University in September, give us freshers the need to know.

Hey guys!
 
So like many people here on the Giant Bomb community, on either side of the pond (slick) I'm going to university this year. I'm racking my brain even knowing if I should be looking forward to it. I'm going to be studying Politics.
 
The thing is I have been out the education game for the last two years, in which time I have worked in on a farm. So am I ready or is this going to be a dive? Also what do I need to remember to take. Posters? Pictures to remind me of home? What do I need to do to cut down on the home sick feeling? I'm 19 in october so don't really think I should be feeling fear over moving 3 hours away from home but I am quite. Who else is in the same boat? What tips to the Giant Bomb community have for us freshers? Don't worry if got my Oscar Mike poster ready to go.
 

Politics?
 
Damn.

" @lilman1101: Was that a compliment or an insult? "

I'm off to my second year in September and I can honestly say that University is 100x better than highschool. It is, however, a lot of work that no one will force you to do. So if you only got through highschool on the pressure that you'd get in trouble with the teacher if you didn't do your work (as I sometimes did) change that attitude quick, because they literally don't fucking care at all if you don't hand in your 30% term paper.
 
On the social side it's a great way to meet new people and to experience what it's like to be totally fucking broke. I remember one day for lunch I had to share a package of dry Mr.Noodles with my girlfriend because all the money I had was 65 cents on my debit card. The woman at the counter thought I was joking when I asked to debit for a pack of noodles that cost 50 cents.
 
I don't know what country you live in, but in Canada 19 is legal drinking age and while I think you should absolutely have a good time, you should avoid throwing up all over your bed (it sucks). 
 
The moving away can be kind of tough if you've never lived on your own before, but the home sickness quickly passes as soon as the semester starts.
 
Anyway, regardless, you should focus on having fun during your first school year because from what I hear politics can be a bitch of a major.

Read your textbooks and study before tests.  I hear thats how you can do well, I've never tried it myself.

Don't drop the soap. Wait. Oh just study.

" Read your textbooks and study before tests.  I hear thats how you can do well, I've never tried it myself. "

If you take any online classes make you you read everything the professor sends out and if you have questions you should ask them immediately. I'm taking some low-level English courses for the summer and it's been a couple weeks in already and the freshmen are freaking out. They keep sending class-wide emails asking for information on how shit is done. It's honestly the funniest thing I've seen so far on the internet courses.

University Is high-school but this time around you have to pay a couple thou. You in poli-sci? You don't need to buy most of your books for first year courses, since its all very basic, and most teachers just give you power points which have all the info you need save yourself a grand off books.  I mostly find university to be boring, i wish i would of gone travelling my first year instead of going straight to uni. Pay 30k to get a 9-5 desk job? God if i can only get a desk job with my degree i'll probably feel like i wasted the last 4 years of my life. 
 
Am the minority though, you'll probably have a blast get wasted, get laid, late night bro cramming. Idk i just went into university expecting to really have my world shaken and challenged. All i got was memorize this chapter or equation and answer the multiple choice. Spiritual ( not in the religious sense), in terms of wisdom and life knowledge probably get more form talking to an old blues-man then i ever will out of university.

Alright, first thing is to congratulate you for making it that far! 
Second thing is, and don't take this the wrong way, but as a degree subject, your chosen area of study is worthless. I'm not trying to put you or your choice down, I did History myself with a number of politics modules, but it just isn't going to help you find a job. Go into it with the mindset that what you're getting is a tick in the box on job applications, because that's what you're getting. Even a proper vocational degree like engineering won't walk you into a job in this day and age. 
Third thing is, and this is absolutely the most important, is do as many extra curricular activities as you can cram into your waking hours. These things, meeting new people, organizing stuff, doing all sorts of new things, are what university is really about. They'll grow you as a person, you'll gain a ton of new skills, and you'll make a bunch of new friends. This is, 3 years down the line, the kind of stuff you're going to sit in front of interviewer and pull out to get you a job. If you're going to slack on anything, don't slack on this. 
Fourth thing, regarding the homesickness, is most everyone will be in the same boat, so don't sweat it. They'll all be looking to make new friends so just throw yourself in. For God's sake resist the temptation to live at home. You're missing out on the whole experience and future employers will wonder if you can hack it in the real world. 
Finally, is it going to be a dive? Hell yeah it is- so dive in. Grasp the nettle, as my English teacher told me, because if you don't you'll damn well regret it later.  
Anything else you want to ask, don't hesitate! 
Out of interest, why'd you pick politics?

Actually study. Don't be an idiot like I was. I spent all my time drinking and/or playing video games, failed and dropped out.

I'm going to a community college and crashing in my parents basement, so we're not really in the same boat... Don't skip class unless you're doing really well, you don't want to fail a college class, it's a waste of money and you'll have to re-take it... I learned that the hard way.

You worked on a farm instead of going into higher education (and im assuming you got good grades as you are studing politics?) Seems like an odd move.
 
But really, as long as you are not socially retarded then you should be fine. I stayed with my brother for awhile while he was at uni and it seemed like there wasnt a problem with anything.

Go to College and get a Trade. But seriously, study and GO TO CLASS.

Study, and if you have lots of stuff you need to get done, don't wait until the last moment.

Go to class, pay attention, and take good notes. 
 
Get plenty of sleep and try to establish at least a semi-regular sleeping habits. It might be difficult depending on your schedule, but do your best with that. Irregular sleeping habits is actually a very common source of stress among college students. 
 
Watch out for nightmares in which you go to class only to find out that your class project that is worth a huge chunk of your grade is due at that very moment, when you thought you still had another week.

" Actually study. Don't be an idiot like I was. I spent all my time drinking and/or playing video games, failed and dropped out. "

University can be a lot of fun but make sure work actually gets done. Don't piss away all your money on partying just to fail out; make sure you don't end up panicking to get vaguely acceptable work in at the last minute, make sure you have proper notes, make sure you go to classes and make sure your sleeping patterns don't get all messed up. In terms of living away from home a lot of people find that the homesickness can be tough at first but it's just really a case of getting used to living away from home which might happen sooner than you think. Oh, also make sure you keep the place you're living in clean and tidy.

 Out of interest, why'd you pick politics? 

@SuperSambo

" You worked on a farm instead of going into higher education (and im assuming you got good grades as you are studing politics?) Seems like an odd move.  But really, as long as you are not socially retarded then you should be fine. I stayed with my brother for awhile while he was at uni and it seemed like there wasnt a problem with anything. "

go to class and don't abuse alcohol.  do your assignments on time and to the best of your ability. 
 
there isn't a whole lot more to it than that.

Of course there always is the option of goofing off, failing out and getting a shit job. Then you can totally spend ALL your time on GiantBomb! 
 
Good luck dude. Have fun and all, just don't forget why you are there.

I didn't really have anything to keep me from being homesick. I liked to keep in touch with things like Skype but i found the excitement of being away and doing my own things kept me from thinking about home to much. I did visit home a lot during first semester since it was only a 3 hour bus trip but that soon wore of. Sorry I'm clearly not much use haha. Thought I would share my experience though. Hope you enjoy it, I know I still am.

I am off to university in September to start my second year. And I can honestly say you have nothing to worry about. Provided you are able to communicate with new people.  
I think that people fear university because they don't quite think they'll fit in, amirite? As for things to take... Bring things that are easy to cook because it's unlikely you'll cook elaborate meals within the first few weeks, if not months. Take things with you from your room so that it can feel as much like home as possible, because that will be the biggest thing that makes you miss home, feeling like you're not at home. So make it look like it.  
 
If you have photos of family then it doesn't hurt to bring them either, I took photos of me and my girlfriend and put them up in my room and it's not like no one else did the same. Whatever you think would make university feel like home, take.  
What university are you going to? 

" I didn't really have anything to keep me from being homesick. I liked to keep in touch with things like Skype but i found the excitement of being away and doing my own things kept me from thinking about home to much. I did visit home a lot during first semester since it was only a 3 hour bus trip but that soon wore of. Sorry I'm clearly not much use haha. Thought I would share my experience though. Hope you enjoy it, I know I still am. "

" I'm off to my second year in September and I can honestly say that University is 100x better than highschool. It is, however, a lot of work that no one will force you to do. So if you only got through highschool on the pressure that you'd get in trouble with the teacher if you didn't do your work (as I sometimes did) change that attitude quick, because they literally don't fucking care at all if you don't hand in your 30% term paper.  "

First of all, congratulations on getting the course.  
 I'm from Ireland so I imagine the university system you will be going through in Scotland will be fairly similar to what I have experienced over here. Here are a few things I learned in my four years in college:  

Stay on top of your work, always. Some things will seem real easy, particularly in the first year or two, but make sure you know these things inside-out anyway. These are the building blocks on which your final years will be based. In my experience I neglected to work too hard early on because everything seemed so simple, but when the going got tough later on, my basic knowledge was not up to scratch. This meant that my workload was huge in my final year, mainly because I had to re-learn things taught to me early on, in order to understand the more complex subjects I was now expected to grasp. Bad study habits gained during the first year of college can be very, very difficult to shake later on.  And conversely, putting in extra effort early on, when it may not seem required, can ensure you have a far more productive and less stressful time when it matters. 
Also, as someone else mentioned earlier, get involved in activities and societies whenever possible. Great way to meet people from outside of your course, and teaches you the arguably more important skills in the long term of social interaction and organisation etc. Also, its fun, and college should be fun, don't forget that. 
 
All in all, I wish you the best and hope you enjoy your experience. Out of interest what college are you going to be attending? I came very close to taking a masters at Edinburgh this coming year before deciding against it.

To be perfectly honest, everyone's experience will be different, so take anything anyone tells you with a grain of salt.
 
The only thing that will apply to all college is to make sure you do your work. Remember that you're there for your schooling, so school comes first.

All right, you're going to be "freshmeat" and you'll likely get tested your first day, and the the predators will be looking for any sign of weakness.  Look for the biggest and strongest guy that you see there and get right in his face and just scream "WHAT THE FUCK YOU LOOKING AT? YOU GOT A FUCKING PROBLEM?"  His reaction will dictate your next action as he'll either:  
 
A. Get flustered and say "no problem here" and look scared of you.  That's good, you cowtowed the biggest motherfucker there,  just keep up a mean scowl but don't disrespect others and you'll be regarded as somebody's who's not a bitch.  
 
or 
 
B. Say "Yeah, I don't like people screaming at me right up in my face!!" and look really pissed.  This is going to be hard but you're going to have to kick his ass.  Fight dirty, but fight hard.  You don't necessarily have to kick the guy's ass "win", but if you mess him up enough on your way to losing others will again see that you're not a bitch and somebody who isn't a punk.  You'll likely get 30 days in the hole for fighting, but the rep you're creating is key to making sure that you don't end up currency in the university system who can be bought and sold for cigarettes or hot pockets.  

make sure to get your work done before doing anything else. there is no pressure to go t class or do the work. As long as yuo go to class and keep up wit the work you should be fine. 
 

" Also, interact with your fellow students, especially in class--respond to what other students are saying, challenge their views if they don't line up with your's "

Act like you know where you're going and people won't think you're a freshmen.
 
Find a perfect balance between study and leisure. 

you're on a need to know basis. and you don't need to know

" @RVonE said:

" Also, interact with your fellow students, especially in class--respond to what other students are saying, challenge their views if they don't line up with your's "

Why? 
 
Many people in this thread make it as if socializing with others is this huge thing in university, like you won't be able to go through with it without interacting with others.  Why?  I'm going to my last year of secondary school next month, I don't have any friends and I don't talk with anyone unless it's required for team work and I'm sure I'll be able to survive just like all of the other years.  I'm sure most of you would say that high school was also a time to make friends and make it such a big deal, but I don't think it's that much of a necessity for every single person. 
 
Also, in the U.S., does college = university?  I'm in Quebec (Canada) and after secondary school (Grades 7–11) there's CEGEP (2 years if it's not the technical program; 3 years otherwise) and then there's university.  I always thought CEGEP = U.S. college, but I suppose not. "

" Also, in the U.S., does college = university?  I'm in Quebec (Canada) and after secondary school (Grades 7–11) there's CEGEP (2 years if it's not the technical program; 3 years otherwise) and then there's university.  I always thought CEGEP = U.S. college, but I suppose not. "

Maintain a regular sleeping pattern. I spent much of my first year barely conscious due to insomnia.

" College and University are interchangeable words here that refer to the same thing. After graduating high school (12th grade, ~18 years old), you go to college. "

" Let me be clear, I'm giving this advice from an instructor's point of view. I'm not saying you should interact with other students to be friends. However, I find that the learning process is enhanced when students aren't afraid to engage with each other in academic debate. When my students interact with each other in class, they get more out of it because they can develop their views on the literature and the world to which it pertains. The interaction is necessary to break through the internalized habit of accepting whatever the instructor says as the final word. "

Doing well in college is actually pretty easy.  Go to class, pay attention, take notes.  That gets you about 80% of the way through.

democracy didnt fail for 100 years in ancient Athens, they touched the perfection but corruption came as usual

Dedicate all your time to study and sleep for the freshman year; the first year is the most important year to really "learn to learn", from then on you should then explore activities, but absolutely ignore all distractions for the first year.

Oh that's the other thing: don't waste your time going to the student unions just to drink - join some of the societies to show later that you did something outside of studying (which is what uni is really about, k?).

" to show later that you did something outside of studying (which is what uni is really about, k?). "