Here we go again with more random bits of advice and insight from someone who has been there: Save your notes from past classes. Western Civ relates to Art History, Philosophy, and English. It really helps on papers. And, of course, save your old papers. But never turn in an old paper for a new assignment. Guard syllabi with your life. Refer to them frequently to keep up with course requirements--impending exams aren't necessarily announced in class. Keep a copy of all syllabi in your notebook or backpack, so they're always handy. Have backup copies filed away in your room. When in a dorm, don't wear anything to bed you wouldn't wear outside. Or at least have handy something that you can throw on quickly. You never know when there will be a middle-of-the-night fire drill or false alarm. You'll have little time to evacuate the building, and you probably don't want to be caught wearing your "Care Bears" pajamas--or your sexy lace teddy. Especially if you're a guy. Cheap macaroni and cheese is not worth it. Start saving quarters in your junior year of high school. Learn to be thrifty. Take a browse through your local Goodwill or Salvation Army outlet. You may be surprised to find that decent clothing and home furnishings may be found for very little money. And the cost of your purchase goes to charity. Check out yard sales and garage sales. Before you go away to college for your freshman year, spend the preceeding summer attending local garage and yard sales religiously. You'll probably find a lot of stuff you can use to furnish your new dorm room (or apartment) being sold for next to nothing. When making your college plans, decide what you will do with any pets you may have. You won't be able to bring them into the dorms. This can be a big problem for people who own exotic pets that require special care. Before you plan to drive across country to your new college, find out whether you'll be able to keep your car when you get there. Many colleges and universities do NOT allow freshmen to keep a car on campus property. Don't commit yourself to attending a college or university that you have never seen firsthand. Even if you have to travel across country, go on a campus visit before you make that final decision. It may save you a great deal of woe and cost that comes from making a bad choice. Take your application essay VERY seriously. If possible, use an essay that you wrote as a school assignment. You will already have written it and received a grade and feedback on it. Polish it up some more, make it address the question on the college application, and get feedback from other people. If you have to write a new essay from scratch, that's okay--but get your English teacher and other teachers to read it and give you honest, constructive feedback on it. Plan to spend at least a month writing the essay, getting feedback, and writing revisions. You should NOT put it off until the week before apps are due. The first year is the worst. Don't be discouraged. You're adjusting to a whole new lifestyle, right after changing your residence (a very stressful event) and leaving home, friends, and family (another stressful event). You don't know anyone at first, it's all new to you, and there is lots of schoolwork to be done. And a lot of partying and socializing. And there will be crises to deal with, big and small. At times, the whole experience may get you down. Don't give in--it will get better! Your second semester will be much easier, and by your sophomore year you'll be an old pro (and can laugh about the anxiety and awkwardness of the new incoming freshmen). Carry your student ID everywhere, and always ask about student discounts. In a college town, many local merchants--from pizza restaurants to movie theaters--offer discounts to people who show a valid student ID. Be very leery of special offers being thrown at you as you move in. Many of these will be good-faith promotions offered by reputable merchants who are just trying to get some new customers. Others, however, will be intended to take advantage of you when you're vulnerable. Business people know that incoming college students are very distracted and are bogged down with lots of work to do and decisions to make. You don't have time to weigh decisions carefully, and you may be very tempted to take advantage of offers that are convenient. This makes you an easy mark. Be careful about making any purchases or contracting for any services during your move-in period. Following from the above point, it's a good idea to get as much red- tape taken care of as possible ahead of time, during the summer before your move. That's when you should contact the local banks and ask for account information, purchase any insurance you'll need, decide on and arrange for whatever rentals you'll need (car, refrigerator, etc.), and so on. You should definitely try to anticipate your needs and buy whatever items you need to buy ahead of time, before you move, and transport them. (This may not be completely practical if you are traveling a long distance.) You'll be able to comparison-shop at your leisure, in familiar stores, and get the best deals. In the fall, hundreds of students will be flooding the local retailers looking for the same basic supplies. Prices will be higher, selection may be poor, and you'll be pressured to take what you can get. Anything you can take care of ahead of time will make your moving-in experience that much easier. If you haven't learned how to manage money and balance a checkbook yet, do so before you go away to college. Talk to current and former students of the college you'll be attending. They should have a wealth of wisdom and advice that is specific to that particular school. Ask the admissions office for references if you don't personally know anyone to contact. The course you really wanted to enroll in is closed (filled up) when you try to register for it? Attend the first meeting anyway. Several people who registered for the class will drop it in the first few days of the semester, opening up seats. If you're right there, you may be able to get the professor to add you into the course on the spot. Talk to him or her right after the first class meeting. It'll be the professor--not the registrar's office--who will squeeze you into a full class. Want to try a course, but you have reason to think you may not be able to handle it? Register for it as an extra course. That is, if you normally take five courses per semester, add the questionable course as a sixth course. Then, if it turns out to be something you can't handle, you can drop the course later and still come out with a full courseload for the semester. Otherwise, dropping the course would leave you short, and you may end up having to make up the credits or-- if this happens enough--delaying your graduation. Do you have to take a challenging course, but you know that it will just kill your GPA? Audit it for a semester. This means that you are registered to attend the course, but you're not getting credit for it. You go to classes and hear the lectures and do the readings, but you don't take the exams and you don't get a grade. It's like taking a dry- run. Then, the next semester (or later), enroll in the course for credit. Now that you've been through the material once already, you should do well in it the second time around. This method is obviously labor intensive: use it sparingly, only for that one (or at most two) courses that is truly going to be very difficult for you. This works best if you can get the same professor for the audit as you will get when you take the course for credit. Take advantage of school resources. Don't purchase a membership at a local health club--your college or university should have plenty of athletic equipment and resources available for student use, free of (additional) charge. Don't go to a private doctor or clinic before trying the college or university's health service. See if your school provides free or reduced-rate eye exams, dental exams, and so on. Some do. Most have contraceptives and other safer-sex supplies available to students free of charge. There are plenty of school-sponsored entertainment, athletic, artistic, and social activities. You pay for these resources when you pay the various fees that show up on your bill. If you need them, use them! Want to avoid the "freshman 15" (the 5-15 pounds an average freshman gains over the course of their first year in college)? Keep some substantial, nonperishable food in your room--canned food, dry cereal, anything you like that is also nutritious. The freshman 15 comes from getting hungry at odd times and either grabbing some fatty fast-food or turning to snack foods as meals. Example: You're studying late at night, you're hungry, and all you have handy is a family-sized bag of Lays potato chips. Before you know it, you've devoured the entire bag. And that includes the chips. Finally, two words: Ramen noodles.