10 General College Tips

Here are 10 tips a freshman should consider:

1. Before looking for a college decide what is most important to you: price, destination, quality of education, friends/significant others, public or private college, what division the college is in, trade school, and other social/campus activities.
2. Decide your housing early. Are you going to stay at home, live in a dorm, move in with relatives, or live off campus. Campus housing can be difficult to get into, especially if your college doesn't require freshman to live there the first year. If you decide to get off campus pricing, shop around for the best deal. Decide whether cost, distance, cleanliness, or roommates is important to you.
3. Be aware of activities that can keep you from your school work. This means partying, drinking, drugs, etc... Yes they do happen and yes many people drop out of college or struggle through college because of them. Be smart and make good decisions!
4. Decide whether or not you are going to need a meal plan. Some colleges require a meal plan if you live on campus. If you live off campus it can be nice to have a small meal plan so you don't have to take a lunch every day.
5. When buying text books (more on this topic later), don't get them right away. Wait until you take the class to see if you'll even need them or if you change classes. It'll save you hundreds of dollars, trust me.
6. Find friends that can help you adjust to your new environment. Meet your neighbors if you're in a dorm or an apartment. Get to know the people in your class. They come in handy when you can't remember a due date or what day the test is on. College is a great opportunity to new people and create long relationships.
7. Contact you roommates (if you have any) and figure out what how you are going to function together. Are you going to share food, dishes, or appliances? What does the other person have and how much do you need to get before you go to college?
8. Decide on a major. I know this may sound trivial but if you don't know what you want to do you might waste a lot of time and money figuring out what you do want to do. If you don't know what you want to major in, my suggestion is go to a community college and take classes to find what you are most interested in. Just because you don't know what you want to do out of high school doesn't mean you are not college material, this just gives you a chance to see what you are good at while getting general education classes out of the way.
9. Scholarships are everywhere and can save you from paying thousands of dollars in tuition. Check and see what the government can give you. Fill out the FAFSA. This is a way the government can determine how much they give by how much you and your parents make. Also see if the college you're attending has scholarships they give out. Look for private scholarships that give out money. You can find websites that will search them out for you or you can ask your high school or college counselor to help you find scholarship sources.
10. Get a computer. Although you can use computers on campus it's very handy to have your own, especially when you have a paper due the next day! Many students like laptops so they can take notes in class and study where ever they need to. Others like desktops because they are used to studying at a desk and find it most easy to work there. Lately computers have become very cheap. If you have some computer know how, you can build your own for under $150. Also when looking for software, students get major discounts!! Take advantage of this. You can go online and find websites with academic discounts. Also a word of warning: with a group of foreign computers comes lots of viruses. Make sure you have an anti-virus to protect your computer. Lastly, you might want to invest in a USB drive you can carry your work around on, so you can work in a lab, your dorm, or at home. It's very smart to keep backups of your work..
    

Things to Consider When Scheduling Classes

When you schedule classes here are questions you should ask your advisor:

• How far are the classes from each other? Are they one the same campus or do they require a bus or other transportation?
• Do I have enough time to get to my classes?
  
• How is the professor? Are they new or have been at the college for a while? Do they speak good English (listening to a professor with bad English can some times makes the class more difficult)? Check out ratemyprofessor.com for reviews.
  
• Is the class difficult or hard? It's good to know what you're getting yourself into. Don't schedule all hard classes if you can help it.
  
• Is the class useful or is it a fluff class?
  
• Is the class required for the major, a general education class or an elective?
  
• What time does the class meet? If you're a morning person don't schedule an 8am class and if you're not a night person don't schedule a class at 9pm.
  
• What are the pre-requisites for the class?
  
• Can I test out of the class? It'll save you money in the long run.
  
• What kind of a class and does it need additional classes? Does the class need a lab? Is it an online, lab, clinical, classroom, or lecture class?
• What do I need to do to get a four year plan set up? It's important to plan ahead for what classes need to be taken in all your years of college to make sure you graduate when you want to.
• Does the have additional fees or supplies?
• How much does the textbook cost for the class? The same class by another professor can have a textbook that costs less.
• How much outside work and or homework does the class require?
• How many many credits is the class?
  
• Do you have homework breaks? Some majors this is a necessity.
• How is the class graded? Is it based on 3 tests or is there homework grades?

Your advisor may not know all the answers to this question but it doesn't hurt to find out as much as you can. Talk to students who have taken the same classes. This is also a good opportunity to see if you can buy books from other students (it's a win win situation). You can also sit in on classes the first week and decide what professors you like if you have the option. Usually you can move around the first week of school. Check on Facebook.com for more information about other people who are in the same classes you are in.

How to Make a Grocery List

Ok, so your mom has been shopping for your food up until you moved out. So now what do you do. You can eat the crummy campus food or go to the grocery store. But what do you buy? First off start out with some staple items that last awhile:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Butter/Margarine
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly/Jam (if you're into it)
• Dressing

It's also wise to have items that are non parshiable.

• Canned Fruit
• Canned Vegitables
• Olives
• Soup
• Canned Tuna or Chicken
• Pasta Sauce
• Ramen Noodles
• Rice
• Past Noodles
• Mac and Cheese
  

Now you have a base of itmes to just have around the house all the time that won't spoil (or spoil quickly). Even though you have these items, the rest of your refrigerator still sits bare. Common refrigerator items a student should have:

• Milk
• Cheese
• Juice
• Lunch Meat
• Dinner Meat
• Fresh Vegitibles
• Eggs

Ok, you have the basics. Now you're heading to the store to get some FOOD! Plan your meals a few days ahead. If you go to the store every day then buy enough food to last you just for that time period. If you don't have time (which most college students don't) plan your meals for the week. That way when you are hungry you know exactly what you can make that's in the house. Also get food that is easy and quick to make. College students don't have time to make a bunch of food with long preparation time. And make sure you get food for breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day.

the last step before going to the grocery store is make a list. That way you only get what is on the list and not a bunch of other junk. Doing this will make sure you use the food that is in the house and not let it spoil.

So there you have it. How to make a grocery list.