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Forums - General Discussion - Starting college this Monday... tips, advice, experiences?

NiKKoM said:
Kasz216 said:
Oh yeah.

Also always back up important data on at least one zip drive. So you have at least 2 copies of everything you've done.

lol... I don't think kids these day know what a zip drive... but yeah back everything up... use an external HD or a cloud service like icloud or dropbox..

Eh, bad habit, I sometimes call Flash Drives, Zip Drives.

Don't know why.



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Kasz216 said:
Oh yeah.

Also always back up important data on at least one zip drive. So you have at least 2 copies of everything you've done. Never know when you'll lose one copy, or even have your computer wiped. I seem to recall someones computer being wiped because they had a personal wifi service that someone ended up leaching and downloading a LOT copyright infringing media on.

heh, i got caught with that, not because i was torrenting (which i was smart enough not to do much at college) but i stupidly left my against-the-rules wireless router unsecured. When i bought a new one, i set it up with a MAC filter and trolled the whole campus-apartment complex, because it looked like it was unsecured but no-one could get on it.

And then i recall the day, 24 hours before due date, that my roommate's hard-drive crapped out (after lots of exposure to Chinese viruses) and he had to cram a term-paper all at once. I remember because that was the day he had promised to give me a ride to Gamestop for Skyward Sword, and i had to hoof it through late-November suburbia for about three hours total...



Monster Hunter: pissing me off since 2010.

Mr Khan said:
Kasz216 said:
Oh yeah.

Also always back up important data on at least one zip drive. So you have at least 2 copies of everything you've done. Never know when you'll lose one copy, or even have your computer wiped. I seem to recall someones computer being wiped because they had a personal wifi service that someone ended up leaching and downloading a LOT copyright infringing media on.

heh, i got caught with that, not because i was torrenting (which i was smart enough not to do much at college) but i stupidly left my against-the-rules wireless router unsecured. When i bought a new one, i set it up with a MAC filter and trolled the whole campus-apartment complex, because it looked like it was unsecured but no-one could get on it.

And then i recall the day, 24 hours before due date, that my roommate's hard-drive crapped out (after lots of exposure to Chinese viruses) and he had to cram a term-paper all at once. I remember because that was the day he had promised to give me a ride to Gamestop for Skyward Sword, and i had to hoof it through late-November suburbia for about three hours total...

Did you make a thread about it?  If so, it's probably your case I'm thinking of.



Kasz216 said:
Mr Khan said:
Kasz216 said:
Oh yeah.

Also always back up important data on at least one zip drive. So you have at least 2 copies of everything you've done. Never know when you'll lose one copy, or even have your computer wiped. I seem to recall someones computer being wiped because they had a personal wifi service that someone ended up leaching and downloading a LOT copyright infringing media on.

heh, i got caught with that, not because i was torrenting (which i was smart enough not to do much at college) but i stupidly left my against-the-rules wireless router unsecured. When i bought a new one, i set it up with a MAC filter and trolled the whole campus-apartment complex, because it looked like it was unsecured but no-one could get on it.

And then i recall the day, 24 hours before due date, that my roommate's hard-drive crapped out (after lots of exposure to Chinese viruses) and he had to cram a term-paper all at once. I remember because that was the day he had promised to give me a ride to Gamestop for Skyward Sword, and i had to hoof it through late-November suburbia for about three hours total...

Did you make a thread about it?  If so, it's probably your case I'm thinking of.

Possibly. The former incident was in late 2009 though, hard for me to remember. I was pissed as hell for the false accusation (because they accused me of doing it, and if i feel like i've been cornered, i tend to melt down completely and start attacking everything i can). While the latter incident i know i didn't find threadworthy. May have mentioned it in passing.



Monster Hunter: pissing me off since 2010.

Mr Khan said:
Kasz216 said:
Mr Khan said:
Kasz216 said:
Oh yeah.

Also always back up important data on at least one zip drive. So you have at least 2 copies of everything you've done. Never know when you'll lose one copy, or even have your computer wiped. I seem to recall someones computer being wiped because they had a personal wifi service that someone ended up leaching and downloading a LOT copyright infringing media on.

heh, i got caught with that, not because i was torrenting (which i was smart enough not to do much at college) but i stupidly left my against-the-rules wireless router unsecured. When i bought a new one, i set it up with a MAC filter and trolled the whole campus-apartment complex, because it looked like it was unsecured but no-one could get on it.

And then i recall the day, 24 hours before due date, that my roommate's hard-drive crapped out (after lots of exposure to Chinese viruses) and he had to cram a term-paper all at once. I remember because that was the day he had promised to give me a ride to Gamestop for Skyward Sword, and i had to hoof it through late-November suburbia for about three hours total...

Did you make a thread about it?  If so, it's probably your case I'm thinking of.

Possibly. The former incident was in late 2009 though, hard for me to remember. I was pissed as hell for the false accusation (because they accused me of doing it, and if i feel like i've been cornered, i tend to melt down completely and start attacking everything i can). While the latter incident i know i didn't find threadworthy. May have mentioned it in passing.

I've noticed, and yeah.  I feel like that probably was you then.  I've got a strangely good memory about stuff like that and conversations.

Really everything but numbers.



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Kasz216 said:

...


If you are one of those "Naturally smart" people who never had to study much... take a class in studying and practice studying. Chances are at some point you will need to learn to study unlike Highschool, and the transition will kill a grade in a class or two if your not careful.


very good point actually.  i had a 4.0 my first year because everything was review/easy.  my first exam sophmore year in my first actual engineering course i had the worst test score in the entire course.   that was a really tough semester but once i bucked down an accepted i had to study i ended up okay.

 

also, just because i don't think i've seen it mentioned.  those first couple of weeks are hard.  like really hard.  you'll go from a friend group you've know forever to group of people you've never met.  even though i met some really cool people early on (one was my best man) there is this complete lack of history that makes even good people feel empty/shallow to you.  it's lonely, it's hard, but it gets a lot better.  this is part of why hitting the social scene early is important.  i think it took me until about the end of the first semester to really start feeling "comfortable" in my new life.



Study hard. That's the most important thing anyone can do in college, especially if good grades are required for your future aspirations.

I'm only the second person in my immediate family to complete a college degree. I wasn't blessed with genius (unfortunately), but I work hard, and that's the main reason I finished college with a 3.9 GPA. If you have a goal for something, don't let any-thing or -one get in the way of it. I believe just about anyone can do well in school if they're willing to work hard. And as someone else said: don't even make skipping class an option.

One of the biggest obstacles I think for most people is staying away from distractions. You have to know when to say no. You may have 5 friends each wanting an hour of your time. That's only one hour for each of them, but 5 hours for you. You absolutely need to have fun, bc you'll go crazy otherwise; but, you just have to find a balance.

As for not knowing what you want to do...you're not alone. It may seem like everyone else around you knows what they want to do, but it's not true. I went into college totally set on becoming a chiropractor; then, I wanted to go to med school; then I finally settled on becoming a physician assistant toward the end of my sophomore year.

Oh, and for the record...you're also not the only one who is going into college scared. I remember I was terrified of starting college bc I had such a hard time getting myself to study. Was worried I was gonna fail out bc this was such an issue. But I just always kept in mind how important my college grades were, and that they would determine what I was able to do for my future career/the rest of my life. That's what helped me push through my hatred for studying.

As someone else mentioned, clubs/activities/service will look good on your resume. Don't let this stress you out or worry you right now, though. You'll find time for these things eventually, even if it's not this year.

Anyways, just wanted to take time to write something bc, as I mentioned, I had fears going into undergrad as well. Good luck man. Hope everything goes well.



Pick a good major

Sleeping around is overrated

Clubs are a good place to meet people



ǝןdɯıs ʇı dǝǝʞ oʇ ǝʞıן ı ʍouʞ noʎ 

Ask me about being an elitist jerk

Time for hype

Also on the inevitable afternoon you are bored and friends are in class, do not buy star wars the force unleashed at full price. You will regret it.



ǝןdɯıs ʇı dǝǝʞ oʇ ǝʞıן ı ʍouʞ noʎ 

Ask me about being an elitist jerk

Time for hype

Final note. Camo cans have as much alcohol as six beers and are a 1.25 investment. They taste like church wine and stale beer and are probably meant for homeless people.



ǝןdɯıs ʇı dǝǝʞ oʇ ǝʞıן ı ʍouʞ noʎ 

Ask me about being an elitist jerk

Time for hype