A few tips for college?

[reuben_tate]

There has been a lot of things that have been mentioned already regarding college admissions so I'm not going to repeat those.

However, one thing that hasn't been said yet is regarding recommendation letters (if any of your college applications requires one of those). Regarding recommendation letters:
1) Give your letter writers at least a week to write a letter, a month if you want to be safe.
2) Check up on your letter writer towards the end of the deadline and give them a gentle reminder if they need it.
3) Choose a teacher that you are in good standing with and can say a lot of things about you not only as a student but as an individual. Simply getting an 'A' in their class is not enough, this needs to be a teacher that knows you on nearly a personal level, that you've had conversations with, etc.
4) Your letter writer need not be a teacher necessarily. Sometimes it might be a good idea to have your school counselor write one if you know your counselor well or if you are in any clubs/sports, getting your adviser/coach to write a letter for you might be a good idea. Bonus points if that advisor also happens to be a teacher you've had a class with.
5) This one is hard to gauge, but you want to find a teacher that isn't lazy. Even if your teacher thinks you are the best student in the world, if they are also the laziest teacher in the world, they might write you a lazy recommendation letter. Just something to consider.
6) ALWAYS waive your right to read your recommendation letters. By waiving your rights, the letters your letter writers write gain credibility since they have the ability to write freely without having to worry about the student reading the letter they wrote.

[Mahou]

Okay, my actual tips for college.
1) Get a day planner. I never thought I'd be writing something like this because I didn't use one until I finally got into college myself.
2) Try your best not to procrastinate. Some of your professors know what half-assed work looks like by a mile away. If you put hard work into it, they can see it.
3) Ask for help when you don't understand something. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and it's pretty good to get second opinions from people.
4) Do not get suckered into peer pressure - drugs, hoodrat sex, and skipping classes. Skipping classes, as I'm sure you know this, is the easiest way in failing class. Failing classes = wasted money.
5) Try to make some good acquaintances in your classes. I try to have at least one buddy of mine, who shares the same work ethic as I do, to work on things in each subject. That makes doing class work and studying a bit easier.
6) Keep in contact with your professors. If you show dedication and interest in the class, the better you will succeed.
7) Sit in the FRONT or the SECOND row of class. People who tend to sit in the back tend to do worse. Plus, it's promotes a positive mannerism.
8) Get plenty of rest and try to eat good. I know it's easy to get suckered into eating things like Chipoltle and McDicks, but try to care about your body. If you treat your body like a king, you will feel like a king.
9) Do not try to cheat (i.e. plagiarism) That's pretty self explanatory and I'm sure you're aware of the different consequences.
10) Establish a good routine. For example, I like to dedicate at least 2-3 hours a day on a subject. Then I'll usually spend time with a friend or play a video game. I do not over-do it at all.


I hope this helps with your success in college. These basic things have made me pretty successful in what I'm doing at the moment.

[DotKritic]

There are apps out there that assist you in managing your schoolwork. From what I've looked at, many are free.

RateMyProfessors.com is great help.

[21992]

Thanks guys for all of the advice, but most of this advice was talking about the actual college experience rather than the application process. Nevertheless, any info is good info. Many of you seem shaken up that I want to become a game designer. Although I love video games, seeing why they are great is sometimes more gratifying than playing them. Game design lets you craft experiences, utilize psychology , and requires solid logic. It's a marriage of all my interests so to say. Anyways thanks for the help guys!

[MinaciousGrace]

if you go to college to learn you're doing it wrong

[Crazyjayde]

Don't expect anything.

[L.B.D.D]

comp sci is in general a much safer choice for career options
video game design could be a much more appealing choice after you already have some safe career options

honestly speaking i've seen animators and the like get into video game design & creation more often because well, those are essentials

[kmay]

also getting an F on a test in college does not mean you will be getting an F in that class. a lot of the more difficult classes are curved based off the highest grade and not 90-100

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by kmay

also getting an F on a test in college does not mean you will be getting an F in that class. a lot of the more difficult classes are curved based off the highest grade and not 90-100

This. I bombed my first test in one of my classes even though I did study. Since the test was written and emphasized on only having lecture notes as answers, I got dinged for using other sources. The teacher decided to be more lenient on the matter after I talked with her personally and showed great interest on getting a good grade in a class. Also, my perfect attendance helped as well.

[kmay]

I'm too scared to skip any classes now. we learn so damn much every class period.

[leonid]

Understand that grades are not proportional to the amount of effort you put in. You can procrastinate AND get good grades

[Wafles]

From my experience, the teachers that used participation grading as a means to convince students to not ditch class were usually the worst quality professors I had. I always thought it seemed like a way of saying "My class isn't interesting enough to keep you here unless I make it a requirement".

Go to class. Every single class.
Go to office hours too. Get on a professors good side, and get on it early, use that connection to get other connections and you'll get some cool opportunities.

As far as the application process goes, just know what you're looking to get out of college before you start applying, which it sounds like you already know. And of course, apply to a few different schools that you really want to go to. Don't follow your friends to be with them, you'll make new friends at college anyway.

[Ohaider]

Oh yeah btw as a freshman you'll be treated as a high schooler pretty much in terms of attendance/undivided attention if your uni is anything like mine lol. hopefully that's not the case all four years

4 absences in some of my classes = administrative withdrawal. 2 in others
i've been yelled at for having my cell phone out during the bullshit classes like 'music for the listener'

seriously it's just like highschool other than amount of homework/classtime

[funmonkey54]

1) For an undergraduate degree, do not be afraid to follow the money. If you get exceptionally high scholarship to a reasonable institution, it can open you up to more education down the line that you might not otherwise have been able to afford.

2) Opportunities do not make themselves. Get close to professors. Literally. Hold them. Caress them. Do whatever it takes to find unique opportunities that develop a portfolio or that propel you into other paths down the road.

3) Figure out your crap fast. Changing majors is expensive. If you need to take a year before entering college to help sort things out, do it. It's a massive waste to spend money on college for a career you aren't going to pursue and it will put you on a strict timeline for the next 5-7 semesters that doesn't allow you to take extra classes that you want to take.

[Quigly]

the only class that matters is the one that i teach on how to not be a fucking loser

you're automatically enrolled the second you start college good luck