Looking for tips to get through college

[Kaotix]

I just started going to college to work towards getting my bachelor's degree in computer science but it feels like a constant struggle. Having to read a ton of chapters every week and go to school feels like its just not for me. Yet I feel I have to do this to acquire a decent place in the world. I'm looking for tips or advice to help get through this. I know this is a pretty broad thread as to what I need to do... I know the main answer will be to just suck it up or get out of the kitchen...

Has anyone else been through college that could offer some advice? Could I get by just reading chapter overviews? I have a tough time in class as im borderline schizophrenic and have people constantly whispering stuff to me(this I don't imagine) and they say stuff like thats (my name) or some other dirty phrase that totally throughs me off track and I find it hard to pay attention to the teacher. Okay thats a lot to read..

 

[berry120]

Hiya, are you looking for advice generally or programming advice? If it's general advice this might be better moved to the social lounge - if it's with particular programming then can you say what you're stuck on?

 

[sanka]

Use your professors as a resource. Go through the books and examples, and if you don't understand something, go to their office hours and ask them. That's what professors are there for.

If you don't use your professor to help you learn you might as well be at an online university.

 

[Kaotix]

Advice generally Berry and great tip Illmatic

 

[PokerDegenerate]

Well I am sure you "could" get by just reading the overviews but the question should be what will I get out of just reading through the overviews. Honestly college is what you make it out to be. Yes it can be VERY hard if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. The thing is you can get by doing the bare minimum but you might as well not even bother going. Yeah you may get a degree out of it but the degree isn't going to KEEP a job for you. Yeah you may get in the door and get an interview, heck you may even land a good job. The problem is if you never really learned a lot of the fundamental things there is a good chance you are going to be screwed in the long run or finding yourself saying WOW I wish I paid more attention to this stuff when I was in school. Im not saying that you are going to remember everything but you will get a lot more out of school by doing what you are supposed to do and sometimes more than that.

The best advice I can give is evaluate what you really want to do with your life, if you find this degree program too hard or it seems like something you really don't want to do as a career stick with all the core classes like english, math, social sciences, etc, so that way if you decide you want to change at least you didn't take a bunch of classes for nothing. I changed my major after already having an associates in Business administration and accounting which was what I planned on doing. Believe me it is much better to not waste your time if you are not dedicated to what you are doing. If you don't get anything out of your classes than your degree isn't going to be worth the paper it is printed on. The other part of my advice was already given by illmatic, using ALL of your resources will make your life a lot easier, and it doesn't hurt to kiss some a$$ with the teachers.

 

[rohan23]

Sparknotes, Wikipedia, Ramen and Red Bull.


Stock up.

 

[Celegorm]

Sparknotes, Wikipedia, Ramen and Red Bull.


Stock up.

I'd substitute Bawls for the Red Bull and maybe Think Geek's Caffeinated soap in place of whatever you are bringing (it really works btw). Oh those 90 second meals they sell everywhere now. They are decent flavor wise and don't cost too much. Perfect if you're hungry and don't have much time on your hands.

Use your professors as a resource. Go through the books and examples, and if you don't understand something, go to their office hours and ask them. That's what professors are there for.

If you don't use your professor to help you learn you might as well be at an online university.

This too. Typically speaking, professor tend to be lighter on grades (like bumping up a letter for the final) if they know you've worked hard. Bottom line, it is always worth getting the benefit of the doubt.

 

[superman22x]

Work hard, study, do the homework. And make sure you have fun. Ration your time wisely for work and fun. I don't party if there is school the next day. That's my biggest rule. And I try to get most of my homework done before sunday, because sunday I am very tired usually... hah

 

[Kaotix]

Wow great advice pokerdegenerate. I never even thought to do that since now I'm probably going to change majors after this semester and get my associates in business but since I am not sure, I'm going to do as you said by taking core classes. I might stick with computers I don't know but I will see where I am as time goes on right now I just hate being around people as they really throw me off what I need to do pretty badly. I got Ramen and coffee guys ^.^

I took a career test and it turns out I am a INFP(Introvert iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving) "questor". My best career choices would be an author, psychologist some others but at this point I am definately not sure what I want to do.

 

[jmacavali]

You need to just take the core classes and figure out how you learn best. If other people bother you so much, you should do college online. Most universities offer an online degree so you don't have to come to class.

However, that being said, I spent over 1/2 of my class time playing games and goofing off on the internet instead of listening to the lecture and still ended college with a 3.9 out of 4.0.....