ATV Florida Forum

And I couldn't be any more nervous lol. Any tips to surviving?

Have fun  ;)

lol

Nice.....where you going?

Im in no rush so im just starting in the fall

Write down the girls phone numbers in a safe place, for later use.  ;)  Good luck and have fun

Where a Johnny cover 8) Dont drink on school nites ???

Seriously, try and focus on why you are there in the first place. There will be culture shock at the size of the lecture halls, the amount of students, the professors are not "my teacher" etc. Pace yourself as far as scheduling class and studying. Control your recreational stuff so it does not screw up the class and studying schedule.

You are beginning a real important stage, how you handle this will set the tone for things to come. This is the first generation in history that MAY NOT earn more than their parents. Think about the financial struggles we are going through as a country and then think about that when you are part of all that. Do you want to earn $40K a year or do you want to earn $120K a year. Your choice. It all depends on how well you discipline yourself over the next few years. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Good advice.  Not much more that I could add to it.  More bluntly, forget the partying, this is real life now.  There are plenty of opportunities available on a college campus to distract yourself into failure.  Remember, failing is the easiest thing to do; nothing in life worth having comes easy.  You can enjoy yourself but don't forget why you are there.  In regards to Dave's comment about income, inflation will guarantee you will make more money but wealth is relative; I'm sure by now we all know $1,000,000.00 is not what it was 20 years ago or what it will be 20 years from now.  I make more than 4 times what my father made and I'm not so sure I'm a wealthier man.  The point here is not to set your sights on a particular point but set them on a state of mind.  Wealth will come to those that expect it and plan for it.  Good luck and if by some chance you are entering the engineering field, let me know.  There is quite a bit of advice I can give you.

Now this is a subject I've got LOTS of experience in.  ;)

Here's my take and my tips. Use them as you see fit. They are born from my ten years in college. Yeah....ten years, and I loved every second of it. I came out with an AA degree, Two Bachelors degrees (cum laude), an MBA (magna cum laude) and a Juris Doctor degree (cum laude). So, I think I've got the cred to espouse on this subject.

1.  College is not hard. Earning a living, paying bills, keeping food on the table, etc....that's hard. Get this into your head immediately and make sure it sticks. These days there's such a stigma associated with college in that people automatically assume it's going to be difficult to do well. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For the first time in your life, you are in school because you want to be and not because someone tells  you that you have to be. Granted, for the first two years you have little control over your class choice. However, the level of instruction and class of student should be much higher than what you experienced in high school. Think about it...everyone is paying to be there and wants to be there. So, it makes it much easier to learn. Your "job" is to pay attention, get involved, stay interested and study hard. Developing these traits in college will pay off once you enter the working world. More importantly (for now anyway) it will pay off in the form of good grades.

2.  Get organized and stay organized. Now, I'm not talking about color coordinating pens and pencils. I'm talking about your entire life. This is a HUGE one. Your time must first and foremost revolve around your studies. Nothing...I repeat, NOTHING is more important right now in your life than your studies.

I can remember all of those weekends when my friends were going riding, fishing, hunting, etc. and I couldn't go because I forced myself to stay home and do homework or study. It absolutely killed me at the time. However, I cannot begin to tell you how well it paid off for me. My grades were excellent as a result of my sacrifice. I am glad I did it.

As a suggestion, I'd reccomend getting yourself a great lap top computer if you don't have one already. Familiarize yourself with the outline function in Word or Wordperfect and use it in class to take notes. I did this and it is probably the single most contributing factor to my success in college. By taking notes on computer, I was able to take down more information (oh yeah, you'll learn how to type blisteringly fast) and, because of the outline function, all of my notes were well organized. At the end of the semester when preparing for finals, I'd print my entire outline, bind it and then use it to study. It worked awesomely. In addition, as part of my studies, I'd review my notes and reorganize them within the outline. Doing so allowed me to not only clean up and make my outline easier to follow, but I was reviewing my info at the same time.

3.  Use the resources available to you. College isn't like high school in so many ways. However, the most important is the accessibility to great instruction and assistance. Your professors will likely have an open door policy (or liberal appointment policy) when it comes to meeting with  them. If you do not understand something go see your professor. I repeat....IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, GO SEE YOUR PROFESSOR. I don't care how small it is or whether or not you feel like it's something stupid you should know. Go see them.

Think of it this way. You're doing something that will impact you the rest of your life. Do you really want to not ask a question because you are worried it will make you look stupid, only to have it bite you in the end? Trust me, the professors will not think you're stupid. Rather, they'll think you're an intelligent young person who is genuinely concerned about his future.

4.  Remember what you are there for and stick to it. I saw so many people in college who had no business being there. People who were there only because their parents forced them to go, or who were there only to party and avoid going to work. If you are either one of those types, leave now. You're only hurting yourself and those around you.

However, based upon your inquiries, I don't think you're that type. You genuinely want to attend college and get the most out of it. So, keep your priorities straight. This IS your JOB right now. Concentrate on it and doing to best you possibly can. All of the other stuff (parties, friends, the "college experience", etc.) will come automatically. So, don't worry about it. Worry about your grades. Nobody ever asks or cares how well you did at beer pong in the Pike house during an interview. ;)

I've got more for you if you want. But, right now, I've got to get to work. Congrads to you and I know you'll do well. Enjoy it!!

relax bro.. im in college now and i love it.  it's soo easy, i had a blast in high school, but college is way better!

Anoriginal has given you an excellent expansion on my views.  Since he is bragging, I guess I'll brag a little as well: Summa Cum Laude, Civil Engineering and 22 years running a very successful construction company.  Again, as we both have said, success is a state of mind; plan for it, live it, expect it and it will come to you.  It's an easy formula that requires a level of dedication few can muster.  Good luck to you.  I also believe you are half way there.

 :lecture.gif :groupies.gif

Thanks fellas. I had a blast today. College is so much more fun then Highschool. I'm trying to knock out my AA in less then 3 years so I'm going to classes through the summer. Thanks alot Diggin and Anoriginal, there was ALOT of helpful stuff in your posts, and dont be surprised if I PM you two asking for some more.


Again, I really enjoyed my first day, I love how I learned something useful the first day, where as in Highschool I was drilled FCAT until the 10th grade, then surrounded by SAT and ACT in 11th and 12th.

I don't have to worry about wasting my time partying. I don't drink or smoke, so time managing should be a breeze =P Now I just need to find a job at a hospital to get a jumpstart on my career.

and their names..thats where i always go wrong  :D

Congrats on your first day man.  I still have two years till its my time... :)

congrats Jesse.  glad things went well the first day.  you'll do fine, you have the right attitude