I'm in my second year (fourth semester) of college, so I'm technically not considered a "noob" anymore. So I thought I would share my thoughts about how to do college (experienced college-er style). Here is my top 10 list of things I wish I had known or realized before coming to college:
1) Don't come back to school too early or too late. Too early = you're probably going to be alone for a day or two until other people show up. Plus, you look kind of eager (which I guess can be good or bad depending). Too late = you miss all the good hang out moments before classes start.
2) Really think about what stuff you need. There is a lot of stuff I brought my first year that I NEVER used and it just took up room. Usually, your college apartment or dorm room isn't going to be the biggest so unless you wanna sleep with that giant crockpot you don't know how to use, think things through pretty thoroughly.
3) Avoid buying school books from the school as much as possible. There are some cases where the books are strictly written and sold by the school. If that's the case...sorry, pal. Otherwise, just type the ISBN number into Google, Amazon, Half.com, etc and you will most likely find the book at a significantly discounted price. If you're some kind of crazy person who has to have all BRAND NEW books....you're weird and I hope you're rich.
4) Bring lots and lots and lots of quarters. You don't get to do laundry for free anymore - you have to pay now and ONLY with quarters. You wouldn't think that is such a big deal but just wait until you need to do laundry really bad and you're just one quarter shy of the total. Then, it's the biggest deal in the world.
5) Embrace the world of cereal. The common misconception is that Ramen is the food of college...that is SO WRONG. Cereal is the very foundation upon which the college itself stands upon. You eat in the morning, you eat it at night. It never gets old because there are so many different kinds! And please, who needs proper nourishment when you have sugary Cap'n Crunch?
6) Pick two options: good grades, social life, or sleep. You can't have all three. You can either have good grades and a social life with no sleep(and just start pumping caffeine directly into your veins), a social life and sleep but fail classes, or get good grades and sleep in which you pretty much go insane with how much time you spend at home alone doing homework.
7) Homework now, party later. There will ALWAYS be another party. It's freaking college! But your homework is more important than in high school. You are literally paying to do this homework so you better homework the crap out of it. Take breaks so you don't go insane, but if you fail classes, it is your own fault and nobody else's.
8) BYU-Idaho specific: The school has an honor code - you knew that when you signed up to come here. Don't complain about how you wish you could wear flip flops or shorts...if you do, then you're an idiot. You really wanna wear shorts and flip flops to class in negative degree weather? And curfew really is only helping you. There are a lot of different parts of the honor code, but each is important. And most importantly, it's not like you didn't know about it when you came here.
9) Constantly check your school email or the place where homework assignments/grades are posted. Teachers send out emails about if class is canceled and if you don't check your email, you just wasted 15 minutes walking to class. You didn't know that assignment was due today? Should have checked online. Those tools will be your life savers.
10) Make as many friends as possible. Join a club or do something out of the norm for you. If the only friends you have on the whole campus are your roommates, then you're doing something wrong. What if you get into a fight with them or they make other friends and are never home anymore? Then who do you talk to? Making other friends is one of the biggest ways to maintain healthier relationships all around. Plus, it's fun. And you never know who you might meet... ;)
