Does anyone here go to college?

[TigerPig]

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.

[Jenson71]

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.

[jAZ]

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.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by TigerPig

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.

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.

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

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.

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.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by H5N1

depends. in my experience, those who are smarter tend to sometimes be sporadic note-takers. aka, they have systems that are hard to follow at times and their own short-hand (not to mention, they sometimes aren't that organized)

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

[TigerPig]

Originally Posted by H5N1

you'd be shocked at how many people aren't willing to work for what they really want.

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 ).

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

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

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.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by H5N1

depends. in my experience, those who are smarter tend to sometimes be sporadic note-takers. aka, they have systems that are hard to follow at times and their own short-hand (not to mention, they sometimes aren't that organized)

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.

[Dave Lane]

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...

[Ebolapox]

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.

[ClevelandBronco]

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

Or so.

Usually.

I dare you.

[Kyle DeLexus]

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.

[TigerPig]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

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'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.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by TigerPig

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 ).

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

[Tylerthigpen!1!]

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.....