[Golden Legacy]

As many of you know, I started college this year, and it's been a great (and eye-opening) experience so far. Most of you guys are not yet in college, so I thought I'd post here every now and then and give you guys some insight into how things are.

(I also invite Max, Eugine, and anyone else who's also in college to share their experience).


That said, to start things off - it's hard at first.

I was so devastated when I had to leave home. It's hard to explain, but for all the talk we may have of wanting to leave and being free, leaving your parents and siblings is truly one of the hardest things you have to do, and I'm not afraid to admit that I was crying (sobbing) when I left. I'd never been gone more than a few days from home on school trips, and leaving made me feel so vulnerable and alone.

We've been protected and sheltered all our lives, always having a roof and a meal and people you definitely care about around you, and leaving those comforts makes you realize just how much you had - and how much you're leaving behind.

But of course, this topic isn't all about homesickness (though be prepared to experience a fair amount).

One thing that I was taken aback by in college is just the sheer diversity of people you meet. I don't mean just in terms of race, it's just how different people have lived their lives. For example, I grew up in NYC in a high school with three thousand (yes, 3000) students, and 750 in my graduating class. A fair amount of people I've met grew up in small towns where everybody knew the people in their community, and a typical high school graduating class had 65 students.

One final thing I'll post about this time around, and add on to later, is just how liberating college is. You'll find you have so much free time, and no one is around to tell you when to do hw - or to even do it at all. College education, part of it at least, is very much about time management and to make the best of it all.


So yeah, just a little bit of insight so far. I'll post much more later about classes, dorms, and the opportunities you can find, etc. I really hope to hear from Max, Eugine, etc. about their experiences, and I'm also extremely curious to see what all of you younger members think so far, what you're looking forward to about college, or if you just have any questions.

[Eugine]

Well, Grenada is a small Island, so there wasn't much seperating for me.
Other than that, most of my friends from my secondary school also attend my college, so making friends and adjusting wasn't that difficult.

Though, I must say... I started off my semester poorly with Cs, Bs and few As... sucks. Thankfully they are just evaluations and I can still get As if I do well from here on. College takes alot of focus!

[Someone Else]

:P I've been away from family numerous times, sometimes for just a week, once for three weeks. Homesickness hasn't phased me much so far while I'm traveling or simply away from home, but that was usually because I had something else to do or think about.

But if you really have free time in college where I don't have much to do, it might be different...

[Aquamarine]

If I'm away from my family, house and Belgrade(my hometown) for just 10 days I get extremely homesick. Long travels just aren't my thing, because I like being pretty much stationary. So many people of my our age can't wait to live on their own so they could do whatever they like, but I don't. I know how difficult it must be to live without the help and support of your family.

All that is quite interesting GL, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Max]

I've always been a pretty independent person, and have gone away numerous time to summer camp and other things where I've been away from family, so that part of college really doesn't phase me much. It certainly is liberating, and I love that.

I went to a small private high school and am now going to a larger (but still relatively small) university, roughly 15x the size of my high school. So there is a bit of size shock, but my university separates everyone into one of twelve "houses", which makes meeting people and adjusting to college life much easier.

After working hard the past dozen years to get into college, I'm glad to report that it really is worth all the effort. I'd be open to answering any questions you all have if you have any.

[Folcon]

I'm in to my third year of college, but its the first year away from home. My first two were at a community college. Things have been going good here, no problems with homesickness or anything, but then, having my parents only living less thenan hour drive away, and my older brother only about five minutes, it aint much to worry about.

The biggiest problems I face are bordem and adjusting to the time managment thing. I besides this forum, I don'thave much else I do outside of classes, and I'm only taking fifteen hours this semester, so I have a lot of free time on my hands. And with my roommates not always here, it gets boring. espeacaly becasue i can't often hang out with my big brother because he teaches at the local high school and is also he school swim coach, so practice and meets take up a lot of his time. In fact, there is realy only one day a week that we have for scheduals that we can hang out on. It realy sucks.

I guess the only thing about the time managment is not having mom around to boot me in theass to get my work done anymore.

And I have to cook for myself. Long live frozen dinners and Hamberger Helper. And Rice a Roni. And easy pasta. And the Ramen.

[PDM]

Sheba is attending an american college/university.

O:

[Wild Fox]

My prolonged absence on here has been due to college. I started nursing school this semester, which has been no easy feat, let me tell you. In California, nursing schools are incredibly impacted (especially for BSN programs, which I'm in) and therefore ridiculously hard to get into and competitive. 200 applicants for 32 spots. 4.0 is strongly recommended with some decent volunteer experience in a healthcare setting.

I am a firm believer in miracles after reading that acceptance letter.

I had no social life last year with 15-20 units a semester trying to pull 4.0's. Don't get me wrong: I'm having the time of my life this year now that I'm in the program. We're doing clinical rotations in the hospital and we get assigned patients every week. We get to create care plans, administer meds (under supervision, of course), etc. It's an amazing experience. If anyone reading this is considering a career in nursing, ignore any feelings of discouragement you received from the first half of my message. It's so rewarding at the end of the day, no matter how exhausted you feel.

As for non-academics, college is an adventure. My best advice: know your alcohol limits and don't break any dorm alcohol policies like me. Tossing your cookies at 2 AM in a stranger's bathroom is not a pleasant experience. While we're on the topic of practicing safe alcohol behavior, when you're underage (like me) don't drink--be smart and be the DD (designated driver).

For the ladies, don't go off anywhere with any sketchy guys. Roofies and date rape aren't urban legends. Always have a buddy system and let everyone know where you are. Stay in well-lit areas.

That's enough preaching for now.

[Caael]

My brother went to uni about a month and a half ago now. He wasn't affected at all, he loves his room, and all his flatmates are apparantly really cool and they're his new family. He didn't cry or anything when we left him. He's pretty homesick though, as every weekend or two he'll come home on the train to see us all. Which is cool, because then he can drive me places : D

[TheEnglishman]

Both my sisters have been through Uni and they enjoyed it. I guess I'll be there in two years.

[Wiflewood]

I'm going Uni next year :silence:

Only to leeds or sheffield though, not too far, about an hour and a half on the train.

[Eugine]

Oh Leeds. My pops studied there.

[Wiflewood]

I went to the open day. Really nice student union. And a good city for music/gigs as well.

[TheEnglishman]

Wiflewood, on Oct 16 2007, 09:16 PM, said:

I'm going Uni next year :silence:

Only to leeds or sheffield though, not too far, about an hour and a half on the train.

My sister went to Sheffield Hallam Uni. She thought it was good there.

[My Best Wishes]

I'm still a couple of years off going to Uni but my Bro and Sister both went. My Brother only had to travel about 40 minutes each way to Uni so he still lived at home, while my Sister had to live about 3 hours away from home on Campus. She really hated the independence because she just needs people to be around her and cook and clean (Mum).

[Eugine]

So... what are you guys planning on majoring in? I'm still deciding myself.

Right now, I want to major in Chemical Engineering with Geoscience to persue a career in energy. For over 5 years I wanted to do Geoscience. Although I sometimes see myself in politics >>

[Max]

I'm thinking of doing the joint Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree that my university offers. But if that becomes too much work, I'll probably end up doing only one or the other. The joint major would allow me to focus on Computer Engineering or similar area, but the individual majors are valuable as well. Ask me again in a year and I might have a better idea.

[Folcon]

I'm majoring in Digital Media, with a focus on game design. It's pretty cool so far.

@ eugine - what is Geoscience?

[Eugine]

It's just a fancy name for Earth Science, which is the study of the Earth.

MSN Encarta said:

Earth Science, field of study concerned with the planet Earth or one or more of its parts. Earth science includes the sciences used to study the lithosphere (the solid portion of Earth), the atmosphere (the gaseous envelope surrounding Earth), the hydrosphere (the ice, water, and water vapor at or near Earth’s surface), the biosphere (the zone at or near Earth’s surface that supports life), and space beyond the atmosphere.

It's a really interesting field, and really huge. IMO, it has something for everyone.

[Golden Legacy]

Tentatively, I'm a dual Mathematics/Biology major. I'm thinking of doing a Sociology or International Studies minor to accompany it though, I do find both interesting on the side. (don't quite know what I want to do yet, but I'm also adding Pre-Med to this workload, just in case)

[Eugine]

I like the majors you guys are persuing =). Especially Computer science. Was considering that a while ago.

And GL, still want to find the cure for cancer and AIDs it seems?

[Folcon]

Golden Legacy, on Oct 21 2007, 11:22 AM, said:

Tentatively, I'm a dual Mathematics/Biology major. I'm thinking of doing a Sociology or International Studies minor to accompany it though, I do find both interesting on the side. (don't quite know what I want to do yet, but I'm also adding Pre-Med to this workload, just in case)

That's a bit of a work load there GL, good luck at it though.

[Envy]

.eugine, on Oct 21 2007, 08:01 AM, said:

So... what are you guys planning on majoring in? I'm still deciding myself.

Right now, I want to major in Chemical Engineering with Geoscience to persue a career in energy. For over 5 years I wanted to do Geoscience. Although I sometimes see myself in politics >>

I'm majoring in music, of course. I'm only going to a community college, though. They don't provide anything more specific. I like it, though. I've got great teachers! When I transfer to the university I want to go to I plan on making it into a music education major.

[l3lueMage]

Golden Legacy o.o! May I give you one tip that could help you a lot.

DO NOT take extra classes because you want to 'try it out'. Unless of course you haven't chosen what you want to do yet.

But once you have chose your degree find out exactly what classes you need and only take those xD You can take your 'fun' classes as electives if any. But dont take any random classes unless needed I did so and it set me back a couple of quarters <.<;;

[Luna]

PDM, on Oct 16 2007, 12:25 AM, said:

Sheba is attending an american college/university.

O:

Why yes she is. ): It's an art college so I'll be majoring in Animation and minoring in Sound Design. If sound design sounds a little... unusual to you, check out all the majors they have:
* Advertising Design
* Animation
* Architectural History
* Architecture
* Art History
* Arts Administration
o Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics
* Cinema Studies
* Commercial Photography
* Design Management
* Digital Photography
* Documentary Photography
* Dramatic Writing
* Fashion
* Fibers
* Film and Television
* Furniture Design
* Graphic Design
* Historic Preservation
* Illustration
* Illustration Design
* Industrial Design
o Interactive Design and Game Development
* Interior Design
* Metals and Jewelry
* Painting
* Performing Arts
* Photography
* Printmaking
* Production Design
* Professional Writing
* Sculpture
* Sequential Art
* Sound Design
* Teaching
* Urban Design
* Visual Effects

How often will you see a college/uni with a "Fibers" major, I mean, seriously? I was also thinking of majoring in Animation in a game-oriented sense but that's slightly restraining so who knows.

I'd post more but I don't feel too inspired right now. However, if anyone has any questions I'll gladly answer (since I really do have a lot to say about college).

[Folcon]

Sheba, are you going to a college in Florida? Because the list of Majors sounds like the list at a school called Full Sail, which I'm sure some of you guys have heard of.

[Luna]

No, but it's quite near to Florida. And, damn, it's still ****ing hot down here, dude.

[Folcon]

It wasn't too bad down here at UCF. It was about 80 or a little under all day, but now its raining.

[l3lueMage]

Well I am going into Interactive Graphic Design o.o!

And the college I go to is well o.O Populated with Asians and such. I can walk around campus and I will overhear maybe MAYBE 1 group of people talking in english, the rest is people talking in chinese/korean/japanese/spanish etc ;(

[Luna]

Dude those freaking Asians. Don't get me wrong. I am NOT trying to be racist here or anything but I and everyone else were seriously treated like **** by 98% of the Asians in this college.

Since I'm an international student here, we get to arrive before the kids from the U.S. for orientation. About 70% of the international students were from South Korea, then the next majorities were from China and Mexico. So during international orientation, they made us go talk to people, make friends, etc. And the freaking Asians (especially the Chinese) would just pile up in groups and talk in their own languages and then GLARE at you if you even got near them or even DARED to talk to them. Seriously. They would stare at you for about 5 seconds, with an expression that said "So...why are you speaking when not spoken to?" and then just looked away. Or there was even this girl that looked STRAIGHT at the floor and just slid away from me.

I don't think most of the new members here know this but I'm an avid Maple Story player. I'm in one of my server's best guilds, MILK. MILK has about 40 members, about 5 of which AREN'T Asian (including myself). That guild is the best freaking guild I've ever been in in that game. It doesn't fall apart, there's not thousands of fights, everyone is helpful, friendly, everyone talks to you all the time, etc. So going to college and being treated like that by them was a HUGE difference to what I'm used to.

I don't have anything against Asians, though. I just wont even try to talk to the specific ones in this college anymore (unless if they talk to me first or they're a friend's friend or etc. You know how it works). Seriously. It doesn't make sense to come all the way to the U.S. just to be so rude to people who are trying to be nice.

[l3lueMage]

I'm not going to complain about them because when I asked one for help where the security office was he helped but it was hard to find, So I was still wandering around in the direction he told me to go...I turn around and he's standing right there o.O! And he's like here I will show you it's kind of hard to explain XD He actually made sure I got there instead of just pointing the direction and forgetting the whole thing happened...8D But there are those like Sheba said also D;

[Eugine]

I'm an independent person, so buck anyone who doesn't want to talk to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm friendly.

I would never pass an aquaitance or friend without greeting them, and surely if someone wants to talk to me, I'll surely create an interesting conversation (IM JUST LIK DAT XD)... but with someone you described Sheba... buck you! I'll stand right next to you for a year, and it'll be like you never existed.

[jordansgirl]

Reading about everyone and college makes me miss my first college. I was attending a "Women's College" in North Carolina and then I got married over Spring Break my first year. I ended up moving far away from everything and attending DeVry here in Canada. (It isn't because I wasn't smart enough to get into anything else. It is because it was the cheapest school for me to go to.) I know I will be going back to school once I have my degree and get a family started for something more interesting to me. Right now I am doing Business Operations with a concentration on Small Business Mgmt and Enterperniuership (sp). I want to be in Law (Juvenile Defense or Cooperate) or Math or Science. Anyways as for college life, most colleges offer a lot of cool stuff on campus. Attend them all. I am not sure how many people know who he is but Paul Rusesabagina (sp) came to my last school. He was a very active person in the Rwanda genocide as far as helping save people. I knew I would probably never have another opportunity to see him so I went and I am so glad I did. Also, make sure you major in something you enjoy because if you don't like it, you grades will not be good.

[Luna]

Wow. I do know who Rusesabagina is. We even watched Hotel Rwanda back in school. It's amazing that you could go see him @_@ Seriously.

My college also has a bunch of activities literally everyday but it's usually kind of hard to get to them since a lot of them are at 8pm and this city can be somewhat dangerous after 6-7pm. I don't have a car and I don't have that many friends yet (so we can walk there together).