<p>i am going to be a freshman this fall and i know a friend who is going to be a sophomore in the same university that i am going to. He has already taken the classes that i am going to take this year…he asked me if i needed anything then just ask… i was wondering if it would be okay to ask him for his freshman year materials such as tests/quizzes/labs as i am going to take the same classes…would he even have those or the professors don’t have them back… what else can i ask him to give me (notes? quizzes? labs? exams? anything else??) to help out a freshman who will be taking the same classes that he has already taken because he really wants to help me…thanks</p>
<p>First off, some schools may consider sharing old exams to be a form of cheating, and if caught, the consequences are not pretty. </p>
<p>But the availability of those quizzes/exams varies by school, class, and professor. Most of my profs kept all of our exams, papers, etc. Of course we had computer copies of the papers, but you get the point.</p>
<p>yea… better find out the policy on getting old exams/labs. At my school you get blue books (what you write the exam in) back for midterms, but not the exam itself, and for finals, you don’t get anything.</p>
<p>you should be ok on getting notes. Also keep in mind classes can change from year to year regarding what material is covered… I guess probably not that much in intro level though.</p>
<p>ask him what he did that worked well / helped him and what he did that wasn’t helpful for things like studying, etc.</p>
<p>Stop–breathe–it’s normal to feel a bit anxious about starting your first year of college. You’re lucky to have a sophomore friend at your new college. When he said, “If you need anything, just ask”, he was probably just trying to ease your fears and let you know that he can help you to get adjusted to the college. Don’t ask for notes or tests, etc. He’s there for moral support. Your academic work is for you to conquer. Take your own notes. Study the material presented to you. Do the assignments. Study a little everyday. You’ll do fine.</p>
<p>I agree with nysmile that he probably wasn’t offering that type of help. He probably meant “If you can’t figure out that math problem, feel free to ask me for help” and not “Hey do you want my materials?”. While you are worried, relax. Don’t rely on his materials–in fact, don’t even ask for them. Some professors hand certain things back, others hand everything back, others hand nothing back.</p>
<p>What you can ask him for: Advice on what professors to take. Help finding your way around campus. What food is good. When the best time is to go to the gym. The cooler dorm to live in. Where the best places to hang out are. Ask for advice, not give-aways or unfair advantages.</p>
<p>Just ask about what he thought of the course in general, if he can give you any advice, etc. In this type of conversation he might offer up his materials and then you don’t have to ask. If he doesn’t, then he probably would rather not share them. </p>
<p>In regards to asking for help about a specific problem, odds are he honestly won’t remember the specific detail you are asking about (unless its a general thing like integrating or something). Asking for help and him not being able to answer it might also lead to him offering his old stuff if you are really that interested.</p>