Having recently counseled/counselled one of my childhood friends who is currently a high school senior about everything college, I have recalled fond memories of literally knowing nothing about anything related to Rutgers when I flew to New Jersey, except that I was going to be in the pharmacy program and it was going to be cold in the winter. And New York was an hour away.
Being welcomed home by my family for winter break was a wonderful month of twelve hours of sleep everyday, reunion and food that I did definitely miss, even though dining hall food isn't too shabby. Fortunately they still happily welcomed me+FreshmanFirstSemester10lbs (I'm working on that...).
Basically, I was pretty freaked out when I first started out, and I can be a pretty high-strung person just as it is. Honestly, it sucked a bit in the beginning, as I've always tended to be quiet or awkward-weird around people I don't know. But, of course, as the year went on, I got to know my classmates, my instructors, my dormmates, people I work with, the bus drivers, the people at the dining hall, basically everyone, and it just got better and better. So, besides making friends, these are three major things that typically take up the bulk of a student's time. This is only stuff that I would've found useful before coming, but I knew next to nothing, so a lot of it is probably redundant.
The pharmacy program - the academic grit
Commenting on the first year, first semester academics:
General Chemistry - I had two years of IB higher level chemistry in high school, so I had learned a great deal of the concepts in advance. But, I still learned a whole lot that I hadn't before, too. If you do anything, 1. do the practice exams when they come up and know how to do them if presented the same question with different numbers. 2. Do Mastering Chemistry (the online chemistry homework which counts for points) and know how to do those, too. 3. Read the book to connect all knowledge. I got away with never doing 4. the suggested textbook problems (not for credit), as there are a lot, but like I said, I did a lot of chemistry based on a rigorous international curriculum in high school. You'll know your own limits when you attempt problems - do additional problems in areas that you know you are weak at (like suggested problems!) and seek help.
General Biology - Yes, I have a lot of knowledge about Kingdom Plantae that will be useless in the sense that it's not something I will be paid to know in the future. But, it was at times interesting, admittedly, though I'm sure that many of my biology mates would vehemently disagree. Hey, I've found ways to put it to use. I babble random facts about the lovely plants of this world, I stare adoringly at moss that springs up in the cracks of driveways and is so prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, and I think twice before pulling fungi off of dead trees. Anyhow, read the textbook for dear life, understand as best as you can what's going on in bio lab, and read read read. If you were really on top of it, you'd be a chapter ahead of the lecture. It's not too hard, in my opinion, it just takes discipline.
Calculus - I took calculus in high school, so this class was probably the one I neglected most. I offer the same advice as for chemistry.
Expository Writing - Aaaauuuughhhhhh!!! My roar of agony as a beast of sciencemath. I did OK, I'm satisfied enough with my end grade, and I'm glad it's finished. Having said that, it makes you think. The essays that we analyzed were genuinely interesting to me, but denser than most dense things. I found that good essays take a lot of time. My best essays were ones that I actually finished earlier than the due date, giving me ample time to revise and freedom to slash like crazy. Skim through the course description and purpose, and definitely check out the attachments, particularly sample papers - I didn't actually read an "A" paper until I was well into the fifth and final paper, and it certainly would've helped to know about it beforehand.
Intro to Experimentation (Chem Lab) - Be prepared. Read through the procedure and complete all related homework IN ADVANCE and you will do well. Just like doing labs in high school chemistry, except now you are graded on everything, including results, and that preparation will be the difference between you and the person that doesn't do so well.
General academic tips: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. If you do, study smart. I recommend going to lecture and recitation (Recitation is given a designated time on your schedule and is an intimate classroom setting with a teaching assistant who can answer your more specific questions on things unclear to you. Quizzes/small credit assignments are often administered. I didn't know what recitation was before I went to college, but I'm sure most of you out there already do :P). This is like low-cost knowledge to me because I learn without having to actively read a textbook, and it's much easier to figure out what's important.
If you can't get it, find help. There are a whole lotta resources for a wide range of subjects at Rutgers, and besides tutors and the learning centers, don't be afraid to visit instructors at office hours or ask classmates (+1 friend!). It's one of the advantages of being at a large university.
Getting a part-time job
I did it first semester and I survived quite successfully! I alternated between 8 and 17 hour weeks. This semester, I think I'll be upping that to about 18 hours per week. Oh my goodness gracious, but it certainly helps that I quite enjoy it. I work at the Douglass Cafe in the Douglass Campus Center. Come visit me, please! :D
Activities
As I previously mentioned in one of my few posts of the first semester a million years ago, I'm part of the Rutgers Sinfonia. I haven't joined any clubs yet, as I hope to perhaps also volunteer at the very close Robert Wood Johnson hospital, though we'll see how the time issue goes, ahaha. For getting more involved in Rutgers student life, ask any of the other bloggers. I seriously cannot understand how they do and contribute so much and it is pretty darn amazing.
Putting it together
The only sound yet ambiguous advice that applies to everyone is find what works for you and stick to it. I find that not letting myself sleep until I have finished everything I have delegated myself for that day works quite well, and finishing random things in the awkward lengths of time between classes. I fit in chips of social time here and there, and I've been quite satisfied with life.
Overall, do what makes you happy, taken with a shard of rock salt. What worked for me was do what you have to do, and then do what you want. Yay! Done...hopefully amidst this looong post, something helpful to just one person will be there. Hope y'all enjoyed your holidays, because school starts tomorrow! Or today. Ooohh. Ahhhhhhhh. Oh, shoot. Haven't done the biology reading.
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