make cheat sheets, stay healthy, don't cram, take classes you will be interested in, study by yourself, work hard and aim for a 4.0 but realize at the end of the day it doesn't mean all that much
Don't listen to this guy. Everyone isn't good at cheating and they pay for it dearly. A zero in the class is worse than an D on a exam.
Dorm life:
-Everyone on your floor is anxious to meet new people, so don't feel like you're the only one that doesn't know anyone. Very few people come to their school already having their group of friends.
-Come to an agreement with your roommate regarding rules. If your RA doesn't force you to at the beginning of the year, its a must that you do this just to set a standard.
-Always lock your door when you are not in your room. All it takes is ten seconds for someone to steal a laptop, phone or iPod/Pad. When your roommate leaves, make sure they lock the door too.
-If you don't do your laundry regularly at home, break that habit in college. The rooms are small and old laundry will make your room pretty much inhabitable.
-Clean your room often. You never know when you'll have company whether it be a girl you met at a party or the president of the University with board members (this happened to me).
-Have your own toilet paper, paper towels and disinfectant on deck. When nature calls, you can't wait for the cleaning crew to always have the bathroom ready for you. They clean them once per day.
-Avoid beef. You are stuck in that living situation for the school year and it will just make things awkward.
-If you must drink/smoke, do so in a way that you won't get caught. If you're drinking, lock your door. All it takes is a nosy RA to walk in and write you up for you to be taking AlcoholEdu classes again. If you smoke, open your windows and cover the smoke detector.
-Flip flops, flip flops, flip flops. Do not take a shower barefoot. People piss and jerk off in the shower.
Classes/Academics:
-If you have a question, ask. The class also has that question, but is too afraid to ask.
-Make use of your professor's office hours. They'll remember you at the end of the semester and will give you a bump if you are on the border line. Also, they are good just to talk to. Some of my professors were awesome people outside of the classroom.
-Figure out what style of studying works for you. Studying for days on end doesn't work for every one, likewise for cramming.
-If your professor allows it, audio record the lectures. Not all do.
-Make a friend to get notes from just in case you miss class.
-Keep up with your syllabus. This isn't high school. There are little to no reminders for when assignments are due.
-Keep up with the attendance policy. Some are strict while some are liberal.
-If you're having trouble in your class, get a tutor. There's no shame in asking for help.
-If you need to drop a class, do so before the deadline. A withdrawal is much worse because it stays on your transcript.
-Major in what interests you. Just figure out how to make money from it, if it isn't "in demand". In regards to that, people from all majors are having some difficulty finding employment.
-Take classes that interest you. One of the best classes I ever took was Sports Management 205 and 225.
-Don't ever buy a book from the bookstore unless you have to. You will get a fraction back when you go to sell it at semester's end. Rent your books from Chegg or check your library for textbooks and novels. They are all there.
Social life/Campus life:
-Being shy isn't cute anymore. You have to learn to get out of that shell not just for girls, but for your life after college.
-Have balance between a healthy social life and academics. I know way too many people that were kicked out of school or their parents pulled them out because all they did was party and hang out while getting sub 2.0 GPA.
-Don't be one of those guys who's only seen by other people when he's only going to class or the dining hall. Being away from home takes its toll emotionally and psychologically for some people and it is great to have someone to talk to when you need them.
-Know your limit when you drink. No one likes a drunk. As the saying goes, she was cute when she's drunk until she throws up on your shoes. YOLOing it and ending up in the hospital gets you no points. You'll also have another headache in addition to your hangover when your parents are notified by the university and hospital.
-Don't rely on your parents for money. Despite the fact you'll see many affluent people at school, having a job isn't something to be ashamed of. You want your own money to do things you want like taking your girlfriend out on a date.
-Going Greek isn't for everyone. I tried my sophomore year and the house that I accepted a bid to wasn't for me.
-Hang out with people that aren't from your background. College is about expanding your horizons and learning something new (pause). If you wanted to hang out with people who looked like you, you could have stayed home to do that.
-Stay in shape and eat right. College by far were the years I was best in shape for a number of reasons. The main one being that you don't want to get sick far from home. Another was maintaining a good sense of self esteem. Third was the "freshman 15" does exist. Some people absolutely take a dive because of all the junk food that is offered.
-This is NT so I know most of us like to get fly. Wear what you want to wear to class. If you want to go looking like you rolled out of bed, do you. Some people say, bring five pairs of sneakers to bum around in. Screw that. If you want to bring your kicks with you to school, do so. Bring at the most your eight favorite pairs, a pair of boots, exercise sneakers and a pair of shoes. Adjust your wardrobe for the climate that your school is located in. I went to school where it was cold for the majority of the year. I kept at least one coat with me at the end of the school year, because its been known to snow deep into June and it happened to snow the week of graduation.
Feel free to add more.
I don't recommend it just off the biases. Some students that felt they were given a grade they didn't deserve take it out there.
