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The College Life
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Prozen
United States338 Posts
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JWD
United States12607 Posts
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Butigroove
Seychelles2061 Posts
Shots before beer, you're in the clear! When you're thinking of not wearing a condom, do wear one. Study/read all semester, not just before midterms/finals. Try everything at the cafe, and learn what you like, if you have a meal plan. Wooo college in the bag lol | ||
ZeromuS
Canada13386 Posts
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ClanOverdosed
691 Posts
I just went through my first semester at college; the transition was a lot easier than I thought. I was just friendly, did my work on time, went to class (most of the time) and kept a positive outlook. Thats my advice as a freshman just in general. Unfortunately/Fortunately I'm transferring to UT next year so I have to start making friends all over again -.- | ||
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Grobyc
Canada18410 Posts
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Yoshimi
United States163 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:20 Beloth(OD) wrote: If you don't make friends, get gosu at SC! I just went through my first semester at college; the transition was a lot easier than I thought. I was just friendly, did my work on time, went to class (most of the time) and kept a positive outlook. Thats my advice as a freshman just in general. Unfortunately/Fortunately I'm transferring to UT next year so I have to start making friends all over again -.- UT Austin? To the OP: I guess one thing I would say is don't be afraid to try and meet new people. I used to be pretty shy but I realized that most people are willing to talk to you. Especially at orientation. But yeah, go to the orientation and all of the "beginning of the semester" events and don't be afraid to talk to people. | ||
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MaxwelsDemoN
57 Posts
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FragKrag
United States11546 Posts
Just take the time to get to know everyone. For the first few weeks I just talked to the people in classes around me and made quite a few good friends. Honestly, spend as little time in your dorm as you possibly can and spend as much time as possible in other people's dorms (haha) socializing and making friends for the first few weeks. I had a few friends who just went to classes and went back to the dorm and I can see that they aren't having as amazing of a time as me. also never forget the little green man | ||
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elkram
United States221 Posts
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Zlasher
United States9129 Posts
Just make sure you go to classes, meet people during orientation and stuff because for the most part classes are too big for you to become friends with anyone because you have a class with them. Stuff to bring to your dorm room? Duct tape, an umbrella (well, I'm in DC and it rains fucking random as shit here), all the random shit you see in your room where you can imagine a scenario that you would need it, this does NOT mean you bring random stuff that will be useless lol. Duct tape though, seriously, you will find a million and a half ways to use it. It helped me a hundred times throughout boarding school for high school and I still always have a roll somewhere with me. | ||
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FragKrag
United States11546 Posts
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maellestrom
United States194 Posts
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.Aar
2177 Posts
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SaikOuLighT
Canada742 Posts
Beer before liquor, never been sicker; Shots before beer, you're in the clear! So very true. | ||
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shindigs
United States4795 Posts
Work with people smarter and more hardworking than you are, you'll learn good habits. Join the Starcraft club. If there isn't a huge scene, make one (though I believe Cornell's SC scene is pretty decent). | ||
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bontez
United States165 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:40 ZlaSHeR wrote: Cornell's dining hall is baller, you don't need to try out everything since its GOT everything, you'll be fine on that regard lol. this is what everyone said to me so it got really hyped up, but i honestly don't think it's anything special. Bring warm clothes and snow boots. It's already freezing here and it's supposed to snow a lot. | ||
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ClanOverdosed
691 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:28 Yoshimi wrote: UT Austin? To the OP: I guess one thing I would say is don't be afraid to try and meet new people. I used to be pretty shy but I realized that most people are willing to talk to you. Especially at orientation. But yeah, go to the orientation and all of the "beginning of the semester" events and don't be afraid to talk to people. Yeah UT Austin | ||
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Deleted User 47542
1484 Posts
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javy_
United States1677 Posts
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Zlasher
United States9129 Posts
On December 12 2010 18:21 bontez wrote: this is what everyone said to me so it got really hyped up, but i honestly don't think it's anything special. Bring warm clothes and snow boots. It's already freezing here and it's supposed to snow a lot. You think its not a big deal, til you've seen 99% of other schools. School cafe foods will never be fucking 5 star gourmet shit, but for a school it is top of the line | ||
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hyponikZ
United States61 Posts
On December 12 2010 19:52 javy925 wrote: absolutely never ever ever skip class. you will regret it in the end lmfao...did you even go to college?^^^^ My advice is to just remember undergrad doesn't mean shit - party and enjoy yourself while maintaining mediocre grades(>3.0) until you are applying for grad school then you just have to ace your LSAT/MCAT/GMAT whatever and you're set. Granted Cornell definitely doesn't have the greatest party scene, I'm sure if you're sociable you'll end up having a great time. -Coming from a University of Florida graduate as of Monday - (going to law school in the Fall of 2011) | ||
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javy_
United States1677 Posts
On December 12 2010 20:06 hyponikZ wrote: lmfao...did you even go to college?^^^^ My advice is to just remember undergrad doesn't mean shit - party and enjoy yourself while maintaining mediocre grades(>3.0) until you are applying for grad school then you just have to ace your LSAT/MCAT/GMAT whatever and you're set. Granted Cornell definitely doesn't have the greatest party scene, I'm sure if you're sociable you'll end up having a great time. -Coming from a University of Florida graduate as of Monday - (going to law school in the Fall of 2011)im a junior at uc berkeley. Out of curiosity, what law school is it that you got into | ||
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YejinYejin
United States1053 Posts
On December 12 2010 19:52 javy925 wrote: absolutely never ever ever skip class. you will regret it in the end Lolol, idk what you're talking about. Sure, if you don't know the stuff, then go to class if you can. I'm a freshman, though, and my Calculus and Economics classes are easy as shit, and I just have to take them to get a requirement out of the way. I don't go to Calculus except for the midterms, and in Economics, our teacher has pop-quizzes in class, so I go just in case there's one of those, but I just break out my laptop and do whatever in the back of the class. Honestly, if it's lecture style and there's stuff you don't know, just learn it from a book, and ask a friend that's also in the class if there's anything the teacher added that doesn't get covered by the textbook. I'll probably change my habits in the future, but at least right now, I'm fine. | ||
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jalstar
United States8198 Posts
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Cambium
United States16368 Posts
- Cornell supposedly has the best food amongst the Ivies, it's pretty good, but not amazing. - Enrol in the annual gym membership ($165 I think). Noyes is really new, shiny and well-equipped, it's one of the best gyms I've been to. - You are given a free bus pass for your 1st year, use it! Although the bus system sucks unless you are only interested in going to downtown. - Try to get a car. You are limiting yourself to college-town and downtown without a car. Ithaca has a lot of cool places to visit (waterfalls, wineries, etc), but they aren't easily accessible. - Campus-to-Campus is a really nice service if you want to travel to New York City and willing to dish out $75 one-way (vs. $85 RT). This is my preferred method of travelling. Cheers and congrats. | ||
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zzaaxxsscd
United States626 Posts
On December 12 2010 21:35 Cambium wrote: - Try to get a car. You are limiting yourself to college-town and downtown without a car. Ithaca has a lot of cool places to visit (waterfalls, wineries, etc), but they aren't easily accessible. I was just about to say this. Dunno about your financial situation, but having a car really opens up your life. At least try to get one for junior/senior year  | ||
OpticalShot
Canada6330 Posts
When you're really tired one day (perhaps after an all-nighter), seriously consider fully sleeping in one lecture/tutorial (skipping also works, lol). By fully sleeping I mean you don't spend any effort on staying awake. Doing this, you get one hour (or two) of really good nap that will power you for another couple hours, allowing you to focus for the rest of the day. This is MUCH better than trying to stay awake the entire day and being sleepy in all your classes. | ||
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Zim23
United States1681 Posts
On December 12 2010 20:06 hyponikZ wrote: lmfao...did you even go to college?^^^^ My advice is to just remember undergrad doesn't mean shit - party and enjoy yourself while maintaining mediocre grades(>3.0) until you are applying for grad school then you just have to ace your LSAT/MCAT/GMAT whatever and you're set. Granted Cornell definitely doesn't have the greatest party scene, I'm sure if you're sociable you'll end up having a great time. -Coming from a University of Florida graduate as of Monday - (going to law school in the Fall of 2011)Speaking from my own experience: If you're a pre-med do not skip class, you absolutely will regret it. You're paying a lot of money for an education that you're missing out on by skipping class. And you need way better than just >3.0. Law school might be different, but med school is going to want a >3.5 GPA unless you get 35+ on your MCATs or have some amazing research. Good luck! | ||
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Eben
United States769 Posts
Skipping a class once turns into skipping it ever now and then.. and eventually it will kill you. | ||
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don_kyuhote
3006 Posts
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frogmelter
United States971 Posts
On December 13 2010 00:24 Eben wrote: best advice ever, GO TO CLASS. Skipping a class once turns into skipping it ever now and then.. and eventually it will kill you. On December 12 2010 19:52 javy925 wrote: absolutely never ever ever skip class. you will regret it in the end Completely agree. Missing class even once can severely fuck you up. And if it doesn't, you're more inclined to do it again and again which will eventually make it a habit. If you can't wake up for classes, don't get such earlier ones or buy a really crazy alarm clock. Also, get a water filter for drinking water. It helps a LOT. gl hf at college. | ||
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TheCabDriver
Canada159 Posts
And Don't miss classes. Those are the most important things and will make college EZ, (but still time consuming) I don't do either of those things and Im fucked | ||
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matjlav
Germany2435 Posts
I just want to mention that all of the people saying "don't skip class" are just wrong. The real principle I use is "Go to class if you need to, and don't go to class if you don't." Seems pretty obvious but a lot of people don't understand that. I feel like the people who are just giving a blanket statement of "Don't skip classes" are people that didn't have the good judgment to only skip classes that they could skip. If you don't need to attend lecture, don't. You can use the extra sleep/free time, trust me. There were 3 classes that I took last year that I never showed up to lecture for, and I got an A in one of them and an A+ in the other two (If you're curious, they were MATH 2930, MATH 1920, and ENGRD 2020 respectively). For some classes, lecture really just isn't necessary. On the other hand, if you don't have a completely good handle on the class, or if the lecture teaches you material that you can't find in a book, or if attendance is taken (not common in non-humanities classes), do always go to lecture. In general, never go to lecture if you're just going to sit in the back and surf the internet or sleep. I've never understood why people do this (other than classes where some form of attendance is taken). If you want some extra sleep, sleep in your bed. You're not going to learn anything while surfing the internet in lecture. | ||
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DarkPlasmaBall
United States43997 Posts
You now have the choice to do *absolutely nothing*. No classes, just dick around all day long, etc. Don't let it go to your head. Your grades might drop during the first semester because of all your freedom, but then hopefully you'll recognize that mommy won't be around to help you, and the professors aren't going to hold your hand. You're a big boy now. Don't. Screw. It. Up. With great freedom + Show Spoiler + or power Welcome to the college life Also, don't do anything that you'd be afraid/ embarrassed to tell your mother about. | ||
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Prozen
United States338 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:29 MaxwelsDemoN wrote: Oh, didn't expect this. I'm currently a junior in engineering at Cornell. Let me know if you have any questions. Don't bring too much junk to your dorm, and hope you get one of the newer ones. What college did you apply to? I applied to CAS. Also, to all of you, I was wondering, why is it that so many people pull all-nighters or sleep late in college? This has been a question I've always been thinking about. Is the work in college really that hard that it warrants students to stay up late working on it or is it the fact that most students procrastinate because of their new-found freedoms? I think it's the latter, but I haven't experienced college yet so I'd like to know the answer. Is it advisable to bring a microwave/mini fridge to school as well? | ||
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matjlav
Germany2435 Posts
Major in Biological Engineering!  On December 13 2010 02:18 Prozen wrote: Also, to all of you, I was wondering, why is it that so many people pull all-nighters or sleep late in college? This has been a question I've always been thinking about. Is the work in college really that hard that it warrants students to stay up late working on it or is it the fact that most students procrastinate because of their new-found freedoms? In general, the pressure is huge in college to move to a late-night, late-wake sleep schedule. Pretty much no one goes to bed before 1 AM. That's why you'll want to avoid the 8 AM classes if at all possible. Some people pull all-nighters, some don't. I've only once pulled an all-nighter doing work. I feel like it should never really be necessary to do an all-nighter if you haven't procrastinated/had bad time management. On December 13 2010 02:18 Prozen wrote: I think it's the latter, but I haven't experienced college yet so I'd like to know the answer. Is it advisable to bring a microwave/mini fridge to school as well? Bring a mini fridge. I don't have one right now because I'm in Keeton, where the dining hall is open for every meal. But as a freshman on North, you'll probably want to have a fridge in your room to at least keep some milk in so you can eat cereal in the morning. It's really hard to drag yourself to RPCC/Appel every morning to eat breakfast. You're not technically allowed to have a microwave in your room unless you rent one of the school's combination microfridges. Don't rent one of theirs; it's a ripoff ($200 for a year). Just use your dorm kitchen's microwave if you really want to heat something up. | ||
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emperorchampion
Canada9496 Posts
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crazeman
664 Posts
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krndandaman
Mozambique16569 Posts
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FiBsTeR
United States415 Posts
+ Show Spoiler + No really what's the duct tape for? | ||
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javy_
United States1677 Posts
On December 13 2010 02:18 Prozen wrote: I applied to CAS. Also, to all of you, I was wondering, why is it that so many people pull all-nighters or sleep late in college? This has been a question I've always been thinking about. Is the work in college really that hard that it warrants students to stay up late working on it or is it the fact that most students procrastinate because of their new-found freedoms? I think it's the latter, but I haven't experienced college yet so I'd like to know the answer. Is it advisable to bring a microwave/mini fridge to school as well? At the freshman/sophomore level, it's usually due to procrastination. If you're taking challenging upper-division courses, there's a good chance you'll stay up late studying or doing hw. It also depends on how many courses you are taking per semester/quarter. Some people overestimate how much work they can handle because they took a lot of APs during high school and end up taking more classes than they can handle when they come to college. | ||
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Fontong
United States6454 Posts
Yeah maybe for the first two weeks? You will learn very fast which classes you need to attend and which ones are very optional. Some profs will just post very detailed slides online, yet read them verbatim in class. Some just don't say shit in class that isn't in the assigned texts and it is your job to simply do all of the reading. Then there are the profs who will expect you to know the lecture material very well. Definitely is not essential to attend every lecture though. If you know that you aren't going to get anything out of it then just don't go. This includes if you are just very tired. If you only slept for 2 hours the last night and have to attend a 1.5 hour lecture you are just going to doze in, why not sleep in the comfort of your own bed and be better rested so that you can work more effectively later? There is really no saying attend 100% of all lectures; as long as you are smart about what you do there won't be an impact on your grades. My other personal advice is to immediately try to find an activity/club/sport you will be interested in. College clubs and stuff are not like those in high school. They are very much social activities (really not unlike frats in many cases), so you will be able to build up a good network of friends. The people in college you really rely on are your friends, so if you don't have a strong network you will suffer for it even if you don't even know it. Your good friends are the people who will go out of their way to pick you up from the airport even if it's a 45min round trip, yet only ask for a little bit of gas money in return. They will help you out with classes (especially if they are upperclassmen), and you can talk to them about what in the world you should do at that particular college you are attending. It way you do it doesn't matter, but I find that it is useful to have something in common with your friends that goes beyond the friendship itself. If you don't then you will find yourself pulled away from them by the stresses of college life, simply because you will be so busy. If you do have something in common with them you will more easily have a reason to see them. | ||
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Prozen
United States338 Posts
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Servius_Fulvius
United States947 Posts
1). If you can live in special interest housing, do so. The hardest part about meeting new people at college is finding a way to build community. In a special interest floor or hall this is done for you. It's a lot easier to break the ice and make friends when you all have something in common. 2). Be the person you want to become. Some of our personality traits in high school come from our reputations, the effects of our mistakes, and years of awkwardly coming of age. You're not done growing up when you start college, but you can finally lift all the high school bull shit off your shoulders and be the person you want to become. For me, I always wanted to be the section leader in my high school band. I never got the chance thanks to politics and a negative reputation. At college I put in the same effort and earned several leadership positions and finally found one that fit perfectly (the aforementioned RA job!). 3). Keep in touch with people back home, but don't let them control your life. My first year a girl lived on my floor who missed her friends and boyfriend back home so much that she spent every waking moment on instant messenger talking to them. She missed out on new experiences just to keep up with friends across the state doing exactly that. Get out, immerse yourself in college life, and your real friends (the ones truly worth talking to) will emerge. 4). You actually need to study. I can't tell you how many freshman I saw over the years fail out or nearly fail out just because they never knew how to study. High school comes easy to a lot of people. Maybe you were one of those who would sleep through half your classes, do your huge homework assignments the morning of, never study, and still get a 3.5 or better. The problem here is that people like this never learned HOW to study. College classes are taught with the notion that you will spend 2-3 hours (or more) outside lecture studying the material and doing homework. If you don't do this you WILL get behind and if you keep it up you WILL fail or almost fail a good deal of classes. If you never had to study attend first year seminars on the subject (every college worth their dime offers one!) 5). Sleep. Try to get around 6 hours of sleep a night if you can. 6). Eat. Don't be so afraid of "the Freshman 15" that you avoid eating cafeteria food altogether. Don't go crazy, but don't starve yourself. I lived in a Residence Hall 5 years and only gained 15 pounds TOTAL from the cafeteria food. 7). Relieve your stress. We all need time to unwind. If you don't take this time you risk serious burnout. Been there, done that, NOT FUN! You need time to kick back and relax with everything else going on (just make sure it isn't ALL your time!). 8). Fact - most high school relationships don't work out. If you have a long distance significant other only stick with it if you're both giving it your all. If one of you isn't it's probably best to break up. 9). Join a club or two. The best way to meet people like yourself is to go where those people meet up. Most University's have an office dedicated to student organizations and can provide contact and meeting information. It's also been my experience that colleges usually host an even in the first month where each student organization mans a booth to garner interest. 10). Just because you're all in college and technically adults it doesn't mean people will act like it. Don't get caught up in the drama! 11). Yes, there will be parties with drinking. Yes, there will be sex, drugs, and maybe even some rock and roll. It's up to you to decide if you want to partake. Just keep in mind that doing any of these irresponsibly could end up with people getting hurt, legal fines, pregnancy, STI's, and maybe even jail. Yes, college is the time to experience a variety of new things, but you don't need to experience everything. 12). Be yourself and have fun! A NOTE ON WHY PEOPLE PULL ALL-NIGHTERS: 9 times out of 10 it's procrastination. Other times it's overloading yourself with coursework. Don't take more than 16 credits unless one or more of the classes are easy-A's with minimal effort (gen-eds mostly). For the times it is not procrastination it's mostly choice of lifestyle. A lot of people are night-owls and think better at night. Some people work a full-time job and the only time they have is at night (I HIGHLY suggest taking longer to graduate and take fewer classes if this is you). Other times it's like the stars and planets align and all your classes assigned something on the same day leaving you with an awkward juggling act. Keep in mind that most all-nighters probably wouldn't have happened with better time management. In my five years as an undergrad engineer I pulled a total of one all-nighter my second to last semester. This only happened because I couldn't fall asleep so I decided to make the time productive! I also avoided overloading myself by taking a a full fifth year to manage my last upper level classes better and along the way picked up a third minor, a wonderful year of great experiences, and a full ride to grad school! | ||
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HeavOnEarth
United States7087 Posts
Im glad you're lucky you can sleep pleasantly every night, but from me and everyone else that struggles to sleep after a long tiring day , don't give advice on something you know nothing about ( oh i have had one all nighter i know everything) | ||
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Cr4zyH0r5e
Peru1308 Posts
2) What do you expect to get from your education? How well do you expect to do? - Personally, I expect to graduate with as close to a 4.0 as possible and get Suma Cum Lauden attached to my double major bacherlors. If you want something along those lines, keep your priorities straight. 3) Socialize, this should be an addendum to #1. Say hi to the people next to you if you don't feel awkward about it; make connections. 4) You're not in highschool anymore. Yet again an addendum to a previously stated point. If you went to a public school in the U.S. chances are you were never really challenged. Make sure you stay on top of your classes. Even if you don't think you need it go to study sessions, group tutors organized by school (Do it at least once) You will definitely find people who don't need the help either; this is also a good way of socializing. 5) If you're in a rather small class: be opinionated. You want your profesors to remember you for being eager to learn and providing answers (particuarly special for classes related to your major) 6) Go party. Hell man, you're in college, you have all the right to have fun; however, make sure you always have time to spare when you decide to party out. 7) Eliminate all possible external distractions. I bought a new laptop and did not install any games in it; this limits a lot what you can do during the semester/quarter but it helps keep your head straight. 8) Take naps / relax! College is stressing only if you let it be. Take a look at your homework the day it's assigned, you don't have to do it immediately, but make sure you plan things ahead and start it at least a couple days before it's due. 9) Study for every class, even if it seems easy. If a class seems TOO easy, then there is probably something more to it, and guess what? You're missing it. Remember you're attending university now, every class is meant to be challenging in one way or another. 10) Take any opportunity to expand your horizons. There surely are studying abroad programs (your financial aid applies to them) Check out which of those interest you and consider spending a semester or a year studying in another country. 11) Keep yourself motivated and have fun! College is a great experience, it's different for each person but great for most of us. Be pasionate about what you do! | ||
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Animostas
United States568 Posts
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HeavOnEarth
United States7087 Posts
find some gym rats and hang out with them. if you are a hardcore gamer like myself, leaving your laptop at home your first semester is a very good option Find a dorm that is within walking distance to a subways(or whatever food you like) / restaurant/ apartment complex(friends with cars they actually use regularly ) if you can. Talk to your professors and get to know as many classmates from your major as you can. They can and will save your ass from time to time. If you are ever up late and decide whether or not to stay up or sleep, just go to sleep. Helps you get used to waking up with less than your normal amount of sleep. Aside from business and mass communication majors you don't need to be social and make tons and tons of friends to have fun, just find a few people you have things in common with. Feel free to take the minimum # of hours and take a few summer courses, just make sure you do something with that extra time in university( make plans, make friends accordingly) As you can tell, i use my friends as motivation. Some days i will be hyped up and do everything perfectly, other days i will be depressed and lazy. friends keep you from falling out of schedule , plans help you stay committed. I recommend going to all your courses although i dont take my own advice. Myself i regularly cut corners to see how much bullshit i can put up and still get an A. Thing is, you can fuck up if you're overconfident in your ability, so i wouldn't recommend doing it until you go to your classes at least a few weeks to get a feel for them, or you're used to it. For example i went to every Calculus I class, did extra work and talked to my professor and developed ways to solve everything on my own because i needed it. Accordingly i skipped every calc II and calc III class aside from tests because i didn't need to. Even if there is attendance you can just make a study group of friends or something and ask someone to sign in everyday for you. | ||
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QuanticHawk
United States32034 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:08 Butigroove wrote: Beer before liquor, never been sicker; Shots before beer, you're in the clear! When you're thinking of not wearing a condom, do wear one. Study/read all semester, not just before midterms/finals. Try everything at the cafe, and learn what you like, if you have a meal plan. Wooo college in the bag lol The beer before liquor thing only applies if you drink like a little girl. If you've got a set of balls and chest hair, don't even worry. Learn your own tolerances. besides that, this is accurate. | ||
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duckett
United States589 Posts
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jamesr12
United States1549 Posts
On December 13 2010 14:27 Prozen wrote: Yeah, I have no idea why I would need duct tape. XD shit breaks, duct tape fixes everything, plus a roll of duct tape will take up like no space, trust me and bring it even if you dont need it someone in your hall will and if you have it youll be the man | ||
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QuanticHawk
United States32034 Posts
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Bortlett
United States302 Posts
Edit: If you care about your grades, you'll figure out which classes you can and can't skip. If you miss a class, it's really not the end of the world (as long as it's not midterm/finals day ). | ||
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Joementum
787 Posts
On December 12 2010 17:08 Butigroove wrote: Beer before liquor, never been sicker; Shots before beer, you're in the clear! When you're thinking of not wearing a condom, do wear one. Study/read all semester, not just before midterms/finals. Try everything at the cafe, and learn what you like, if you have a meal plan. Wooo college in the bag lol Forgot the most important thing about drinking. Know your limits. You don't want to be that one guy that everyone remembers because you puked all over your friend's dorm. | ||
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Prozen
United States338 Posts
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Servius_Fulvius
United States947 Posts
On December 13 2010 20:13 HeavOnEarth wrote: Some people just can't sleep. Im glad you're lucky you can sleep pleasantly every night, but from me and everyone else that struggles to sleep after a long tiring day , don't give advice on something you know nothing about ( oh i have had one all nighter i know everything) For your information, I know exactly what I'm talking about... I had some really bad stress management issues halfway through college. No, I couldn't sleep soundly every night. A few years ago I couldn't go a full night without waking up in a near panic halfway through the night. Anxiety issues were so bad that if I had a stimulant as mild as caffeine I'd have a panic attack, so I was stuck feeling exhausted ALL THE TIME. After almost a year of feeling like a prisoner in my own body I attended meditation sessions run through the counseling center. My nerves loaded me up with so much adrenaline that the second I started to relax I'd fall alseep soundly the rest of the session. I finally settled on a technique recommended by insomniacs. I stopped doing homework and work-related things in my room. My room was an escape from it all. I only ever relaxed, hung our with friends, and slept in it. Once I kept all my stressful activities outside my safe zone I had an easier time relaxing. The few times I've done homework in my apartment for grad school I haven't been able to sleep for hours. Give it a shot if you haven't already. And yes, I could have pulled MANY all-nighters due to procrastination. I chose not to and frequently turned in homework that was half done. The resulting grades were marvelous motivators to start homework earlier. If you're having a hard time relaxing after a long and tiring day I highly recommend having safe, relaxing places and practicing deep-breathing and online meditation exercises or pod-casts when you want to unwind. I also own a lamp with "glow lights" recommended by a campus therapist for wintertime blues (lamp + lights were about $20 total). Physical activity such as running, or even taking extended walks, helps run off the extra energy your nerves create. Someone not being able to sleep is usually a sign of something else going on. It's up to that person to do something about it... College Tip #13). If you have an issue, be it mental health or otherwise, utilize your campus resources instead of victimizing yourself to something under your control. | ||
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HollowLord
United States3862 Posts
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/XllGa.jpg) This shit will save your life. | ||
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HeavOnEarth
United States7087 Posts
On December 14 2010 17:08 Servius_Fulvius wrote: For your information, I know exactly what I'm talking about... I had some really bad stress management issues halfway through college. No, I couldn't sleep soundly every night. A few years ago I couldn't go a full night without waking up in a near panic halfway through the night. Anxiety issues were so bad that if I had a stimulant as mild as caffeine I'd have a panic attack, so I was stuck feeling exhausted ALL THE TIME. After almost a year of feeling like a prisoner in my own body I attended meditation sessions run through the counseling center. My nerves loaded me up with so much adrenaline that the second I started to relax I'd fall alseep soundly the rest of the session. I finally settled on a technique recommended by insomniacs. I stopped doing homework and work-related things in my room. My room was an escape from it all. I only ever relaxed, hung our with friends, and slept in it. Once I kept all my stressful activities outside my safe zone I had an easier time relaxing. The few times I've done homework in my apartment for grad school I haven't been able to sleep for hours. Give it a shot if you haven't already. And yes, I could have pulled MANY all-nighters due to procrastination. I chose not to and frequently turned in homework that was half done. The resulting grades were marvelous motivators to start homework earlier. If you're having a hard time relaxing after a long and tiring day I highly recommend having safe, relaxing places and practicing deep-breathing and online meditation exercises or pod-casts when you want to unwind. I also own a lamp with "glow lights" recommended by a campus therapist for wintertime blues (lamp + lights were about $20 total). Physical activity such as running, or even taking extended walks, helps run off the extra energy your nerves create. Someone not being able to sleep is usually a sign of something else going on. It's up to that person to do something about it... College Tip #13). If you have an issue, be it mental health or otherwise, utilize your campus resources instead of victimizing yourself to something under your control. I don't study in my room, i regularly work out , i've spent over 1k $ + on sleep aid equipment. I've also been medically diagnosed with sleep apnea. (Hooked me up with 50 wires and did a test on me while i slept) I wake up paralyzed and hallucinate on a regular basis. Internet Tip #13) Don't assume your life experiences = someone else's, and definitely don't try to be a douche bag about it otherwise you might end up looking like an idiot. victimizing yourself to something under your control. Someone not being able to sleep is usually a sign of something else going on. It's up to that person to do something about it... A phrase i learned from house: Stop projecting yourself onto others  Sounds like you just stopped drinking coffee and started working out, stopped procrastinating HW and bought a tiny 20$ lamp thing. I've spent 4-5 years and thousands of dollars and hours of my personal time trying to fix my issues, going from perfectly happy kid to mentally unstable and severely depressed (im better these days) I'll agree with you on this point: i probably have something else going on. But i disagree that it's something that is easy to fix as it was for you. or something i even know exists. So far may be 1) My personal anger issues 2) unhappy with my major 3) stress from gf 4) Never have found a friend i can completely relate to/ share everything with. 5) stress from life/ death of people i know etc etc. | ||
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Servius_Fulvius
United States947 Posts
I'm sorry you've experienced a lot with a sleeping condition. However, you've further emphasized my original point - if you have something wrong, do something about it. For me, that included thousands in medical bills to diagnose and treat general anxiety disorder, an ulcer, and a number of lifestyle changes that greatly aggravated the condition before making it better. No, it was not an "easy fix", it was two very hard years, but the summary of what works is terse (the process leading to it would take about 5 pages). Things like this don't "go away"; I'm living with it the rest of my life. Because of this I know a ton about relaxation and gave a bunch of advice about it. Evidently you know more about sleep, so you could probably give some great pointers! The OP asked for college advice. You have given none. Stop trolling for a fight, act like an adult, and give some meaningful contribution | ||
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Frits
11782 Posts
a loooooot do whatever you feel like all day and study fun stuff Oh and give up gaming in college, noone likes gamers except for gamers. | ||
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Insanious
Canada1251 Posts
1) Duct tape: things break, for me, the screws fell out of the chair my school provided me in my dorm room... duct tape fixed that until they brought a replacement. Duct tape also lets you hang things without putting holes in the walls. 2) Multi-tool: You need a screwdriver? Saw? etc... why bring a bunch of tools that take up a bunch of room when you can have 1 tool that does everything you need? 3) Laundry hamper/basket... simple enough, but tonnes of people needed to buy them their first few days in my dorm because well... you need to do your own laundry and you need to have a way to take your laundry to the washers/dryers 4) Cups, simply I know... but you will want them for drinking (not just booze, water or juice or w/e too) not having them really sucks when you have to use a water fountain all the time. 5) Mini-fridge = amazing, you will need one. with this you can get a water filter, juice jug, milk, butter, ketchup, etc... and keeps your beer cold. there will always be things that you can put into a minifridge and buying stuff like milk and cereal from a grocery store rather than the caff will save you tonnes of money. 6) Lamp, bring a lamp... depending on how your rooms are set up, having to turn on the room light to see anything at mid-night sucks for you (bye bye night vision) and sucks for your room-mate (especially if you have "traditional" rooms) 7) alarm clock, you will need to set alarms, and sometimes your phone will die... having an alarm clock plugged in and ringing will help - - - - - Onto tips for college... Really I only have one... be out going. It doesn't matter how you act in a class, as long as you meet people. If you make a fool of your self no one will remember the next week, a month later, next semester class sizes are so large and campus is so big people wont know you were the guy that made a fool of himself in first year math unless you tell them... if you are outgoing you can meet people from all walks of life, if you talk people will naturally talk back to you. At university, especially first year, everyone is off on their own, knowing few people at the school. People want to make friends, especially ones that can help them out in a pinch (from "hey bro, i don't know how to do this and have my exam tomorrow", to something simple like "do you have a band-aid I cut my self".) Just be your self, and be out going.... people will like you for you, at least some people are... this isn't high school, there are tens of thousands of people going to your university, and most of them don't care who you are. You can be you and there will be no popular kid bullshit. People hang out with everyone, because at the end of the day it only matters who made it to graduation and who didn't since you don't want to piss off a peer because you never know who will be your boss one day .Just have fun, be your self, you will be invited out, you will make friends, doesn't matter what you are into or what you hate, there will be hundreds of people at your university that like the same things you do... | ||
LosingID8
CA10824 Posts
i played too much during my freshman year and i regret it. this isn't to say i didn't have a social life, but if i could redo my college experience over again i would have limited my SC to something like once a week. i uninstalled it from my computer during soph year and a) my gpa for that semester went up by around 0.3 and b) i had more time and spent more time with friends | ||
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Nervegas
United States45 Posts
Anyway my tips are this: 1) NEVER stay up so late you sleep through class, get rest, its important. 2) Use the on campus health center as soon as you start feeling remotely sick, don't wait until you have the flu during your psych final. 3) Keep water handy, get 2 nalgene water bottles and keep them full in the fridge, drink water before and after alcohol, hangovers in an advanced stats class at 8am are not fun. Plus, bring a bottle in class, drink water all the time. 4) Workout at least 3 times a week, not only will you just be more in shape, you will be able to focus in class and when studying, plus not get sick as often. 5) Find how you study best, don't use the cookie cutter advice, find what works for you. For me it was a quiet bench under a tree outside the student union with my ipod. Take breaks when studying, don't just cram. 6) Read in advance, don't wait til the night before. Take notes in class when the professor teaches from a powerpoint or just talks about stuff that isn't necessarily in the book. 7) Find which classes are going to be a cakewalk, and which are harder and budget your study time accordingly. 8) If you have a meal plan, then use the cafeteria as often as you can, just don't overeat since its an all you can eat, still get your fruits and veggies. Budget your monthly income, don't waste it all on booze! 9) Study hard for finals, give yourself an incentive, like getting a new game, or new mouse for yourself after you are done for the semester. 10) HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS!!! Don't become a recluse and study and play sc all day in your dorm. College is also about the social aspect, even it means having a LAN party with other gamers. GET SOME SUN! Go outside every day! 11) Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugar on a regular basis, they don't help you study or focus for exams, also don't take adderol(unless you have a prescription for it), I knew students who got into using it to focus for exams and two of them were denied top internships because of it. 12) HAVE FUN!!!! Don't become a study rat and never let loose, you will lose your mind from the stress. PS: Even with work and gaming and a social life I graduated Cum Laude with a 3.6, so it is possible to do it. | ||
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HeavOnEarth
United States7087 Posts
On December 16 2010 02:30 Servius_Fulvius wrote: I'm being the douche? You mocked me in your first post and called me names in the second. Chill out, will ya? I'm sorry you've experienced a lot with a sleeping condition. However, you've further emphasized my original point - if you have something wrong, do something about it. For me, that included thousands in medical bills to diagnose and treat general anxiety disorder, an ulcer, and a number of lifestyle changes that greatly aggravated the condition before making it better. No, it was not an "easy fix", it was two very hard years, but the summary of what works is terse (the process leading to it would take about 5 pages). Things like this don't "go away"; I'm living with it the rest of my life. Because of this I know a ton about relaxation and gave a bunch of advice about it. Evidently you know more about sleep, so you could probably give some great pointers! The OP asked for college advice. You have given none. Stop trolling for a fight, act like an adult, and give some meaningful contribution Your first post you explained nothing about your sitatuion so i responded accordingly. You can be childish and assume im mocking you, sure. In your response you failed to list you did anything other than spend 20$ on a tiny lamp to fix your problems, while asserting you "know exactly what you're talking about" So again i called you out on your shit. Only now you are saying you spent thousands on medical bills and spent 2 years fixing "anxiety disorder" Which i wouldn't have obviously made my previous post if u had listed that. I responded to your lack of information and condescending speech the way anyone else would have. Stop projecting , you're the one trolling for a fight, as you even said so yourself, you responded to my first post ( that wasn't even directed at you) because you took offense to it. I was just giving advice to the OP, not talking to you. But it makes sense because u claim i never even gave any advice so you mustve just skimmed it and posted out of frustration. why don't you grow up and act like an adult? I mean talk about hypocritical , calling out someone for contributing nothing with a post of yourself that contributes nothing. hahaha. why don't you PM me unless you're done. | ||
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TheGreatWhiteHope_
United States335 Posts
On December 12 2010 19:52 javy925 wrote: absolutely never ever ever skip class. you will regret it in the end Skip class. | ||
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