Moving into my senior year, there are things I wish I knew when I first came. Part of me thinks everyone should learn it the hard way, but what the hell. Most of the blatantly obvious stuff has already been covered.
Do NOT schedule a class before 11. 820 is torture, 925 is bad, and 1030 leaves you groggy. You might be able to do it for a few weeks, but it will catch up to you.
Always wear slippers. Nothing is clean there. Every sink, every stall, every toilet seat, every floor, every couch has been directly shitted or puked on at some point in the past.
Certain classes are book classes. The kind of class where the prof teaches directly whats in the book. Most giant lecture halls do not take attendance. Therefore, attendance is strictly optional. If you can learn it from the book, you dont need to go to class. I've gotten As and Bs in some classes by never going and just studying the book the night before.
Do not be a bitch to your roomates. They will annoy you sometimes, they will be loud, they will keep you up, all of the above. You will probably do the same to a degree. Dont fight it, just live with it. Part of the fun of college is waking up at 3am to a riot in your living room or hall.
Large subwoofers are fun.
Dont overspend your meal plan. Although it doesnt feel like it, its real money youre spending. You have to try and budget it, or you will run out of points with a month left in the semester and you will be forced to eat frozen burritos for the next month. And trust me, you DONT want to eat frozen burritos for a month.
Drink alcohol or smoke weed. Pick your poison, but going through 4 years of college without either is booooring. Legality is not an issue. The worst you will have to do is give up what you got caught with and take a substance abuse class.
Dont mess around TOO much. Everyone has that one bad semester where they misjudge their abilites and screw around too much and get put on academic probation. College is fun, but dont waste your money by failing everything.
Dont pick your major till soph year. Take a bunch of classes and see what you like. Comp sci isnt as fun when you have to take 20 hard math courses.
Lock your door when youre not there, and leave your TV on. Even when you go to take a dump. The locks on the doors can be easily dealt with. But noone is going to break down your door if your TV is on, and they think youre in there. No matter how much you trust the people around you, you cant keep track of everything when youre not there.
Get a fridge and a microwave. Dining halls arent open all night. Although they are open till 3AM here.
Explore your campus. Any decent campus has some hidden little quirks. Theres a bamboo forest just outside of our campus. Best place in the world to smoke, chill out, or get drunk, but it is scary as hell at night. There was a lazyboy recliner hidden in a little alcove above an air vent in a corner of the campus. Best place to get away from it all. A few good hills to slide down on the days it snows. Dining hall trays make good slides.
It is customary to give your roomate a chance to hit it if his gf is visiting. When you leave, let him know how long youll be gone, so he'll know if the coast is clear. I had the unfortunate chance of being roomed with someone who didnt know what "cock blocker" stood for.
After a year, nothing will shock you anymore. Seeing a cat in your room at 4AM cause sorority girls dumped a dead lobster in your room wont surprise you. Having your roomate rip off your screen, open your window, and grab your legs and scream like a maniac while youre sleeping will not surprise you. Him not remembering it in the morning wont suprise you either.
And above all, have FUN. Dont be that guy that studys all day long to get that A so he can get a job that will stress him out even more than school did. You need to learn how to chill now, because you wont be able to later.
Hehehehehe, its almost 4:20. Gotta prepare.