Goodbye, So Long, Fare Thee Well

Wow .. That's a much better goodbye than mine but it will probably get zapped. I hope this post doesn't get lost, and you get to read it.

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Originally Posted by Angry_Citizen The game, however, must go. I cannot sit idly by and be sucked into a game when education demands my concentration. I realise I will not be that busy during college, especially the first year, but I am not going to run the risk. I have heard too many horror stories of people trying and failing at college because some other pursuit demanded too much of their time. The game will be gone at least a year. I will not return until a) I'm kicked out, b) I fail miserably at schoolwork and kick myself out, or c) (ideally) I'm adjusted to life in a large University and have loads of idle time. (...) You may have been wondering when I'd be soliciting advice... well, this is it. I'm a first generation college student. None of my friends are college graduates (except for the two I've mentioned by name above), none of my family are college graduates, and in general, I am completely and totally alone in my desire to pursue higher education. I know nothing about it - nothing. If anyone, anyone has any tips they wish they'd known, or habits they wish they'd gotten into, or just anything you can think of... please, let me know now.

I hate to say it, but if you truely want to get ahead in this economy, there are a few things that you will need to do, and wish I did. The first is not to get tied down to one location, be willing to move anywhere, and I mean anywhere. This means ditching any women that you may meet or have met if they aren't willing to move with you. No exceptions ... I love my wife dearly, but I would not be in Pennsylvania with a BS in computer science if I did not met her.

Another thing is, look for a job after the second to last year, and before your last year of college. I will always kick myself for not doing that. Get experience, a degree isn't enough. Get summer interns and work for free if you have to (if you can afford it). The more experience you get before you get out of college, the better off you will be. Again, something else I wish I did.

The last thing I would do is stay away from games like the plague. Find a less time consuming hobby that won't take up so much of your study time. If you have time to sit down and play a game, you have time to find a job and work for free (if need be). Don't drive yourself nuts though. Go to parties and hook up with women, but don't stay with any that aren't willing to travel with you. That will help you relieve some pressure from studies. And most of all .....

HAVE FUN! and good luck with your life ...

GLHF A_C, you'll be back.






Also generic can I have your stuff, GTFO and tl;dr.

You made the right choice, A_C. You will be missed.

Goodbye and good luck.

We'll keep your soapbox warm.

Good luck, AC!

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Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow City of Heroes is a game about freedom of expression and variety of experiences far more so than it is about representing any one theme, topic or genre.

Goodbye AC. The Stalker forums will surely miss you.

I agree with the don't skip class under any circumstance you will regret it.

I'm 20 and I've been taking classes at community college for 2 years. the first 3 trimesters went well then I started to cut Fridays because I worked Thursday night then I started to cut Mondays because I worked Sunday night. Now I'm not even sure if I have the motivation to go back. Sure I got A's and B's but that's a natural gift that I've been ignoring by skipping class.


Don't skip class kids!

Holy crap man, you're 18 and put up the literate arguments I've gotten embroiled in, I thought you were way older. I suspect you'll do great in college!

Good luck to you, come back now and again. Don't blow up the world, mmkay?

Here's a few of my words of wisdom...

• Community colleges are such great assets and you're making a great first step by starting out at the community college level. You should take advantage of your community college as much as you can and try your best to get as much of your general education and lower division degree requirements at the community college level. So long as the courses you take are transferable to the 4-year that you want to go to and they fulfill the requirements that you need, the courses you take at the community college are just as good as taking them at the 4-year college, but at a significantly lower cost. The more required coursework you take at the community level, the less financial aid you will have to take out and the more money it'll save you in the long run. If you haven't yet, be sure to talk to a counselor to ensure that the courses that you take at the community college are not only transferable, but can also be applied towards the degree requirements at the 4-year college you want to go to. The more courses you can transfer from the community college, the better.

• Credit card companies love to come onto campus and lure young college students into filling out an application in exchange for some sort of freebe (like a t-shirt, frisbee, backpack, whatever). So many college students have had their credit records wrecked because of these sorts of practices. It's my understanding that some recent legislation will make it tougher for credit card companies to conduct this sort of business...but in the interim, avoid their booths like the plague. Remember that even filling out an application for credit will show up on your credit report and filling out too many applications can have an adverse affect on your credit report. I'm not saying don't get a credit card, but be careful, do your research and only sign up for a credit card when you're good ready (and not because you're getting a free t-shirt).

• When you're signing up for classes, keep in mind not only the days/times of the classes, but also where the class is being held. My first quarter after transferring to my 4-year, I made the mistake of signing up for two classes back to back...there was 10 minutes between the classes and it took 15-minutes to get from one to the other (I biked a lot that quarter ). When you're planning your course schedule for the semester/quarter, check to see how far the classes are from one another and allow ample time to get from one to the other. I would say to look at a map, but maps of larger campuses can make things look deceptively close to one another when they're actually pretty far (that's how I got myself into trouble). If you can, drop by campus and walk between the buildings to see how far it actually is.

• If you find yourself short on cash and need to get a job, consider getting a student job on campus. Since these employers are on-campus and deal with student workers regularly, they're usually pretty flexible about working out a schedule that works with your classes (and changes to your regular class schedule due to exam weeks).

• Try your best to take electives that are interesting and fun. Also, try incorporating a couple that teach you skill sets that are transferable to other job fields (like some accounting or business classes). You never know where life's journey will take you...there's always the chance that when you start taking the courses for your major, you might not enjoy it or find yourself not well suited for it. Or you may enjoy your major, but find it difficult to find a job in your degree's field after graduating. It's a good idea to have some back-up skills just in case you need to take a job that is outside of your degree field after you graduate. And if you ever find yourself unhappy with your major, never be afraid to re-evaluate whether you actually want to pursue the degree further. It's better to change your major into something you're happy with instead of sticking with something you aren't happy with and being miserable during your coursework. This is coming from someone who entered college as a computer science major, graduated as a history major and have been working as a commercial real estate appraiser ever since graduation.

• Lastly, ENJOY COLLEGE. I think one of my biggest regrets is not taking the time to enjoy college. Sure it'll be rough at times, but try not to get too caught up in all the work and take a little time to enjoy college life.

That's some goodbye post... Quite impressive, AC.

Stay "angry", aggressive and determined... but always enjoy it.

Looks like you've gotten some very solid advice about school thus far. (Some of it sounds kind of like planning your build very thoroughly. Plot out your power choices, enhancement slotting and Task Force planning)

Follow it. Find your true self and keep in touch with that.

Stay in the moment.

Do your best and when you fall short of that now and then, do better next time.

Best of luck!

Good luck AC!

I don't think we've ever really butted heads on anything, but I always thought your posts were well thought out and reasoned, even if I disagreed with your opinion.

I never once got the "this guy doesn't know what he's talking about" vibe from your posts (though I'm sure it's cropped up in mine from time to time).

I also thought you were older than you are, at least mid-20s. Based on your reasoning ability at a relatively young age you should do well in any technical field.

The only advice I have is: Don't take on more than you can handle at once. Some others have said it, but it's pretty important. You can probably fit 20 classes into a week pretty easily, time-wise, but if you try to cram that much knolwedge into your brain at once you can easily get burned out and find that it's all running together. Set up your schedule in a way that allows your brain to recharge a little between classes. Sometimes you HAVE to take classes that are very close together because that's the only time they are offered, but when possible give yourself at least 45 minutes to an hour between classes so you're not asking your brain to go from calculus to literature within a few minutes. You'll find that if you switch from one subject to another too fast you won't retain the information from the first class as well. Give yourself time to digest what you just learned.

Heh, all this is coming from a high-school dropout. Ironic, innit?

Anyway, good luck with your college studies, and try not to aim any rockets at western Iowa, I'd appreciate it

Best of luck. We will all miss you.

Well...possably not "We" but I did enjoy your contributions to the forum


I'll keep a slice of pie in the fridge for you.

Best of luck, A_C. It was entertaining to read your occasional ranting in VU2009. Thanks again for the helpful guides you've posted. I underscore the "Do not skip classes!" bit a lot, but I also advise that you be forgiving with yourself too. If you miss class one day or maybe a couple of days, it is not the end of the world. You just need to make sure you go back. Don't let it weigh on you to the point where you feel like "I've missed one, **** it, I've screwed up, I lost my chance" and not go back at all. Perfectionist, black-and-white thinking like that can really screw you over, and I speak from experience. As in all things, balance is needed.

Also I'd advise not getting really ******* wasted every night either, though I'm sure some people may argue with me But I saw too many people in my dorm get hauled away in stretchers for drinking too much. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your higher education.

Take care and thanks for the Stalker changes.
Remember to keep some time to yourself so you maintain your sanity.

Best of luck in college A_C , and kudos on being the 1st generation , it's not easy starting from scratch.

Golden_Girl:

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I think GR might tempt you back - even if it's just for a reactivation weekend

Likely. You've no idea how incredibly mad I am that GR and I16 are being released not long after my departure.

MortisEques:

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Granted this is coming from someone who has only taken art classes in college but... make sure you dont take on too large a load. Start off a little slow if you can until you get used to things otherwise you will have problems. Take it a little easy and dont let yourself get too stressed out and you should do fine.

That's good advice. I think I'm going to have to throw myself into the fire to an extent to see exactly how much is too much. Like I said, college is a mystery. When I envision my future classes, it runs something like this:

...

...

...

And then it's over. But, I think I'm taking it easy. Five classes per week, doesn't seem like too much.

DMystic:

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Wow AC. I'm definitely going to miss you on these boards. Wherever you go, whatever you do, never forget that you helped bring about a change.While getting Stalkers buffed may not seem like much, it was bringing about a necessary change to something that resists change. That is an accomplishment worthy of remembering and being proud of. As for advice,well you're already doing the smart thing by eliminating a big distraction. Remember to pace yourself. Try to avoid overloading on classes if you can and always do your best and give things your all.

Thanks for the thoughts!

Mirai:

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My advice is... find out what you're good at and do that. When I went to college, I knew what field I wanted to pursue... and I wasn't really good at that. I got a BS in it eventually, but it wasn't easy. I realized I was really good at a different but related subject, and got my MS in that easily. Don't be in a big hurry. The aerospace industry is cutting back these days like most everyone else. In several years, things will probably be improving. Keep your eyes open for solid companies looking for new recruits. Aerospace can be a very volatile occupation, and people can have a tendency to jump from company to company a lot. Still, the big companies do try to find new things for employees to do when projects change. Good luck and have fun!

That's good advice. I can't say exactly what I'm good at yet. I suppose I'll see, one way or another.

I'm terrified of those aerospace cutbacks you mentioned. However, as I'm looking into the astronautics portion of Aerospace Engineering more than the aeronautics, I'm hoping to avoid the worst of it. Companies like SpaceX should be expanding in four years, and I'd love to fill the void.

ebon3:

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Thanks Angry as the grognards pass I am one step closer to being the "old man" in the game. Ultimately I plan to be the last guy out the room when they shut off the lights!

Good luck with that ^_^

Draggynn

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I'll play the evil angel on the shoulder. As an aerospace engineer who played CoH all through college I assure you it can be done. CoH was my destresser late at night. However, you know how good you are at time management, and whether or not you can juggle both, but I thought I would let you know it's possible, the two aren't mutually exclusive I wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy aerospace engineering, I know I did (although I discovered controls was really my passion and am now working as an electrical engineer).

Interesting to hear the perspective of a (future) colleague! I'm certainly considering the possibility of a return in University, but like any recovering junkie, I'm not going to go willy-nilly on it.

If you don't mind my asking.. were you able to transfer a significant amount of your Aerospace credits towards the later degree in Electrical, or were the credits mutually exclusive to each degree? If I were to branch out into another subdiscipline after/during the Aerospace degree, it would be Electrical or Mechanical.

Luminara:

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I have no advice for you. I'm a two time college drop-out (school, of any kind, does not mix well with fear of people). But wanted to say that I believe in you. I believe in your tenacity, intellect and ability to succeed in this. You are smart enough, and you can hack it.

My sincerest thanks for the kind words.

Jack Power:

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From what I have read, you are smart enough to do well in anything you take on. School and CoH can be done at the same time. Come back soon. //Jack

To you as well.

TonyV

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Good luck, and here's my advice for college. By far, the most important thing you will need to do is to have a plan for getting out. Before you ever set foot on campus, sit down for a long session with your student handbook, the one that shows all the requirements for you to get a degree. Taking classes hoping that it all comes together in the end is a recipe for disaster, and you will 1) spend a lot of money you don't have to, 2) waste a lot of time, and 3) run the risk of getting extremely discouraged when you figure out that some of those classes you took don't count for anything, and you just missed the one class you need to graduate that's only taught once a year. Make a detailed list of exactly what you're going to take. List each course, along with all of its prerequisites, and ensure that it lines up with what is required to graduate. Once you're done, make an appointment with your counselor and take your list to him. Make sure he's on board with your plan, and that there aren't any "gotchas" that you'll run into along the way. Stay focused on the plan. When I was in college, my dean wanted all of his students to take a seminar that wasn't required to graduate. I declined. I found out way too late that he liked doing that, dragging out his students' graduation dates under the misguided assumption that everyone was there to eventually go into some academic profession. If something comes along that varies your plan, such as having to drop a class for whatever reason (it happens to the best of us), the university stops offering a class, the requirements for you to graduate change (which you should strongly protest), you change your major, or god forbid you fail something (it's also been known to happen to the best of us), sit down again and come up with a new plan for going forward. Go to your counselor, and then set your sights on the new target. I'm serious, don't let up on that. After every semester (or quarter, if your school is still on that system), write down the grade you got in each class and check them off the list of requirements to graduate. There's nothing quite like the feeling as seeing your progress represented on a sheet of paper filling up with stuff with lines through it. As for day-to-day stuff... Make an effort to meet each and every single professor you have. They all have office hours, make sure you go by at least once or twice a semester. Even if you understand what's going on, if you have to, make up a question you already know the answer to. This does two valuable things. 1) Most professors have a harder time giving you a bad grade if they know you, even a little bit, personally. 2) This is a clear signal to your professor that you are trying. Believe me, that has been the difference between several A's and B's that I've gotten or would have. Don't be afraid of being a "teacher's pet." In college, there's no such thing. Unlike high school, in college, no one will make you get up and go to class. This has been the academic downfall of many students. If you don't go to class one day, no one is going to come get you. No one is going to call and see if you're okay. There will be absolutely no repercussions whatsoever. You'll get away with it scott free, because no one really cares if you show up or not. But it's a trap. Once you get away with it once, you'll try again. Then again. Then you'll miss two days. Then you'll tell yourself, "I just need to study for the test, I don't really need to go to class." Trust me on this, missing class is the single greatest reason I've known people to end up college dropouts and flunk-outs than any other, and NONE of them thought it was a big deal at the time. The single greatest factor that will determine whether you are successful is whether you bother to SHOW UP. Do not slack off on this. Last, but not least, keep in mind that the end goal is to get out. Unless you're going to go for a PhD or you want to eventually get into an Ivy League school, there is absolutely no reason for you to feel like you have to get all A's. There's an old joke that goes like this: "What do you call the guy who graduates from medical school at the bottom of the class? Doctor." Another anecdote. A good friend of mine in college got straight A's. (He was going for his PhD, and with scholarships, he was actually making money by going to school.) I said something to him once about how he must get perfect scores on all of his tests. He told me that he doesn't; he studies just hard enough to get a 90% (for the A), and then stops. His philosophy was that anything over 90% was a waste of effort. If you're not going for a PhD or planning on applying to an Ivy League school, shoot for a mid-B average. Yeah, you'll get some C's, hopefully with some A's in the mix, but I guarantee you that in ten years after you finish, all that will matter is that you got the diploma, and no one will ever ask you what your GPA was. So there you go, TonyV's college advice. Follow it, and hopefully you'll make it through without too much trouble and without it swallowing up your life and burning you out. I wish that someone had told me that stuff when I started.

Whoa! Mountain of advice! Thanks immensely I saved this. I never would have thought of anything in here, and when I think about it, I can easily see the value in following your advice.

Houtex

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One of the best reasons I've ever seen that one hangs up the game. Good on you, AC, and good luck on being a rocket scientist! I also hope that C) is the choice that winds up happening for you, and come on back soon! /+1 for greatest 'see ya!' post ever in these forums.

Yay, I drew Houtex out of the tech forums! Reminds me that I forgot something in my original post:

Also thanks to Houtex (and his colleagues in the tech forum) for fixing my computer a couple times, and for being one of the most dedicated fans I've ever seen. Most people would charge money for the level of advice you give for free to random strangers. Many thanks!

Memphis_Bill:

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This... is huge. Especially when mixed with things like work. I'd also suggest paying attention to *when,* time-wise, classes are offered. One of the things that bit me in my first attempt was an evil multi-hour gap between my second-last and last class (which happened to be calculus or pre-calc - it's been ... er, well, longer than you've been alive. >.<) It also happened to coincide with rush hour, and I lived well off campus - it made it easy to miss. And then start putting off. It certainly didn't help things. And TBH I wasn't *ready* for college, attitude-wise, right then - if I'd gone with a plan similar to yours, I think I'd have been much better prepared. In any case, A_C, good luck.

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I had a bit of a snafu when it came to class scheduling, but it worked out in the end, I think. I live thirty-five minutes from the community college, so I can't just go home and come back within a few minutes. One thing I'm looking forward to in University is living on campus. That is currently impossible in the community college.

And I don't think I'll have an issue with going to class. If I'm going to give up City of freakin' Heroes in order to concentrate on class, then they'll have to tie me up in a sack to stop me from attending daily.

Thirty Seven:

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Wow... Judging by your vocabulary and the age at which I perceived you to be, you will do fine in college. The best advice I can give? Figure out how you learn the best and try your damnedest to tailor things to that style. For instance, I learn best via lecture and note-taking... so I tried to take professors who were good at lecture and were known for passing out topic outlines... it served me well.

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I learn best by real world examples. Imagine that can be hard to come by in a college environment, so I'll likely take the time to do my own research on practical applications for abstract theory.

Folonius

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I hate to say it, but if you truely want to get ahead in this economy, there are a few things that you will need to do, and wish I did. The first is not to get tied down to one location, be willing to move anywhere, and I mean anywhere. This means ditching any women that you may meet or have met if they aren't willing to move with you. No exceptions ... I love my wife dearly, but I would not be in Pennsylvania with a BS in computer science if I did not met her. Another thing is, look for a job after the second to last year, and before your last year of college. I will always kick myself for not doing that. Get experience, a degree isn't enough. Get summer interns and work for free if you have to (if you can afford it). The more experience you get before you get out of college, the better off you will be. Again, something else I wish I did. The last thing I would do is stay away from games like the plague. Find a less time consuming hobby that won't take up so much of your study time. If you have time to sit down and play a game, you have time to find a job and work for free (if need be). Don't drive yourself nuts though. Go to parties and hook up with women, but don't stay with any that aren't willing to travel with you. That will help you relieve some pressure from studies. And most of all ..... HAVE FUN! and good luck with your life ...

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I mentioned SpaceX earlier, because that is the company I would very much like to work for. Unless I'm mistaken, that would likely require a move to Los Angeles, California - a place I'd love to work in. However, I think I'll be happy with any place outside of Texas. I can't stand this heat any more. It's toooooo hotttttt.

That isn't to say I'd be a bum in another state rather than be successful in Texas, but Texas would be the option of last resort.

I'll try to remember the advice regarding the opposite sex. I imagine that decision would be very tough to make. But, I'm committed.

BackAlleyBrawler..!!!

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Best of luck to you in your future endeavors. And stop back by and say hi on the free re-activate weekends.

Whoa! I snagged a redname. Awwwwesome. Thanks lots for the kind words, BAB - I do believe I will stop by on free weekends when possible! Of course, I'll probably be absent on the very next free weekend, simply because I'll be far too busy playing around with power customisation than actually playing or conversing.

Flame Blade:

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Good lord, mankind has been doomed! Seriously though. That is a tough decision to make, but it is necessary. Had I had the willpower to make the decision years ago, I would have had an education much soon than I actually did. So, kudos to you, and god speed on your endeavor.

Thanks for the kind words, and when I create a real space-based superweapon of earth-shattering power, I'll be sure to think of your doom prediction!

Chaos Creator:

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I agree with the don't skip class under any circumstance you will regret it. I'm 20 and I've been taking classes at community college for 2 years. the first 3 trimesters went well then I started to cut Fridays because I worked Thursday night then I started to cut Mondays because I worked Sunday night. Now I'm not even sure if I have the motivation to go back. Sure I got A's and B's but that's a natural gift that I've been ignoring by skipping class. Don't skip class kids!

No skipping class! Bad! *smack*

Zekiran Immortal:

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Holy crap man, you're 18 and put up the literate arguments I've gotten embroiled in, I thought you were way older. I suspect you'll do great in college! Good luck to you, come back now and again. Don't blow up the world, mmkay?

Can I blow up another world? Say, Venus or something? And thanks for the kind words.

Manoa:

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Here's a few of my words of wisdom... * Community colleges are such great assets and you're making a great first step by starting out at the community college level. You should take advantage of your community college as much as you can and try your best to get as much of your general education and lower division degree requirements at the community college level. So long as the courses you take are transferable to the 4-year that you want to go to and they fulfill the requirements that you need, the courses you take at the community college are just as good as taking them at the 4-year college, but at a significantly lower cost. The more required coursework you take at the community level, the less financial aid you will have to take out and the more money it'll save you in the long run. If you haven't yet, be sure to talk to a counselor to ensure that the courses that you take at the community college are not only transferable, but can also be applied towards the degree requirements at the 4-year college you want to go to. The more courses you can transfer from the community college, the better. * Credit card companies love to come onto campus and lure young college students into filling out an application in exchange for some sort of freebe (like a t-shirt, frisbee, backpack, whatever). So many college students have had their credit records wrecked because of these sorts of practices. It's my understanding that some recent legislation will make it tougher for credit card companies to conduct this sort of business...but in the interim, avoid their booths like the plague. Remember that even filling out an application for credit will show up on your credit report and filling out too many applications can have an adverse affect on your credit report. I'm not saying don't get a credit card, but be careful, do your research and only sign up for a credit card when you're good ready (and not because you're getting a free t-shirt). * When you're signing up for classes, keep in mind not only the days/times of the classes, but also where the class is being held. My first quarter after transferring to my 4-year, I made the mistake of signing up for two classes back to back...there was 10 minutes between the classes and it took 15-minutes to get from one to the other (I biked a lot that quarter ). When you're planning your course schedule for the semester/quarter, check to see how far the classes are from one another and allow ample time to get from one to the other. I would say to look at a map, but maps of larger campuses can make things look deceptively close to one another when they're actually pretty far (that's how I got myself into trouble). If you can, drop by campus and walk between the buildings to see how far it actually is. * If you find yourself short on cash and need to get a job, consider getting a student job on campus. Since these employers are on-campus and deal with student workers regularly, they're usually pretty flexible about working out a schedule that works with your classes (and changes to your regular class schedule due to exam weeks). * Try your best to take electives that are interesting and fun. Also, try incorporating a couple that teach you skill sets that are transferable to other job fields (like some accounting or business classes). You never know where life's journey will take you...there's always the chance that when you start taking the courses for your major, you might not enjoy it or find yourself not well suited for it. Or you may enjoy your major, but find it difficult to find a job in your degree's field after graduating. It's a good idea to have some back-up skills just in case you need to take a job that is outside of your degree field after you graduate. And if you ever find yourself unhappy with your major, never be afraid to re-evaluate whether you actually want to pursue the degree further. It's better to change your major into something you're happy with instead of sticking with something you aren't happy with and being miserable during your coursework. This is coming from someone who entered college as a computer science major, graduated as a history major and have been working as a commercial real estate appraiser ever since graduation. * Lastly, ENJOY COLLEGE. I think one of my biggest regrets is not taking the time to enjoy college. Sure it'll be rough at times, but try not to get too caught up in all the work and take a little time to enjoy college life. Good luck Angry_Citizen! As BABs said, be sure to drop by during reactivation weekends to keep us all posted on how you're doing!

Thanks for your kind words and advice.

The first paragraph of advice, I certainly agree with. Here in Texas, all Bachelor degrees require a certain core cirriculum consisting of English, History, Government (Politics), Mathematics, Science, and assorted other classes. That is the portion of my degree plan I will attempt to complete at the community college. It is 100% transferrable to the Universities under state law, so nothing can possibly affect the transfer, and consequently there can be no waste. Anything afterwards is something I'll have to see about as I go along.

The credit cards I hadn't even considered. That's very good advice. I doubt I'd fall for a t-shirt, but I probably would've signed up for one anyway. This warning, however, has made me reconsider.

I wish I'd read the third part of your advice a month ago... I think I'm fine, as my classes are located in three adjacent buildings, but in a university I doubt I would've had the foresight to consider this possibility.

I'd love to work on campus, and have given thought towards it. However, due to the commute, I think that'll have to wait until university.

That's interesting advice. I'll look into that.

And yes, fun is certainly to be had It'll likely have to wait until University, but I suspect I can have some fun at the community college too.

Thanks lots for your extensive advice and kind words.

Hobbes:

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I live in Quebec so I didnt go to college, but we have a similar "step" between high school and university. To complement the advice given until now, I can only add : Stay away from this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSvrrMVvTI Best of luck A_C, you'll be back.

haha. Yeah. I have a hearing disability, which, while not to the point where people have to shout at me, makes large social gatherings extremely difficult for me (I seem to have issues filtering background noise). I'm not a party animal, and likely never will be.

Electric Knight:

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That's some goodbye post... Quite impressive, AC. Stay "angry", aggressive and determined... but always enjoy it. Looks like you've gotten some very solid advice about school thus far. (Some of it sounds kind of like planning your build very thoroughly. Plot out your power choices, enhancement slotting and Task Force planning) Follow it. Find your true self and keep in touch with that. Stay in the moment. Do your best and when you fall short of that now and then, do better next time. Best of luck!

Thanks for the kind words, and I literally lol'd at your comparison to build creation. If college is as easy as build creation, MIT will beg me to complete a Ph.D program with them

ClawsandEffect:

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Good luck AC! I don't think we've ever really butted heads on anything, but I always thought your posts were well thought out and reasoned, even if I disagreed with your opinion. I never once got the "this guy doesn't know what he's talking about" vibe from your posts (though I'm sure it's cropped up in mine from time to time). I also thought you were older than you are, at least mid-20s. Based on your reasoning ability at a relatively young age you should do well in any technical field. The only advice I have is: Don't take on more than you can handle at once. Some others have said it, but it's pretty important. You can probably fit 20 classes into a week pretty easily, time-wise, but if you try to cram that much knolwedge into your brain at once you can easily get burned out and find that it's all running together. Set up your schedule in a way that allows your brain to recharge a little between classes. Sometimes you HAVE to take classes that are very close together because that's the only time they are offered, but when possible give yourself at least 45 minutes to an hour between classes so you're not asking your brain to go from calculus to literature within a few minutes. You'll find that if you switch from one subject to another too fast you won't retain the information from the first class as well. Give yourself time to digest what you just learned. Heh, all this is coming from a high-school dropout. Ironic, innit? Anyway, good luck with your college studies, and try not to aim any rockets at western Iowa, I'd appreciate it

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I'm only taking five classes right now. Due to the commute, I had to put them back-to-back on Mondays and Wednesdays in order to save gas. I understand it'll be quite the switch going from one class to another, but hopefully I'll be able to plan things out more satisfactorily in University.

I'll try to avoid aiming rockets at western Iowa, but a gyroscope might suddenly slip a little...

And hey, you're one-up on me. I never completed the 6th grade.

Fallenangeleyes:

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Best of luck, A_C. It was entertaining to read your occasional ranting in VU2009. Thanks again for the helpful guides you've posted. I underscore the "Do not skip classes!" bit a lot, but I also advise that you be forgiving with yourself too. If you miss class one day or maybe a couple of days, it is not the end of the world. You just need to make sure you go back. Don't let it weigh on you to the point where you feel like "I've missed one, **** it, I've screwed up, I lost my chance" and not go back at all. Perfectionist, black-and-white thinking like that can really screw you over, and I speak from experience. As in all things, balance is needed. Also I'd advise not getting really ******* wasted every night either, though I'm sure some people may argue with me But I saw too many people in my dorm get hauled away in stretchers for drinking too much. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your higher education.

Thanks for the kind words and advice. Like I said, I won't be making any excuses to not go to class. If I don't go, it'll be due to mortal illness or involuntary incapacitance (slight exaggeration, but still). And when I don't go, I won't beat myself up about it.

As for alcohol... well, I've still yet to take a drink. I imagine that'll change, but I don't see myself getting wasted. Still, I'll keep the advice in mind.



And thanks to everyone else so far. I honestly didn't expect the level of support and advice I've gotten (I even snagged a redname.. how cool is that?!) I'd still welcome anything and everything regarding college life, because if one thing has been drilled into my head, it's that advice is always valuable, no matter what it is.

The only unique advice I could give you in the future is this:

It's GOOD to be Angry, at the right things, at the right time. Knowing when's the trick.

There are too many people that get angry for little to no reason and end up hurting others.

There are even MORE people that never get angry when they SHOULD.

Don't be apathetic about the world around you, CARE.


That's all I've got, and good luck, not that you'll need it.