Cold Feet? Or am I screwed? Going to College, and I think I'm going to bomb it

[Siva]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla

Originally posted by: Mwilding
You are supposed to be angst ridden in junior high, not when you are going off to college.

hehe

So grades after college are looked at as well? I didn't know that. So aiming for at least a 3.5 is a good goal to get a good job after college? Alrighty then, I hope it isnt as bad as I amped it up to be.

A 3.5 is pretty impressive, that's good enough for a grad school if you have good test scores.

 

[Coldkilla]

I don't even know what grad school is, all I know is that im an undergrad going into college -

and how long do i need to be in college, doing generalistic courses, before i start getting my hands on some computers?

 

[Coldkilla]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
When buying books for college, do they want specific books bought? or is it a big research project and you buy the book(s) you deem important?

Your professor will tell you what book(s) to buy.

Arent I supposed to (after I register my classes), discuss with who-ever is registering me for my classes (IE: time slots, etc..) and then buy my books before college even starts? I have a 9 hour orientation on aug 1st

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
It's just basic state school. UW-Milwaukee (Wisconsin)

Don't worry too much then. You'll probably have to study something like 2-3 hours a day...

 

[zerocool1]

one thing is you should talk to your professors/teaching assistants. See if they'd be willing to help you out.
EDIT: OP is going a state school. That complicates it. I think you might want to talk to your doctor. You might have a LD. Or it could be something else. I know ADD when is diagnosed it could be a ton of different things, such as hearing issues or food allergies.

 

[Siva]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
I don't even know what grad school is, all I know is that im an undergrad going into college -

and how long do i need to be in college, doing generalistic courses, before i start getting my hands on some computers?

Um, what's your intended major exactly?

 

[Coldkilla]

I want to work in computer engineering. The problem is, next year UWM(Milwaukee), the school is implementing this major. This year there is nothing but computer science. There was 3 schools in the entire state offering CE degrees, and they were ether too far away or too expensive. I heard about UWM's change next year and that is why I am here. So I am at UWM to do general courses for my freshmen year and next year hopefully start up on my CE degree. I need to remember to ask the person scheduling my classes on aug 1st, to see what classes (whichever I pick) will be 100% transferable over to CE degree.

 

[Coldkilla]

Has anyone here taken a CS degree? Any insight on what the elective choices may be relating to computers? I know its probably dependant on the school but I wont have any idea until after aug 1st. Will I be able to work with computers for a college course in my freshmen year? or do I have to wait until all my general courses are out of the way?

 

[RKS]

Don't be too nervous.
As stated some people just learn with different methods. I have trouble reading and memorizing textbooks so I try to make diagrams, flowcharts, flashcards, etc. I made it through law school without any ADD meds.

 

[Coldkilla]

hehe, ive always hated taking any sort of pills.

How much have yall spent on materials getting ready for college you think? I've saved a few hundred b/c i heard it was real expensive.

 

[ModeEngage]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Hia, well college is around the corner for me and I'm starting to think I wont be able to pull through. I have a horrible memory, and have trouble retaining information. Since high-school I forgot most if not all of 9th, 10th, 11th and parts of 12th grade. I don't remember anything!

If anything I'm a visual learner, I remember hands on experiments in chemistry, i remember, diagrams on boards, but you throw a list of terms infront of me and it will take me hours and hours to remember 20 simple words.. i spent my lunch hour everyday in my senior year, every day with a chemistry teacher working on just chemistry, i come home and study for about an hour a night.. i come back to class for another hour of learning.. i forgot what i learned the night before, and i got D's on all my assignments, and report cards.. and im not slacking off, but wanted to give up all year b/c no matter how much i tried nothing came of it.

Now with the books im going to be buying soon, seeing the 1000s and 1000s of pages that im going to have to read will just make me faint - i swear.. i dont know if i'll be able to handle it...

am i just being too skeptical of college? Is it really that hard to say im screwed? I have a band, a job working 12 hours a week, devorced parents, living at home - switching homes once a week (taking computers with me), and college..

*Taking courses in computer science, waiting until next year when they implement computer software and hardware engineering - where I want my major to be*

You'll be fine. I'm the same way, I can barely remember what I did yesterday. Just stay on top of what's due and when, and have the discipline not to drink yourself retarded before a test and everything will work out.

 

[Elfear]

All right, a couple things to echo (or dispute) what others have said:

1) At my school I can get a list of textbooks by going to the university bookstore's website or in the bookstore itself. They have a list of books by course and by professor. If your school doesn't have a bookstore, than you can always e-mail your professors before school starts and ask for the specific textbook requirements. If you want to save a lot of money on books than go your university's bookstore and get the ISBN numbers from the required textbooks and than see how prices compare on Half.com. I've saved anywhere from 35-70% on books each semester by doing that.

2) A 3.5GPA is not required to get a good job after college (especially with engineers). You do need a very good GPA (3.5+) if you want the hard to get jobs, like working at Bell Labs for example, but plenty of buddies with so-so grades got decent jobs after college. Job placement mostly depends on the major you choose. I'm certainly not recommending that you disregard grades, as they are important, but you can still get a decent job even if your grades are below average. Especially compared to the jobs you qualify for with no college degree.

3) My personal belief is that if you spend the required time for your classes (my professors say to expect to study an hour per week for every credit you're taking to do well) than you will do just fine.

College is well worth it IMO. I've seen many times where a well-qualified, experienced person will get passed over for promotion because they lack a college degree. They are basically stuck because they lack that piece of paper. That's not to say that every single person will benefit from going to college but the earnings and job satisfaction statistics are overwhelmingly in favor of going.

 

[Sid59]

here's the easiest path.

1. relax.
2. study in 20 min bursts. take a short break between studying. This includes: reading text, researching for papers, reviewing for exams.
3. find people in your classes that look scared and single (the girls) and talk to them. they can help ya 'study'
4. visit professors in off time. most of the professors sit in office hours and do nothing. they like it when students drop by.
4. profit.

 

[Baked]

You don't need to memorize anything. Just do what everbody else does in college, cheat sheet.

 

[Shawn]

college isn't that hard.

 

[zephyrprime]

I don't know what all these people on here saying that college isn't hard are talking about. College is hard. Unless you have a business major like my roommate did. Then it's easy.

The reason I say it is hard is because of personal experience and because of the 40% graduation failure rate of students.

Honestly though, I really wonder if I have ADD because it was very hard for me to simply concentrate on things like reading the material even if the material wasn't that tough. Plus, I suck at listening to people (especially professors).

My advice: don't party too much. Lots of people get screwed up by that.

By the way, a CS degree program is all about programming. It doesn't involve computer hardware at all.

 

[Coldkilla]

hehe, well I'll take your word for it. Im just anxious to get orientation done so I can find the classes I need, find my professors, find the books I need, get the numbers and check them out online.

So will there be available pc classes in my freshmen year of college? or is that all after the 1-2 years of general courses?

 

[Coldkilla]

Well, im thinking about a sub major in some hardware aspect. im still undecided. And I dont plan on partying! :-D I dont drink/smoke, and i dont plan on it. Plenty of peer pressure thru-out my life and im amazed that ive made it this far. i dont see myself doing that in the future. that dun mean i dun know how to have fun

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
I don't even know what grad school is, all I know is that im an undergrad going into college -

and how long do i need to be in college, doing generalistic courses, before i start getting my hands on some computers?

Wow. You have to be the most retarded high-school graduate i've ever heard of.

 

[mrchan]

If you study, you will do better than most people. Goodluck

 

[djheater]

sigh... Shens again... This board is getting repetitive.

 

[Coldkilla]

ebaycj, you are right on the money. One of the lowest in Wisconsin. Our school designers accidentally took architectual plans from a california school with the same town name and used it to make ours. And in Wisconsin's weather.. just goes to show how dumb people really are around here, all Im tryin to do it break out

 

[JS80]

College is where idiots gather and circle jerk about how smart they are.

 

[dirtboy]

Maybe you shouldn't be majoring in something that will require mass amounts of memorization.

 

[bnads]

haha...i'm barely going to school part time and working full time. It's okay, I'm actually proud of myself for actually hanging on in college, because I screwed up all through high school.

well, actually the community college I go to seems like high school part 2 anyway