Goodbye, So Long, Fare Thee Well

From TonyV

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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.

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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill 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.

Both the discipline of showing up for class, even when you don't "have to", and the wisdom of scheduling your classes to take advantage of your strengths will be key to success in higher education. As an "Owl", I can tell you that 8 a.m. classes are sheer torture, especially when it's something you are only taking because it's required rather than something you would have freely chosen.

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Originally Posted by Thirty_Seven 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.

Also good advice. And listening to the grapevine to find which profs fit your style is a good strategy.

Another thing about selecting professors - look for those who are still learning. That sounds funny, right? I mean, they are the teachers, shouldn't they already know it all? Wrong! In a changing world, their knowledge can become outdated and the good ones know this and are constantly looking for those changes to pass them on to their students. Fossilized professors are no good to you, no matter how much book knowledge they have from the past.

Also - learn quickly which profs want true open discussion in class and which ones don't. Avoid those who don't when you can, but if you have to take them (and you will have to take them eventually from time to time) - keep your head down if that's what gets you thru it (I know, that's counter to the uplifting advice you have been getting, but it's good survival strategy). Pick your battles.


AC, your past debating style on the forums will help you a lot in some classes and with some professors. You gather data and plan out supporting arguments - use that on tests, especially if you get some essay tests (which may or may not be common in first year basic classes, but will likely be less common in engineering classes).

I really wish you good luck. Come back on the next activation weekend and let us know how it's going!


And now a slight threadjack:

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Originally Posted by PhiloticKnight I made the mistake of going for dual degrees in Computer Information Systems and PHILOSOPHY at the same time. Silly me.

PK - this explains so much!

You are a wise man to drop the game for college. There will be more than enough distractions without it. Considering how much time I wasted on games of nowhere near he level of addiction of an MMO in my college years, I'm quite glad I didn't try one (well they mostly didn't exist back in that prehistoric era).

I imagine you have been warned, but engineering is pretty much among the hardest majors at any school and you will be taxed to keep it it. There will likely be a weeding out year, but if you stick through that the rest will be doable, but not easy. In the end, though, you will be justifiably proud upon getting that degree. Engineering is a very respectable profession, and you will likely be able to work on many cool projects.

My advice is to jump on homework right away so that you don't fall behind, and keep at it. My father has a Mechanical Engineering degree, my mother has a Nursing degree, my sisters have degrees in Accounting and in Occupational Therapy. I managed a 2 year community college degree but I never finished my 4 year English Major... and I came pretty close. I wasn't a bad student but I was often distracted and could have used my time better. I might still not have used that degree (what's an English Major good for anyway?) but I wish I'd finished it.

And make some good friends in college! That's the one thing I managed to do there. ^_^

Hey A_C, is the community college Austin Community College by any chance? If it is, you should look me up as I work about 6 blocks from their main campus.

While I am not a first-generation college student - my mom was the first in our family - my mother was sort of "absentee" for most of my life, so it was sort-of like being the first. I moved to Austin from a small town in Northeast Texas...and I was overwhelmed. I don't know if you're coming to Austin or any other large(ish) metro area, or if you have any background of ever living in a large(ish) metro area. But if you do not, be prepared for a bit of "culture shock". If you think it's going to take you 20 minutes to get somewhere...well, it will actually take about 45 minutes. Stuff like that.

Another thing is the cost of your class materials. Your books WILL cost WAY more than they are worth. I remember paying $100 for a 200-page paperback for a class...and this was in the mid-1980s. It has not gotten any better since then. Quite the contrary in fact. You may be able to get some of them online, but be prepared for this expense. Oh and if you try to sell them back to the bookstore after the class is over, you'll be lucky to get 10% of what you paid.

Let me second, third and fourth the advice already given about credit cards. I really wish I had known about this when I was in college. I really screwed myself with credit cards. Everything's all good now, but it took me decades to correct the damage I did in a few short years. Credit cards can be great; they can really help out in a pinch with unexpected expenses like car repairs. Just don't get into the habit of charging every little thing on them.

Finally, don't think that your major is what will define your entire life. When I first went to college I was majoring in Physics. I didn't do well there because I wasn't strong enough in math. I ended up getting a degree in Psychology. For the past 17 years I have made my living as a computer programmer/network manager/desktop support/all-around IT guy, and I love it. Keep an open mind, because you never know where life will take you.

Well, that's about it for me, as most everything else I would give as advice has already been covered. Take care and remember: you're there to learn, but part of it is learning how to balance your life. Have some fun too!