College, here I come...

namaarie

namaarie

Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Messages
1,499
Well, the time has finally come.

Tomorrow, I move out for college. I'm really excited, but still a little nervous. Something completely new, but very cool. I'm really looking forward to it all, but it doesn't completely seem real yet.

I am also glad that my college career will start with a week-long canoe trip. A pre-orientation program offered by my school for the outdoorsy types. Right up my alley! :D I hope the other people don't mind cutlery... :p

I'll keep in touch and give updates. Jut because I'll be at college doesn't mean that I'll forget about the Cantina. I'll stop by as often as I'm able.

I guess I'll see you all around! Here goes...


Nam
 
You'll do fine, Nam:)
I was in college just a few years ago.
Here's a few tips from an old pro:
Community showers=flip flops. period. end of statement.
Make friends with someone who has a car or if you are the person with the car don't hang out with ride bumming losers. Remember, always keep the co-pilot's seat open for a girl needing a ride to class;)
Not that I condone it, nor and i implying anything, but you might want to find an older friend. Not for any REASON mind you, just to, you know, further your college experience by exposing yourself to different people. The best older friends to have are over 21 and don't charge a smuggling fee;)
Don't skip class. It's a slippery slope that i never recovered from. You might think that extra 7 hours of sleep is worth it, but brother, it ain't.
Learn to play spades
Learn to play poker
If parties are your thing: 1) take a wingman. 2) make friends with someone in the frat of your choice so that you can get on their "list" and get in for free. YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR BILL MORE THAN WHEN YOU ARE IN COLLEGE. It sounds stupid, but just wait and see;)
If you are not planning on joining a frat...do not room with a frat guy. Trust me. This is bad news. I roomed with my very best friend from gradeschool and highshool. He pledged. I did not. We nearly killed each other. We would meet coming and going. I would get up at 4:30am for rowing practice. He would be staggering down the hall trying to find our room. It got a little dicey before he moved across the hall with one of his frat brothers. BTW, he is STILL my best bud and is the best man in my wedding in a couple months;)
Pull at least one prank. I'm talking animal house style. It's going to be tougher for you because you are going to school post 9/11, but it can be done. Thisa is coming from the guy that stole cable for an entire floor of his dorm and engineered are large "male" snow sculpture in the dean's lawn;)
Earn a nickname. Steely Gunz comes from my college days. Later, I became Steely Dangerous...but that is another story for another time;)
Finally, send Bruise your money. On second thought...don't. In college, YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR MORE AT ANY ONE TIME
IN YOUR LIFE.

If ya get stuck, email me. College is cool. College is fun. you'll learn a lot even if you don't get your degree...which you better! Have fun, but be careful. Check in often!

Jake
 
You're beginning an exciting period of your life, and you'll be making some great memories. Have fun.

And I totally agree with SG's advice about community showers. Remember that the showers are only as clean as the funkiest person who uses them. And college does have some funky people.

One piece of advice though. Explore your campus. Know where all the restrooms are. There are some restrooms that are well traveled and that everyone uses. I hated those. Look for the ones that are a little out of the way. It'll be easier to take care of your business that way.
 
Nam,

Just graduated... can't believe I'm already writing college advice :eek:

But in addition to the good stuff above, here's a couple more. Things I wish people had told me.

Don't be shy. Talk to people in line. Say hi when you walk past people on sidewalks. I don't believe in karma, but I do believe that being nice to the world makes good things happen to you, for purely practical reasons.

The VERY BEST parties I went to (or threw, cause there were more than a couple of those) went like this: one drink, one water, one drink, one water, etc, etc. No matter what you're drinking, if you have a full glass of water before your next one, you'll have more fun that night, and you'll have a HELLUVA lot more fun the next day. Promise.

Computer games are like drinking- pretty ok if you're doing it with your friends cause its fun. If it gets to the point where you're doing it alone, time to cut back. Not a good lifelong habit.

And lastly, go to the stuff that happens on campus. Speeches, contests, presentations, movies, fundraisers, sports events, whatever. Don't skip it to drink, don't skip it to study, don't skip it to sleep. You'll miss it when you graduate and get out in the Real World. :(

Ok, I lied, one more. BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT. Exercise. For the love of God, exercise. I read some study where regular, moderate exercise was several times as effective at treating depression as the most potent available antidepressant. Doesn't matter what you do, just do something. Your emotions will go berserk for all sorts of other reasons, and the last thing you need is to get into that truly sickening cycle of being-so-lazy-it-just-makes-you-feel-worse-and-get-lazier. You'll see it, just you wait.

Good luck. Have FUN!
Mike
 
Big on the excercise. Beats the heck out of pills. since most antidepressents kill your sex drive. :( :(

and the stress will get to you, probably. even if you don't do all your work.
 
I believe ladies outnumber men in college enrollment by a ever increasing margin.



munk
 
Hide your blades if you live on campus.
1) they WILL be classified as "weapons" :confused:
2) others WILL get drunk and cut themselves :eek:
3) hall monitors WILL freak out and tell you that you can't carry any sort of knife at all. :mad:

Sorry

jw
 
Good luck, Nam.

I've got no advice 'cause I'm just headin' to college now too.

Er... Have fun, but not too much fun. How's that for advice? :foot:

Travis
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Pull at least one prank. I'm talking animal house style. It's going to be tougher for you because you are going to school post 9/11, but it can be done. Thisa is coming from the guy that stole cable for an entire floor of his dorm and engineered are large "male" snow sculpture in the dean's lawn;)

Jake
Click to expand...

I lived in the frat house my sophomore year. 'Animal House' is right...it's one of the few times Hollywood got something right, maybe even downplayed the whole frat thing a bit. Man, did we pull some pranks! Some of them make us laugh til we cry to this day when the old buds get together and tell stories. That was the year I had the most fun....and also the worst grades, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

I'll just echo what others have said. Appreciate college for what it is. At no other time will you have so much freedom and so little responsibility (mortgage, marriage, kids, etc.). I went to a school with a good football program (UT) and I made sure to squeeze in an extra fall semester before I graduated. :D
 
Along the same ideas as SG, if you have a car, do not let anyone else use it. There are two types of people who want to use your cars:
1) people who never had a car and don't have the responsibility or knowledge to not destroy yours
2) people who used to but destroyed it because they lacked responsibility or knowledge
 
Nam, learn all you can. Graduate. Get a damned good desk job in the real world. Move up. Do pick a field in something you love to do. Work should be fun and if you enjoy what you do it isn't work.;)
 
Hi Nam,

Good luck on an important journey. I'll throw in a word of advice too. I was an RA for a whole year and saw this happening to the residents on my floor...

WATCH what you eat in the cafeteria!!! I'm sure you'll be required to participate in the meal plan and eat in the cafeteria for your first year or so. A study a few years ago found that new freshmen students gained an AVERAGE of 20lbs in their first year of school!!!!! (I did too and I was an older, knew better, non-trad student).

It is too easy to eat more than needed in a cafeteria setting... especially all the good stuff (high fat content). I actually lost 25lbs my first summer break.

And have FUN. Don't get into the rut of sitting in your dorm room. Go out and experience new stuff.

Good luck!!!

Alan
 
The only thing I can add is DON'T get her pregnant, whoever she is ... :D ;)


Save that for later and do it on purpose.

Take advantage of what the school has to offer too ... sounds like you already are with the canoe trip. I made good use of my school's programs, but it took me about 2 years to figure it out. Could have done a lot more with my time had I looked into it sooner.

Any idea what you're going to study?


Best of luck to you Nam!!

~ bamboo
 
Do *not* allow yourself to pass out in a room full of frat guys.

.
 
Do *not* allow yourself to pass out in a room full of frat guys.
Click to expand...

Drinking is most fun when you're the runner up. That way you get to decide what message to tatoo on the winner's butt.

n2s
 
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