What's a college?

[SomethingBig]

So I'm off to college this September and I'm both excited and nervous. I applied to Penn. State University, The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, The New Jersey Institute of Tech., The College of New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Seton Hall University. I've been accepted to all but NJIT - they haven't sent me anything - and TCNJ. My first pick was PSU, but my parents can't afford that, so I'm going to Seton Hall now with a nursing major.

Questions and concerns:

• How big is the difference in in-class and out-of-class work?
• How important are clubs and stuff like that?
• What're the teachers like?
• Where can I find some fish?

Hm... I guess this thread can be used for an open-discussion on colleges. So ask and answer away!

[fire_of_avalon]

In your general studies, big classes are going to have minimal in class work (daily notes, sometimes in class essays) and you'll probably have a smaller section once a week to discuss other stuff. These will also have papers due, and a few exams and maybe quizzes. Also, you will read way too much.

Smaller general studies classes will have a lot of discussion, homework that'll be daily, semi-daily or weekly, and more quizzes, maybe more exams and maybe some papers or essays. I normally do more work in these classes, but the work itself is generally easier.

As far as clubs go, make sure you can balance all your activities together. I am bad at that, so I stay away from clubs, but this means I don't have a whole lot of friends, which is actually okay sometimes because I also have to work, but then I get lonely too.

Some teachers will be awesome, some terrible, some crazy, some smelly and a lot of them will talk funny.

You can get fish on fishday in the dining hall. I never get to use that smiley, and though it may be inappropriate, I don't care!

[-N-]

Everything about university is pointless without self-motivation. Clubs are worth as much in college as they are in highschool - not much unless your resumé depends on it. Workload is the same if you're a fuzzy major, more if you're a techy major. Professors are worthless and inaccessible unless your school is small. Big universities are terrible, faceless, and could care less whether or not you graduate. Small private colleges will have professors who care and are around to help. All in all, what you learn is pretty worthless, but how you learn to think is what becomes crucial. That's about it. Be sure to be wasted for most of it, because it's quite boring, really.

[crazybayman]

All in all, what you learn is pretty worthless, but how you learn to think is what becomes crucial.

Yep. I now use NOTHING from what I actually learned in University. At work I use how I've learned to think, adapt and learn. Like most others with degrees.

Because you're doing nursing, I'm sure you'll have practical(s) (AKA interships, or workterms). That's where you'll learn the most that's actually useful to your profession.

[xX.Silver.Wings.Xx]

Wow... I'm doing nursing in a couple of years. I'm in college now though. (It's sort of high school level for all you US guys... I think....)

[eestlinc]

I learned more in college than I ever had before college, although a lot of what I learned was life skills and not at all involving classes. i found the workload to be very heavy and the professors to be mostly very supportive, but then again I was in the college of music and that's a whole different experience from "regular" stuff perhaps.

definitely have fun, party, hang out with people. just be sure to learn how to balance work and pleasure. don't fail out because you are drunk constantly, but also don't burn out because you never do anything but classwork.

[dirkdirden]

I went to NERD college, DeVry. I had no parties, and school all year round. It sucked but now I make an ass loud of money so my advice to you is do what ever the hell you want just make sure you graduate and make the big bucks.

[SomethingBig]

All this talk of heavy work is starting to scare me to death. On average, how much homework do you get every night and how much reading do you usually do every night?

[-N-]

I have yet to read regularly for a class.

[Raistlin]

I have yet to read regularly for a class.

Yeah, pretty much.

[fire_of_avalon]

It really depends on the class. I don't do my reading regularly because I'm bad.

[dirkdirden]

it depends on the grades you want.

If you want a 4.0 you will proably have to study about 2 hours a day. I didn't study at all and got a 3.1 not too bad for not studying.

[Yuffie514]

going to a place like Harvard seems like a walk down the red carpet. it's a grand entrance, but it's also the best and oldest trick in the book. if there is a shortcut to success, that would be where the other forkway leads to vocational colleges. don't grow old trying to train as a nurse for more grueling years to come. there are medical colleges, where you focus on being a nurse (pharmacist, vet, doctor, etc) - and not an accountant or rocket scientist, xD. *sigh* some are still doing it the old way...