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.
University in September, give us freshers the need to know.
" @lilman1101: Was that a compliment or an insult? "It's just that i know how hard Politics study can be.
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. "This and this. University will eat you alive and spit you out if you don't take your work seriously. You know what happens to people who party constantly and never study? THEY GET KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL.
Don't be that guy. I've gotten extremely close to getting kicked out and it's so not worth it. Do your work. Make time for play, but make sure that your schooling is your number one priority.
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?
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.
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. "I'm lucky, since that's the main research for my degree. I think my second year may require me to spend more than 30 hours on campus though.
@Ninja:
If you're living in student halls for your first year, prepare to have your cooking stuff stolen, used, and not washed up by others. Don't like flatmates because they're flatmates, if you wouldn't like them out of the flat, don't like them in the flat, but remain civil. Join societies that you're very interested in, and be prepared - a weekly shop is way more expensive than you think.
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.
I agree with what you said. I am also going into Second year at Western University and am really looking forward to it.
I was one of the ones who was unsure about it as well - and was going to take the 'victory lap' and just have a year off or return to grade 13. However I got into a limited program called MTP (Media Theory and Production) which would get me a degree and a diploma at the same time, and only 75 people were accepted out of 700 people. The second year is only 50 of that 75 - luckily I achieved a high enough average to advance with these 50 people.
Naturally seeing that only 75 people were accepted out of 700 made me more nervous and I felt pressure both from myself (reputation) and from my parents to do well and pass.
As you had mentioned mazik, the homesickness quickly passes. I was lucky to have a guest speaker come up and talk about that in my first week there - you get a queasy feeling in your stomach for about a week or 2 while you are still kinda unsure about things. This subsides after you get into the schedule and understand more about what you are doing and find your group of friends. It's great to be in residence because you meet people on your floor who you become great friends with and party with those from other residences and floors.
Really just don't worry about it too much. This is a great chance to start over for you - no one knows who you are and all those suckers who did shit in highschool aren't in University. I recommend you bring no pictures of your house really - but just bring posters of stuff you have like musicians and music posters. Things that you had in your room that make it feel like your room. The thing about University is that you aren't herded along anymore - if you don't want to do something - then you don't have to. It's all up to you what you want to do which is a great feeling when you truly realize it. Just remember that everyone else is in the same situation as you - and the faster you can overcome the feeling of homesickness - the more you will enjoy it.
This really only happens when you finally get there and move in - you will dread it mildly until then but once it's finally happened you realize it just isn't that bad. You even get to visit your family quite often during holidays and school is over in April providing you with plenty of summer vacation.
Even though you are 19 - you HAVE to keep ontop of your work. There are those who go to bars every weekend... those are the ones who are unable to complete their readings and eventually fail classes. University is all about the reading. There are no more stupid little minuscule assignments that nobody wants to do - your work depends usually on essays which may be handed in weekly to tutorials or major essays which are usually 20-30% of your mark. Don't feel too pressured by the sounds of it - you are more than prepared by the time this stuff comes up.
You will love University professors. They can say and do what they want pretty much - it is a much different attitude than highschool and you will find yourself on many occasions laughing at some stupid joke the prof brought up about his wife or drinking habits.
It's not as bad as it seems but it will definitely change you by the time you come back - you'll find yourself more confident to do things on your own and be more independent. Be open to the people you meet there and just have a good time. Drink sometimes and not all the time - I would usually just say to people that I need to finish readings and everything before I can go out... this is a necessary discipline you need when you are faced with a 150 pages of reading from multiple classes.
It's just an introductory experience in first year and you'll enjoy it - everyone gets just as nervous as you and it is quite normal. Just bring stuff from your room that you like and provides some comfort for you - I love music so I brought my guitar, Hendrix/Beatles posters and other things...
Here was my res room in first year if it gives any comfort for you - this was at the very beginning of the year. I eventually bought more posters at a sale and the room just got covered with them - whatever gives you your own comfort and colour in the room so you can keep your marbles. It will be stressful a lot of the time...
Eventually I got a huge Abbey Road poster and put it on the wall behind my desk - added so much atmosphere and colour to the room after that.
Bed... I recommend you buy like some memory foam or something from costco for Res - their mattresses aren't great and these provide so much comfort on any bed. Basically just foam that goes ontop of the mattress provided.
Closets... I put a Sea Of Time poster by the Beatles over this - a long poster that added some good colour too.
This was a private hallway shared by two double rooms - so a washroom shared by 4 people. Wasn't bad at all - nice having a private washroom like this,
I hope some of this can help you feel more comfortable about first year anyway. I was nervous going into it - and loved it once I was there. After the first few weeks you will realize you want to go and continue through the whole time - and can't stand when you have to go home and have your parents nag at you again :p
Cheers!
Well I have an interest in politics and had the entry requirements. The way the course at the university im going to I could simply end up graduation History or Journalism with nothing to do with Politics, it's just what I was accepted for so thats what I'm going for, I'll see how first year goes then I can decide what I major in.Out of interest, why'd you pick politics?
By the way guys it's not Political Science I'm going for it's a BA in Politics so not quite as good.
I guess what you guys are saying is DO NOT get back into WoW? haha don't think I'd have the money for that anyways!
Also Back to the Future poster confirmed.
@SuperSambo
said:No it's a family farm that I had never worked on full time so I felt a commitment to my family and our legacy to put in two years worth of full work on it. Yeah I got good enough grades that I didn't need to do the final year of secondary school to get my graders for higher education. Also think im quite socially adept. I mean us farming kids are quite good at having a good time. Most of the people I know also don't have any idea I am a bit of a nerd so guess it will be nice for a fresh start." 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. "
I'm from Scotland by the way everyone.
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. "This. I visited home a fair amount but I did a two hour train journey, rather than four or five hours on a coach :)
" 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. "This is true.
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.
@Ninja:
I'll give you some advise from the other side of the class room: first year students often compensate for their anxiety by puting on this seen-it-all routine or they put on a kind of blasé attitude in class. Don't be that guy; I hate it when my students put on that show because it prevents them from acquiring new perspectives.
Show an interest in what you're doing, what you're studying, and what your instructors are lecturing about. 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 but also be prepared and willing to have your own views altered.
Also, like other people in this thread said, do your damn work. You're in a very fortunate position; make the most of it.
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 "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.
" @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. "
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.
" 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. "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.
Maintain a regular sleeping pattern. I spent much of my first year barely conscious due to insomnia.
Thanks for that. Always thought they were different in the U.S. until now." 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. "
@RVonE said:
Alright, that makes more sense (to me). Thanks." 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
" to show later that you did something outside of studying (which is what uni is really about, k?). "Really? So, when is school really, actually, for studying purposes and grades? They say high school is really for socializing, same with middle school. Now I hear college is actually about stuff outside of studying? Please, that's hyperbole.
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