PocketMatrix

Since most of you guys have already been through college or are currently in college... got any random advice for a college freshman. I'll be enrolled at MIT starting August 25th and I've never really lived away from home -- on the border of Mexico -- El Paso, Texas.

I've already visited and it's set and done so please no school bashing or anything, just general advice.

My college preview host said his most important piece of advice was to meet as many people as possible... What's yours?

Don't drink your way through your freshman year. So many of my peers fucked around their freshman year, and they never could pull there gpa back up as high as they wanted.

I'd suggest doing as little drinking as possible, which for me was none. You are going out on your own and this first year on your own is going to be the biggest character building year of your entire life. Freshmen year is when you begin to form the type of person you really are, along with the habits you'll have for life. Your college experience isn't just about learning your major and having fun, it is in fact about learning who you are and how to live a successful life. Form studious and healthy habits NOW and your life will be successful. Always do your studying and work BEFORE you go out with friends, don't leave anything undone. Exercise and eat right, your metabolism will now begin to normalize and you don't want unhealthy eating habits to get in the way of who you want to be. Spend money wisely. Not necessarily frugally, but know how much money you have and how much money you can expect to have so you're not suddenly getting fined penalties for over withdrawing.
most importantly, learn how to plan ahead. These years will affect your future more than you know. If you want to get a top job right out of college or go to a good graduate school, begin to act like it now by studying accordingly. Don't ruin your chances of getting into a top school or top career by fiddling away your freshmen year simply because you don't know what you want to do yet. If you don't know what you want to do yet as a freshmen, KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN by getting good grades. If you end up not caring in the future you can always do crappy your senior year and do whatever you like, but if you end up caring your junior year, you will NOT be able to make up for your spurt of indecision during your freshmen year.

Remember most importantly, you're in school to be in school. You're not paying $30k a semester just to snooze through classes. This is a BIG TIME investment. You will have spent over $100,000 investing in YOURSELF, and this is the best investment you'll ever make because you have COMPLETE control over how big a return you get on your investment. Every time you feel like blowing off a test, remember what you're paying and remember that by blowing off that test you just flushed down a good chunk of money. Four tests a semester in four classes in one semester. Each test costs you approximately $1,800 for you to take.

Also, do have fun. Your education is also social in nature, and you need to learn how to interact both professionally and socially. But know that the social environment is not the one you're paying to take. You can experience a social environment ANYWHERE at ANY TIME and not just in college. If you're primary concern is a social education, then get a $400/month apartment and go to nightclubs after working at McDonalds.

Most of all, TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Your life is now beginning and what you do NOW will be on your record forever. Every job you apply for will ask you about your college experience until you die.

Having said that, what part of El Paso? I have friends in El Paso. Actually, one that drunk himself so silly his freshmen year with me that he flunked out, even though he was a promising guy doing 3-2 Engineering, singing in the church choir every Sunday even.

Thanks guys. Yeah, I'm pretty set on going after a Computer Science and Electrical Engineering degree, but, of course, not 100% certain.

As for drinking, I'm able to resist my buddies now and am pretty much always the designated driver but I'm sure you guys'll retort about how I'm out on my own now. I don't think that'll be a problem. Especially since most of the guys at MIT should be smart enough to have the same mindset to where I won't even have to really resist parties during important study times.

El Paso -- I live on the far east side and go to a relatively new high school, Americas. Have you ever gotten the chance to come down here? It can be a nice place sometimes no matter what people say, but I think everyone bashes their home town. We do have authentic mexican food going for us, .

EDIT -- Oh, and about the money. Yeah, I think about that all the time. I got almost all of my schooling paid for through scholarships, but what the scholarship committee giveth, the scholarship committee can taketh away y'know? If anything, I've gotta get good grades to stay in college!

My dad told me he'd do whatever it took, no matter how much it cost, but there's no way. I have a new baby brother and another brother who just turned 3, so I've pretty much decided I'd do whatever it takes to not give them any disadvantage. That means, taking on student loans and getting more scholarships, but that's life.

Make a lot of friends. The opportunity for networking is undervalued by most. Make friends outside of the engineering field. People with talents you DON'T have but complement yours will help you considerably after college.

And have a little fun. James is right--the habits you set up now will stay with you for a lifetime. Abstaining from fun completely will make you a shallow boring person. Moderation is key.

Yeah, I'd say it's easiest to make fast friends the first week of school, when everyone else is already looking to network and find their group. I made a handful of friends the first week of school, but after a couple weeks I lost touch with them due to classes and finding people that did things I was interested in.

I'd say the best way to make friends is extra cirricular activities. Join a club or interest group. Join the political party club, or the horseback riding club or choir or orchestra or programming club or whatever you're interested in. But I'd say that's the easiest way to make friends you'll keep. Most of my friends are from Choir and from the Emergency Medical Service for which I volunteer.

I perked up when I saw a 3 letter IT college (I go to RIT) Unfortunately it's that over-priced junk that is MIT, which considering RIT is already overpriced, MIT is something.

Anyway, as long as you don't get wasted often, and go to all the goofy freshmen functions just to meet people you should have no problem.

Seconded on the flip-flops, unless you like getting some exotic disease.

Also don't prejudge fraternities as all drunken rage women abuse organizations. I'm actually the interim vice president for mine, we're technically an honours fraternity but we still have a lot of fun with it. (ours is actually co-ed too) It's really just an organization of people with a common interest.

Seeing that MIT is worse than RIT in terms of females, GOOD FUCKING LUCK with that one.

I know a bunch of Lambda Chi Alpha's at various schools. They're a good bunch of guys. But I'm personally against buying friends with dues. If you join a frat, I'd suggest going through upper-class rush after you've meet people that you like in a specific frat instead of rushing freshmen year just to get to know people. It's difficult to become yourself, also, when you're constantly innundated with all of these other people's points of views which have been codified by the fraternity institution.