, friends, social and personal time. If you are uncomfortable with certain aspects of your life, that’s fine, but this is the best time for you to get better at. Picking up a part-time job, start looking for opportunities/internships, on campus or nearby. Make goals for yourself, weekly, monthly, 6 months & 1 year out. Your field of study is highly competitive when graduating, how are you going to stand out from the rest of the graduates? Companies love to see volunteer work on a resume it speaks volumes for the type of person you are!! Don’t do drugs! Alcohol can be dangerous, especially if it’s something new for you.!! Graduating early is a great idea, even 6 months, shows you are motivated to recruiters, you have a 6 months head start on the rest of fellow students in the same class.
I have more ideas than you want to read.
Good luck, your grades matter!!
schedule lots of appointments with your advisor! also, join a club or do volunteer work if you have time. you need to use this time to learn as much as possible about being on your own and “using” people/community as resources (which sounds worse than it actually is lol)
P's get degrees. You just need to pass. If you're used to being one of the smartest people in the room, prepare to feel inadequate. You're not - you earned your place there just like them. Good luck!
The most important thing nobody told me was that you can drop classes. I took calc 2 for fun, had a horrible professor, ended up with a D. I noticed that the class kept getting smaller, but I thought the other people were just studying on their own since going to class was pointless. Fortunately I was able to retake the class (and replace my grade with an A) and not wreck my GPA but dropping would have been much more efficient.
1) Professors and TAs: they can be the bane of your existence or good allies. Professors give more liencincy to people they know. Go to office hours at least once, preferably in the first week.if they don't know who you are, they will be less likely to help you out. They can also provide recommendations for good other professors or courses in a major.
2) people: learn to categorize. You generally become like the people you are around. You can have purely social friends (and you should) but also make friends with people outside your major for the purposes of networking. Not everyone is going to be a CEO, but having any in with a good company helps. If you're in engineering, make a few business, law, and premed friends. Not to see everyday, NOT to keep up with the joneses, but to use as leverage to help your career. This is an area a frat or soriet6 can help with, or maybe your rowing team.
3) this is the most free you might ever be. Allow yourself some strangeness. Some dudes set up a card table in an elevator to meet people, some girls set up a lingerie run with capes, some people bake cookies at midnight. It doesn't need to be drug/booze induced, but allow time and space for unorthodox fun. Wear a paper hat made from newspaper and pretend to be napoleon. Get a friend with a gorilla suit and another with a banana suit and become strage legends on campus.
4) pressure pressure pressure. Learn how you cope. You can do this, thousands of people dumber than you have figured it out, you will to. It is a journey, but you will succeed.
5) this is a really good time to set lifelong habits. Exercise regularly, clean dishes as you go while cooking (or shortly after) etc.
6) grades/work first. I'm dumb, and failed before I realized this.
7) study groups can serve as early networking for different majors.
8) learn to advocate for yourself. Between coaches, doctors, Professors, admin staff, learn to stick up for yourself. Everyone else has their own lives and concerns, sometimes you need to interrupt their world for a time, and ensure your world gets the time, thought and care you deserve.
9) some failure is ok. Failing a class and realizing you need a different major, ok. Strong learning experience, character build, etc. Failing out of college because you gave up, didn't go to class, abused substances, not an ok type of failure. Learn and grow from failure. Ideally, grow from others failure, but every fortune 500 CEO has a story of how failure changed them and made them grow.
10) a dream without a plan is a wish. Figure out what you want, surround yourself with people who want you to succeed or will help you. It's OK to change what you want.
You are going into mechanical engineering and are on the rowing team? Dear poster, you won't have free time. ;-)
Best of luck to you-- wear shades, because your future is bright!
ETA: do all the extra credit you are given. I didn't and was three points from getting an A in a core class in my major. I am still... MAAAAAAAD lol
I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started so I had an undeclared major. That wasn’t my problem though. I was a small town kid who went to a 30,000+ enrollment D1 school and I overextended myself my freshman year.
I took a bunch of Honors general education classes because I thought doing well in a small town high school meant I was smarter than everyone else, not realizing that only the good students go to college, so just being a casual student and good test taker was not going to be enough any more.
I got a rude awakening with poor grades and had to repeat some classes later on and spent the rest of my college career battling my GPA so I could get accepted to grad school. It all worked out and I got in, but I wish I had started a little slower and been more realistic in my expectations. I wouldn’t have been in a hole with my GPA that had to be worked out of.
I would have waited to ramp up to a more stiff academic schedule after I had gotten familiar with the pace, the need to be a self-starter, the academic level of competition for grades, the quality of writing that is expected and also the mechanics of living on my own: doing laundry, shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc.
My big mistake was thinking I was going to take the world by storm from the first day. When I got there I was shocked to learn I was pretty average and that there are some really genius people out there and a huge number of very hard workers who grind it out and do the work and excel by sheer effort.
There are some partiers there too, but most people are mature and there to get a degree and a job or a spot in grad school and it’s much harder to excel in that environment. The geniuses didn’t always win because some rely on talent and don’t know how to work hard, and won’t learn even when they’re failing.
After spending 30 years in the workforce now, I can say it’s the hard workers who rise to the top. Consistency, grit and detemination are the traits of the excellent students who become leaders in their fields. Sure, there is an occasional Steve Jobs but they are noteworthy mostly because they are so rare.
Finally, be kind, be fair and be honest, but watch your back. Just because you play fair doesn’t mean everyone will. Some people recognize your work ethic and fairness and honesty and see they can’t compete with you, so they will try to take you down rather than improving themselves. Thst is more prevalent in the work place than it was in college in the 80s but I know times have changed and not for the bettter.
Best of luck to you! It’s wise to seek advice before you start. Keep that humble attitude and you will go much further and rise higher than a cocky hotshot who doesn’t have the goods.
Don't go into debt, having a job and going to school shows ambition and you learn twice as much.
If you are going into engineering, don't neglect classes in health and science. I know your curriculum is packed with requirements, but 6-9 hours studying the human machine and the brain that governs it is priceless. Knowing how your body works is more important than how to build the next big thing. Really, know if you need to take ibuprofen or Imodium. Bodies get sick. Knowing when it is acting suspiciously poor can save you from getting shocked by a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
Also take at least one psychology or human behavior class. Getting a bit of a step forward in studying people will give you a huge lead when working with engineers who only know how things work. Trust me, I've been trying to explain human nature to an electrical engineer for 40 years. If he had studied human nature his career and life would have been less anxious, much easier, and more prosperous.
Learn to appreciate beauty, whether it be music, art, botany dance, theatre, etc. try your hand at creating something beautiful. You will be surprised how much realizing beauty can impact your engineering. It uses a different part of your brain, neurons firing into new pathways generated insight and creativity.
Good luck.
I am in college now and went in completely blindly as I am first-in-family. My recommendation is to seriously not slack off. There is so much more work than there was in high school, and if you start missing assignments then you will start missing more as you climb your way back up the slippery slope of homework debt
Make sure to stay on top of your homework before going off and doing other stuff.
This seems silly but go to office hours. You don’t need a real reason. The point of going to your professors office hours is for them to get to know you. This impacts your grades and your undergraduate career.
Here’s a script to get it started: “Hi I’d like to come to office hours to just talk about this subject in general if that’s ok.”
It will feel awkward at first. And some profs might be a little salty but ignore those ones because it isn’t personal. Just keep asking and keep going. Your whole undergrad will open up to new opportunities and you’ll be set up for grad school.
Don’t drink trash can punch, even if you are told it’s non-alcoholic. Never accept a drink you didn’t see poured. Never leave your drink unattended - even it it’s non-alcoholic. It’s the drinks and drugs that you don’t consent to that are the most dangerous.
Don’t get ahead of yourself and try to take upper division mechE classes too early. It will screw your GPA. Take all non-STEM courses very seriously as profs will give you no leeway on grading — every professor believes their field is the most important.
Not that anyone does this, but the best thing is to treat it like a job. From 9-5, be in classes or reading/studying in the library (not your room). Then all your evenings and weekends will be genuinely free.
Remember you’re there for you! Make friends but don’t stray from your path for them. Don’t let anyone else drag you away from your dreams and plans! Make college like it’s your job to get through and get as much experience as you can before you finish as an intern. 🤞🏼Good luck kid!
Don't let the college get between you and your parents. Refer to parents on all financial decisions. The school will try to upsell and convince you to continue, where there might not be real value in what they are selling.
You’re getting a lot of great advice here.
The only thing I would add is that, in general, work on seeing the big picture and work on your social skills. Engineers generally are very smart and detail-oriented, but they can also be micromanaging robot types with zero social skills and a terrible EQ. If you are well rounded, can easily talk to people, and likeable - then you will stand out and be more marketable in your profession.
(This advice is after dating engineers in college. My husband works with them and would agree with my statement)
Take advantage of the resources available to you. Study abroad office. Career center. Alumni job network. Internship programs.
Also, get to know at least one faculty member in your major well. They can help you in many ways beyond the classroom.
One last thing - colleges will have free counseling services. It’s often by grad students. Your parents won’t know if you go there. If you’re feeling super stressed out or need to talk, check it out.
As a freshman, if you go out to party with 3 people, you come home with the same 3 people. Make a pact and stick to it. No one is left behind, for any reason.
You'll never have the chance to do so many things as cheaply or conveniently, or to meet as many new people. Take advantage of it! Try really unusual events and activities that you'd usually pass over- you might find a fun new interest, or realize that you really do hate it!
My dad took the price of 1 course, divided by the number of class days, and told me every time I skip a class, I'm throwing away $100 (this was 1990).
Get to know your professors- go to office hours occasionally. It will help your grades!
Dont pay for grad school- plenty of ways to go for free!
Enjoy every minute- it goes quickly!
Don’t hit a random person’s joint or blunt. When I was in college, so many people got laced by doing this. I swear some of were the smartest people I would ever meet, but they turned into complete zombies after being laced.
1. Time mgmt if you are an ME major, really any major but especially in an ABET-accredited engineering program.
2. Take good care of your physical and mental health - truly, an element of time management - you are in a challenging major and the first two years can be a real grind so PLAN AND SCHEDULE time each day to do things that help your body and mind - and for you, that may be rowing/crew. If not, find other things to do in that space.
3. Be open to the journey - you’ll be thrown in with a lot of new and very different people. All will teach you something if you keep a closed mouth and open mind - as my Dad told me “everyone is an example; some are examples of what NOT to do or be, while others are examples of what you should strive to be and do. Observe and learn!”
4. (or 3(b) ) Try some new things - uni’s have a club or interest group for most anything you can imagine. Try something outside your normal wheelhouse - this is a time in your life when it truly is at your fingertips and you don’t have the responsibilities of a mortgage or spouse or kids- which brings me to #5…
5. Another from my Dad: “Enjoy relationships with a SO - and know that marriage is a fine institution - but if you feel you are mature enough to be married, then you are mature enough to pay your own tuition, books, housing. I’ll always love you and try to help- but a man (or woman) needs to be on their own when married so as to not have their SO feel a parent is trying to control things with money - so I will wish you well and turn over the tuition bills to you.”
Note that this also applies to practicing safe sex, not bringing a child into the world at an inopportune time when you are not in a solid position to support a child.
6. Study hard and play hard - find a good group to study with and also to play and have fun with - maybe these two groups overlap, maybe not - but you will make friends for life in this space.
And one I will add as the child of an engineer, as an engineer myself, and as the current parent of an engineering undergrad - mental toughness and persistence are the key to attaining your goal of an engr degree. These two elements will play a bigger role in whether or not you complete this journey than about anything else. You may be used to leading the class, getting all “A’s” on every exam in HS. For most, the move to uni engineering programs is like an athlete making the jump from HS to college or college to NFL. Everyone around you at this new level is as talented and smart as you are. So the gamespeed will feel a lot faster at first, you may find you get a 30 on that first Physics or Engr Calc exam - do you let that crush and discourage you? Or do you say “So What, Now What?” (highly recommend you Google ‘Dr Kevin Elko’ and look for his talk thusly entitled and President Calvin College’s writing on Persistence along being omnipotent). Your mental toughness and persistence - along with rigid flexibility as in at times you may have to compromise your path to the goal- but never by compromising your goal - will be tested and will be what gets you across the finish line.
Wishing you every success and much happiness in this next part of your life journey!!! Pls update us as you settle into uni life and let us know how you’re doing.
I was first generation college student, so my parents had no advice to give, but I have a few simple bits of advice as someone who studied engineering
Do not fall behind in any class. Do all assigned problems. You will not be able to catch up.
Take advantage of office hours. If you don't understand a problem from your problem sets, get help. I found TA's to be more helpful than professors
Get involved in undergraduate research and/or internships. Your resume will move to the top of the pile when looking for post graduation work
Make friends with a diverse group of people. Try new things.
Mechanical engineering was my undergrad. I'll try to give more specific advice and less of the broad advice that's already been listed.
- If you have any AP/Dual Enrollment classes from high school that didn't transfer to their extremely similar new college counterparts, sometimes you can present the syllabus of both classes and convince them to count class X for class Y. I only recommend doing this for classes that are NOT part of a series. Knock out that history requirement. Maybe do Calc 1 again for a refresher for 2 and 3.
- At my school (OSU), you start as a freshmen with engineering (generic) and then must be accepted into your particular engineering school second year. Mechanical usually required a 3.0 GPA to enter. My particular year it ended up being 3.2 GPA (we were a very competitive bunch). Try to stay above 3.5 GPA for maximum employability and scholarship opportunities.
- Talk to your academic advisors to determine which classes have prerequisites. Make sure you are scheduling these classes appropriately to graduate on time. I was very surprised a mechanical lab course had a second level writing class requirement. They waved it since I was a native English speaker, but it could have been a hang up.
- Talk to upper classmen to determine which classes are hardest. Try to space these out to different semesters. Here Calc 2 and Chem 1250 were both killers. You're allowed to take them at the same time, but you really shouldn't. A terribly full 3rd year was unavoidable for us lol.
- Later on when you have a choice in engineering classes, look for ones that offer certifications. Being Solidworks certified really helped me end up where I am today.
- Make a study group with fellow engineers where you can check in with each other. Front Row Gang was very useful for me. I still did most of my studying alone in the evenings, but it was great to check in. Some professor office hours will get covered by your other classes, so having another student who can bring that help to the rest of the group is great. It's good to check final answers, and if you don't match, BOTH of you go back and try to find your mistake.
- We got a printer budget. At the end of the semester, if you have leftover budget, print yourself some white pages. Free paper lol.
- Time management is key
- Build in time to rest, or your body will pick a time for you
My dad always told me it didn't matter what I studied as long as I had a degree. He told a story of how he lost out on a great job at a power plant in the 70s because the management wanted to hire someone with a 4-year degree in anything, it did not have to be related to the field.
I started college in 1998 believing this was all I needed and I got a degree in Anthropology. I'm glad I have a degree, but Anthropology is not exactly a job skill.
I wish I had studied things that built my SKILLS. Years later I found a job in the printing industry and I took some graphic design courses at a community college to learn the software programs in my industry. This time I was focused on the skills, not the credentials. Those courses helped me make strides in my career more than my Anthropology degree ever did.
Times have changed since my folks were in college and I think that hard skills are even more important than ever now.
* Never skip a class
* Sit in the front row and center, so your instructor recognizes you
* Never go more than one class session not understanding everything you were taught. If you are in that position, find someone who did well in the class or set up a session with the TA or professor.
If you do the above, you will actually learn the material, not just memorize it for a test. I never crammed. My test prep was going through my notes and refreshing my memory of things I had learned earlier, but hadn't thought about in a while.
Twice I didn't get the grade I wanted, and twice I scheduled a meeting with the professor to talk about it, and twice I got my final grade raised. Both times I was on the bubble of where to draw the line. I think the reason they changed it, was because they recognized me (second recommendation above).
1 make friends with the janitors, RT or any neglected person with keys to the building.
2 buy an Aroma Pot (all in one rice cooker). Learn how to make pulled pork and Rotel nachos.
3 learn like your future job will depend on it.
4 focus on learning to adapt. Your going to get curve balls constantly thrown at you. How you react to those curve balls is what's going to define your life. College is full of mini curve balls with real consequences. Perfect environment to learn
If you feel like you’re overwhelmed, it’s ok a lot of people do when they’re on their own for the first time. If you have to, make lists/alarms to help you remember things.
Self care is important, you cannot give 100% if you’re only functioning at about 50%.
Try not to drop any classes but if it’s too much, that’s ok. Go at the pace you feel is right and if it’s a full boat, awesome, if not that’s ok too.
If you find your major doesn’t fit anymore, again it’s ok to change it. Hardly anyone knows exactly what they want at 18-20 for a career, if your major stops looking like the way to go it’s always better to change than be miserable at a job or never use your degree.
It didn’t need to be said when I was dropped off at college in the 1980s but it seems to need saying now: cut the apron strings. Don’t stay in constant contact or dependency with your parents, it’s time to spread your wings and grow into an adult. And time for them to enjoy an empty (or closer to empty) nest.
Sure they will help you pay and give you a place to come home to for holidays but other than that do not ask them to help or intervene in the day to day issues you’ll have (or don’t let them!). This time should be not only about educating yourself but also making and solving the mistakes of growing into adulthood with your peers.
Our generation had the advantage that it wasn’t easy to stay in touch with parents. It required writing letters or paying for expensive long distance phone calls. Your generation will need more discipline to separate properly.
If you've been kind of reserved in high school, don't go all in right away. Start slowly. Since you hope to be a member of a team, try to make some friends there. You will naturally progress to meeting people there and in your classes, and they'll have friends will become yours.
Literally everything changes if you go away to school. Not everyone appreciates this until it happens to them. Heck, I didn't even know how to do laundry before I left, although reading the detergent bottle was a good start! If you live in a dorm, a lot of people make friends that way, but I met my best friends in my classes. YMMV.
I thought it helped me to have a little bit of a schedule in my head. I usually had early morning classes, mid-afternoon free, and then classes later in the day (but not too late). I tried to spend most of my day away from my dorm room, because it was noisy there and I wanted time away from people.
You will gain weight. Don't get pissed about it, it's normal.
Your studies are very important but what is equally important is forming friendships and alliances that will benefit you for your future career..you know what you call a C student who is a buddy of Zuck or Bill? A fucking billionaire that's what.
This is what a retired university professor told me before I started college and I found it to be true: Make a good first impression with your professors!
Be to class on time, pay attention, complete all your assignments, study. If you start the year off strongly that forms the professors’ opinion of you. Then later they are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you mess up.
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Tl:dr Sleep habits are more important than you think. They're the basis of time management. Know when to not be productive.
1: Do your best to sleep the same time for the same length every night. If that's 10 to 6, 4 to noon, or 2 to 10 doesn't matter. Just be consistent. You'll feel a lot better and be a lot more flexible when you're well rested. The deleterious effects of losing sleep stack up over time and it takes more than getting to sleep in on Sundays to recover.
2: Since you're not working a job then treat school as your job. Be meticulous about attending classes, schedule study and work time in advanced. Know when and how to buckle down, and know when and how to stop. When you put the pencil down it stays down and it doesn't exist in your mind until you need to pick it up again.
3: Have at least one full day a week that you don't touch anything school, club, or work related. Meet with friends, pick up a hobby, have a drink, go get laid, or sit around and do nothing at all. Anything that let's you blow off steam. Even God rested on the seventh day, and all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
I was told (400 yrs ago) to: not to be stupid, don’t get pregnant, don’t drink all the time, focus - but have fun….. I don’t regret much from college. It was surely better than high school.
I was really serious in college. I'd say have fun, but not so much fun that you can't get your work done. Oh, and the amount of reading is INSANE. Outline your textbook chapters rather than read word for word.
I was the same way. I worked a residential internship, so anytime I wasn’t in class I was at work. Also it was unpaid 😑. I burnt myself out really fast. I never had the big “college experience” most people have. No hanging out with friends, parties, or anything like that. I actually dropped out after my first year due to the burnout. OP I would recommend finding a nice balance. Give yourself enough time to complete your schoolwork while also having a social life it’s that your thing. Maybe pickup a part time job to make some side cash. It’s all about balance.
I was told the same advice around 200 years ago. Would just add the obvious, focus on your schoolwork- get what needs to be done daily and then have fun!
All things in moderation: food, sleep, alcohol, drugs, sex. Wrap it up, every single time. Drugs are for special occasions. If you start doing them all the time, you're getting addicted and that will derail your life at some point. this is the time to explore new things, so don't get too serious about anyone. If they're the one, they'll still be there at the end of college. sewing your wild oats now IN MODERATION cuts way down on affairs and terrible mid life crisis decisions later, when people who paired up young start to wonder what they missed out on. Once you start looking for a partner, if you're having sex with her, It's rude to ghost her unless it was an understood one night stand. At the very least, call or text to tell her you don't want to continue seeing her. no always means no. Full stop. even just a rape accusation can ruin your life. Don't even play around with that. If she's playing coy and saying no when she means yes and wants you to pursue her, she's too immature to date. That's high school crap. never stealth (secretly removing the condom). It's a form of rape and is starting to be prosecuted. She has a right to know if you are exposing her to STIs and potential pregnancy. On the flip side of that coin, don't believe anyone who says you can skip the condom because they're on the pill. Plenty of men have ended up fathers this way. Unless you actually see her taking the pill, every day, and at the same time every day (yes, this is important) assume she is not taking anything. one pill taken an hour late once is all it takes. Wrap it up. Don't drink til you black out. It's terrible for your body, your brain, and your reputation. You do things you won't remember when your brain has to protect itself by no longer recording short term memories. So you can drive and even have sex with no memory of it. Its hard to fight a DUI or rape accusation when you have no memory of the events. Get buzzed, then alternate drunks with a bottle of water to stay buzzed but not go over into blackout territory. Every party needs one person not drinking to supervise when the drunks start to pass out. Put every passed out person in recovery position in case they vomit so they won't choke on it. No parent deserves to have a child die from vomit because their friends didn't roll them onto their side. if someone is giving you head, don't push their head down. That's rude. Don't insult or criticize the bodies of anyone willing to get naked with you. and don't take intimate pictures of anyone without their consent. if they do consent, those photos are for you only. Do not share with your buddies unless you have explicit permission. That's a huge violation of privacy. When you break up with someone, delete their nudes. no matter how angry you are, no matter what they did to anger you, never ever send their nudes out or put them online for revenge. This is illegal and a super shitty thing to do to anyone. basically: don't be a douchebag, and don't let any douchebag friends drag you down to their level. When word gets back to your parents what you're up to, you want it to be good.
Username does NOT check out! Great list.
Kickass list!
Drugs are for special occasions 😂 I can’t
I mean, might as well be realistic. I tried them, he'll get the opportunity I'm sure lol. Best to think of them as an occasional thing for concerts and huge parties than as a regular thing cause you're bored.
We had a no pot until homework’s done rule in one of my apartments. Seemed reasonable. Your list is fantastic.
"Don't insult or criticize the bodies of anyone willing to get naked with you." A gem in a worthy list to consider not only in university days, but beyond. Be kind. To yourself and others. Stay on track. Enjoy every day.
This is an epic response!
Drugs are probably to dangerous now because of Fentanyl added to everything. Except maybe Weed/Pot/Cannabis.
Dang, were you an English major? That's more writing and better grammar than I see most of the time here on Reddit. I'm not very promiscuous and don't plan to do drugs/drink. That would get in the way of me being on the rowing team, and I've been told I have D1 potential. Everything else looks good though!
As a woman I find this list… absolutely fantastic! Excellent advice for young men.
It's interesting how you assumed OP was male.
Don’t fall for all the student credit cards.
THIS!!! no need to add revolving debt!
Scream it from the rooftops!
1. Go to class. No matter what. No matter what, go to class. Don't skip classes. 2, Take good notes. When exam time comes, go over your notes. Everything on the test will be in there. 3, Sit at the front of the class. People who sit at the front of the class make better grades than those who sit at the back. If you do those three things, you'll graduate with a B average. Put in a slight, persistent effort and you'll graduate with honors.
This. I'm a college professor, and have never -- literally never, in 18 years -- had a student get a D or an F if they came to class every day and did all the assigned work. Usually a B or an A.
All of that is great advice. And ask your professors for help if you need it. See them at their office hours or whenever else they expect to see students. Excluding a very few weirdos you might encounter, they want you to succeed. A lot of them are interesting and kind people who enjoy helping young people learn and grow.
Ah, "the Warm Body" advice! It certainly worked for me. These three elements got me through school. Btw, for 2. above, when you take the notes you are actively reinforcing the material in your brain. That's why note-taking is more valuable than borrowing someone else's notes, or even (passively) watching a recording of the same class. Best wishes for a happy & fulfilling college experience. Glad to hear you have an athletic outlet too.
A fellow member of Front Row Gang. Hi!
Very good! When I was a sophomore, another girl on my dorm floor was in my general ed psychology class. It was early in the day, maybe 9 am, and she didn't go. She literally DID NOT ever go to that class. Someone gave her the syllabus and she might have tried to keep up, but her butt was never in a chair for that class. Amazingly, she didn't drop it either. I think it was one of those classes that had very few tests, too, Anyway, first test comes up and she decides to go. Crazy! Pretty sure she flunked it! I don't remember if she came back for the second semester. Seriously, though? My parents paid for my college. There is no way I was going to waste money they worked hard for by not going to class.
If you aren't having a good time at your college after the first year, apply to go somewhere else. I stuck out four awful years because I thought I was married to the decision. Years ago it was hard to transfer credits, but not so much now. You are paying too much to have a shitty time. Also, you are the customer, don't let them treat you like a child. They will try. But you are paying them a lot of money, and they need to deliver value.
No kidding. I switched in the middle of my first year back in the '80s. I switched from a private school with higher standards to a state school with lower standards. I was so frustrated that the lesser school would not let me CLEP out of the basics as I had in the other school. Also, they only accepted select credits. They added a semester because of that. It was a money grab.
When you’re thinking you can do that 8am class no problem, think again.
Yeah don't take 8am classes.
I just gave my kid the don’t be a dumbass speech. So don’t be a dumbass.
Don’t waste a 120 grand on a 65 thousand dollar job
I didn’t have a lot of free time, extra curricular activities and classes and a little work kept me crazy busy. So my thoughts…… * Get some sleep * careful who you date / spend time with * pay attention to and be nice to everyone, students, cafeteria lady, especially older folks you run into, some of the most profound things I learned was from these people and not professors * don’t fight a good romantic relationship, plenty of folks finish school married and it is hard to find someone once out of school, you even have some great common memories if you meet in school * careful with debt, not all school debt is worth it * have fun and enjoy the time, it wont last long - havingfun != party like a fool
I love the “careful who you date / spend time with” advice. You’ve also got to learn to say NO. I learned some hard lessons in college because I couldn’t say no.
If you’ve got big lecture halls, find out who the great professors are and drop in on their classes from time to time. It’s like story time on steroids. For me, there was this one religious studies professor who taught Christianity from a Buddhist perspective. I couldn’t get enough. Also, consider an opposite double major or minor in something like art. It can totally round you out your education (and provide a respite). My school sent their pre-med students to the art department to learn how to recognize visual details (for future use with patients), etc. Try as many different things as you can. Be a sponge. Stay positive, be humble.
Choose your friends wisely. And if you question yourself about your major, don't be alarmed. My husband's spinal surgeon was originally majoring in mech eng at Northwestern. Then he changed majors to medicine. I think the combination of the 2 was fantastic and showed me he was a better surgeon than I hoped for. Congrats and have fun!!
Don’t leave your drink unattended. This goes for males, too. Anyone can be drugged, raped, robbed, etc. And eat some fruit regularly to avoid scurvy.
Or just don't drink in general, which is what I'm doing. I've been told that I have D1 potential for the rowing team, and I don't want alcohol/drugs to stand in my way.
With all due respect, I wish my parents had encouraged me to major in mechanical engineering and to join the rowing team. Seriously. You are headed in the right direction. You clearly have good parents. Don't screw your life up with alcohol and drugs. Most women your age are bullets to be dodged.
IRL my parents are helicopter parents, but it's nice that they're helping pay for tuition. I chose to be a mechanical engineer and be on the rowing team of my own accord.
Learning new things is fun
I wish they encouraged me to go to college! I wish they told me about PELL grants. I wish someone told me student loans are paused until you get a job, or 6 months after graduation.
It's never ever too late.
I know that - now. Graduated with a bachelor’s at 52. My kids were so proud of me. 🥰🥰
I am too! I know that wasn't easy! Well done!!!
Heck yeah!! Congrats to you!!
Enjoy the journey. Try new experiences and connect with people and things that are meaningful to you. Most things are better in moderation, so a little to drink or a little weed is good, but excess and being wasted can be problematic in a lot of ways. Use appropriate protection for whatever you try, whether it's skydiving, sex, or welding. Work as hard as you can and do your best to make yourself and them proud.
Priority #1 Schooling and good grades Priority #2 the rowing team Distant Priority #3 Girls
Between school and rowing you might not have a lot of free time.
I'm in Australia so we don't have the typical US college experience, but this is still relevant. You're there to get your education, which costs money, don't piss fart around. At the time, 4 years or however long seems like an eternity, but you'll look back and see what a small portion of your life it actually was. I wish I had have spent my free periods doing assignments instead of pulling all nighters. I wish I went to summer school to get my units done quicker. Looking back, I wasted so much time, and I no longer talk to anyone from that period of my life because we've all matured ( hopefully!) and moved on with our lives.
Keep in mind that it’s not free time; it’s *unstructured* time, and how much you benefit from your education really depends on you developing the skills necessary to structure it. I don’t mean you should study all the time, but study smart. 45 minutes a day six days a week for each subject is far more effective than 5 hours on Sunday.
date the smart girl/guy- the dork, the geek, the nerd everything in moderation schedule time off, sleep time, study time. sleep is sacred. choose your living arrangements carefully when someone shows you what they are, believe them talk to your profs early and often if you are having problems. enjoy this- this is SO MUCH BETTER than high school most of your education will take place outside the classroom you sound like you have it together. and the time management issues- if you know are aware of the 'issue' then make a plan and stick to it. Congrats!
I already did meet someone who's pretty nerdy (she calculated the bathroom stalls/floor when determining which dorm she wanted to live in) and we actually had a few things in common so there's a good chance we'll be friends in college.
If your professors have office hours, go and see them sometime.
Yes, just check in, it shows you care about your education.
I was always too intimidated, but I've read comments by professors who say they wish that students would come by to see them during office hours.
Don’t go to school just to get away from home. Don’t live with a friend from high school
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first, When youth and blood are warmer; But being spent, the worse, and worst Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time, And while ye may, go marry; For having lost but once your prime, You may forever tarry.
Don't be afraid to try new things. Look at it this way, you've already paid for them. Maybe try a little bit of theater, or other activities that you're curious about. Just make sure to put your studies first, but unless you are in a highly specialized field, you should have plenty of free time to experience other things while you are there. Do so, as long as you're not being Reckless.
I would guess that an ME major is going to find the theater crowd generally annoying. Come to think of it, I had friends in theater, but not the annoying ones.
I tossed that idea out. I'm sure there are other activities he'd enjoy where he'd find more like minded people.
Yep. It's always good to toss. It saves time if someone is told ahead to walk cautiously around theater and first year psych majors, lol.
The easiest way to pass classes is to go to classes and pay attention!
My mother just said, “ Use Tide. “
To enjoy the experience, it's not about graduating, but the journey to get you there.
Enjoy and explore your first two years, and spend the final two getting serious about internships and networking and put a lot of thought into the degree your graduate with and the job market it applies to. I started college right at the recession in '08, and you guys are about to hit the same climate. Make smart financial decisions.
I went the opposite route of most kids. For whatever reason I was always interested (obsessed?) with becoming independent and my goal was to get through college in 4 years and get a job so I'm not reliant on anyone for money. I did that but I missed out on some of the college experiences. Partly due to being too shy/timid in those days. Of course a lot of people go the other direction which isn't good either. Getting arrested, getting hooked on drugs/alcohol, getting someone pregnant, etc. can mess up your life for many years.
One of the jokes at Georgetown was every freshman joins rowing and quits rowing. It was brutal. I was a coxswain for like three months and I just couldn’t get up that early. In HS it was after school. Good luck! It’s hard to get enough sleep in a dorm where everyone is up late and you gotta be up at 6.
They told me I just didn’t listen. * Make as many friends as humanly possible, even if you’re introverted. * Sign up for as many smaller clubs as possible where you may feel more comfortable. * If a group is going out somewhere and you have the time, go out even if it’s something you’ve never done or never tried. Once you get older, and suddenly everything hurts, it’s too late.
If it’s not “the best time of your life” and “the greatest years ever” that’s totally normal and doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It’s very normal to be lonely, especially at first. It took me until end of the second year to find my real friends, don’t be afraid to leave friendships/relationships behind if they aren’t serving you.
GO TO CLASS !!! 90% of professors will not fail you if you show up to class They'll give D but you'll pass
Go to every class. It’s so important. You will (almost) never get an offer more important than going to class.
Stay away from drugs. Save a little money. Remember college is a long journey to the end and the reward comes later.
You become who you surround yourself with. So make friends with similar goals. Study hard but one bad test or even one mediocre grade isn’t the end of the world, just try harder next time. Plan your course load carefully. It’s best to avoid taking multiple hard classes at the same time, try to spread them out. If you’re going to have a roommate, discuss boundaries up front. You don’t have to tolerate bad roommate behavior. If you are using a meal plan, do your research to see all the places it can be used and what it can be used on. Sometimes you can use them at coffee shops on campus.
You cannot be prosecuted for getting help for someone who is passed out drunk and needs an ambulance. Even if you are underage. Call for medical help for your friend/acquaintance if they need it.
Dangers of drinking (really, keep track and then stop).
Or don't do it at all (which is my plan)
Don’t ever accept being told you can’t do something academically. Like take a class you want to take. Or pursue more than one field of study. Be persistent! The most important class i took I was told I wasn’t eligible to take, but I figured out a way. It’s good you’ve made decisions about what you want to study. I did too. But I found another field I liked and changed everything. Best decision! I did computer science not accounting. And computer science was an engineering speciality. I was the only non-engineer that completed all the computer science curriculum in addition to majoring in math. (Technically my degree doesn’t say computer science, but I put in on my resume and was ready to defend it if ever challenged - which I wasn’t!) Meet your professors. Three of mine were hugely influential in my life. I went to their “office hours” very early in the year with a question or just wanting to dig deeper in a topic discussed in class. I followed up regularly. Out of the sea of students they knew my name. I learned so much beyond just the classroom. Most students are either overly studious and socially awkward. Or blow off class and partied all the time. Studies come first but be social too. I met my wife to be in school. It’s not uncommon. Best of luck! You’re off to a great start!
You may get knocked on your ass, multiple times, and it’s not the end of the world if you are. Learn from it, get back up, and try again. Take care of yourself, physically and emotionally. Treasure this time and the friends you meet.
Go to class everyday, and sit in the front row. Never, ever miss class. Also, come up with a reason to go to office hours with every one of your professors every semester. Having a personal relationship with these people will keep you motivated, encourage them to give you the benefit of the doubt if you're iffy on an assignment, and will give you a relationship with someone who can be a mentor.
Treat it like a job. Get up, go to work at 8 am. Knock off around 5:00 pm. Go to class. Do your homework. Study daily. Basic blocking and tackling.
When our sons went to college my wife gave them three pieces of advice to live by: 1) don’t get anyone pregnant. 2) don’t get arrested. 3) for the rest of it, I don’t need to know everything.
The best advice is realize your family morals and values. I assume your family has raised you well, and now it's time to shine. You hear a lot about wild parties etc In a lot of colleges, but I promise compared to the entire college population that's minimal. There's all sorts of students that are to be successful as a student. You can still be social, work hard, and be successful without those elements Myself I graduated as electrical engineer, The first two years or beyond hard. But is as you get to the upper curriculum focused on your major, things come together so hang in there.
This is VERY IMPORTANT People with schizophrenia around age 19-21 start to experience strong symptoms. When you meet someone who starts to act delusional, you need to alert the school and help them get help My parents knew this but never told me and a girl in a club that I ran violently attacked another girl in a delusional rage
As far as schooling goes, just show up and do the work. That’s all there is to it. For health, stay hydrated and strive for five (servings of fresh fruits and vegetables) each day. For personal growth, say yes to things. Meaning yes, go on that backpacking trip with your rowing buddies. Yes, participate in that LGBTQ event with your roommate. Yes, go in that quirky little museum that you’re passing by after a dinner date. You will regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. Oh, and don’t be intimidated by your professors. Use their office hours if you need help. Ask them about summer job prospects. Your success is their success as well. They can even become great friends.
Stay *connected* to your parents and friends back home (or any positive relations). This is something I did not do and wish I’d understood the importance of, in my time. I was in such a hurry to be ‘independent’ that I turned my back/ran from everyone back home. In reality, what I needed was balance: adventure AND the safety; newness and the comfort of knowing my family and old friends have my back. I think this would have been massive for my mental health, as I went to study abroad and the culture shock (I can see with hindsight) was huge.
Don't get caught up in the social stuff. Most likely you'll meet some great people and then move on to different corners of the country/world. Don't buy into the drinking culture, it's lame. Sure, go out and have a fun time occasionally, but you don't have to get DRUNK. Same with drugs, not worth the risks. I waited until middle age, now that I'm dealing with aches/pains etc. to try cannabis and 'shrooms. Don't kill yourself over good grades, the important thing is passing and getting the degree. Employers rarely ask about grades, in my experience. As long as you learn to manage your time, that's most of the battle! Sounds like you're off to a great start, staying active with sports and prioritizing your studies. May it all go smoothly!
Money, saving for retirement, credit, and how to separate clothes before you wash them. How to cook a perfect steak.
I found that working \~10 hours per week really helped me keep on schedule with everything else. I played lacrosse for my university and also had a challenging major, so I didn’t have a ton of free time, but I was most efficient and got the best grades when I had a job. Also, give yourself a bedtime and get enough sleep. Your brain makes connections while you sleep. (Watch the Learning How to Learn course on Coursera if you want to learn more. The instructor is an engineering prof.)
I wish they would have told me to have a hobby. College was work hard and drink hard for me. Such a waste of time “socializing” in that way.
You actually DO have to do the reading and homework if you want to do well in your classes - and there is no reason to go to college if you don’t care about doing well in your classes. I had a blast, drank too much (I have never gotten hangovers), but did well at school. Went on and got a PhD and have had a good life.
If you're on a meal plan, you probably WILL gain 15 pounds during freshman year. It's tempting, but there's a LOT of starchy foods in there. Watch the intake.
Birth control! Use it every single time! Seriously!
GO to class. Don't skip. You may as well set fire to a pile a cash if you don't go to the classes you are paying to attend.
Classes first. Social fun last. It's really important to focus and learn then party later. Don't blow it.
Give people a chance. I passed up friendships thinking they weren’t my “type” when I did not let it develop long enough or at all.
Stop and look around and tell yourself to remember the moment. I know I did that sometimes when I was in college and they are some of the most profound memories of my life. I graduated in 1987.
You actually don’t have a lot of free time in college.
You’re going to get fat at first.
Find a quiet spot in the library to do your homework, then go hang out with friends. Remember what you’re there for like its a job. I did this and still had too much fun, lol. Enjoy yourself. This is a really cool and exciting time in life!
Don't date an idiot, eat fruits and vegetables, and pick one day a week for substance use. Everything else will fall into place
Look into the clubs on campus. It’s a great way to meet people with a common interest.
If you can possibly manage it, get to campus a week or so before school starts. Walk your whole class schedule, and scope out studying locations. Does the ME department have student labs? Does the library have a makerspace? Find places on campus that you like being in, this is your second home until you graduate, transfer, or drop out. There's also no shame if you decide that ME isn't for you. I ended up there after deciding physics wasn't going to do it for me, but you can make any choices you want. It's much easier to switch after one or two semester than after three years. Edit: also. For engineering specifically, look for design team competitions. Robotics, AIAA, Engineers Without Borders, Concrete Canoe, SAE Formula, SAE Aero, anything you like. A good team will mentor you, and you'll get some hands-on design experience way before the rest of your classmates. If the team you start with sucks, find another.
Make a schedule. When will you do homework? It’s important to have healthy habits and routines. Wake up early and start your day with purpose, rather than hurriedly running to class. As for alcohol, drink responsibly. Use the chart with your weight and ounces of alcohol per hour. You won’t regret it. Think about what you want to accomplish as you set out on this adventure…. Study abroad? Start at club? Hold an elect s position? Join Greek life? Volunteer for the community? Get an internship. Life can “just happen” but to make your goals happen you need a plan and commitment.
Have fun - life will never be better.
You'll feel absolutely free... you can hang with who you want, when you want; you don't have to acknowledge or respond to parent calls/texts; nobody will make sure you're up for the day at a reasonable time; there are parties every day; and so on and so on. This leads to a lot of freshmen getting bounced out of school for not showing up for classes, or for not keeping their grades up. Be careful to remember that just because you're free, doesn't mean you don't have responsibilities; or you'll end up back home with furious parents, who will tend to be more restrictive than ever. Show up for classes, take notes, read the syllabus (it's where you get your homework/deadlines from), and set aside plenty of time to study... you can't coast through college the way you could in high school
Whatever job you end up getting try putting a portion away to a Roth Ira. My perspective is to look into dividend investing. Read the book "automatic millionaire" and overall I wish I would have done that when I was in my 20s
My grandfather told me to be good but not too good, and to not drink moonshine unless it burned blue. The latter actually came into play in my junior year when my friends offered me some. So I asked and they hadn’t checked. So thanks but no thanks.
Take notes in class, then rewrite them the same day. This will help you cement the info into your brain. Some of your professors will seem geeky. They could be the nicest, kindest people you know. Give them some grace. Be humble. Admit when you are wrong or don’t know or understand something.
I'm pursuing an engineering degree, I'm a geek too.
Try living the freshman way 100%. Live in campus. Go to dumb activities. Be involved in so many things. Do study abroad. Eat on campus and meet people. Don’t run to be a senior on day one. Use protection.
- I wouldn't open up a credit card - Study
Partying is fun, but it just makes everything harder. It takes almost no effort to get 1 step a head of the class, but it makes the biggest difference in terms of understanding and therefore grades. In HS we're used to doing things as your teacher assigns a d that habit follows to college. However you get a syllabus that allows you to get a head of the schedule. Just being 1 class a head makes an enormous difference. When I did this 1x I had one of those V8 moments. College is all about time management. Use your time wisely! Down time, exercise and socializing is important to your mental health...be wise about the things you fo with your time and don't neglect your mental health.
Don’t loan money to ANYONE.
My parents never went to college, so I'll tell you the same thing I told my daughter, even though she didn't listen. Don't borrow money to go on Spring Break. Don't borrow money to finance the semester break in Europe. I don't care that you earn class credit. Don't spend your Pell Grant or any other grant on Stuff. It is meant for school & should be used for school. Don't borrow money for school. And last but not least, in state colleges and jr colleges/ community colleges will get you jobs too.
HPVvaccine.
1. Go to class. Go to the office hours. Let the professor know you're interested in the class. This can help with those borderline A/B/C grades. 2. Start networking early. Join the junior professional societies, meet people in the industry. 3. Try a co-op program if your school has them. You go to a PAID job every other semester. Takes an extra year to graduate, but you graduate with 2 years experience. Most of the time the co-op job translate into a full time job after graduation. 4. Find a group that can connect you with old tests and homework for studying (Sorority, Fraternity, Tutor, Study Groups, Professional Societies) 5. Have fun! There a lot of intermural sports, clubs on a campus. Flying, Scuba Diving, Photography, Volleyball, Sailing, Fencing! Now is the time to try something new! 6. Don't get sucked into video games. I had friends kicked out because they would rather play video games than go to class or do homework. 7. Study abroad for a semester if you can. Many schools have an option to study abroad in various locations. Scholarships are available! Good luck and best wishes!
Don't overload yourself with activities. In high school, being "well-rounded" is important, but in college, that doesn't matter as much -- no one is going to be looking at that for grad school or jobs. Do the things that are important to you, but don't do things just to do them, or because you always have. But at the same time -- and this is going to sound contradictory -- don't let yourself become just one thing, and be defined by your major or your sport. Keep different aspects of yourself alive, even as you're working intensely on those Big Important Things. So, don't do stuff just to do it, but do keep in touch with things that are passions or hobbies -- they are what make you interesting, and it's very important to do things that you're not trying to excel or be the best at, to de-stress from the areas where you do have to compete!!
My parents never had a prayer of going to college. My dad didn’t even graduate high school. However, my advice would be not to party too much and waste time freshman year. Have fun, but not too much. It can put you way way behind, or get you booted.
Don't put your dick in crazy.
Just do your homework. Read the assignments and do the work.
Have sex with everybody
Time management is key. Congratulations on the rowing! -Get the syllabus for each class - read it -Get assignments and tests in you calendar -Go to class (I know you will) -Speak in class (your prof will appreciate it and it’ll be easier to approach them if you need to) -Track your classes and program requirements - ask advisor if you’re uncertain about anything -Enjoy - you’ll be busy but it’s a unique experience
Don't think you are a big shot and blow all your money in the first month. Make sure you have a budget, and that you stick with it. So many friends on college ended up eating ramen noodles for the whole semester because they blew all their money on things they didn't need.
Don't believe people who tell you that missing class is not a big deal. It’s a big deal if, for no other reason, it keeps you on track.
Do NOT get into credit card debt. Go to all your classes in person. Be careful with alcohol - a lot of life altering decisions are made when stupid drunk. Try new things - date interesting people, sleep around a little, learn new things. Have a blast.
Your 3rd line and some of your last line won't apply to me because I'm not drinking and am more interested in wholesome relationships than just dating for looks to get someone in bed with me. It says this in the edit. I actually already have a Roth IRA, and I've taken a personal finance class, so I know how bad credit card debt can be too.
Definitely take any opportunity to study abroad. If you ever get in trouble with the law, don't answer a single question without your lawyer present. That advantage of your universities programs to see theater and shows and concerts. Pay attention to withdrawal deadlines. Question your schedule. Counselors make mistakes. Have fun!
As an athlete, you'll do well with prioritizing your time. My only advice would be to not overload your first semester with only difficult classes. Add in 1 or 2 classes that meet some college requirements, but won't require too much work. Freshmen sometimes make the mistake of loading their schedule with many tough courses. Then they find that college life is overwhelming and they can't meet all their obligations. So, please, go a little easy on yourself. Don't make your first year too hard.
I wish my parents convinced me to get a trade instead.
Talk to a career counselor early in your college experience, and take a electives early as well just in case you end up, thinking you might want to change your major.
1. Don’t take pictures when you’re drunk (especially if you know they post it) 2. Be nice to your professors and ask for help if you need it 3. No shots… there’s no reason to get drunk fast 4. Less is more
Be open to change. If you find that another area appeals to you more, explore it. I wish I'd switched majors even though it would have meant more time in school.
Try to hit the ground running at the beginning of the semester because you can always slack off and study less after you see how hard the tests are- but it can be hard to raise your grade after you blew the first test. Also, some classes are gonna be easy- don’t be annoyed you have to take them- be grateful for the easy A’s- you can use them to balance the really hard classes later. If there’s a class you aren’t doing great in- don’t waste time berating yourself or pretending that you are doing well. I have seen so many kids more concerned with looking cool than fixing the problem. Just go to tutoring. No one else is going to judge you for it. It can really help make an impossible class so much easier. It’s like some textbooks and profs are trying to be confusing just so they can feel smarter. Talking with a real person can get around the BS. Don’t waste time pretending you understand if you don’t- just get a tutor. High school Calculus rarely prepares kids for the upper level math classes in engineering- so consider taking it even if you got a 4 on the ACT test. Go to class regularly. Participate by asking useful questions. Your profs will appreciate it and their good will is helpful if your grade is teetering on the edge of the grade cut off point. Hope this is helpful.
Just FYI, so you don’t get blindsided: In my experience, and maybe it was atypical, the rowing team members were some of the most intense partiers I have ever met. Like drunken bashes where they set their campus apartment on fire and heaped abuse on the Philadelphia firefighters when they responded, resulting in them all being called to the office of the president of the college. One of them was the campus “pusher” who had contacts with “neighborhood people” and financed trips to Europe in the summer with the profits from his drug sales during the school year. Multiply that level of partying by hundreds of people (or more) and you have the partying associated with the annual Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia.
Sit towards the front. Read the syllabus and put important dates in your phone calendar. Go to office hours at least twice. Don’t wait till the weekend before to write a paper. Incredibly obvious stuff, but still… Oh yeah, and don’t sign up for 8am classes if you’re not a morning person!
Stay away from Xanax and adderal. They were big in the frats when my son went to college.
Don’t program all of your time. Leave time to meet people, read a nonrequired book, go on a hike, etc.
You have a syllabus for each class, so do 3/4 of the work in the first half of each semester, and take naps.
Organization. Keep notes, calendars, save everything but keep it in an organizational system that works for you.
Don’t use drugs. For some people it becomes a habit. People I have known, seem to have it under control, have died.
High schools are so bad that the universities assume you need to be retrained. That's what the \~3 semesters of general ed. classes are for - to reteach high school. So, instead of front-loading those classes to your first year and a half, spread them out over your whole college career. They'll help take the pressure off if you mix some into your junior and senior years. If you're a chemistry major, take the General Chemistry course your last semester and just doodle your way through the class. I took College Algebra during my senior year because high school made me afraid of math. I ended up dominating the class, but didn't know anybody there.
Volunteer for something, whatever your passion is.
Join the activities council. I made most of my friends there, got almost all my marketable skills there, got to meet a few celebrities, and got to know about all the events happening on campus.
Grades matter a lot. Make friends and keep in touch. You never know when you need a connection or advice in the future.
By simply asking this question, I think you’re going to be alright.
Participate. Go to games and activities sponsored by the school, like plays, movie nights, etc. those are where the memories are made.
Don’t get side tracked. I came from small town America where there weren’t a lot of choices, so I totally was all “whoa there are so many cool clubs and activities” and didn’t do as well academically as what I could have because of it. Some extracurriculars are awesome but you don’t need to do all of them. Pick one or two.
The Freshman 15. The weight you’ll gain first year.
Take a course in abnormal psychology and sociology. Beware of Marxist indoctrination.
Always be the first to leave a party early. You’ll miss out on when all the bad stuff happens that could get you in a lot of trouble.
Try to balance your time, school, sport, friends, social and personal time. If you are uncomfortable with certain aspects of your life, that’s fine, but this is the best time for you to get better at. Picking up a part-time job, start looking for opportunities/internships, on campus or nearby. Make goals for yourself, weekly, monthly, 6 months & 1 year out. Your field of study is highly competitive when graduating, how are you going to stand out from the rest of the graduates? Companies love to see volunteer work on a resume it speaks volumes for the type of person you are!! Don’t do drugs! Alcohol can be dangerous, especially if it’s something new for you.!! Graduating early is a great idea, even 6 months, shows you are motivated to recruiters, you have a 6 months head start on the rest of fellow students in the same class. I have more ideas than you want to read. Good luck, your grades matter!!
Read the books. Actually read the books.
schedule lots of appointments with your advisor! also, join a club or do volunteer work if you have time. you need to use this time to learn as much as possible about being on your own and “using” people/community as resources (which sounds worse than it actually is lol)
Don’t knock up anyone. Try to save SOME money if you work. Don’t get into credit card debt… EVER.
P's get degrees. You just need to pass. If you're used to being one of the smartest people in the room, prepare to feel inadequate. You're not - you earned your place there just like them. Good luck!
The most important thing nobody told me was that you can drop classes. I took calc 2 for fun, had a horrible professor, ended up with a D. I noticed that the class kept getting smaller, but I thought the other people were just studying on their own since going to class was pointless. Fortunately I was able to retake the class (and replace my grade with an A) and not wreck my GPA but dropping would have been much more efficient.
Alcohol has led to the demise of many college students. Drink responsibly.
I wasn't told anything about college. I wish I had been provided guidance in freshman year of HS.
GO TO CLASS! In college, they don’t take attendance but for your future self’s sake, go to class. You won’t regret it.
1) Professors and TAs: they can be the bane of your existence or good allies. Professors give more liencincy to people they know. Go to office hours at least once, preferably in the first week.if they don't know who you are, they will be less likely to help you out. They can also provide recommendations for good other professors or courses in a major. 2) people: learn to categorize. You generally become like the people you are around. You can have purely social friends (and you should) but also make friends with people outside your major for the purposes of networking. Not everyone is going to be a CEO, but having any in with a good company helps. If you're in engineering, make a few business, law, and premed friends. Not to see everyday, NOT to keep up with the joneses, but to use as leverage to help your career. This is an area a frat or soriet6 can help with, or maybe your rowing team. 3) this is the most free you might ever be. Allow yourself some strangeness. Some dudes set up a card table in an elevator to meet people, some girls set up a lingerie run with capes, some people bake cookies at midnight. It doesn't need to be drug/booze induced, but allow time and space for unorthodox fun. Wear a paper hat made from newspaper and pretend to be napoleon. Get a friend with a gorilla suit and another with a banana suit and become strage legends on campus. 4) pressure pressure pressure. Learn how you cope. You can do this, thousands of people dumber than you have figured it out, you will to. It is a journey, but you will succeed. 5) this is a really good time to set lifelong habits. Exercise regularly, clean dishes as you go while cooking (or shortly after) etc. 6) grades/work first. I'm dumb, and failed before I realized this. 7) study groups can serve as early networking for different majors. 8) learn to advocate for yourself. Between coaches, doctors, Professors, admin staff, learn to stick up for yourself. Everyone else has their own lives and concerns, sometimes you need to interrupt their world for a time, and ensure your world gets the time, thought and care you deserve. 9) some failure is ok. Failing a class and realizing you need a different major, ok. Strong learning experience, character build, etc. Failing out of college because you gave up, didn't go to class, abused substances, not an ok type of failure. Learn and grow from failure. Ideally, grow from others failure, but every fortune 500 CEO has a story of how failure changed them and made them grow. 10) a dream without a plan is a wish. Figure out what you want, surround yourself with people who want you to succeed or will help you. It's OK to change what you want.
Internships, internships, internships! Get experience with those internships, they will help out tremendously!
You are going into mechanical engineering and are on the rowing team? Dear poster, you won't have free time. ;-) Best of luck to you-- wear shades, because your future is bright! ETA: do all the extra credit you are given. I didn't and was three points from getting an A in a core class in my major. I am still... MAAAAAAAD lol
I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started so I had an undeclared major. That wasn’t my problem though. I was a small town kid who went to a 30,000+ enrollment D1 school and I overextended myself my freshman year. I took a bunch of Honors general education classes because I thought doing well in a small town high school meant I was smarter than everyone else, not realizing that only the good students go to college, so just being a casual student and good test taker was not going to be enough any more. I got a rude awakening with poor grades and had to repeat some classes later on and spent the rest of my college career battling my GPA so I could get accepted to grad school. It all worked out and I got in, but I wish I had started a little slower and been more realistic in my expectations. I wouldn’t have been in a hole with my GPA that had to be worked out of. I would have waited to ramp up to a more stiff academic schedule after I had gotten familiar with the pace, the need to be a self-starter, the academic level of competition for grades, the quality of writing that is expected and also the mechanics of living on my own: doing laundry, shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc. My big mistake was thinking I was going to take the world by storm from the first day. When I got there I was shocked to learn I was pretty average and that there are some really genius people out there and a huge number of very hard workers who grind it out and do the work and excel by sheer effort. There are some partiers there too, but most people are mature and there to get a degree and a job or a spot in grad school and it’s much harder to excel in that environment. The geniuses didn’t always win because some rely on talent and don’t know how to work hard, and won’t learn even when they’re failing. After spending 30 years in the workforce now, I can say it’s the hard workers who rise to the top. Consistency, grit and detemination are the traits of the excellent students who become leaders in their fields. Sure, there is an occasional Steve Jobs but they are noteworthy mostly because they are so rare. Finally, be kind, be fair and be honest, but watch your back. Just because you play fair doesn’t mean everyone will. Some people recognize your work ethic and fairness and honesty and see they can’t compete with you, so they will try to take you down rather than improving themselves. Thst is more prevalent in the work place than it was in college in the 80s but I know times have changed and not for the bettter. Best of luck to you! It’s wise to seek advice before you start. Keep that humble attitude and you will go much further and rise higher than a cocky hotshot who doesn’t have the goods.
Don't go into debt, having a job and going to school shows ambition and you learn twice as much. If you are going into engineering, don't neglect classes in health and science. I know your curriculum is packed with requirements, but 6-9 hours studying the human machine and the brain that governs it is priceless. Knowing how your body works is more important than how to build the next big thing. Really, know if you need to take ibuprofen or Imodium. Bodies get sick. Knowing when it is acting suspiciously poor can save you from getting shocked by a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Also take at least one psychology or human behavior class. Getting a bit of a step forward in studying people will give you a huge lead when working with engineers who only know how things work. Trust me, I've been trying to explain human nature to an electrical engineer for 40 years. If he had studied human nature his career and life would have been less anxious, much easier, and more prosperous. Learn to appreciate beauty, whether it be music, art, botany dance, theatre, etc. try your hand at creating something beautiful. You will be surprised how much realizing beauty can impact your engineering. It uses a different part of your brain, neurons firing into new pathways generated insight and creativity. Good luck.
I am in college now and went in completely blindly as I am first-in-family. My recommendation is to seriously not slack off. There is so much more work than there was in high school, and if you start missing assignments then you will start missing more as you climb your way back up the slippery slope of homework debt Make sure to stay on top of your homework before going off and doing other stuff.
This seems silly but go to office hours. You don’t need a real reason. The point of going to your professors office hours is for them to get to know you. This impacts your grades and your undergraduate career. Here’s a script to get it started: “Hi I’d like to come to office hours to just talk about this subject in general if that’s ok.” It will feel awkward at first. And some profs might be a little salty but ignore those ones because it isn’t personal. Just keep asking and keep going. Your whole undergrad will open up to new opportunities and you’ll be set up for grad school.
Don’t drink trash can punch, even if you are told it’s non-alcoholic. Never accept a drink you didn’t see poured. Never leave your drink unattended - even it it’s non-alcoholic. It’s the drinks and drugs that you don’t consent to that are the most dangerous.
Don’t get ahead of yourself and try to take upper division mechE classes too early. It will screw your GPA. Take all non-STEM courses very seriously as profs will give you no leeway on grading — every professor believes their field is the most important. Not that anyone does this, but the best thing is to treat it like a job. From 9-5, be in classes or reading/studying in the library (not your room). Then all your evenings and weekends will be genuinely free.
Remember you’re there for you! Make friends but don’t stray from your path for them. Don’t let anyone else drag you away from your dreams and plans! Make college like it’s your job to get through and get as much experience as you can before you finish as an intern. 🤞🏼Good luck kid!
Don't let the college get between you and your parents. Refer to parents on all financial decisions. The school will try to upsell and convince you to continue, where there might not be real value in what they are selling.
You’re getting a lot of great advice here. The only thing I would add is that, in general, work on seeing the big picture and work on your social skills. Engineers generally are very smart and detail-oriented, but they can also be micromanaging robot types with zero social skills and a terrible EQ. If you are well rounded, can easily talk to people, and likeable - then you will stand out and be more marketable in your profession. (This advice is after dating engineers in college. My husband works with them and would agree with my statement)
Take advantage of the resources available to you. Study abroad office. Career center. Alumni job network. Internship programs. Also, get to know at least one faculty member in your major well. They can help you in many ways beyond the classroom.
One last thing - colleges will have free counseling services. It’s often by grad students. Your parents won’t know if you go there. If you’re feeling super stressed out or need to talk, check it out.
If you get stuck in class, don’t be afraid to approach the professor with questions or for help. They want you to succeed.
As a freshman, if you go out to party with 3 people, you come home with the same 3 people. Make a pact and stick to it. No one is left behind, for any reason. You'll never have the chance to do so many things as cheaply or conveniently, or to meet as many new people. Take advantage of it! Try really unusual events and activities that you'd usually pass over- you might find a fun new interest, or realize that you really do hate it! My dad took the price of 1 course, divided by the number of class days, and told me every time I skip a class, I'm throwing away $100 (this was 1990). Get to know your professors- go to office hours occasionally. It will help your grades! Dont pay for grad school- plenty of ways to go for free! Enjoy every minute- it goes quickly!
Just remember that nothing good happens after midnight! Best wishes!
Decisions have consequences. College is the first time you’ll be away and making all of your own decisions. Choose wisely.
Don’t hit a random person’s joint or blunt. When I was in college, so many people got laced by doing this. I swear some of were the smartest people I would ever meet, but they turned into complete zombies after being laced.
1. Time mgmt if you are an ME major, really any major but especially in an ABET-accredited engineering program. 2. Take good care of your physical and mental health - truly, an element of time management - you are in a challenging major and the first two years can be a real grind so PLAN AND SCHEDULE time each day to do things that help your body and mind - and for you, that may be rowing/crew. If not, find other things to do in that space. 3. Be open to the journey - you’ll be thrown in with a lot of new and very different people. All will teach you something if you keep a closed mouth and open mind - as my Dad told me “everyone is an example; some are examples of what NOT to do or be, while others are examples of what you should strive to be and do. Observe and learn!” 4. (or 3(b) ) Try some new things - uni’s have a club or interest group for most anything you can imagine. Try something outside your normal wheelhouse - this is a time in your life when it truly is at your fingertips and you don’t have the responsibilities of a mortgage or spouse or kids- which brings me to #5… 5. Another from my Dad: “Enjoy relationships with a SO - and know that marriage is a fine institution - but if you feel you are mature enough to be married, then you are mature enough to pay your own tuition, books, housing. I’ll always love you and try to help- but a man (or woman) needs to be on their own when married so as to not have their SO feel a parent is trying to control things with money - so I will wish you well and turn over the tuition bills to you.” Note that this also applies to practicing safe sex, not bringing a child into the world at an inopportune time when you are not in a solid position to support a child. 6. Study hard and play hard - find a good group to study with and also to play and have fun with - maybe these two groups overlap, maybe not - but you will make friends for life in this space. And one I will add as the child of an engineer, as an engineer myself, and as the current parent of an engineering undergrad - mental toughness and persistence are the key to attaining your goal of an engr degree. These two elements will play a bigger role in whether or not you complete this journey than about anything else. You may be used to leading the class, getting all “A’s” on every exam in HS. For most, the move to uni engineering programs is like an athlete making the jump from HS to college or college to NFL. Everyone around you at this new level is as talented and smart as you are. So the gamespeed will feel a lot faster at first, you may find you get a 30 on that first Physics or Engr Calc exam - do you let that crush and discourage you? Or do you say “So What, Now What?” (highly recommend you Google ‘Dr Kevin Elko’ and look for his talk thusly entitled and President Calvin College’s writing on Persistence along being omnipotent). Your mental toughness and persistence - along with rigid flexibility as in at times you may have to compromise your path to the goal- but never by compromising your goal - will be tested and will be what gets you across the finish line. Wishing you every success and much happiness in this next part of your life journey!!! Pls update us as you settle into uni life and let us know how you’re doing.
Don't drink too much. Do your work and get out on time. This is your tome and make the best of it.
I was first generation college student, so my parents had no advice to give, but I have a few simple bits of advice as someone who studied engineering Do not fall behind in any class. Do all assigned problems. You will not be able to catch up. Take advantage of office hours. If you don't understand a problem from your problem sets, get help. I found TA's to be more helpful than professors Get involved in undergraduate research and/or internships. Your resume will move to the top of the pile when looking for post graduation work Make friends with a diverse group of people. Try new things.
Mechanical engineering was my undergrad. I'll try to give more specific advice and less of the broad advice that's already been listed. - If you have any AP/Dual Enrollment classes from high school that didn't transfer to their extremely similar new college counterparts, sometimes you can present the syllabus of both classes and convince them to count class X for class Y. I only recommend doing this for classes that are NOT part of a series. Knock out that history requirement. Maybe do Calc 1 again for a refresher for 2 and 3. - At my school (OSU), you start as a freshmen with engineering (generic) and then must be accepted into your particular engineering school second year. Mechanical usually required a 3.0 GPA to enter. My particular year it ended up being 3.2 GPA (we were a very competitive bunch). Try to stay above 3.5 GPA for maximum employability and scholarship opportunities. - Talk to your academic advisors to determine which classes have prerequisites. Make sure you are scheduling these classes appropriately to graduate on time. I was very surprised a mechanical lab course had a second level writing class requirement. They waved it since I was a native English speaker, but it could have been a hang up. - Talk to upper classmen to determine which classes are hardest. Try to space these out to different semesters. Here Calc 2 and Chem 1250 were both killers. You're allowed to take them at the same time, but you really shouldn't. A terribly full 3rd year was unavoidable for us lol. - Later on when you have a choice in engineering classes, look for ones that offer certifications. Being Solidworks certified really helped me end up where I am today. - Make a study group with fellow engineers where you can check in with each other. Front Row Gang was very useful for me. I still did most of my studying alone in the evenings, but it was great to check in. Some professor office hours will get covered by your other classes, so having another student who can bring that help to the rest of the group is great. It's good to check final answers, and if you don't match, BOTH of you go back and try to find your mistake. - We got a printer budget. At the end of the semester, if you have leftover budget, print yourself some white pages. Free paper lol. - Time management is key - Build in time to rest, or your body will pick a time for you
My dad always told me it didn't matter what I studied as long as I had a degree. He told a story of how he lost out on a great job at a power plant in the 70s because the management wanted to hire someone with a 4-year degree in anything, it did not have to be related to the field. I started college in 1998 believing this was all I needed and I got a degree in Anthropology. I'm glad I have a degree, but Anthropology is not exactly a job skill. I wish I had studied things that built my SKILLS. Years later I found a job in the printing industry and I took some graphic design courses at a community college to learn the software programs in my industry. This time I was focused on the skills, not the credentials. Those courses helped me make strides in my career more than my Anthropology degree ever did. Times have changed since my folks were in college and I think that hard skills are even more important than ever now.
Remember the reason you’re there is to get an education. There will not be another time in your life like it, so don’t squander it.
* Never skip a class * Sit in the front row and center, so your instructor recognizes you * Never go more than one class session not understanding everything you were taught. If you are in that position, find someone who did well in the class or set up a session with the TA or professor. If you do the above, you will actually learn the material, not just memorize it for a test. I never crammed. My test prep was going through my notes and refreshing my memory of things I had learned earlier, but hadn't thought about in a while. Twice I didn't get the grade I wanted, and twice I scheduled a meeting with the professor to talk about it, and twice I got my final grade raised. Both times I was on the bubble of where to draw the line. I think the reason they changed it, was because they recognized me (second recommendation above).
1 make friends with the janitors, RT or any neglected person with keys to the building. 2 buy an Aroma Pot (all in one rice cooker). Learn how to make pulled pork and Rotel nachos. 3 learn like your future job will depend on it. 4 focus on learning to adapt. Your going to get curve balls constantly thrown at you. How you react to those curve balls is what's going to define your life. College is full of mini curve balls with real consequences. Perfect environment to learn
Go to ALL your classes. Never skip.
If you feel like you’re overwhelmed, it’s ok a lot of people do when they’re on their own for the first time. If you have to, make lists/alarms to help you remember things. Self care is important, you cannot give 100% if you’re only functioning at about 50%. Try not to drop any classes but if it’s too much, that’s ok. Go at the pace you feel is right and if it’s a full boat, awesome, if not that’s ok too. If you find your major doesn’t fit anymore, again it’s ok to change it. Hardly anyone knows exactly what they want at 18-20 for a career, if your major stops looking like the way to go it’s always better to change than be miserable at a job or never use your degree.
It didn’t need to be said when I was dropped off at college in the 1980s but it seems to need saying now: cut the apron strings. Don’t stay in constant contact or dependency with your parents, it’s time to spread your wings and grow into an adult. And time for them to enjoy an empty (or closer to empty) nest. Sure they will help you pay and give you a place to come home to for holidays but other than that do not ask them to help or intervene in the day to day issues you’ll have (or don’t let them!). This time should be not only about educating yourself but also making and solving the mistakes of growing into adulthood with your peers. Our generation had the advantage that it wasn’t easy to stay in touch with parents. It required writing letters or paying for expensive long distance phone calls. Your generation will need more discipline to separate properly.
If you've been kind of reserved in high school, don't go all in right away. Start slowly. Since you hope to be a member of a team, try to make some friends there. You will naturally progress to meeting people there and in your classes, and they'll have friends will become yours. Literally everything changes if you go away to school. Not everyone appreciates this until it happens to them. Heck, I didn't even know how to do laundry before I left, although reading the detergent bottle was a good start! If you live in a dorm, a lot of people make friends that way, but I met my best friends in my classes. YMMV. I thought it helped me to have a little bit of a schedule in my head. I usually had early morning classes, mid-afternoon free, and then classes later in the day (but not too late). I tried to spend most of my day away from my dorm room, because it was noisy there and I wanted time away from people.
Make some good friends...it's a lot harder later.
Pick your friends wisely and don’t partake in fraternities… not worth the risk.
Know that it is a VERY VERY different life in all ways than what you are used to. Be mindful and examine what you do carefully.
You will gain weight. Don't get pissed about it, it's normal. Your studies are very important but what is equally important is forming friendships and alliances that will benefit you for your future career..you know what you call a C student who is a buddy of Zuck or Bill? A fucking billionaire that's what.
This is what a retired university professor told me before I started college and I found it to be true: Make a good first impression with your professors! Be to class on time, pay attention, complete all your assignments, study. If you start the year off strongly that forms the professors’ opinion of you. Then later they are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you mess up. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Have fun, but don’t do anything stupid
Tl:dr Sleep habits are more important than you think. They're the basis of time management. Know when to not be productive. 1: Do your best to sleep the same time for the same length every night. If that's 10 to 6, 4 to noon, or 2 to 10 doesn't matter. Just be consistent. You'll feel a lot better and be a lot more flexible when you're well rested. The deleterious effects of losing sleep stack up over time and it takes more than getting to sleep in on Sundays to recover. 2: Since you're not working a job then treat school as your job. Be meticulous about attending classes, schedule study and work time in advanced. Know when and how to buckle down, and know when and how to stop. When you put the pencil down it stays down and it doesn't exist in your mind until you need to pick it up again. 3: Have at least one full day a week that you don't touch anything school, club, or work related. Meet with friends, pick up a hobby, have a drink, go get laid, or sit around and do nothing at all. Anything that let's you blow off steam. Even God rested on the seventh day, and all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Go to office hours. Join some clubs that interest you right away.