Well, now that it's April 2, most high school seniors in the United States have found out which universities have accepted them, or will very soon.

I'm not sure how many members of the class of 2005 (or, 2009, I guess... It's gonna take a while to get used to that..) we have here, but for anyone who is: where are you planning on enrolling, with what major, and so on?

For anyone who's already in (or has gone through) college, any advice on what to do (or not do) in making the final decision, packing for uni, and school in general?

So, basically, that makes this a Post Your School thread.

Find whereever the local Wal-Mart Superstore is, and memorize the best route to there. It will become your lifeline.

Get in your application for a parking spot ASAP (if you need one).

Get to know your roommate. You'll spending the next year with him/her.

Don't party too much, and try to keep it on the weekends.

I'm a junior right now in college.

To me - college is not THAT hard like everyone stresses. It's all on the teachers. Study the teachers and how they prepare material. Also, use the first test not as a grounds of whether you drop a class, but on a basis of seeing how the teacher will structure the course.

To me it's almost like a game - figuring out the teachers and their teaching strategies. In this way - I'm 3rd in the junior class at my college. People say I'm just really smart - when all I do is adapt to the teacher. The teacher won't adapt to you! Freshmen usually have that thought that a teacher has to make the test 'passable' for the majority. Wrong.

And you better learn to love to read - cause that's all you will be doing for the next 4 years. I haven't read a normal book in a year because I'm so tired of just reading material for college.

Also - I really hope none of you are going to a college just because a friend is. So many times does that turn for the worst, and you're then stuck there. Make sure your college choice is for YOU and not for others.

im going to film school in 2 years... cant wait...

I've still got to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of my life

Heed these words as if they were law.

I will graduate in May/2005 from Jefferson Community College with my Associates in Applied Science (Information Technology). In Fall I plan to attend The Unviversity of Louisville or Indiana University (Southeast) to study for a Bachelors in Computer Science.

I stayed at home through college, so I can't comment on what you should prepare for when moving on to campus. However, I definitely agree with Demon_Nightmare's post. While I may have only went to a community college, I managed to be a successful student using similar tactics.

I have a Bachelor of Ecomonics degree. Looking to add to it a Post-Graduate Diploma of Journalism starting next year.

I found this recently: http://lotsofjokes.com/cat_439.htm

It is completely true.

Picking a school: Pick a school where you like the atmosphere and has a good program for what you want to study. If you don't know what you want to study, pick a school that has a lot to offer so you can take classes in various fields.

Is being close to home an issue for you or is going away a problem?

Packing for school: Go through your stuff and get rid of half of it. You're not going to have space in the dorms for a lot of stuff, especially clothes.

just one bit of advice as I'm in my third year of Uni now in the UK (along with maeve)....final year projects suck and as i'm doing a master degree a get the chance to do another one next year.....yippe

get them done early because otherwise they'll come bite your arse when you least expect it....

still...I have a week to finish 2000ish words...not that bad really just its all I seem to be doing at the moment....

There has been a lot of good advice put forth so far. I pretty much just say do what everyone else has said. A parking spot should be a priority if you need it, don't drop a class after your first test, the class could still be easily salvageable. You will most likely have to compromise on desicions with your roomate, get used to it. The food won't be great, get used to that too. I haven't really partied this year, so that hasn't affected me or my studying. However someone made a good point, the trick to doing well is to adapt to a teachers style and demands. AS long as you fulfill their requirements, you shold be fine. This is tough for me to preach, seeing as how I still don't do it, but get to work on papers early. As I found out this year, the college life moves fast, and things creep up on you quickly.

"If I could go back in a machine I would."



I don't think I'm going to college. I got accepted to Arizona State... but I'm really doubting I'll even graduate from high school, so meh.

I want to go to college. For real.
That degree in computer science isn't going to get it itself.
Either that or Animation.

Last August I took a trip to the east coast (I'm from California), and I fell in love with Boston. So I applied early decision to boston university, and luckily I got in. Now it's just a matter of not failing my current classes due to sheer boredom.

I'll be going to UT:Dallas this august to major in Computer Science. Can't wait for high school to end.

I just got back from visiting UC Davis. If I can get the money I'm going.

Enicott College : http://www.endicott.edu

I'm at the end of my Freshman year at Villanova for Mechanical Engineering.

Advice... All that's been said so far is true.

Make the most of it, I've been here a year, and I'm already afraid I'm wasting the time I have here.
Be accomodating to the people on your floor/in your dorm, you do have to live with them and everything.
If you have a problem with your roomate, let him know because it'll only cause bigger problems later if you just decide to "deal with it."
With laundry, if the machine's are open, do it, because people use them when you need them. If someone leaves their stuff in the dryer, just remove it, they'll understand. Leave your laundry basket there in case you forget, so they don't leave it on top of the machine and lose stuff. (a note that your on that machine'll help too if there isn't a white-board there.)

If you don't drink, you might feel left out at first, but give it time.
Good luck, your gonna have fun.

I was all but set to go to Davis, but then Berkeley came a calling.

I have 2 weeks to start and finish 28,000 words. I win.

Just got accepted to Humber College in Toronto (Design Foundation). Techincally, its not university, but the course i'm going for next year will be :D.

Yeah. 2000 words in 3-4 pages.

currently, i'm a freshman at the University of Toledo, but transferring to the Ohio State University for fall quarter.

here's the deal on college -

make sure that you're going to college because *you* want to, and not because your parents think it's in your best interest, or anything like that. it's your decision.

make sure that you're going where *you* want to go, because getting pushed to go somewhere you're not comfortable can ruin the entire experience, and your entire outlook on college.

understand that you'll do more growing up over the next 4 years than you have in the last 17-18. easily.

make some good friends, and spend lots of time with them...but remember that you're there for school.

get involved with a campus activity. i joined the university radio station, and i have my own radio show broadcast live over 88.3 FM from southeast michigan to northwest ohio. it's a blast.

keep in touch with family members and old friends. make sure you know everyone's email address, AIM name, and/or phone number. it's great to hear from old friends.

study what you want to study, even if it's an unpopular decision with your family. when i became a social work major, my conservative grandparents about hit the floor, but i love it.

you don't have to like the guy, but make sure you get along with your roomate and respect his belongings. if he doesn't treat you with the same respect, let him know.

when it comes to packing, make sure you have a computer and a stereo. those are the two college nessecities (ugh, boy, great spelling for a college student...). a working TV and DVD player are added bonuses. bookies, movies, CDs/records, and musical instruments will help prevent bordom as well. buy some posters that you like, because this is one of the few times you can really, really decorate your room exactly how you want to. when it comes to toiletries & such, go through a day (over the summer) and write down everything that you use, then stock up on those before you go away. make sure you have LOTS of extra clothes. you'll need them.

finally, save your extra change. don't spend money unless you HAVE to. it's best not to constantly be at parties where alcohol is being served to minors - the consequences of getting busted (at least around here) are very, very bad.

there's a lot more, but that's all i feel like typing, ha. don't worry, you'll love it. everyone else is scared too.

I've had early acceptances at York and Ryerson universities in Toronto for computer science, and I might get conditional acceptance to U of T. Can't afford to live in residence, which REALLY sucks, so I'm stuck at home for a few more years. This also limited my choices to Toronto universities.

University sucks. Software engineering sucks. I hate school.

Don't go to university unless you absolutely want to. It cost me $10000 to find out that I hate this program.

Really? See, I'm just the opposite. As much as I like Frisco I don't think I'd want to live in the Bay Area. I liked the Davis campus a lot, the only thing I'm going to miss is the beach.

I basically agree with most of what everyone has had to say so far. I'm a mentor to incoming freshmen students and the some of the biggest problems I've seen have been partying too much, they didn't want to be there, thinking the prof would change their habits to help them, and, my favorite, they think they know everything about college life because they took AP classes. One thing I recommend is rewrite your notes and go to your profs office hours within the first two weeks. If they know your name, they may just bump your grade up a little if your borderline or something. I've had that happen a lot...

I actually didn't want to come the college I'm at now (I wanted to go out of state.) I hated the orientation and the campus. But after the first weeks of school, I loved it. I don't really like the people all that much, but meh...I'm here for the school. (Univeristy of New Mexico here, btw)

Berkeley it's own little world, but I can see not wanting to live in the Bay Area.

Come down here to UCSD. It's a nice campus. Situated in La Jolla and literally on the beach.

Edit: UCSD isn't my school thought it's Cal State San Marcos

I know, I thought about appealing my decision at San Diego (it's a long story but College Board ****ed up my SAT 2 scores and didn't send them in on time) but as far as I can tell you can't.

Don't get me wrong, I like visiting the Bay Area but I don't think I could handle living there during college. Out of curiosity, what's your major?

Natural Resource Management. I got into Davis in City and Regional planning or somethign like that.

I graduated High School in 2002, went to OSU for 2 years... and droped out.. now I do nothing

Interesting how people gravitate to certain colleges over others....

I was all set to go to a school in California but then my Junior year happened. After years of hearing how great the UC system was, I visited my cousin at San Diego State, and I was shocked at how awesome that school was. The academic side of it wasn't nearly as bad as my high school teachers implicitly told me, and I ended up realizing how over-rated the UCs were. Then, I talked to a close family friend who's a stockbroker and he pretty much told me that for my carreer (Journalism/International Studies) I'd be a fool to stay in California. My best teacher last year had me meet his father who taught at BU. He sold me the pitch, and I found myself more and more aching to "get out while I can" of California. Last August I spent a week and a half checking out the colleges and towns of Washington DC, Boston, and New York. What I realized is the great "moral" of my tale:

There are NO bad schools. But do know what you want out of those 4-5 years and find a college that will allow to do that. My biggest issue was that I wanted to be in an urban campus with a solid reputation; which by and large made Californian schools a backup plan.

Am I the only one here who's not headed for college?

teh' collage teh' collage, no i still cant spell

the quarter machine is always out here. always.

+ participate in class discussions
+ be nice to the caf workers, the mail room guy, and the janitor for your particular building, the nurse; thay will be kind to you
+ (at my school) the nurse gives out condoms like candy (for free)
+ read. the. sillibius. dont get cought by unknown reading assignmants or papers whitch were unannounced, but witch count for you grade
+ if you dont like to drink, a study group is a great way to meet freinds; activites and volinteer stuff is too
+ videogames (half life 2) has been the downfall of many a grade also. not that you cant play, just study too. and for some reason it makes people cuss.

things to have handy around a dorm
-quarters
-paper towels
-cleaning supplies

Bah, medical school is too damned competetive, I still have no idea where I'm going. My top choices have been bastards: Northwestern (feinberg) and U of U gave me the boot (U of U PAYED me to interview there, so that was a bit of a shock), Marquette (MCW) and Creighton waitlisted me, and Yeshiva University (Albert Einstein) has been erily silent. Ah well, tis life...