Freshman Advice Thread

[resident]

1. Go to the M-shop concerts. It's a hidden gem at Iowa St and the lineup this fall looks especially strong so somebody is putting a lot of effort into signing bands. Go by yourself if you have to and talk to the other people that go. They are probably awesome.

2. Your high school relationship probably isn't going to work out. Just end it on good terms now. If you really miss each other later then get back together and see what happens but lots of people have a quarter life crisis towards the end of their college years and end up breaking up before graduation. Don't waste your entire college dating a single person right from the start.

3. Make time for extracurricular activities that involve exercise. Sports, intramurals, disc golf, running, lifting whatever. You will need some way to burn off those extra calories from beer, dining hall food, and slowing metabolism. Don't be that guy on Facebook that became a blob 3 months after going to college.

4. Keep a GPA over 3.3. It is critical to getting internships which will lead to good jobs.

5. Don't cheat. You are only hurting yourself in the long run. Even if you use an answer key (they are out there if you look hard enough) make sure you understand how to solve every homework problem. TAs know you are cheating when you copy the answer key that has incorrect steps in it and will not give you breaks in the future.

6. Consider what city/region you want to end up in after graduation and choose your major/look for experiences that will enable that. I'd love to live in NYC but as an EE with a background in consumer electronics there's not a lot of opportunity there for me unless I start something myself.

7. Make a quality resume (embellish a bit if you need to but don't lie). Go to the career fairs even as a freshman. Be confident. Communication skills can help make up for a lack of experience.

8. Get to know a professor that teaches a subject you are passionate about. They can get you RA jobs, recommendations, etc.

 

[cycopath25]

Don't be an RA.
They are douches.

 

[WhatchaGonnaDo]

Don't go home over Labor Day

 

[Bader]

Back in my day we didn't have those fancy birth control methods, like pulling out.

Okay, settle down, prostitutes. Now, understand that you each get twenty dollars, and this requires no sex, no sex at all, regardless of what this character tells you.

 

[theantiAIRBHG]

Don't skip meals. Wake your *** up and go to breakfast. Might as well use your entire meal plan, you're paying for it.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Don't go home until Christmas Break. I don't care if you live in Ankeny. Bare minimum, last until Thanksgiving Break. No one in the dorms is friends with the people who go home every weekend. Also, Thanksgiving break on campus is awesome.

 

[theantiAIRBHG]

Encourage your roommate to be in alot of extra curriculars.. So you have time by yourself to, you know.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Don't listen to a thing anybody said in this thread.

College is your first job. Treat it like one. Not a country club, not a "swingers" group (to use a polite term), and not a popularity contest.

 

[erikbj]

1. Don't date any one person - meet as many girls as possible for a night or two
2. Don't skip class - beats actually studying
3. Don't schedule classes on fridays
4. Don't hang with your H.S. friends past the first week, get out and meet new people
5. I'm getting old now, but a quality fake ID (not sure how easy it is now a days) was the best thing for a freshman........geting into the bars is key to finding "dates" around 2am.
6. Take school seriously, get A's or B's at worse - remember if you go to class, less studying time = more drinking time.
7. Don't let your parents ever visit, they always find the water bong - no matter how hard to you try to hide it OR your mom will find some girl's panties in your room (makes the rest of their visit a little awkward).


Good luck, college is the best years of your life - ENJOY it.

 

[resident]

Good luck, college is the best years of your life - ENJOY it.

They are fun and different but no.

 

[CloneinWDSM]

I don't get why the hate about being close to your high school friends.

My 4 real good friends and I went to ISU and were randomly placed on 2nd and 3rd floor larch and 1 in willow. If you feel comfortable, why do you HAVE to branch away? You can still meet tons of new people as our group did. Each of us met different people and ended up having groups of friends that everyone got along with.

Moved in a house sophomore year with the 4 HS buddies and one of my friends roommates from Freshman year. Best decision possible as we had tons of parties with people we've met from Freshman year and met even more people from the house parties.

Still best friends with the group todaybb

 

[CyFan61]

I don't get why the hate about being close to your high school friends.

I know some people from my high school that got to college and started hanging out with other people from the same high school that they weren't really friends with to begin with - more like acquaintances. I think they did so because it was more comfortable for them, but there was a reason that they weren't friends to begin with. Not much in common.

Really the main message here should be to break out of your comfort zone, especially if you're an introvert. Everyone is in the same boat as you - eager to make new friends. So, just remember that no one is going to look at you weird if you ask them to go to dinner with you right after you stopped by their room down the hall to meet them.

 

[Wesley]

Expand your sexual horizons and don't wear protection.

You too can have as many kids as Royce.

 

[Farnsworth]

Don't buy books until you find out if you really need them or not. Learn which classes and professors are easiest for elective classes you don't really care about.

 

[ianoconnor]

Don't be an RA.
They are douches.

Haters gon hate.

 

[Farnsworth]

Play broomball for sure, preferably after drinking. once you are of age of course.

 

[colbycheese]

I can't believe I forgot to mention this. As soon as you move into an apartment, or some place with a kitchen, learn how to homebrew. I learned how in grad school when I was already of drinking age. I really wish I would have learned as an undergrad - no need for a buyer ever again! That, and you can drink decent beer for the price of dirty 30s.

 

[RING4CY]

Thought of a couple of don'ts when it comes to attending class:

DO NOT bring a laptop to class. The tappings of the keys get quite annoying real quick, and will get you hated quickly by those around you. Especially if you are the only one in the class that is using a laptop to take notes during the lecture.

DO NOT bring food to class. Especially snacks. No matter how discreet you try to be about it, opening a package of food is very loud and noticeable to others in the class, and so is every time you stick your hand in the package after that to obtain more food. If you do have food with you, consume it and have the package thrown away before class starts.

 

[Rabbuk]

Play broomball for sure, preferably after drinking. once you are of age of course.

I absolutely lit a kid up crosschecking a kid in broomball. on accident of course.....

 

[CtownCyclone]

I absolutely lit a kid up crosschecking a kid in broomball. on accident of course.....

Had a roommate break his finger playing broomball. It was his ring finger, and when it healed, he couldn't bend it back down quite right. So when he tried to flip us off with that hand, it looked like he was extending his middle finger and ring finger. Which would typically **** him off more than he was when we made fun of him for it.

Ahhh, good times in college...