To those entering college for the first time:
-Don't freak out if you don't make 500 friends in the first couple weeks
-On the flip side, don't freak out if the people you meet right away don't end up being your best friends. Especially if you go to a school where you know no one, people just feel the need to make friends immediately. Give it a couple months and you'll start to really meet people that you click with.
-If you don't want to drink, don't. Welcome week can be fun, and I'm not even saying don't go to parties. Just do what you are comfortable with. People watching is also great at these events.
-Go to class. This may seem silly, but really it is the main reason you are there.
-If partying stops you from getting to class, cut back.
-Do your homework. Again, not in a lecturing way, but if you are in a class of 100 students, your professor is not going to know who you are or care about why didn't have time. On the flip side, if you are in a class of 15, you can't hide that you didn't do the work and you will look stupid.
-At the end of the year if you want to transfer, really think about why you want to transfer. That was a huge joke at Carthage that everyone left after freshman year, and I honestly don't think a lot of those people gave it a fair shot. I thought about transferring twice (end of freshman year and sophomore year) and I see now how many opportunities I would have given up and missed out on.
-Oh, and if you don't know what you want to major in, take a lot of gen eds but try to pick classes that are specific to departments to. Like if you need a science class but might want to be a bio major, take an intro bio class instead of something that might be "easier". No education is bad education.
For everyone, no matter what year you are in now:
-Get to know your professors. Go to their office hours, even just to say hi if you don't have a question. There are a few reasons for this. A) You get to really know who is teaching you. B) You become more than a face or a number to them. C) Eventually you will need letters of rec for jobs or grad schools and you're going to want options and people who can give more than generic letters.
-Join as many clubs as you can. Go to a couple meetings, see what you like. To this day, I still wish I would have joined CAB (Cathage Activities Board) at my school. They got to pick the entertainment that came, meet people like Bo Burnham, etc.
-Don't waste your summers. It sucks, it really does, but try to get a job or an internship. If you need money for school, get a job your first couple summers. But before your Senior year I would really shoot for an internship.
-Utilize your facilities. Whether it is the gym, library, career services, etc.
-Take care of your friends if you go out. I'm not going to pretend that there isn't drinking and partying and other shenanigans going on. Really though, once you get a pretty set group of friends, what worked best my senior year as far as DDing was to rotate. Don't always assume that you can get a ride at the end of the night.
-Make a bucket list of things to do around your school and city. It keeps things interesting. And if there is a night when you don't know what to do, pull it out and do something.
If you are a senior:
-Don't overstress. In the end it only makes things worse.
-Leave the drama behind. That doesn't mean piss off your friends, but really especially by second semester a lot of things don't matter anymore. Do what you want, leave the rest behind.
-DON'T leave people hanging though. If you've made commitments, don't leave people hanging. Everyone is a connection and whether you realize it or not, your attitude leaves the biggest impression. You don't want people to think of you and say "Oh they were nice and motivated until the end, then they stopped caring and didn't take anything seriously".
-Start looking for jobs early. Like at least 2 or 3 months before graduation. If you are doing the grad school route, start looking now! It's like a college search all over again. Do your research now about application deadlines and their programs.
-Don't be afraid to move back home after graduation if you have to. It sucks at times, but at the end of the day if you are looking for jobs you have a home base that you can leave at any time because you don't have a lease. You are (most likely) living rent-free with minimal expenses because you don't have to pay for things like cable, internet, or food.
-Talk to people about what you are looking for jobs in, the most random of people can have leads.
At the end of the day, have fun. It can be the best 4 years if you want it to be. It really is what you make it.
Oh, and if you go to Carthage: DON'T become an RA! Not worth it.
Leave comments of other advice you have.
No comments:
Post a Comment