Alright, here’s what’s happening: I’m a freshman at Virginia Tech in Computer Science. I have a social life (gasp) and a girlfriend (faint). My grades are in the A-/B+ range, with the occaisional A or B.
Basically, I think I’m doing well. Which was a clue in past that I wasn’t. So, I submit (hah hah hah) to my elders: what else should I do to increase the chances of future happiness?
Never graduate. I graduated five years ago and have regretted it ever since. This “life” you’re talking about? I had one too, back in college. There’s not another one waiting for you out in the “real” world. It will never be this easy again.
Don’t question your happiness, just sustain it as long as you possibly can. Never graduate!!!
Ever! And if you do happen to graduate…
Go back to grad school!
My advice would be to take advantage of what’s offered to you while at college. We always had all these interesting free speakers and cheap plays and concerts and interesting things put on by the international club and on and on. And I hardly went to ANY of it, because I was lazy, or wanted to do something like go to YET ANOTHER fraternity party, just like the previous 20 parties I had been to. Now I am kicking myself, because I don’t have the same opportunities (at least not at that same low cost, and not with that flexible college schedule).
Don’t be afraid to take off-the-wall classes that interest you, even if they don’t relate to your major. When will you have a chance to study filmmaking again? When will you dabble in the philosophy of science? How often will you get a chance to take a sculpture class? So go for it now, while you can.
Also, consider study abroad. It’s unlikely you will have another chance to go live somewhere else for a term (or year) cheaply and with such immersion. It may not be common for CS majors to do study abroad, but so what? Do it anyway.
- Play a club sport.
- Don’t get too hung up with one SO - there will never be so many fish in the sea.
- Try to get to know your professors outside the classroom.
- Take an interest in the community outside the college.
- Seek out people with differerent interests (e.g., not just like the same stoners you went to HS with).
- Make friends with campus security.
- Volunteer for the campus crisis hotlne (I assume there is one.)
- Go to on-campus job interviews early and often.
Ditto on the study abroad thing – or at least, save your money so you can go somewhere interesting over the summer. You’ll never have access to those student discounts again (well, unless you become a perpetual grad student like me…)
Also – keep up with whatever foreign language you took in high school, because you’ve got to use it or lose it. I’m still kicking myself for losing German.
<< I’m still kicking myself for losing German>>
Ich too hab vergessen tout les mots d’un foreign language.
Set goals for yourself, figure out the minute steps to reaching the goals, and take the steps. Reaching goals can make you happy.
Then reward yourself for reaching the goals. Rewards make you feel good.
Rinse and repeat.
The goals could be anything, small or large:
“I’m going to read that long boring text book.”
“I’m going to run a marathon.”
“I’m going to learn to skydive.”
“I’m going to cook a perfect lasagna.”
“I’m going to live in Japan by the time I’m 25.”
Never stop setting goals for yourself.
I’m glad you are doing well and I hope you will exploit every resource your college offers you. But please, I implore you, for your own sake and that of all your profs:
Don’t ever plagiarize!
I’m not assuming for a minute that you would or that you have. I’m just saying it because we’ve got far too many students ruining their records on account of this.
I, too, regret having finished grad school eleven years ago. Wish I were still there.
Hmm. Gee, Robert… I thought you could handle the girlfriend thing fine. Or so you told me on our last dinner date. 
Ain’t I evil? Hugs & kisses.
With MY graduation day lurking around the corner, I am in agreement with the ‘never graduate’ advice! I fear what my life will become when I no longer have to wake up and go to college! And a degree…what the heck!
Oh wait…i’ll work…travel…have fun…and then i’ll be seeking out how and when i can get back to school to start my masters!
Your motto for the next x number of years:
“When am I ever gonna have the opportunity to do this again?”
Live it. Love it.
So there’s this bar there in Blacksburg called The Cellar. I went in there one day and about six years later I wandered out long enough to grab my diploma and leave town.
I’m not sure if I’m suggesting you leave the place alone or head straight there. Not very helpful I’m afraid.
Instead of the junior year abroad, you can take a year off and go abroad and study/teach/work or something. Greatest year of my life doing that in Taiwan 20 years ago. Just make sure you have a plan to do something, and then at least start that plan. Lot’s of people plan to go abroad as soon as they have $1,000 saved up or whatever goal, and pretty soon the year is gone and they are still at the Kwik mart ringing up the till.
seal_clubber already listed this, but I’m going to expand upon it – GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.
A goal might be to get to know one faculty member reasonably well PER SEMESTER. One way to start doing this is to visit the professor during his/her (but I will just say “his” from now on) office hours, even if you don’t have a specific problem or question. Come in just to introduce yourself to him and be up front about your reasons for taking his course (is it for your major? is it something you are interested in but is unrelated to your future career?). If it is a required course, and you are unsure how much it will actually benefit you in a future career, be upfront about your concerns – he might have insights about connecting the material to other fields and industries. If the professor offers any additional programs that are optional, such as field trips or study sessions, take advantage of the opportunities.
Just like every other segment of the population, some of your professors are cool, and some of them are jerks. If you get a jerky response from one, don’t let it stop you from trying to get to know another professor.
For the really good professors, try to keep in touch with them after the semester is over. They will be informal advisors, and often have good suggestions about your future class selections.
The abstract benefit to this is that knowing interesting, intellectual people is valuable and enriching in and of itself. The concrete benefit is that these are the people you will be able to ask for graduate school and/or job recommendations, and they will know you better than the other 50 students who asked for recommendations.
Set goals.
Do stupid things with wild abandon.
Get put on Secret Double Probation.
This is the time to start a Ponzi Scheme, when your constituents are all wide eyed, innocent, slack jawed lemmings with oodles of cash to impart. In five years, the will not be as responsive.
You know, luck is a funny thing. Let’s just say the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. It’s hit you like :smack: One day you’re the windshield, the next day you’re the bug! (ala Dire Straits). So, you better count your blessings and appreciate what you have at this juncture in your life. It’s like the Kinks sing: “Success walks hand-in-hand with failure along Hollywood Boulevard…” (Yes, this even applies at holy VT, even though my few VT friends feel that they are superior to all, but I shant let that bias this post…I’m just telling you as it is, bub!)
In short, don’t get so cockey, mate! I think you need to eat a big slice of humble pie, no?
- Jinx
P.S. I suppose you’ll even tell your first Interviewer to hire you when you’re a fresh college grad while you still think you know everything, eh?
I definitely second the study abroad thing! Even if you’re too chicken to do it somewhere non-English speaking. When will you ever get the chance to spend a semester or a year in a foreign country and have financial aid help pay for it? And if you do it, don’t make the mistake that many people do by spending the whole time hanging out with other Americans. Stay far, far away from the other Americans! You’ll learn a lot more that way.
If you do it, don’t stick to the things your program offers; get off the beaten path; take day trips to other nearby cities, try new things, go to local festivals, get invited to people’s homes for dinner…