what is the best advice you would give to students who are about to start college?
540118
Don't get carried away with activities extraneous to education.
743688
It depends on where you're going and what the living arrangements will look like, but most dorm rooms really benefit from the following:\n1) Minifridge. Don't get one without consulting your roommate, though. Also, check your dorm policy (most will allow them, but be sure) and the outlet situation--most dorms were built when people plugged in a lamp or two, not a computer, microwave, stereo... Also, be aware that desperate students typically sell these CHEAP ($10!) at the end of the year. Might be worth a check on Craigslist or through the college newspaper.\n2) Rolls of quarters. You will need these for about eight million things, including laundry, copying, and vending. No one ever thinks of this, but it's still one of the most useful things to bring.\n3) A small-to-medium whiteboard, maybe with a calendar on it, maybe not. This can keep you organized, which is essential. A small one can be hung on your door for your friends to leave you messages--you'll be glad you have it.\n4) Any kind of compact storage solution--milk crates; wall-hanging things to put shoes in; compact but roomy stacking plastic cubes--is probably going to be worth its weight in gold no matter what the situation.  Go to a container store and look around.\n5) A complete shower caddy.\n6)A rolling bag for overnights or weekend road trips.\n7) A file cabinet. Much more useful than you might think--keep all your work organized and accessible through four years of college, which pays off when it's recommendations time as a senior. You can also show work samples to prospective employers, which puts you immediately ahead of the game.\n8) A big plastic pitcher. You don't even have to put beer in it ;) This was probably the single most useful thing when I went to college. Save money by making your own iced tea or lemonade or Crystal Light. Or just keep it full of cold water.\n9) High-quality, very absorbent towels are worth a splurge. So are high-quality sheets, especially flannel or denim (they need less laundering). So is a comfortable robe or other loungewear.\n\nPots, pans, hot plates, microwaves, and so on may be much less useful than you think. Keeping them clean can be a hassle; it's also likely that people will borrow them and not bring them back, clean or not. Most dorms frown on them too.\n\nThe best thing to keep in mind is that you are *not* trying to recreate home in the dorm room. Instead, you are trying to live as well as you can with as few things as possible. This will make things so much easier for you. The one mistake I see new students make is to bring everything but the kitchen sink with them. There's seldom enough room, and negotiating all this with a stranger can get things off on the wrong foot. Besides, chances are you're going to meet someone who brought a DVD player or Xbox or (insert gadget you thought of here). Go light and have room to grow, is my suggestion.  Good luck!
448027
a lot of patience, dedication, and love. going to college is great, stay with it someday you'll have a great job where you can be with your family, but for now your family is going to have to have patience with you too. Good Luck, nest wishes!
886412
What Are Your Strengths?\n\nWhat Do You Regard As Your Major Achievement?\n\nWhy Did You Decide On This College?\n\nWhat Did You Get Out Of Your Academics?\n\nWhere Do You See Yourself N Years Later?\n\nHow Would Your Friends Describe You?\n\nWhat Have You Learnt From Your School Experience?\n\nWhat Has Been Your Biggest Failure?\n\nWhat Skills Will You Develop Here?\n\nWho Is Your Role Model?\n\nWhat Do You Do In Your Spare Time?\n\nIf We Accept You, Will You Join us?\n\nWhat Do You Not Like Doing?\n\nDo You Have Any Questions for Me?\n\nWhat Other College Options Have You Considered?\n\nWhat Are Your Weaknesses?
944416
Just about no one know what they want to do when they get to college and if they think they do, 9 times out of 10, that changes. That's why in many schools you don't even declare a major until your sophmore year at the earliest. \n\nSchools know that it is a good idea for freshman to arrive and acclimate themselves to their surroundings before worrying about a major. They need to actually experience classes in different disciplines before picking your major. So many people go in thinking about one major, but eventually change to a related or sometimes unrelated discipline. I thought I would be a Poli Sci major, but after Intro to Poli Sci, I knew that wasn't going to happen. I eventually became an English/Communication double major.\n\nMy advice is to wait and keep an open mind about majors. When you get there concentrate on fufilling your general requirements (the general liberal arts base required of all students enrolled) before looking at specialized courses. Experience as many different areas as you can. There will be plenty of time for picking a major in the next semester or two. Don't worry!
192899
Write about something you know, and dont try to use big words if they aren't necessary.  Use a great hook at the beginning but it's just an essay dont get carried away, just stay away from "Have you ever heard about......Well I'm going to tell you about...." or stupid introductions like that.  Make sure you use transitions in between paragraphs.  the last sentence of a paragraph should relate to the first sentence in the next paragraph.  \ndepending on the college, most have a writing center that have people there to help you get your ideas out on paper.  I suggest going there if you need help in the technical aspect of how to write it, if it is ideas on an open essay (you pick the topic) then just think about something you truely enjoy or are knowledgable about.
888565
Before you start, send for your high school transcript. Any college will require that. The first year you will have to take standard Freshman courses, especially English and math. You won't have a choice that year. The second year, you can begin to make some choices. Ask for a counselor and then get to know that person. He/she will help you plan the courses you need to take and when to take them. This will make all the difference in your success or failure. To try to plan your own courses is a big mistake. Learning the study habit again is a major concern, so look for a quiet area you can study in. Kids can stand noise while they study, adults can't. \n\nI applaud your decision to go to school. This is a big step in your life, but without higher education and a degree, you are on a treadmill going nowhere. Stick with it, especially when it seems like you can't open another book, read another page, turn in more homework. Your computer will be an invaluable aid. You'll need a good dictionary, a good encyclopedia, and a tape recorder that has playback. Headphones are also necessary. \n\nGo for it, and the best of luck to you!
717351
Loans, grants, scholar ships and the kids should work and be saving for college. Try to invest wisely now.
993020
- Never give up.  \n- Keep learning about technology or you'll be left behind.  \n- Keep asking questions about how and why. \n- Understand that *everyone* - from your mother, your teachers, the people who write your textbooks, to the guy on the news, everyone-  has an opinion and has a purpose for saying the things they say.  If you don't understand who is making the statement, you won't fully understand the statement itself.\n- Don't waste your time with people of bad character.\n- Find an older person you can look up to to confide in.  Ask them about trials they faced when they were your age.\n - My father told me, "Since you get OK grades, you'll get into an OK college.  Get good grades, and you'll get into a good college."  This is very true, and a good college will help you stay on top of the competition.\n- Don't waste time in chat rooms.\n- Treat everyone with repsect, especially girls and those in authority (even if you think they don't deserve it).\n- Again, never give up.  Try something you don't think you're able to do.\n- Make good use of your summers away from school.  Learn a skill, get a job, get exercise, read a lot.\n- Be proactive.  Search for opportunities to better yourself.  You will find them.
1165195
This question dominates most students' minds when thinking generally about "what to do" in college. Your attitude toward your interests, and selecting a college or university that is a good match for your learning style, abilities, and skills is as critical as the financial considerations of going to college!\n\nToday, the largest universities offer hundreds of degrees in programs that range from preparation for graduate school to specialized education in an emerging technology. With all this to choose from, how do you know what to pick?\n\nMost guidance professionals in colleges and high schools will tell you that the average student changes majors three to five times during a four-year degree, and the average working adult makes at least three career changes.\n\nLet's use the analogy of a career "toolbox". No matter what you choose, you will need a standard set of tools that will serve you during your working lifetime. This toolbox should include, at minimum: communications skills (critical reading, writing, listening, and public speaking); information management skills (identifying, retrieving, assembling, and presenting data from sources such as libraries, the World-Wide Web, etc.); and human relationship skills (being able to conduct business with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.\n\nThese tools are considered transferable and essential by most corporations and non-profit agencies throughout the American, and, increasingly, the global workforce. Now, think of your interests. For example, if you are interested in teaching, love geography, are very comfortable with computer software,\nand have been playing the trombone for 10 years, you know a lot about yourself!\n\nYour first job is to use any of the common college search guides, such as Peterson's, Barron's, Fiske's, etc. to narrow your choice of schools that offer all of these interests. The CD-ROM technology and on-line services such as CollegeLink or CollegeTown make this process easier. Next, determine\nwhich colleges offer your interests in the form of a major, a minor, a series of elective credits, or non-traditional programs such as self-designed majors.\n\nIf you really do want to combine academic areas, such as geography, education, and music, you will want to choose a college where it is normal for students to develop individualized programs. Make sure faculty mentors are involved with course selection, and you can graduate within the time frame you expect. If you really want to teach, but want to keep up with your trombone playing, you may want to consider taking electives in music and "major" in one area.\n\nFinally, understand that you do not have to choose your major or academic area at most colleges until the second, or sophomore, year. Most schools have common freshman requirements that allow for exploring different majors.\n\nIf you are interested in so many things that you find it hard to choose, consider that a good thing! Find a school that specializes in integrating your interests into a personalized academic program. See your guidance counselor for advice on picking colleges that offer this option.
577370
Some people get into the college first then take a year or two deferment. If you really don't have a clear idea of what you want to get out of college, taking some time off to work and experience the world is a good idea. When you are ready to go to college, you can always start out in community college. More than a year or two off might make it difficult to go to a traditional college, because by then you will feel a lot older and more experienced than your fellow freshmen. But there are many colleges geared towards older, adult learners, so there is always a way. If you take time off but you had good grades in high school and good SATs, there are many fine colleges that will be happy to offer you admittance.
782493
maybe pick one or two classes where you had a project or something out of the ordinary that you had to do. or maybe you had a co-op or internship. then expand on what you learned from those experiences and how it will help you during college. maybe in one class you've had to write a huge research paper and you had use a bunch of sources (maybe through online database research like pubmed, psychinfo, or ovid)...youre definately going to have to do that in college!
75154
Well, they've been together for this long & hopefully you've trusted them. Just give them your support & let them know that you're concerned & don't want them to mess up their futures. College is a time for children to start being independent & learn how to function on their own. BUT, just tell them to be careful. I'm sure they'll understand.
211841
Study hard to get into college. Retain little knowledge.\nFinish college.\nGet a job at a company with nice perks, work for someone that's never had to work in their life making them money.\nThey wanted you to do stupid tasks like high school and college learning very little, just to make sure you could do busy work and listen to instructions, it's to prepare you for corporations.\nWork 40 years, when you're starting to break down, you have permission to live life.\n\nHave fun, sheep.
1109572
Growing up! Supporting yourself, not always having mommy and daddy being there for you.  Experiencing things, and making your own decisions and dealing with the consequences was the best thing I learned from college......
788974
I am an independent college counselor. Here is what I tell my clients.\n\nFirst, the most important thing you should be doing right now, as a sophomore, is getting the best grades possible. That really is the number one thing that colleges and universities want to see in applicants. \n\nSecond, don't start by asking how you can prepare the best application -- start by asking what types of colleges might be the best fit for your needs and goals. Honestly, the students who have the MOST success in applying to colleges are those who have thought about who they are and what they want out of a college experience, and then developed a college list that matches those qualities but that also includes colleges in a range of selectivities.\n\nThere are over 2500 four year colleges in the U.S. alone, but there is not a single school (even those "name brand" schools everyone knows) that are right for every single student. So, begin by thinking about YOU. Some questions to consider:\n\nWhat do you like about your high school that you'd like to find in a college? What do you dislike about your high school that you'd like to avoid in a college? How do you learn best - do you like classes where there's lots of discussion or classes where the teacher does much of the talking? Do you have a clear career or major in mind, or do you want to explore before making a commitment? What is your group of friends like? Do you want to be around similar people in college, or very different types of people? How would your friends describe you? How would your teachers describe you? How would YOU describe you? What do you think your biggest strengths and weaknesses, both academically and socially are, and what types of colleges would be best for someone with those strengths and weaknesses? \n\nNext, learn about the different types of colleges out there -- don't just think "Gee, I've heard of Harvard, so Harvard must be a good place for me." Find out the differences between a liberal arts college, a research university, a master's level university, a private college, a public university, a specialized college. As a sophomore, visit one of each type in your state or local area. These don't have to be the schools you ultimately apply to - at this point you should  just try to get a sense of what makes each type different and unique, and what they each have to offer you. \n\nAs you begin your research, keep your options open, but ask a lot of questions. What makes a good college? What's it like to go to a large school, a small school, a medium sized school? What's it like to go to a school that has a large number of people in frats or sororities? What's it like to go to a religiously-affiliated school? A school in a major city? A school in a small city? A school in a rural area? A school in the midwest, the northeast, the south...etc., etc.\n\nAs you answer these questions, try to find colleges that fit with you -- both your grades, your interests, your desires. Keep your options open!! Do not narrow your list of possibilities down too early (really, senior year is plenty of time!).\n\nAside from the above, specific things sophomore might consider doing this year: Take the SAT Subject exam in June if you are taking AP bio, AP chem, or AP US History AND have good grades. Talk to your counselor about your grades and course schedule to see if he/she has any suggestions for how you might improve them compared to other people in your school. Find two or three activities outside of the classroom that you enjoy and find meaningful, and get involved. But don't just join a bunch of clubs or do community service because you think colleges might like it on your application --- figure out what you enjoy and pursue it. Colleges want depth, not quantity, and they want to see people who are excited and enjoy what they are doing. \n\nNext year, as a junior, take the PSAT and plan out your SAT schedule (prep as h
1050762
Well your first yr of college should be fun and be focused.  Concentrate on your studies and if you dont worry about finding a bf then that will come too.  Your first yr needs to be fun as well as dedicated to your studies.  When my first yr came along I was excited and nervous because it is a whole lot different then High School.  You have more hours of studying and a whole lot of non partying fun get my drift?  But keep your head up and you'll be doing a great first yr.