[Dan Richardson]

Hrmm :: Ponders :: Things I wish I had considered before college?

Well I wish I knew a little more about what I wanted in a school. I go to a HUGE college, something like 48000, and sometimes its entirely to easy to feel lost in the system. Know yourself, and know what you want, If you want smaller make sure you go smaller, if you like the big aspect GO BIG.

Don't be afraid to get help, for the most part professors actually want you to learn, and are encouraged when you approach them for out of class help. It is also quite likely that it will help your grades, not only because the help will aid your understanding but because the professor knows you and if your a borderline a/b b/c c/d you may just get that higher grade.

Avoid credit cards like the plague, skimming over some statistics from some websites, the average credit card debt for a college student is somewhere around $2700, and 10% of college students debt exceeds $7000. I don't know about you but I sure as heck don't have $7000 dollars laying around and you'll pay for that debt later. I hear the having one for emergency use reasoning often, Its rare thats the case but maybe you can arrange something with your parents that if you are in an emergency you can use theres. But try your best to avoid having to carry your own it just enables you to use money you don't have, and often times your emergency is " How do I pay for these concert tickets.. hrmm this is a crisis.. crisis .. emergency.. charge it baby! "

Roommates... A lot of times you don't always have a choice, but when you do be careful. Your best friend isn't always your best roommate, trust me, I've been in more than one " tussle " over who ate my bologna and cheese. There are people out there who's hygienic habits you didn't know existed.. I know.. I live with one now, I wear a mask when I go into his room to ask him a question.

DON'T DO FIRST, if you can avoid it for at least your freshman year. I wish I would have followed my own advice. Two years running I've meant to take a laid back roll and just be sort of a consultant. Somehow my rookie team this year ended up building their robot in my garage. Yeah... Right... being in FIRST and taking a laid back approach? I imagine there are a lot of you out there reading this that are much more diligent and smarter than I but take my warning and be careful. It is extraordinarily difficult to keep your grades up while being fully involved with FIRST, make sure you balance your schedule and leave ample time for study. You do not want to bank your GPA on robot ship deadline. Also travelling to competition is a difficult strain on your time as well, 4 days of classes and missed assignments can be difficult to deal with. For example Nationals is on my final exam week this year.

Avoid "marketplace food" at all costs. Easy Mac and top Ramen to the rescue.

Lastly, Enjoy yourself. College is a great experience, I've enjoyed it to this point. I've had my fair share of disappointments as well, but the college environment is so full of opportunity. You don't have to drink and party and what not thats not what I'm talking about. But the clubs, the intramural sports, the people and the general laid back approach to life can be a great thing to experience. Being responsible for yourself is a great thing to learn, its been exciting for me to go through the change from high school into college. And enjoy having to be just responsible for yourself, because someday you may have little FIRSTERS running around that you have to be responsible for lol.