Just got accepted

[colinreturn]

to OU.

Any tips or advice for the next 4 years of my life?

[JLEW1818]

do girls !!!

[Crucifax Autumn]

Beer

[OUAndy1807]

spend a lot of time on the south oval.

not the football board.

[Sooner_09]

As a current student I'll help...
1. Get season football tickets
2. Go to class, it helps
3. Get to know the people in your hallway (assuming you live in the dorms your first year)
4. Make time to go work out and avoid the freshman 15
5. Have fun. College can be the time of your life, but don't make a habit of partying every night.

[yermom]

get student tickets

give your Texass ticket to yermom

[JLEW1818]

get student tickets

give your Texass ticket to yermom


yes

[1890MilesToNorman]

Succeed!!

[sooner2b09]

I will also be attending OU in the fall.

Spek anyone?

:D

[Collier11]

Enjoy it...have as much fun as possible, the key though is to go to class. As easy as that sounds, it becomes far easier to skip after a fun night out. It is too hard to get your gpa back up after a few bad semesters, trust me. So go out and have a ton of fun, go to class, and if you cant decide what you want to do after a year who the hell cares. Dont stress about the small stuff...

[47straight]

Eat at the Greek House.

Go to class.

Limit going out to 2 nights a week.

[jumperstop]

watch out for crazy preachers and giant abortion pictures on the south oval.

[OKC-SLC]

don't be a doosh.

[TheBobbyTrain]

if you think about getting a girlfriend...



don't. you're college life will be much better without one.

[Frozen Sooner]

Congratulations.

Go to class. Take notes. Try not to drink too much.

This would be the opposite of what I did freshman year, and I spent four years making up for it.

[setem]

First thing, first!

Meet me in front of the library tomorrow morning at 11:30sharp! Hold out your hand and close your eyes!

I promise I wont ride by on my bike and slop dog **** in your hand!

All kidding aside! Do not hack into a Japanese Professor's 4x4 and buy **** from the IT Store and have it shipped to her. They don't like that! Nor should you attempt to kidnap her some years later and then make WOW-reference posts on your facebook page while there is a BOLO out for your nerdy ***!


This is my way of life at OU: GO TO FOOTBALL GAMES - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO BASKETBALL GAME - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO BASEBALL GAME - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO TENNIS(Ladies) MATCH - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN!

If you do something at OU do it while getting ****ed up! That is what makes it that college experience!

I am 45 and still a frosh at OU just so you know! j/k...or am I?

[AlbqSooner]

GO TO EVERY CLASS!

Approach it as your full time job. If you don't show up for work you don't get to keep your job.

If you go to every class you will get enough by osmosis alone to keep your job. If you study and work hard at it you will get a better job when you leave that one.

Pretty simple really.

Oh yeah, in the job of full time student, as well as in the rest of your life, have fun. Just keep your job as one of your highest priorities.

[SoonerAtKU]

As much fun as it can be, do not engage the evangelists in conversation. There's an old saying about wrestling with a pig that applies here.

[okienole3]

don't be a doosh.

Advice that lasts a lifetime.


Seriously though, have fun, but keep a balance and stay on top of your school work.

[Boomer.....]

Congrats!

Like Albq said, make sure and go to class and get your hw done. I know too many people who ****ed around during their freshman and sophomore years who are paying for it now by not getting accepted into med or law school. They are having to retake classes that they dicked around in years earlier.

After school work is done, go out and have fun because college is a great time and you shouldn't miss out on any part of it.

[MichiganSooner]

Get out of your comfort zone and meet the people in your dorm; make new friends. Attend every class and take good notes. Study your notes asap after class to help remember. Keep up on the reading. There will be LOTS of reading. Study every day; falling behind got me my freshman year big time. Doing well at college is extremely difficult work even for the brightest of students. You will have to apply yourself like you never did in high school or ever thought possible. And go the the ballgames and cheer like a champion!

[OUDoc]

Go to class. Make it worth your 4 years there.
Meet new people.
Have fun.
I would have taken more pictures, if I had it to do over again.

[SteelClip49]

Teachers don't give a damn who you are because it's OU, a major university with 20,000 others like you. Also, go to Catholic Night, even if you are not Catholic, at STM and get with some girls....I did.

[batonrougesooner]

**** as many girls as you possibly can...as a freshman.

You will never pull as much tail ever again as you will in college.

by the way...wrap your business up. Protect yourself. There are some nasty diseases out there. See it everyday.

[OUDoc]

**** as many girls as you possibly can...as a freshman.

You will never pull as much tail ever again as you will in college.

by the way...wrap your business up. Protect yourself. There are some nasty diseases out there. See it everyday.

True on all counts.

[olevetonahill]

Remember you are NOW in College, you are leaving High school behind . In High school you got Kinda forced to do good , By Counselors, Parents , teachers.
You are Now going to Have to be all 3 to yourself .
The Profs. want you to do Great . But if they think yer to lazy or just dont give a **** . Guess what? they aint gonna give a **** either . Its up to you now .

[Boomer.....]

I would have taken more pictures, if I had it to do over again.

:hot:

[BoomerJack]

First thing, first!

Meet me in front of the library tomorrow morning at 11:30sharp! Hold out your hand and close your eyes!

I promise I wont ride by on my bike and slop dog **** in your hand!

All kidding aside! Do not hack into a Japanese Professor's 4x4 and buy **** from the IT Store and have it shipped to her. They don't like that! Nor should you attempt to kidnap her some years later and then make WOW-reference posts on your facebook page while there is a BOLO out for your nerdy ***!


This is my way of life at OU: GO TO FOOTBALL GAMES - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO BASKETBALL GAME - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO BASEBALL GAME - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN! GO TO TENNIS(Ladies) MATCH - GET ****ED UP AND WATCH THE SOONERS WIN!

If you do something at OU do it while getting ****ed up! That is what makes it that college experience!

I am 45 and still a frosh at OU just so you know! j/k...or am I?

Thank you for that advice, Pres. Boren.

[Collier11]

Its ok to sleep in a few times, just plan them out well and dont do it often. Most likely you will feel the need to do stuff in excess, just try to keep the excess to a minimum. I tried to only party on friday and saturday with the occasional thursday mixed in. Dont let hot girls talk you into not using protection, you may not end up as lucky as myself ;)

[The_Red_Patriot]

No classes before 11


Don't be a ******

[NormanPride]

Education Advice:

1. The simple fact of attending class does have a positive affect on your grades. I advise making every effort to make EVERY class your first semester. This (a) keeps you out of trouble somewhat and lessens the culture shock MANY people face when they hit college and (b) gets you used to which classes you can miss more than others

2. Choosing professors and class times is almost as important as the actual classes you take and even MORE important than how much you study. Taking the wrong prof can guarantee a bad grade no matter how much you study, and taking a good one can ensure you KNOW the stuff, rather than just being able to test about it. Trust me, employers (your goal is to get a job, right?) know when you understand your **** rather than just memorized facts.

3. Don't worry about choosing a major right away. A majority of the people I knew either changed majors halfway through or didn't know until 2 years in. Take as many different types of classes early, but here's the big point: That first "intro to" class you take will have almost nothing to do with what you actually study in that major. Ask the prof about what things are really like, and TAs (the assistant teachers not much older than you) will also give you a good idea of what to expect.

4. Don't major in music, unless you really, REALLY want to.

5. Don't major in Meteorology unless you're so damn good at science and math that advanced calc is a cakewalk and physics II bores you.

Social Advice:

1. Don't be a doosh. Seriously. Everyone can tell.

2. Don't worry about "fitting in" with people you don't really like. Find people you're comfortable with, and hang with them. Nobody cares about your image in college, unlike in HS. There are so many groups of people that nobody can keep them straight easily.

3. Greek is big at OU, but it may not be for you. Scout it out if you want, but if you're not into it, don't worry. I didn't really know anyone that was huge into it after the first couple of years anyway. Most guys I knew got sick of living with 20 other guys and moved into apartments. :)

4. Wear a rubber, dude. Seriously. Also, stay away from crazy chicks.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS:

Get football season tickets, and basketball season tickets. You will regret it for YEARS if you do not. Go to the RRS at least once, and go to a whiteout at either a men's or women's bball game at least once. It's damn fun.

Go to the bowl game. SERIOUSLY. Make a road trip out of it with your friends.

[Leroy Lizard]

Okay, here is my advice, which is actually serious.

1. Take every writing course you can. Poetry, Eng. Lit., technical writing... it doesn't matter. Take 'em. In the future, list them all on your resume as courses taken outside your field of study. This will get you a job more than anything else you can do.

2. Don't worry if you can't finish in four years unless you have serious financial issues. You will have more fun than you ever will as an undergrad... why push it? Take five years if you need to. Six if they will let you. Use the extra time to take a lot of cool classes that you can pad your resume (math, computer science, English).

Sorry to spoil the fun.

[starclassic tama]

go to class. statistics say you will flunk/drop out within the next 2 years. don't join a frat unless you don't have any friends and need to buy some...

[OUstud]

Take easy classes first semester. Stay in your comfort zone in that aspect. I took chem first semester having never taken it before, and that was a huge mistake (it took up nearly all of my study time, which in turn affected my other grades).

Ignore the whiny "buy your friends" advice and go Greek...if it's for you. I'm in a house and I love it. But some people don't. It's whatever. But just know the portrayal of frats in movies (popped collars and the like) is almost always BS. If you do go Greek, read frattinghard.com for some tips. :D

[OUMallen]

Onc eyou're there, never leave.

Do NOT be afraid to get in extracurriculars.

[Vaevictis]

I'll give academic advise, as I'm not a social person in any shape or form.

(1) Talk to people in your major (or target majors) who have been in it for awhile, preferably a year or two ahead of you. Ask them which professors are good and which are bad. Ask them what the classes are like. Which ones are hard? Which ones aren't? Which ones eat a ton of time? Which ones don't? Which ones are fun? Which ones aren't? Use this to plan your semesters and make them balanced. You can really ruin about 4 months of your life by accidentally loading up on the wrong classes.

(2) Most majors have wash-out courses. Figure out which ones these are. Try to schedule as few of these in a semester as possible.

(3) Sit down at least once a semester -- maybe more often than that -- and look at the classes you have to take to graduate. Figure out when they're going to be offered (the catalog will tell you which classes tend to be offered when). Take prerequisites as early and as often as possible. Failure to plan this stuff out can put you in a really nasty bind.

(4) Don't take what your advisor says about the classes you have to take at face value. Take the time to personally verify. I've known several people who listened to their advisor without personally verifying what the advisor said... and ended up having to stay an extra year in order to graduate.

(5) Figure out what the key "infrastructural" classes are in your major. These are the classes which contain concepts and knowledge that other classes will use. Take these early, and master them. Doing this will make your life much easier.

(6) GPA is important... to your first job and when applying to graduate school. Learning the material, and learning the right material, is more important in the long run.

(7) Many OU majors have accelerated bachelor/master combinations. These usually require high GPA's and fairly restrictive course selection. If you think you might want to do it, know it early and prepare.

(8) Figure out when your enrollment date is. Log in the first minute on the first day and get the best classes, with the best professors, with the best schedule you can.

(9) If you're a math geek, remember that writing is important. If you're a writing geek, remember that math is important. Either way, remember that math and writing are important. Try to take them seriously and get good at both.

[Collier11]

(8) Figure out when your enrollment date is. Log in the first minute on the first day and get the best classes, with the best professors, with the best schedule you can.



very important, you wait too long and youll get crappy classes and teachers

[snp]

There's a ton of great information in this thread. Especially the academic stuff. Take this seriously, I didn't and I had to spend my last few years making up for it.

If you are interested in joining a fraternity, get in touch with older guys from your high school and talk to them about rush (you can search here (http://search.ou.edu/) for their email). And register for fall rush when it opens. I realize frats aren't for everyone but I came to Oklahoma with almost no body from my high school. I probably would have transferred after my freshman year if I hadn't. I can give you more information about frats if that's something you're interested in, send me a PM.

And even if you are not interested in joining a frat, trick them into thinking you're going to rush in the spring and you can enjoy a bunch of free parties.

Go to Camp Crimson. You'll be ready for a getaway by the end of senior summer.

Make a million friends and use Facebook. I don't care if you hate it, it is a great social tool for college kids. Lots of parties/campus information is passed through this medium. Speaking of information, always grab a newspaper.

Pickaprof.com (http://www.pickaprof.com/index.php) should always be used when picking classes. Not to be relied on 100%, but learn to use it and you can spot out a few blow off classes.

Never pass up a road trip if you can afford it.

When registering for classes, consider what your ideal study habit would consist of. If you're not a morning person, don't schedule a MWF 9AM class at Sarkeys. Consider classes that meet only once a week (except on Thursday because that's the best night of the week)

The day before classes start, grab some hallmates and go tour the school memorizing the locations of your buildings. I'd even recommend going into some of the buildings because some buildings are a maze even once you're in.

Try your best to make your teachers know your name. Go ask them questions during their office hours, a lot of time they just want to hang out and talk with students. You'll need letters of recommendation when you graduate and it's never too early to start networking.

Consider getting a summer lease at one of those mega apartments for the summer after your freshman year. Summer is a great time to be in Norman and those mega apartments have the best pools. You can also get some credits out of the way.

Don't be the guy who comes back from Christmas Break and already has packed on 20 pounds. Jog to the stadium and run stadiums for a few minutes a week. The gym is right across the street and you're already paying for it. Intramural sports are constantly going on, ask your RA to organize teams among your floor.

Be cool with your RA and your hallmates. If you make enemies, they will complain when you have beer and girls in your room after curfew and you will be fined. Fines suck, don't get them.

Enjoy the best years of your life.

[fwsooner22]

There is some awesome stuff here. If you listen to half of it you will do just fine.

I will add one thing; it took to my Junior Year to realize that if I went to a quiet area of the library immmediately after class was over and studied the notes for the day my study time for tests was cut in half or more. It was something that worked wonders for me.

Make friends with everyone. Every freshman is terrified even if they act like they're already Srs.

Good Luck and Boomer Sooner.

[BornandBred]

pickaprof.com can help with professor selection.

Do your best to schedule classes M-Th after 10, but as freshman you usually get hosed with MWF 8am courses. If they take roll, BE THERE!

Go to professor's office hours. I can't tell you how many times my borderline grade got bumped up because I was there weekly and they saw I was busting my hump. Also, don't be afraid to raise your hand in class, but don't be 'That Guy' who's always trying to prove how smart he is by either stating the obvious or arguing with the prof.

Rush, even if you don't plan on doing the Greek thing. Meeting new people is never a bad plan.

Don't cheat on tests. Everyone does it a little in high school. They'll kick your *** out in college.

Average at least 5 hours of sleep a night during finals. At some point you get so tired your body can't learn anymore and you do more damage than good by being awake.

The bottom line with college is that when people wash out it's usually not because they weren't smart enough, it is because they don't have what it takes to make themselves put in the required time. Put the time in, work hard, party harder. It's the greatest 4-6 years of your life.

[oudivesherpa]

College, the best eight years of my life!

I got my liberal arts degree some where else, but my MBA at OU. However, I got most of my liberal education one weekend in Dallas during the RRS!

Study like you're future depends upon it, it does!

[BornandBred]

....

Enjoy the best years of your life.

Pretty much everything he said.

[SoonerJack]

I'm really surprised at the good information being put up here. I mean legit advice. Of course the people like yermom telling you to give your OU-Texas ticket to him. pfft. You should give that sucker to ME!

[sooner59]

Im graduating in May so you can have my spot on campus

Like most have said:

-take easy classes your first semester
-pickaprof.com is your best friend
-don't be a homebody....meet as many people as possible
-(to the above statement) **** a few of those people
-party, you are in college
-don't party too much, grades are important (still bringing my GPA up from 4 years ago)
-you don't need a major as a freshmen, take gen-ed and feel things out
-get season tickets (or find a way to go to every game like i did as a freshmen)

[Collier11]

The basement and 4th floor of the library have great quiet bathrooms for that emergency turd

[neilperry]

don't be a ****** (which will be hard since all first semester freshman are) and go to class.

[fadada1]

take it from someone who failed out the first time i was at OU (thankfully they let me back in after getting my sh*t together in the navy):

1- GO TO CLASS!!!! EVERY CLASS. go if you're sick. go if you're hungover. go if you hate the class. go if there are no hot girls in the class.

2- SIT IN FRONT!!!! you'll be forced to pay attention up there.

3- GO SEE YOUR PROFESSORS!! even if it's only to say "hello, my name is ______."

4- TAKE EARLY CLASSES. get them out of the way. study/do your homework before dinner. workout, goof off, go out, chase girls, etc... when you are done with your work. nothing happens before 9pm anyway, so do your work. best time to go to the library is saturday before the games. do it. it'll make the rest of your weekend better.

5- most important - HAVE FUN. seriously, it sounds silly, but enjoy the experience. have a great time your freshman year in the dorms. there are so many people you will meet from all over. enjoy it. go to the games with your buddies. go to dinner in the cafeteria with everyone you can. dinner is a riot and can turn into a 2 hour laugh-fest. hang out in the lounges. i still have friends almost 20 years later that i met in the TV lounge watching games.

good luck to you!!!

[Fraggle145]

to OU.

Any tips or advice for the next 4 years of my life?

Drink a lot. **** a lot of chicks. PIITB if you can. Threesome if you can (probably your last chance). Don't flunk out.

YWIA

[Fraggle145]

take it from someone who failed out the first time i was at OU (thankfully they let me back in after getting my sh*t together in the navy):

1- GO TO CLASS!!!! EVERY CLASS. go if you're sick. go if you're hungover. go if you hate the class. go if there are no hot girls in the class.

2- SIT IN FRONT!!!! you'll be forced to pay attention up there.

3- GO SEE YOUR PROFESSORS!! even if it's only to say "hello, my name is ______."

4- TAKE EARLY CLASSES. get them out of the way. study/do your homework before dinner. workout, goof off, go out, chase girls, etc... when you are done with your work. nothing happens before 9pm anyway, so do your work. best time to go to the library is saturday before the games. do it. it'll make the rest of your weekend better.

5- most important - HAVE FUN. seriously, it sounds silly, but enjoy the experience. have a great time your freshman year in the dorms. there are so many people you will meet from all over. enjoy it. go to the games with your buddies. go to dinner in the cafeteria with everyone you can. dinner is a riot and can turn into a 2 hour laugh-fest. hang out in the lounges. i still have friends almost 20 years later that i met in the TV lounge watching games.

good luck to you!!!

Most of this too. except take late classes so you can get over you hang over. And the the thing about the library before games. you should be boozing. The fact you should go to at least every home game and every OU/tx is a given.

[sooner2b09]

oh by the way, what do you think you plan on majoring in?

I plan on hopefully going into Broadcast Journalism and my dream since I was little was to be on ESPN someday even though I know a bunch of people on here hate ESPN :D.

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

If there are clubs/internship programs/professional organizations within your major, get involved in them early and often. With many majors, especially stuff like journalism, the stuff you learn in the classroom REALLY doesn't matter, especially when looking for your first job. It's the practical, professional experience you have on your resume that seperates the men from the girls when employers are sifting through piles of resumes four years from now.

Oh, and listen to KGOU. ;)

[Jboozer]

GO TO CLASS!!!! EVERYONE IS SAYING IT BC IT TRUE, IF YOU DON'T YOU WILL REGRET IT.

ONLY TAKE 12 HOURS YOUR FIRST SEMESTER, OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET BOGGED DOWN AND NOT DO YOUR BEST. SATRT WITH TWELVE AND GO SLOW.

[76soonergrad]

Focus on academics..Take it seriously.

Please don't get a credit card or even a debit card. You can have alot of fun without spending a lot of money.

Get to know people. Enjoy it. Partying is okay..Learn your limits.

Exercise.

Like they say, it's all ahead of you. "Oh, the places you'll go!"




______________________________________
...............Live On University

[Collier11]

I completely agree with the credit card but you do realize no one takes checks anymore and you have to have a debit card to get money from an ATM, it is 09 for Gosh sake

[colinreturn]

oh by the way, what do you think you plan on majoring in?

I plan on hopefully going into Broadcast Journalism and my dream since I was little was to be on ESPN someday even though I know a bunch of people on here hate ESPN :D.


im going to go in undecided, thinking about political science and marketing.


And everyone, thanks for the best thread ive read all offseason, and excellent advice.

[Vaevictis]

im going to go in undecided, thinking about political science and marketing.

Just for reference, you do this one for fun, not to make a living.

Both of my parents started out as PolySci majors. My father actually graduated.

Then they realized that they would have to earn a living at some point, and they both got accounting degrees.

And advice my father gave me: The only undergraduate business degree worth getting is accounting. And of the rest, finance is the best.

His reasoning is that, with the exception of accounting, all of the other undergraduate business degrees can easily be replicated -- with higher pay towards the end of your career -- with an MBA.

However, my understanding is that the Energy Management undergraduate program at OU produces graduates which are in high demand and very well paid. And it isn't very well replicated by an MBA. So, in this one field, I think maybe he's wrong.

Just for what it's worth.

[OUAlumni1990]

Choose a major that has lots of hot chicks. Engineering is not one of them by the way....but the money is good..

[Vaevictis]

Industrial engineering actually has more females than males, and with that kind of ratio, you'll get some lookers.

Chemical engineering isn't too bad either; you get pre-meds in there.

[tommieharris91]

Choose a major that has lots of hot chicks. Engineering is not one of them by the way....but the money is good..

Those would be anything involving education, psychology, nursing, and probably any zoology/biology combination. The mainstream foreign languages have plenty of pretty women in them too.

[tommieharris91]

im going to go in undecided, thinking about political science and marketing.


And everyone, thanks for the best thread ive read all offseason, and excellent advice.

There's plenty more good advice on the south oval.

[starclassic tama]

thinking about political science and marketing.
.

in that case by all means join a frat.

[Sooner70]

Keep a diary and take pictures. No kidding. College was some of the best years of my life & after being graduated over 35 years, I still have contact with my college buddies. You'll make some lifelong friends. I didn't keep a diary or take any pictures, but wish I had. Pleasant memories, I have. Main thing, is go to class, even when you don't want to. Also, if dorm or frat house life gets too boisterous for consistent study, go to the Library. It's a great place to study & sleep sometimes too.

[Bosley]

if you think about getting a girlfriend...



don't. you're college life will be much better without one.

Just want to bump this.

[cjames317]

This is pretty good stuff. I can't decide whether to show this to my daughter because of some of the advice; but maybe she needs to know how most college guys think.

I share the "go to the library" recommendation. I never could get much schoolwork done in the dorm, frat, apartment and house. I didn't figure that out until after a couple of years spinning my wheels. And the girls usually outnumbered the guys.

[texas bandman]

No classes before 11.

+1

I was going to say 10:00. Early morning classes are the easiest to miss because they are ......well, early. I didn't have that luxury since I crammed 152 hours into 3 and 1/2 years, I wish I had it to do over again....I was insane to want to graduate early, but then I did finish my bachelor's and master's in 5 years and that year and a half on my master's was downright leisurely, even with my GA teaching load.

[Collier11]

I crammed 140+ hours into 6 years, I win! ;)

[oudivesherpa]

From the posting above you can tell that OU graduates love their school. I have an undergraduate degree from (Tulsa), graduate degress from (OU, Northwestern and University of Houston) but no where will you find the passion for their university as you will find at OU. Going to OU was one of the best if not the best decision I ever made.

Congratulations, welcome to the OU community, and commit yourself to completing your degree.

[badger]

First on all, congrats. This is my first appearance in this thread, so I probably will reiterate a lot of what was already said.

Dorms: Your dorm will suck, but it's ok, because the best part of dorms is outside the room itself. Introduce yourself to other people on your floor/quad, arrange for time to go out to get food together either at the cafeteria or "meal exchange" at college-based restaurants, or play video games all night.

Food: If you are on a food plan, get as many meal points as possible on your meals vs. meal point plans. You'll understand after your first semester why. If you want spoiler warnings now, it's because you never use all of your meals every week so it's just wasted. Points are for the entire semester, so they rollover.

Transportation: If you bring your car, don't move it except on weekends, or you will lose your spot. If this sounds like a waste to bring your car, that's because it is. You can pizz a lot of people off by walking back to the dorms through parking lots - they will trail you hoping you're opening up a spot and get angry when they realize you aren't. For the most part, a bike will serve you well and your new dorm friends will transport you to Wal-mart when necessary.

Class: People have said it many times already, but attending class is essential to academic success in most cases. You will sometimes have a tenured professor who never changes his exams and only stands up front because that's what he's paid to do while he writes books and does personal research on the side, but for the most part, class attendance is essential. To find the best professors to take, try sites like Rate my Professor or Pick-A-Prof out. You will be able to tell right away which classes are complete blowoffs and which ones will be most challenging.

Studying: Unlike high school, you will find that most classes involve (1) attendance, (2) term papers and (3) exams. Some classes only have exams, some have papers and exams, but only a few classes will have day-to-day assignments, depending on your major. For the general 1000-level class, you will likely have two exams and possibly two papers. Thus, it is essential to get sample exams from OU resources (or your Greek networking if you join a house) and once again, ratemyprof/pickaprof Web sites. Know beforehand what to expect, because bombing one test, unlike HS, means failing the entire class. Plan accordingly.

Fun: Don't plan to camp in your dorm too much. Again, your dorm sucks and your facebook can wait until classtime, winky winky. Get on the football season ticket lottery, get a group of dormmates out to work out at the Huff (Huston Huffman Center, the equivalent of a YMCA), and most importantly, make plans to stay on campus on weekends. I lived far away from campus, so I only went home at holidays when they closed dorms, and the most random stuff happened on weekends, which most people missed out on because they sat at home and watched the washer and dryer turn.

Scheduling: If you have no problem waking up for high school classes now, go ahead and make your first class be an 8:30 class. However, keep in mind that 8:30 feels earlier and earlier as the year goes on, so only put an 8:30 class on the schedule if you know you will listen to your alarm. Also, if you have the opportunity, have all of your classes be Tuesday/Thursday classes. This will make your in-class time shorter and your weekend longer for fun or studying. Plus, you will discover that weekends start on Thursday night at OU. Plan accordingly! Also, schedule an average of 15 credits every semester. Freshman year feels like 12 if you take a "Gateway" class your first semester. Also, keep in mind that some classes are only available for freshmen, so if you want some cheap credits, look for these ones right away, or they won't be available later!

Choosing a major: Many come for meteorology and end up in a different program. If you can, try to talk to students in the major you're interested in before you sink into too many 1000-level classes early-on. Don't be the kid that spent 10 years on an undergrad degree because you couldn't make up your mind on what to be when you grow up!

Finances: If you are paying for college yourself or at least contributing, consider taking some classes through OCCC in OKC. They have credits that transfer to most any program at OU for hundreds less. The book stores will rip you off, so try eBay, Amazon or other online sources for cheaper books. Also, keep in mind that you will likely do some laundry at some point. The machines on campus charge about $1.00 per load in the wash and another $1.00 to dry.

Ok, that's all I can think of offhand. Hope it helps!

[BrockLanders]

take a semester to study overseas...

[OUAlumni1990]

Dorms: Your dorm will suck, but it's ok, because the best part of dorms is outside the room itself. Introduce yourself to other people on your floor/quad, arrange for time to go out to get food together either at the cafeteria or "meal exchange" at college-based restaurants, or play video games all night.

Dorms can be fun, its what you make of it. Like if you get lucky and get a room in Walker Tower facing huff n puff, you can make obscene phone calls to the pretty girls walking by the pay phone just out front (of huff puff). That was good for MANY hours of free entertainment!

Also, most of the dorms like in Walker tower are joined to another dorm, in other words, you share your bathroom with your neighbor. DO NOT leave your shampoo bottle in the shower. Otherwise you can wind up with wizz in your shampoo bottle (nextdoor neighbor getting smart). Likewise, you can do the same to him (return the favor) if he leaves his shampoo bottle in the shower.

[JLEW1818]

College is as hard as you make it.

[sooner518]

The basement and 4th floor of the library have great quiet bathrooms for that emergency turd

this man speaks the truth. watch out for one of the bathrooms in the basement though. My friend used to work there and he showed me where some perv had drilled a peephole in the stall at above waist level that shared a stall-wall with a urinal. He would sit in the stall and wait for people to come in. Someone noticed it and they filled the hole in. A few weeks later there was a hole again. That was when he showed it to me. always freaked me out about the library bathrooms after that

[cjames317]

And, most importantly, be sure to go to the OU-TX game in the Cotton Bowl, "an event that exploits violence and promotes extravagantly irresponsible and destructive behavior among the persons who attend it."* That will get in your blood and bond you with generations of Sooners (and horns).

*Mike Shropshire, "Runnin' With the Big Dogs"

[SouthFortySooner]

Let me be the first to tell you young man. GO TO CLASS.

Here's the dealio. The introductory classes you will be taking means there will be an introduction to EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SUBJECT.

By going to class you will glean what of this massive amount of information the prof. expects you to know at exam time. They will choose the most inconvenient time for a student to submit it, (the Tue. after the RRS), (when the roll is lowest), be there.

By the way, I can't remember their names but the smell comes to me often. :D

(edit) the girls not the profs :mad:

[Sco]

Two words: Mr. Goodcents. Best restaurant ever.

[GottaHavePride]

A lot of advice in here I don't need to repeat. I'll add a new one:

DO NOT RELY ON YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR.

Once you declare a major, get the sheet of degree requirements. Check it every semester and plan out what you enroll in so you have your **** done on time. DO NOT LOSE your degree requirement sheet. If the department changes the requirements, it only applies to NEW majors in that degree program. YOU are still held to the requirements when you entered the program.

ALSO, most times, your advisors don't actually know what classes are good to take. If you have a question about "will this class fulfill this requirement?" it's best to find out who actually approves people to graduate in your department and ask THEM. Advisors can and do give incorrect information.

[King Crimson]

A lot of advice in here I don't need to repeat. I'll add a new one:

DO NOT RELY ON YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR.

Once you declare a major, get the sheet of degree requirements. Check it every semester and plan out what you enroll in so you have your **** done on time. DO NOT LOSE your degree requirement sheet. If the department changes the requirements, it only applies to NEW majors in that degree program. YOU are still held to the requirements when you entered the program.

ALSO, most times, your advisors don't actually know what classes are good to take. If you have a question about "will this class fulfill this requirement?" it's best to find out who actually approves people to graduate in your department and ask THEM. Advisors can and do give incorrect information.

i don't know about anything about core requirements at OU, but graduating is your thing. I've worked at two university's over the last 10 years and nobody in administration or advising knows what the hell is going on....don't depend on some adviser. they don't know.

find out what the requirements are, and meet them. what GHP says, find out who gives the big approval in the department or college of whatever. advisors are often junior faculty or grad students roped into some low paying service job to complement their already low pay.

[John Kochtoston]

Education Advice:


Social Advice:

3. Greek is big at OU, but it may not be for you. Scout it out if you want, but if you're not into it, don't worry. I didn't really know anyone that was huge into it after the first couple of years anyway.

He's very right about greek being big, but also no being everyone's "thing." Best way to find out is to go through rush. Go through with an open mind.

[the_ouskull]

Any tips or advice for the next 4 years of my life?

Classes? Nothing before eleven. Beer? It's your best friend. You drink a lot of it. Girls? Well, you're a freshman, so that's pretty much out of the question. Do you have a car? No? Well, someone on your floor will. Find them and make friends with them on the first day. Is there anything else?

Sin,

http://www.zuguide.com/image/PCU.jpg

But, seriously... I think everything's already been covered, but:

1) GO TO CLASS! Take notes. Do the readings. Yeah, it sucks. Shut up and do it anyway. But, realistically, recognize when you need the occasional day off - and then, don't take it unless you're caught up or ahead. When you are, the occasional "mental health day" isn't a bad idea... unless you're in a class with an attendance policy.

Numbers 2) - whatever...

- Wear a condom.
- No means no.
- Don't drive drunk.
- Avoid fights in strange places; or at all, I guess.
- Search for free food and for free money. (grants, etc..)
- Join an organization of some sort. Greek, service, scholastic, whatever... Just get involved with your campus in some way.
- In addition to the requisite football and basketball games, go to the occasional game in other sports. At least one of each. I've been to a baseball game. A volleyball game. A wrestling duel. A softball game. Rugby. You'll appreciate it even more, and, if you're good, you can find a way to study a little while you catch the game.
- Meet people. Get to know people; kinds of people, that you would never otherwise get to know. See and experience as much as you can. It's THAT time of your life. Live it, man. Live it.

the_ouskull

[Vaevictis]

If the department changes the requirements, it only applies to NEW majors in that degree program. YOU are still held to the requirements when you entered the program.

This is not exactly true as stated.

You can usually switch over to the most current degree requirements if you want. But you have to meet the new requirements exactly. This is usually not beneficial to you as there will classes you've already taken that will not apply under the new requirements and there will be new classes you didn't have to take under the old one.

But GHP is right about taking personal responsibility for this. Your advisor can't be trusted to know what's going on. As I stated before, I know several people who had their graduation delayed because they trusted their advisor.

In most departments, your advisor is likely to be a junior faculty member who is seeking tenure. Tenure is based on how many papers they publish, how many research dollars they bring in, how many graduate students they successfully graduate, and to a lesser degree their teaching reviews. All of these things take up tons of time; in my department (electrical and computer engineering), these guys spend 50-60 hours a week (or more) on these things.

Notice that your opinion of them as an advisor is not on the list of things they are evaluated on. This should tell you something about how much attention they're going to be paying to it.

[Frozen Sooner]

I'll throw some other things out there...

1. Take the time to work out every day.

2. Just because the cafeteria is all-you-can-eat, don't.

3. Do something really dumb with your haircut. It may be the last chance you get.

4. Summer internships if you can get them. Invaluable for NOT starting on the bottom rung when you graduate.

5. Make sure you're getting enough sleep. Good sleep habits last a lifetime. Whether that sleep is between 3am-11am or 10pm-6am, that's up to you.

[GottaHavePride]

I'll throw some other things out there...

1. Take the time to work out every day.

2. Just because the cafeteria is all-you-can-eat, don't.

3. Do something really dumb with your haircut. It may be the last chance you get.

4. Summer internships if you can get them. Invaluable for NOT starting on the bottom rung when you graduate.

5. Make sure you're getting enough sleep. Good sleep habits last a lifetime. Whether that sleep is between 3am-11am or 10pm-6am, that's up to you.

Heed numba.one. supa

Wish I had. I'm still trying to get in shape.

[Frozen Sooner]

Heed numba.one. supa

Wish I had. I'm still trying to get in shape.

I'm still trying to get back into shape.

:mad:

[BoomerSoonerGoOU]

Go to Greek House and Victoria's. I didn't go to either of these until my senior year. I don't know how I missed out on some goodness.

9:00 and 9:30 a.m. classes will seem pretty late now. Just wait until mid-October. You'll hate it. I remember thinking, "YEA!!! No class till' 9:30 on MWF!" Also, when you're older, try to make a schedule to where you have no Friday classes. I went three straight semesters without having Friday class. It was GLORIOUS. However, it came back to bite me in the *** my final semester at OU when my capstone was scheduled from 4:30-6:20 MWF. Suckage.

Just enjoy yourself all the time. Honestly, my best days @ OU were on the front end of my four years there. I thought it would last forever.

[King Crimson]

if you don't read for class, go to class. if you don't go to class, read for class.

there are 24 hours in the day, spending a couple either way will go a long way to making a decent transcript you can carry with you after you've graduated.

there's a lot of hero points in pulling it off on the midterm, but it's a lot easier to just keep up with things.

[King Crimson]

i'd also warn against plagiarism or buying papers on line....it's only a matter of time until the policing technology search engines catch up.

i know for a fact as a teacher, there are a crap-ton of resources i'm availed.

edit: a lot of times your prof will know and choose not to press it, because the academic prosecution process is time-consuming and you'll pay for it in other ways.

and, as far as "scams" about lying to your prof about missing an assignment or a late paper....they are finite. and someone has probably done it better in the past. just because they seem to let it fly, doesn't mean you got away with anything or "got over".

FYI.

[Vaevictis]

edit: a lot of times your prof will know and choose not to press it, because the academic prosecution process is time-consuming and you'll pay for it in other ways.

and, as far as "scams" about lying to your prof about missing an assignment or a late paper....they are finite. and someone has probably done it better in the past. just because they seem to let it fly, doesn't mean you got away with anything or "got over".

And especially don't do this stuff in your major.

Professors talk, and you're around for 2-4 years. You'll build a reputation and it will precede you.

[King Crimson]

the late paper stuff i really don't care. things happen, but a bad lie is easy to detect. like i say, it ain't the first time i've seen a student lie to me. you'd be surprised most of the time how telling the truth will get you a clean 2nd chance instead of some weird BS.

exams, you should be there on the day. no other way about it. there aren't that many grammaws dying in the world. and lying about your g-maw dying is a horrible thing to lie about.

[Leroy Lizard]

i'd also warn against plagiarism or buying papers on line....it's only a matter of time until the policing technology search engines catch up.

And the fact that it's cheating and a thoroughly disgusting thing to do.

[Collier11]

FAFSA is your friend

[fadada1]

great advice - all of it.

more:

use whatever writing center you can find - in the 2 years i taught at SHSU, i saw writing skills that completely sucked (and were embarrassing to the students). it's an excellent resource that isn't used enough.

enjoy the dorms - you may find that it's not for you, but this is where you'll meet most of your friends (save going greek or other). if you decide to join a fraternity, keep a close group of non-greek friends to give you an escape from the non-stop insanity. do the "stupid" stuff the guys on your floor will do. we invented a game of "hall ball" that was very popular - even had a tournament. we also had a traveling trophy - "Walker 12W Puke Shirt" given to the first person to barf during the weekend partying. everyone was a good sport if they "earned" it.

work out - already been said, but it's a great chance to vent from school work and oogle the chicks.

learn time management - there are 24 hours to play with. you might be in class for 3 hours each day. don't waste the other 21. i wish i had learned this the first time i was at OU.

[texas bandman]

DO NOT RELY ON YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR.


You have an Academic Advisor???

Was that the prof you brought your schedule to and he signed it witout looking at it?

[OUAlumni1990]

More advice:

Take this oppotunity and make the best of it. I had seen friends blow it in college only to regret later. Its hard to go back to school once you get responsiblities like a mortgage payment,kids, etc. This may be your only shot, no second chances. When your young and your mind is like a sponge, and have no responsibilities, best time to go to college.

[OUAlumni1990]

I agree also that the academic advisors were a joke. But there is one exception, if you choose engineering and once you get accepted into engineering college, the academic advisors are the engineering professors themselves, and trust me, they are exceptional..