Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

[WeLLWeLL]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

I graduated from college in December. Over my years there I learned a few things. One, be sure to read your syllabuses and do not lose them. All the information you need to know is on those, so just follow the syllabus for each class and you are good. Two, learn how to do your own laundry and cook for yourself. If you are in a dorm you will be good if you get on the meal plans, but nobody will do your laundry for you...so don't be the guy that goes home every weekend or so to have your parents do your laundry (one of my roommates did that and I never understood it). Third, use the libraries and computer labs. They are there for you and are a much better environment to study in than dorms or apartments with other friends who are getting f'd up. Fourth, have fun. Know your limits, don't start fights you can't finish (or at all), and be sure to meet new people. Also, research any drugs you are going to do before taking them, always know what the substance is and how your reactions will be and how they will vary, as well as how to be safe when taking them. Erowid.org is a good starting point. Cheers!

[Beantown]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

I'll probably repeat a lot of things people have already said, but this would be my list:

-Don't go home too often at the beginning of the year. It's fine to go home once a month or so, throughout the year, but really you should try your best to stay at school for the weekends for the first two months or so.

-Be open. You're going to meet a lot of new people at college which brings with it a lot of new opinions, new viewpoints, new hobbies, new everything. You really need to remain open to other people's ideas and ways of life in college because these are the people that you're going to be around. Learn to put up with the slutty girls, the girls who still think they're in high school, the guys who feel the need to show off, the guys who need to drink all the time to prove themselves, the quiet people, the studious groups, etc. Don't limit yourself to only one specific group or one specific formula of experiences in college.

-Make sure you don't get sucked into the "party" lifestyle at the beginning of your college career. Countless numbers of my friends, classmates and even one of my sisters got enamored with the social aspect of college and ended up failing or barely passing their classes. Truthfully, the better you do your first two years, the more fun you get to have your Junior and Senior year because you'll be able to handle a bad grade here or there if you already have a good enough GPA built up.

-Class-wise, figure out your strengths as quick as you can. Figure out where you can get your work done, how you need to study, how you need to budget your time and how much effort you need to put into classes. Some people need to go to the library in order to study, others are perfectly fine and capable of studying in their room with their roommate watching TV, or with something else going on in the room next to you. Once you learn how you can succeed in your classes, the educational part of college will be a breeze because you can pretty much put your strengths into action for each and every one of your classes.

-Be yourself. Don't put on an act to try and gain friends or fit in with a particular group. be who you are and find a group that fits you, personally. Don't try to mold yourself into a group.

-Put yourself out there. Don't be nervous about introducing yourself to people on your floor, in your dorm, in your classes or at parties. The number one way to ensure a ****ty college experience is to not take the opportunity to go out and meet people. These four years are supposed to be the best years of your life - get drunk, get high, hook up with girls, find a group of guys that you can just chill with.

-Figure out the food situation on campus. If you have more than one dining hall on campus, try them all out and figure out which place does which types of food better. Take advantage of any online resources your DC's might have: most will put up the night's menu online, so you don't have to waste your time going to Dining Common A if they're having pork, while Dining Common B is having something you like more. Also, figure out the take-out situation around campus. Find the best deals, the best places, and figure out what you like. Trust me, nothing tastes better than ordering your favorite take-out at 1:30 in the morning when you're drunk and need something that will hit the spot.

-Be careful. Keep track of your belongings, make sure you know what you're doing if you decide to experiment with drugs or different types of alcohol, and keep an eye out when you're out at parties. Depending on the campus, undercover cops are all over the place so make sure you keep the illegal activities quiet and hidden. Most campus cops are also notorious for being out on Thursday-Saturday nights so if you need to drive somewhere, don't do anything stupid.

-Have fun, but don't force yourself to do things you don't want to do just because you think it might make you seem 'cool' to everyone else, ya know?


That's about everything I can think of right now, and I'm sure I've missed a lot.

[frostbyte06]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

To begin there is nothing wrong with being nervous, it's natural and most people felt the same way when they first went to college. It was a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

I was an academic reviewer in college (basically everybody has to meet with one before each semester before you're allowed to register for classes), and the one trap I saw for students was studying. To be honest a good number of people in college breezed through high school and never had to really apply themselves and didn't really learn how to study.

Your professors aren't going to be hounding you to do your homework or reminding you of upcoming tests. They will most likely give you a syllabus and it's up to you to keep up with your schedule. My advice is to briefly review your lessons at the end of the day to keep it fresh in your mind, so that you don't get into a situation where you're trying to cram a months worth of info in your head in a weekend.

The biggest issue for a bunch of people is not really the difficulty of the college coursework, it's time management. You go from a situation where your teachers/parents/family are always on you in high school to handle your school work, to a situation where it's really up to you to do the work or else fail out. Make EVERY effort to attend class everyday, college professors have a lot more power when it comes to your grades and they take into account the efforts you have put forth even if your test scores aren't the best. You can't skip out on a ton of days, and then come to the professor at the end of the semester asking what you can do to improve your grades.

Now that all of that is out of the way, by all means make sure to have fun and enjoy yourself because this will probably the best time of your life. You get to meet a lot of people from different
backgrounds/religions/cultures/viewpoints, and you're putting yourself in a great position for future achievements. That approach got me through undergrad and grad school, without issue.

[KG]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

At the time there was nothing better than the first couple of weeks back at school after summer break.

[slickdtc]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Longhorn's post is a good one.

Be yourself is a big one. Like someone else said, everyone is "equal" at first... there are no groups as far as you know since everyone is new to the whole college thing together. So there are going to be people trying to be the big dog. If that's not how you are, don't try to be that. And if you do, chances are it'll blow up in your face anyway. You're going to meet a ton of new people so get a good feel for everyone and how they fit into your life.

As a side note, too many college students think they're the ****, it's like a damn competition. No, you're just a polo, cargo short, and sandal wearing cookie cutter douchebag. Lots of guys trying to be the macho man, so there are going to be a lot of confrontations, especially where alcohol is involved. I'd tend to let them run their mouths and only step in when it's absolutely necessary. Not worth the potential trouble you can get in.

Have fun! It's a good time, but it's also a serious time. It's the start of your new life!

[CMH]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

The first day of college is the beginning of the end of the beginning of wanting to start all over again.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Man I wish I was in college. I've taken a bunch of college classes but it's only night classes while I'm in the Navy so I'm not getting the full college experience at all. Just have fun, your not alone. Everyone is going to be nervous alongside you just make the best of it.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

First and most importantly, ENJOY IT. Never again will you get so much freedom and so little responsibility (just have to go to school).

2nd, Go to Class

3rd, Talk to people and professors

4th, Hope you get a good roommate and suitemates. We had to sign roommate contracts at USC.

5th, Don't go crazy. Nobody will be holding your hand. You're paying for you education so don't waste the money.

After a week or to, you'll get used to the daily grind. Stay on top of things so you don't have to do major cramming on midterms and finals.

Good Luck.

[Gibbz]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Sad part about it is i set thru the whole time not knowin I was in the wrong class. I didnt realize i made my mistake till after i left lol!!

[Bellsprout]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Outside of making absolutely sure your roomate is definitely in class if you get the urge to shuffle your iPod, it's not so bad.

Too dirty?

[z Revis]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

I can't really tell you exactly(I'm attending a Community College and I live at home, so it's a little different than your average College experience), but I'd imagine it's about the same experience that I had as a freshman in High School. I moved to a different city(about 30 minutes away from where I had lived before) after 8th grade because my dad started a new business. Didn't know anyone. Hardly knew the area/city. And I was beginning my High School career. We also moved like 2 weeks before school started so I didn't have time to develop relationships with people in the area or anything. I was nervous, but it wasn't all that bad. I was late to my first class which wasn't much fun(I walked in and everyone was staring at me lol). The worst part of it was lunch. I didn't know where to sit and I didn't want to sit by myself so I just randomly went up to a table and sat down with some kids that I didn't know. lol. It was awkward, but I ate pretty fast and was out of there in a few minutes. Rest of the day I just went about my business and casually talked to a few people in class or people near my locker. After about 2 weeks it was fine and I had made a few friends.

So, have fun, casually talk to people to try and make friends, and be sure to take a tour of the school or something before your 1st day so you know exactly where your classes are and you aren't late.

[Beantown]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

I definitely thought you were older than that, Z.

[rockchisler]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Nervous about? You about to get laid like no other time in your life.. Naw this is gonna be the best time of your life..Enjoy

[z Revis]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

I definitely thought you were older than that, Z.

Haha. Nah I'm 20.

We should have a thread on how old people are on here. I couldn't tell you how many times I've thought someone was under the age of 20 when they're actually in their 30's or vice versa.

[Beantown]

Re: Nervous about college... don't make fun of me lol

Haha. Nah I'm 20.

We should have a thread on how old people are on here. I couldn't tell you how many times I've thought someone was under the age of 20 when they're actually in their 30's or vice versa.

Damn, never would've guessed I was older than you. Always had you pegged for the stereotypical 25+ year old Colt fan d-bag.