Advice for soon-to-be undergraduate students.

[Bear Warp]

Some things I would like to know are:

What are some things you regret doing at college?
What are some things you regret not doing at college?
Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)

Any other tips or anecdotes are welcome too.

I'll give some...stats regarding myself, just to see if anyone can give specific or specialized advice. I'm starting out in the fall as an English major, with a concentration in professional writing. I aspire career-wise to do just that: write professionally. Journalist, staff writer, technical writer, magazine writer, freelance writer--they all appeal to me. I'm not going to declare a specific minor, but I plan on taking courses on computer programming, web design/programming, graphic design, and business (small business mainly).

Go!

[Owl]

Some things I would like to know are:

What are some things you regret doing at college?
What are some things you regret not doing at college?
Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)

Any other tips or anecdotes are welcome too.

I'll give some...stats regarding myself, just to see if anyone can give specific or specialized advice. I'm starting out in the fall as an English major, with a concentration in professional writing. I aspire career-wise to do just that: write professionally. Journalist, staff writer, technical writer, magazine writer, freelance writer--they all appeal to me. I'm not going to declare a specific minor, but I plan on taking courses on computer programming, web design/programming, graphic design, and business (small business mainly).

Go!

There was a class I had to take called "philosophical exposition and analysis." If you can find a writing intensive philosophy class, go for it. Popular writing is not the same as academic philosophical exposition; popular media demands that you arrest your readers with beautiful and exciting prose. But being able to combine that ability with the ability to thoroughly dissect and clinically present arguments is invaluable.

Work hard.

[Jive A Turkey]

What are some things you regret doing at college?


Caring and worrying about grades. What a waste of time.

[disregard]

Enjoy it. Give your 100% and make yourself proud.

[Usehername]

As a high school grad of '04 who has switched her major from pure sciences to social sciences to humanities, taken a gap-year after 1st year uni...

I'll answer this when I get back from my long weekend in the states. Late for packing already!

[Randomnity]

What are some things you regret doing at college?
-not studying hard enough to keep my scholarships/get new ones
-not being outgoing enough to make new friends in my program, especially in first year
-not bothering to join sports/activity classes until 3rd year. I missed out on so much!
-not being as involved socially as I could have been.

What are some things you regret not doing at college?
-oh wait, see above. I guess I didn't end up actually DOING anything I regretted (typical P).

Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)
Don't know yet, but don't think so.

Any other tips or anecdotes are welcome too.

Don't be lazy. Don't wait for people to tell you what to do, take the initiative. Be friendly and don't be an asshole. :)

[Eileen]

I wish that I had studied abroad. That's about it.

I do NOT regret caring about grades, as I expect that my grades will play a role in getting into grad school. Care about your grades!

[Samuel De Mazarin]

Caring and worrying about grades. What a waste of time.

It all depends on what you want to do with your life! If you want to go to a grad school and program of your choice, and maybe pick up some fellowships on the way, grades are very important! Also, top grades can let you get a head start if you want to go to top firms in finance. Beyond that, getting at least pretty good grades is at least one indication that you're actually working with your material and starting to know it.

As a liberal arts guy myself, I recommend that you (the English major) do some math. If you have the will to do it, going deep (at least two semesters) into calculus and maybe taking one or two courses in probability/statistics and discrete mathematics (combinatorics, etc.) is so key to having a truly well-rounded education... with calculus and probability you can understand so much more of physics... with statistics you can bring a critical eye to economics and sociological ideas that are casually bandied about in newspapers and with combinatorics you get a wonderful sense of the deeper potential of mathematics as a practical tool, an instrument of logic... (helps with LSAT)...

Take as much science as possible... as a writer, it's wonderful to be able to bring in an educated layman's perspective of contemporary science and reflect on what it means to be an animal in a technological world... Chaos theory is awesome... I think it's the key science/mathematical discipline after quantum physics... it throws a fascinating light on the typically linear, Newtonian way of looking at the world... wouldn't knowing these things change the way one thinks as a writer? I'd also do some biology... neuroscience and psychology-related studies... the obvious interrelations between language studies and brain science is one good reason for a liberal arts person to do stuff there... chemistry is totally unimportant to me...

Yeah.... so, that's probably a lot for an English major to do... I guess this is really a reflection on my own position... I'm, thankfully, a junior so I still have SOME time to catch up... my major point here is to diversify one's education... I'd definitely give a science major advice to take some philosophy and anthropology classes... plus, take a course on Shakespeare, one on Joyce...

__________________________________________________ __________________________

I just re-read OP's post and realize OP's doing computer programming, graphic design, business, etc... well, just take some science courses outside of computing... it really widens one's horizons... the world's very interdisciplinary nowadays.

[CzeCze]

1. Study, take care of academics-- I'm not kidding. People say all the time that undergrad doesn't matter and it's about life experience (okay, I said this in undergrad) but a bad GPA is an albatross and it will haunt you when it comes time for internships, jobs right out of college, and especially grad school.

2. Avoid intro classes like the plague- Intro classes suck the life out of any potential topic or major that you are interested in. Instead --

3. Freshman year, take only classes you WANT to take, not classes you think you 'have' to take- Narrow down an actual potential major first, then take the boring classes. This is really important. I fell into my major because I kept taking classes I thought I 'should' take, and not necessarily taking classes I wanted to take.

4. Don't box yourself in- College is the time to break out and explore. It's really your last socially sanctioned phase in your life you can make a bunch of mistakes, 'experiment', and try out lifestyles, looks, hobbies, etc. that nobody will hang over your head later. You can reinvent yourself -- every month!

5. Don't be afraid of being awkward or being out of your element- EVERYONE is out of their element to a point in college, just like point 4, throw yourself into things and don't worry about being shy or failing or looking foolish. Again, EVERYONE looks foolish in college. Seriously, years from now you'll look at pics and cringe at your hair, your outfit, your ex. :P

6. Cultivate relationships with mentors, professors, etc.Don't just be a random face in a crowd. If you find a professor or mentor in a field you like or just like a professor, visit their office hours, find salient points in lecture or articles to talk about, if you're going to miss a class, call them ahead of time and let them know, etc. This REALLY enhances your college experience and opens doors.

7. Major in whatever you want!- Undergrad majors don't matter. You want to do be a computer scientist? Double major in Dance! For a lot of people, college is your last chance to throw yourself into the arts. So major in what you want, take the classes that you need for the job you want, and enjoy being in an academic wonderland.

8. Find your real friends- Since people experiment and are finding themselves in college, there's lots of social jumping around floating from groups and acquaintances, etc. So find and cultivate the real connections when you find people you vibe with. Try not to be flaky?

9. Be youDon't let trends dictate how you act. Dont' be afraid to go against the crowd. College is a very transitory funny time, what seems like a big deal at 19 is ridiculously inconsequential at 30 or even 22 -- keep the focus on the bigger picture which is doing things which are in your best long term interests and vibe with your values.

[FDG]

Just don't waste too much time studying. Undergrad is easy, 3 years of life are many, so take care.

[Samuel De Mazarin]

6. Cultivate relationships with mentors, professors, etc.Don't just be a random face in a crowd. If you find a professor or mentor in a field you like or just like a professor, visit their office hours, find salient points in lecture or articles to talk about, if you're going to miss a class, call them ahead of time and let them know, etc. This REALLY enhances your college experience and opens doors.

7. Major in whatever you want!- Undergrad majors don't matter. You want to do be a computer scientist? Double major in Dance! For a lot of people, college is your last chance to throw yourself into the arts. So major in what you want, take the classes that you need for the job you want, and enjoy being in an academic wonderland.

I agree with most of the other stuff.... PARTICULARLY the part about professors... you're never going to know when knowing a professor who likes you will pay off... not only do you get to explore a new friendship (they're people, after all), but a person you never thought would be important to you may provide the winning reference in an internship or job.

Do major in anything you want... but don't ignore arts for sciences or sciences for arts.... I made the mistake, when I was at a liberal-arts college in Massachusetts (which has no requirements for courses) of doing nothing but arts and finding myself drawing blanks when friends in the sciences would talk to me about new technology or the latest developments in gene research... it was very embarrassing.

[FDG]

I agree with most of the other stuff.... PARTICULARLY the part about professors... you're never going to know when knowing a professor who likes you will pay off... not only do you get to explore a new friendship (they're people, after all), but a person you never thought would be important to you may provide the winning reference in an internship or job.


Oh, and this is also kind of very stupid and only sets up a very bad record for startiting friendships. Forming relationships for business advancement is never something to recommend, ever.

[proteanmix]

What are some things you regret doing at college?

I regret not doing enough research before going to college and just deciding on the school that was furthest away from where I grew up that gave me a decent financial aid package. I was basically at a school I hated for two years and then transferred and had to start over as a freshman. My whole college application process was unorganized and haphazard.

What are some things you regret not doing at college?

Ahhh, I bailed too quickly on my first major. I for some odd reason really wanted to be a forensic scientist because I was good at chemistry in high school. I got to college took organic chemistry, physics, and other science classes and ran away screaming and deeply traumatized by all those numbers and strange scientific symbols. By the end of the academic year I was broken and switched to an English major. I don't think English was easier or anything, but it was something that was more suited to the way my brain works. Now, I probably would've been the little engine that could and at least done a physics minor or something because I do like it.

Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)

The courses that were most helpful to me since I've been out of college were psychology, sociology, and communications. Those have been absolutely invaluable in dealing with people. You can be the greatest that's ever done it at what you do, but if you have people blocking you or don't know how to navigate around these pesky people issues then you have hit a brick wall. I see it every day at my job. My more formal classes gave me foundational knowledge, like how to construct a well-written essay or business letter, or whatever. In my experience, most of what I needed to know about the actual job itself I've learned at the job. The other stuff about how to deal with people is what I needed preparation for.

Any other tips or anecdotes are welcome too.


I've been out of college for two years now. I was extremely blessed and went straight from graduation to starting my job the very next Monday.

What I do regret is not taking a break between school and work, which couldn't really be helped because I had debts, no money, and my parents weren't in a position to be of much help so I guess it would've been a case of have fun now, pay later. Now I'm thinking the break would've been a good idea because I still feel burnt out from 6 years of college and then leaping into a job.

What I'm happy about is I had plenty extracurricular activities and steady jobs to pad out my resume. I was very proactive about that and it helped me land a job when most of my friends were still looking six months later or just went to grad school because they couldn't find anything. Taking summer internships even if they pay crap (or nothing at all!!!) will help you later on. And even now, I still have my "extracurriculars" that I do so that when I'm ready to go to grad school I can be a more well-rounded candidate.

Studying. I really didn't study hard. I kept my GPA hovering a little north or south (mostly south ;)) of 3.0. I think studying is important if you plan or going straight to grad school. I wasn't an overachiever or anything because I didn't put in the time to schoolwork as other people did. It seems to me if you don't go straight in and work for a few years then your undergraduate grades can take a backseat the projects you work on at your job and your GRE and LSAT scores.

And I like that I had fun in college. I have a core group of friends that I met and I think I'll be friends with them for a long time.

Oh, and what CzeCze said!

[Randomnity]

Do major in anything you want... but don't ignore arts for sciences or sciences for arts.... I made the mistake, when I was at a liberal-arts college in Massachusetts (which has no requirements for courses) of doing nothing but arts and finding myself drawing blanks when friends in the sciences would talk to me about new technology or the latest developments in gene research... it was very embarrassing.
I don't know about that, I'm about to graduate from a science degree and haven't taken any arts classes (unless psychology counts), and I don't regret it at all. Why would I take classes I wouldn't enjoy at the expense of classes I would enjoy, just to be more "diverse"? I don't really care if I can't discuss classic literature (for example) once I graduate, because I have absolutely no interest in doing so in the first place. :)

Attempting to be well-rounded is good up to a point, and that point (IMO) is when you start sacrificing what you really want to do. By all means though, explore the interesting-sounding classes that aren't in your major.

[BryNTP]

I regret having not lived in a dorm. I know people complain all the time about how much it sucks but that is a good way to meet people and commiserate on that shared bad experience and I missed out on that "college experience".

[Bear Warp]

All good things to heed and consider.

[ygolo]

Enjoy yourself. Take your time. One thing I regret is rushing through my undergrad programs to get into the "real world."

Being a year or two younger than the others in your work-position is only fun for a little while. You can be branded as the "baby" of the group, and worse, habituate to being the youngest person in your position. It's not a great idea to be pushing 30 and still expect people to be surprised by how young you are.

Work, school, adventure/travel are not mutually exclusive. I know many students who took opportunities to study/intern abroad, or simply in different schools around the country. You can write for your school newspaper, maintain your on News/Opinion blog while in school, etc.

I wasn't a Journalism or English major, but an Engineering major. However, I think any type, in any field would benefit from being placed in situations close to the type of work.

[dnivera]

Don't waste time. Unlike high school, college doesn't have a structured 8-3 environment with set places and times you have to be somewhere. You'll find that you'll have tons of free time in college compared to high school (if you were like me, and took several AP courses, did several extracurricular activities, and worked in a research lab until 9pm in the evening). You're going to be responsible for setting your own schedule and deciding what to do all day. Yup, unlimited free will! So, you can go anywhere you want during the day and do whatever you want. You could make your extracurricular activities beer pong, surfing facebook, and getting stoned, or choose among a whole other slew of intellectual things to do. You can schedule all your classes in the afternoon or evening and sleep until 1pm, or sleep in as late as you want, or take morning classes as usual. I definitely wasn't as scheduled in college as I was in HS, and I probably should've been. Spontaneity from my friends, who would drop by and suggest some activity, had something to do with that. I was still really busy, though.

This is a formative period of life and you will want to establish good daily habits and routines that you will use for the rest of your life. Time management is really important!

EDIT: Hmmm, actually, after re-reading this post I realize that the slowness and spontaneity of college compared to HS was an (essentially fun) part of going to college. Midnight bull sessions, sitting in a circle with a professor and class on the grass on a spring day, impromptu frisbee games, and just enjoying the campus can totally make the experience.

[CaptainChick]

Trust me on this one, research your professors prior to signing up for classes!!!

RateMyProfessors.com (http://ratemyprofessors.com/)

[Randomnity]

Trust me on this one, research your professors prior to signing up for classes!!!

RateMyProfessors.com (http://ratemyprofessors.com/)
Good point, completely agree. Sometimes it isn't possible to avoid a professor, but sometimes you can miss out on a semester of misery/a terrible grade from a completely idiotic professor.

[Jive A Turkey]

Trust me on this one, research your professors prior to signing up for classes!!!

RateMyProfessors.com (http://ratemyprofessors.com/)

Damn that's a big ass font. Why does that matter?

[CaptainChick]

If one is interested at all in having some control/say in what type of classroom environment their course will be taught in, ratemyprofessors.com affords one that opportunity by providing one with insight and information as to what a professor is like both on a personal and academic/professional level

[Bear Warp]

Trust me on this one, research your professors prior to signing up for classes!!!

RateMyProfessors.com (http://ratemyprofessors.com/)

Thanks!

[MJ_]

The advice I wish I'd been given/Things I've learned:

1)Go to the first year undergrad advising sessions, and be prepared to have an idea about possible majors/minors. Register for your courses ASAP. Preferably, find someone in the advising center who has the same or a related major. Similarly, don't take advice as the gospel truth even if it comes from a trusted source. (I got some very bad advice from a student adviser who did not know what she was talking about and it made my second year hell. I got advice from a prof that I should not have taken. I took advice from a high school teacher that did me no good whatsoever). Think it over. Decide what makes sense to you, decide what will work best for you. Don't be afraid to change your major. Don't be afraid to leave your options open.

2)What electives do you want to take? Do you have a foreign language requirement, science requirement? Take things that interest you.

3)With an eye to getting a job/career/grad school...

Go to the college calendar (or course listings) and look at the 4th (or 3rd) year course descriptions. Look at the offerings of several departments, figure out what the pre-requisites are. Work backwards to figure out what you need. This is very important in your second year.

4) Rate My professors? Its a start. Talk to someone you trust. If a student can't say anything good about a prof or a course, its a bad sign.

5)Balance is very important. If you are serious about your studies, you will be very busy as a full time student. It doesn't matter if you take arts or social sciences or sciences or engineering- you will spend a lot of time reading and writing and preparing for exams and/or doing labs or tutorial sessions or group projects. Eat a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep. Don't become a caffeine addict. Don't get too attached to the idea that you can do everything all at once (work part time, commute long distances to save money, get wonderful grades, have something resembling a social life).

6) At some point, you may fail a course. The world will not end. Your life will not be ruined.

[Samuel De Mazarin]

I don't know about that, I'm about to graduate from a science degree and haven't taken any arts classes (unless psychology counts), and I don't regret it at all. Why would I take classes I wouldn't enjoy at the expense of classes I would enjoy, just to be more "diverse"? I don't really care if I can't discuss classic literature (for example) once I graduate, because I have absolutely no interest in doing so in the first place. :)

Attempting to be well-rounded is good up to a point, and that point (IMO) is when you start sacrificing what you really want to do. By all means though, explore the interesting-sounding classes that aren't in your major.

Well, at this point it just comes down to one's pedagogic philosophy... but I've found that the interconnections between and amongst various disciplines are almost as numerous as the strict differences. Psychology doesn't really count as an art, unless you're getting deep into Lacan, Jung, or Freud.

By the way... note that I NEVER said to sacrifice one's own interests... that's a red herring in your response to my post... but the fact that you took NO arts classes outside your science courses? That sounds rigidly unadventurous to me.

As Aristotle once said, we're the political animal... there's more to life than technology. Ultimately, business is run by relationships and technology and science are often handmaidens of political wills in conflict with one another. The embeddedness of the sciences in a social world is inescapable and someone immersed entirely in sciences like physics, or computer programming, or mathematics, or chemistry, or even biology, misses out on a major and important element of life as human beings. And, frankly, someone who doesn't read literature misses out on some of the most exciting discussions of what technology and science can do to humanity...

I feel bad for those who haven't read some Shakespeare, or Hemingway, or particularly good slices of the Bible or the Gita or the Dao De Jing or whatever whatever whatever.... One doesn't have to be able to give a discourse on English or Chinese literature... but some exposure to thought outside one's own immediate ken can make a world of difference to one's personal development, in a good way. Also, someone who doesn't do anything but the one thing he's good at can get, well, boring.

By the way... in my opinion, the key reason for scientists to understand liberal arts discipline is our reliance on language... we have been called homo loquens (the talking animal)... language systems... signs... neuroscience and quantum physics are having to deal with what it means to think, what our consciousness is... people who read Kant were much quicker to grasp the implications of many modern advances in science... computer sciences is quickly discovering that human language and intelligence, which is not merely linear or even parallel, is important to understand for the development of things like AI... look at the use that the transformational Paninian grammar of Sanskrit is being put to in computing... there's so much thought out there... why wouldn't one take a few courses in something outside of one's own general field? We're human beings after all, not robots (this coming from an ENTP).

[cafe]

Get something marketable. Take it easy on the student loans.

[Firelie]

What are some things you regret doing at college?

Not making my mind up about a major sooner (year 5 and counting...*GROAN*) and not taking some of my classes as seriously as I should have.

What are some things you regret not doing at college?

Going to more school events with my friends and meeting people.

Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)

No. I'm a firm believer in taking anything that sounds interesting.

I have to second the professor research comment. I think it's a fantastic tool for learning about a teacher...if you can't avoid the bad ones, you can at least know how they are before you get into a classroom and mentally prepare yourself for the torture. :D Also, when you take a class, make sure you leave your own rating so that future students can learn about them, too.

[Samuel De Mazarin]

Oh, and this is also kind of very stupid and only sets up a very bad record for startiting friendships. Forming relationships for business advancement is never something to recommend, ever.

Notwithstanding your unnecessarily harsh language (it helps in a debate to be civil and not use words like "stupid"... only children or obnoxious people do that)...

People start relationships for business all the time... business thrives on relationships... in fact, cultivated relationships are the sine qua non of business... trust me, I know, I was in finance for a few years and many of my friends still are... client relationships are everything... you have to take people to dinner you may find utterly distasteful... politicians have to rub shoulders with assholes just to get ahead, to get legislation (which is hopefully good for the community) passed.

Secondly, I realize my post could very much sound like I was advocating just fishing for recommendations. That's not true.

Getting to know a professor is important. You tap your potential in the class by exploring what the professor knows, learning his/her likes and dislikes... how does he/she REALLY like his/her papers written? Any books he/she recommends outside of class? These are things which give one an edge.... having a good relationship with a professor can also help with things like missing a paper due to an emergency... they're more lenient with people they know are really committed to the class... I'm not saying to just be friendly with a professor and flake out on the class... THAT'S dishonest... but the professor is the one with the grading pen, and the professor knows (generally) his or her material best... hooking up with the mainframe is better than relying on peripheral units.

I always get to know my professors... if a relationship with a professor subsequently blossoms into a real friendship (this has happened twice out of ten times in the last year), then that's a bonus... and trust me, the professor knows you're a student in his/her class... he/she will keep things professional, as should you.

Lastly, having blinders on is not a wise way to live in the world... the fact is, simply being a kid who got an A in a class isn't going to get you a great recommendation. Knowing the professor, having him or her take an especial interest in your work, because you do it well and CARE about it, is often key to getting a really good recommendation because they know you better than someone who just got handed A's via a teaching assistant. REAL LIFE... if you're going to go for scholarships or grad schools, recommendations are make-or-break.

Cultivating a relationship doesn't always need to involve dishonesty. If you develop a (fake) friendship just for a recommendation, that's awful. If you visit a professor during office hours and ask for help, or clarification, and show a genuine interest in the class, in order to learn more and you know that this may help the professor to know you better and potentially be a good reference, then I see no problem with it. Professors know the game and students should understand it too. There's no need to be sentimental.

[Bear Warp]

According to most of the current students I've talked with, it isn't hard to befriend professors and various faculty at the school. Many have had lunch or dinner with their professors. Hell, some have eaten with the school's president. It's a small school; under 2000 students attend.

I definitely plan on diversifying my classes. I made a loose map of the courses (prerequisites and second choices all taken into account; it's not meant to be permanent) I'd like to take over the next four years, and it covers several topics; lots of writing and computer science, some mathematics, physics, philosophy, and business, and one or two courses in film, literature, biology, speech, and music.

Is it weird to be really excited to go to college? So much great stuff to learn about...

[Samuel De Mazarin]

According to most of the current students I've talked with, it isn't hard to befriend professors and various faculty at the school. Many have had lunch or dinner with their professors. Hell, some have eaten with the school's president. It's a small school; under 2000 students attend.

I definitely plan on diversifying my classes. I made a loose map of the courses (prerequisites and second choices all taken into account; it's not meant to be permanent) I'd like to take over the next four years, and it covers several topics; lots of writing and computer science, some mathematics, physics, philosophy, and business, and one or two courses in film, literature, biology, speech, and music.

Is it weird to be really excited to go to college? So much great stuff to learn about...

Just reading your post is getting me positively crazy about getting back to classes this fall... I think your broad base is fantastic and you'll get a lot out of school.

I went to a student-population<2,000 school for my freshman year... if you can plug into the community (it's not automatic, but it's not too difficult either), you'll probably have some of the best times of your life over there. Good Luck!

[Bear Warp]

Just reading your post is getting me positively crazy about getting back to classes this fall... I think your broad base is fantastic and you'll get a lot out of school.

I went to a student-population<2,000 school for my freshman year... if you can plug into the community (it's not automatic, but it's not too difficult either), you'll probably have some of the best times of your life over there. Good Luck!

:D

[Randomnity]

Well, at this point it just comes down to one's pedagogic philosophy... but I've found that the interconnections between and amongst various disciplines are almost as numerous as the strict differences. Psychology doesn't really count as an art, unless you're getting deep into Lacan, Jung, or Freud.

By the way... note that I NEVER said to sacrifice one's own interests... that's a red herring in your response to my post... but the fact that you took NO arts classes outside your science courses? That sounds rigidly unadventurous to me. ...
Well, there are a limited number of time slots for courses...assuming there are an effectively unlimited number of classes available in your chosen subject (which there usually are), you are by default sacrificing that experience if you choose to take a class which interests you less, outside your discipline. You didn't say sacrifice, but I don't think I'm mistaken in inferring it.

I understand your view, since I've heard it many times before. I simply disagree. While I fully intend to follow many unrelated subjects that appeal to me, I certainly won't waste time studying ones that don't interest me at all, such as the arts...because I doubt that they'll ever interest me, so it is of little use to be educated in such areas. That's why I'm in university - high school was where you had to take all the classes that didn't interest you. This is where you PAY to learn what you actually want to...why should anyone feel obligated to learn something that doesn't interest them, doesn't have a practical use, and far worse, takes the potential time slot of a course which could do all that?

You can call me unadventurous, though I think it's unfair. I'm not afraid to take arts courses, I'm just choosing the science ones, which I predict I will enjoy far more. I prefer to think of it as following my own dreams and ambitions, rather the ones some people think I should have. :)

edit: to clarify, I am only explaining what I've felt was best for my own course of action; I don't think there's anything wrong with taking different kinds of subjects, in fact it's a good thing...I just think a new university student would be well-advised to consider what their own individual interests are when choosing courses.

[whatever]

What are some things you regret doing at college?

I regret taking my college experience so seriously my first year... I actually studied quite a bit at the expense of my social life that year, and was a member of several organizations in connection with my studies :nerd: I still feel like I missed out on quite a bit of fun then after I started to have fun but still got really good grades :dry:

I also regret some unwise relationship decisions made, but that was just shit that happened WHILE in college, not necissarily a college experience ;)

What are some things you regret not doing at college?

Having fun my freshman year (as mentioned above)... other than that, I spent 6 years in college, I had plenty of time to do just about anything I'd wish to do :devil:

Are there any courses that you wished you had taken, but didn't? (because they would have helped you after school)

I kinna wish I took a class on resume writing, because I feel a bit embarassed that I'm getting help from a company president with that at the moment :blush: But other than that, I think I took more than enough classes for just about anything I'd want to do.


Congrats and have fun... don't take yourself too seriously, but don't forget why you're at college at the same time. Unless it's something you'll seriously regret doing, don't turn down any opportunities... it's worse to wonder "what if" than to waste a Saturday night.