deskthority

Just thought I'd ask if any of y'all have any stories or tips you'd like to share. I'll be starting in about a week.

Yes, the typical one from an old man and a parent: it is a lot easier to keep up than it is to catch up.

I dug myself into a hole as a freshman that was very hard to recover from.

Yep, don't waste all your money on going out, or on buying technology that you don't need. The latter I'm completely incapable of doing but hopefully at least one of us can get it right.

There's a long-established tradition for advice-giving: we try to push you away from the mistakes we made and end up pushing you into others. So don't follow any advice anyone gives you too thoroughly - including this advice!

College is about a hell of a lot more than your subject. Apart from anything else it's about finding the old keyboards in the computer lab. And it's about finding out who you are - I didn't realise that until halfway through my third year. The links you made or that were made for you are partially broken and you have the chance to remake yourself. So make sure you get a self you like.‎
‎
Now for the mistake I made: don't limit your field of view. Don't just read the books for your subject - go round the other sections and see what's interesting, for a university library has more interesting stuff in it than any bookshop I've come across. Don't forget about the outside world like I did, start engaging with it - chances are you're going to have to go out into it sometime, and it's best to know what it's like and make some plans before you get shoved off the end of the conveyor-belt.

Oh yeah... and have a good time!

A good thread to look for many answers about this question:

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best- ... university

My own advice is to get as much experience as you can for yourself, and when it comes to hard decisions that you have to make, ask if you will regret about choosing this way or the other way, in 1 year, 2 years, 5 years or 10 years. And I know you are doing your pre-med, but college experience is not just about the academic side of life, and there are lots to open your mind and your eyes.

And congrats, for many people, college era is easily the best part of their life.

Which school?

Ace wrote: ↑Just thought I'd ask if any of y'all have any stories or tips you'd like to share. I'll be starting in about a week.

Learn how to be independent , do your own washing , cooking etc
Do your work early if you can , then you can go out and get pissed and not have to get up in the morning to do it !!
Wear protection
If you get told you have to attend diversity training or any other post modernist marxist crap , tell them to fuck off.

Look at this professors youtube channel and listen to what he has to say https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_f53 ... tlOkHwMV9Q

Don't worry about practicality. Study what you enjoy and you will have an easy time thriving in your studies and your personal life.

College is a place to learn how to be an adult, to think critically, to organize and write your thoughts, to research and haul ass on projects. The stuff you learn within your subject is almost incidental, albeit helpful, particularly if you go on to advanced studies. In any regard, it's better to major in philosophy if that's your thing, than slog through economics, if you hate, but think that would be a good idea.

andrewjoy wrote: ↑

Ace wrote: ↑Just thought I'd ask if any of y'all have any stories or tips you'd like to share. I'll be starting in about a week.

[…] diversity training or any other post modernist marxist crap […]

My tip: be cautious of anyone eager to do the thinking for you

kbdfr wrote: ↑

andrewjoy wrote: ↑

Ace wrote: ↑Just thought I'd ask if any of y'all have any stories or tips you'd like to share. I'll be starting in about a week.

[…] diversity training or any other post modernist marxist crap […]

My tip: be cautious of anyone eager to do the thinking for you

Now, repeat after me: I am an independent person and I must think for myself.

depletedvespene wrote: ↑ Now, repeat after me: I am an independent person and I must think for myself.

lol

The main reason i say this is beacuse there is a concerted effort to indoctrinate people in US higher education at the moment.

If it makes me sound like a bit of a dick i can live with it if it makes somone stop and think.

andrewjoy wrote: ↑

depletedvespene wrote: ↑ Now, repeat after me: I am an independent person and I must think for myself.

lol

The main reason i say this is beacuse there is a concerted effort to indoctrinate people in US higher education at the moment.

I know; It's even worse around where I live — "These are the values of a decent, tolerant person and if you don't share them 100% then you are intolerant garbage and are a fair target for scorn and humiliation." Tolerance, indeed.

(ok, let's stop before this goes too off-topic)

I think we should make an OT topic to discuss that.

chuckdee wrote: ↑I think we should make an OT topic to discuss that.

May want to hide it like the other political thread

I mean we will be mining some quality salt in there

I also think this is exactly the right place for such a discussion

andrewjoy wrote: ↑

chuckdee wrote: ↑I think we should make an OT topic to discuss that.

May want to hide it like the other political thread

I mean we will be mining some quality salt in there

We'll just call it "The Salty Thread", coming to you soonTM!

Hopefully not keyboards or keycaps made out of salt!

Don't drink too much or eat too unhealthy. The Freshman 15 is real.

Also, assuming you are a heterosexual male, there will never be this many young women in one place at one time for the rest of your life.

Or yea, academics, blah, blah, study hard.

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑
Also, assuming you are a heterosexual male, there will never be this many young women in one place at one time for the rest of your life.

I will second this emotion. Do sit around being timid like I did.

XMIT wrote: ↑Which school?

Asking the real questions, aren't we?
I'm attending the University of Houston. Or rather, I did for about 2 days before Hurricane Harvey dropped in. We'll be resuming the fall semester starting tomorrow (Wednesday for me due to my class schedule).

Ace wrote: ↑

XMIT wrote: ↑Which school?

Asking the real questions, aren't we?
I'm attending the University of Houston. Or rather, I did for about 2 days before Hurricane Harvey dropped in. We'll be resuming the fall semester starting tomorrow (Wednesday for me due to my class schedule).

Oh my. All the best to you and your classmates during this trying time. Stay safe and dry.

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Also, assuming you are a heterosexual male, there will never be this many young women in one place at one time for the rest of your life.

If you’re straight, gay, bi, trans, a fan of orgies, have a fetish for middle-aged professors, ..., there’s something for everyone at a university.

Just stay away from libertarians, vegans, and frat boys. Some of my friends made those mistakes, and it’s a painful recovery.

Or if you’re an asexual hermit, universities also have the best libraries in the world.

Try to pace yourself on the drinking. I knew a couple people who were hospitalized on the first two weekends.

Also, try not to knock yourself out academically right off the bat. My first year I had 40+ hours of out-of-class schoolwork per week, and that was a really bad idea.

jacobolus wrote: ↑

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Also, assuming you are a heterosexual male, there will never be this many young women in one place at one time for the rest of your life.

Or if you’re an asexual hermit, universities also have the best libraries in the world.

Yay!

jacobolus wrote: ↑Also, try not to knock yourself out academically right off the bat. My first year I had 40+ hours of out-of-class schoolwork per week, and that was a really bad idea.

Woah. That sounds a little too scary for my taste. No, I'm just re-doing classes that I've already done through community college in high school or through AP classes. I don't feel any need to rush. I'd rather have time to do other things outside of class, and I want to start off with a solid GPA.

XMIT wrote: ↑

Ace wrote: ↑

XMIT wrote: ↑Which school?

Asking the real questions, aren't we?
I'm attending the University of Houston. Or rather, I did for about 2 days before Hurricane Harvey dropped in. We'll be resuming the fall semester starting tomorrow (Wednesday for me due to my class schedule).

Oh my. All the best to you and your classmates during this trying time. Stay safe and dry.

Luckily, our neighborhood barely avoided flooding (and I mean barely; the water was more than half-way up our driveways). We've been good for a whole week, but the city as a whole is still recovering. The fact that school's opening again is nice, but those Hurricane Irma models are starting not to look too comforting.

Nail as many as you can, before somebody else does it for you.

When all you have is a hammer?

Develop a good relationship with a professor you like in your department over the first couple years. Goes a long way towards starting a network, letters of recommendation, and opportunities that come up will be given to students that a faculty member respects.

Try not to say no too often, but really say no to things that you really shouldn't do.

It's much more fun if you're willing to go out and have fun with people, you might discover things you didn't even knew you liked. Also really helps with getting friends, and friends really kinda make the whole thing. But when it's bad stuff, draw the line.

Shag everyone you fancy senseless by all means - at some point in your life you need to get through that anyway - but for fuck's sake don't be stupid and use protection no matter what.