What Are Good Things To Learn Before College - AskReddit

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What are good things to learn before
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[–] barshems 621 points 13 hours ago
The first people you meet in college don't have to

Rules:
be your friend group. You are going to meet (hover for more info)
hundreds of new people. you'll quickly learn what
type of people you get along with, and what type You must post a clear and direct question
in the title. The title may contain two,
of people you can't even tolerate. The first group
short, necessary context sentences. No
o people I met is who I decided to be best friends 1
text is allowed in the textbox. Your
with my entire Freshman year. They turned out to thoughts/responses to the question can
go in the comments section. more >>
be the worst group of people that have ever
plagued the human race. Don't make the same
mistake I made. Any post asking for advice should be
2 generic and not specific to your situation
permalink embed save report reply alone. more >>
[–] your-imaginaryfriend 44 points 5 hours ago

Askreddit is for open-ended discussion
I (college sophomore) dropped a friend a while 3
questions. more >>
back because I really did not like spending time
with them. They were one of the first people I
Posting, or seeking, any identifying
met, and I was desperate not to be alone. It's personal information, real or fake, will
okay, you should spend time with the people
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12/6/2018 What are good things to learn before college? : AskReddit
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miserable just because you're afraid of being
lonely.
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[–] andrewkf 9 points an hour ago

Questions seeking professional advice
One of my friends introduced me to a girl that I 6 are inappropriate for this subreddit and
started dating. We took a short break (and we will be removed. more >>
are still dating. We're both juniors). This
"friend" basically told our friend group that the Soliciting money, goods, services, or
7
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that I sexually assaulted her and forced her to

have sex with me, which could not have been Mods reserve the right to remove content
or restrict users' posting privileges as
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So yeah, choose friends wisely.
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[–] Airwalker7 2838 points 13 hours ago If you think your post has disappeared, see
spam or an inappropriate post, please do
Student loans are no joke. If someone had not hesitate to contact the mods, we're
impressed upon me the reality of starting my happy to help.
adult life with $100k in debt, and specifically what
the monthly cost of that debt vs. what my realistic
salary expectations would be, I'd have completely
Tags to use:
reconsidered how I approached college.
permalink embed save report reply
[Serious]
[–] thelyfeaquatic 570 points 12 hours ago
Use a [Serious] post tag to designate
I knew I had loans but my dad did my FAFSA your post as a serious, on-topic-only
and set everything up for me. Upon graduation thread.
he handed me a thick folder and was like “here
is all of your paperwork”. I’m very thankful for
his help in getting me set up but I wish I had Filter posts by subject:
taken initiate to ask him earlier what I would
owe. I didn’t worry about it at all and even Mod posts Serious posts
used some scholarship money to go to China
for two months. I was stupid, but I guess we Megathread Breaking news
all are a little stupid at that age. I luckily owe
only about 25k, but that’s like half a Unfilter
downpayment for a House! Oops
[–] sluttyforkarma 133 points 11 hours ago

Do you have ideas or feedback for
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Out of curiosity, where do you live? I am
used to 10% down payment, in which case
25 k gets you a 250,000 dollar house, which
is quite a nice home. Do you have to make a
higher down payment, or are you looking at Please use spoiler tags to hide spoilers.
>!insert spoiler here!<
half million dollar homes?
[–] duffman13jws 159 points 10 hours ago Other subreddits you might like:
If you live in the suburbs of most major
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anything resembling a decent home for

Find a subreddit Learn something
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can find a clapped out 50s bungalow that
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Ever read the reddiquette? Take a peek!
[–] notFREEfood 130 points 8 hours ago
300k ahahahahahaha css by qtx a community for 10 years
That gets me a shack thats falling

apart in a not so great neighborhood. MODERATORS MESSAGE THE MODERATORS
Seriously fuck the bay area real estate krispykrackers

market. I pay an arm and a leg for my flyryan
fucking studio and somehow Im Ooer
canipaybycheck
supposed to be saving for a down roastedbagel
payment at the same time. ani625
TheJackal8
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...and 18 more »
Yep, here in SJ it'll only get worse
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last night. 3475 · 1513 comments

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[–] Fwizzle45 74 points 10 hours ago
I know it's cliche, but I always find myself thinking about this when I see my
friends/peers majoring in something like gender studies or theater. I ask them what
they want to do once they graduate and they mostly have no idea. Like, mofo you're
just going into $100k debt with no plans after that? I appreciate that you're enthusiastic
about the subject, but reality is a thing. Granted, I also have people in computer science
with me that are graduating in 6 months and have done 0 career development. No
internship, no idea what they want to do after they graduate, nada. I just don't
understand how people go to college and not realize the whole point is to get a job
afterwards, and that you have to be able to pay back those loans you're accruing.
[–] earf123 9 points 4 hours ago
I feel like it's usually one or a combination of 3 things; them or their parents think a
degree is necessary to work anywhere but McDonald's, they haven't thought about
their degree's applications in a real world setting and just chose something
easy/what they liked in highschool, or they don't want to work and want to continue
living the school kid lifestyle.
[–] Flynzo 6146 points 14 hours ago
How to study. There's a common situation where students do really well in high school
without much effort. (This was the case for me). Then they get into a good college. And two
things happen when they get there:
They are surrounded by way more students who are just as smart or smarter than
they are.
They are learning much more rigorous material than HS, and they severely lack
decent discipline and study skills to handle it well.
So my biggest tip is just: if you feel like high school was no sweat, and you made it through
with high grades, you should seriously evaluate how good you actually are at learning
challenging new material.
[–] _nosleeptilbrooklyn 1644 points 14 hours ago
This is very important. My first semester was a huge reality check

[–] GozerDGozerian 219 points 8 hours ago
I’m getting residual anxiety just reading this two decades later. Leaving high school I
thought I was the smartest person in the world. Got especially good at coasting and
bullshitting during my senior year. Then I went to college and had an intensive work
load with lots of in class discussion, surrounded by students and faculty every bit
clever and eloquent and well read as I. Fuck. That was a slap in the face.
[–] BranofRaisin 9 points 5 hours ago
I know a lot of people who coast in high school. The Top 10 for example I am
sure are mostly smart enough to coast/not study much. That probably will
change in College.
[–] Dahhhkness 352 points 12 hours ago*
Yep. NOW is the time to change your lazy habits. The stress of going to class and
doing your homework on time is SIGNIFICANTLY more bearable than the stress of
worrying whether you're going to pass later on.
[–] N0tMyRealAcct 25 points 5 hours ago
Also, if you start using college level study habits in high school you might get a
scholarship.
[–] Pizza__Steve 124 points 9 hours ago
See I'm currently at the point where I did okay my first two years of college (at a 4
year school), but now I'm in the higher level courses that built off of my first two
years and I am getting absolutely rekt because I didn't put the time in to actually
study hard my first two years.
[–] Kooky_Childhood 815 points 12 hours ago
Skipping class can become a very slippery slope. The freedom you feel the first time you
say "eh, they're not taking attendance and I'd rather get a bacon egg and cheese
croissan'which and go back home" is intoxicating and can become an addiction very
quickly. By the time you realize you're in over your head, you're already fucked.
[–] TobiasMasonPark 255 points 11 hours ago
Ah, I'm feeling nostalgic.

[–] calcteacher 49 points 11 hours ago
sad but true. glad that's over

[–] stressedbutblessed 27 points 8 hours ago
can confirm. I’m graduating in May and up until this semester I skipped most of my
classes if they didn’t take attendance. Then realized I wasn’t actually learning
anything, I just knew how to do well on exams. Wish I could re-do my first 3 years
of college.
[–] longleggedgiraffe 46 points 12 hours ago
This is why I did poorly in college. Thought I could still behave the way I did by just
coasting through.
Bad idea.
[–] benblade123 [S] 160 points 14 hours ago
Any specific tips for studying? Currently a junior and i have a hard time dedicating time
to studying
[–] 2aleph0 165 points 12 hours ago
Get away from distractions. Study in a library or an empty classroom. In graduate or

specialty libraries, people are there to work. Their industry may encourage you to
work.
[–] YesThisIsSam 115 points 11 hours ago
To add to this, have a totally separate environment for studying. Even if you are
at home at your kitchen table, you are mentally associating that space with a
leisure activity. People get frustrated when they find it hard to focus even though
they have moved the "distractions" to a different room. If you have room in your
house that you don't spend much time in or already use that for work /exercise
that can work, but if not it's best to find a different place. If you normally go to
your favorite coffee spot to meet with friends and chat you may find it hard to
study there even by yourself, try a different coffee shop you don't normally go
to. The goal is to create a space where your brain immediately recognizes "when
I'm here, I'm working".
[–] LurkingLikeaPro 25 points 8 hours ago
This!!!
I was a tutor when I was in university and I would make my 1:1 students
come meet me in my preferred study spots that were usually inconvenient
for them. The first few sessions were always more talking and getting the
student to work. After that, they learned to associate that place with the
class I was tutoring them for and it was much easier for them to focus.
[–] fevertronic 55 points 11 hours ago
Get away from distractions.

This also means: turn off your phone. Off.
[–] ItsaMe_Rapio 233 points 12 hours ago
Think of it like running. You can't go from couch potato to suddenly running
marathons, you need to build up your endurance. See how long you can comfortably
study at once. Then take a short break if you need. Rinse and repeat. Over time,
you'll be able to study for longer periods with fewer and shorter breaks.
[–] Alt4porn343 42 points 6 hours ago
5 seconds, 8 seconds, 10 seconds. Then my brain gives out

[–] B4nn4b0y 72 points 12 hours ago
I learned a little too late in my college career that if you can’t explain a concept to
another classmate in simple terms, you don’t understand it well enough. Whenever I
study I pretend like I have to teach a whole class the material. Rewrite class notes
in a way that connect major concepts and write notes in the margins that provide
examples of the concepts. A big part of studying is about understanding concepts,
not memorizing definitions. And like others have said, don’t expect to learn a
months worth of material in one weekend. Spread out your studying weeks before
and exam and review regularly.
[–] Needyouradvice93 78 points 12 hours ago
Go to the library. Set a 10 minute timer and focus on learning a small portion. Once
the 10 is up you can take a 5 minute break to browse the web walk around for a bit.
Sometimes you'll just say 'Fuck it' and continue studying past 10 minutes. You may
get in the zone and end up going 30-40 minutes straight. You'll build a 'studying
endurance'. Breaking up the session like this makes it feel way more manageable
than going to the library to study for 2 hours straight. You can adjust the study
times and breaks. 20 minutes studying, 10 minutes off works pretty well for me. I
would usually rewrite my notes, make flashcards, look at practice problems, etc.
Also studying a bit each day is more effective than cramming 8 weeks of material in
a weekend. So set a daily time you go to the library and stick with it. I used to wait
until a few days before and it was stupid stressful. The best way to eat an elephant
is one bite at a time.
[–] grandmabc 12 points 11 hours ago
Totally agree with this. I do the timer thing for anything that I know I need to
get done, when I'm lacking the motivation to do it. I promise myself I'll do at
least 15 mins of it and then a 10 min break. I often get to the 15 mins mark and
carry on for a bit. I don't let myself have breaks longer than planned though. It
works for studying, housework, admin, exercise, christmas card writing etc.
[–] SkateSkateSkateMF 40 points 11 hours ago
Hand write your class notes during lecture (provided there is no issue preventing
you from doing so). There is a real link between physical movement and
memorization. I never remember anything I type, but I do remember what I write
by hand.
When you go home after class, rewrite your notes neatly to clarify any points before
you forget.
THEN, review your notes every day. You'll have seen them so many times by the end
of the semester that it won't take any longer to read them the last week than it did
the first week.
[–] Needyouradvice93 22 points 12 hours ago
Especially if you went to a mediocre HS.

[–] tim-whale 15 points 12 hours ago
Yeahhhhhh actually knowing how to study woulda been great

[–] knasty99 1822 points 13 hours ago
Everyone's giving you advice for the long run, here's some scary advice for the short run.
Most colleges supply 1-ply toilet paper, don't be afraid to bring your own.
[–] KingSilver 345 points 8 hours ago
Durring my first month in the dorms i got nasty looking infection under my balls and
thought I had an STDs, shortly after they appeared I had to start bringing my own toilet
paper because my anus would start bleeding if I used the school toilet paper. After a
week the infection went away and I realized the schools shitty toilet paper was the
cause (no pun intended).
[–] cubsfan13444 69 points 7 hours ago
For real I've been having some of these issues (finishing up my first semester now)
and I'm gonna try this. Thanks dude.
[–] VAShumpmaker 27 points 2 hours ago
Ok no, yours is chlamydia. Sorry, man.

[–] impressive-dev 12 points 5 hours ago
I'm old enough to have lived through much of the time when colored TP was
popular. The TP we had that was in the main school color caused terrible reactions
for me. Glad white is basically all you can buy now.
[–] MaineJackalope 53 points 11 hours ago
Where I went, the dorms had a semi private bathroom between every pair of Rooms,
but you had to provide TP
[–] GermanizorJ 63 points 9 hours ago*
Same, and currently the toilet is clogged because whichever one of my piece of shit
roommates clogged it hasn’t done anything about it. It’s like a goddamn stinky
stalemate, a Cold Turd War.
Edit: Thanks for all the advice guys, we worked it out. They ended up having to
clean the whole bathroom, under threat from the other 4 of us.
[–] Waffle99 46 points 6 hours ago
My advice to you after living with nasty roommates. Don't try to out-nasty them.
They were born into it, raised by it, and thrived in the filth where you merely
adopted it. They can be far nastier than you can and be okay with it longer while
you get angrier and angrier. Tell them to clean their shit up instead of just
passive aggressively seething.
[–] snake5000 248 points 13 hours ago
If you're in a small seminar class, you're actually supposed to speak up.

If you're anxious about speaking up, chat with your professor; don't pretend to be invisible -
the best teachers will be the ones who back you up; that is, if you have something to say,
they'll immediately respond to you so you aren't left feeling like nobody listened and/or that
you were talking to the air.
This has worked wonders for my shyest students. If your professor knows you're
uncomfortable talking, and then you start doing it, believe me, you're going to end up with
a professor who's proud of you.
(we write very nice recommendation letters)
[–] UsedTeeth 48 points 5 hours ago
if you sit in the frost of the class its also easier. it feels more like the instructor and you
+ a few rather than you vs 30+ people
[–] jonnyinternet 2053 points 14 hours ago
Budgeting
[–] TriesToBeKind 590 points 14 hours ago
I'm not sure if it's still the case nowadays, but when I was in college (20+ years ago),
credit card companies would virtually throw cards at you. Brilliant strategy, but evil:
they knew that the combination of financial ignorace/inexperience with financial need
would lead to heavy card use. I was trapped in credit card debt for YEARS because of
stupid borrowing choices I made while in college.
[–] bears371 248 points 13 hours ago
I’ll still never forget my high school teacher telling our consumer economics class
that when she was in college, they were giving out free pizza if you signed up for a
credit card. So Evil!!
[–] Closecalllynn 131 points 12 hours ago
It's not quite this bad but the amount of offers I got in the mail was stupid. It's
like the college sent out mailing lists for all students.
Make sure you destroy the offers! Shred them, burn them, flood them, tear
them, cut them, hell fucking eat them, so someone doesnt try to use the offer in
your name for personal gain.
[–] HawxHunter 53 points 11 hours ago
Going to university next year, advice like this is really helpful! Great having
the internet and knowledge now to not be naive about things like this,
fucking up your credit score at 18 can financially fuck you for years to come
[–] giantmidget9 32 points 10 hours ago
I’d venture over to r/personalfinance before you head off the college.
Spending some time in that subreddit before you become an adult and
financially independent is one of the best things you can do.
[–] yunglethe 104 points 11 hours ago
You SHOULD get a credit card when you're in college — you should start building
your credit history. Put your everyday expenses on it and pay the balance off in full
every month. That's it. Don't buy anything that you can't pay off.
[–] TriesToBeKind 60 points 11 hours ago
Yes, but the problem is, precious few college students have the financial literacy
to know about paying off the balance each month, and the cc companies are
definitely NOT going to tell them.
[–] yunglethe 28 points 10 hours ago
Which is why basic financial literacy is good thing to read up on before going
to college!
[–] MyAskRedditAcct 22 points 10 hours ago
Things like your utilities are another way to establish credit. It's hard to live
independently and truly have no credit history.
CC are better though, in terms of establishing a credit history that will yield
higher limits when you apply for new credit. I got my first card at 18. My
husband got his first card in his mid-30s. Neither of us have other forms of debt
(no mortgage, auto loans, etc). If we apply for cards separately my limit is easily
5x-10x what his is.
Basically, get a card if you know you're a responsible person who won't spend
beyond their means with it, and will pay off the full balance every month. Don't
get a card if you have any doubts, wait until you're done with student debt
before taking on more.
[–] elee0228 53 points 11 hours ago
Not just budgeting money, but also how to budget time.

Use those hours wisely. Netflix can wait.
[–] AGMarasco 24 points 11 hours ago
Also good to know that if there is any type of place within the campus for groceries,
everything is marked up. I'm sure of it. People should look around to nearby, off-campus
stores and plan accordingly. You wont lose money faster than buying regularly from on-
campus retail.
[–] QueenMoogle 3457 points 14 hours ago
How to cook, clean, do your own laundry, mend minor damage in your clothes.
[–] CalifaDaze 548 points 12 hours ago
A LPT on Laundry: Do laundry weekly during one of your breaks Monday through Friday.
Most people wait until the weekend to do laundry once a month or once every two
weeks. This just wastes your weekend when you could instead be out there exploring
your new city.
[–] Rattiroo 270 points 10 hours ago
I was always paranoid about someone stealing my laundry or messing with it while it
was washing, so Laundry Day would also be Homework Time. I’d camp out on the
little table in the corner and do whatever studying or work I needed for class. Since
not many people stuck around in the laundry room there weren’t many distractions,
and the wash / dry cycle allowed a good chunk of work to get done.
[–] Old_Kendelnobie 79 points 6 hours ago
Also helped with work progress. Ok I'll get blank done before next load made me
stay on trackish
[–] to_the_tenth_power 305 points 13 hours ago
Made sure to laundry fast. At the very least with food, most universities have decent
eating spots, but not being able to do your own laundry would be bad.
[–] Dahhhkness 328 points 12 hours ago
Yeah. You would not believe how many kids cannot figure out how to use a washing
machine.
And don't be an asshole in the dorm laundry room. Wait your turn, don't take
someone else's laundry out in the middle of a wash and leave them sopping wet on
the floor because all the machines were in use at the time. At least four times I
caught someone doing this, including once to my stuff.
[–] Kii_at_work 172 points 10 hours ago
You would not believe how many kids cannot figure out how to use a washing
machine.
Freshman year, I was one of only two guys on the floor (30 total) that knew how
to do laundry. I should've charged for lessons, probably would've paid for my
textbooks.
...well, textbook, anyway, at those prices.
[–] PM_ME_NICE_WALLPAPER 31 points 8 hours ago
Perhaps a couple of chapters?

[–] Dynamaxion 27 points 7 hours ago
I don't get it, you put your shit in throw in the detergent and hit the button.
[–] Bazinga530 49 points 9 hours ago
Don’t shit in the washing machine either. One of the dorms at my school had a
mad shitter last year. It was weird
[–] Octopus_Penguin 79 points 10 hours ago
But also don't leave laundry sitting in the machine during a rush. If there are 3
washers that have been done, I don't see a problem putting the clothes on top
of the washer to use it.
[–] markercore 20 points 8 hours ago
We had a big laundry room with like 20 machines so I would just camp out in
there with a book if there was room and get it all done in a couple hours.
[–] According_To_Me 87 points 11 hours ago
Yep. I had to teach one of my room mates sophomore year about doing her laundry, and
about sex.
She made it clear that her parents did not want to teach her about the birds and the
bees, but apparently they also always did her laundry for her.
[–] Ardougne1 42 points 8 hours ago
You'd be surprised of the many parents who simply always do the laundry for their
kids that they never think.. oh they should learn one day.
[–] sgrmw 108 points 13 hours ago
Tide pods are fantastic for college because you don’t need to lug a heavy detergent
bottle with you or worry about over/under measuring.
Also figure out how your school makes you pay for laundry before you have to do it. I
assumed quarters but we had to have money loaded on our cards which made it
annoying to have to carry everything back up the stairs to load the money on it
[–] VTCHannibal 30 points 10 hours ago
I one had a jug of laundry detergent that spilled out from my closet because I
knocked it over and the lid wasn't on all the way.
If you do that use clothes to soak the detergent up, don't be like me and use paper
towels. Not only does it not work that well, but then you need to buy more paper
towels.
It wasn't until somebody asked why I didn't just use some clothes to soak them up
that I realised that was the better option.
I did get a clean floor out of it though so there's that.
[–] AgentFBI 141 points 12 hours ago
Tides pods are fantastic

Yeah they do make really good meals
[–] waleedarif 27 points 11 hours ago
I was waiting for a tide pod joke

[–] TheJadeDragonX 14 points 10 hours ago
^ on the tide pods; first time I did laundry at uni with liquid detergent I put WAY too
much for how small the washing machines are (you’re supposed to put 1/4 the
recommended amount - I put 2x like I normally did at home) and boy was that a
bitch to clean up...
[–] DontCleanYourCup 1707 points 14 hours ago
How to cook.
How to stay warm without heating (this will happen at some point)
How to drink without being a complete arse
How to work without specific instruction
How to handle flatmate disputes
How to organise food/drink shopping
[–] peeves91 370 points 13 hours ago
How to stay warm without heating (this will happen at some point)
Two little words: red wine
[–] NachoBip 119 points 10 hours ago
Transitions into the next tip pretty well

[–] LilyRexX 114 points 11 hours ago
Without Specific Instruction was hardest for me. General topics are often given and you
won’t get as much 1 on 1 as in high school to build that topic.
Im very lucky i developed the skill before uni as it helped so much

[–] LilyRexX 26 points 10 hours ago
I still don’t have this skill. I need some rough guide or my head get too many
ideas and I make a mess of things.
Ok.
What are you studying?
Ill say its maths because I know how to self study this. What do we need to
know?
Definitions, theorems, and results we have proved.
We now go write all these down on flashcards. Maybe twice, just so we can
remember them as much as possible.
Now the next goal is to understand how they work, work slowly from the
first theorem in the notes, and rewrite it. If you cant, right the steps of the
proof. With no rigour and spend some term working out why that works.
Now repeat and prove that theorem, now repeat while slowly working
through the notes. Once completed, try and repeat the same with all
problem sets.
Now you should be ready for the exams, if not then hopefully you have some
past papers to practise on.
But in general to self teach work, you need to know what you need to learn.
Then split it into;
What you can memorise,
What you need to understand,
How you can apply what you've understood to new topics.
If you can manage that you can teach yourself anything.
[–] pas42 31 points 10 hours ago
Ugh, I relate too much to the “how to stay warm without heating”. Old houses in
Minnesota, yay!
[–] OfficialArgoTea 15 points 8 hours ago
Gotta love the Midwest.

I’m from MN but went to college in ND. I rented a house with some guys but there
were electric heaters only, and we weren’t all that rich.
We managed to keep our total electric bill under $125 that winter - by carrying
electric blankets around and wearing long Johns, sweatpants, and 3 layers of
upperware.
Come to think of it, we weren’t so broke we couldn’t spare $30 each more a month
to have comfort. But we needed beer and drugs money.
[–] rafael4000 32 points 14 hours ago
Care to elaborate on the 3rd point?

[–] GeeJo 102 points 12 hours ago*
Know what your limits are and stick to them. If you don't know your limits, don't try
to find them out at a bar; drunk at home with friends causes less collateral.
I spent my first Saturday evening at Uni babysitting a flatmate at a hospital after
they insisted they could handle the rest of a bottle of rum after pre-drinking.
Spoiler: they couldnt.
I find this one really hard. I don't like getting shitfaced because I know I'll wake
up having done so cringy shit that will make my anxiety go insane for the next 2
weeks. But if I don't drink enough, I'll be awkward and depressed the whole
night watching everybody else have fun. I need to find a balance between the
two.
[–] JIBETTA 70 points 11 hours ago
TAKE A FUCKING UBER/LYFT. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE

Stick to one drink the whole night (ONLY beer, wine, dark liquor, clear liquor etc.).
Drink water in between every drink.
Eat before you drink.
Drink 2 glasses of water before you sleep to avoid dehydration and hangover the
next morning.
Try and go out with a person you can trust to stop you/save you if you get past a
certain point of inebriation.
Be a little more aware of yourself and your surroundings if you’re still out past 2AM.
[–] EverGreatestxX 362 points 14 hours ago
How to write an essay

[–] Boxboy7 296 points 11 hours ago
Great advice. Also, when your professor asks for a 5 page paper, the title and references
page do not count towards that page count. You need 5 pages of substantial, supported,
and cited text.

I once got a 3 page paper from a student. That was the minimum. He gave me the title
page, a single paragraph of text with one cited sentence, and then a references page for
that one reference. That's not acceptable.
[–] EverGreatestxX 103 points 11 hours ago
Any advice for writing a 6 to 8 page essay? My teachers in high school only ever
really gave in class essays so the ones I'm used to doing would be like a page or
page and a half at best since a period was only 40 minutes.
[–] Boxboy7 125 points 10 hours ago*
It certainly is a skill that takes practice. As you go through college, you'll learn
that a 6-8 page essay is not that long. First off, create your thesis statement.
Write down the point you want to make, the side you want to argue, or the thing
you want to prove. Then, from that, think about how you'll prove it. Find
academic sources on your topic (your school library can help with this) and see
what others have said about the subject. Can you expand on it? Do you have a
way to prove that source wrong? Partially this depends on what your teacher is
looking for, or what the assignment is. There are multiple essay formats, and
don't be afraid to ask your professor for clarification or advice on your subject.
That's what they are paid to do. (Unless they are research professors...those
guys are paid to research.)
Also, avoid the pitfalls of super narrow topics that may not have much in the
range of sources.
Lastly, do an outline. Eventually, you'll get to the point where you don't need to
do them as often (you can do them in your head or as you write) but starting
out its a great way to structure an essay and keep yourself organized when
writing and researching.
Edit: Depending on your professor, the 6-8 pages may not be a hard
requirement. I've taken shorter papers that did a good job of arguing their point
in a smaller space. Also, don't do the opposite. Teachers have to read every
paper and if you are the type that thinks 8 pages is too few and has to go to 12,
learn to edit yourself unless the information and sources you found is absolutely
critical to the paper. However, most times this happens, its 4 extra pages of fluff.
[–] tim-oyler 40 points 9 hours ago
I would also suggest that you may like to do the body paragraphs first. I’ve
had professors suggest that to classes I’ve been in. The idea is that it can be
hard to come up with a thesis about something you haven’t written yet. So
maybe you can write the body paragraphs and say what you wanna say first
and then maybe a thesis will start to unfold out of that. I personally don’t
prefer to write that way because I’d rather have a plan in my head when
writing essays. It’s not like writing a song or something else you might do for
yourself in your free time, it’s being graded by someone else with a specific
rubric or prompt. But you may be better at doing things and figuring
everything out as you go along, so that’s just a suggestion if you want it.
[–] professorwendy 57 points 12 hours ago
Agreed. Most professors in nearly every discipline assume that students already know
how to punctuate, spell, and construct a complete sentence, and will grade them
accordingly for failing to do so.
[–] allthesparkles 24 points 8 hours ago
To be fair, is that really unreasonable though? Like, discipline specific styles and
quirks, sure, not everyone will know that coming from high school, but constructing
a complete sentence is pretty basic...
[–] Toshokan-in 421 points 13 hours ago
Participating in class will help you pass even if you do shit on tests. If the prof knows you,
they might be willing to bump up your grade.
[–] DepressedButFunnyGuy 253 points 11 hours ago
My Dad told me once, "If you show up, they'll give you a C." It was pretty accurate.
[–] validusrex 184 points 9 hours ago
I took a Micro Bio for Science majors course, even though I was not a science major,
because I was looking at masters programs in Speech Language Pathology, which
requires some STEM background. The teacher was HORRENDOUS.
In a lecture hall of 400 people, I always asked questions when shit was unclear, i
pointed out when the slides didn’t match what she was saying. And at one point
when the 78% of the class failed a test, I was one of several students that argued a
bulk of the material tested was not at any point covered in class. I was an
obnoxious, terrible student. I was one of the few students she knew by name, and I
have no doubt she hated me. I thought for sure I was going to fail that class.
Probably the hardest class I’ve taken in my life, and I’m not a genius but I’m
certainly not stupid.
I got a 69.78 in that class. She announced at the end of the semester via email that
due to the grade she curved the grade slide slightly, making the break off for C
69.77 and above.

I sincerely believe she did it specifically to give me a C. Can’t prove it, but that was
such a strange coincidence I’ve chosen my narrative lol.
[–] carlaolio 70 points 9 hours ago
"C's get degrees" - my second oldest sister, forever.

[–] The_Silver_Raven 43 points 7 hours ago
"Just not for free" my addition as a student on academic scholarship.

[–] Th4ab 886 points 14 hours ago
"Pre" calculus at my high school was a joke of a class that did not prepare me. You need a
strong background in algebra for calculus, like manipulating functions.
It's best to just take a calc class in high school for no credit, or learn over the summer if
you anticipate taking calc in your first year. Things fall apart quickly when you fail at it.
[–] Lizzywads 240 points 11 hours ago
Dude I'm taking precalc in college right now because I need it to get into physics and it
fell apart for me so quickly and it was only precalc. I cant imagine taking real calc.
[–] JolietJakeLebowski 287 points 10 hours ago
The secret to doing calc is to DO. THE. ASSIGNMENTS.

That's really all there is to it. You don't need to be smart to do calculus, you just
need to be diligent. As long as you do (and understand) all the assignments, you'll
be fine. But I cannot stress enough that you need to do them all, and in time for the
next class, or you will not be able to keep up and it will be a downwards spiral.
[–] Lizzywads 80 points 10 hours ago
I do. Thats the thing. I'm a freshman and I've never had a class move this fast. I
do every homework she assigns because thats all she assigns. Everything else is
tests and in class work. I just feel like i get whiplash every time I go into that
class. All my other classes are fine its just this damn one
[–] d8911 50 points 7 hours ago
If you can get a hold of a copy I found Calculus Demystified really helpful. It
breaks things down into small digestible chunks so if you have to go back to
a concept it's not as overwhelming as your traditional textbook might be.
Best of luck!
[–] budderboymania 64 points 11 hours ago
I'm so thankful I took calc 1 in high school for college credit. Not going into a math
related field and now I never have to do math again besides stats
[–] LIV2500 42 points 11 hours ago
I told myself that when I went into a cell biology program. Transferred schools and
changed majors to biomedical engineering. I was so wrong.
[–] Stephanie145 2657 points 14 hours ago
Go to class. Go directly to class. Do not sleep in, do not collect $200 (unless it's on the way
to class)..
[–] Dahhhkness 697 points 11 hours ago
Don't get in the habit of sleeping in. "Just this one morning" turns into two, then you've
maxed out your number of unexcused absences in the first month, and soon enough,
you're wondering what all this mystery material that you've never seen before is doing
on the test.
"Do try and sleep at night; that's what night is for, you know," is what one of my
professors told me.
[–] Hipposaurus28 208 points 10 hours ago
I hope they weren't teaching astronomy

[–] jackcook99 349 points 11 hours ago

I agree there are three things you need to make sure you can/will do
1. GO TO CLASS, even if you cant focus for shit, even if your drunk dead asleep,
have your butt in the seat. Try to have a recorder going you can relisten to the
lecture afterwards or see if yhe tescher uses panopto
2. Avoid corequisite classes, because the classes may teach the same general
concept with different method and/or different levels/areas of detail
3. DO NOT MULTILAB. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE MORE THAN 1
LAB A SEMESTER. The labs at my college are condensed to the middle/3rd quarter
of the semester and makes them feel like 3hour classes
[–] Futureleak 317 points 11 hours ago
Meh I wouldn't agree with the 3rd one. I'm a Biomedical science major, and almost
ALL of our courses have a lab. So its ok to take 2/3 labs a week, and quite normal
for our degree.
[–] deniceoncrystalrice 30 points 11 hours ago
Yeah, first semester of Freshman year I had 3 labs, totaling 9 hours of lab a week. It
was tough, especially because Wednesday I have 5 hours of lab. Thank God finals
are this week and I'm done with that mess.
[–] cartwheelnurd 1118 points 14 hours ago
How to study and actually work. If high school was easy for you and you never had to try,
good for you. College will kick your ass until you learn to study on your own. The kid who
isnt as naturally gifted but works hard is the person who gets the 4.0
[–] benblade123 [S] 231 points 14 hours ago
What do you recommend for studying? I seem to struggle in studying right now as a
junior in highschool and I really want to improve my time management.
[–] cartwheelnurd 266 points 13 hours ago
Theres a realization that it took me a few years of college to get: studying is a skill
that you need to practice. Everyone has a different learning style and you need to
understand yours to develop your study habits. Personally when I need to study it
helps to be in a sitiation that has fewer distractions. The library is a great place to
go for this, but your room works too if you can avoid procrastinating. I also
frequently study with other people from the class. This helps you make friends and
also improves your grades. When it is time to actually study and do work, just try to
be aware of all the resources you have, both online and in person (office hours are a
hidden treasure most students never find out about). As you practice the material,
whether its by flashcards, practice problems, khan academy or other videos, etc,
you will learn what works best for you. Time is the most important thing. The old
saying for college is: sleep more than you study, study more than you party, and
party as much as you possibly can. One final tip: take good notes in class, and dont
use your laptop unless you need to. Hand written notes have been shown to be
better at helping you learn. I probably dont look twice at half the notes I take, but
just having written it down makes me remember better. Invest in a good pen or
pencil that is comfortable. I use Pilot G2 0.7mm with black ink.
[–] 7472697374616E 46 points 11 hours ago
Damn good pen right there.

[–] Vanhallin 48 points 11 hours ago
Agreed with all of this. Only thing Id put emphasis is don't let other people
dictate your studying instead just advise it
[–] Dubiditty 59 points 13 hours ago
Basically do this: always have something to do to avoid vegging out. Clean your
room, walk your dog, take a shower, just anything. Once you get that rhythm going,
it becomes way easier to set time aside to study.
[–] FranzFerdinand51 29 points 11 hours ago
vegging out
This might be the best description of the first half of my collage life I've heard.
Took way too long to fix.
[–] SotheBee 30 points 12 hours ago
One thing that really helped me, aside from taking notes in class, was before a test
or something go through your book/materials and WRITE OUT everything you think
might be important. Basically making summary notes for yourself.
Once you've done this, take the notes you wrote and type them up on a computer
and print them off. Then, study off the printed sheet.
I say do this, because the multiple methods of entry will help you retain it and
remember it come test time. Though, one caveat there will be times where you go
"Well...I dont remember the answer but I know its 3/4 the way down on page 4 of
my notes...." haha
[–] AnAliebn99 29 points 12 hours ago
I like using peer pressure to make me study. If you get with a group, it’s kinda
embarrassing to be the person playing on your phone when everyone else is focused
and doing homework!
[–] akhiyon_se_goli_mare 79 points 14 hours ago
This. When you're in college it doesn't matter how easily you grasp topics, you have to
work hard consistently to maintain thay grade. I learned this the hard way :(
[+] [deleted] 12 hours ago (1 child)
[–] AffectionateBird6 33 points 13 hours ago
The first people you meet in college don't have to be your friend group. You are going to
meet hundreds of new people. you'll quickly learn what type of people you get along
with, and what type of people you can't even tolerate. The first group o people I met is
who I decided to be best friends with my entire Freshman year. They turned out to be
the worst group of people that have ever plagued the human race. Don't make the same
mistake I made.
EDIT: For all of those people asking advice about making new friends, please be advised
that I am not social Jesus. I'm very happy to give you any advice that I can, but I'm just
informing you that I am also awkward with making new friends a lot of them time.
[–] Opiniaster 608 points 14 hours ago
How to cook a few healthy meals for yourself.

[–] NaptownSwagger [ ] 354 points 14 hours ago
Ramen and PBR is healthy, right?

[–] to_the_tenth_power 215 points 13 hours ago
PBR. Peanut butter and ramen?

[–] PM_Me_Food_stuffs 135 points 12 hours ago
"Pabst Blue Ribbon...it's like beer...but different"

[–] elee0228 59 points 12 hours ago
Hipster soda.
[–] WettBandit 42 points 11 hours ago
“When it goes down your throat it’s not smooth, but it feels like George
Washington going to fight the Red Coats”
[–] dootwootdoot 83 points 12 hours ago
Pabst Blue Ribbon

[–] SekZBoiAlex1986 67 points 13 hours ago
I gained like two stone in my first year at university because I always ate junk food and
takeaways.
This is very important!
[–] CalifaDaze 45 points 12 hours ago
I lost weight instead. More walking, less junk food from my parents.
[–] 0reosaurus 46 points 12 hours ago
I lost like 5kg. As a 6 ft guy that used to way 60kg. Its a bad sign for things to come
lol
[–] jaredpls 57 points 11 hours ago
way
[–] El_Bandito_Blanquito 19 points 13 hours ago
Seriously; it's so easy and you can do it cheap.

[–] kukukele 598 points 13 hours ago
How to spend time alone.

The temptation in college is to always be socializing, out with friends, etc. It's great and
truly one of the things that can make college so enjoyable and memorable for many.
The cold-hard truth is that once you leave college, a lot of your friends will be busy with
their own careers, starting a family, etc and a social life might fall down everyone's priority
list. A lot of people, who grow accustom to the social life of college, might become
depressed or struggle to cope with the abundance of alone time they suddenly have.
Learn to find some hobbies you can enjoy in your own company. This will help you, if you
end up in the situation I described above.
[–] tim-oyler 90 points 9 hours ago
Absolutely. I’ve had difficulty making friends in college. I have one group in college that
I’m a part of and that’s really good community, but other than that, I haven’t really
been able to make many friends and have to be my own friend most of the time. It can
be very lonely, but there’s also an upside to being able to do whatever you want
whenever you want if you’re by yourself all the time. Also, there aren’t so many social
distractions from doing schoolwork. So learning to be alone is definitely good, but I
would also suggest trying new things and learning how to makr friends and socialize and
take some kind of social initiative.
[–] RKfan 50 points 11 hours ago
This, you can have fun a college, but that isn't why you are there. Think of it as your
job, take it seriously. There are a lot of people I know who have had to take multiple
classes over again, costing them tons of time and thousands of dollars because they
spent more time socializing than going to class, doing homework, studying etc...
Also, in regards to retaking classes and what not. Do not bite off more than you can
chew, if you aren't working, awesome, load up on classes. If you are working and
depending on how much don't over do it. Again, I have seen people have to retake
classes because they had to prioritize a few classes over others due to lack of time and
had to end up retaking the class. So not only were they out of the time and money on
the class they failed, they have to do it all over again.
[–] Copious-GTea 238 points 14 hours ago
The difference between borrowing and theft.
Sure its nice to let people borrow your stuff when they ask but if they never intend to give it
back (and infinitely delay when requested to have it returned) was it really borrowed?
[–] Ron_Fuckin_Swanson 173 points 14 hours ago
Time management
Also..how to jump start a car and change a tire. You'd be surprised just how many college
age kids have no idea how to do either
[–] Meaarvin 316 points 13 hours ago
You cant keep the same study schedule as highschool. That shit has to be constant
[–] Ghostissobeast 100 points 9 hours ago
i wish i still had my high school study habits, i caught a bad case of senioritis my last
semester of high school and never really recovered and college has been kicking my ass
[–] like7daysaweek 68 points 14 hours ago
Basic personal finance. How to make a budget, how to shop for good deals (and know when
not to shop at all), how to survive on very little money dollars.
[–] Slick_Tuxedo 66 points 12 hours ago
Quiet masturbating
[–] Back2Bach 289 points 14 hours ago
Before college, learn techniques for dealing with feelings of loneliness that may develop.
And if you don't or still need to work on it, most colleges have some counseling services
available to students. No shame in needing help.
[–] Shrekquille_Oneal 10 points 6 hours ago
This. In high school you're forced to spend time with people and for a lot of people it's a
lot easier to make friends that way. If you're not a super outgoing person making new
friends can be hard.
[–] PYTN 63 points 14 hours ago
How to be independent. Knew so many people who struggled in college because they didn't
have their parents there to solve problems 24/7.
[–] Gbuphallow 371 points 13 hours ago
If you're from NJ or OR, how to pump your own gas. Otherwise everyone else will make fun
of you. I had to teach my wife how to pump gas in college, and I still make fun of her for it.
[–] bangersnmash13 137 points 12 hours ago
NJ Resident here. Seriously wish I was able to pump my own gas instead of waiting 5
minutes for the fucking attendant when I'm the only one there.
[–] Gbuphallow 94 points 12 hours ago
When I lived in NJ this drove me crazy. Having attendants is convenient... until it

isn't. Only once did I run out of patience though and do it myself anyway. Attendant
was a no-show for a few minutes while I waited, but the second I got that nozzle in
the car he came running and freaking out.
[–] bangersnmash13 51 points 11 hours ago
I would absolutely do that if the pumps didn’t require the attendant card before
filling. So frustrating. I’ve once got out of my car after waiting 5+ minutes and
walked up to the shack he was sitting in to ask for help. He was on his phone
browsing something and told me “I need to wait a minute”
[–] gumbo_chops 40 points 11 hours ago
Why is this still a thing statewide? Is there like a gas pumping boys union in NJ
that is keeping this archaic policy alive?
Oregonian here.
Some of you guys act like it's solving a rubix cube or something. You just swipe your
card, select the gas you need, and put it in the pump. You don't need to learn that shit.
[–] jlark92 161 points 11 hours ago*
Once you leave high school, you should think of yourself as a professional whose job is a
student. I only realized this in grad school, and lived my college years like an amateur
student. Let me explain.
A professional shows up to work on time, every day, wearing suitable clothing. In
school, that translates to never skip class, never skip studying, and never
"underdress" for class, i.e. don't look like a slob.
A professional keeps regular, consistent work hours. I.e. between the hours of 9 and
5, they are at work, working. If a professional keeps good hours, they don't have to
take their work home with them.
A professional keeps good relationships with their superiors and coworkers if he/she at
all cares about their professional reputation. That means collaborate productively and
respectfully with fellow students and professors. You will carry relationships with these
people for longer than you may think, and not just with people you know well. I
graduated several years ago and I still keep in touch professionally with both my
professors and some fellow students.
In undergrad and my first year of grad, I did not follow these rules. When I got to grad
school, I was surrounded by international students who already had a couple years of grad
school under their belts, and their habits made me realize that the "typical college work
ethic" of cramming for exams, procrastinating on hw, and feeling at liberty to cut class was
hamstringing me both knowledge- and reputation-wise. The other grad students I was with
always went to class and always studied or worked on hw from about 9 to 6 when they
didn't have class, regardless of when the assignments were due. These habits resulted in a
constant, consistent learning experience, and it meant that they didn't have to take their
work home with them at night. As a TA, I also learned that your professors and TAs really
are paying attention to what you are doing, particularly in small to moderate sized classes,
even up to 80 people, and that their opinion matters, both during the class and long after,
and that they can generate strong opinions of you and your work ethic in a very short
amount of time. An impressed professor can open up research positions, professional
contacts, and act as a professional consultant like you wouldn't believe if they think highly
of you.
Edit: And to clarify, I'm not saying you should be a kiss-ass. TA's and professors will always
recognize a kiss-ass. If you show up to class every day, aren't a big hassle to deal with
(aren't constantly asking for extensions or extra office hours), consistently outperform most
of the class, and show up to office hours to talk about the material every once and awhile,
your reputation will be good as gold.
As a TA, I remembered the underperforming students, forgot or never even noticed the
mediocre ones, and remembered the ones who did what I described above.
[–] M-elephant 21 points 6 hours ago
Agree with all of it except "don't "underdress" for class" did not apply at all for
undergrads where I went to school (so long as their hygiene was good)

[–] cole38 250 points 13 hours ago
Skipping class can become a very slippery slope. The freedom you feel the first time you say
"eh, they're not taking attendance and I'd rather get a bacon egg and cheese croissan'which
and go back home" is intoxicating and can become an addiction very quickly. By the time
you realize you're in over your head, you're already fucked.
[–] joe0400 96 points 12 hours ago
50% of success in life, is showing up. Showing up is the most important thing to do.
Its nuts, in my first semester, I've seen at least 50% of my computing class drop out
due to just not showing up.
[–] sharkattax 28 points 11 hours ago
I think it’s more important to learn how to identify which classes can be safely skipped
instead of just having a black/white “never skip” rule. This can sometimes be
determined after a couple of lectures (e.g., prof essentially reads from the slides) but
def after the first test. And you can use that gained time productively, too.
[–] PM_Me_SomeStuff2 50 points 11 hours ago
Paying 20k+ a year and not going to class is a bad idea.

[–] lamiller0622 49 points 14 hours ago
Self discipline
[–] UnlikelyCellMate 163 points 14 hours ago
To not flunk your classes. I know it's an obvious one but regardless of whether it's your
money or not, you are paying to take and ultimately pass these classes. I didn't care for
High School that much and got "ok" grades but when I started paying and going to college,
I've been on the ball with everything.
[–] I_Automate 20 points 6 hours ago
B's and C's get degrees

[–] remorse667 84 points 13 hours ago
Learn what you are good at..

Just because you took 8 AM Classes in high school doesn't mean that you'll be perfectly fine
taking 8 AM classes in college
[–] NovaEnts 13 points 5 hours ago
My HS starts classes at 7:20, if they started at 8 for you, well your lucky
[–] DabblingForDollars 85 points 12 hours ago*
Studying in a group is only beneficial when you actually understand most of the material or
are studying with people who stay on task.. otherwise you’re wasting your time and getting
distracted.
C get degrees is also a terrible mantra and it’s better to start off strong and stay strong.
Don’t be that junior in college who is now trying to salvage their gpa, although it is better to
show improvement then a decline.
Over all just take academics seriously. Don’t waste your time, money (parents money), or
put yourself in debt to be mediocre.
You can be anyone you want to be and the same is true for others.. just because they are
“saints” now doesn’t mean their hometown past was not all kinds of fucked up. Be aware of
this.
Living on campus is infinitely more expensive than sharing an apartment with a few people.
Get a job ASAP and learn to juggle study time, work, and finance.. sounds hard but it
prepares you for real life.
[–] -eDgAR- 148 points 13 hours ago
Your limits when it comes to drinking.

So many people end up with alcohol poisoning because they aren't used to being able to
drink so much and not have to worry about your parents for the first time.
[–] 1738_bestgirl 23 points 9 hours ago
I'm glad someone else dropped this line and of course it's a user I see all the time. So
many sheltered kids putting themselves in harms way because they don't know how to
handle drinking alcohol. They are also the kids most likely to not know how to get their
shit done and still party.
[–] musicnerddd1 40 points 9 hours ago
Also, DRINK WATER. Lots of it. And it's not "lame" if you show up to a party and don't
want to drink alcohol. Pour a cup of soda or whatever mixer is there and sip on that.
Honestly the only thing people care about is that you showed up to the party and had a
great time.
[–] agtbeanerokc 84 points 14 hours ago
How to schedule your day

[–] WretchesandKings 55 points 9 hours ago
The most successful people I know treated college like a job. They would get up early
and spend at least 8 hours staying on campus studying, doing homework, and going to
class. They could then spend their evenings however they wanted usually and partied a
lot. They all had 3.8-4.0 GPAs in Engineering classes.
[–] mikemcchezz 29 points 8 hours ago
The problem with this is group projects and being on campus for 16+ hours
[–] Byizo 52 points 13 hours ago
What you want to major in. It should be interesting and enjoyable enough to hold your
attention while adding some profitability to your future. A lot of people spin their wheels
taking classes they don't need for the major they end up in.
Find out if there is a community college in the area that will transfer credits to the university
of your choice. It may be a huge money saver to go there for a year or so and won't delay
your education.
Grants/Scholarships are free money. Learn to find and apply for all that you can. Only take
loans as you absolutely need. Student debt is crippling and the only way to get rid of it is to
die.
Go to class every single time unless it is an extreme circumstance (being hungover is not).
The amount of freedom you get going from high school to college is staggering, but
remember why you are there.
[–] Accomplished_Machine 71 points 14 hours ago
Basic research skills. Don't know how to budget? Go to youtube.

Want to ace a quiz or test? Find how other people explain a topic online.
Want to find better deals? Research skills.
For example, I didn't know how to cook but did basic googling + youtube + recipe reading
and figured out that its not nearly as intimidating as it seemed.
[–] jedianomaly 95 points 13 hours ago
If your major is marketable.

Every major is marketable (although some are obviously in much higher demand). I'd
change that to learn how your major is marketable. In part because most of you are
trying to pick a life plan at 18 and it will change quite a bit over the course of your 20s,
so figure out what global skillsets you're challenging with your major that can be
leveraged into any career.
Your liberal arts degree may not directly translate to anything useful, but your writing
skills, research skills, ability to parse a lot of dense, technical writing and distill it to key
points is an extremely valuable skill.
[–] easwaran 73 points 11 hours ago
And actually learn this. Don’t just guess based on the name. You might have thought
philosophy would be the ultimate meaningless degree and accounting is highly career
oriented, but in fact philosophy majors end up on average with better paying jobs a few
years out. Part of this is because philosophy teaches you general skills of clear thinking
and writing and explanation that will serve you well in many professions while
accounting teaches a specific set of skills that are highly relevant to one job but aren’t
as adaptable to a change in plans.
https://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/top-best-most/a-philosophy-degree-earns-more-than-
an-accounting-degree-121403186.html
(Of course, some of it is also that prestigious universities usually don’t have an
accounting major, and first generation college students select out of philosophy and into
degrees that sound marketable.)
[–] KrAzyDrummer 20 points 6 hours ago
It's your responsibility to go to class and stay up on your grades. So know your
priorities or shit will start to slip through the cracks
No one gives a shit about who you were in high school.
Learn to take care of yourself. Learn to cook, clean, wash regularly, etc.
Internships are key. Your degree is one, maybe 2 lines in your resume. What's the
rest?
Be realistic about your goals and don't lose focus. Are you trying to get a well paying
job? Are you trying to find your soulmate and get married? Are you trying to find
yourself and your passion (do you not know yet; that's totally fine)? Basically, what
are you going to do after you leave college (cause yes, you will eventually leave) and
how is this preparing you for that?
Don't stop making friends. It's easy to get tied down in a friend group, but stay open
minded with meeting new people and having new experiences.
[–] easwaran 36 points 11 hours ago
How to back up files. How to manage multiple email accounts. How to share documents with
people that will edit them with you, and how to share documents with people that should
not be able to edit them.
How to properly address people in an email, text message, a Facebook message, and
whatever other apps people are using these days, and when to use each one.
[–] effervescenthoopla 32 points 7 hours ago
Cost per day. Tuition is 15k? Divide that by the number of school days, maybe around 160.
That's $100 a day you're spending whether or not you're in the classroom. Want to sleep in
and miss your morning class? Take away $50. Sick for two days? That's $200 of education. I
wasn't a notorious skipper by any means, but I wish I would have used this logic in college.
[–] Physical1337 54 points 14 hours ago
How to not be poor

[–] NaptownSwagger [ ] 112 points 14 hours ago
Step 1: Try really hard not to he born poor

[–] LurkingShadows2 78 points 12 hours ago
Step 2: Be rich.
Step 3: If you're unable to follow step 2, resort to step 4.
Step 4: Life's a bitch might as well die.
[–] GlossBillion 70 points 11 hours ago
1. What consent is and what it is not (this goes for everyone).

2. What your limits are with alcohol. Sometimes this has to be learned the hard way, but
if you don't drink much now and go to hard one day, make sure you're somewhere
safe with people who care about you. You will learn your limits with time.
3. It is a good idea to go to counseling. Utilize your free therapy while you can, even if
you don't think your problems are "that bad," counseling can give you the tools to deal
with things when they do get "that bad" if you pre-empt it a little bit.
4. Maintenance in terms of taking care of yourself - it is hard to get alone time if you live
in the dorms, but at least for me, alone time is important for my mental health. Drink
water, eat vegetables, and go to the gym a couple times a week, and make sure
you're sleeping enough. You might feel FOMO for making these good decisions but it is
so easy to burn out if you aren't maintaining a health baseline.
5. Get the most out of your classes. Ask questions, participate, do the reading. Show up.
You're probably paying to be there, and this is likely the last time (unless you go to
grad school) that you will devote your life to bettering your brain, and you will regret
coming out on the other side not having given it a good effort.
6. On the flip side of that coin, don't work yourself to death trying to get an A in every
class. As a young adult, college is a time to not only develop academically but as a
person. Socialize, go to events, do some extra curriculars.
On 2. If you don't drink much, keep it that way unless you are with friends you can trust
to take care of you. If you've never been absolutely shitfaced before, you will definitely
experience it lol. My advice is to find the amount you can drink where you get to that
point that you have a lot of fun, are sociable and don't regret anything the next day, I'm
still trying to figure it out.
[–] UnusualDisturbance 12 points 13 hours ago
How to spend your time and how to spend your money. Priorities are important
[–] SwayBando22 15 points 12 hours ago
How to hold yourself accountable for your own actions, its so easy to blame others.
[–] WeedandVapeSmoke 14 points 13 hours ago
Immense effort doesn’t always equal fruits of labor, This applies to everything- school,
making friends, etc.
[–] yuckfoubitch 13 points 6 hours ago
Treat school like it’s your full time job. Go to every class. You literally are paying thousands
of dollars to learn and take these courses, don’t squander it. Do all of your assignments and
readings before they’re due (ideally right when you’re assigned to do them). After you live
off campus, don’t eat out a ton. You’ll blow all of your money on junk ass food and get out
of shape if you do that. Use condoms because STDs are rampant as fuck. Don’t drink and
drive (DUI costs like $5k average and can ruin your career before you start it). Make friends
with the guy/girl who studies a lot in your class, because you’ll be able to learn off of each
other. Study for at least a week before an exam. If you can afford to not work then don’t
work, because college is your job. Just get a summer job and work a lot and save money to
live on. Talk to your professors! They’re PhDs for a reason, and even though they might
seem intimidating, 90% of them are friendly and want you to succeed (they might just be
socially awkward). If you don’t know something, just ask someone who knows. Never feel
like you don’t need to ask for help or for advice. If you hate what you’re studying then
switch your major. There’s no point in sinking tons of time and money into something you
hate, and you can be successful in any field. Don’t get caught up with the BS of “this major
has this avg starting salary,” most of these numbers are inflated due to response bias. Also,
don’t ever think you’re dumber or smarter than someone else because of the major you’re
in. There are incredibly intelligent people in every field. STEM majors will remind you often
how much smarter they are because of the difficulty of their courses. Who cares. I did
Economics and I make more money than most of my friends in engineering (besides my
computer science homies, they’re killing it). Good luck!
[–] DecoyPrisonWallet 12 points 12 hours ago
How to leave your past behind. People in college don't care what you did before then. They
don't care how popular you might have been, they don't care about how good you were at
sports, and they sure as hell don't care what AP classes you took. This is your chance to
reinvent yourself, and it's their chance too. They aren't going to let you get a leg up by
dragging your past into the present, because when you get to college, you should be back
on equal footing.
[–] brookelily 27 points 14 hours ago
What the real steps are to get you in the career you want. Research the shit out of your
dream job and work backwards to see what the people who have that job had to do to get
it.
[–] TheDonDonald 46 points 14 hours ago
Don't schedule morning classes unless you are for sure a morning person. I found this out
after 2 years and this year is my 3rd of college and my 8 AM accounting is so boring I
skipped most of the semester. I also found out I only can do 8 AM classes or appointments
when its work.
[–] potatoaster 21 points 12 hours ago
Before you go to college, make sure you have a clear idea of why you're going.
Is your goal to have fun? Then join a bunch of clubs, get a fake ID, and pick an easy major.
Is your goal to learn specific subjects/skills? Then read the course catalog and schedule the
relevant courses.
Is your goal to get a specific degree? Then memorize the degree requirements and schedule
your courses efficiently.
Is your goal to maximize GPA? Then read class reviews and seek easy professors.
Is your goal to do research? Then look up labs and email PIs.
Is your goal to make money? Then look up what different degrees are worth.
Most people will do some combination of these. In general, college students should be ready
to pick a degree carefully, know its requirements, read class reviews, schedule courses
ahead of time, and join a club.
[–] Willygolightly [ ] 9 points 12 hours ago
Self discipline with things like food, and exercise.

Personal hygiene routine with things like laundry and self care.
Learn how to study, and think about how to manage your time so you can schedule effective
study time for yourself outside of class, while still enjoying your life in college. It will help
later when you’re working and how to self manage your time then.
[–] ShallowAndPedantic 20 points 13 hours ago
What you want to do in life.

[–] NapalmJusticeSword 9 points 6 hours ago
learn how to manage your own time. I was undiagnosed with autism until the tail-end of
high school, and school is rigorously formed around a consistent schedule so that is a recipe
for disaster. Learn how to do this it is a life saver!
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The first people you meet in college don't have to

[–] your-imaginaryfriend 44 points 5 hours ago

[–] andrewkf 9 points an hour ago

that I sexually assaulted her and forced her to

[–] sluttyforkarma 133 points 11 hours ago

anything resembling a decent home for

300k ahahahahahaha css by qtx a community for 10 years

That gets me a shack thats falling

Seriously fuck the bay area real estate krispykrackers

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[–] Flynzo 6146 points 14 hours ago

[–] _nosleeptilbrooklyn 1644 points 14 hours ago

This is very important. My first semester was a huge reality check

[–] GozerDGozerian 219 points 8 hours ago

[–] BranofRaisin 9 points 5 hours ago

[–] Dahhhkness 352 points 12 hours ago*

[–] N0tMyRealAcct 25 points 5 hours ago

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[–] Kooky_Childhood 815 points 12 hours ago

[–] TobiasMasonPark 255 points 11 hours ago

Ah, I'm feeling nostalgic.

[–] calcteacher 49 points 11 hours ago

sad but true. glad that's over

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[–] stressedbutblessed 27 points 8 hours ago

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[–] longleggedgiraffe 46 points 12 hours ago

[–] benblade123 [S] 160 points 14 hours ago

[–] 2aleph0 165 points 12 hours ago

Get away from distractions. Study in a library or an empty classroom. In graduate or

[–] YesThisIsSam 115 points 11 hours ago

[–] LurkingLikeaPro 25 points 8 hours ago

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[–] fevertronic 55 points 11 hours ago

Get away from distractions.

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[–] ItsaMe_Rapio 233 points 12 hours ago

[–] Alt4porn343 42 points 6 hours ago

5 seconds, 8 seconds, 10 seconds. Then my brain gives out

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[–] B4nn4b0y 72 points 12 hours ago