This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#26 | Back to Top05-31-2007 10:00:52 PM

Red Angel
Sunlit Gardener (Finale)
From: BEHIND YOU!!
Registered: 04-15-2007
Posts: 197

Re: College bound tips and questions

You know, I thought the whole go to a community college for the basics then transfer to your school was a good idea.

Except my school hated transfers.

I had the grades and everything.

But I was a transfer. So no schooling there for me.



If you don't live at home, you'll probably get a better deal with an apartment, and you can live with who you choose.
(seriously, a roommate and I together were paying a fortune to live in a haunted broom closet with no hot water, horrible neighbors and horrible god awful food.)
Now I live across the street and its considerably nicer, and costs just as much all the way around.

But financial aid can help pay for school housing, but they didn't think I was worthy of it. emot-mad


I dunno about everyone else, but I don't like taking P.E. in college. emot-gonk

And extra courses are good! My major doesn't require many hours, as opposed to my housemate who urges me to take extra courses since they can't.
You're paying for it now, so why not? And if its extra, you must like doing it.


http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u187/cherry_whispers/signature.jpg

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#27 | Back to Top06-01-2007 12:18:56 AM

Persephone
Memorial Hollerer
From: Edge of the Light
Registered: 01-31-2007
Posts: 687
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Well, I lived with my parents in my tender years, while my mom went to college for art. She was crying her eyes out because she was tired, or something was not working for her. I feel I am mildly prepared for what I am going into. But I want to be absolutely sure of what I am about to drown myself in.
Thanks you guys for the tips. OMG, it seems exciting but I feel that after the first three months I'll be tearing my hair out. I'll remember though, it was my decision
and I want to be the person I imagined I'd always be.
*college headband* WORK WORK WORK!

Last edited by Persephone (06-01-2007 12:19:23 AM)


It's just time to be
sammy to the rasoodock.
And close up the business
of heart-related matters.

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#28 | Back to Top06-01-2007 03:18:37 PM

Hinotori
The Notable Death Mantis
From: Soviet Ohiostan
Registered: 10-23-2006
Posts: 1335

Re: College bound tips and questions

Taking classes at a community college and transferring is a pretty not-bad idea. You know the stories people like to tell about Tasmanian devils and how when they give birth several dozen have to work their way into the pouch to get a chance at one of the four nipples? Some of the bigger state universities are like that.

However, I have some advice if you're going to go that route: Make the one obligatory appointment with your adviser at the college, smile and nod, then get in contact with someone from your target university as soon as possible. Don't bother going after the associates and taking a bunch of credits you don't need. See if you can find an adviser over there that's worked with transfer students and ask them what kind of courses you need. A lot of people at the CC I went to took a bunch of history/social sciences classes at the urging of the academic adviser only to find out that n-n-n-none of them were viable at the university 90% of that school intends to transfer to.


Hinotori made this post, and then went back and changed it later. Such is life.

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#29 | Back to Top06-02-2007 12:26:03 AM

Lee
New Student
From: PA
Registered: 05-23-2007
Posts: 7
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Ah, Uni, my favorite place on earth. etc-love

I'm almost finished with uni and will be graduating this December.  I go to a small liberal arts college on the southwestern side of Pennsylvania and I'm a recently and mercifully retired Resident Assistant.  I loved damn near every moment of classes and had a major from almost every branch (arts, sciences, humanities) before I settled on sociology and I'm gearing up to start GREs and applications for Grad Schools.

Personally, I'm an rather outgoing but reserved person, I love being around people but also like my privacy.  Since a professor spoke, this is from an RAs perspective.

Regardless of whether you live in your uni's Res Halls:

Socially
+ Get involved, throw your bit in with clubs that meet your interests or wants or causes (Chem Club, Sociology Club, Math Club, and the Helping Hands Community Service Group here)
+ Sit with more than one group of people at meals, don't constrain yourself to a clique or single group
+ Make friends with as many people from different majors as possible.  You'll miss a lot of interesting things if you only talk to people from your major.  Some soc majors are interested in science and you'd be surprised how well science and art interact.
+ Be wary of the party scene, rapes can and do happen, and are unfortunately often covered up.  If you must, go but don't get tanked and always be on your guard, protect yourself.

Academically
+ For god sakes, sleep.  Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't.  You can't focus or learn as well on minimal sleep as you can on good sleep.
+ Plan out your week/month, use whatever works and write everything down.
+ Always take notes, even if it seems like jibber-jabber
+ Have at least one professor you can count on each semester.
+ I won't stress advising because I hated it myself, but if it's useful, use it
+ Be on time for class, I cannot stress this enough.
+ Be prepared for class, read all assigned readings before hand and come up with discussion questions or notes you want to bring up in lecture or with other students.
+ Most university's have writing and tutoring centers, use them!  They can save time as well as explain material from a different angle which might help more.

Physical Health
+ Learn to handle stress in appropriate ways whether its exercising or whatever you do.  Stress can do godawful things to you physically let alone mentally.
+ Drink lots and lots of water, it helps with stress as well as helps you mentally.
+ Eat well balanced meals and eat on a regular schedule (whatever that may be for you).
+ Exercise!  I didn't gain weight and actually lost weight at uni.  Most universities have amazing sports facilities free for student use, take advantage of it.
+ If you get hurt in any way, your university will most like have either a doctor or a PA on campus for such reasons, use them.
+ If you have any sort of physical disability or chronic illness, make sure you see the Disability Services office or similar, it can make dealing with uni life and the disability about 500 times easier.
+ Sleep! If you don't sleep enough, your body will rebel and it will make it a lot easier for you to get sick.

Mental Health
+ If you believe you are having trouble coping with adjusting to university life or something else, every university generally provides free counseling to students.
+ Make sure to get yourself a good group of friends as a safety net and to relax with.
+ Keep an half an hour to an hour for yourself each day, just to read or pamper yourself or watch your favorite show.  Life is not all about studying.
+ Have a morning ritual that starts off your day, whether just putting on make-up or stretches, it'll remind you that the day is starting.
+ I'm fond of recommending soothing music, but if that's not your thing, find something else relaxing.
+ Exercise, even if it's playing DDR for a round or two, exercise helps soothe the mind and it releases endorphines in the brain.
+ STAY AWAY FROM THE CAFFEINE!  I don't care how tired you are, caffeine is a horrible substance that not only aggravates your intestines, overstimulates you then leaves you crashing and cranky.  It will make you react to things that normally wouldn't bother you and its affects on the nervous system aren't worth it.  Either sleep or do without it, but do not use caffeine.
+ Oh?  Did I mention sleep?  Trust me on this one, pulling an all-nighter to cram for a test might seem like a good idea but if you have another paper you need to write for the day after, you're just gonna screw yourself.

Residence Hall Living
This is my area of experience and even though I did burn out at the end of three years as a Resident Assistant, I wouldn't give it up for the world.  Living in a university residence hall setting is an amazing, but intense experience.  It's something I've never regretted doing and would gladly do it again.  It does take a certain amount of adjustment and compromise however to live successfully in that type of community, but it's amazing.  This below comes from my experiences as both resident and resident assistant.

Socially - Roommate(s)
+ You don't have to be friends and happy-frappy to be roommates, you just have to be able to respect each other and each others boundaries and things.
+ Compromise is a must!  And everything must be compromised over including music volume, when visitors are welcome and when they aren't, bed/quiet time, etc, etc.  Again, it's not about being friends or being carbon copies of each other, it's the ability to respect each others person, time, and space.
+ Be civil at all times with your roommate, even if you classify them as about intelligent as pond scum or they're rude to you at first.  It's hard, but in the end, two incredibly different people can become great roommates.  I'm an atheist and my first roommate was uber-Catholic.
+ If you've tried everything within your power to make the situation work, schedule a conflict resolution session with you, your roommate, and a neutral party (a resident assistant, never a friend) and try to work out your differences that way.
+ If a negotiation like that doesn't work, most universities have room switches possibly and schedule a time in the first semester for them.

Socially - Hallmates
+ Your Resident Assistant (RA) or whatever your university calls them will be your single greatest ally in dealing with issues that come up on the floor and getting used to university life.
+ People on your floor can be as loud as all hell.  Trust me on this, freshmen are particularly notorious for it.  Generally speaking, most Residences Hall will have community standards or similar that will be established or given at the beginning of each semester.  Generally speaking, if you ask most people politely to quiet down, they will.  If the problem doesn't subside, defer to your RA.
+ Go to floor programs and events put on by your RA.  They're usually tons of fun and provide ample opportunity for getting to know your floormates.

Academically
+ For god sakes, sleep.  Like I've mentioned.
+ Study outside your room, whether at the library, a quad, the gym, the cafe.  There are way too many distractions in your room.
+ Keep your room as organized as possible.  You can't find anything in pig's trough.

Physical Health
+ Shower.  Every-frickin-day.  I'm not implying you don't.  However, good lord, the things I've seen and the smells I've smelled from people not doing that.  Trust me, the stories I can tell.
+ If you eat in your room, clean your dishes immediately.  They attract bugs and germs.
+ Keep a can of Lysol or Wal-Mart Knock-off Lysol at all times to hose down your door and room should you, your roommate, friends, or floormates get sick.
+ Do not use community sponges or towels, use your own towels or paper towels.  We had an epidemic of mono from a single sponge that took out nearly half a residence hall.
+ Wash your hands after using the bathroom.  I cannot stress this or how nasty other people are enough.
+ Wear shower shoes, you can catch some nasty things from showers.

Dealing with University Rules
+ If your university is a dry campus and you intend to drink: Don't drink on campus, go off campus and stay off campus.  Or if you do drink, don't be surprised if you get caught.
+ The university I go to has no alcohol and no co-habitation rules.  You know what I told my residents: If I can't see it, hear it, or smell it, it's not my problem.  Don't make it my problem.  Not every RA is like me, I was a hard-ass and stickler for the rules to a degree, though I knew when to bend them.  Some will be much more lax, others will be much more tough.
+ If you are caught violating rules, face consequences like an adult.  Unless somethings ridiculously unfair upon logical investigation, don't go running to mummy and daddy or higher ups because you got in trouble.  Acting like an adult will get you farther in the long run.



This list is absolutely not comprehensive.  If you want to hear more from my perspective or my experiences as student or RA, I'd be glad to tell stories either on the forums or by PM.  I have a lot of fun ones and some rather horrifying ones.

Last edited by Lee (06-02-2007 12:38:08 AM)


I love your eyes, my dear
their splendid, sparkling fire
-bjork, dull flame of desire

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#30 | Back to Top06-02-2007 01:10:10 AM

alexielnet
Unfulfilled Juror
From: Arizona
Registered: 10-16-2006
Posts: 236
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Lee wrote:

list

::begins slow clapping::

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#31 | Back to Top06-02-2007 01:20:38 AM

Almaser
Qualified Duellist
From: Brisbane
Registered: 10-16-2006
Posts: 727

Re: College bound tips and questions

alexielnet wrote:

Lee wrote:

list

::begins slow clapping::

*joins in*

I think everyone has said the important bits, I'll throw what little else I can think of in:

Money: I don't know how it works where you are, but whatever student support you're eligible for, get it. Set it up so you have to work as little as possible and can focus on your studies. Trust me, I pull 24+ hours a week at the Australian equivalent of an iHOP just to afford everything because I'm not 'eligible for support,' and it's killing me at the moment. Still, $4000 more and I'll be free to drop to 8 hours a week.

Classes: If there's a lecture on at a convenient time that you're not enrolled in, but have a passing interest in, go and sit in on it! Find out if its interesting, and hey! You may even be able to sneak in frequently and learn lots. It can help a lot - actively learning for learning's sake can give you a boost of confidence about your main classes, which I find people tend to lose passion for as the semester rolls on.

Oh, and having been to a Japanese university? HOLY CRAP LAZY. It's incredible how little work they need to do to get by. So envious!

Last edited by Almaser (06-02-2007 01:20:58 AM)

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#32 | Back to Top06-02-2007 01:25:57 AM

Trench Kamen
Eternal Eschatologist
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: 12-08-2006
Posts: 903
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Shit that's a long list. emot-aaa

I don't know if it's too late to add my two cents to the big fat piggy bank, but I can provide what experience I have gotten so far in my first year in college. I go to a huge public university (Arizona State FTW), and turned down several UC schools (Berkeley, San Diego, LA) and USC to take advantage of in-state scholarships. If you want Marine Biology, San Diego has an excellent program. Scripps Institute is right down the street from the La Jolla campus. If you want to work more in biological research, you can probably find an internship at any large university--SEND EMAILS, ASK AROUND. That is how I got into a lab my freshman year, and I have a position I am confident I would never have gotten in the UC schools as an undergrad. For undergrad, especially if you plan to go to grad school, it just isn't worth it to throw down $50,000 a year if you can pay much less elsewhere at a university. Graduate schools will understand, and you can make your own experience shine if you put your nose to the grindstone and get out there and do research.

Take advantage of AP credit if you have it--it allowed me to enter as a sophomore.

Freshman year can be extremely difficult mentally. Things may seem solid and wonderful your senior year of high school, and it all changes freshman year. Long-distance "forever" relationships from high school sometimes end, suddenly and badly. Friends change, stop talking to you. It can get ugly. You have to hold on no matter what, and keep walking forward. Work through it, one step at a time. Do not let your grades go down and lose your scholarships and class standing.

I hope that contributes something new to the already ample and good advice.

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#33 | Back to Top06-02-2007 09:54:10 AM

Pandora
Pathtracer
Registered: 04-05-2007
Posts: 351

Re: College bound tips and questions

Shit, I wish I'd seen some of this list before I came to university. I'm finishing up my first year now and oh god yes, the Freshman 15 is very real, especially when you're a lazy ass like me. It sucks emot-frown

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#34 | Back to Top06-02-2007 03:10:56 PM

Lee
New Student
From: PA
Registered: 05-23-2007
Posts: 7
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Heh, if we're being perfectly honest? I could have kept going on and on with that list but my hands started to hurt.  There's so many things that require adjustments no matter how big or small.  Some of that, I wish someone would have told me plain.  Frankly, I could write a series of novels on my experiences as an RA as well as the misadventures I've had.

I do have a few more tidbits to toss up.

Philosophically
+ BIG ONE: Watch out for cults, cult-like groups, and extremist groups.  Both religious cults and extremist groups are notorious for using universities as recruitment grounds.  If any group sends your instincts reeling, listen to your instincts.  Also, learn the cult warning signs.  There is at least one and usually more of these groups at any university.
+ Be careful of what groups of friends you choose, make sure they help lift you up, not bring you down.  That's a general life thing, but I paid a particularly high price for this mistake in Uni.
+ Decide for yourself!  You're going to be out on your own the majority of the time in Uni and it's an excellent time to explore politics and identities with other individuals.  Evaluate all ideas fairly and keep an open mind.  You'll miss a lot if you're absolutely certain you're right.
+ Most universities do have a secret society (or two) of some form.  Some of these are closed door societies while others are truly secret societies; most are based on influence or serving the institution depending on the group.  Most are perfectly harmless in general terms, like everything else, be careful.  There's no one sure way to get in one, but excel academically and openly support the university are two of the best ways.  It would also likely help to know powerful students on campus, they're the ones that are most likely to be in a secret society if it exists.

General Tiddlywinks
+ If you eat cafeteria food on a regular basis, take fiber supplements or make sure to eat lots of fiber.  Most cafeteria foods are heavily processed, you don't want your guts screwed up.
+ Keep a water bottle with you to keep you hydrated in longer classes.
+ Try classes from as many different majors as possible in your first year and see if your original major is what you really, really want to do.  I was originally a pre-med student; I ended up sociology after falling in love with it by taking a random class.
+ Any class you will take has value.  My uni is a Catholic Liberal Arts college, among the requirements are several religion classes.  I'm an atheist.  However, a lot of the knowledge I gained in them I was able to apply to my major classes in sociology.

Residence Hall Tidbits
+ Keep in mind that residence halls generally are not built with sound proofing in mind, so you will hear what (or who) your neighbors are doing.  Learn to ignore it or if it's too loud or obnoxious either confront the neighbor or get your RA to do so.  Don't play petty games of who can make the most noise.
+ If your roommate snores, there's often nothing they can do about.  Don't bitch at them, get earplugs.  Usually the health center will have them, if not, they're fairly cheap at your local Wal-Mart or hardware/industrial supply store.
+ Do not room with odd numbers of people.  The odd one will get ganged up on.  I lived in a triple one year; we took turns hating each other 2-on-1.  It was a pretty bad deal.


I think that's rest I remembered for now.

Last edited by Lee (06-02-2007 03:14:41 PM)


I love your eyes, my dear
their splendid, sparkling fire
-bjork, dull flame of desire

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#35 | Back to Top06-02-2007 05:01:27 PM

Giovanna
Ends of the Fandom
From: Edmonton, AB
Registered: 10-12-2006
Posts: 8797
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

Hinotori wrote:

However, I have some advice if you're going to go that route: Make the one obligatory appointment with your adviser at the college, smile and nod, then get in contact with someone from your target university as soon as possible. Don't bother going after the associates and taking a bunch of credits you don't need. See if you can find an adviser over there that's worked with transfer students and ask them what kind of courses you need. A lot of people at the CC I went to took a bunch of history/social sciences classes at the urging of the academic adviser only to find out that n-n-n-none of them were viable at the university 90% of that school intends to transfer to.

This is as good a place as any for me to ask. I already have the associates, and I already know that my target schools accept the transfer with the exception at most of one class. I tried to make this all happen last year and it was a big fucking mess, I never even heard back from one. I got my associates degree at Miami-Dade College, which has an arrangement with UM to give a 'near' (very few who meet the requirements get denied, since uh...few meet the requirements) guaranteed scholarship of 50% if you meet a certain GPA, and another similar scholarship for being a member of PTK or whatever. FIU has an arrangement to cover full tuition if you have a certain GPA. UM is my target school but at this point I suspect that's just me being a dreamy jackass. FIU has already accepted me in the past, but no one told me that the tuition scholarship requires you get into the honors college there. In other words it's a big retarded mess of no one telling me what I need to know, regardless of who I speak to. (BTW, I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTA A REJECTION LETTER FROM THE FAFSA THIS YEAR WHAT THE FUCK) So as someone trying to get into a university, and make them pay for it at least a little, who exactly do I need to browbeat my way into seeing? What do I need to know from them?

Keep in mind I know next to nothing about the college process, I never even had a high school advisor to speak to. emot-gonk

Edit: BTW, if it's important at all, I have no intention of rooming at the college. I can't afford the 'college life' and really don't think the debt's going to be worth it. I just want to fucking go and take my classes and get my obscenely high marks, ace the NCLEX, and be on my way. emot-mad emot-mad emot-mad

College is only fun if you give a rat's ass about what you're studying. emot-frown


Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)

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#36 | Back to Top06-02-2007 06:39:11 PM

Raven Nightshade
Someday Shiner
From: Louisiana
Registered: 12-17-2006
Posts: 2925

Re: College bound tips and questions

Giovanna wrote:

Financial aid help

Alright, in some order that someone can arrange later, you need to talk to:

1. Financial Aid department. (They'll most likely direct you to go to http://www.fafsa.us/index.htm to check your application status. Do that now, before you go to them.)
2. Admissions
3. the Head of the Nursing Department
4. If you want to get into FIU's Honors College, talk to their head person.

Talk to these people and let them redirect you to who you need to speak to. Or you can try to poke around on your school's website instead.

And the Feds don't so much reject you as tell you that you make too much money. And on top of that, you're under 25 and unmarried which means that you're required to report your parental income as well as yours. (If you only live with one parent, only report one parent. Even if you live on your own, you have to report the parent that "supports" you most.) Then the school may want you to file an abbreviated version of a Financial Aid application. The more people that live with you and the less money that comes in, the better. I managed to go to school for almost 6 years and I only owe $17,000 in student loans. The rest was in a  state scholarship, Pell Grants and SEOG grants. (This paragraph is more for the benefit of those who haven't done this...)

And if you haven't heard from them by now, especially if you applied around January or February, you definitely need to check the FAFSA site to see if they need more info. If not, get the 800 number off the site and call them Monday morning. You should also print out your Student Aid Report (SAR), just in case and proofread, proofread, proofread.

Someone more versed in academic scholarships can direct you in how to yell at them properly.


Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again.
It's so far and out of sight.
I really need someone to talk to and nobody else
Knows how to comfort me tonight.

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#37 | Back to Top06-03-2007 02:44:07 PM

Giovanna
Ends of the Fandom
From: Edmonton, AB
Registered: 10-12-2006
Posts: 8797
Website

Re: College bound tips and questions

That sounds reasonable. As for the FAFSA, I know I usually a get 'LOL NO MONEY FOR J00' letter. I don't qualify for anything they offer since I make too much money and they somehow magically assume I can save most of it for school. And like you said, they account for my mother's income as well. Which is bullshit. Their whole system of judging what registers as need makes my head spin. They only care about what comes in, never what goes out. emot-frown


Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)

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#38 | Back to Top06-03-2007 03:36:42 PM

Raven Nightshade
Someday Shiner
From: Louisiana
Registered: 12-17-2006
Posts: 2925

Re: College bound tips and questions

I know. I had a friend in college whose parents easily made over $60,000/year combined, but there were 4 kids to raise, 2 in college, 2 in high school. All of them were old enough to drive, and there were three cars to be paid for, plus bills, plus house payments.

They wouldn't even give her a Stafford Loan.


Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again.
It's so far and out of sight.
I really need someone to talk to and nobody else
Knows how to comfort me tonight.

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#39 | Back to Top06-29-2007 07:40:32 PM

Rae
Black Rosarian
Registered: 01-10-2007
Posts: 390

Re: College bound tips and questions

Although I'm not in college quite yet and just went through orientation, I wanted to add something.

Don't download music illegally on campus - The Uni I'm going to has had a few instances where people were caught downloading. This lead to expulsion and federal charges. Many people believe that it's a small chance that you'll be caught since so many people are using the same ISP. Just don't take that chance. As we all know, any expulsion due to a criminal charge looks bad on your record and will make it difficult to get in another school.

Instead, many campuses are partnering with a music downloading service called Ruckus. It's for all college students and everything in it is totally free! I'm serious, it's got almost everything you'd want to listen to. Of course, the only real catch is that you can only play their files on their media player which you'll have to download. I don't think it's a big deal though since I mostly listen to my CDs on my computer anyway. Profs and students alike kept advertising this like crazy. Since orientation, I've been addicted to it too! emot-tongue

All you need is a college e-mail address to join!

Ruckus

EDIT:  I forgot to mention that you have to renew the files in a month.

Last edited by Rae (06-30-2007 09:00:09 AM)

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