C o l l e g e

[Koko]

Last month I was accepted @ San Diego State University & intend to enroll this fall.
This year has been pretty crazy for college acceptances, SDSU, a public university, had less than a 10% acceptance rate for undergrads.

Entering as pre-business administration, you choose a concentration in upper division, planning on accounting.
Super excited, got my college hoodie, thought i'd share.
Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?
:falldown:

 

[makare]

That's awesome! Congrats. I guess my college recommendation would be to make sure to watch for hidden costs like ask around about things like organizational fees etc. Those bit me in the butt this year.

It'll be great.
Oh I went to undergrad at the University of South Dakota, now I go to law school there. I don't recommend law school. Just saying.

 

[North_Ranger]

University of Turku, Master of Arts, majored in English Philology. Official graduation date next Thursday (after all the paperwork is done), public ceremonies in early June.

Have fun, be active in student organisations, go to parties but also prepare to be walloped with a metric buttload of work.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

If you don't have a poster up of Bluto with the black t-shirt that says "College", or wear the black t-shirt that says "College" twice a week, you're doing it all wrong.

Also, as a dude who graduated with a degree in accounting: if you don't like it, change majors before you are in too deep. Trust me. I finished out of spite. If you finish out of spite or just finish period, be sure to suck cock for a good internship and get a 3.75 or you won't be able to get a job in accounting afterwards despite what you're told. Enjoy Microsoft Excel.

 

[makare]

If you don't have a poster up of Bluto with the black t-shirt that says "College", or wear the black t-shirt that says "College" twice a week, you're doing it all wrong.

Also, as a dude who graduated with a degree in accounting: if you don't like it, change majors before you are in too deep. Trust me. I finished out of spite. If you finish out of spite or just finish period, be sure to suck cock for a good internship and get a 3.75 or you won't be able to get a job in accounting afterwards despite what you're told. Enjoy Microsoft Excel.

Damn it! That is where I went wrong for this summer.. Well next year, next year indeed.

 

[Koko]

If you don't have a poster up of Bluto with the black t-shirt that says "College", or wear the black t-shirt that says "College" twice a week, you're doing it all wrong.

Also, as a dude who graduated with a degree in accounting: if you don't like it, change majors before you are in too deep. Trust me. I finished out of spite. If you finish out of spite or just finish period, be sure to suck cock for a good internship and get a 3.75 or you won't be able to get a job in accounting afterwards despite what you're told. Enjoy Microsoft Excel.

Luckily you don't choose the accounting concentration until junior year so i'll have the opportunity of taking accounting classes before declaring the major to make sure its right for me.
I do love spreadsheets actually
From what I hear @ SDSU, most students get job offers even before their senior year with a decent gpa.

 

[IronBrig4]

SDSU? Congrats, man! That's my old alma mater. I'm currently at the University of Hawaii for a PhD but will transfer to Texas A&M for the fall semester. I got my B.S. in criminal justice and my M.A. in history so I don't think you'll have any of the same professors unless you take history for your general ed classes. Will you be staying at a dorm? If so, University Towers was my home for four years. And try lunch at the 4.0 Deli. They have the best sandwiches. It's a small place next to the McDonald's on Montezuma Road.

Here's a pic of me and my buddies after we turned our dorm hallway into a big slip'n'slide.

 

[Koko]

I'll be living at home because its pretty much a bachelor pad.
Loma portal/point loma area.

 

[Mr. Lawface]

I'm currently an undergraduate freshman at the University of Southern California majoring in Animation and Digital Arts.

I don't have any good tips. I've been in college for nearly a year now and I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right.

 

[Cajungal]

Congratumalatioooooons!

Advice? Prioritize. Let whatever you don't NEED to do or don't really care about go. Take breaks from working; it's necessary. Even if you're in a class that you think is irrelevant, keep an open mind and you'll probably take away something positive. Write things down or take pictures, lest you forget!

I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful experience! Me, I don't have any GREAT stories from my recent college years. I came here with the intention of acquiring skills, and that's what I did. Not much else. I have a lot of hobbies that don't require anyone else to be around, so I've been quite the little hermit. Suited me fine, but that's certainly not for everyone. Most people are fun.

 

[Zarvox]

My personal advice? For the first week, introduce yourself to everyone you meet. You won't remember anyone's names, but you'll vaguely remember faces, and they'll vaguely remember you as a nice guy. Gives you a HUGE leg up, and the first week of freshman year is the ONLY time you can get away with doing this. Also, check out lots of clubs –*things you always wanted to try, things you love, things you have no idea if you like. This all means it'll take you a few weeks longer than everyone else to solidify your friend group, but it's worth it. At the end, you have a much better idea of where you want to go, who you want to hang out with, and what you want to do with your time.

 

[Chazwozel]

Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?

My recommendation is to have fun, these will be some of the best years of your life. Tips: for your electives your freshman year, pick easy classes. Start with a strong GPA. Senior year try do the same your last semester.

Undergrad for me was Bucknell, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. And Ph.D. was Penn State in molecular and cell bio. My favorite part of college (undergrad anyway) was the minute responsibility I had and realizing that life wasn't getting easier, so I lived it up as much as I could.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Started at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, now finishing that degree at York University in Toronto. Taking English, but man, that wasn't even close to where I started. I dropped out the first time because I had no idea why I was there. Dropped out a second time a few years later due to depression. I'm turning 32 this year and almost finished. One year to go after this.

Honestly, I agree with Cajun: you'll likely take SOMETHING away with you in every course. Try to be interested in whatever you're learning and take everything in as a learning experience.

A few points of advice I've found helpful with school:
-Get to know your prof. Most profs have office hours. Take advantage of them. You'd be surprised how much lenient many are if they have a face to put to the name. Also, when it comes to essays, definitely go see them and bounce some ideas with them. Though, with business administration, I don't know how much there is in the way of essays. I'm assuming it's more hands-on work.
-Be active in class, most especially if they give 10% for participation. Somtimes, just taking part in class will help with the learning.
-I was once told that for ever hour you spend in class, spend 2 hours outside of it. It's not a bad piece of advice, to be honest. Oh, and for essays and exams, spend 3 hours per hour in class.
-Don't be intimidated by weekly readings, especially if they're hundreds of pages. Break down the amount of pages to read per week into daily and read that many pages (or until the end of that chapter; whatever comes first) per day. It helps cut down on the stress of getting especially readings done.

 

[Koko]

I'll be starting with at least 21 college credits already completed due to passing AP tests, hopefully i'll be able to bypass a bit of the BS general ed classes.

 

[drawn_inward]

Congrats! I wouldn't mind being there!

I got a BS in Microbiology and minors in History and Chemistry at the University of Oklahoma. I am working on a PhD in Microbial Ecology at Oklahoma State.

As for advice, if you are not an outgoing person, make an effort to get to know as many folks as you can. Join some sort of group outside of the business/accounting school. Habitat for Humanity is a pretty great group for meeting folks and helping out. Talk to your profs. It does a lot of good; especially if you need letters of recommendation later. I got to know a History prof and a Chemistry prof, as well as, nearly every prof in the Micro dept. I still keep in touch with the majority of them. It does help. It opened many doors for me, and I got offers simply because they knew me.

Make sure to have some fun. It's really easy to find fun stuff to do when you're in college though.

 

[MindDetective]

Congrats. I am tagging this thread for later. no time to answer right now, but I do teach college classes and might have something to offer on the subject later.

 

[mlanewal]

Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?

My recommendation is to have fun, these will be some of the best years of your life. Tips: for your electives your freshman year, pick easy classes. Start with a strong GPA. Senior year try do the same your last semester.

Undergrad for me was Bucknell, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. And Ph.D. was Penn State in molecular and cell bio. My favorite part of college (undergrad anyway) was the minute responsibility I had and realizing that life wasn't getting easier, so I lived it up as much as I could.

Lurker here.

Wait wait wait. You went to Bucknell? When did you graduate? I'm class of '04. And I live in Philly too. Weird.

 

[Chazwozel]

Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?

My recommendation is to have fun, these will be some of the best years of your life. Tips: for your electives your freshman year, pick easy classes. Start with a strong GPA. Senior year try do the same your last semester.

Undergrad for me was Bucknell, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. And Ph.D. was Penn State in molecular and cell bio. My favorite part of college (undergrad anyway) was the minute responsibility I had and realizing that life wasn't getting easier, so I lived it up as much as I could.

Lurker here.

Wait wait wait. You went to Bucknell? When did you graduate? I'm class of '04. And I live in Philly too. Weird.[/QUOTE]

'04 . Shit, halforums just got real.

 

[mlanewal]

Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?

My recommendation is to have fun, these will be some of the best years of your life. Tips: for your electives your freshman year, pick easy classes. Start with a strong GPA. Senior year try do the same your last semester.

Undergrad for me was Bucknell, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. And Ph.D. was Penn State in molecular and cell bio. My favorite part of college (undergrad anyway) was the minute responsibility I had and realizing that life wasn't getting easier, so I lived it up as much as I could.

Lurker here.

Wait wait wait. You went to Bucknell? When did you graduate? I'm class of '04. And I live in Philly too. Weird.[/QUOTE]

'04 . Shit, halforums just got real.[/QUOTE]

Oh shit. And you were biochem/molecular biology? Fuck, I bet we had classes together. You have classes with Chernin and Nyquist? Orgo with Scoville? Let the game of wits commence!

EDIT: I know who you are! My GoogleFu is strong.

 

[Chazwozel]

Anyone have good college stories/tips/recommendations/thoughts?
Where did everyone go to college? What major? What was your favorite part?

My recommendation is to have fun, these will be some of the best years of your life. Tips: for your electives your freshman year, pick easy classes. Start with a strong GPA. Senior year try do the same your last semester.

Undergrad for me was Bucknell, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. And Ph.D. was Penn State in molecular and cell bio. My favorite part of college (undergrad anyway) was the minute responsibility I had and realizing that life wasn't getting easier, so I lived it up as much as I could.

Lurker here.

Wait wait wait. You went to Bucknell? When did you graduate? I'm class of '04. And I live in Philly too. Weird.[/QUOTE]

'04 . Shit, halforums just got real.[/QUOTE]

Oh shit. And you were biochem/molecular biology? Fuck, I bet we had classes together. You have classes with Chernin and Nyquist? Orgo with Scoville? Let the game of wits commence!

EDIT: I know who you are! My GoogleFu is strong.[/QUOTE]

AW you can't do that! PM me your name. This isn't Jeed is it! I'll mess you up! *on second thought, Jeed would have nothing to do with Halforums*

I had orgo with Tom Shawe, but I did bake a pie for Sally Nyquist's bio student dinner.

 

[mlanewal]

Haha no it's not Jeed. I haven't heard anything about that guy since we graduated. Good old Tom Shawe. I knew someone who TAed for him and told me he would bring in vodka to 8 AM labs.

 

[Chazwozel]

Haha no it's not Jeed. I haven't heard anything about that guy since we graduated. Good old Tom Shawe. I knew someone who TAed for him and told me he would bring in vodka to 8 AM labs.

Alright, I do remember you. And I see you went to Drexel, where I'm friggin working now! Stalker! Shawe would always have vodka breath during morning lectures. I bumped into him one night at the "Pub", boy that was kinda weird.

Haha, do you remember crazy Andrew, who would fall asleep during lectures and at the end of class wake up and ask off the wall questions?

 

[mlanewal]

Haha no it's not Jeed. I haven't heard anything about that guy since we graduated. Good old Tom Shawe. I knew someone who TAed for him and told me he would bring in vodka to 8 AM labs.

Alright, I do remember you. And I see you went to Drexel, where I'm friggin working now! Stalker! Shawe would always have vodka breath during morning lectures. I bumped into him one night at the "Pub", boy that was kinda weird.

Haha, do you remember crazy Andrew, who would fall asleep during lectures and at the end of class wake up and ask off the wall questions?[/QUOTE]

Oh Andrew Makar, what a character. I never liked having him talk in class, because it guaranteed we'd be there five more minutes.

 

[Calleja]

... did anybody else suddenly feel like they were in a sitcom?

 

[mlanewal]

/threadjack

 

[Enresshou]

As for college tips, just some of the basic ones: fill out your FAFSA every year, talk to your financial aid counselor, and try to enjoy all your classes. I'll echo what everybody else before me has said, and add to it the idea that YOU are paying to be in class: it's in your best interests, both as an investment and to make the process as enjoyable as possible, to take something out of your classes. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand something, and take advantage of the professor's office hours: not only will it help you understand the material better, but they're more likely to cut you slack if you demonstrate that you're a committed student.

As for myself, I went to California State University, Hayward/East Bay (title was changed halfway through) for my undergrad. It's a relatively podunk school, known more for its business program than anything else (especially with UC Berkeley and Stanford nearby), but I originally enrolled as an English major. I graduated last month with a B.Sc. in cell/molecular biology, and I'll be going to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor this summer to begin my Ph.D. in neuroscience.

Probably my favorite part of the whole experience was why I got into science in the first place: a slow, gradual understanding of how the biological world operates, with the desire for a Ph.D. to expand that knowledge coming naturally afterward. I actually really liked a good chunk of my classes, even the random bullshit GE courses I had to take, simply because I enjoyed them for what they were and tried to take away as much as I could from them.

 

[Koko]

Anyone have any experience/knew someone who participated in a "work-study program"?
The reduced tuition interested me at first and then I read you can get work related to your major.
Although 15 hrs at class+30 hrs studying+freetime might not leave much to work for a while.

 

[Ross]

I went to SUNY Albany for my BS in Atmospheric Science, did one semester of grad. school at NC State before deciding I wanted to start my forecasting career instead.

Advice: Don't be afraid to speak to the other people in your classes. You can meet some really cool people that way, and the more people you have to study/copy with, the better! Also, grill the Department Head with questions about potential scholarships. You're likely eligible for a lot more than you thought existed, so getting tips from you department could pay off.