college advise thread

[bentothejam1n]

I'm not a frequent poster anymore but I don't know where else to turn. I'm off the good ole colage next year. Probably going to Arkansas. I'm about to apply for dorms and i want to know any suggestions as far as floor and room location. Also I have been googling good college laptops but i want to get some other opinions. I plan to be an engineering major if that matters. Also any general advice (sexual or not) for college is appreciated.

[Lomarandil]

I lived in a basement dorm, which was nice.. cinder block walls which were better insulating, and you didn't have to walk up a ton of stairs three times a day. That will vary campus to campus though.

As far as a computer goes, I've found that there is really very little need for a high-performance computer. I'm an engineering student, and anything that requires any substantial performance is done in a dedicated lab. I really only use my computer for word processing and internet.

Manage your time well, be organized, and go to classes.. Even if the classes are dull, you'll pick up most of the material just by attending regularly, which cuts down on study time.

Lo

[michbich]

I can't help you on pretty much anything. But i'm in 3rd year of biochemistry. I bought a laptop thinking i would bring it to school...In 3 years, i brought it about 5 times. The computer that have the programs that you need will be provided at school.

I don't know about engineering, but the biochem program is actualy slow paced. I had to get a job this semester because i ended up wasting a lot of time. The more the semesters pass, the more i don't go to school. The least i attend school, the better i do :confused: . This week are midterms, so i will only go the exams, no classes, nothing else! I will still do above average. But i do study at home instead though.

Granted, i don't live in a dorm. I live in a little basement that's as noisy as a library. Enough to ge crazy and start talking to yourself...I should know LOL. Even shopping for a 6' aquarium to fill the rest of my free time. I'll even go as far as starting gun whoring to occupy myself as well.

The engineering maths are suppose to be killer. Here, they are the classes that decide if you make the cut or not.

[MoeMag]

Im in my last year at ASU doing aerospace engineering.

I live on my laptop. I type all my notes on it, and excel keeps me from going nuts, cause my ti89 cant keep up sometimes for the really crazy iterations. My advice is get the best you can so it will last... cause you will be too broke to buy a new one in a few years.

I have an HP dv6000 that I still run. It does enough to get by with solid works... and I have never had to use anything needing more power than what I have.

I never lived in a dorm... I got an apartment with my friend. Worked out great... but he may as well be my brother. May have been a little more $$$, but I could come home to a cold beer, big bed, have my own bathroom, and not have to deal with being on campus.

If you dont drink... you will.

If you can... which usually you have no choice, read up on your instructors. there are reviews on every teacher in the world out there. I have had to drop more than one class because of some real dead beats, and some guys fresh off the boat who no speak english good.... :rolleyes:

Its school... your there to learn how to play the system... not learn. BE REAL NICE to anybody sitting at a receptionist desk no matter how freakin stupid they are. They can make your life a living nightmare. This is where I think everyone should work in retail for at least a year just to understand, cause it isnt just a pair of shoes, your lunch, or something... its your life they can screw with. There is one lady at ASU admissions office... who I kid you not must be related to Santa Clause...she knows me by name, and knew who my brother was from 2 years before. she knows everyone and how they treated her, and there are tens of thousands of students there.

And if your school is anything like mine... you will have to work with the same group of folks for at least 4 years... get to know them well. Get to know the upperclassmen, cause they usually have the answers to the tests... which were given to them at some point. Like I said... its a game more than school. I dont think I have walked into a test in the past two years without having the copy of the previous semester, or years test. They rarely change it up much.

:cheers:
HAVE FUN! Don't forget to live life.

[rawbutter]

1. Get a laptop. The lighter the better. (There are going to be a lot of days that you don't want to be tied down to your desk in the dorm when you're working on a paper or project.) It doesn't need to be uber fast... just needs word processing and Internet.

2. Most freshmen are forced to live in dorms, but I had much more fun and success at school once I moved off campus junior year. You have more privacy, less distractions... there are almost no downsides except you have to walk a little farther to classes (in some cases).

3. Like MoeMag said, learn the system... but also learn the material. College is an investment, not a four year party. The piece of paper you get at the end is going to land you a job. The trick is, though, that the piece of paper will not KEEP you the job. Engineering is a tough field. Lots of competition. If you're an average student who does average work, then you're going to get a sub-average job with sub-average pay.

Let me tell you a short story. I have a friend who's a civil engineer, and for the past couple of years, I've heard him complain plenty about the morons he has to work with. They have degrees, of course, but they don't really KNOW their stuff, and they're constantly making mistakes that he or someone else has to fix. It costs the company time and money. Well, in the past year with the way the economy has been going, the company my friend works for has downsized by 90%. All those morons that were "average" students in college? They're now out of a job while my friend still has his. In fact, they transfered him to a different building and made him a manager. It's not just luck.... it's because he worked hard, stayed focus, and gave school and his job 100%.

Okay... coming off the soap-box.

Oh... and do have some fun while you're there. Otherwise, you might miss out on some of the best friends you'll ever meet. Just don't lose yourself in the chaos.

[pmstc]

I'm not a frequent poster anymore but I don't know where else to turn. I'm off the good ole colage next year. Probably going to Arkansas. I'm about to apply for dorms and i want to know any suggestions as far as floor and room location. Also I have been googling good college laptops but i want to get some other opinions. I plan to be an engineering major if that matters. Also any general advice (sexual or not) for college is appreciated.
I'm a sophomore in cpsc, an ex-EE major.
HP's make very solid laptops at a great value. I'd highly recommend a HP with a discrete graphics card if you plan on doing any CAD work or gaming on it. The longer you wait to get one, the better deal you will get. I'd probably save for one at the end of summer if I were you.

Living on campus in a dorm with other freshmen is a really good idea. I lived in an apartment my freshman year and my social life is dwarfed because of that (along side the academic stress of being an engineering major, and an out of state one at that). Most all of my friends who are in college have developed close relationships with the people in their freshman dorm halls and that's now kind of their group of friends.
So while living in an apartment does have its perks, I would advise against it for the first year or two.

Also, stay away from 8 or 9 AMs if at all possible. But that's just common sense.

[MANN]

my .02

It is not what you know it is who you know. this applies to work, school, breakfast. As soon as you are able to "network" your self with others it helps tremendously. As stated above the test your about to take was given last semester. All you have to do is find it.

I once had a professor who attended PSU. all of the test he gave were the ones he recieved a few years prior (he was a new professor). No one had copies of his test due to him keeping them (he thought he beat the system). We "networked" with some students at PSU, and got a copy from them. It was smooth sailing from there.

You can never have too many connections. Help anyone. Karma always seems to come around. You never know who the kid that needs a pencil everyday has connections with. It may be the person who you need help from one day.

live off campus, but close.

[teufelhunden]

get drunk and nail chicks (or dudes, if that's your thing).

though i would recommend studying/going to class/succeeding academically, however you do well at. I went to the overwhelming majority of my classes (maybe missed 2 or 3 a semester) and didn't do all that much in the way of studying. I graduated with a 3.3, 3.5 in my major (accounting). I commuted to school (about 45m one way) which I think contributed to me going to class... I made the drive, may as well go to all my classes. Plus, living at home made my mom acutely aware of my schedule and she would get antsy if I was home when I shouldn't be.

As far as the computer, have you considered a desktop of moderate power for computer things, and a netbook type deal for bringing places? You could probably do both for around a grand.

Here's my advice for every kid going to school that you won't hear from a lot of people: GET A JOB. Work at it 15-25 hours a week through school (yes, during semesters as well). It will force you to learn time management, and fast. On top of that, it will aid you in getting a job out of school. I worked at Starbucks for almost 3 years during school -- from my second semester freshman year until the beginning of my second semester of senior year. It did a few things: First, it shows commitment and yadda yadda. Second, staying at the same job for a while allows for advancement opportunities. I was promoted to supervisor a few months after starting, and I feel it did wonders for me when I was getting out into the world. It gave me something different to talk about at interviews and also showed that someone else had seen potential in me. On top of that, having experience with people working under you is top notch. Finally, it gives you money to spend, which is sweet. You can drink Heineken while your friends drink Natty, which is good. College beer is terrible.

That was rambly, but it happens. It's tax season. :(

[jenarelJAM]

I'm a sophomore in College right now. Started as a Mechanical Engineer and discovered it wasn't for me. Not because of the math, but because of the actual field. Transferred to Computer Science and Engineering (See, still need the maths)

For rooming:
I personally really prefer dorm-style to suite-style if you have to live on campus. If you've got an option, I strongly suggest living on campus your freshman year. You'll meet all sorts of people just starting college with you and make friends really easily, especially your first two weeks. Introduce yourself to everyone. The first two weeks of college are where you can really establish yourself. Back to floorplans, dorm-style allows you to interact with all the people on your floor, all the time. Suite-style is more restrictive. You may become really close with the 5 other people you're living with, but it takes a bit more effort to meet the people in the other suites. At my dorm, most of us just left our doors open and anyone was welcome to just walk in and hang out, at any time. Met the people I think will be my best friends for life here.

For laptops, I'd advise you look for:
battery life
not overheating
lightweight/not bulky - 17in screen may sound nice, but it's a bear to carry around anywhere
reliability/warranty - get a good warranty (some manufacturers have REALLY good ones) and you won't worry so much when your roommate accidentally knocks it off your desk.

Pretty much anything will fulfill you're basic college needs, regardless of being an engineer. Your school should have computer labs for any really big projects you need to do. If you're a gamer, you'd probably save money just buying a desktop for gaming. One thing you might look at is a tablet pc. I got one and love it, although it's not for everyone. If you're going to use it to take notes and such in class, it could be worth it, but imo, it's not worth the extra money if you just want it as a gadget.

For Mac vs PC: I advise a PC, specifically because more software is written for PC's. Most people have PC's, ergo the classes will likely assume you have a PC, ergo PC's will be able to run the necessary software for the class (assuming you want to run the software on your computer instead of making trips to the computer labs).

If you like music, you might go to best buy or fry's or someplace and buy a set of $40-50 external speakers. Laptops have crappy sound, but cheap (not too cheap) speakers will make things fun in the dorm.

My computer usage breadown is about:
50% internet
30% note-taking
10% watching movies
10% office tools

Oh, and don't buy a laptop in a brick-and-mortar store. You'll end up paying a couple hundred dollars extra. Either customize it straight from the manufacturer or check out online sites like newegg.com


As for other advice:
Work hard, Play hard.
You're going to be put in a place where you can really learn something, probably for the first time in your life. You're going to be learning the skills you're going to need for the rest of your life. As was posted above, the people who apply themselves are the people who know what they're doing in their careers, and don't get fired when times get tough. When you start applying for internships and such (which happens pretty fast, I'm a sophomore and applying for as many as I can right now), you're going to be really glad you kept your GPA up and can actually remember the skills that you're going to be expected to use in industry.
You're also going to be put in a place where you're pretty independent. That means lots of fun. You can do whatever you want to do, with who you want, away from parental supervision. Make the most of it, while you aren't tied down with financial responsibilities. That said, please be responsible. Vehicular manslaughter and STD's are permanent.

[BobTheCow]

STD's are permanent.
Oh come on, don't mislead the kid... only some of them :p

[michbich]

Oh come on, don't mislead the kid... only some of them :p
Not to worry, you only catch the permanent ones once. You're fine after that.

[Hilltop Customs]

buy one of the small plastic crates you can hang file folders in.....make a folder for each class, bring some papers home and put them in the file folder. Dont carry all that crap with you. I could never understand why some people come to campus with 50+ pound backpacks of crap they will never need....and eventually it becomes so disorganized its not even worth looking through.

I wouldnt worry too much about buying a top of the line laptop, hell I wouldnt even buy a laptop. Desktop comp with a 4 gig thumbdrive is where its at. Learn where computer labs are at, learn what times are best to snag a seat, because they will fill up. First few years you probably wont do much other than email/internt/word process. Even after the first few years that is all you will be doing, unless you buy/pirate the software the school uses. Some software will probably come with your books, but its always on campus.

BUY BOOKS ONLINE. DONT BUY EVERY BOOK. Get the syllabus for the course, then determine if you will NEED the book. If you only need a few chapters, the library and copy machine/scaner is your friend......or your classmates are your friends. See someone in a couple classes, talk to them about sharing books.....find the right person and you have a 50% book discount for your college career. You can easily save $1-2k just by doing this.

1st floor = easy move in and move out......but in some places 1st floor also means easy to get robbed. First dorm room I stayed in, you could literally push the window open from the outside, easily, without damage, in any room.

Be careful who you "network" with, some of them are stupid enough to get you in trouble. Cheating and networking have a fine line....you may be networking, but the person your networking with may be cheating. You dont know who the idiot is who will literally copy and paste you work....and when they do, you will holding the bag with them. The first time you hear that they are cutting corners, dont work with them, and dont even bother studying with them.

night classes suck

early classes suck, but its nice to get them over with

Everyone says to schedule early, but realize MANY people over-schedule and drop the first week. I never once scheduled earlier than the week before classes began.

Prioritize

Skip classes! Many classes you can learn more faster by reading a chapter in a book.

Know the format of the test, and study for the format. Know what kind of questions can be asked in each format. Almost all test are similar from year to year, focus your studies on previous years tests and you will be golden. Be forewarned though, studying only 1 previous test can be setting yourself up for failure.

blah blah blah.....bet no one even reads this far....

watch out for the innocent flirty girl across the hall.....shes not so innocent.

[MoeMag]

watch out for the innocent flirty girl across the hall.....shes not so innocent.

Not even a joke. There is a reason guys chase girls...

But yeah... sorry if I threw actually learning stuff under the table, cause that is afterall what its about. So yeah learn what you can... but remember, as soon as you get your first internship or job, you will really learn whats up. School is just so you are not completely clueless when your boss asks you to do something.


The job thing... great idea. Just dont work in a paintball shop like I did... :D you wont get squat done.

People REALLY DO notice folks who apply themselves.

Okay so what does that mean? That means actually do what you say you will. Actually GET SOMETHING DONE. If you can actually DO what you say you can... you have 95% of the world beat.

In my department... if someone needs a part turned on the CNC lathe, they come to me. why... because I built a cannon that got me in some pretty decent trouble. That being said... the guy I ticked off the most, his old room mate from college was looking for a new "rookie engineer", as I have become known as, and now his buddy is my boss and I have a job playing with miniguns.

GET THINGS DONE. it really impresses people.

[neppo1345]

I'm a 4th year Aerospace Engineering student at The University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dorms:
1. Live in the dorms, it's where 99.9% of students make their base group of friends. If you're staying local and already have friends, live in the dorms anyway you will make more friends. Trust me here, don't be one of those kids who graduates college and has no one to look back on it with.
2. If there is an 'insert major here' floor on the dorm, live in it. Life is so much easier when your dorm mates have the same classes at the same time and the same homework.
3. Try to get a room on the second or third floor. When the elevators are broken you'll thank me.
4. Don't masturbate in the showers; you're not as quiet as you think.
5. Don't download mass torrentz, etc. over the dorm internet. You will get caught.
6. If you have a car: Don't bring it down right away, chances are your roommates will have one. This will keep them from borrowing yours until you know them a bit better.
7. If possible, live in a co-ed dorm. Try not to rail girls on your floor, it makes things awkward.
8. If your roommates are d-bags, don't hesitate to ask for a room switch. Moving your things smarter than being miserable for a year.

Computer:
1. I went out and dropped close to 2500 on a tits laptop, don't do this; it's not worth it. I now have an Asus netbook and a home built desktop.
2. Buy a low to mid level laptop (maybe a larger netbook).
3. Buy/build a middle of the road desktop PC.
4. The lighter laptop will make it easier to drag around campus (and home for those weekends when mommy wants to see you), and the fast desktop with a larger monitor will be great for porn and all those illegal movies and programs you shouldn't be downloading.

General Advice:
1. Engineering will make you hate life. It's why I drink heavily, and why I'm writing this at 3 A.M.
2. Get in good with your professors. *Try* and get to class, sit in the front. If you have questions write them down and go to your teachers office hours and ask them. A prof is much more likely to grade your test easier if they look at the name and can put a face with it. It will also help if you're looking for a summer research position or internship.
3. Get into mischief. Be the kid who threw the TV off the top of the dorm.
4. Get out of the dorm after freshman year, find a place with your buddies.
5. If your dorm/roommates ask you to go out, go out.
6. If your dorm/roommates want to drink in the room, drink with them. The fun is worth the possible slap on the wrist.
7. If your dorm/roommates want to do drugs in the room, gtfo.
8. Use a condom, ALWAYS USE A CONDOM.
9. Have fun, drink, screw, be merry. Don't be one of those people who look back and realize that the best four (or more) years of their life are behind them and all the have to show for it is a piece of paper.

Also, if you have the opportunity to take a co-op or internship: By all means do it. Companies love to hire people who have previous experience with their product/systems/software. I have a year till I graduate and I've already recieved a job offer from my co-op employer.

Enjoy,

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

[Hilltop Customs]

6. If your dorm/roommates want to drink in the room, drink with them. The fun is worth the possible slap on the wrist.


slap on the wrist = ~$500 and possible loss of DL for 3-6 months.......at least thats my experience

dont ever....ever.....ever drink at a dry dorm party. A handful of people drinking in a dry dorm room is perfectly fine. The moment the music is turned up so you cant talk in a normal voice to the person across the room, you might as well expect the cops at the door. If you living on a dry campus just find parties off and save yourself the underage/fun campus charges.