Hey Cemetech, I'll be starting college this fall!!

I'll be majoring in computer science and minoring business administration, Cemetech has guided me through my major exploration process through high school. I was wondering if I could get any college tips from any that has attended/attending and completed college. Also would love to know what you majored in or what you're majoring in.
Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better especially with some mixers.
Ramen is a cheap food option
Don't go to college, its very expensive and you end up with debt for life.
HAVE FUN!
Wavejumper3 wrote:
Don't go to college, its very expensive and you end up with debt for life.

That's horrible advice.
Don't expect it to be like high school.
MateoConLechuga wrote:
Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better especially with some mixers.

Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better especially with some mixers.

Seriously, don't get into drinking if you haven't already. Your body will thank you.
MateoConLechuga wrote:
Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better, especially with some mixers.


Lol, I wasn't expecting this from MateoC! Laughing

Michael2_3B wrote:
Ramen is a cheap food option


I've heard this a lot. What are some other cheap food options?

MateoConLechuga wrote:
Wavejumper3 wrote:
Don't go to college, its very expensive and you end up with debt for life.

That's horrible advice.


This was the worst advice ever. Laughing

kg583 wrote:
MateoConLechuga wrote:
Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better especially with some mixers.

Don't drink wine that stuffs nasty. Vodka is much better especially with some mixers.

Seriously, don't get into drinking if you haven't already. Your body will thank you.


I'm planning not to drink whatsoever.

RoccoLox Programs wrote:
Don't expect it to be like high school.


I've got this one a lot, looking forward to experiencing it for myself.


Does anyone have tips pertaining to classes, studing and majors?
Get a bulletproof vest (unless you plan to study outside the United States). I can't help much otherwise since the school system is different. If you still have time before you go to college then save as much money as possible, though.
MateoConLechuga wrote:
Wavejumper3 wrote:
Don't go to college, its very expensive and you end up with debt for life.

That's horrible advice.


Misguided, maybe.

One can always go to Community College for a two year degree then transfer to another college and save money. No reason you need to pay tuition for 4+ years when community college can be considerably less for the basic and standard classes.

See if you can get an internship somewhere, or even a full-time job! During the interview process ask if they have education reimbursement. My last company offered something like $2000/yr for professional growth courses and I believe they had tuition reimbursement separate from that, with no obligation to pay it back. My current company has en education reimbursement as long as it's relevant to the employees job duties/role but if the employee leaves the company within 3 years they have to pay it back.

If you can manage a full time work & school schedule it could be incredibly beneficial. Maybe your employer will give you the education benefit even if you're part time.

But for the most part college is a great investment to ones future. There are plenty of degrees that won't sink someone into considerable debt for the next 50 years. If you know what employee benefits and perks to ask and look for when interviewing, you can save some money with your education as well.
Electrical engineering and computer science. Four (or two) years is a very short time, despite how it might feel when you're actually in the trenches: since it's a huge monetary investment, make sure you actually use that time to learn, and don't fall behind in your work. Nobody is there to baby-sit you, so if you don't do your work, you will just fail classes. On the other hand, there's more to college than the work, so don't miss the extracurricular stuff (meeting new people, socializing, clubs, activities, the opportunity to continue to discover who you are as a person) while you're there. Nowhere later in your life will you have such an easy time meeting people or have so many options for clubs/activities/passions/hobbies to do so readily available.
Take care of yourself!

Mental health is such a vital aspect in this crucial part of your life. As someone who has struggled through college because of depression and anxiety, it's safe to say that simple habits of eating and sleeping will go a long way!

Also I'm majoring in software engineering. I just finished my sophomore year in college. Part of me wonders if taking a gap year after high school wouldn't have been prudent, but my parents control my tuition... and my academic expectations... (I'm 17, so uhm, if I bomb out of uni, they technically can't kick me out - yet Evil or Very Mad )
Something that I would consider a mistake during those years for me was my lack of a regular sleeping pattern. Being well rested and having a good nights' sleep is actually very important for your health.

There will be several pathways that open themselves to you in the next couple of years, which is great; you don't need to lock in the next 50 years of your life right this very second.

But most of all enjoy yourself.
There's a good chance 75% of your professors will be trash at teaching, even if they are smart.
Whilst I can't really give you specific course suggestions (I just did a fairly generic Computer Science degree over here in Aus), here are things I'd recommend for what it's worth:

- Work hard, the onus will be more on you than previously to keep up.
- Exercise regularly, even if it's as simple as going for a 20 minute walk. Exercise does you a world of good both physically and mentally (but like anything, don't over do it).
- Eat healthy (as best you can within your financial means, cheap packaged meals can be fine, but try to get a piece of fruit or a veggie in your day if you can).
- You've already mentioned you're planning on taking up drinking. But if you do, whilst it's good to celebrate and let off steam with your friends, don't get wasted on a regular basis, it'll damage your sleep and mental health.
- Regardless of the drinking thing, socialise. I was a shy, awkward kid (now adult) and I wish I'd spent more time when I was younger meeting new people and getting used to dealing with events where you know no one and have to make conversation.
- Rest. As tr1p1ea mentioned, try to establish a regular sleep pattern. Better so if you can make this consistent with your day, ie. get to bed at a reasonable time, and don't sleep in til noon every day (the exception being of course if you're working afternoon/night shifts, etc.)

The last thing I'll say is, be kind to yourself. Don't put huge amounts of pressure on yourself, that just makes life harder, and being human can be hard enough as it is.

Good luck, and have fun!
College is a scam! However, you're still expected to go to college in order to get just about any job due to prejudice and all that. You'll need to do internships and meet a lot of people that could potentially employ you in the future.
Go to class, even if it's early in the morning or you don't think you need to.
Tari wrote:
Go to class, even if it's early in the morning or you don't think you need to.
This. You (or someone) is paying a great deal of money per class, and it'll take even more time to try to learn the material from somewhere other than the lecture.
KermMartian wrote:
Tari wrote:
Go to class, even if it's early in the morning or you don't think you need to.
This. You (or someone) is paying a great deal of money per class, and it'll take even more time to try to learn the material from somewhere other than the lecture.


This.
I know this is low effort copy paste. But in all reality, its 100% the truth.
I went to school for a few years doing the typical "make it to class when I felt like I should" and it, from my experience and others I know, ends up being low effort and almost no knowledge earned. You can totally get by the first few years doing this. Those habits will very much effect you later.
I ended up giving up, feeling like it was a waste of my time (and money) and didn't go back for several years.
The second time, I put in the work, studied, went to class, made relationships with peers and professors, and it made a huge difference. You get recommendations, make study groups, participate on campus and it makes your money and your studying worth it.
Just graduated a month ago, with a job in the field, brand new house etc; all because I put in the effort. Let me tell you, it was some of the hardest few years of my life, sacrifices, no sleep, skipping on friends, but worth.

Go to class. You'll enjoy it more.
If you don't mind owing the military two years of service (not necessarily front-line duty), then ROTC is a pretty decent option. They'll pay for college (idk if they'll pay all of it, but certainly a good chunk) and in return, you give them two years of service. Pretty good deal.

If you are planning on going into the military, apply to the military academies. No tuition, you're an officer upon graduation, full benefits, etc. etc. Downsides: the military owns you. It's really hard (to get in). Even harder to make it through.

Some general advice: hunt scholarships. Don't get a student loan -- it's a terrible way to raise money for college. Spend as much time as possible getting as many scholarships as possible. Don't go to a big-name college; that's a good way to go bankrupt. Some better ideas: New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho; Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan; Patrick Henry College in... uh, somewhere, Virginia. These types of colleges will give you an excellent education without sapping all the life and money out of you. Be judicious -- and frugal.

Also, eat well. Not extravagantly, just don't eat ramen every day. Find a good, cheap, local dive that has nice owners and go there a lot, but don't get the same thing every day. Diversify, as it were. Eventually, they might give you some sort of discount. (We did this when we were in Japan for the third time. Our apartment building was right over a tiny Indian place ran by super nice people. We went there a lot, ended up making friends with pretty much the whole staff -- which was about six people. Great place.)
  
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