Does anyone here go to college?

[NewChief]

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/

[ziggysocki]

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.

[OnTheWarpath15]

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.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

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.

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.

[ziggysocki]

Originally Posted by cdcox

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.

[Buck]

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

[cdcox]

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.

[NewChief]

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

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

That is all.

[Saulbadguy]

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.

[sportsman1]

Yeah you know how they roll in B'ville.

[tyton75]

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

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by tyton75

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

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by H5N1

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

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.

[TigerPig]

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...

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

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.

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

[Spicy McHaggis]

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.

Originally Posted by TigerPig

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.

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.

Originally Posted by TigerPig

Lastly, I will say I was HIGHLY disappointed in the whole meeting chicks thing.
Not a single person was in the mood for talking at all!

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.