alumniadvice

 
Do not choose a major in your first year! Big mistake! Take a few GE (General Ed) classes for a year, and then figure it out. Don't be foolish and try and hammer out those requirements for your major in your first year! Chances are you might have a change of heart and decide to change majors, then you're pretty screwed.

If you drive, get a parking pass. You might think you can risk it by buying 1-day passes every day, but you will get a ticket if you don't get one. Guaranteed.

When buying textbooks, you might want to wait a week. Sometimes teachers go overboard and "require" $150 worth of texts, and you end up actually reading 2 books. Books that are "recommended" are seldom used.

Don't sign up for classes you won't attend. If you're a morning person, avoid afternoon classes. If you're a night crawler, stay the hell away from morning (before 10 am) classes! College is the only time in your life when you don't have to get up to be somewhere at 8 in the morning. Early classes are often missed, and your grades will show this.

TV Classes You'll get a lot more done when you go to them, rather than watch it from your apartment. You might miss something when you're making mac and cheese or when nature calls. And taping your class while you sleep in? Yeah, right! It never works. If you ever get around to watching it, you're gonna be pissed off when you realize your rommmate taped South Park over it.

Once you have a major, mix in some GE classes. If you wait to take all of your major classes at once, prepare for an ugly semester.

Sign up for an extra class each semester, then drop the least favorite class after 1 week. Basically, this will help you avoid bonehead teachers or classes that are way over your head.

15-17 units a semester should get you out in 4 years. Anything less and you're getting in a grey area. How grey? Oh... charcoal...

Budget your time! Especially if you plan on having a social life (or a job), it is crucial that you start to plan on designated times to study, and stick with them. Otherwise, you'll really be wondering how it's halfway through the semester, and you're struggling.

Don't procrastinate your studying. It's a heck of a lot easier to maintain an "A" than to pick up those "D"s on your midterm! If you're playing catchup all semester, you're making it hard on yourself.

Have fun while you're young. This is supposed to be the best time of your life. If it's not, then it's your own fault.
 
 

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