25 College Tips Redditors Have for Incoming Freshmen

Reddit: the social network where only the most seasoned web dwellers loiter. And boy, are they opinionated! And in this case, they are opinionated for all the right reasons: to bestow some awesome college tips for upcoming college freshman. Here are 25 awesome tips College Redditors want you to know:

25. “If you sit in the front row with a laptop, actually pay attention. Do not facebook, reddit, or play tetris.”

Coming from a person who ends up in the back of class a lot, front row people who aren’t paying attention are the MOST DISTRACTING PEOPLE EVER. If you’re in class to troll the web, do it in the back like the shameful people you are.

24. “Your life isn’t over if you walk into class late. Just calmly go in and take a seat. You’ll be fine.”

Unless you were a lazy college senior like me and decided that 15 minutes late meant I missed the whole class. Ha.

23. “On the other hand, your life might be over if you wake up 50 minutes late for a lab or exam.”

Maybe you should invest in a good alarm clock.

22. “Don’t be this guy. Just don’t.”

For appropriate reference, see below.

21. “Stop being so embarrassed when your family phones you/comes over. They probably live very far away and came here to see you, show them some love.”

An additional bonus for being sweet: FREE MEALS. But not pizza. A GOOD MEAL that you probably couldn’t afford!

20. “Do every bit of extra credit offered.”

Trust me on this, because extra credit can bite you in the butt if your class is graded on a curve and you’re surrounded by overachievers (my life). If you don’t do it, the extra credit you didn’t do will screw you over.

19. “You’re going to class, not the club. Alternatively, to those same students about two months later, you’re going to class, not to bed.”

No point in being there if you’re going to sleep the entire time!

18. “Use the library. Steal from databases. Outside of college, knowledge is expensive and libraries are sorely underfunded.”

Seriously, the virtual business library I got at NYU Stern is expensive. I used it for everything, including internships that required me to do some market and economic reason.

17. “You can sneak into other classes. No one is going to stop or even notice you. Do this a lot and you’ll eventually be able to talk about just about anything.”

This is a luxury I never got to have because I worked every spare moment I had. But seriously, if it’s a big lecture hall, why not? College is the best time to gain random knowledge.

16. “Introduce yourself to your professors. You go from #8675309 to *name.”

Seriously, the grade advantages you get. Do this. Easiest networking you’ll ever have to do!

15. “No longer are you required to raise your hand and ask to use the restroom. Just get up and leave quietly.”

Otherwise, it’s just awkward.

14. “Don’t wear those stupid lanyards with the school name around your neck.”

Easiest way to be singled out.

13. “For the love of god, do not wear your letterman jacket. Or class ring. Or lanyards.”

See previous.

12. “Putting your phone on vibrate is not the same as putting your phone on silent. Everyone can hear your phone buzz. Everyone can also see you texting during lecture, hiding your phone under your desk fools no one.”

Though I’m pretty sure no one but the professor cares unless you’re being obnoxious about it.

11. “Do not wear shirts with your high school name, graduation date, class motto, etc.”

I hope you get the point by now.

10. “If you’re sick, you don’t need a note from your parents.”

I’m pretty sure most professors never ask for a doctor’s note, even if they say it’s required on the syllabus (unless they are horrible).

9. “Don’t eat loud food in class.”

Please, just follow this one. It’s obnoxious.

8. “Don’t talk loudly in class. People are there to learn.”

Also, if you end up being that kid who gets called out by a pissed off classmate, under the rock you go.

7. “Keep your high school GPA, sports accomplishments, SAT/ACT scores, awards to yourself. No one cares.”

Keep Mr. McBraggyPants at home.

6. “Oh, You were in an AP class? No one cares.”

If you are in a competitive school, probably everyone was in an AP class.

5. “You were popular in high school? No one cares.”

Don’t hang on to your glory days. It’s not attractive.

4. “You were a nerd in high school? No one cares.”

I think this is good news for people who were wrongly casted aside in high school.

3. “You think your professor is an a-hole? No one cares.”

Unless they are doing something legitimately illegal, unethical, or prejudiced, you’re SOL.

2. “You were prom king? No. ONE. CARES.”

MORAL ALERT: Don’t take yourself too seriously.

1. This:

Any other college tips for incoming freshmen?

Adapted feature photo credit: rich8n via photo pin cc