A few tips for college?

[Wayward Vagabond]

Re: A few tips for college?

being in college at the age of 16 isnt normal

[AlexDest]

Re: A few tips for college?

pretty much don't be afraid to ask your instructors/professors for help, pay attention and manage your time with assignments and studying (if you're that passionate about the class)

not that helpful but that's the gist of it so yea

[j-rodd123]

Re: A few tips for college?

Computer science seems like a great major and lots of friends I have in the program have gotten great co-op placements with top companies lke Facebook, google, amazon, and stuff like that and if you're good at coding and stuff, the job market is great. I have no idea about game design.

As for general, I hate to say it so bluntly, but high school is pretty irrelevant. It is extremely easy to get high grades without having to work, my average was over 95% and I was lazy as fuck. University was a completely different beast, you have to stay on top of things and you have to work hard and study hard. Lots of first year programs aren't extremely difficult in terms of content, from what i've heard, but they throw a huge workload at you to try and weed out the lazy kids. As you get into your upper years, the classes get harder obv so again, stay on top of things. ohaider made a good suggestion about dedicating x amount of time for each course per day and have library time or something. However some days you'll have like 2 midterms and a big lab report due and an assignment, and it just isn't feasible. Time management is a huge skill you should work on if you don't have it already.

As for fun stuff, get involved at school. I really haven't done this besides intramurals, but they are really fun and exercising is fun too. Going to parties and stuff is great too and maintaining a social life is important. Just put school first.

And i just reread your OP and realized you're moreso talking about just applying in general and i'm not too sure how the process is in the US. Best of luck anyway

[Zapmeister]

Re: A few tips for college?

being in college at the age of 16 isnt normal

in british english, college almost always means a stand-alone institution where you study for your last two years before higher education, in which you are normally 16-18 (rarely 19 if you're on a gap year or retaking). it does not mean university

klimtkiller does miss the point completely though seeing as the OP's interpretation was clearly (USA-based) university

[Rapta]

Re: A few tips for college?

My tips for college:

Step 1- Go to a college.
Step 2- Go to classes.
Step 3- Make a collage for your college classes.
Step 4- ???
Step 5- Profit.

[benguino]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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

[Crazyjayde]

Re: A few tips for college?

Don't expect anything.

[L.B.D.D]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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]

Re: A few tips for college?

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