I'm starting college today... EVERYONE PANIC!

[rkade8583]

Or don't just let me do the panicking. I'm so excited about finally going to college and being prepared for it (last semester was a disaster because Dept. of Rehab couldn't get their stuff together.)

Anyway, I've got intro to comp sci and pre algebra and I'm excited and all... but I'm also nervous out of my mind. What if there're minors in my class? What if the classes are too easy? Too hard?

What if, by waking up at midnight with insomnia, I'll be too tired to go to class? That one won't happen but I'm cutting it off at the pass. Caffeine pills and coffee.

My goals today, find my classes, talk to my teachers and inform them of what I need from them (the disabled seat, for them to tell me what they wrote on the blackboard, stuff like that), and to talk to AT LEAST 1 person in each of my classes. I'm gonna start out small.

Gotta be brave! I'm not evil anymore. I'm not disabled! The powers that be HAD to make me low vision because then I'd have a challenge! I'm a survivor! I'm better than most people! I'm... a CATCH!

It's better than Eyore-ing around (the donkey on Honey the bear... or whatever it was... paddington? Pooh! That's who it was) and never saying anything with my head down. Hell no! Not that again. I'm prepared this time and I'm proud of myself for doing this largely on my own!

Any advice people who have started something late in life (I'm 24 so I'm only 6 years late but it galls a bit)?

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Get ahead on reading the textbooks, do problems ahead of time if you know what material is going to be covered, the lectures will help you a lot more that way. Doing coursework during the evening should make you sleepy enough to prevent you waking up during the night.

Good luck!

 

[Fifty]

Have you talked with your school's disability services office? Professors generally greatly prefer that you deal with them rather than the professors themselves, so that everything is official and such.

 

[Narz]

Good luck. Choose a major that makes sense for life (not something lame like Italian literature or sociology - unless you plan to be an Italian author or author on sociological issues).

 

[Fifty]

Good luck. Choose a major that makes sense for life (not something lame like Italian literature or sociology - unless you plan to be an Italian author or author on sociological issues).

Jamie's education is not useless!

Oh and if you think that a humanities discipline is only useful insofar as it trains your for a career in that discipline, you're nuts.

 

[rkade8583]

Have you talked with your school's disability services office? Professors generally greatly prefer that you deal with them rather than the professors themselves, so that everything is official and such.

Oh yeah, I did that awhile ago. That's all official. I just prefer talking to the professors so they aren't getting blindsided (no pun intended)

As for my major, I want to do Computer Technician at the moment (since RSOs can't be teachers.) Maybe I'll dabble in psychology later on... Who can say? My first step is to learn how to fix computers so I can do it myself from now on

 

[Narz]

Jamie's education is not useless!

As far as job training it is. Granted she can get way better jobs than me because she's got a degree (and is prettier ) but it would be even better if she'd studied something useful.

Sociology was my ex-GF's major BTW. Both have said their education was mostly useless.

Oh and if you think that a humanities discipline is only useful insofar as it trains your for a career in that discipline, you're nuts.

It teaches you how to retain information, organize it in your head, write papers, complete tests. But you don't need to go $40K into debt for that.

 

[Urederra]

As far as job training it is. Granted she can get way better jobs than me because she's got a degree (and is prettier ) but it would be even better if she'd studied something useful.

Take into account that he is disabled, so he already has his options shortened. I wouldn't choose chemistry, for example, since working in the lab could be dangerous for him. Although he would be able to do computational chemistry.

Liberal arts/humanities could be more suitable for disabled, better than a hard science degree.

 

[JZ_UK]

Anyway, I've got intro to comp sci and pre algebra and I'm excited and all... but I'm also nervous out of my mind. What if there're minors in my class? What if the classes are too easy? Too hard?

http://machall.com/view.php?date=2002-07-19

Is what I say to anyone taking comp sci... and maths into the mix... you masochist!

As an undergrad at 26 you're not really that old... you'll stand out as the mommy or daddy of the class, but its a fun roll, its the 'matures' who're post 40 that may struggle to interact with this hip young things...

Welcome to the world of university study, you get out what you put in, good luck!


- JZ graduate in Law with Politics, starting postgrad study at law school in three weeks... whooo... -.-

 

[QuoVadisNation]

What if, by waking up at midnight with insomnia, I'll be too tired to go to class? That one won't happen but I'm cutting it off at the pass. Caffeine pills and coffee.

Little advice. Unless you're taking six or seven very hard classes this semester, save the caffine pills until you really need them for mid-terms and research papers. Also, Stacker sucks; the best ones on the market are either Redline or Hoodie.

 

[wicshade]

i'd like to point at the main purpose of a degree is only geting you a job, most majors realy wont help you that much in the real worl. Also you should strive to be one of the nerds in your classes and make straight A's, moreover somebody with a 2.5 gpa is going to have alot of trouble finding a good job in the future, there are way to many c average students to chose from today. 3.5 gpa's realy stand out today.

 

[GenMarshall]

moreover somebody with a 2.5 gpa is going to have alot of trouble finding a good job in the future.

Oh thanks for taking a jab at my poor college performance -_-.

 

[Narz]

It's all about you, isn't it CivGeneral.

 

[Leonel]

Remember everyone is a jerk except you! Also invest a few bucks into a pair of earplugs suitable for sleeping. You'll thank me later when your neighbor is loudly playing rap with plenty of bass at 2am on a school night. Especially when you gotta get up at 8am for work at the school cafeteria because the jerks next door won't turn it down despite the fact that you've asked them repeatedly and you're so grumpy and you get up and yell "TURN IT DOWN!" with your bed head and the jerk turns up the music to spite you and so you go and beat the crap out of them in your sleep deprived state of being, resulting in a quarter suspension I MEAN SERIOUSLY HOW INCONSIDERATE CAN YOU GET?!

 

[GenMarshall]

It's all about you, isn't it CivGeneral.

Well I dont like to be reminded that I would have a difficult time looking for a job with a low GPA. Bad enough I am unemployed and having no luck landing a job.

 

[Narz]

Well I dont like to be reminded that I would have a difficult time looking for a job with a low GPA. Bad enough I am unemployed and having no luck landing a job.

Well, at least you have a nice girlfriend.

 

[GenMarshall]

Well, at least you have a nice girlfriend.

I'm still single Narz!

 

[Narz]

Oh, well maybe you can meet a nice girl at work.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Also; when you're in the computer lab, there are almost always going to be a number of people who just won't shut up. Invest in some good headphones to drown them out.

 

[GenMarshall]

Also; when you're in the computer lab, there are almost always going to be a number of people who just won't shut up. Invest in some good headphones to drown them out.

I am going to have to vouch for that one. I myself have been through that, especialy in a Computer Lab that is open and not in used in reserve by a professor.

I'd usualy tone them out mentaly.

There is only soo much noise that a person can tolerate to the point of it being anoyance.