College Road Map: Starter Pack

So you graduated the world of high school and have decided to move on to a bigger and better thing called college.  College is a lot different then high school and there is a lot more work involved then one may think.  However, don’t let that discourage you.  They say that college years are the best years of your life, and they are right.   Are you wondering what it would be like? Are you nervous about meeting new people and seeing new faces?  Well don’t be.  Let this website be your guide to any all questions you may have about college life.  This website includes, deciding on a major, where to buy books, cheap furniture, registration,  teachers, other students, academic advisors, and others. So, grab your high school diploma, kiss your mom and dad good-bye because you are off to college.

What to take? Where to take them? Which Professors? When do you want to Graduate?

Academic Advising

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to check in with a competent advisor at least once a semester.  The reason I stress competent is simple, because there are some incompetent ones.  You may run into a few of those, do not get discouraged, find another advisor that isn’t. The one thing you will learn very quickly in college is that you are now on your own.  Few to none advisors will track you down and let you know what classes you are to take for your major.  You must go to them and go to them…OFTEN.  You should make it a point to go to your advisor at least once a semester.  They are the best to get to know and to keep in touch with.  They will tell you which class you need, and which ones are needless.  Keep in mind that if you are not on top of the classes you should be taking, you are walking blindly.  You may end up taking classes you never really needed.  This could contribute to a later graduation, and very few want to stay in school longer than they have to.

Helpful Hints About Buying Books

So you have hear the old saying that you can buy them books but you can’t send them to school, well here is some information about buying those books cheaper.  Avoid buying books at the school’s bookstore unless you cannot find it anywhere else.  They over charge you and there are several other places to look to find them cheaper.  Unless you have a “thing” for new books.  Used books will do just fine.  First, look on Amazon.com. They have several used college text books for a lot less then what you would pay at the bookstore.  Second, always sell your books back!!!  Before you sell them back to the bookstore, post them on Amazon or another website where you can set the price.  More times then not you will receive less money from the bookstore then you would from another student.  If you do sell them back to the book store do it as soon as possible.  Most bookstores only buy back a certain number of books.  If you wait, by the time you get there to sell it back, they will not need it. Another thing to keep in mind, is what edition you need.  Some professors do not care which edition you have.  As long as you have a text with the same information, they are fine with it.  Sometimes you are able to find old editions for less too.

College Gear

Why would you go to a test without a pencil?  The fact is you wouldn’t.  So, you shouldn’t go to a college football game without the proper college gear.  You want to make a good impression and school spirit is not for losers.  Buy cool college gear and show your support to your favorite college team.  Get hats, sweatshirts, backpacks, cheer shorts, tee-shirts, boxers, messenger bags, coffee mugs and much more.  Now you can buy college gear and be set for a football game or just to sport cool college teams.

Deciding on a Major

Make sure before deciding on a major, you figure out how many years you wish to go to college. You cannot always expect to finish in four years and so if you are adamant about graduating in four years you need to pick a major that you will finish in four years. Although, it is stressed that you choose a major, usually you can decide later on down the road, unless you know what your major is. Generally, you have to declare a major by your Junior year (60 credit hours) If you are unsure about your major you can take your general education courses and get those out of the way and then decide on which major to choose. However, it is a good idea to have an idea of what you major is. The reason being, you don’t want to take a science course that will not relate to your major. As a psychology major you would not want to take a geology course, for it would offer no substance for you major (from personal experience). I am not saying you have all the time in the world to choose a major because you don’t, but worry about where you are going to college, where you will live in college and finding a job if you choose to work, you can decide on a major later. If you have no idea what you want to be take a personality or career test to help you on your road to decision.

 

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