College?

[Destructionator XV]

How many of you all have go to college and how many of you all are going this coming semester?

What are your thoughts on it?

[Stofsk]

How many of you all have go to college and how many of you all are going this coming semester?

Semester's already going down here.

What are your thoughts on it?

I suck. I don't know what I'm doing.

[Ace Pace]

6 more years till Uni.

[Josh]

Don't go 'just because'. Don't go and get a useless degree that will serve no purpose and leave you laden with debt.

An education is always a good thing, but if you go, go in with a plan and come out the other side with something useful.

Now, that doesn't mean you have to have a major in mind when you start. Junior colleges are perfect, bang for buck-wise, for meandering about through various courses while you decide what you want to do. If you go that route, just plan your courses on the basis of eliminating as many prerequisites for major degree plans as possible- get your English, art, and basic math credits out of the way as much as possible. If you can, test out for credits on subjects you know well.

Whatever you do, don't get a soft IT degree. I was having dinner with friends and one of them was reading an IT education ad in the paper (being a CS major himself) and he jokingly read it as 'One in a thousand IT graduates actually has a job!'

If you are looking at a degree in something like history or English or such, it had best be your passion, because outside of teaching you're going to find precious little in the way of employment opportunities off of such degrees.

If you major in philosophy, I will shun you and avoid your company in all social settings. My 'philosophy major' friend-slot is already filled, and he doubles up by filling a 'football fanatic' friend-slot.

[Josh]

Oh, and to answer your question about college experience, I meandered in and out of college for about five years, with a dual major in Applied Drinking and Field Skirt-Chasing.

I graduated with Dishonors.

[Robert Walper]

I barely finished highschool. I know now I could've gotten great grades and skills if I'd actually apllied myself. But I just didn't care or want to. Thus, the concept of college was completely out of mind. I was just happy to get out of school and start making money working.

And Petrosjko put it best: Unless you have a game plan and specific agenda, no point in wasting time and effort. And gaining a debt in the process.

Furthermore, my family could never have afforded to put me through college anyhow, never mind all three of us boys.

Not that I feel particularily worried about it. I've met plenty of college graduates, and I still articulate/spell better than a lot of them, and still more aren't particularily bright in my book either. They have the advantages in knowledge and studying specific subjects and materials.


Yet in my opinion, intelligence is not how much you know, but how effectively you learn and apply what you do know.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

I'm leaving for college in approximately 24 hours. Computer information science major. Yeah, I know. But it's the only goddamn thing I'm good at or could see myself doing.

[The Morrigan]

BA with majors in French & Russian Language from the University of Queensland.
Bachelor of Laws from QUT
Flunked out of a Grad Dip in Legal Practice about this time last year due mostly to stress-related health problems and had my enrollment cancelled (Yay me!).

Thinking of going back to do my masters if I can get the health and finacial issues sorted and unless I get offered a half-decent job any time in the near future.

Loved uni but for two things: Exams and the shitty part-time jobs I had to take on in order to afford the basic necessities of life while I was studying. It's good if you're academically minded and/or have a career plan but it's not the be all and end all of either tertiary education or career paths and going to uni straight out of school isn't ecessarily the right choice for everyone.

And don't listen to student gossip. It's mostly bullshit.

Also, if you're going into a course that has a clear career path (law, medicine etc), find out as much as you can about what actually working in the industry will be like.

[Stofsk]

Don't go 'just because'. Don't go and get a useless degree that will serve no purpose and leave you laden with debt.

Down here Univeristy education is supported by the government in part, so that the issue of loans and debt isn't pressing. I don't know what it's like in the USA however.

If you are looking at a degree in something like history or English or such, it had best be your passion, because outside of teaching you're going to find precious little in the way of employment opportunities off of such degrees.

They may not have anything specific in mind nor help a great deal, but having a degree helps rather than hinders. I guess the theory is that Arts gives you broad, generalist skills that can be applied to a lot of careers.

It can be so hard to find something you're interested in learning though.

[Destructionator XV]

Well, I did one year at uni last year majoring in physics. I hated every moment of it.

My stupid advisor kept telling me I had to take a bunch of bullshit classes instead of my preference of maxing out on math and hard sciences. I broke down did take a psycologoy and an ethics class.

Psyc: D-. The class was so boring I almost never even bothered to show up.

Ethics: F. This is the funny part: there was 2 papers and a final exam for grades in that class. My papers were ok (amazed I even bothered to do them at ll), But I go to where the final was supposed to be, and noone was there. After 15 minutes of waiting, I say fuck it and leave. Bye, bye passing grade.


But the bullshit classes wasn't the only bullshit. In high school, I went right up to calclulus II. I was quite skilled at it. College says I have to do it again. Aaaaaargh, but I did anyways.

The content was even more pathetic than the HS version, so guess what: I never go to class. Almost forgot about the final and got there an hour late. Luckily, this teacher was sane: I got away with a B+ in the end. Could have been an easy A, but easy A == I have better things to do.

Calc III was like Calc I again, but this time with Zs. Oooooh, hard. Again, I skipped more classes than I attended, but got away with a B-.

Well, lets not list all my classes, but one more:

General Physics II: I got almost perfect scores on all the tests, final included. But I came to class only for the tests. Never did the homework, and never went to the boring, boring, boring labs. F. For fuck college, it is wasting my time. We do more complex physics in our average sci-fi verses on SDN.

And my HS credit along with the AP tests meant I skipped a year of college. This coming semester I would be a Junior, but it is pretty unbearable. Also, last semester they were paying me a net profit of $600 to attend. But my <3.0 average means they now want me to pay them $1600 to attend this time.

The only way I will go back there is if they pay me at least $1000 extra the semester. Then the money might be worth the bullshit.

I haven't even started on the non academic crap, which was by far the worst.

That dormatory was absurd. Frakking expensive, and I had to share it with a stinky weirdo. The bathrooms were always grotesque, and I hate public bathrooms anyways. I absolutly refused to shower in those horrid conditions (luckily I knew a guy who drove back home every weekend so I only had to hold out in the dormishitory for 4 days at a time). It was constantly noisy - people throwing bottle caps around or playing loud 'music' at all hours.

The crapiteria was again horrible. I am afraid of people, especially large groups, and I hate it when people watch me eat. Going there I attempted for the first day, but it was unacceptable. So instead, I needed something small, filling, affordable and eatable cold to keep in the room.

Every monday, when I returned from home back to the hellhole, I would walk or ride my bike the 3 kilometres to a dairy store and buy one gallon of milk and 3 boxes of Pop-Tarts. Then, I would ration them until friday when I could go home.

The good thing is I sat at my computer most the day and could get away with a horribly underfed diet. My body adjusted to it and I was living, without ever having to leave my computer. But I started to hate poptarts as the only thing I ate. I have no intention of screwing myself up like that again. I still haven't fully recovered to normal eating after the months I have been back.

Damn, I hated that hellhole. The only reason I would even consider going back is I have a friend who starts down there this semester and she is insisting I go back saying crap like "I need you to help me through calc!" Nice person, but having one firend isn't worth going through the rest of it. Besides, there is always the Internet for people to talk to me.

People often say that by not going back I am screwing up my life. I have three responses to that:

1) And living in those conditions isn't screwing up my life?
2) Quitting my job, leaving my budget surpluss and paying that bill (going into deficet) is good for my finacial situation?
3) What the fuck am I going to do with a physics degree anyways?

The more I think about it, the happier I get tknowing that I will actually be living normally over this next year.

[Comrade Tortoise]

I love college.

My experience is the exact opposite of what destructionater experienced. I suck at foreign language and tend to piss of english professors, so I tend to get Cs in those subjects.

I do have to agree with petro, you do need to have some sort of goal, and if you are doing something like science or english, it had better be your passion. I myself am pretty much going to have to take a de-facto vow of poverty and celibacy, and I am OKAY with that. because I love working with reptiles. But without a goal, a person is lost. And without passion, the work may be to much to handle. I am moving out of my house this year, and I can honestly say that in exchange for being closer to campus, and closer to its libaries, as well as my friends, I dont mind any financial issues, or lack of food. Hell the lack of food will work to my advantage and I can work out, ration my food, and lose a few needed pounds

[Dartzap]

I shall be starting my secound course this september, whch goes on for two years, by the end of that I shall be able to retarct any benefits you may be getting from the street, and I'll be actually allowed to make people have Phycolocal tests! just so I can have them locked up! wont that be awasome?!

Looks at the fact Ace will be here soon Oh Good! off to the nuthouse with you!

[Comrade Tortoise]

Are you studying medicine or psych?

[Dartzap]

health and social care, I might go into social work.. then i'd really get the chance to do all that stuff, and alo be threatned by katanta waving 70yr olds.. (yes that has really happened around here..)

[frigidmagi]

Starting this year, trying to get an engineering degree, gonna need alot of luck at this rate... But that descirbes just about everything else I've ever done to.

[Stofsk]

My stupid advisor kept telling me I had to take a bunch of bullshit classes instead of my preference of maxing out on math and hard sciences. I broke down did take a psycologoy and an ethics class.

Huh? Advisor? Tell him to fuck off. It's your education, not his.

That dormatory was absurd. Frakking expensive, and I had to share it with a stinky weirdo. The bathrooms were always grotesque, and I hate public bathrooms anyways. I absolutly refused to shower in those horrid conditions (luckily I knew a guy who drove back home every weekend so I only had to hold out in the dormishitory for 4 days at a time). It was constantly noisy - people throwing bottle caps around or playing loud 'music' at all hours.

Dorms huh? Never experienced them. Can't you rent a student flat with a bunch of other people?

The other option is to stand up for yourself. Tell the fuckheads to grow up. If they play their loud music after sleep hours, call the cops. If that doesn't fucking get their act together, destroy the fucking cd player. Of course, don't do anything I would do.

The crapiteria was again horrible. I am afraid of people, especially large groups, and I hate it when people watch me eat. Going there I attempted for the first day, but it was unacceptable. So instead, I needed something small, filling, affordable and eatable cold to keep in the room.

First of all, why are you afraid of people?

Secondly, why do you hate it when people watch you eat?

Thirdly, don't go to the cafeteria then. Go to some other place. Learn to cook.

Damn, I hated that hellhole. The only reason I would even consider going back is I have a friend who starts down there this semester and she is insisting I go back saying crap like "I need you to help me through calc!" Nice person, but having one firend isn't worth going through the rest of it. Besides, there is always the Internet for people to talk to me.

The internet is bullshit. Having a friend at uni is worth more than gold and if she and you share the same classes, those classes become instantly more tolerable.

Also, as a chick you can use her to get you laid. Just ask her to introduce you to various nubile females. That's assuming she herself isn't hot and doesn't want to go out with you. Female friends = gold mind.

1) And living in those conditions isn't screwing up my life?

No-one forced you to buy milk and pop-tarts man.

2) Quitting my job, leaving my budget surpluss and paying that bill (going into deficet) is good for my finacial situation?

The job that you hate, because you work twice as hard than anyone else, who slack off? Do you get bonuses for your hard work, or do you get paid the normal rates? Do you really fancy yourself working in that job for the next ten years?

3) What the fuck am I going to do with a physics degree anyways?

Plenty of things, if you want to work in scientific research.

This is why you go to an advisor: to find out what career options are there for you. Honest to god, advising you to take psych? Psych? Jesus.

[Mayabird]

I'm back unpacking at Georgia Tech now, since band camp is this week. I lived in a traditional dorm my freshman year, my little brother is joining me here in a week, and I just changed my major to biology. If you want a long answer, ask me and I'll write up one about college and my experiences and advice and everything and 42 when I don't have band camp taking up most of the hours between 8 and midnight.

[Destructionator XV]

Huh? Advisor? Tell him to fuck off. It's your education, not his.

That is basically what I did, but there are Gen Ed requirements I have to make.

Dorms huh? Never experienced them. Can't you rent a student flat with a bunch of other people?

All first year students had to live in the dorms. That may be an option now that I am beyond first year, but still, I don't want to live with other people who aren't damn my brother.

The other option is to stand up for yourself. Tell the fuckheads to grow up. If they play their loud music after sleep hours, call the cops. If that doesn't fucking get their act together, destroy the fucking cd player. Of course, don't do anything I would do.

That would probably work.

First of all, why are you afraid of people?

Secondly, why do you hate it when people watch you eat?

I honestly don't know. It is some irrational bullshit that I can't explain, but I can't seem to shake it either.

Thirdly, don't go to the cafeteria then. Go to some other place. Learn to cook.

Precicsly what I did. We aren't allowed to cook in the dorm building, though, so I had to go with only cold stuff.

The internet is bullshit. Having a friend at uni is worth more than gold and if she and you share the same classes, those classes become instantly more tolerable.

You are surely quite correct.

Also, as a chick you can use her to get you laid. Just ask her to introduce you to various nubile females. That's assuming she herself isn't hot and doesn't want to go out with you. Female friends = gold mind.

Yeah, like that would happen. At least my computer makes sense and is predicable. I've never dated, and with my attitude I probably never will. I'm am apothetic nerd and I'm a lazy asshole - not good for relationships.

No-one forced you to buy milk and pop-tarts man.

Correct, but it seemed like the best choice at the time. Afforadable and effective.

The job that you hate, because you work twice as hard than anyone else, who slack off?

Yes, that job.

Do you get bonuses for your hard work, or do you get paid the normal rates?

No bonus, but with a wee bit of luck, I will get the promotion to the senior position within the next 2 weeks. $1 more an hour and a step in the right direction.

Do you really fancy yourself working in that job for the next ten years?

Of course not. By then I will be somewhere else. Where? I dunno. I'll see when the time comes.

Plenty of things, if you want to work in scientific research.

Actually, I've heard that takes a graduate degree. Anyways, I am too lazy - that is the real problem.

This is why you go to an advisor: to find out what career options are there for you. Honest to god, advising you to take psych? Psych? Jesus.

Yeah, fucking worthless. Maybe I was just going to the wrong college? A real engineering school may be more acceptable, but I'm not rich.

[Stofsk]

Wait, all first year students have to live in a Dorm? What the fuck?

[Destructionator XV]

Wait, all first year students have to live in a Dorm? What the fuck?

Yeah.

On-Campus Living
Information and FAQ

Who lives on campus?

The College believes that immersion in the educational environment is the preferred experience for new students. Therefore, all full-time undergraduate students are required to live on campus to the extent that facilities are available and utilized, unless they:

(1) will continue to reside at the domicile of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s),

(2) will continue to reside in their official residence, which is separate from that of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and at which they have resided for at least three consecutive months prior to their acceptance of the admissions offer from the College,

(3) are married, or

(4) are twenty-one (21) years of age as of September 1 for fall admission or January 1 for spring admission.

First year students must live in College housing for their freshman and sophomore years. Transfer students of at least sophomore status must live in College housing for one year.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Wait, all first year students have to live in a Dorm? What the fuck?

It's the same here. Here's hoping my roommate doesn't suck...

[Comrade Tortoise]

Jesus, students at ASU are pissed over a mandatory freshman meal plan...

[Destructionator XV]

Jesus, students at ASU are pissed over a mandatory freshman meal plan...

That pissed me off too. We had to buy the full everything plan weather we used it or not. Fuck them.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Jesus, students at ASU are pissed over a mandatory freshman meal plan...

That pissed me off too. We had to buy the full everything plan weather we used it or not. Fuck them.

This is new as of this year though. Forcing you to live in a dorm is just not cool. Granted, it is cheap, which is why I will be doing it next year*... still


*I will BREAK disrespectful roomates (if I dont get my own room)

[The Morrigan]

Wait, all first year students have to live in a Dorm? What the fuck?

It's the same here. Here's hoping my roommate doesn't suck...

University in the US sounds very different from how things are done in Queensland. Some unis here do have residential colleges, but there's not requirement for students to live in one and they're really just there to provide accomodation for students (mostly first-year) who don't live close to the uni. I've never lived in one although my parents wanted me to apply for a place in a Catholic, all-girls college, until some relatives offered to take me in. In retrospect, I wish I'd taken the college option, although that's really just testiment to what arseholes my rellos are.

The course structures also sound very different to what I have experienced. The crappy cafeteria food however, seems to be universal. When I was at QUT, I had this theory about a possible link between the declining scrub-turkey population and the refec's 'tandoori chicken burger' special....