Foo - What are first year classes like?

Tuesday Sept 4 is my first day of college.
I'll be there are 8AM taking English 401. This is my basic required class that I'll have to take anywhere I go so I figure I might as well get it done right away. Plus, english as a class has always been a strong point for me, and I figure I could use some high grades 1st semester to get some financial aid from my parents!

This class is only 24 people, and I had to pay a 15 dollar "English fee" to take it.

The other class is Political science 401. As it is now, politics and the studies related interests me. So if I like the class, I'll go ahead and take 402 (or whatever is next in sequence). If I don't, I'll do well academically anyways and just use it as a credit for some class outside my major that I would have to do anyways. So it's a win either way you look at it.
This class is 85 people! I expect a lecture (which I much prefer of any other type of teaching) in an auditorium. What can I expect besides that? Are these most likely going to be teacher aids up front? Is it going to be pretty dull, generic, and high schoolish? This is UNH, so it's a public university with probably around 10k students. It's a good school though, on the top 100 in the country. I told work that I'll either need to be switching to a part time schedule or going to have to leave, and they didn't have any issues at all switching to part time (especially considering half of the people are recent UNH grads).

Well, I remember my college days fondly. I hope you will too, I think you will enjoy it.

In general college is going to be harder than High School. However, a lot of guys that were pretty smart in HS struggled in college. On the other hand, a few of my friends that got C's in HS got A's in college.

I went to San Diego State University. It was about 35,000 full time students when I went in the late '70's.

In HS, if I just showed up to a class, I could get a B. If I studied at all I got an A. In college I had to work my @$$ off to maintain a B. Not only are the classes harder, but your competition is smarter. You will run into a lot of smart guys and gals. A couple of my college buddies are now PhD's, and one is an astronaut and a PhD!

I'm presuming you will be going into engineering. It's a funny discipline, but a lot of fun if you have the right attitude. It's probably the most challenging major you can take. No minor...just engineering classes until you puke. Some guys went in that I knew were better at math than me, but they struggled, and changed majors. I'm thankful for the years I spent turning a wrench to get a solid foundation in real world mechanics. This will also be point in your favor, considering all the engineering projects you have already done (with Foo help :D).

A few things to remember:

College teaches time management above all else. You will think that your professors believe that their class is the only one you are taking. You will have to make decisions; what is important enough to work on and turn in on time, what you can blow off. Your head will spin, your workload will get so heavy. Tough guys and gals know that next week will be better and just keep forging ahead.

If you are living away from home, be prepared for a load of freedom. This does in a lot of first year college students. They live under their parents' thumb for all those years, then they're free! KEG TIME! Then they fail a class, and reality comes crashing back.

But.. you seem pretty level-headed, I don't think you will fall into this trap.

You will most likely start on some general engineering classes right away, and you'll also have to take some general ed. Fun, warm and fuzzy classes that engineers love like Philosophy, art history...you get the picture. Consider GE classes as a break for your brain compared to engineering classes.

Some classes are taught in large lecture halls, other in classrooms. Sometimes you hay have a full professor teach, other times it will be a TA or Masters Candidate. It depends.

If you are good at language arts, great! Being able to write clearly is very important. We were required to read and write abstracts for technical papers every other week in my Elementary Strength of Materials class. Dr, Fitz was the toughest Language Arts teacher I ever had, and he was a Materials Engineering professor!

Oh well,you get the picture...

Have fun! College is a great time!

Taking an English class that early is a death sentance.

"first year classes"

College isn't all that different from high school in my opinion. The only difference is that you don't get sent to the dean, you read a lot more, and learning is typically more interesting. Whether thats a byproduct of better/more interesting topics, higher quality education, or maturity, i can't say...perhaps it's a mix of all of those.

My lowest level English class was pretty straight forward and i had a lot of fun. Essentially we read books, discussed them, then wrote about them. During the course of reading a book we learned about proper grammar.

My intro politics class was specifically american politics, also fun. We had lectures on the basics of american politics and how they operate, then we had a discussion section where we discussed the lecture material and reading.

This is how most college courses go (though my history courses are always much different, for the better)

By the way "This class is 85 people!"...that aint much. In fact, i just discussed my history classes and they are typically around this number, and its refreshing because of how small they are.

My school has 25,000 students (or so), it's not uncommon to have a lecture of 250 people. The business school can, and usually does, have more. One professor went to school out east and talked about lectures with 500 people in it.

Biggest class I was ever in at college was 31 people. The smallest: 7.

Taking an English class that early is a death sentance.

No- taking Phys Ed (Swimming, of all things) that early is a death sentence.

Biggest class I was ever in at college was 31 people. The smallest: 7.

Wow- where did you go? I had a number of lectures with >200.

When at UT, having 200-300+ people in an auditorium for a freshman chemistry class was the norm. It was sort of nice being up in a large auditorium, in the back row, checking the book to periodically keep up with what the prof was going over.

1st 2 years of college are pretty much just like high school, except with larger classes.

I honestly didn't like my first year of college for I was a civil engineering major and I took 5 classes (21 credit hours) each semester. Mind you this year consisted of Chemistry, Calc, gen. eds, etc. Besides that, lectures are huge especially for gen. ed. classes. Thank heaves for being a 4th year student. Most of my classes top out at about 100 and that's fine by me. My largest lecture, which was my first semester of my first year held between 300 and 400 students.

What are first year classes like?

First they gather everyone at the school in this huge hall, and then they call you up in alphbetical order. They put this ratty looking, talking hat on your head, and...

ok, ok.

I think most Freshmen are very conscientious their first semester. Some profs will cut you some slack, and other will play mind games with you, and some will test you to your limits. The real challenge though for many, is the spring semester. Lots of students have pulled pretty good grades in the first semester, get complacent, get distracted by extra-curricular "events", and then have to spend the next three years bringing their GPA back up.

Have collegiate level course numbering schemes really changed that much since I was in college?

A 400 level was typically considered to be a senior level course. 101/201 courses were usually the introductory level freshman courses. If we wanted to take anything above a 200 level course as a freshman, we either needed AP carryover credits from high school, or had to 'test out' of the intro level courses.
I took a few BIO 400/500 combined courses my senior year, and those were undergrads and graduate students.

8 am classes.

:roflmao:

Only Freshmen and engineering students make that mistake more than once....

8 am classes.

:roflmao:

Only Freshmen and engineering students make that mistake more than once....

I learned quickly...the alcohol didn't wear off until about 10:00am, so my classes were scheduled to begin after 11:00 starting in my second quarter at Auburn. First quarter, well my GPA was a 2.3, primarily because of the early morning class (and skipping all of the earth science classes, she gave me a c, I had a 100 avg on all tests and the final.....stupid attendance policy)

This class is only 24 people, and I had to pay a 15 dollar "English fee" to take it.

I've never heard of an English fee. What do you get for the 15 bucks?

I've never heard of an English fee. What do you get for the 15 bucks?

A copy of Huuk on Foniks.

What the heck is an "English Fee"???

I have hit a couple of classes where I had to purchase a couple of manual type of things from from the professor (written and published by him) that he required for the course. Is that what that is for?

I've never heard of an English fee. What do you get for the 15 bucks?

I got admission to the class :p

Honestly, I've been finding myself slowly moving away from Engineering. Well, maybe. I think I want to be involved in politics, hence my political science course. My first choice right now with what to do with my life would be to push the use of renewable energy, and energy independence, on the legislative level. But I'd like to take science courses so I know what I'm talking about! Hopefully I'll have some more figured out after a year of college.

I hope I've learned how to manage time a bit better since working here at Phase II. I come in, and there's 4 things failing at the same time in the clean room plus two people wanting something else. It was pretty hard to cope with all of these demands in different directions at first, but I feel that I am getting the hang of it now.

I got admission to the class :p

Honestly, I've been finding myself slowly moving away from Engineering. Well, maybe. I think I want to be involved in politics, hence my political science course. My first choice right now with what to do with my life would be to push the use of renewable energy, and energy independence, on the legislative level. But I'd like to take science courses so I know what I'm talking about! Hopefully I'll have some more figured out after a year of college.
...

My first reaction, when I saw "political science" was nooooooooo! I frankly don't picture you campaigning for elective office, but seeing your explanation of what you want to do - it makes very good sense, and it is a worthy cause. Good luck with it. :)

8 am classes.

:roflmao:

Only Freshmen and engineering students make that mistake more than once....

I made that mistake my freshman year...when I was an engineering student. I learned my lesson quick. The earliest I'll do it 9am and that's still kind of hard for me to get up for.


I've never heard of an English fee. What do you get for the 15 bucks?Get this, my university has a student-to-student fee which is something between 3-5 dollars. WTF is a student-to-student fee?

A copy of Huuk on Foniks.


:D

or lessons from Miss South Carolina

Get this, my university has a student-to-student fee which is something between 3-5 dollars. WTF is a student-to-student fee?

Money to have the pool table for a few hours and a couple pitchers to go with it? At least that's what I'd think it is. :D

Biggest class I was ever in at college was 31 people. The smallest: 7.

I was in one that was 70+ but the class/lectureroom was a huge tiered room (much like you see on medical or law school shows) - and you think that with mass amounts of bodies there - the professor won't find you.

Sadly I was wrong. No hiding, and I think I glowed neon green when I was a little "lax" on my papers as he sniffed out that sad fact and got me every time.

I got admission to the class :p





Still cornfuzzled. Is this like slipping the maitre d $10 bucks for the table in the front?

My freshman Comp Sci class I think had... 400 maybe? Skipped half of that class, played pool instead, still got a A-. That didn't set a very good precedent and I had to get out of that mind set quick there after.

get ready to be bored out of your mind! I hate taking all these core classes, what a waste of time! My calculus class has 250 people in it.

The number 1 rule I have learned: If you have to write an opinion paper of any kind, you have to agree with the professor, if you disagree in any possible way, you will fail!

My freshman Comp Sci class I think had... 400 maybe? Skipped half of that class, played pool instead, still got a A-. That didn't set a very good precedent and I had to get out of that mind set quick there after.I did that too but it was with my Intro to Psych class. :o I ended up with an A.

I got admission to the class :p

Honestly, I've been finding myself slowly moving away from Engineering. Well, maybe. I think I want to be involved in politics, hence my political science course. My first choice right now with what to do with my life would be to push the use of renewable energy, and energy independence, on the legislative level. But I'd like to take science courses so I know what I'm talking about! Hopefully I'll have some more figured out after a year of college.
Do both. There's nothing that says you can't double major in Engineering and Political Science. And if you don't want to do the double, you'd probably be better off with a major in Engineering and a minor in Poli Sci.

Do both. There's nothing that says you can't double major in Engineering and Political Science. And if you don't want to do the double, you'd probably be better off with a major in Engineering and a minor in Poli Sci.

+1
I've looked around at jobs in renewable energy (I'm interested in the things you mention, too), and an engineering degree would be very useful -- even if you're just looking at the policy side. That said, unless you have very specific ideas about what you want to do, your job will likely be only tangentially related to your university major.

One thing that I would say is your degree at the end of four (or five) years is quite likely going to be different from what you are thinking now. I started off in computer science and physics, and ended up after a roundabout journey with a double major in political science and Soviet studies, and a minor in history.

My biggest first-year class (University of Toronto) was about 300, but I had friends who were in lectures with about 1,500 people. My smallest first-year class had 7 people. My greatest lesson from first year, which was academically rather painful, was this: half-assed is better than no-assed ;)

Base Tuition (more) $9,274.00
Computer Fee (more) $169.50
Student Activities Fee (more) $29.00
Student Services Fee (more) $30.50
Student Union Fee (more) $50.50
Building Fee (more) $59.50
Student Health Fee (more) $101.00
Career Services Fee $8.50
Arts & Cultural Events Fee (more) $10.00
Tuition and Mandatory Fees Total: $9,732.50

Wow- where did you go? I had a number of lectures with >200.

A small College in NH.

Do both. There's nothing that says you can't double major in Engineering and Political Science. And if you don't want to do the double, you'd probably be better off with a major in Engineering and a minor in Poli Sci.

Amen to that, i'm a history and psych major, added psychology because it looked easy and i was always interested.

A small College in NH.

Which one?

The "English fee" is just another mandatory fee for english classes. Everybody has to pay it no matter what

In general college is going to be harder than High School. However, a lot of guys that were pretty smart in HS struggled in college. On the other hand, a few of my friends that got C's in HS got A's in college.

I struggled in the beginning because I had virtually no study skills. High school was breeze, even my AP classes. Learning how study, and getting the focus to study, was probably the hardest thing for me to learn.

I struggled in the beginning because I had virtually no study skills. High school was breeze, even my AP classes. Learning how study, and getting the focus to study, was probably the hardest thing for me to learn.

+1

I found out a really easy way to study is to go through the book and write down every possible question you can think of. Write the question on one side of a note card, and then the answer on the opposite side. If you do this, it will be impossible to miss a question on the exam. This works mainly for exams that will be multiple choice obviously.

8 am classes.

:roflmao:

Only Freshmen and engineering students make that mistake more than once....

Oh god no! The memories have come flooding back. I didn't learn until my final year... :rolleyes:
8am two hour lectures in the middle of winter were a great way of weeding out people. My other hated time were the Noon - 2pm lectures... Just when you want to eat lunch.:mad:

Oh and I did commerce, not hard stuff like engineering or science.....

Frosh classes are incredibly easy for the most part. Sometimes you'll get busy work that's a drag or assignments that are obviously asinine. Just remember that you're paying for your education and if you value money you should value your education (this is in combine with various other reasons you should value your education). Otherwise, don't bother. Go to class, do your homework, do the readings, participate in class discussions, milk your profs for what they're worth.

Your university education is all about you educating yourself. Do that.

+1

I found out a really easy way to study is to go through the book and write down every possible question you can think of. Write the question on one side of a note card, and then the answer on the opposite side. If you do this, it will be impossible to miss a question on the exam. This works mainly for exams that will be multiple choice obviously.

Yeah! Index cards rock! They're also great for short answer questions / definitions. Even essay questions, if you're desperate ;)

I like 8AM classes, and take as many as possible. Plus it's nice at about 1:30 when everyone is just getting going, I'm ready to leave campus. It was the 5:30 AM Algebra class I took years ago that was a killer.


Anyway, based on the stuff you post here, you haven't got a thing to worry about, Phantomcow. Just stay away from crazy women.

Speaking of women, take yoga for a Phys Ed course if it is offered. Trust me on this.

I like 8AM classes, and take as many as possible. Plus it's nice at about 1:30 when everyone is just getting going, I'm ready to leave campus. It was the 5:30 AM Algebra class I took years ago that was a killer.
Ahh, there's a distinction here, Kris, that I think we need to clear up with PC. Is he living on campus, or is he commuting?

I can see where early classes would be optimal for someone commuting to school, but I was one of those who lived and worked on campus all four years. Work in the residence halls (free room/board FTW!) and late into the night is just par for the course. That meant it was optimal for me to take later classes (upper level seminars were often early evening). Having a few hours in the morning meant there was time to proof papers that otherwise would have been pretty sloppy.

Nowadays, 8 am is really sleeping in for me. It's weird how cycling and little kids will turn one into an up-with-the-sun person....

Oh yeah... 5:30 am Algebra? WTF is that all about??? That's sick.

Man, I did 2 8am classes, one was first quarter freshman year when they did my schedule, the other was because it was the only time slot left.

As for class size, I never had one over 40, and generally I was in the mid 20's. But if you did well in HS, watch out for coasting thru your first semester/quarter, it gets you into a mind set that it's just as easy as HS, you start skipping class regularly, and all of a sudden the easy A's and B's become hard C's. Attendance and note taking are key.

Man, I did 2 8am classes, one was first quarter freshman year when they did my schedule, the other was because it was the only time slot left.

As for class size, I never had one over 40, and generally I was in the mid 20's. But if you did well in HS, watch out for coasting thru your first semester/quarter, it gets you into a mind set that it's just as easy as HS, you start skipping class regularly, and all of a sudden the easy A's and B's become hard C's. Attendance and note taking are key.
Amen to that. Go to class as much as you can. You'll learn soon enough if you can skip and when you can skip. But go to class. Sit towards the front. Take notes. Read the syllabus. If you find yourself in a class you hate with a professor you can't stand (and it happens) sit even closer to the front.

And be prepared to talk in English class. Even at 8:00am. Especially at 8:00am. Nothing frustrates an English professor more than students who haven't read the material and don't ask questions or engage in discussions.

Amen to that. Go to class as much as you can. You'll learn soon enough if you can skip and when you can skip. But go to class. Sit towards the front. Take notes. Read the syllabus. If you find yourself in a class you hate with a professor you can't stand (and it happens) sit even closer to the front.

And be prepared to talk in English class. Even at 8:00am. Especially at 8:00am. Nothing frustrates an English professor more than students who haven't read the material and don't ask questions or engage in discussions.

QFT.

You'll be amazed at the laziness of your classmates who just didn't get around to reading the assignment.

Have an reasoned opinion about the material, vocalize it or put it to paper, and professors will notice. And get others involved in conversations in classes. When only one student is communicating in the class, others get resentful (their problem, not yours) and everyone misses out.

College costs too damned much money to not participate in what you're paying for.