Here is some advice from a blog post I made here:
http://realivy.com/main/2006/08/10/m...bit-of-advice/
* Be yourself, but not too much. Realize that lying, pretending to be someone or something your not, and a false smile will only take you through orientation. Be cautious enough to get off on the right foot, but do so while remaining who you are. Realize that everyone you now meet has no idea what your life was like before and who you were– share what’s necessary, but drop the baggage. You’ll be happier as a person and be far better equipped to find real friends, and not fake hellos.
* Don’t try and remember every name, you’ll never need them again. The first week of school you will be confronted with several hundred names– it’s not important you remember and Facebook them all. Don’t worry, the people who are going to be around more often will mention their names again (and if they don’t, feel free to ask), and those that won’t probably forgot your name already too.
* Talk to your roommate, be fair, but be firm. Talk about what it is that you think will bug the hell out of someone living with you. Find out their pet peeves and difficulties as well. Discuss what you’d like the environment in your room should be like and establish a middle ground. This brings me to my next point…
* I understand the need for personal space, but… an open door can go a long way. Just having an open door and an inviting feel/attitude will bring in all kinds of people, at all times, all throughout the year. My roommate and I were fine with people coming in and spending sometime with us even if we didn’t really know them. This happened frequently straight through the year– if someone was in the room the door was open and all were welcome, period. This created a fantastic social environment as our room became a hub for people in our dormitory, making finding friends and easy task.
* But lock your door when you’re not around! If you don’t want someone to steal your stuff, don’t give them a free pass. I wouldn’t be wrong to say that over 95% of all thefts on college campuses occur when people leave their room open. Suck it up, learn how to take your key, and lock the door behind you at all times. Be friendly, but make sure you’re stuff is safe.
* Get over your grades. Yes, college is important. Just like high school, it can be treated as simply a stepping point to the next challenge– an obstacle which you must overcome to prove your worth to medical schools, business schools, graduate schools, and commercial industry alike. This does not mean that the best approach for you is to push for a 4.0. If you’re driven, and that’s all that matters to you, go for it and don’t look back. For me, the best advice I can give is realize that college is a place of learning. Todays top universities can be viewed as strongholds of knowledge– soak up all of the knowledge you want. Find subjects and courses you’re motivated by and take them. I am at Brown University specifically for the freedom it provides in choosing my course load. Engage in your personal curriculum, be active in your learning. Recognize that the Law of Diminishing Returns can be applied to that MISERABLE class, Introduction to Literature of Post-Feminist Native American Culturalist in Translation, and that a B will not be the end of th world. Let college not be a place where you seek great success through grade assessment, rather, let it be a place where you see great success through learning.
* College is about the next four years… not the years after that point! Learn what fascinates you, figure out a job later. Don’t justify with money, justify with desire. It’s important not to preoccupy yourself with fears of the real world– that’ll come whether you like it or not. It’s now time to plan your life at college, slowly, as it is necessary. My personal approach to choosing a concentration involved reading quite a bit about courses and looking at all the concentrations even remotely close to something that I liked and choosing the path that included the most courses I would like to take at some point. I dubbed this, “The Path Of Least ****ty-ness”. This is the path least likely to make me miserable in the next four years. Beyond that, who the hell knows what I am going to do.
* Enjoy. This is your last chance to be stupid, your first chance to live independently, entirely surrounded by friends. Make mistakes, screw up your priorities, have a good time. Don’t fear taking chances. Remember that students, especially at school that fits you well, can, and most likely will, be far more interesting than any professor you meet. Learning happens constantly, whether you’re studying for Organic Chemistry or drinking your Friday to oblivion. Experience it all, get a taste for life and bask in it. You’ll be surprised what becomes the most important and defining moment of your year.
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