School/University/College

[diannethegeek]

My university assumed that for every hour you spend in class you'd be assigned 2 hours of at-home work (reading, writing, whatever). Obviously some professors were more likely to stick to that than others, but it's a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

[LadyNightshade]

My university assumed that for every hour you spend in class you'd be assigned 2 hours of at-home work (reading, writing, whatever). Obviously some professors were more likely to stick to that than others, but it's a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

I think this is a pretty standard policy and a good idea.

 

 

 

 

I thought I'd point out that if anyone has any kind of disability to definitely get in contact with the department on campus. They have all kinds of great services to help you make it through.

 

With my medical disability it's an absolute godsend to be able to get copies of notes from professors and being able to take tests in a separate room and sometimes at a different time than everyone else.

 

You can also get different accommodation letters so your professors will be aware of these things and be a lot more lenient with you on things you need to succeed.

[dragon_mando]

I'm only taking one class this term because out-of-state tuition bites hard ($44/per credit instate versus $260 out-of-state if you go over six credits at my new school), and it's algebra. I'm dreading this to no end because last maths class I took was a remedial course and I barely got a C, even though I fudged study time from all my other classes that first year so I could spend more in math.

 

The sad part is that even fudging my other classes to help maths, I got As in all those other classes, which goes to show just how bad I am at it.

 

This term it's only one class, and I have a couple people who have said they would help me, but I'm also trying to get a job and I'm terrified that I won't pass this class if I get one, yet I need the income.

[water_angel]

Anyone have any tricks for carrying around lots of heavy books (and a computer) without dying?

I'm afraid I'm going to lose a lot of weight because of all these books I have to carry around the campus.

I can't really afford to lose much weight.

._.

Try looking into renting a locker. I'm assuming most schools have some sort of public locker system where you get yourself a lock and can use it for the year. Mine is located next to one of my campus's dining hall, which is pretty much in the middle, so it would be easy to stop in during lunch, grab your afternoon classes, then can return later to swap out anything you need.

 

I've never used it though, I've been lucky enough to have a private computer lab for my major where there is always someone in there, so we can leave our stuff there during the day and not worry about it. We have to use our ID cards to open the lock on the door.

[Walker]

Oh God this.

 

Working as a lecturer in a UK college (so High School for our American friends) was a shock, especially having just finished my own degree, and it is partially why I didn't get on well. I went into that environment expecting the pupils to take some responsibility for their own learning, and not one of them managed to do so.

 

In school, you are spoon-fed your education. There's always a teacher chasing you to do homework, go to class, do your worksheets, finish the questions before the end of the lesson, etc. They guide you through - and it's not to nag you. It's so that when you hit university (or college for Americans) you've got that instilled in you.

 

It may be different for different courses, but in a lot of courses here there are no registers. There are no nagging e-mails from your tutor to hand in your coursework. There is no requirement to finish your worksheet before the end of the seminar. If you want to stay in bed with a hangover rather than go to lectures, that's your choice. If you miss the deadline for hand-in because you didn't write it down, or couldn't be bothered to make the trek out to uni on your day off, that's your fault. And the university will not accept blame for that.

 

When you hit further education, the onus is on you to be self-motivated, to meet the deadlines set by tutors. If you fail the end-of-year because you skipped all but one class, than that is no-one's fault but your own. You're adults now, so you start acting like one.

 

That's the huge difference. When you hit college/university, it is up to you to take charge of your own learning. If that means you need to spend two nights a week in the lab/studio/library/at your desk rather than drinking the night away, then that's what it takes. No course I know of at university-level can be completed in the timetabled hours they give you - they timetable in enough lectures and enough seminars/workshops/labs so that they can deliver the information and give you guidance, but don't think that is all you need to pass. Heck, your timetabled hours isn't even the minimum requirement - you should be spending *at least* half again that time doing work under your own steam.

 

And please trust me, if you go running to your tutor complaining you failed the course because you didn't have enough time to study, then that's what they'll tell you. You're not there to be mollycoddled any more.

What's with the stereotype that college students only want to get trashed? o.o All I know is I'm firmly against drinking and I'm going into college.

[water_angel]

It is pretty common. Typical weekends are spent at frat/soro parties. I have people tell me how drunk they got on a weekly basis, or in the case of a couple people, what they had in their dorms and how drunk they were going to get.

[Pink]

What's with the stereotype that college students only want to get trashed? o.o All I know is I'm firmly against drinking and I'm going into college.

This.

I have absolutely no desire to drink (beer smells like pee), and am too concerned about my brain cells and grades to get into drugs.

 

Although, being homeschooled I've spent my entire highschool forcing my own education to progress and doing things almost entirely on my own.

The main transition for me will be keeping the tight schedule I made for myself, and actually having human help who knows the subject and can answer my questions accurately.

 

I actually did very well on all the tests I've taken for subjects thusfar (A/A+) except math. Which is why I'm going to do as much math as possible. I need to get it. ._.

 

Does anyone else here have any preferences of morning/afternoon/evening classes?

I always preferred doing school in the morning, but I know a lot of people prefer late afternoon/evening.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Pink

[LadyNightshade]

If I could only take evening classes, I would.

 

I always found the professors in the evening are always a little more laid back.

 

I had an evening lab with a lady who worked Crime Scene Investigation for our highway patrol. Very fun lady.

 

 

Unfortunately, unless you are talking about gen ed classes, you will find you don't have much of a choice for deciding when your classes are.

 

Trust me I would have never have scheduled to have pre-calculus at 8 in the morning last semester D: That was a disaster.

 

 

 

 

Oh and some advice on carrying books. Most of the time you will not actually use your textbooks in class. Textbooks are expected to be read on your own time. Find out what your professors expect and most of the time you can get away with just bringing a notebook and some things to write with. You can always write down (and you should) what pages or chapter a professor is referencing to in your notes. Highlight it, star it, do what you have to to remind yourself to read those pages.

[Pink]

Thanks lady_nightfox. I shall remember that.

 

Yes, I noticed that the more specific the classes are, the less choice you have.

Of course, many of them DO have afternoon/morning variants, so... I guess it depends on when your other classes for the day are.

Ironically, I have math at 8am too.

I'm going to be chugging caffeine in order to be alert up on those days.

._.

 

 

[spyro76]

What's with the stereotype that college students only want to get trashed? o.o All I know is I'm firmly against drinking and I'm going into college.

Depends on what school you're going to. There's a few that I looked at that said they were a dry campus (sure). If you go to a party school then expect parties. If you go to a serious school then expect it to be serious. Personally I'm going for the in-between. If my dad's anything to go by (and it's been this way with every male on his side as far as he knows) then I'll like whiskey and certain mixed stuff. The smell of beer grosses me out, but whiskey smells amazing.

 

Also remember that people love designated drivers so if nothing else you can keep friends from doing stupid .

[MellaBella]

My boyfriend goes to a party school. I think at one point it was on the top 10 party schools in the country..? Yeah. Last year the Girls Gone Wild van showed up on campus, right outside his dorm building. >w>

 

Apparently my school is one of the better ones when it comes to that. The partying is usually only done on South Campus (where the sororities/fraternities/most freshmen are), and I will be living on North Campus (where the fine arts buildings/arts and sciences students are). EXCELLENT.

[Walker]

Depends on what school you're going to. There's a few that I looked at that said they were a dry campus (sure). If you go to a party school then expect parties. If you go to a serious school then expect it to be serious. Personally I'm going for the in-between. If my dad's anything to go by (and it's been this way with every male on his side as far as he knows) then I'll like whiskey and certain mixed stuff. The smell of beer grosses me out, but whiskey smells amazing.

 

Also remember that people love designated drivers so if nothing else you can keep friends from doing stupid .

I'm going to a school with 350 students and a nunnery on the grounds.

 

I'm sure it will be a total riot ;D

[Kamak]

Beware of your choice of schools. Generally, it seems that if a school is known as a party school, there's a good chance that by the time you start school there it will outgrow that label (the labels are usually at least 5 years out of date and schools REALLY hate that label). If a school has recently lost the label, it's probably safe, and know that even the "safe" schools can have a notorious party crowd (usually managed by PR or because it's starting to emerge.

 

It's funny, most of my science classes have had few people talk about getting trashed (However, many people talk about getting a drink after a test (and are underage... Which kinda makes my skin crawl slightly), and they're generally not the ones to get trashed), however, my math, English, and Poli Sci classes have TONS of people discussing it... Also, my Poli Sci class had tons of people admitting to having pot... (though, it IS college )

 

So be aware of these facts... It can be jarring for those of you who are used to it being VERY hush hush or have never really experienced knowing people who do this...

 

Even so, most people I've met at my college (which used to be a notorious party school) are really not interested in that sort of thing. The college has actually gotten so clean that people are transferring OUT of the school after a year or so because "It's not the experience I was promised".

 

I do love that we have buses and free taxis that run through the bars... some people * that it encourages drinking, but at least people aren't driving (My college is built on 7 hills out of 20 in the city, which means parking at buildings are at a slope... and are mostly parallel parking really bad for drunk college students)

 

Anyways, last night, I forgot my most important helpful hint of them all, so here's another nugget:

 

11. Get a planner (and markers/highlighters) ASAP. Preferably one that is book sized so it's not TOO big. You could use a cell phone/laptop calendar, but I feel physical paper is more secure and easier to use (typing on a cell phone is bad). When you get your syllabus, important (tentative) dates will be on it, including test days, when homework is due (most classes that aren't required for every degree will have little to no homework (DO NOT mistake this for "I don't have to do anything outside of class to pass"), and what day and time your final is (and office hours). Record all of the dates into the planner, using different colored words/boxes to separate classes. Some classes will even tell you what chapter to read before class, or what you're covering each lecture, and having all of that info in one place is good (especially if you have 5 classes and multiple labs).

 

This WILL help you keep up, and suddenly when you discover you have two big tests on the same day, it won't sneak up on you as much, and you can plan other events with other people easier. You can even use the planner to log your progress, adding notes for how long you studied and where you are in your textbook. Little things like this help.

 

It's best to fill your planner ASAP, and you should do it on the first day you get your course info so you can be ahead of the curve.

 

More tips when I get sleep...

 

-K-

[MellaBella]

Ah, I bought myself a planner. c: One of the notebook sized ones, so that I would have plenty of room to write down all of that important stuff. We were always given planners at my high school and we were forced to use them, so I'm used to using one.

[LadyNightshade]

I have a large dry erase board on my wall above my desk for dates. It's a great reminder because I tend to loose things like planners. But when it's on my wall to great me every day, I remember.

 

 

I go to a school of about 6000 of which about 25% are non-trad students (we used to be a factory town but most of them have shut down so a lot of those folk are going back to school now).

 

From my experience the only people who really talk about getting trashed are freshmen and those in gen-ed classes.

You typically don't see them again after a semester or two.

 

 

Then again, people treat our science building like it's the student hall (it's a brand new building with a huge middle hang out-space) so there's tons of gossip going through and it's not necessarily with the kids that are actually in the majors.

 

And they're always stealing the good chairs D:

[Kamak]

I tried a dry erase board, but the only place I have to put it is in a place I don't tend to look... so I haven't updated it since NaNo... which was last November...

 

-K-

[Pink]

I'd probably do better with an actual book. I wouldn't have any place to put a dry erase board.

My walls are weird (they for some reason put molding on the exact level that you hang pictures {or dry erase boards} on).

 

[MellaBella]

My boyfriend has a dry erase board as well. :3 Unfortunately the hanger part things broke off, so he just kinda sits it against the wall on the floor. Pfff.

[hazeh]

I took a college ceramics class. You will be spending a good portion of time outside of class working in the studio.

We had to do I think it was 20 pieces (of various types - such as thrown, coil, slab, ect.) before the end of the semester. You cannot do 20 pieces just by going to class. You have to go into the studio and work on your own time or else you will not succeed.

Not to mention you mix your own clay and glazes (or at least my studio did).

And work on deadlines. We had a big brick kiln so you had to be ready for bisque and glaze loads otherwise you had to wait a while.

 

 

College is a huge difference from high school. Study habits and work habits that got you by in high school probably won't work for classes you will take now.

Uh, yes. I already stated I understood about working on projects outside of class, so I don't really understand what you're trying to get at.

[RheaZen]

I never found dry erase of much use - I'd lose the pens, or people woukd draw inappropriate things on them...

 

I always have to set a lot of alarms - Just to wake up I've got three, two clocks and my cellphone alarm. I'm afraid I'll become desensitized.

 

Alarms are good.

[Kestra15]

What's with the stereotype that college students only want to get trashed? o.o All I know is I'm firmly against drinking and I'm going into college.

Walker, it's not the stereotype - it's an example. You could have replaced it with any other that you want.

 

And bear in mind I had two nights out in four years of university, so I certainly never lived up to the stereotype myself and normally argue against it vehnemately. But it was one of any hundred of reasons for missing lectures, as well as:

 

- Going to a gig

 

- Being at a festival

 

- Overslept/forgot alarm

 

- Seeing friend in town

 

- Staying with gf/bf.

 

- Off to parents

 

- Wanted to go shopping

 

- Seeing a movie

 

etc.

 

Then again there is a reason for stereotyping; nine times in ten, a classmate would skip a lecture or commitment because of a hangover. You should see the mess our campus is for the first couple of weeks of the year - we have nearly 12,000 people come through our doors on the clubnights if Freshers Week, for a university of 14,000 people including staff. Twice a week our club is packed out with nearly 2000 people, so even if it's always the same 2,000 people that's still a sizable percentage of the student population regularly getting drunk. Not to mention the clubs in town, where every night Thursday to Sunday you will guarentee to bump into students.

 

It's a stereotype I hate; I spent most of my nights spending six hours in the library, not on the lash. I worked all through university in a job where I was constantly ribbed for always apparently being hung-over, even though the last (and only) time I was drunk, it was in high school. I worked darn hard for my first aid unit to show that students can be good, decent members of society. But then when you realise that of the hundred-plus societies in the uni most of their social events are pub crawls through town - one such society making pub crawls a weekly event - and the on-site bar brings in more revenue than the three cafes and on supermarket on site put together, then you realise there is a reason for that stereotype.

 

And our university is considered fairly mellow on that count as well. We're a very well-respected establishment; best Pharmacy school in the country, one of the best Maths departments and the forefront for Fluid Dynamics, best Environmental/Climate Change centre in the country and considered a world-wide place of excellence, amazing History and Politics department, our own University Hospital...we are a darn good university. We're not a polytechnic full of drunken chavs, this place is constantly a centre of excellence for decades now. But this scene exists here, and is strong. Imagine what the 'party schools' are like elsewhere, if the above is considered tame...

 

I sincerely hope you don't drink your way through college - it is a waste of time, money and life in my opinion. But sometimes you can't ignore the numbers presented to you.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Kestra15

[MURDERcomplexx]

college is so much fun.

i'm a sophomore in an art program.

havin' the time of my life.

then i'm gonna transfer to an art school.

 

art as far as the eye can see.

 

but going to a local school this way will end up saving me so much money in the long run. art schools are scary expensive.

[Alpha Gryph]

I'm going to a private art college and starting classes there next month. Costs a lot per year, but I'm going for it. o.=.o I'm extremely nervous and excited. It's in Detroit, so only an hour away from home. But I'll certainly miss my home town here.

 

I'm anxious to meet everyone there and start learning about something I actually care about. <3 I plan on majoring in Entertainment Arts.

[LadyNightshade]

My only advice on art school is make sure the credits are transferable if you for some reason decide to switch out of art.

 

I was accepted into an art school but if I had wanted to transfer none of my credits would have counted. It would be like I had never went to school.

 

 

Which ended up being a good decision that I didn't go, considering I'm a biochemistry major now.

 

 

(Not discouraging art school, just expressing that people have to be aware of the fine print)

 

 

 

@Shiny Hazard Sign, hoping I wasn't sounding rude D: I just really want to point out how difficult college art is. I took a ton of AP and advanced art classes my senior year of high school and really was not prepared in the least bit for the amount of work that a college level class required.

Just wanted to pass on some advice as I would have loved to have it when I was at that point.

[MellaBella]

At my university, we had to take a short online "class session" about alcohol. It included stuff like the "standard drink", a BAC calculator with examples of what could happen if there is too much alcohol is your system, and more informative stuff. And at some point they said "Hey, we're not going to tell you not to drink. We're just telling you how to drink safely and responsibly."

In between the lessons, they would have a question like "How many people at the university do you think go out drinking?" and "How many students do you think want more severe consequences on people with alcohol?" Let's just say I got all of the questions wrong.. only 12% of the population drinks and 56% want more severe consequences while most of the rest don't care.

 

12% is still a LOT of people at my university. Around 2400 people. But it still surprised me.

Though, I'm wondering how they got this information. If it was a survey, people could have easily lied. I'm very curious. :/

 

They did point out that people have tried to buy alcohol with their meal plan money. Including students that are not old enough to drink, and their information shows on the screen when they swipe their meal plan card. How stupid people can be.