Does anyone here go to college?
 

I'm going to college for the first time tomorrow. I'm actually in my mid twenties, but I took a lot of time off, and realized life sucks without a job you can enjoy and actually make some money at.

Anyway, I'm kinda freaked just because I don't know what to expect. I'm going to be an Engineer (Industrial, I think). I'm taking Pre-calculus (tested in to it and thought it would be a good stepping stone), Composition I and Philosophy. Not a full load, but I also work 40 hours a week (it might be too much, lol).After this year I transfer to U of A (hence TigerPig), but I digress.

I was really wanting to know if anyone out there goes to school, and has any advice on ways to do well. I know about going to class and doing all of your homework (just like high school), but any sort of personal experience information would be great.

BTW, don't tell me the advice of banging lots of hot chicks. I already try doing that as much as I can, albeit not as many as I'd like. :)

And just think of the young hot chicks who'd love an older guy.

Back when I was going to school, I noticed people would record lectures. Might help to have while studying. Or maybe play it while you sleep and learn by osmosis...lol.

Props to you for going back. I never did.

Bang hot guys? :shrug:

Yeah I'll get right on that...nlm LOL

I have really bad ADHD which is going to suck (Psychologist diagnosed and everything). I've never taken meds, but am going to cause I think it will help me out. Plus if it doesn't, at least I'll be able to clean my house at 4 in the morning!

Another thing I'm concerned about is notes. I can't take notes at all. I write and then I forget to listen to the teacher (ADHD). So the only way I can actually get something out of the class is to listen without writing. Then I have NOTHING when I get home. :(

I'm kind of rambling. I'm pretty freaked, like I said. Enough so that I created a thread about it on a freaking football message board. BTW sorry about that. I would have picked another place but you guys seem really cool. :)

Where?

Ahem....

NWACC

sure, I'll bite.

I'm pretty close to finishing up my B.S. in biology (comprehensive, emphasis in microbiology/biotech with a minor in chemistry). I also work full-time, and it can be difficult at times to balance one's time.

it's ironic, I also started a bit late and have taken small breaks throughout. I turn 27 here in a few weeks, and hope to be completely done (I'm going to do the grad school/Ph.D route in order to go into public health/virus research) within a few years.

the best advice I can give you is to balance your time as well as you can. it can be a lot to handle at times, but try not to get too distracted and stay focused. I'm lucky in that I have a photographic memory, but even that gets overwhelmed at times--work your ass off and you'll be successful at most things in life--you'd be shocked at how many people aren't willing to work for what they really want.

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Read up on Hootie's tales of college life and do the opposite.

College was the best several months of my life. I learned all kinds of things. Not many of them in a lecture hall, but still...

you'll also long for the days when you don't live your life by the semester.

My main advice is to remember your 'real-life experiences'. One, it seems it will push you to stay focused and on track. Two, they can contribute to learning. Professors love to hear and read about what a student learned in the 'real world.' Other students do, also. Your experiences actually give you a leg up on the traditional student.

Be confident. Keep a calendar/assignment notebook. Use the services on campus. Don't hand in a paper without giving it to someone else first to read it over. Take it to the campus writing center, if your school offers one.

There are ways of studying best for each class. Taking notes and reading the assignments is going to be important for Philosophy. Go over your Philosophy notes and clear them up after wards. Don't just leave them there until the night before the exam to cram.

For math, I have no advice other than there is usually a math center on campus if you need help, and don't be afraid to go there regularly.

For composition, again, take your papers to the writing center or have a good student read them first. Hell, send them to me and I will proof read them if there are no other options.

Obviously, you are going to be busier this semester. 9 hours plus 40 hours of work is decent, because you should give yourself 2-3 hours of study per credit. That's 18-27. Let's go with the higher number. That's 9+40+27 = 76. But remember, you have 168. You have over 90 hours a week in which you are not studying, not working, not going to class. So keep that in mind. A lot of students think their lives are so hectic and they have no time for anything. It's simply not usually the case at all.

If you have ADHD, the student services can help you out a lot. They can have the professor print notes for you, in most cases, before the class. Then you can just sit back and listen. I've seen this a lot.

Or you could pay a smart student to take notes for you, or they give you theirs and let you copy after class. Offer them $50 or something for the semester.

I finished my undergrad degree in industrial engineering at the "U of A" (in Tucson) at the age of 28. I can relate to going back to college with people a lot younger than me. I just jumped in and started working and focused on spending time on campus with other students studying in groups. It all sorta works itself out after a while. I was fortunate in that I was mostly taking 300 and 400 classes when I returned. So I was with Jr/Sr. Not sure how it be with straight freshman classes. It's likely to be somewhat similar. In engineering, it's not like you are surrounded by frat boys and girls.

Good luck with engineering if you are taking pre-calculus. You have about 8 years of stuff that will turn your hair white coming up. ALL of it the nastiest math you have ever seen. I remember studying for differential equations and contemplating jumping in the Missouri river. God the horror of it all still comes back to me 35 years later. Good luck you are definitely going to need it.

depends. I've known a few really smart people who were completely sporadic note-takers. they had systems that were hard to follow, and confusing short-hand.

My notes were shit, and I graduated with a cumulative 4.0. Most of the time I didn't write anything down at all.

I totally get this. When I was 18 I had the opportunity to go to college without having to have a job at all, and have my parents help me out. But I didn't.

When I was 22, I could have gone just working 15-20 hours a week and made it (lived with my grandparents). But I didn't.

Now I'm older. I'm on my own and totally self-sufficient. I HAVE to work 45, sometimes 50 hours a week to get by, and on top of that go to school. But now that I'm mature enough for it (I definitely wasn't before), I say, "Bring it." This is something I want to do so bad.

Plus, the University of Arkansas ROCKS. I'm really not a redneck, I lived a good portion of my life in Kansas City. But Fayetteville is an awesome place. The school is nice, has lots of money (thank you, Sam Walton!), and everyone seems super nice to everyone else.

I know I'm going to sink or swim. I've been told that if you fear your classes you respect them, and if you respect them you'll take the proper measures to succeed (study enough, ALWAYS show up for class, ALWAYS do your homework, etc.). That's about the best advice I've gotten.

But I can always use more advice. I'm one of those people who absorbs a lot of info from other places before I start something, so any and all advice is great (other than banging hot guys :) ).

that's kinda how I am. I'm better than I used to be, but my memory is good enough that I kinda slack sometimes in note-taking and my notes aren't all that organized unless I give a concerted effort.

Shop around. There's bound to be someone who can write clear, organized notes. My notes are honestly written in sentence form. I have dozens of notebooks that are like books. People wonder what the hell I'm doing. I can't help it.

I still remember Engineering Physics 1, Class started with 138 people ended with 29. It was weird you'd be listening to the lecture and then you would see someone shut their books put them in their backpack, get up, walk out and you never saw them again. I started making plane swirling crash diving sounds as the got up to leave, I got a 37% for the semester and got a B on multiple choice tests. Ugly ugly ugly...

I can't emphasize this enough: can't recall the proportion, but a HUGE percent of incoming freshmen flunk out their first semester or two because they DON'T GO TO CLASS. seriously, it's sad. just go, pay attention, and a trained monkey could do well in most college classes.

Try your best to avoid doing 'shrooms more than once a week.

Or so.

Usually.

I dare you.

A lot of my classes have the notes on blackboard so you can print them off and bring them to class so alls you have to do is pay attention. You might look into seeing if where your going will make sure that you have notes provided for you since you have adhd. I'm not sure if that works, but it would be worth looking into.

If not I'd take luv's advice and get permission to record the lecture with a tape recorder then use that while studying with your notes.

I'm from a small school and now that I'm at KU, I never study since I never did in high school......don't do that. The only reason I can pull it off is because I'm a decent test taker.

I've been told to register with student services to tell them about my adhd. They say they can do things like give you printed notes and stuff. I hate to be one of those people who gets their hand held through class, but if it helps me learn what I need to know, and they don't just do crap to help me get a good grade, then I'm fine with it. Good grades are AWESOME, but if I walk out with a B instead of an A, and have EVERYTHING down pat, then I'm happy.

Don't be one of those people who pack up their crap five minutes before class is over. Completely disrespectful.

I go to Arkansas right now. I'm a freshman in the engineering program. Probably end up going civil. The university pays for students to take notes for you if you have ADD/ADHD. UARK also has free tutoring. I dont know if you will be in the freshman engineering program but if you are then they will be a big help to you. Freshman Engineering definitely wants you to succeed. Kellie Schnieder and Heath Schluterman are the main professors for freshman engineering. They are good people and will help you out with whatever you need. All in all there is not much to worry about. Besides the overwhelming amount of Cowboys fans.....

screw that: if somebody gives you an advantage (aside from cheating, that is), you freaking take it. the job market is extremely competitive for college grads, and if you have a lower GPA due to not taking every possible advantage, then it's your mistake.

It's up to you. If you find you're doing alright with notes three weeks into the semester, then maybe you don't need it. If you are spending half the class thinking about midgets fighting unicorns, get help.

How do you get good grades if you don't study or do homework? Seriously? In high school there were a few classes I didn't do homework in, and it wasn't pretty. Usually I could get the concept down without having to study it itself, and usually homework was boring cause I already knew it from the first question on. But not doing homework or reading the material and still getting a good grade?

I like to think about midgets fighting centaurs, but you were close.......I have the A.D.D. as well.

I got 4 A's and one D. Which one did I not do homework in? The D

Oh I do all my homework, I just don't study for exams. About half of my classes have been a format that 80-90% of your grade comes from exams, and even in those I pulled either A's or B's. The only class I've ever had problems with A&P and that was because if you don't study you won't pass.

I have started studying more, and really regret not learning how to study sooner. I'd be a 4.0 student if I would have studied a little. As it is I'm around a 3.5.

Read Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book. I love that damn book. I guess you can just wait til the summer though, because you're probably busy now. But everyone should read it.

Nice avatar btw. I've always been a fan of Alexander III, it fits the striving for excellence theme.

I blame the Cowboy thing on Jerry Jones.

OOH! That's me! I will be in Freshman Engineering too! It looks like SOO much fun! Hard as hell, but fun! I went into that place and toured the I.E. and Freshman Engineering department, and felt like I BELONGED there! I'm really excited to be there, I just hope I can do this. I think I can. I keep telling myself I KNOW I can, but there's always doubt until its over with, you know?

BTW, what sort of calculator do you use? I HAD to buy a Ti-84 for my Precalc class. She won't allow a Ti-89. But I've heard Ti-89s are better. I didn't know if it mattered or not. To start with I don't want something that's too good, cause I want to be doing it in my head instead of relying on a machine. Machines are good as long as you can do it on your own.

Anyway, thanks for the help people. I will not have much of a social life the next four months. To be honest I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'll be like a monk. :)

It's hard to not be impressed with Alexander. What a life. I have adopted excellence as a guiding theme for 2010. Alexander and his teacher are sort of daily inspirations.

He was an awesome guy, but he has his predecessors to thank for a lot of it. Previous generations had done a lot to set up things in the right position. Alexander was the person who put it all together; a great feat in itself, mind you.

The other people get no nods. He was the embodiment of about 50-100 years of careful planning and strategy. Still an amazing person.

You won't get much disagreement from me. Philip himself was an amazing person. Led Macedonia to be the power holders of Greece. Completely invented Western siege warfare. And all with one eye. Not bad.

But only Alexander could have done what Alexander did. You can't substitute Cleopatra's son in there and come out with the same results.

I agree with all of this.

One thing about Alexander that has always interested me was his fascination with Achilles. If he had admired any other person, would he have accomplished all that he did?

I'm like that, I don't study at all. I'm good at taking notes, but I rarely look over them after I take them. I only look at them when I'm stuck on something instead of looking over them and trying to get the information stuck in your head.

But yeah, I never study, but Im the best test taker in the world. I have no idea how. One of my friends does ALL his homework, takes notes, and studies like it's going out of fashion, and has never done better than me on a test.

I'll probably study more when I go to MU next year, but as for now...eh. I need to start studying now...but.....

I actually teach at the college level.

The best advice I can give you is to properly manage your time. With as much as you work, set a schedule and try not to deviate from it.

Most of the time, if you attend all of your classes, pay attention, take notes, and do the homework, it will fall in line. If you have any issues or concerns, contact the instructor, but do so in advance--don't wait until the night before.

P.S: One of the classes I teach is composition. If you ever need help with a paper, send me a PM.

Attend class, pay attention, take notes, review your notes after each class, ask questions, do your homework at the lab of each class, study like hell for each test, and don't spend too much time on this website.

THIS

Good luck. It's going to be a long road ahead, but Engineering is a rewarding career path. It will be difficult. Especially with your part-time schedule you will have years of math and science before you get to any real engineering courses. Don't give up, go to class, ask for help when you need it and try to enjoy it.

I have a BS & MS in electrical engineering and later this month I'm starting a part-time 27 month MBA program.

Thanks. Composition at least used to be fairly easy to me. I actually know what misplaced modifiers and passive voice are...lol. Now my reading comprehension of literature absolutely SUCKS! I can read Robert Frost and enjoy it (yeah, I admit it, lol) but start asking what themes and other stuff are going on in the work and I just DON'T know what the hell you're talking about. But if I'm making my own paper I'm great cause there are rules to follow that are fairly firm. But yeah, NO paper is getting turned in without someone with a degree in English looking over it

I'll be going to full-time with classes this fall, and dropping to part time with work. But for now its 10 credit hours and 45 hours a week. :eek:

Thanks for all the help, guys. It sounds like its pretty damn straightforward. Pretty much the gist of it is to work hard and put in the time to get everything done. I can do that!

If an application has optional essays like "what makes you more diverse than every other Joe Everyman", that could help...might want to talk about being able to overcome it, though.

As far as picking a general place for Engineering...Rolla.

Thanks for the advice!

Rolla doesn't have an Industrial Engineering program. :(

Doesn't an engineering degree require more hours for graduation than a BA or BS? That's an awfully long row to hoe for a part time student. I'd look at other areas of interest that took less schooling.

Engineering is something I've wanted to do since I was a child. And after this semester I'm going to start going full time. This is just my "get your feet wet" semester.

And at this point I WILL NOT compromise. I have things I want to do, I am GOING TO DO THEM. :)

The nice thing about being in engineering is that in a lot of your classes, your professors will probably write everything you need in your notes on the board (or show them on a projector) so you'll have time to follow along AND write your notes.

Their Engineering Management program is pretty much the same thing.

Been in college the last 8 years. Currently in grad school finishing up my thesis project with graduation in May...finally.

My advice I will throw on the pile is...

...DISCIPLINE

You may have classes where the instructor does not take attendance. This makes it very easy to say to yourself, "Oh, I don't need to go. I will just read the syllabus and read the chapters for today." Some people will say this works, but with ADHD, I think you will benefit most from attending every lecture and class. Make yourself go to every class. There is not anyone to hold your hand or push you in college. You are just another student.

The more you put into school, the more you will get out of it.

I have been told that by a few professors. Reflecting back, it can not be anymore true. Be disciplined. No one will force you to attend every class. No one will force you to take notes. Stay organized and stay focused. College goes by fast. Have fun.

I got 12 hours and work 40+. Start today at 3:30.

Get to know your professors. Sit in the front row. Come to class on time. Ask questions. Basically, remember what the "good" students in high school acted like? Yeah, do that.

Most professors will be fine with you recording their lecture as well. Just tell them your situation, ask their permission, then record.

Your mom goes to college.

Oh yeah, if you have full on diagnosed ADHD, you might want to contact the Special Services department. They can usually get you some accommodations to help out with that.

At the UofA, this is the department: http://csd.uark.edu/

Hah the TI-84 is a very nice calculator but probably not what you are looking for. Most lower level classes won't let you use them on tests because it can do algebra. On the same note I can't use my TI-84 on calc tests either. Most Calc professors are balls deep in the TI-30. They are pretty basic but have some time saving tools on them. Relatively cheap too.

I always get freaked out about how hard people say engineering is but you have to remember there is always someone less competent than you that graduated. So far it is not too bad. Most people I've met your age have no problem just because they are dedicated. Hit me up next time you are down here.

Since you are diagnosed, why not try some meds and see if they help? If they don't, well, I know Adderal has a pretty damn good street value on college campuses. The key to college is going to class. Most, not all, classes are about 60-70 percent homework, so get every "gimme" point you can. Also, a lot of profs use the same tests over and over and just mix up the order of questions... so getting ahold of old tests makes good study material as well.

Your Mom Goes to college

Edit: Damnit, beat twice already.

ok...then um...Bang Lots of Hot Chicks

Edit: ****, didn't read your OP

lets see, um ok, I got it. Sniff a lot of ritalin/aderall

Some excellent advice here.

Talking about starting late, I'm a 37 year old Junior getting my BS in Secondary Education. If I can start in my mid-thirties and succeed, you definitely can. Follow the advice you've been given here, and you'll do well.

Absolutely see if you qualify for Special Services, and even if you do, I'd definitely invest in a digital recorder - I record every lecture I attend, and listen in the car, or during downtimes at work. I have an Olympus VN-2100 and it's perfect.

Best of luck to you.

I'm a prof in engineering, and also the "head advisor" for our department. I've advised lots of kids with ADHD.

1. You may be eligible for extra time on exams. But you'll have to get paperwork from your doctor. This can make a big difference for some students.

2. Take your meds religiously. A common story I hear from students on academic probation is,

Me: "What seems to be keeping you from doing better in the classroom?"
Student: "I'm ADHD."
Me: "Are you taking your meds?"
Student: "No"

3. You're over scheduled. Figure 2 hours of studying for every hour you are in class. 45 hours working + 10*3 hours for school = 75 hour week. Heavy load, maybe manageable depending on how dedicated you are. But, what do you do during the week when you have a paper due in both classes and a pre-calc exam, and your car breaks down? You'll have weeks like that and they will tank your semester if you aren't prepared for them. Is your schedule flexible enough to cut back on hours at strategic times? If not, you may consider keeping the math and composition and dropping the other course.

4. Pre-calculus is on your critical path. You need that to get into calculus and Physics, which you need to get into everything else. If you don't pass pre-calc with a B (or preferably an A), I would recommend finding another career. Things will get harder before they get easier so use pre-calc as a barometer to see if you are on the right track.

5. You are older than your peers, which brings maturity and gives you an advantage. On the other hand, you are rusty from the lay off. The students you'll be competing against at U of A will come in calculus ready. I teach at a university similar to Arkansas and the students we are getting have been much better prepared than they were in the past. You need to eliminate that disadvantage by blowing pre-calc out of the water. You also need to develop a good management skills for for your ADHD before you hit the big time.

6. Don't work too many hours once you get to Arkansas. Remember the (work + 3*(credit hours)) formula. The classes will be much tougher there because 1) it's a bigger school and 2) you're in engineering.

7. Remember your motivation (getting paid well for something you like for the rest of your career). It's not easy, but it's worth it.

Good luck, I wish you the best.

Engineering is 80-90% exams for the first three years.

Getting copies of old exams is a good strategy, but most faculty I know will always have some new problems or throw a twist into old ones. I normally don't have more than 1/3 of the problems that are re-hashes. But if you prepare using the old exams, you will probably learn enough to do well on the questions that are asked.

Wow. I should have mentioned I was not in engineering (business and information systems) So it would make sense that engineering was much heavier on the exams, as are most math classes. Old exams are a great measure of which concepts the instructor is planning on testing on. Never trust that they will pass out the same exam every other semester (which is a rumor that was actually true for one prof I had). But if TigerPig takes 5% of the awesome advice in this thread he should have a great starting point.

Oh yeah, and since you're coming to Fayetteville:

Stay away from Dickson Street.
Eureka Pizza is your friend.

That is all.

I'm doing the online route at Allen County Community College - I like it because I can't pay attention in normal classes and learn better by reading and visual things. I've only got a few classes left there before I move on and start work on my Bachelors degree.

Seriously? Straight outta Compton?

Yeah you know how they roll in B'ville.

I had a hell of a time getting thru college because I didn't know what I was doing.

one tip:

Sit in the front row of every class.. can't stress that enough.. who cares if you look like a nerd.. you will get a LOT more out of the class and be more willing to ask questions

I prefer the second row. it gives all the benefits of the first row and added benefits that there's usually an attractive girl or two that sit there as well ;)

I don't think you will need to study 3 hours per class with that schedule. Maybe if there are lots of tests. Plus CC is generally a little easier than a university.

My strategy is to survey the room the first day of class, find either the most attractive girl or a group of them and sit there. It helps the whole attending class thing, and if there's a group project you can't go wrong.

Then again, I do take my ADD meds so paying attention isn't a problem.

First day of class is over, and so far so good!

First was Philosophy. Out teacher seems like he's really tough, and I was thinking, "Crap, if this is what its like then this is gonna SUCK!" The class seems to be straightforward and doable, but he's very picky about things being done a perfect, exact way. We didn't really even get to class stuff, just talked about the syllabus.

Second was Composition. This one was a lot better. The teacher in there is really laid back and easy going. She smiled a lot and made me feel pretty darn comfortable. I liked it.

Last was Precalculus. I was freaking out over this class. I'm sitting in the chair as we're getting ready to open the book to chapter four (forgetting the first three, just diving on in, lol). And she starts going over it, and I knew EVERY SINGLE thing she was talking about, even after ten years! I don't like to brag, but I was pretty damn proud of myself. :)

So everything seems to be going quite well. So far, so good, which is a great big step in the right direction.

Lastly, I will say I was HIGHLY disappointed in the whole meeting chicks thing. First off, no one ever says a single word in class, at all. They all just look straight forward, and when you try and look around the room everyone is just zoned in on the teacher. I don't see how people say college is the easiest time in your life to make friends, cause I think I'd have a better chance hooking up at a funeral. Plus a large portion of the women are much older than me with kids and a husband, about 1/3 of the class in Composition and 10% of the class in Precalculus (not so much in Philosophy). :( So much for hooking up with chicks...lol!

Anyway, you can by all means keep posting stuff, cause I'm listening. It all seems fairly straightforward, but I also haven't taken a test yet or anything. It seems like if you do what the teacher tells you you'll be fine. And if you can't then get with him to figure out how you can do what he tells you to. And if you still can't, then you have problems...


Not a single person was in the mood for talking at all!

To preface my advice here, I'm back in school myself for a last semester finishing a business degree as the history degree wasn't doing much on the job market. I'm an "older" student myself (25) and it can be a bit of an adjustment getting back into it and it's much easier said than done. So first of all, congrats on doing it.

Philosophy is a cakewalk as long as you do the reading. If you read, then you can talk in class without making an ass of yourself. If you talk in class, your prof usually will love you.

Here's my simple steps to meeting girls in class. Find a seat next to at least one girl you want to talk to. You probably have absolutely nothing in common with this girl, except that you're taking the same class. This is okay. It will be enough. Use the class material as an icebreaker, "Isn't this reading kinda bullshit?" or "I didn't really get the stuff about Kant, did you?" Then as the first test approaches suggest that you get together to get coffee and study. Gives you a chance to get to know her and opens the possibility of future non-school related hanging out.

It's pretty cool that you remembered everything for PreCalc... I had two years between Calc I and II and was completely lost during the first couple of weeks of Calc II. It's a strange feeling to be in that situation and have light bulbs going off in your head that you didn't realize were there in the first place.

As far as meeting people, that's not very surprising for a CC... I took a couple of summer classes at one, and it's not like a regular university where you would generally have to live on campus the first year and take classes with the same people you live and eat with.... group work helps, and people tend to lighten up a little after the first couple of classes, as people start asking questions and are less stressed about the class itself.

I've found the two best ways for me to meet girls is a) make friends guys that have friends that are girls and b) get the study sesh going.
Get you some

Are there any girls in engineering? There was a girl who was showing me around the building when I toured. It was just me and her for the orientation, and she was nice :) But I hear there's no women in engineering classes. So I'll probably not find any women anyway, lol.