1) You’ve Got No Respect

This is probably the number one reason that you aren’t a good roommate. If you don’t care about your roommates, you aren’t going to be considerate. If you want your roommates to treat you the way you want to be treated, consider treating them with respect. An example of respect would be if you know that someone has a test the next day, don’t be playing loud music the night before.

2) You Are Messy

Of course everyone has their messy days, but if you have a pile of clothes on your bed that has been there since you’ve moved in, it’s time that you evaluate how good you are at keeping things clean. If you can’t help it, at least make sure that your mess is contained. If your roommates are leaving you sticky notes about cleaning your dishes, it’s time that you take notice and clean your mess.

3) You Are a Clean Freak

On the other hand, you may be obsessive when it comes to cleaning. If you are that type, you might want to loosen up a bit. Most people enjoy a clean space, but some do not make it a huge priority. If you are a clean freak, make sure that you give other the benefit of the doubt?maybe they were going to clean but were late to class.

4) You Take Without Asking

This is really annoying for other roommates. Especially if they were looking forward to the last slice of their home-made pie.  Don’t be a mooch.  Give and you shall receive.  Be fair and share the goodies, or else you will be looked upon as the black hole of the dormitory that just sucks everything up.

5) You Threaten Your Roommate

This is a big no-no. No matter how you much you joke with a roommate, you should never threaten them. It may seem like a joke to you but your roommate may have a very different type of humor. You don’t want to seem like some crazy person that your roommates are afraid of.

If you think that you do any of these things take a step back and fix what you are doing. You don’t want people to be afraid of you or simply hate being around you.

Try to mix it up

Take a variety of different classes, especially if you are a freshman. If you are undecided in your major, take lots of different subjects of classes to broaden your horizons. If you do this, you are more likely to find that one subject you love which can help you decide your major. If you are already in your major, still try to take at least one or two classes of a different subject in order to learn as much that you can about other fields. Every major has something to offer, so it is beneficial to take those classes.

Rate my Professor

This is an incredible resource when picking out your classes. This website tells you what your professor has been rated by multiple students and what that professor’s strengths and weaknesses are. There may also be university evaluations that are filled out from previous courses that you can get your hands on. It is important to know about your professors prior to starting the class so you can decide if their teaching strategies will be effective on you. The best type of rating to get is from your friends. If your friends have taken the same class or teacher, get their opinion. They can tell you firsthand about the way he/she teaches or whether he/she is a hard grader and whatnot. Their opinion might be the most important one.

Don’t rush to complete GE’s

Your general education classes are important of course, but if you rush these, you may have no idea what to take after two years of generals. You may want to save some of those required classes for later, after you have decided on a major. That way, you can experience a lot of different kinds of classes during your first couple years at school.

Pick the right time

You know yourself better than anyone. Are you a morning person? A night person? Keep that in mind as you pick the times of your classes. For example, when I took Philosophy class at eight in the morning, I was not too happy. I didn’t do as well as I could and I now strongly dislike the topic of Philosophy. The only reason for these negative feelings comes from the fact that the class was too early and I had a hard time focusing. Pick times where you will be awake and enthusiastic. Also, plan plenty of breaks for you to get lunch or stretch your legs. No one likes to sit for too long.

Picking your classes can be stressful, but think of it as also being fun. Every semester is a new schedule with new teachers and new subjects. If you absolutely hate a class you’re taking, just remember that you will get a brand new schedule next semester.

As a high school Freshman, many are terrified of being thrown into a dumpster or jammed into their locker. It happens in all the movies right? Well, now many of you are entering your Freshman year of college. What should you expect? Well, for one thing, expect to make some mistakes. You are in a new and unfamiliar place and it is going to be scary. Here are some things to know about being a college Freshman.

At one point or another, expect to get lost

During your Freshman year, you will experience times where you don’t know where you are, or where you are going. You may feel lost and have no idea what to do. A word of advice: if you are lost, do not be afraid to ask someone where you are going. Older students are people, not monsters. No one is going to make fun of you or ignore you while you’re asking them a question. Also, think about getting a map and walking through campus a day or two before class starts so you can familiarize yourself with your surroundings. This will make it a lot easier for you to find your way around on your first day of classes.

You will stay friends with the people you meet Freshman year

My first week of college, I met the girl who lived across the hall from me. From that moment on, we have been inseparable. The people you meet Freshman year will be your friends for life. If you’re worried about making friends, make an effort to be extra outgoing. Most college Freshmen are in the same boat as you: they want to make friends, but might be scared. Be the one to initiate conversation with people. Most likely, they will have a conversation with you, and who knows? Maybe you will become best friends.

You may break up with your high school sweetheart

And if you don’t, you probably should. You have no idea how many new people you will be meeting every single day while you are in college. Most likely, you will not even care about your high school lover after the first month of being away. High school is a bubble and it is hard to see outside of that bubble, until you get to the real world. If you refuse to break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend before you leave, at least take a break so you can meet new coeds and experience something different.

You may and probably will gain weight

The dorm buffet can be a death trap

Many Freshman decide to live in the dorms. If you live in on-campus dorms, your situation often includes a meal plan of some sort where you eat in a cafeteria or buffet area. Having constant access to all the food you want suggests that you may gain some weight. Ever heard of the Freshman 15? Well, prepare to experience it. Try and eat healthy when you go to eat dinner and try and lay off the midnight snacks that will tempt you.

You will have to be more independent than ever

No parents! Woo-hoo! You will experience a breath of fresh air without having someone constantly controlling you. You can stay out as late as you want, you can hang out with who you want; you’re free. This breath of fresh air will only last a month or two tops. After this party period, you will realize that no one is doing your laundry for you and no one is telling you to do your homework. My suggestion to you then, is to go buy some laundry detergent and crack down on your studying because if not, you will have dirty clothes and bad grades. And if you do end up getting homesick for your parents, remember they are usually just phone call away. Don’t be ashamed to have a moment of dependence.

Trust me, you will have many friends and acquaintances your freshman year before you know it,  just from living in the dorms.  And if you want to go to some crazy drunken fraternity parties, you will have no problem getting in, especially during rush week when the houses are open.  By the time classes start you will know more people than names you can remember, and you won’t need a house to guide you towards “good people”.  Now I am not bashing the Greek system, and I know it suits many people just fine and can be a great time, but if you truly want to experience college as an open and unique individual, you probably shouldn’t swear you loyalties to three Greek letters your first semester on campus.

Greek life limits people in my opinion.  Sure it can be frightening and overwhelming on some of those big thirty thousand plus student campuses for a wide-eyed freshman.  But that doesn’t mean you need the security of a forced group of allies and loyalties.  Fraternities are notorious for hazing their new members, another activity that individualists will not take to very well.  Call me crazy, but I would rather not be forced to binge drink and consume milk and pickles until I puke, where upon I am forced to roll around in my own vomit.  Such juvenile and humiliating activities are not a bonding experience, but instead an immature activity through which insecure boys can pretend to be men.

Now again, I want to clarify.  I am not judging individuals in the Greek system, as I have many good friends that are totally cool and really enjoy their Greek life and houses.  What I am saying is, don’t jump into it just because it seems like the easiest way to make friends.  You may totally miss out on meeting other people not in your house, and you also may end up acting like a close minded douche when in reality you are an open minded unique character deep inside.  Don’t be afraid to be an individual in college.  You are not in high school anymore.

Enjoying the house Bro?

Oh, and a quick tip if you do decide to go Greek.  The meanest girl in the sorority house is probably the most insecure about being ugly, no matter how pretty she is.  And the loudest, most aggressive and roided out hazer in the frat house is most likely gay and unable to come to terms with his own sexuality.  Try to avoid rooming with either; Or girls you will end up a self-conscious narcissist; And guys, well, be careful when you sleep and make sure you get the top bunk.

But, in case you’d like to know you what you’re really going to need to make a name for yourself amongst the throngs, here are some items you might wanna put on your wish list and cross your fingers for.

A Full Length Mirror

Guys and girls alike, you’re going to need a full length mirror.  Let’s face it, we’ve all grown up with them.  We’re used to them, and who can tell what in the world they look like when you can only see yourself from the shoulders up?  If you’re going to really be on top of your game, a full length mirror is a necessity. Trust me on this one and save yourselves the panic of the first morning before class and no idea what 2/3 of your attire looks like from afar.

Ice Cream Maker

If you want to be a hit on your floor and make yourself a name, nothing will do it faster than having your own personal ice cream maker.  Perfect for late night slumber parties, afternoon “study-breaks” and more or less creating sugar highs for the entire floor.  Bonus points if you’ve got a mini-fridge loaded with frozen marshmallows and chocolate syrup.

Giant White Board

Leaving messages and receiving messages is one of your biggest ticket items to popularity in the dorm.  Now, this means that some 8 ½ x 11 inch whiteboard on the side of your door is not going to cut it.  I’m talking as big as you can track down.  (Chalkboards work too.)  Also, if you have an un-ending supply of dry-erase markers, you guarantee yourself a place in the top 5 most popular on your floor.  Guaranteed.

Candy Dispenser

Yep, that’s right.  For right around $30 bucks you can get yourself a candy dispenser for things like M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces and Jelly Bellys.  And once your neighbors realize that they can get to your candy in 2 minutes and skip the 10 flights of stairs down to the sketchy basement to raid the candy dispensers by the weird washing machines, you’ll not only have a flood of traffic to keep you company all the time, your name will spread like wildfire from floors 1 through 20.

Movie Projector

Finally, this one can get a bit pricier than the others, but if you can swing this, your room is going to be the hot spot.  So much so that you might wanna think twice about who you reveal this item to.  You really don’t even need the screen, just go for a simple digital projector, and you can rock out to whatever movie you feel like, splashed across your entire dorm room wall (also great for WII and Xbox) – which you may want to paint in white if it’s a lovely lime green when you move in.

My Future Home:

So basically, this post is a question to the forum and those that have already survived their freshman year.  Most of my friends are off to other schools or still in high school and my parents are like 25 years removed from college. (And they would tell me to study 50 hours a week anyways).  So really, just lay the truth on me in terms of what to expect.  Sorry that my contribution to the community isn’t more inciteful, as I am an incoming freshman seeking some knowledge of what I am getting into in the coming months.  Hopefully by this time next year I am not a dropout statistic, and I can help some other nervous college newbie.  Either way, I look forward to responses from the community board and love the premise of the site…which is exactly what I am trying to do.  Thrive in college.

By saying that you need to “start the college application process during your sophomore year,” I don’t mean filling out the Common Application so that when it’s time to send them out, yours will be the first one on the desk of the scrutinizing college admissions staff. That’s a bit excessive. What I do mean is that it’s time to get involved, time to bulk up your resumé, time to get out of your comfort zone and stand-out from the rest your wolf-pack. Now, you may be wondering why starting this process sophomore year is so important. Well, by joining the Ecology Club sophomore year (or even freshman year), you’ve got some experience being in the club and can maybe become Secretary or Treasurer during your junior year. Senior year finally arrives, and you might even get to be President of this group of passionate environmentalists. Joining clubs and getting involved during your sophomore year of high school allows you to gain seniority and helps you obtain leadership positions, two things that college admissions officers absolutely adore.

Another way to start the college application process during your sophomore year is to start volunteering in your community. Whether it’s cleaning up a local park, organizing a fundraiser to build aqueducts in the Dominican Republic, or reading the newspaper to the elderly, the longer you do it, the better. By picking a project and sticking with it for a few years, you demonstrate commitment and selflessness, hoorah for having some character! Although there’s always so much to do, so many clubs to join, so many aqueducts to be built, being over-involved can hurt you. On top of being stressed out with so many responsibilities, you’re unable to fully commit to one thing. Of course, the more you do, the better, but “doing more” entails focusing on a few tasks and investing yourself in them whole-heartedly; not giving a little piece of your soul to a million different things.

College Admissions:
Which extracurricular activities will look best on my college application?
All in all, the college application process isn’t just about filling out paperwork and visiting schools. It’s a process that lasts years and involves countless hours of time and effort. Focusing on your academics is extremely important as well, but a GPA isn’t everything. A test score won’t be the key factor that will make or break your future.  Be involved in extra-curricular activities, but don’t go overboard. In the end, getting that acceptance letter from UCLA or Harvard in the mail makes all the hard work worth it.

For those of you who don’t know much about the Common Application, a.k.a. the Common App, it’s a form of the college application currently accepted by over 450 schools (nationally and internationally). Created in 1975 and beginning with only 15 members, the Common App has become extremely popular with busy seniors who don’t have time to complete each individual application for every school they plan on applying to. However, each school that does accept the Common App has its own supplement (which can be found on their respective websites) so students can show why they want to go to that specific school and not any random college willing to take them. In a nutshell, the Common App is a condensed and combined form of a generic college application designed to let colleges learn the most about their applicants and to give students more time to focus on what’s truly important: visiting colleges, writing essays, and getting good grades senior year.

In the weeks leading up to its release, rising seniors like myself impatiently await beginning the Common App. I believe it’s a combination of excitement and desire to get it over with that causes us all to become anxious. Honestly, I just want to know already where I’m going to college next year so that I can start packing and get out of town (hopefully). But no matter how much you stare at the calendar or re-check the website everyday to see if they decide to release it early (I promise you that I’m not that anxious), August 1st is still just a day that you and I and the millions of other soon-to-be-seniors are going to have to wait for. Before you know it you’ll be waiting to hear back from all those colleges; trust me, it’ll be way worse than this.

To get a glimpse of last year’s Common App, check out their website here: commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx

1) Take an SAT or ACT Prep Course: While the SAT and ACT standardized tests are designed to assess academic aptitude, they are fatally biased in that they can be studied and prepared for.  Test Prep companies such as Kaplan and Princeton Review have been in business for years on this premise, the idea that in just a couple months you can significantly improve your scores on these exams, simply by studying and learning testing strategies.  While some people are naturally better test takers than others, these prep courses promise to, at the very least, coach students at what to expect come test day.

2) Be Involved in Extra-Curricular Activities: Good grades alone are not enough for some colleges.  Most schools, especially the elite ones, want to see that their incoming class is not just a bunch of book worms.  Sure, academics are important and the primary reason and qualification behind going onto college, but being involved in sports, volunteer work, clubs, playing an instrument and other activities can prove just as importand in building real world skills and becoming a well-adjusted individual in society.  Universities love diversity, so being involved in some interesting activities will help differentiate you from the other applicants.

3) Be Realistic: Everybody would love to go to Harvard or Stanford, but you need to be realistic.  If you have a 2.5 GPA and average SAT exam scores, your chances of attending a top five University are slim to none, unless of course you are a Kennedy, a Bush, your family can donate millions to the school, or you have seedy pictures of the president of the university.  Save yourself time and money (application fees can get pricey) by applying to schools that fit your credentials.  There is a great deal of literature on expected GPA’s and test scores necessary for admission to respective schools in the US, and your high school academic advisors should be able to help you acquire information.

4) Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute: Sure you may be a successful procrastinator in school, one who can wait until the night before an exam to begin studying and still get an A.  Filling out college applications, however, is a bit different.  You will want to spend time and have others review your application essays and writing portions before sending them out.  Being able to step away from the process and rethink some of your application content, as well as having extra sets of eyes to review your work, can only improve your final product.  Further, many schools have a rolling admissions policy, so you don’t want to put yourself in a position where only a few seats remain as the deadline approaches.

5) Visit the Schools You May Attend: You can definitely get a lot of information on your prospective colleges through literature, the internet, word of mouth, and reputation.  Still, there is nothing like actually visiting the schools in which you are interested.  Many people wait until they are actually accepted into a university before visiting its campus, and some never even visit their future college destination.  I believe, that if you have the time and money, you should visit a few of your top choices before even applying.  Try to get a sense of what intrigues you about these institutions and then visit the campuses to ensure that your perceptions are mirrored in reality.