By EMILY SKEHAN I A special to the Daily Press
As a college freshman last year, I made my fair share of rather large mistakes. For instance, I don’t know my advisor’s name — a minor problem when I wanted to drop a class a week after the deadline. I also neglected to do any reading for my political science class until two days before the mid-term, signed up for 8 a.m. classes that I attended just once, and had my bike stolen because I didn’t listen when everyone told me to lock it.
Despite it all, I survived the experience and now have the experience (or audacity) to dish out my own helping of advice to high schoolers getting their campus metriculation on.
A FEW CRUCIAL DOS AND DON’TS: ■ Do base class selection on your professors. If someone is notoriously dull or famous across campus for being “like, the best teacher ever,” it’s worth listening to a school-wide consensus. ■ Don’t go against your natural schedule. If you’re a night owl chances are you’ll end up skipping any classes before 10 a.m. Scheduling your classes around your most alert hours can make showing up and paying attention much easier. ■ Do go to the library. Shockingly, this place is a great study spot. Plus they have a countless number of books — for free! ■ Don’t buy your textbooks at the bookstore. Most can be found much cheaper online at sites like Amazon.com or from friends who have taken the same class before you. Make sure to get the right edition though, so that your page numbers aren’t different than those assigned. ■ Do join something. If you’ve always thought golf was sort of cool, start attending club practices. Ever considered being an actor? Audition for a play. It’s no big deal to start something and stop it if it doesn’t interest you, but sometimes following up on that flyer that catches your eye can lead to a new passion or group of friends. ■ Don’t choose a safe roommate.
While most schools randomly assign you to your freshman dorm partner, sometimes you can request a friend. Don’t do this! For one thing, having a roommate you don’t know is a good way to be introduced to a different culture, personality type, or set of friends. Even if you don’t particularly get along, it’s a lot easier to establish boundaries with someone that you don’t know than with a friend, where things can get personal. ■ Do anticipate being cold. Even Northern California can be freezing compared to sunny Santa Monica! ■ Don’t rush into a major. Most freshman who enter college dead set on being biology majors find out they actually want to be a politician, or spend a whole year taking one-track classes while they should have been exploring other avenues. ■ Do get some requirements out of the way. If you’re pretty sure you want to go pre-med, it’s worth taking the class that’s only offered once a year. Even if you have no idea what you want to do, try knocking out that math requirement that the university requires — you’ll be glad when it’s senior year and you’re cramming in classes for a major. ■Don’t sign up for an extensive meal plan. Dining hall food is convenient and less expensive than eating out every day, but sometimes it verges on prison quality (literally). It’s worth checking out the less comprehensive meal plan, as you might find that you don’t really eat in the dining hall three times a day, seven days a week. ■ Do meet with your advisor. They can often guide you in the direction of great classes you wouldn’t have thought of, and help you navigate around requirements. ■ Don’t go to every orientation activity. “Bonding” can get a little tiresome, and you can usually find out more by going to talk to people who can specifically answer your questions, like RAs or people in the financial aid office. ■ Do drop classes. Most schools have a grace period where students can sign up for more units than they need,“shop” classes, and shuffle
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 29, 2007. Read the original PDF.