Going to college in Fall, advice?

[Nihilmatic]

So recently I've escaped the 4 year prison known as highschool and I want to spend the least money with the most efficiency to get by in college. I'm going to live on campus for freshman year to find 4-5 special people (who aren't fake and egotistical) who qualify to be my friend (I know how this sounds extremely egotistical and narcissistic but it's true) to live with near campus from sophmore to senior year and split the rent 5 ways. To maintain a high gpa with the least amount of effort what should I do.
note: I plan to occasionally game with my close friends who will be living quite far from me.

-Gaming laptop (I don't think this is a good option but would like you're input if you think its viable) for school and games.
-Tablet and cheap PC (I'm most likely taking this route), tablet for school, pc for gaming, hw, etc.
-(If you have a better option on what I should do)

Also, since most of the people in this forum and others are quite old, I must gain your wisdom and insights. "Learning from your own mistakes is smart, learning from others' mistakes is wise."
Other advice regarding to the prison full of braindead zombies will also be appreciated, like what I should do instead of this, etc.
And What would you have done differently in prison to make your life easier?

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Go to local one and continue to live with your parents. You save money that way.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Least money + most efficiency = CLEP (in the U.S.) + community college for a year or two -> transfer to B.S. enrollment. Identify those friends over the 1-2 years at CC? Proxy's right too: Go local if you can.

I'm going to live on campus for freshman year

This could be a mistake in the sense of the possible financial inefficiency of paying rent to a slumlord.

No comment on gaming other than... why of all things is it even on your mind at this point?

Other advice: College is nothing like high school. You get to do things you're actually interested in, the responsibility bombshell has broken open completely, and you're actually in a position to make yourself. College is really.... really far from prison.

Your academic advisor is your new best friend. Talk to them often. (Apparently this is a lot more common in the US than in other Western countries).

Never buy anything at the student bookstore. Get it all online.

I'll second Inquisitor: Research bitch slave is awesome depending on your major (I did it for 3 years ). Sometimes it's best to stay with one prof the whole time, sometimes it's best to work with 2-3, especially if you're going to need letters of recommendation for grad school later. Regardless, it's important to show that you can think for yourself within the context of your responsibilities. You should start off doing what you're told and wind up running your own projects with their approval (and possibly financial support).

Student organizations... forget frats and honor societies, but definitely join clubs related to your major, and consider running for office within them. Orgs usually have profs as advisors, so more networking opportunities.

Get paid summer internships, and if you're in a STEM field you should come up with your own projects and apply for research grants.

 

[Inquisitor]

Ok. I'll bite. I'm a 30-something teacher. Here are some morsels of experience from my own life that I would tell my younger self and any other INTP for that matter:

1) Never, ever live with anyone of the opposite sex, no matter how cool/mature they seem to be. Also, never live with anyone of a different sexual orientation. I don't care how awesome they are, are you really going to be 100% comfortable listening to 2 dudes getting it in on next door? Try to get your own room. Privacy is so important.

2) Live with serious students. Extroverted party animals are fun in small doses, but not as roommates. I don't care how charismatic they are. When you're coming home from a long day and need to recharge, the extrovert is gonna want to blow off some steam by having a bunch of people over. That gets old real quick. On that note, establish a rotating house/apartment cleaning schedule. If one person doesn't follow through, gang up on him immediately and all at once. Nip that lazy behavior in the bud. Don't live in the party dorm. Some are better than others. Lack of sleep sucks.

3) Live near Whole Foods. Barring that at least a nice supermarket. F*ck the cafeteria. Srsly. Or just get a reduced meal plan, but not all-inclusive.

4) Why buy/bring a gaming laptop when you can build a higher spec desktop for less money? Plus you can get a really nice HD monitor for a few hundred bucks and retreat back to your room to watch movies/do homework/play games, etc.

5) Forget the tablet...unless you plan to use it for surfing the web/doing research while at school. I could see it being handy for that. Otherwise just get a cheap/light laptop for homework at school. Costs a couple hundred bucks. Gaming laptops are way too expensive and heavy. Plus you don't need the distraction. Research shows that taking notes by hand in class leads to improved recall of material as opposed to using keyboards on tablets/computers.

6) Don't do the bare minimum. Work your ass off.

7) Get a bicycle.

8) Research Ayurveda (traditional medicine of India, used by 80% of Indians and thousands of years old) and determine your constitutional type. Find an Ayurvedic physician who has at least a BAMS and MD in Ayurveda from a government medical college in India. Their course of study should have taken at least 8 years, and the more experienced, the better they are. Follow their instructions to the letter. Cook for yourself. Don't eat what your roommates eat.

9) Read personalityjunkie.com. Get AJ Drenth's books. All of them. Try to assess your psychological type asap. If you are an INTP, read the threads on this forum. Check out the "Ask Architect" thread. Ask Architect

10) Computer science is a highly recommended field for INTPs. I'm in the process of learning it myself. I never took it in college, but I definitely would have. At least a few intro courses.

11) If you have a great professor in a technical area of study that you enjoy, volunteer to be their research slave. Way more interesting/valuable than doing community service. As you said, spend as much time as possible with your elders. People your own age generally have little to offer you. That changes when you get older, but at 18, it holds true.

 

[Nihilmatic]

8) Research Ayurveda (traditional medicine of India, used by 80% of Indians and thousands of years old) and determine your constitutional type. Find an Ayurvedic physician who has at least a BAMS and MD in Ayurveda from a government medical college in India. Their course of study should have taken at least 8 years, and the more experienced, the better they are. Follow their instructions to the letter. Cook for yourself. Don't eat what your roommates eat.

Thanks for the advice, but I don't understand this part. why indian? If I understood correctly without misunderstanding, I should find an ayurvedic physician and follow their cookbook to feed myself?

 

[Architect]

Yes Inquisitor has great advice, but also I wouldn't recommend Ayurveda. Instead come up with a simple, mostly plant and whole grain based meal plan. What I did during college was steel cut oats in the morning (with lots of other goodies thrown in), hit-or-miss lunch unfortunately (I'd do it differently now), but for dinner it would be a variation on rice and vegetables with tofu or tempeh. Dinner was great, I ate that for years (decades now that I think of it). Just make some rice (brown ideally, always rinse it first (both white or brown) and pressure cooking is fast), steam some broccoli and whatever else you pick up, toss together with soy sauce or some other sauce (I make a Thai peanut sauce that is super simple and really good). Along with some tossed tempeh it's cheap, filling and fast. And good for you too.

 

[Inquisitor]

Thanks for the advice, but I don't understand this part. why indian? If I understood correctly without misunderstanding, I should find an ayurvedic physician and follow their cookbook to feed myself?

Google "Ayurveda" in your area + "physician" or "consultant" or "clinic." Something should pop up. As long as the person you find fulfills the below criteria, it will be worth your while, even if it's just to help you determine your constitutional type, you will be able to shortcut a lot of the trial-and-error/experimentation that goes into learning how to be healthy and balanced.

1) Indian (from India)
2) Has completed a full course of study in Ayurveda (BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine, and Surgery) + MD (Ayurveda)) from a government medical college in India (at least 8 years) and has many years of experience on top of that.

If you know your constitution and you know about Ayurveda, it's like getting the operating instructions for your body. You can pinpoint with great precision 1) what kind of food your body needs, 2) ideal forms/amount of exercise, 3) how much sleep to aim for and what time to go to bed, 4) what herbs, if any, are required to help you maintain balance, 5) how to optimize digestion and prevent the build-up of toxins in your body, which are the primary cause of degeneration 6) how to pacify certain emotional tendencies when you get stressed, such as anger, anxiety, obstinacy, etc. + a whole host of other things...I say this after having spent years researching both western scientific approaches to nutrition/health and Chinese medicine.

Yes Inquisitor has great advice, but also I wouldn't recommend Ayurveda.

Why not? Do you know anything about it?

 

[DrGregoryHouse]

I blossomed when I stated college. Hated elementary, junior high and high school (except for the advanced placement courses in English, History, Math etc) College opened up a while new dimension to me I hadn't known was there. Loved being free to study the subjects I liked as hard as I wanted. Sure there was some BS to put up with but overall loved College. Went to three and graduated from each one. I'm sure my interest in what college had to offer stemmed from my INTPness (though didn't know it at the time).

Advice is if you are going to go the cheapest route possible, live at home with parents the first two years and do the first two years community college style. You will save megabucks. Unless your parents are footing the bill...in that case: enjoy! You are smart to be careful of who are your friends and roommates. They can either be a major influence for achievement or waste of time.

 

[Analyzer]

You say you've escaped the 4-year prison sentence of high school...college is the same deal. If your looking to be educated it wont happen in university anymore unless you do some self-education on the side. It's all training if your lucky or brainwashing in the social realm, your not going to learn cutting edge stuff.

Unless you really need to go to school for a certain profession(medical, academia, law), I would say don't go. Or if money is not a problem and you want to go for the "experience" then that's fine. Besides that it's a waste of time and money, you can learn anything online or from doing something directly. The college degree dogma has been basically a signal for employers but that is slowly becoming irrelevant. How many people are getting degrees nowadays? Are we becoming more educated? Law of diminishing returns can be applied here as well.

 

[del]

I loved university and didn't have the experience many others seem to have. But I went to a liberal arts kinda school, learning for the sake of learning was generally valued.

That said, I learned more teaching school children and living in a hut outside Kathmandu, Nepal for a year than I did in 5+ years of post-secondary education.

If I could do it again:

- I would have gotten out sooner. Don't waste time switching majors and shit like I did. Your major doesn't really matter, unless you want to be a nurse or accountant or something. I may be old fashioned, because I do believe in the value of a broad liberal arts education, but your "exploring your interests" time should only take at most 2 years.

- Be more social. The friends you make can really open doors for you later. The guy I shared a dorm with is now a diplomat. Plus, you're an INTP and this is the opportunity to be a more well-rounded person.

- I'm going to buck the trend here -- but DON'T live with your parents. Will it be harder on you? Yes. Will you have to get a job? You should. But that's the fucking point. University is about growing the fuck up. You aren't going to do that in a hugbox home life where your mom cooks your meals and does your laundry. Academically, your first couple years will be comparatively easy, so it is a safe time to put all this added stress on yourself without threatening your grades too much.

That said,

- Get a job. Even if you don't need one (i.e. you are a lucky bastard and your parents pay for everything). See above point.

INTPs are frankly shit at dealing with real life, but you will have to learn how to be a real person by the time you are done with college. Learn everything you can and work and struggle through college and try to make some friends and memories along the way and you'll be fine.

 

[Pyropyro]

If you're going for the cheap route then:

1. Seconding Proxy about living with your folks. It's cheaper and you get to bond with your family at the same time.
2. Seconding Inquisitor about bikes. It can cut down on your transportation fees and also make you a bit fitter.
3. If you need to live with somebody else then I suggest getting housemates that are more mature than you are (older siblings are better).
4. As for computer games, don't go for time-consuming ones since you're going for a high GPA. High GPA will need a lot of effort.

 

[Valentas]

Here is another advice(idk if mentioned, I did not read whole thread).

Lift.

Go to gym and start lifting immediately. One of the best decisions I have made. The benefits are enormous and not few:
* Healthier body
* You will look better
* More energy
* Girls pay you more attention
* Men respect you more
* You get disciplined and save money because in order to gain results, you will need to eat a lot more which translates to preparation meals each day(for me in the evening) and you will cook for yourself which is a lot healthier.
* It is harmful for you to sit and think only. Move your ass more, I chose lifting but want to do some swimming as well soon.

Finally, if you happen to be scrawny person and are afraid of gym - grow up. No one gives a fuck about you there but everyone will certainly give a damn when you do squats that look like good-morning. Get on a noob program like StrongLifts or StartingStrength.

Overall, lifting will make you more energetic, more respected, more attractive, disciplined and healthier(sport, food prep), saves you money in the long run. The only regret I have is: not starting earlier.

 

[DrGregoryHouse]

- I'm going to buck the trend here -- but DON'T live with your parents. Will it be harder on you? Yes. Will you have to get a job? You should. But that's the fucking point. University is about growing the fuck up. You aren't going to do that in a hugbox home life where your mom cooks your meals and does your laundry. Academically, your first couple years will be comparatively easy, so it is a safe time to put all this added stress on yourself without threatening your grades too much.

That said,

- Get a job. Even if you don't need one (i.e. you are a lucky bastard and your parents pay for everything). See above point.

INTPs are frankly shit at dealing with real life, but you will have to learn how to be a real person by the time you are done with college. Learn everything you can and work and struggle through college and try to make some friends and memories along the way and you'll be fine.

Del, whether you are an INTP or not you are a knucklehead. Knuckleheads have zero legitimacy giving advice to the general INTP audience.

the 'git er done' crowd is completely out of touch with the mental, emotional needs of INTPs.

Dear INTPs, broadly speaking: ignore this poster's advice entirely or you risk undermining your self care and in the long run you will self destruct.

Good day.

 

[onesteptwostep]

I agree with what most everyone said in this topic.

Just some pointers people have missed: don't get too far into drugs or alcohol. Don't trap yourself in cliques or niche social groups. Never assume things with women, don't get serious with any of them (until senior year/graduation maybe). Manage your time, manage your sleep. And lastly, since you mentioned gaming, don't game into the night. It'll probably be harder than it sounds xD

I personally think working is a good factor to add into your life. It'll help you sort out your priorities better, since it's tied up with responsibility. But it's all up to you, I guess. One other thing: when you start to feel down and confused and all nihilistic, just realize it's emotional starvation and not a path that leads to some philosophical, 'ontological enlightenment'.

Oh and just enjoy college, man.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

(...)

I've come to similar results and decisions myself. Your post offers sound, practical advice for the dreamy undecisive INTP kind of people that are about to go into higher education.

Forget about your comfort and see how much you can manage to achieve independently. Parents only add to the typical defeatist attitude and laziness (I would say there are exceptions, but seeing the kind of first world worries you have

-Gaming laptop (I don't think this is a good option but would like you're input if you think its viable) for school and games.
-Tablet and cheap PC (I'm most likely taking this route), tablet for school, pc for gaming, hw, etc.
-(If you have a better option on what I should do)

it would be better for your self-reliance to leave your parents).