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selkie at 09:02pm on 07/09/2005
selkie at 09:02pm on 07/09/2005If my sister was, you know, on speaking terms with me and not attending a Baptist college, I'd send her this list. But I can't, because my family plays the special skee-ball. So.
1. Never miss an opportunity to sleep, eat a real meal, shower or wash out your bra.
2. When you do laundry, always put in one towel. That way you always have one clean towel.
3. Make sure everyone signs the lease.
4. Go to the first class, the last class, and five in between.
5. Don't sign up for any credit cards.
6. Don't eat the fish on Monday. Food deliveries don't happen on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
7. Take at least two classes from a community or public college. It's different there. In a good way.
8. Familiarise yourself with two working computer clusters (with printers) on campus. Not one. Two.
9. When the ATM gives you an 'old' $20 bill (i.e. not a coloured one), put it back into the bank again.
10. Condoms are free, but dental dams cost money. Beat up a dentist and steal a fistful.
1. Never miss an opportunity to sleep, eat a real meal, shower or wash out your bra.
2. When you do laundry, always put in one towel. That way you always have one clean towel.
3. Make sure everyone signs the lease.
4. Go to the first class, the last class, and five in between.
5. Don't sign up for any credit cards.
6. Don't eat the fish on Monday. Food deliveries don't happen on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
7. Take at least two classes from a community or public college. It's different there. In a good way.
8. Familiarise yourself with two working computer clusters (with printers) on campus. Not one. Two.
9. When the ATM gives you an 'old' $20 bill (i.e. not a coloured one), put it back into the bank again.
10. Condoms are free, but dental dams cost money. Beat up a dentist and steal a fistful.
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-oneechan19 disguised at Echo
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Well, except for the last one. Did you never discover that, with help of a scissors and about a minute's work, a condom can be converted to quite a serviceable dental dam? They had signs up in all the bathrooms at my school instructing us (women's college yay) how to snip of the end, slice it down the side... and there you go.
But I never knew the one about the towel or the computer clusters, which would have been really helpful, so go you.
Advice from one out of college since the Cold War
[experience: International Relations major, now wireless phone tech support.]
2. Never, ever, even once should you behave as if the degree letters after your name make you a better person. [Let others do it for you.] You are just luckier, or from a wealthier background. There are vast hordes of people who would have made better use of your opportunities and you never know when you might be looking down your nose at one of them...until it's far too late to regret, much less apologize.
[experience: have been promoted over the heads of degree-less people who made the lives of other, snootier grads miserable and loved me.]
3. REALLY DON'T SIGN UP FOR CREDIT CARDS. No! No! You will be paying for credit mistakes looooong after you've mended your ways.
[experience: would be TMI, but involved one bankruptcy and an 11.5% car loan when everyone else was getting zero down.]
4. Also, spelling counts. The ability to structure an essay logically, legibly and usably will get you farther than almost anything else. About half my college B-average came from the simple skill of writing papers that didn't give the TAs grading them headaches.
[experience: How does a liberal arts/poli sci major get ahead in a technical field for which she has no training and only average aptitude? Strong written and oral communications skills. No word of a lie, kids. If you're the only one who can put into words, your price is above rubies.]
I'll shut up now.
Re: Advice from one out of college since the Cold War
13. Your school has lots of services that you spend money on that are there to help you. If you even remotely think you can use one, go use it. Free help is good.
14. Professors are people too, and they're also very useful. Find a friendly professor and become their friend. They'll know all sorts of random tricks.
15. You will need to do work on your own in a quiet area at some point during college. Many people will convince you that that time is not right now. They are wrong about half of the time.
16. Your friends from college will be your friends for life. Don't be so antisocial that you miss out on this.
17. Off campus food is always better than cafeteria food. Finding local cheap eateries and places with all you can eat lunch specials is a must.
18. Read through all of the regulations and requirements of your school. Know what General Education requirements are and (as soon as you have one) know what your major's requirements are. Keep an eye on them and try and finish them sooner rather than later. You'll know best what electives you'd like to take when you're a senior. So give yourself the flexibility then.
19. Most schools have lots of clubs that are free to join. Find the ones that you might be interested in and at the very least get on the mailing list.
20. Most of all: ENJOY YOURSELF. You're just getting responsibilities, you're probably on your own for the first time, and you will never have another time like it. Don't fritter it away.
Re: Advice from one out of college since the Cold War
21. Buy one of these: http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/lights/788e/
because it will be very useful. And everybody should support thinkgeek :)