Going to college in the upcoming fall. VOL. Dorm Life? (update pg. 5)

[badmoonrison]

Originally Posted by JFMartiMcDandruff

Originally Posted by badmoonRison

The list of things to bring on the first page is way OD. You don't need to bring #%+ like neosporin, windex, your whole wardrobe, etc. Let me try to give a few tips on maximizing freshman year... it turned out to be the best year of my life so far. I know I typed all this out a few years ago, but I guess no one saved it. Hopefully with my advice, you'll learn from my successes and mistakes and end up really enjoying the first year.
- My number one piece of advice going into college for the new decade: You see those facebook groups that are titled things like "U of Illinois class of 2014!!!" ??? Join them if you want, but do NOT start adding kids and talking to them. Do not start posting things about yourself on the group page. This was rampant when I was a freshman in 2007, and all of the kids who were overactive on the FB group turned out to be desperate losers or overexcited weird kids. Also, if you get into these deep conversations with people before school (especially girls), it will be incredibly awkward when you finally meet face-to-face. Avoid that pain, and just remember that you will meet everyone that you need to meet once school starts.

lol i joined that to get some help for my stuff...and i see some dudes on there 24/7, i see what you mean

I tried dorm life while in a summer program, i did not like it as much as I thought i would. I mean, i need some time alone and i hate sharing for some reason. Don't get it twisted, I enjoy meeting new people but i need some alone time as well.

Stick with the dorms for the first year, it helps immensely with making friends. I'm also guessing that the summer program is a lot different from actual school. It's also not really hard to get alone time... just lock the door. If things get noisy in the hall, dip to the library.

 

[ricekrispies420]

ahhh i miss freshman year and dorm life

 

[metrokid26]

Originally Posted by badmoonRison

Originally Posted by MetroKid26


any more tips on time management for study and schoolwork? (sorry for the abundance of questions, but I figured this thread can do more than just help me out.)

- I can't stress enough taking class seriously from day 1. There are boatloads of kids around you that will fail out after a year from too much partying or lack of effort. You can chill with these kids, just don't let them drag you down with them. Just because your buddies are skipping class doesn't mean you should too. I went to a private school that handed out detentions like candy... we never knew skipping class was even an option. Skipping class and getting away with it was a newfound freedom that I often abused. Most colleges won't even notice if you're not in your seat... do it for yourself, though.

I feel you on that, that's probably going to be the hard part about it, just managing having so much freedom.

(on a side note, feel free to put some stories about fun/crazy/out of the ordinary dorm stories. trynna make this thread last.)

 

[shoeking2101]

Thismthread officially has me excited and anticipating freshman year

 

[lamarownsem]

Originally Posted by tizoni

Rent your books.

This. You'll be lucky to get back half of what you paid for a book. For one of my psych classes I rented a $120 book for $8. It was an older edition but my professor still accepted it. I use chegg.com.

 

[slim]

this thread is very useful. i refuse to believe that the first couple of weeks should be awkward, though.. like everything else in life, i'm sure it all comes down to your personality.

 

[badmoonrison]

edit... on second thought i really don't want to get into these graphic stories... ha I'll try to think of something good.

 

[blaz3n]

Commuted my first 2 years of College... now this Fall I am dorming.. did I miss out?

 

[iblink]

I agree with a lot of what's been said in this thread, but I beg to differ on the Greek life aspect. College: it is what you make it. Some people go to school trying to be that guy and end up looking silly because it's impossible to be that big of a stand out. My advice is to take it one day at a time.

Stay on top of your classes because believe it or not, you are there to learn. Pay attention to your due dates and try not to wait til the day before to write a paper. Plan ahead. If the syllabus reads that you have a paper due October 15th, you should at least start it on October 1st. Study in the library. If you're at home, you will get distracted. Have the mind frame that when it's time to study, then it's time to study. Turn off your phone, turn on your mp3 player, hit the library, and get to studying.

Don't try to make too many friends. A good place to meet folks is in classrooms that have open lectures. The people who speak their minds and open up lend themselves to your judgment and you can see if they're the kind of people you want to hang out with. Make small talk after class and what not. Do not be afraid of the student activity center, even when school first starts and you don't know anyone. This is usually the hot spot for meeting people, so get in the game room and play pool or ping ping with a stranger. When you're in line at the cafe and you see someone ordering their food, don't hesitate to say something along the lines of "I've been meaning to try that, how is it". College will teach you the usefulness of knowing how to use small talk. ANYTHING is conversation worthy.

Don't sweat every fine female that walks by you. If it's one thing I've realized about women in college is that there's a ton of pretty ones. No need to chase em all. Strike up small talk when you're leaving class with a girl you thinks cute, but don't lay all your cards on the table from the jump. Don't come off as the guy who's trying to have sex that same night (if it happens, don't run from the situation either). Most times guys who sweat girls, don't get girls. The guy who takes it easy usually gets the breasies. Females tend to want the "mysterious" guy in college. I'm not saying to be a loner, but don't be known as the guy looking for all the pus he can get. they'll label you a manwhore and it's hard to shake that rep. Like we said earlier, learn the roster system. Have a strong starting line up of at least three. Besides those three, be sure to have bench players who are pretty cool. Thing with a bench warmer is that you can't be upset if/when you see her talking to another guy. She's not your Kobe, so if she's in talks with Doc Rivers (Celtics coach), don't be upset. She's not under a strict contract so she's easily replaceable. Unless you're in a committed/serious relationship, you're not doing anything wrong.

When it comes to Greek life, don't think negative. Don't get me wrong, there are some organizations out there that play into the stereotype of what a frat/sorority is, but that's not always the case. Pledging can enhance your college experience if you go with a group that you see living up to the ideals you believe in. Don't pick a frat because they say they partake in community service. If you haven't seen any of their community service activities, then it's probably all talk. Frat life can differ depending on what kind of organization you join. The predominantly white frats can be pretty cool, but some of them have the stigma of being beer pong playing, low grade earning mountain douches. With the predominantly black frats, you're pretty much going to be viewed as a person who wasn't well known before pledging, and you'll have the stigma that all you do is party, %!*%% yourself out to anything that walks, never partake in any community service, etc. It's up to you to break the negative stereotypes if you pledge. Greek life can be ridiculously fun if you don't lose sight of reality. Don't let the letters obscure your vision. If you had friends before hand, don't you dare let your frat or sorority change your relationships with them.

 

[hellohiphop4000]

Originally Posted by EstBeast

Originally Posted by peep tha sneaKs

Longest post ever

          i actually started to read that and i don't even live in the usa

+1

 

[brockbo]

Great thred booking marking for 3 years : hat

 

[popcornplaya]

Originally Posted by iBlink

I agree with a lot of what's been said in this thread, but I beg to differ on the Greek life aspect. College: it is what you make it. Some people go to school trying to be that guy and end up looking silly because it's impossible to be that big of a stand out. My advice is to take it one day at a time.

Stay on top of your classes because believe it or not, you are there to learn. Pay attention to your due dates and try not to wait til the day before to write a paper. Plan ahead. If the syllabus reads that you have a paper due October 15th, you should at least start it on October 1st. Study in the library. If you're at home, you will get distracted. Have the mind frame that when it's time to study, then it's time to study. Turn off your phone, turn on your mp3 player, hit the library, and get to studying.

Don't try to make too many friends. A good place to meet folks is in classrooms that have open lectures. The people who speak their minds and open up lend themselves to your judgment and you can see if they're the kind of people you want to hang out with. Make small talk after class and what not. Do not be afraid of the student activity center, even when school first starts and you don't know anyone. This is usually the hot spot for meeting people, so get in the game room and play pool or ping ping with a stranger. When you're in line at the cafe and you see someone ordering their food, don't hesitate to say something along the lines of "I've been meaning to try that, how is it". College will teach you the usefulness of knowing how to use small talk. ANYTHING is conversation worthy.

Don't sweat every fine female that walks by you. If it's one thing I've realized about women in college is that there's a ton of pretty ones. No need to chase em all. Strike up small talk when you're leaving class with a girl you thinks cute, but don't lay all your cards on the table from the jump. Don't come off as the guy who's trying to have sex that same night (if it happens, don't run from the situation either). Most times guys who sweat girls, don't get girls. The guy who takes it easy usually gets the breasies. Females tend to want the "mysterious" guy in college. I'm not saying to be a loner, but don't be known as the guy looking for all the pus he can get. they'll label you a manwhore and it's hard to shake that rep. Like we said earlier, learn the roster system. Have a strong starting line up of at least three. Besides those three, be sure to have bench players who are pretty cool. Thing with a bench warmer is that you can't be upset if/when you see her talking to another guy. She's not your Kobe, so if she's in talks with Doc Rivers (Celtics coach), don't be upset. She's not under a strict contract so she's easily replaceable. Unless you're in a committed/serious relationship, you're not doing anything wrong.

When it comes to Greek life, don't think negative. Don't get me wrong, there are some organizations out there that play into the stereotype of what a frat/sorority is, but that's not always the case. Pledging can enhance your college experience if you go with a group that you see living up to the ideals you believe in. Don't pick a frat because they say they partake in community service. If you haven't seen any of their community service activities, then it's probably all talk. Frat life can differ depending on what kind of organization you join. The predominantly white frats can be pretty cool, but some of them have the stigma of being beer pong playing, low grade earning mountain douches. With the predominantly black frats, you're pretty much going to be viewed as a person who wasn't well known before pledging, and you'll have the stigma that all you do is party, %!*%% yourself out to anything that walks, never partake in any community service, etc. It's up to you to break the negative stereotypes if you pledge. Greek life can be ridiculously fun if you don't lose sight of reality. Don't let the letters obscure your vision. If you had friends before hand, don't you dare let your frat or sorority change your relationships with them.

You ain't never lie.

I'm not sure if I understood the relationship piece correctly, though. Are you saying that being in a serious relationship is wrong? Or are you saying that using the roster system isn't wrong as long as you aren't in one?

Despite that probable misunderstanding on my part, that's solid advice. Especially the part about sweating girls. In fact, after things settle down with the initial booty rush of the first month, you might want to befriend a few ugly girls to be just friends with.

Being friends with an ugly girl can open your world as far as meeting dimes goes. Some of the finest girls I know don't ever party, and just hang out with their girls on the weekends. Unless you have a class with those types, you'll probably never really have a way to meet them. That's where the ugly friend comes in. Ugly girls ALWAYS know the finest girls, if not they at least know of them. And they will be thirsty to hangout with you, which in turn will make you meet more dimes. The only thing you have to watch out for is hanging out too much with them, as they'll begin spreading rumors that you're dating, which will make the fine p almost unattainable.

 

[badmoonrison]

This roster system concept smells of ducktale

 

[metrokid26]

UPDATE!!

Well I just got back from orientation, and my face is ""

forgive my over-enthusiasm, but I was surely amazed! From the minute I got my temporary room assignment, everything just clicked. I consider myself to be a very sociable person, so almost every time I walked out my dorm, I'd get into a funny conversation, or just talk to one of the fellas and ladies around and it would be a pretty cool conversation.

I tried to get the roster system into effect, I got into a couple convo's, got a couple numbers, kept it cool for now, other than that I was enjoying the whole experience, meeting new people and hitting the parties up.

just from orientation, keeping the room locked is so necessary, even when I went to the bathroom next door, I kept it locked. Take care of your belongings!

the best bit of advice I can give is: just be as cool with people as you possibly can. you don't even need to remember peoples names, or ask everybody for their contact, for them to remember you. a silly joke, holding the door for them, small talk, witty observations, asking a question, anything could lead into a convo. Everybody is playing on the same field, put judgments and worries aside, and just do it (word to nike)

 

[iblink]

Originally Posted by popcornplaya

Originally Posted by iBlink

I agree with a lot of what's been said in this thread, but I beg to differ on the Greek life aspect. College: it is what you make it. Some people go to school trying to be that guy and end up looking silly because it's impossible to be that big of a stand out. My advice is to take it one day at a time.

Stay on top of your classes because believe it or not, you are there to learn. Pay attention to your due dates and try not to wait til the day before to write a paper. Plan ahead. If the syllabus reads that you have a paper due October 15th, you should at least start it on October 1st. Study in the library. If you're at home, you will get distracted. Have the mind frame that when it's time to study, then it's time to study. Turn off your phone, turn on your mp3 player, hit the library, and get to studying.

Don't try to make too many friends. A good place to meet folks is in classrooms that have open lectures. The people who speak their minds and open up lend themselves to your judgment and you can see if they're the kind of people you want to hang out with. Make small talk after class and what not. Do not be afraid of the student activity center, even when school first starts and you don't know anyone. This is usually the hot spot for meeting people, so get in the game room and play pool or ping ping with a stranger. When you're in line at the cafe and you see someone ordering their food, don't hesitate to say something along the lines of "I've been meaning to try that, how is it". College will teach you the usefulness of knowing how to use small talk. ANYTHING is conversation worthy.

Don't sweat every fine female that walks by you. If it's one thing I've realized about women in college is that there's a ton of pretty ones. No need to chase em all. Strike up small talk when you're leaving class with a girl you thinks cute, but don't lay all your cards on the table from the jump. Don't come off as the guy who's trying to have sex that same night (if it happens, don't run from the situation either). Most times guys who sweat girls, don't get girls. The guy who takes it easy usually gets the breasies. Females tend to want the "mysterious" guy in college. I'm not saying to be a loner, but don't be known as the guy looking for all the pus he can get. they'll label you a manwhore and it's hard to shake that rep. Like we said earlier, learn the roster system. Have a strong starting line up of at least three. Besides those three, be sure to have bench players who are pretty cool. Thing with a bench warmer is that you can't be upset if/when you see her talking to another guy. She's not your Kobe, so if she's in talks with Doc Rivers (Celtics coach), don't be upset. She's not under a strict contract so she's easily replaceable. Unless you're in a committed/serious relationship, you're not doing anything wrong.

When it comes to Greek life, don't think negative. Don't get me wrong, there are some organizations out there that play into the stereotype of what a frat/sorority is, but that's not always the case. Pledging can enhance your college experience if you go with a group that you see living up to the ideals you believe in. Don't pick a frat because they say they partake in community service. If you haven't seen any of their community service activities, then it's probably all talk. Frat life can differ depending on what kind of organization you join. The predominantly white frats can be pretty cool, but some of them have the stigma of being beer pong playing, low grade earning mountain douches. With the predominantly black frats, you're pretty much going to be viewed as a person who wasn't well known before pledging, and you'll have the stigma that all you do is party, %!*%% yourself out to anything that walks, never partake in any community service, etc. It's up to you to break the negative stereotypes if you pledge. Greek life can be ridiculously fun if you don't lose sight of reality. Don't let the letters obscure your vision. If you had friends before hand, don't you dare let your frat or sorority change your relationships with them.

You ain't never lie.

I'm not sure if I understood the relationship piece correctly, though. Are you saying that being in a serious relationship is wrong? Or are you saying that using the roster system isn't wrong as long as you aren't in one?

Despite that probable misunderstanding on my part, that's solid advice. Especially the part about sweating girls. In fact, after things settle down with the initial booty rush of the first month, you might want to befriend a few ugly girls to be just friends with.

Being friends with an ugly girl can open your world as far as meeting dimes goes. Some of the finest girls I know don't ever party, and just hang out with their girls on the weekends. Unless you have a class with those types, you'll probably never really have a way to meet them. That's where the ugly friend comes in. Ugly girls ALWAYS know the finest girls, if not they at least know of them. And they will be thirsty to hangout with you, which in turn will make you meet more dimes. The only thing you have to watch out for is hanging out too much with them, as they'll begin spreading rumors that you're dating, which will make the fine p almost unattainable.

I'm saying that using the roster system isn't wrong if you're not committed to someone already. Using the  roster system just helps you to get used to different girls. That way you can weigh your options when it comes to sticking with one main if you so choose.

 

[iblink]

Originally Posted by badmoonRison

This roster system concept smells of ducktale

You aint doing it right. I mean honestly, what part of the roster system wreaks of the duckery?

 

[fresnokid]

--Get a locker 4 ur closet
--Don't have a friend as a roommate
--Get flip flops 4 the shower
--Don't expect to get a lot of sleep lol
--Socialize but don't be extra... upperclassmen will look at u as childish
--Try to get a GPA ur freshman year... its hard to raise it if after ur 1st or 2nd yr
--Condoms.
--Don't fall into the hype of joinin those party promotion groups... all you'll do is look stupid tryin to pass out flyers & ur just a freshman
--If ur not a morning person, DO NOT GET 8AM CLASSES....

 

[sreggie101]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

1. Never go into a campus book store. If you need books use half.com, amazon.com, the school library or try to go half with someone in the class. There is NO REASON to every buy a book from the school book store. Too expensive.

2. Condoms, enough said.

3. Get in shape. Use this time to abuse a free gym at your school and get in shape if you haven't already. There is a stay in shape thread here, get familiar.

I cosign with DC on all this. unfortunately, i haven't followed rule 3 nearly as much as i wished. to build on what DC said, go to abebooks.com. international edition textbooks for maad cheap. just order early cuz shipping takes forever...

CONDOMS. MAD loose girls on campus. lotta dirt floatin around. always go in strapped. preggo scares are not fun

having a great roommate really makes for a solid experience. TRUST ME on this. im still friends with all mine, and its over 4 yrs now.


and the most important rule of all


****DO NOT #*%% UP YOUR FIRST YEAR GPA AT COLLEGE, ESPECIALLY WITH A HARD MAJOR (Engineering, other hard math/sci intensive majors)..
you'll find yourself, struggling to boost it up, and classes can only get harder (maybe). better to start high and try to maintain, then struggle to go up towards the end.

As an engineering major going into my final year, im def talkin from experience.


(btw, frat parties are overrated, but you'll realize this in a few yrs from now anyways). Enjoy.

 

[pharelfor3]

Man i moved back home for the summer. I miss the place already

DO NOT get a gf who lives in the same dorm. She will be there all the time and will ruin your chances of any new P. trust me on that one

 

[bleed05]

Condoms and get used to smashing in front of your roommate lol....thread just made me miss UM...best four years of my life

 

[dt43]

Originally Posted by bleed05

Condoms and get used to smashing in front of your roommate lol....thread just made me miss UM...best four years of my life

what? no..

 

[s0led]

The single most important advice I can give you is GO TO CLASS. Don't waste your parents' tuition money or your time. If you are going to large university it's easy to get lost and lose focus on your main purpose for being there: to earn a degree. Always put your classes before partying because I've seen too many people party all four years of college and have nothing to show for it but an English degree, like my older brother. Moderation is the key. Also surround yourself with good people, people that you know will help you be successful and are a good influence because in the end you're just gonna be like the people surround yourself with. Freshman year you will meet more people than you ever will again in your life because nobody knows each other and everyone is looking to make new friends. Based on my experience, as the years went on, I really began filtering more and more friends out and ended up with three or four really close friends senior year and those were the only kids I hung out with really.

 

[s0led]

The single most important advice I can give you is GO TO CLASS. Don't waste your parents' tuition money or your time. If you are going to large university it's easy to get lost and lose focus on your main purpose for being there: to earn a degree. Always put your classes before partying because I've seen too many people party all four years of college and have nothing to show for it but an English degree, like my older brother. Moderation is the key. Also surround yourself with good people, people that you know will help you be successful and are a good influence because in the end you're just gonna be like the people surround yourself with. Freshman year you will meet more people than you ever will again in your life because nobody knows each other and everyone is looking to make new friends. Based on my experience, as the years went on, I really began filtering more and more friends out and ended up with three or four really close friends senior year and those were the only kids I hung out with really.

 

[lemurkicks23]

I didn't know NT gave college counseling. Where was I at 3 years ago.. 

 

[an dee 51o]

Random thoughts:

Be friendly with everyone, but don't feel like you have to be everyone's best friend. Yes, get to know all of the chicks who have any potential. No, you don't have to be friends with every guy in your dorm. I can recommend having a few good homies that you know are going to be good wingmen and will not block you. Don't be unfriendly with anyone though because you don't want to make enemies and have to watch your back on some prison $+%* like my boy had to do.

You always get one or two dudes on a floor who are about that life.


When you meet said homies, pay attention to how they act when they're drunk or under the influence of whatever you guys do. These are the dudes you're going to be rolling to parties with and will have to deal with drunk quite often. If you party a lot but your new best friend can't hang, you may want to rethink that pick.


Only do drugs with someone who knows what they're doing, and only if you really wanna do them. If you're scared, just don't do it. That's how bad trips are made. Don't !+*$ with RX pills (other than Adderall), but again, only do that if you want to. If you

, it's a good way to meet people. Just don't get caught. And do NOT sell drugs, even weed, in the dorms.


The Freshman 15 is real, and I saw many a slim waist turn into a muffin top by Winter Quarter.

Go to the gym whenever you can, even if it's just for half an hour and stay away from fried foods (unless you're high).


When I mentioned "candidates" I'm not talking about girlfriend candidates. Don't get caught in the hype when lots of folks are getting into relationships only weeks after moving into the dorms. Don't cut off all communication with those chicks, it's easy to catch them on the rebound. YOU DO NOT WANT A GIRLFRIEND THIS YEAR!