College Tip #4

What am I supposed to do exactly?

Once you know your Major sit down with your advisor and ask them to draw out (write out) a small map or list of EXACTLY what classes you must take to get the degree you are seeking.

Do not be shy to ask this, this will save you a LOT of time spent on worrying whether or not a class is actually necessary for your Major/Degree. And you will also save yourself from having to visit the advisor repeatedly to figure things out; along with a bunch of money you won't be wasting on "worthless" class (in terms of Degree requirements).

Personal Experience:

I actually did this step on my first day of classes at the University I transferred to. Since I was a new transfer with more than 60 credits I had to make sure the classes I had taken in the previous school counted, and if they didn't then I'd have to know what exactly I have to do in order to make up the credits. 

The advisor actually gave me a document that listed all the classes I had taken and need to take: she marked the ones I had already finished and let me know which remained. So don't be afraid to ask, they want you to ask.

Knowing where you're heading will definitely help you sleep at night (it did for me at least).

College Tip #3

*Why does it matter, to me?*

(RELEVANT TO ALL FUTURE TIPS) Understand the reason(s) why you are going to school. Find your own reasons and apply those answers to the classes you will take so you feel that those classes are not a waste of time. 

And when deducing the importance of a class think from the perspective of "how does it relate to my career plans" not "how will it help me right now."

Personal Experience

*It'll expand my mind*

After my first session with a new class I make it mandatory, for myself, to write on the first page of the notebook for the same class, "what makes this class worth taking." And I answer by either relating the class material to my future career or my life in general.

An example would be: Why is Chemistry 2 important: "Chemistry does not simply show the reactions that occur in the science labs but in the world around me, and in the world inside me (the human body). 

As someone that wants to be a Neurosurgeon; understanding the concepts of chemical reactions relating to how anesthesia (don't just leave it to the anesthesiologist) or other drugs will affect the patient's tissues and blood vessels during surgery will open my mind to understanding possible ways of avoiding any issues during and post surgery."

And never consider the answer "it will expand my mind" to be inadequate  that's always the first answer in my mind.

College Tip #2

College Tip #2

Do not be afraid of late/night classes, taking a class after 5 or 6pm (that end around 8 or 9) can open up your schedule immensely for the important classes related to your Major (or just the most difficult classes). 

Personal Experience:

This semester (Fall 2013) I decided to take one of my 3 hour classes (English, focused on Shakespeare) at 6pm (ends at 9pm) since it would give me access to more time that can be used by my Chemistry course and Statistics course. Those courses hold more value, personally, since I am a Biomedical Science Major and require those classes for getting my Degree, and increasing my chances into Med school. 

College Tip #1

College Tip #1

If you transfer schools (college/university) make sure to have at least 1 copy of the course syllabus for each class you attended in the previous college. This will be necessary for course evaluations (the school you are transferring into sometimes has to see if the classes you took in the previous school(s) count as prerequisites by reading the syllabus for that class).

Personal Experience:

I recently transferred to a new university and two of the classes I took in the previous university (College Algebra, and Chemistry 1) had to be evaluated by the new university in order to see if they count as prerequisites for the next level courses (Calc and Chem 2).

Lucky for me, they did.

Life Sheet: Content from (mine and others) life Experience

Life Sheet is a Blog totally dedicated to providing short (sometimes not so short) statements made from past experiences; documented in the form of a list.

The individual members of the list will be formatted as "Tips" for facing a future event or reminding oneself of past events that may serve well in being remembered.

The list, which will be created from multiple blog posts, will pertain to different events in life: college life, career life, everyday life, and many other things related to experience-building moments.

Since this is meant to help the general public, I will try to be as general as possible with some posts. But no post shall be solely opinion based; everything is from true experiences (gained from my own and other peoples lives).

In order to show this is not simply an opinion list that does not come from my own or someone elses experience, I will add a Personal Experience to as many posts as possible (some posts may have come from experiences the donor may not like to share, but either way serve a purpose).

Format (how each tip will be presented)

(subject) Tip: word word word word word
Personal Experience: word word word


In the instance that I cannot provide an honest (real) Personal Experience please be willing to acknowledge the content as a simple message for aiding others, and not as something harmful.

However if you can't, then simply ignore it and read, only, the Tips with Personal Experience listed.

I hope this list serves its readers well, and in some cases, aids individuals in avoiding possible troubles not yet encountered.

Life Liver.