College & University Information

How to Survive First Year Engineering


So you just got accepted in your engineering program?joy, but you are still doubtful. You ask yourself, could I actually handle the stress, the sleepless nights, the solitary life style and the Exams? Well hopefully after reading this guide you might just be able to do so and perhaps without going insane or bald.

Buy a Calendar.

Yes I know what you are thinking a calendar but I don't need a calendar. I was like that too, heck I never used my agenda through out high school, and I managed to reach here right? Wrong! This is not high school and if you miss a due date for a test or exam you can not tell your mommy to write a note. Trust me I tried. Time management skill is vital if not necessary, it helps you plan for the endless upcoming due dates of assignments and gives you a better picture of what tests to study for. A common miscomputation is that you can keep up with all your courses every week. This is impossible especially if you want any resemblance of a social life. Firstly forget the time you think you might be able to put aside during the weekday. After a long day of lectures and labs you will be too tired to do anything and its best just to get a good night sleep. So, the only real time you got to study, play and sleep is during the weekend. Hence, a Calendar will help you in deciding what course to study for, what homework or assignment to do, and if it's really ok to get wasted that night.

Join a Study Group.

I can not emphasize the importance of study groups, especially in engineering. Study groups are not only for dummies, they also help nerds. For the dummies this is the perfect opportunity to understand the problem and to get vital input from others and for the nerds it gives an opportunity to revise and really understand the course material. For, there is no better way of studying then teaching others what you know. Apart from helping you pass the course, study groups also help to socialize us engineers. I mean you could go to library and study all by your self, achieve the top marks in class and graduate with honors but how effective of an engineer would you be in the real world? In the real world you won't be given a list of problems to be completed in a 2 hour time period, but rather as an engineer you will be expected to work with others and on problems which rarely have fixed or single solutions.

Learn to Skip.

Astonishing as it may sound, but I think it is vital for first year students to learn when to skip their classes. I mean you can't skip all your classes but can and in most cases must in order to pass the course. Again the problem arises from the fact that as a first year engineer you have a finite amount of time to study and in most cases the weekend period is not enough. So for the greater good you will have to skip the liberal studies lecture or the optional tutorial. I would rather see a student skip a class to study for a test then for him/her to show up for class and worry about the upcoming test or quiz later that day.

Learn From Mistakes.

I find that it is usually the high achievers in high school who are the ones who freak out when they see their first C. Rather then understanding from their mistakes they get overwhelmed and in some cases obsessed with the mark. They are continuously trying to make up the difference by attending every class, compulsively trying to get perfect on every home work assignment and are the ones who study all day in their locked rooms. Sure the student might get an A on his/hers first semester courses but in the long term (usually by the end of second year) the student will be too burnout and in most cases must drop out from their engineering program.

Take Time to Relax and Exercise.

I think it is vital for engineers to put aside some time to relax and exercise. Personally, I find nothing more satisfying then pounding a punching bag to vent out all the built up frustration after a hard day at school. Apart from exercising, diet also plays a major role. If you can not eat your greens and fruits, on a daily basis, then you should consider taking a multivitamin everyday. Drink more water when ever possible and try to keep your daily caffeine intake to a maximum of two cups, yes I realize it is hard especially when you are doing an all nighter.

Hopefully after reading the above hints you will manage much better in being a first year engineering student. Try to embrace your days in school and always try to get a good night sleep.

StudentDump.Com: The Educational Search Engine


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

For some college freshmen, the first day of school comes a bit late
Los Angeles Times, CA - 12 hours ago
Robin Bohnen, left, jokes with her daughter Kelsi Bohnen, right, as Kelsi moves into her freshman dorm at USC. Robin has twins attending their freshman year ...


dBTechno

Ripon College president rethinks drinking age
Chicago Tribune, United States - Aug 20, 2008
AP RIPON, Wis. - Ripon College's president has signed a national initiative to reconsider the 21-year-old drinking age. Ripon president David Joyce is the ...
Video: Advocating Lower Drinking Age CBS
Consider lowering drinking age to 18, college presidents say Indianapolis Star
Group wants 18-year-olds to drink alcohol, legally WLFI.com
Tallahassee Democrat - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
all 1,284 news articles


Loyola College in Maryland Changes Name, Angers Alumni
CollegeOTR, NY - 4 hours ago
By Mild-Mannered Rambler (Chief Contributor) The Loyola College in Maryland is changing its name to Loyola University Maryland in late August, ...
Loyola College to become Loyola University Maryland WTOP
all 17 news articles


Attic Theatre group presents a musical about suburbia
Oshkosh Northwestern, WI - 10 hours ago
Frugal fun has your name in lights up in Appleton Thursday. Those in the mood for a dramatic musical foray might take a romp with Attic Theatre, ...


College notes
BurlingtonFreePress.com, VT - 11 hours ago
The University of Vermont men's soccer team was picked to repeat as America East Conference champions. The Catamounts topped the preseason coaches' poll, ...
College roundup BurlingtonFreePress.com
all 6 news articles


Rome News-Tribune

Budget crunch could mean university layoffs, fee hikes
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - Aug 20, 2008
By ANDREA JONES Layoffs, furloughs and hikes in mandatory student fees could be on the table for public colleges and universities next year, if the state’s ...
University System wants $2.45 billion next fiscal year Bizjournals.com
University faces larger than expected cuts Red and Black
Locked-in tuition may fall to cuts for Georgia Highlands and other ... Rome News-Tribune
Online Athens - Augusta Chronicle
all 37 news articles


2008 KHHS valedictorian heads for Princeton
Lake Region Monitor, FL - 24 minutes ago
Bristow moved to Keystone Heights from Michigan when he was 10 years old. His parents, Bob and Karen Bristow, own Ace Hardware in Hawthorne. ...


WWL

A new suit seeks to reopen Tulane women's college
WXVT, MS - 16 hours ago
AP - August 20, 2008 11:14 PM ET NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A descendant of the founder of 1 of the nation's oldest degree-granting colleges for women has filed a ...
A new suit seeks to reopen Tulane women's college KATC
Descendant of 19th-Century Donor Sues Tulane Over Dissolution of ... Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
all 21 news articles


Laurentian University acknowledges Georgian College’s growth
Orillia Packet & Times, Canada - 2 hours ago
Georgian College’s Orillia campus will have even more students this fall walking it’s ever increasing hallways, according to Dave Dubois, ...


Bernardez: Inclusive education
Sun.Star, Philippines - 2 hours ago
By Dr. Roque Q. Bernardez THE SLU Institute for Inclusive Education was established at the end of 2006 to promote inclusive education. ...

College-University - Google News

home | site map
© 2006