The top things one can expect from College / University...

[jak722]

Yes im bored... and I havent made a thread in a while... :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

Im graduating this year and I only have 4 more months till I go...

 

 

 

Realizing this (maybe a little too slowly), I figured I'd need money to spend. And lots of it too! So of course im gonna need a summer job...

 

 

 

I also realized that since im gonna be living in campus, I need to buy other stuff as well... Which I have no idea atm...

 

 

 

Books and supplies will also be needed... How much they will cost me, I have no clue either.

 

 

 

Then theres food... Ah yes... I thought I could live with a can of beans a day, but I figured thats not realistic so I may need to revise that plan too.

 

 

 

Transportation is another matter... I may be going into another city, and of course, my bus pass would be useless... And since I have no car, then that leaves me high and dry...

 

 

 

 

 

Then theres the studies of course. Guidance councellors and teachers at my school kept telling us how hard its gonna be. (15% mark drop, 3 hours of reading per lecture, proper grammar or else zero mark and etc...)

 

 

 

Its scaring me... :cry:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking about it now, I think im not really prepared to handle whats gonna happen to me 4 months from now...

 

 

 

 

 

So im asking, What are the Top, lets say 3, things one can expect from College / University? :|

 

 

 

Or any advice you can impart. =]

[weezcake]

1. Don't rely on the professor -- you'll be expected to be doing your readings ON YOUR OWN. Also, if you don't do a paper or turn it in late, expect an F (a lot of my professors don't accept late papers). :)

 

 

 

2. Curves -- these are fun and usually work in your favor. 90% of the time, your final and test grades will be curved (because a lot of professors are researchers, not teachers). Just be aware of the curve breakers!

 

 

 

3. Fun -- You'll have fun, since you're living on campus. You're starting on a clean slate -- almost no one will know you, except for friends from high school. Have fun and try new things!

 

 

 

Answers to your questions:

 

 

 

I also realized that since im gonna be living in campus, I need to buy other stuff as well... Which I have no idea atm...

 

 

 

You'll need your basic stuff. Your clothes, bathroom products, shoes, sandals (for the bathroom, especially), a TV (for your video games, hehe), sheets, and a refrigerator. Of course paper, supplies, etc.

 

 

 

Books and supplies will also be needed... How much they will cost me, I have no clue either.

 

 

 

Books cost me about $200-$300 per quarter. I spent about $700 this year on books; after selling them back on Amazon.com, I probably spent about $500. Big textbooks like your math book will cost about $100. Smaller books range from $10 to $60.

 

 

 

Then theres food... Ah yes... I thought I could live with a can of beans a day, but I figured thats not realistic so I may need to revise that plan too.

 

 

 

Most dorms have cafeterias or dining commons for food. They force me to buy 90 meals/quarter when living in the dorms; that's about 1-2 meals a day. You shouldn't have to worry about food if you're living in the dorms.

 

 

 

Transportation is another matter... I may be going into another city, and of course, my bus pass would be useless... And since I have no car, then that leaves me high and dry...

 

 

 

Walking on campus isn't too bad! Or try a bike, if your campus allows for it :)

 

 

 

Then theres the studies of course. Guidance councellors and teachers at my school kept telling us how hard its gonna be. (15% mark drop, 3 hours of reading per lecture, proper grammar or else zero mark and etc...)

 

 

 

They lie. It will be different and it will take some time to get used to; my grades dropped the first quarter, since I wasn't used to the college environment. There's a good amount of homework per class, but you'll probably only be taking 4-5 at once. Most classes assign "optional" homework, which will help you study but is not mandatory. Most social science classes assign readings instead of papers most of the time. :)

 

 

 

 

 

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If you have any more questions, feel free to IM me! I wish I had someone answer all these questions for me when I moved into my dorm last September!

[lemonberri]

I'm currently a freshman/ rising sophomore and I speak only from my own experience so far...

 

 

 

Books and supplies will also be needed... How much they will cost me, I have no clue either.

 

Books will probably cost you a few hundred dollars per semester. If you can borrow them from a friend or buy them used, I'd recommend that. This past semester I spent $200 on books instead of the $500 I would've spent had I bought everything at list price.

 

 

 

Then theres food... Ah yes... I thought I could live with a can of beans a day, but I figured thats not realistic so I may need to revise that plan too.

 

Most people eat in the dining hall. Our school forces you to have a dining contract freshman and sophomore year.

 

 

 

Transportation is another matter... I may be going into another city, and of course, my bus pass would be useless... And since I have no car, then that leaves me high and dry...

 

If you're on a city campus, public transportation should be sufficient. You're going to be there for a good chunk of time, so getting another bus pass shouldn't be too much of a problem. If you're not on a city campus, most times you really don't need to go off campus. I don't miss my car at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Then theres the studies of course. Guidance councellors and teachers at my school kept telling us how hard its gonna be. (15% mark drop, 3 hours of reading per lecture, proper grammar or else zero mark and etc...)

 

Don't worry too much about it. Classes might be harder, but keep in mind that they're harder for everyone. 3 hours of reading per lecture is about right, but lecture is only twice a week. As far as getting a zero for poor grammar... that's a pretty big exaggeration.

 

 

 

I think im not really prepared to handle whats gonna happen to me 4 months from now...

 

A college wouldn't have accepted you if it didn't think you'd be able to handle its workload. It'll take a bit of adjustment, but I'm sure you'll be fine. :)

 

 

 

All in all, college is a lot of fun. =] Take classes seriously but don't worry about it too much -- at least, not until you're on campus. And make sure to try new things. There's so many opportunities, try to take advantage of them. In the meantime, do research/visit the colleges that you're seriously considering before you make your final decision. And relax!

[ForsakenMage]

My current situation is quite similar to yours, but thankfully I have relatives and friends (including Weezcake haha) to help me out. :P I'm about to transfer to a university from a community college.

 

 

 

1. Expect stairs and crowds. Lots of them. It's not an easy walk through the park.

 

 

 

2. Read your material and go to class. The professors aren't there to take your hand and guide you through the term. Your job is to show that you are able to understand the material and put in your own words. Do not plagerize!!! Many professors will be furious if you do something like this.

 

 

 

3. Watch out for deadlines, both for coursework AND campus-related stuff like add/withdraw/drop dates for classes, financial aid, etc.

 

 

 

Realizing this (maybe a little too slowly), I figured I'd need money to spend. And lots of it too! So of course im gonna need a summer job...

Start looking NOW. Jobs go fast, especially this time of year. You especially should try to find a job that is relatively close to your intended major. It'll help you gain more experience and hopefully better-paying jobs as you go through higher education. There are programs at the schools that offer work study where you work on campus as a tutor, library assistant, etc.

I also realized that since im gonna be living in campus' date=' I need to buy other stuff as well... Which I have no idea atm...[/quote']The basics like Weezcake said: clothes, bathroom stuff, shoes (wear shoes comfortable for running and walking; sandals when you walk around your living quarters), extra bedsheets (hey you have to change them now and again unless you wanna sleep on your sweat), normal school supplies, phone (cell phone is fine, just don't forget the charger). You may want to get a laptop too if you like to make it more convenient to do your work.

Books and supplies will also be needed... How much they will cost me' date=' I have no clue either.[/quote']Most schools will give out a list of books and where you can buy them. Research is key when it comes to books; never wait until your professor tells you what books you need. You need to get them fast or they will be out of stock or the prices go up in the school bookstores.

 

 

 

Half.com is a site popular among university students here that allows people to sell their books to other students for a lot cheaper than the bookstore. Amazon.com is also your friend. :P This will save you lots more money than going to the school bookstore. Also, make sure you get the right edition that the professor wants. You do NOT want to get lost in the class. I spend about $200-300 per semester with my books because I try to buy all used ones. You can sell your books back on-line to get some money back, or sell to other students. Make sure you keep your prices lower than the school bookstores so that you actually get a buyer. :P

Then theres food... Ah yes... I thought I could live with a can of beans a day, but I figured thats not realistic so I may need to revise that plan too.

Residence halls normally include meal plans for you. :P But if you're going to be renting an apartment with a small kitchen, do not try to survive on Ramen noodles. Get some basic cooking skills like boiling some vegetables, frying eggs and making rice. You can try meat, but my advice there: better overcooked than undercooked (unless you like rare and/or medium rare stuff). For me, at the moment I'm able to cook vegetables, rice, noodles (not Ramen), make some soups. If you just keep your meals simple you'll be able to save some money. Sure it's okay to treat yourself now and again, but don't feed yourself on junky foods. You need to keep healthy, especially if you're going to school far away from home and relatives and there won't be anyone really to take care of you.

Transportation is another matter... I may be going into another city' date=' and of course, my bus pass would be useless... And since I have no car, then that leaves me high and dry...[/quote']Some other cities might have bus passes. See if there is a discount for students. Walking and biking is a great way to stay in shape and to travel too. Get to know your dorm buddies and see if anyone can give you a ride now and again, especially if they live in your hometown and you want to go home for the holidays.

Then theres the studies of course. Guidance councellors and teachers at my school kept telling us how hard its gonna be. (15% mark drop' date=' 3 hours of reading per lecture, proper grammar or else zero mark and etc...)[/quote']Exaggeration! Lies! Once you've adapted to the system, it gets much easier so long as you manage your time well. Personally I don't even spend three hours per lecture reading material. You'll find that sometimes your courses will overlap and that will help save time for studying. :)

Its scaring me... :cry:

Aww don't cry. *Hugs!* You'll do okay! :) Just manage your money and time well. It's one of the steps going into adulthood. :P

 

 

 

If you want, you can try doing what I did, although I don't recommend it very much. I don't think every country has this sort of thing either.

 

 

 

What I have done is gone through community college, a two-year institution that allows me to do my lower-division coursework and transfer the units to the university I will transfer to after I'm finished. You can save a lot of money doing this, and sometimes don't have to spend much at all. In my first year, I qualified for a fee waiver that paid my tuition, health services fees, and student activity fees. I also received a grant from the government. All I had to pay for were my books and registration fee, but because of the grant, I essentially paid nothing for three terms. Had I had to pay for everything, I would've spent roughly $3,000. That's little compared to normal four-year institutions, which can cost over $20,000.

 

 

 

As you can see, financial aid is your friend. Apply for it and get grants, scholarships, and loans if you are able to. I'm pretty sure the guidance counselors talked about it with you. Watch out for the interest rates on the loans though. You do NOT want to be heavily in debt when you graduate!

 

 

 

Good luck! :)

[Centuramage]

Eh...well, I'm almost finished with my first year at my respective university. My tenure here will be shorter than most, but I'll impart what knowledge I can -

 

 

 

1) Expect to walk. Alot. I walk somewhere between 3 and 5 miles a day...from class to class, to professor's office hours, uptown to pick up supplies, to dining halls, etc.

 

 

 

2) Expect alot of people to like Dave Matthews and/or O.A.R. For whatever reason, those two bands seem to be college staples.

 

 

 

3) Expect alot of binge drinking. Cheap, watery beer is the main source of nutrition for many college students.

 

 

 

4) Use ratemyprofessors.com. That website contains student-provided information for most professors at every school in the country.

 

 

 

5) Don't buy your books until you've been to every class at least once first. I've saved at least $300 worth of books because I didn't buy the ones that weren't totally necessary.

 

 

 

6) When you do purchase your books, use online resources, not your campus bookstore. Your campus bookstore, if it's like most, will charge you an arm, a leg, and your firstborn child for a semester's worth of books.

 

 

 

7) Don't be intimidated by the awkwardness of the first weekend. Remember that everyone in your dorm is in exactly the same situation you are.

 

 

 

8) If you decide to be a partier, do not travel to parties in an enormous pack. That's a telltale sign that you're a first-year student. Arriving in groups of 2 or 3 is much less conspicuous

 

 

 

9) Don't let the amount of free time deceive you into procrastinating. You'll have alot more free time than you did in high school. Use it wisely.

 

 

 

10) Develop a set of rules for your room between you and your roommate. You'll avoid alot of conflict if you do this early.

 

 

 

11) Get to know your professors. If they're anything like my professors, they're wonderfully eclectic people who are very passionate about their field and will often be very accomodating(sic?) to their students should the occasion arise. Don't be afraid to talk to them if you're having a problem in their class or meeting a deadline. They've been doing this for a while, they understand the difficulty of being in college, especially in that semester of transition.

 

 

 

12) Form study-groups. There's nothing that can force you to study material you don't particularly care about except for 3 or 4 of your peers nagging the snot out of you day in and day out.

 

 

 

13) Prepare yourself adequately for the rigors of collegiate coursework. This isn't high school. You will have to work harder and longer to achieve the same grades. Remember looking down on the kids who dropped out of high school or spent 5 or 6 years getting their diploma? Well, that's common in college. If you aren't careful, you could end up being one of those. For some classes, you will need to study 2 hours for every hour you're in lecture. Plan accordingly.

 

 

 

14) Regardless of your major, try to work one class into each semester that's unrelated but you really have an interest in. It helps relieve tension, really. I'm taking an Indian Philosophy course as a Mechanical Engineer and loving every minute of it.

 

 

 

15) Live an active lifestyle. You're going to be in your late-teens/early-twenties while in college. And while academics are your primary purpose, make sure that you don't just sit around for the rest of your time...some people join clubs, others volunteer...me personally, I play guitar all the time and occasionally play at bars near campus. Find something to do that gets you away from the stresses and strains of achieving your bachelor's degree.

 

 

 

16) Be friendly to everyone. It doesn't cost anything to be nice. And you never know when you're going to meet with a certain person again. You may not see them ever again...but you may have to work with them on a project...you may share a class with them...they may be the door-person at a club or a bar you're waiting in line for. How do you want them to remember you in those cases?

 

 

 

Hm. That's about it for now. Hope I helped!

[jak722]

Theres dozens of points there I couldn't even imagine... :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

Im in the school library atm, but I think im gonna print these out later.

 

 

 

THANK YOU soo much guys! ^_^

[insane]

Centuramage has it all down I think, except I know here in Canada you can expect to pay a TON for campus food - it's robbery. You can expect to pay up to $3.50 for a tiny slice of pizza - and dorm meals go for $12 - it's all you can eat, but still, $12 a meal?

 

 

 

And against Centuramage, I'd advise not to binge drink or go to too many parties - I've seen so many students do this and end up dropping out as a result. University is deceitful that way - it gives you so much free time that you end up not using any of it.

[Anesthesia]

From my experience on a computer related degree:

 

 

 

Don't expect a degree to teach you everything there is to know about your subject. Expect to skim the surface of a dozen topics but to not go deep into any one. You are expected to do that on your own if you are interested enough.

[jak722]

I still havent checked what type of dorm im gonna go with.

 

 

 

1 person room = costs more and has no stove - means I need a meal plan of some sort...

 

 

 

2 person room = costs slightly less but still has no stove...

 

 

 

group rooms = really cheap and theres a stove and a bathroom but im not sure about the people im gonna be living with...

 

 

 

 

 

:?

[Phil]

Its scaring me... :cry:

 

Don't be scared by it. When you get there, everyone you are starting with will be in the same situation as you. The uni/lecturers will make sure you are sorted. It's not as if they are just going to leave you behind.

 

 

 

Before I went to uni, teachers were telling me it would be very difficult, but I still managed without too much trouble to begin with :P

 

 

 

You will soon get into the routine and you will learn in first year what it takes to do the work.

 

 

 

Uni seemed a lot more duanting to me than it actually turned out to be. I had fun when I was at there.

 

 

 

Just don't get too worried by it all.

[Bubsa]

Jak, if it's any consolation, you're not the only one scared. I'm leaving Liverpool to go to London next year on a couse by myself, in a big big city, on a degree in which I'm not going to enter the profession afterwards. I give the impression I just mess about, care-free and got no worries but I assure you, I'm bricking one as well.

 

 

 

I don't wanna grow up.

[cadburys_egg]

I don't wanna grow up.

 

 

 

Show me a person who wants to and ill show you a stoned cat :roll:

[MPM]

College is extremly irritating and confusing and more irritation and a lot of stress. If you can handle all of that,you will do rather well.

 

 

 

Realizing this (maybe a little too slowly), I figured I'd need money to spend. And lots of it too! So of course im gonna need a summer job...

 

Make sure to enjoy your SR summer. I worked for all of mine, so I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could have. The money is nice, but you can always mooch off your parents (so i've heard.

 

 

 

I also realized that since im gonna be living in campus, I need to buy other stuff as well... Which I have no idea atm...

 

Heh... First time away from parents? For the standard college student living in a dorm, you need: Bedsheets, clothing, computer, backpack, soap, shampoo, and towles. Thats the bare minimum. I lived in the overflow section for my first semester, and thats allI brought with me. Did perfectly fine.

 

 

 

Books and supplies will also be needed... How much they will cost me, I have no clue either.

 

Hard to say. My first semester I dont think I spent over 150 on books. 2nd, I spent almost 500... Even after selling my books back. Oh yeah, Dont expect a lot when selling books back, you wont get anything.

 

Something that might help is if you order youbooks online from ebay or soemthing. It may turn out cheaper.

 

 

 

Then theres food... Ah yes... I thought I could live with a can of beans a day, but I figured thats not realistic so I may need to revise that plan too.

 

If you live in a dorm, you should be forced a meal plan at the cafe there.... Ew... Just quickly learn what you should/shouldnt eat there and you will be fine.

 

 

 

Transportation is another matter... I may be going into another city, and of course, my bus pass would be useless... And since I have no car, then that leaves me high and dry...

 

For the most part, you dont want a car. First year college students havnt gotten into the swing of things, so theyc annot afford to buy the gas they need to keep it running. Get youself a nice 10 speed bike and practice riding it a lot this summer so you get use to the hot. Have some weather resistant clothing for when it rains and such, and some really thick clothing for when it is cold.

 

 

 

Then theres the studies of course. Guidance councellors and teachers at my school kept telling us how hard its gonna be. (15% mark drop, 3 hours of reading per lecture, proper grammar or else zero mark and etc...)

 

That better scare you. They ARE NOT joking. The reason 12 hours at a college is considered as a full time student is because not only do you have to go to 12 hours of class a week, you also need to study. The 3 hours is just the recommended minimum for every hour spent in class. If you dont know how to study, learn how to quickly. Take advantage of study groups, help groups, and of course, get to know the professor. They will be nicer to you on grades if you do.

 

 

 

Now that i've scared you a bit, I want to tell you to make sure you have fun. Its college. You don't have parents telling you what to do all the time, and even though you arent really an adult yet(you dont have the training), you area almost one and you get to make your one decesions.

 

Don't have too much fun. If you do, you will flunk out. Trust me. Its extremely hard to stay in college.

 

 

 

Like whoever said, weez or magey, You are going to the school where noone knows you at all. If you have wished that you could change youself, but didnt because the people in your school knew you, do it. Be more outgoing, be frienlier, change you look. Do whatever you want to do.

[Lordjake]

Expect to have a lot of free time in college. You'll have maybe 4 hours of classes per day, so take away 8 hours of sleep about, and you'll have a full 12 hours of free time. Learn to manage the time as quickly as possible, or else you might start getting lower grades than one might hope.

 

 

 

As for sleep, I'm usually very happy to get over 8:30 of sleep on a weeknight. Get a good alarm clock so you don't miss early classes. And move it out of reach from your bed so you need to get up to turn it off.

 

 

 

And there will probably be many bands visiting nearby towns within driving distance. Someone mentioned OAR, who actually came to my uni last month.

 

 

 

If freshmen aren't allowed to have cars on campus, it's best to make friends with an upperclassman with a car ASAP :)

 

 

 

And buying books will put a big dent in your wallet. I usually only get 25% of what I originally paid back, when i resell the books.

[insane]

From my experience on a computer related degree:

 

 

 

Don't expect a degree to teach you everything there is to know about your subject. Expect to skim the surface of a dozen topics but to not go deep into any one. You are expected to do that on your own if you are interested enough.

 

 

 

In my (one year of) experience, and looking on to year two and three, we go a little further than skim the surface, but you're generally the same as me - dozens of topics, but you don't go too far into any of them. For instance, there's an oracle/database course I can take second year, but after that, there's nothing more about it I can take in third/fourth year. This isn't surprising seeing as it's a university and not a college, though.

[Mercifull]

Years of debt, barely any money for food and the same worthless degree as a million other people... but you'll have a great time ^_^

[Anesthesia]

Seeing as how every university's course structure for any given degree is different, how do a million other people have the same one?

 

 

 

Your post does sound like it was made by someone bitter about not having a degree...

[Mr_Putter]

Seeing as how every university's course structure for any given degree is different, how do a million other people have the same one?

 

 

 

Your post does sound like it was made by someone bitter about not having a degree...

Buuuurn.

 

 

 

And I'll be pretty much in the same situation as you, but in 1 year. I have no money saved up, have no idea what it's going to be like, have no clue what I'm taking (you have this established though, right?), have never spent time away from home, am not very sociable, already spend all my free time to maintain fair grades. I'm screwed :|.

 

 

 

I guess my point is, you're not alone.

[Anesthesia]

No one's alone at university. If you're sociable and want to go out all the time then there are plenty like you, if you're quiet and want to stay in and socialise there are plenty like you, if you don't want any friends and just want a darkened room all to yourself there are plenty like you.

 

 

 

I was in a different situation when I first went though, my long term girlfriend was going to the same place. This helped because I got to make friends with her friends and vice versa.

[Pete_the_Viscous]

That's why I want to know some people who are going to the place I'm going -- It'll make it much easier to meet a wider range of people; people I might not have met otherwise.

[1_man_army]

Im just doing my first year atm, so I know exactly how your feeling because I had the same fears and anxieties this time last year.

 

 

 

The best advice I can give you is dont worry and enjoy the experience of meeting new friends. Also its never as bad as you fear it will be - first year is really just there to get you used to the change from highschool to university and begin to introduce you to your subject.

[kido14]

For instance, there's an oracle/database course I can take second year, but after that, there's nothing more about it I can take in third/fourth year.

 

I'm a junior in high school, and I'm taking a two period class with oracle and programming(like Java), and I really don't like oracle :? . Though it is starting to get better because we are getting more in depth with the SQL statements and creating tables, instead of creating ERDs.

 

 

 

On topic: While I am only a juior in highschool, I have visited about 3 or 4 colleges so far (all in the state of North Carolina). One of the main things that I am looking forward to is the freedom, as some people have mentioned. Walking around and seeing college students having a picnic, throwing the frisbee, or doing anything they want in between classes has been one of the things that has made me look forward to college rather than be apprehensive towards it. Hopefully I will learn some time management by the time I'm in college :) .

 

Another thing that I have been looking forward to is actually being able to learn a subject that I'm interested in. After hearing a lot of things you guys have said, it sounds like you don't really go in depth. Does this just depend on the college/professors or what?

[Phil]

Another thing that I have been looking forward to is actually being able to learn a subject that I'm interested in. After hearing a lot of things you guys have said, it sounds like you don't really go in depth. Does this just depend on the college/professors or what?

 

I think it would depend on what your course is.

 

For example my ocourse was Information Systems, which only touched the surface of a lot of different subject - from 'VLDB' to 'starting you own business'.

 

Although I'm not sure exactly I would have thought something like an "Advance Networking' or a "Software Engineering" degree would go much more in depth.

 

 

 

Then again you have the chance to go in depth in a specific subject by doing honours here, not sure what it's like in America though.

[Nahdrav]

Gettin laid

 

 

 

Giggidy Giggidy(please dont ban me)

[Deeno13]

I havn't yet made the jump to college but I might be able to give you a few tips on transportation. Bikes are a great way to get around. I would suggest a mountain bikes even if you just use it for getting around. Road bikes despite being alot of fun look a little dorky :oops:. Another helpful thing I've noticed on a few campus tours is that somtimes the campus police will provide an escort service after it gets dark. Some schools had programs so you could just call a officer and get a ride and others have programs were the police car comes to a certain place on campus ever hour or so. Look into that as walking at night can be cold, dangerous, and scary! :P Good luck on college Jak!