College student survey, if your in college or graduated in the last 5 years Options

[synatribe]

I have a project due at the end of March and I need to take a survey of college students and do a research project to help me prepare for college, so if your in college or graduated within the last 5 years, please fill this quick survey for me? Thanks CB

What is your name:
Graduating year/ Graduated year:
School:
Junior? / State? / Private?:
Major?:
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?

[manny-the-dino]

What is your name: Natalia.
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012.
Public? / State? / Private?: State.
Major?: Right now it's Communications but I'm thinking about switching over to Psychology.
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. I think just the transition from high school to college.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? I commute.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc Nightlife? I commute so this question doesn't really apply to me.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? Do you mean if they care whether or not you turn in your work? If so, no.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? I haven't joined anything right now.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, your fine? I think you should work hard either way.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major? Yes. I took an AP Spanish Language course & I'm pretty sure it will help.

[synatribe]

What is your name: Natalia.
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012.
Public? / State? / Private?: State.
Major?: Right now it's Communications but I'm thinking about switching over to Psychology.
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. I think just the transition from high school to college.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? I commute.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc ?

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? Do you mean if they care whether or not you turn in your work? If so, no.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? I haven't joined anything right now.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, your fine? I think you should work hard either way.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major? Yes. I took an AP Spanish Language course & I'm pretty sure it will help.

thanks Natalia, what school do you go too?

[*paperplane*]

What is your name: Nicki
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2011
School: University of Georgia
Public? / State? / Private?: GA public
Major?: political science
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. Cost was a concern in making the decision, and then concerns about not liking the affordable school I'm attending culturally.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? My parents are divorced, so they more or less split it, with some contributions from grandparents. A lot of the money my parents put in is actually from my college fund, and I pay for all my food, utilities, etc now that I'm out of the dorm.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc ummm I really don't know how to answer this. It's very specific per where one is going and what one's high school experience was like, I think.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? completely depends. But as a rule, generally more strict.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? I'm primary involved with my school's radio station, and to some extent the local music scene. I have started also attending meetings of a literary debate society, and am considering becoming a member.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, your fine? *you're. In high school, I got 10 points added onto all my AP/IB class grades. In college that is not the case. Thus, my GPA is much lower now. But I won't lie- I didn't work particularly hard in high school, so it's no surprise I don't know how to study now. However friends who easily made great grades in high school attending top tier schools now struggle much more than ever before. It depends a lot on what school you attend.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major? yes, 7. AP US history, AP English language and composition, AP English literature and composition, AP calculus AB, AP American government, AP macroeconomics, AP psychology. Both AP Englishes combined to make IB English. APs are definitely useful to prepare for college, but I don't know how much any of them helped for my major specifically..

[synatribe]

wow thanks everyone :]

[hi-C]

What is your name: Carrie
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2008
School: NYU
Public? / State? / Private?: Private
Major?: Doubled in English and Africana Studies
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. I was too excited about being able to get out of Maryland to worry about such trifles as that.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? My dad paid for it out of his pension, I think. I helped by being qualified for a scholarship worth about half of my tuition.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc Well, my experience was way different because I went to a school without a distinct campus. I didn't go out out much during my freshman year. The one thing high school students should prepare for is time management. The work load in college is way different than it is in high school, so you definitely need to learn how to plan out your time.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? It all depends on the professor. In my experience, the more science-y, mathematic-y ones have been more strict on deadlines compared to the liberal arts/humanities professors. I was never afraid to ask for extensions because I'd rather turn something in a little late than turn in utter crap.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? Students are the leaders in counterculture? Seriously? I never joined any clubs or anything on campus.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, your fine? It didn't drop significantly. My GPA was higher in high school though, but that's because of weighted grades in AP classes, and the fact that the class load is different in college as compared to high school and you get more assignments, but I think my college GPA was a fair representation of my high school aptitude.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?I took AP Bio, AP Spanish, AP English Lit and AP English Composition. Because of AP Spanish I got to skip a year of college Spanish. And since I was an English major, those two advanced English classes definitely helped out.

[synatribe]

^ wow, NYU :] thank you for the awesome interviews:]

[*Janette*]

What is your name:Janette
Graduating year/ Graduated year: `09 from community college, `11 from other school.
School: Skyline College, but transferring this fall.
Junior? / State? / Private?: Junior college
Major?: Political Science. I might double major, not sure.
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.Just the fact that high school was over. I hated high school.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?I live at home. The only thing I pay for are books/school supplies since financial aid [fafsa] takes care of the costs for classes.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc Nightlife depends how much of a party person you are, or aren't. I'd say the thing that most high school students should prepare for [or know how to do already] is time management.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?Compared to high school, wayyy more lenient. There are those rare profs who are on your nuts about it though.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?Nothing, really. This will probably change when I transfer though. There isn't a vast variety of clubs etc. at my community college and none that strike my particular interests.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?It's slightly lower compared to high school but for the most part, about the same.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?
AP Biology, AP Spanish Language. None of these helped me with my current major. I mostly did it for a 4.0 gpa my senior year. I don't regret taking them at all though.

[Joanne]

I go to school in Canada... should be alright, right?

What is your name: Joanne
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012
School: Simon Fraser University
Junior? / State? / Private?: Public
Major?: Business Administration, possibly doing a joint major in Psychology

When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.
Pretty much just the transition from high school to college. And keeping up with my studying.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?
Well considering how I'm attending someplace close to home, the only costs are for tuition and books. My grandparents set an account for my post-secondary education when I was really little. I try to help out by trying my best to get scholarships and bursaries.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc
There isn't much a nightlife here if you're living at home as opposed to in the dorms. But something high school students should prepare for? Time management, for sure. Don't go on cB every day like me.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?
It's a lot more lenient in the sense that nobody's reminding/nagging you to finish your work or come to class, but the consequences of not doing your work or not catching up is a lot more serious.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?
I haven't really been doing too much... all I've done is join a marketing club, an Asian society club (LOL), and attended Business Administration Student Society general meetings. Nothing big/important.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?
It's slowly dropping, but it's my own fault. I'm trying to bump it back up now.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?
I took AP Psychology and AP Calculus. AP Psych definitely helped because I didn't have to take the two 100-level Psychology courses and got to jump right into the 200-level stuff. I'm pretty sure AP Calc will come in handy once I take the required math course even though I didn't get credit for it... I mean, I'll have the background knowledge.

[Gigi]

I go to school in Canada too, soooo...take that into consideration I guess.

What is your name: Gigi
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012
School: University of British Columbia (UBC)
Junior? / State? / Private?: Uh. Public.
Major?: Commerce, haven't decided on what exactly yet though.

When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.
I was most worried about adjusting to differences academically. I didn't care much in terms of actual lifestyle, financing, etc.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?
I only pay tuition + books. My parents pay for it all. They don't seem to have a problem with the finances. I don't work, but I did get some scholarships last year that helped alleviate the costs.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc
- A lot of learning on your own (i.e. reading the textbook before class, understanding concepts by yourself)
- Responsibility. Teachers don't catch up to you after class and ask you when you're going to hand it this assignment. If you don't hand it in, it's your own problem.
- Being sociable. You're meeting people who are probably going to impact your life in some way, so please don't be shy and talk to people, whether it be your peers, professors, guidance counselors, etc.
- Nightlife? Only do it on the weekend, you're only preparing to f*ck yourself up if you do it on the weekdays because you're not getting enough sleep. You can tell yourself all you want that you can survive with only 3 hours of sleep, but it's going to bite you in the ass.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?
They don't give a flying f*ck. Like I said, if you do it they don't care because they expect you to do it, if you don't do it they don't care either, because it's your ass on the line, not theirs. So I guess they're lenient in that they don't care, but deadlines are strict.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?
I have joined no clubs. I don't live on campus (getting to school takes me an hour each way) so I have no desire or motivation to join clubs or other organisations.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?
If you look at it in relative terms, I'd say my GPA is around the same. Yes, I would say that if you worked hard and did well in high school, you'll have no problem in college.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?
I only took AP Calculus AB and I got a 5. I could have taken the credit for Calculus for my MATH104 (this was a required, core course for first year Commerce students), but I didn't since I knew Math would be a GPA-sky-rocketer for me. Because I didn't take the credit, taking AP Calculus beforehand really helped out with how I did in college. I ended up getting 93% in MATH104 and it helped my core GPA greatly.

[Gypsy Eyes]

What is your name: Jackie
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012
School: Rochester Institute of Technology
Junior? / State? / Private?: Private
Major?: Photojournalism/ International Relations
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.
Cost for sure. I wasn't nervous about meeting new people, I am a huge people person. I was more excited for all of that, it was (and still is) that I worried about.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?
Room and board aren't bad, tuition is another story.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc
Prepare to pull all nighters and to put off work once in awhile (or more frequently sometimes) to have fun. Don't be afraid to try something you have never done before but don't do it if you really have a bad gut feeling about it.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?
Hah. Strict.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?
I am a member of the dance company and I am part of the leadership institute

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?
Considering my high school was weighted technically it has (4.6 to a 3.7) but it really is about the same (if not a little bit better). Be prepared to learn time management fast in college.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?
AP Calc BC, 2d Design, Drawing, Art History, Biology, american history, world history, comparative government and economics, french and literature. All of the credits transferred and all but art history counted for my major. I am currently a sophmore second quarter freshman year.

[misoshiru]

What is your name: Yan Lin
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2010
School: Mount Holyoke College
Junior? / State? / Private?: Private
Major?: Double major in Music and History
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. Nothing really. Perhaps the lack of decent food.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? My parents pay for everything. I'll just have to pay them back in the future when I start working.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc Efficient time management. Although saying that doesn't really help. Everyone procrastinates anyways. like now.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? Depends on the professor. In terms of grading, college profs are much stricter, but in terms of getting extensions, more lenient.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? Leaders in counterculture..really now? I'm part of several organizations, mainly the Asian Students Association. And I'm politically active on campus when it comes to Asian issues.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine? My average GPA at college is better than it was in high school. I work significantly harder in college than I did in high school.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major? I took mostly IB classes, but also a few AP - AP Music Theory, AP US History, IBHL English, IBSL&IBHL Psych, IBHL Music. In those, I also sat both AP English exams and the AP Psych exam. I felt that IB prepares students for college much better than AP. Why? Because IB is much more focused on writing and analysis and this is what I do in college.

[SimplicityGirl]

What is your name:
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2010, although that is likely to change
School: University of British Columbia
Junior? / State? / Private?: Public
Major?: Right now, Cell biology and Genetics, but I'm hoping to get accepted into the Nursing program offered

When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. Just the whole transition. Getting lost, not making new friends, not being able to keep up, the marking schemes, how University really works.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help? I have a Registered Education Savings Account, so that pays for my tuition. Books I pay for myself. As for room, I live with my Mom, so none there. Plus at UBC, you get a U pass (which is a nifty little bus pass) for your commuting needs, so that was really useful. I work part time to make spending money.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc The fact that the profs won't breathe down your necks to get you to do your homework. You have to be able to manage your time well.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done? I would say lenient, just because at University, nobody cares what you do--your education is controlled by you.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc? I joined a few clubs, but I haven't really done much

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?
Well my first year marks were a disaster compared to my high school grades, but that was because I didn't know how to study or time manage. Now I learned and I am getting mostly B's and A's. I have a few A+'s too.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major? I had IB in my highschool, and I took the full IB diploma program. I got first year credits for History and English, and it helped because instead of taking 18 arts credits, I only had to take 6.

[mipadi]

What is your name: Michael
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2008
School: Bucknell University
Junior? / State? / Private?: Private
Major?: Computer Science
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. I wasn't terribly anxious, actually -- in fact, I was pretty excited to get away from home. I worried about cost a bit all four years, because Bucknell is an expensive school (it costs around $48,000 a year now), and I was afraid that I might not qualify for financial aide all 8 semesters. Perhaps I had some trepidation about my social life -- being able to make new friends easily, &c.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?
I had a decent financial aide package, but I still had to pay around $8000 a year in expenses. I mostly paid for this myself, by working a part-time job for about 15 hours a week, at the University. For the first four semesters or so, my parents chipped in about $1000 a semester.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc
I think it's more important to prepare for the "college curriculum" itself. In college, you actually have to think. Rote memorization won't get you nearly as far, and you actually have to think for yourself and defend your opinions.

Other than that, developing a good work ethic is important. There will be temptations to just go out and drink most nights, or even just hang out with friends and play Xbox or something -- but you have to fight the urge and actually work.

But I think the best way to prepare is just to know and understand yourself -- what drives and motivates you, &c. -- so you can make good decisions about your future.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?
Hm... It depends on what you mean, exactly. Professors are more strict in that you have to think, generate original material, and defend your views; but they're also more lenient in that they're willing to give extensions, and they provide lots of help and feedback.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?
I was the Opinions editor for the student newspaper for five semesters, and I also wrote a ton of op-ed pieces for the publication. I was also a member of Students for Fair Trade, and helped out with a number of economic- and environment-related events. I was also a member, and then an officer, in the University's Students for Asian Awareness club.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?
Yes, but that's mostly because I was terrible at math. Had I stuck with English, my GPA would've been better -- another reason why it's important to know your strengths and weaknesses when going through college.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?
I took AP Economics, AP English, and AP Music Theory. None were terribly helpful, to be honest. I didn't take any econ or music courses in college. I did take a lot of English courses, since I was a creative writing student for several semesters, but they were a lot different than my AP English experience.

[simx]

What is your name: Heather
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2010
School: University of Hawaii Manoa
Junior? / State? / Private?: State
Major?: Biology/Pre-pharmacy
When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc. the cost

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?I pay for my books and my living expenses, my parents pay for my tuition

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etcDon't slack off because it will bite you in the ass eventually

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?They don't really care, it's your responsibility to do it and if you don't then the consequences will show in your grades.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?Nothing

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?My GPA dropped from high school. My high school study habits definitely did not work when it came to college.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?AP chem, government, world history, AP calculus. The chemistry and calculus helped me with my major.

[TearsOfAPhoenix]

What is your name: Christina
Graduating year/ Graduated year: 2012
School: Duke University
Junior? / State? / Private?: Private
Major?: Double Major in English and Psychology and an Ethics Certificate

When you first found out that you were accepted, what made you the most anxious about college? Such as Dorm life, cost? etc.

I was really worried about the cost. I have crazy strict Hispanic parents and my Mom didn't want me to leave the city much less the state and so she threw a couple of fits and I really had to bank on good financial aid or I wouldn't have been able to come. I was so excited to get away from that crazy strict environment, that I was counting down the days.

How did your family deal with cost factors of room and board? what did you do to help?

As I stated above, Duke gave me amazing financial aid. Duke wasn't my top choice, but with how much money they were giving me it was a no-brainer. I also worked during the summer and had a lot of scholarships that really helped out. My parents chipped in $2500 dollars eventually.

As a college student, what should high school students prepare for? such as nightlife? etc

Lol. So you want to know about the party scene huh? Well at Duke basketball is very prominent so basketball season is a lot of fun. I'd like to think that here at Duke we study hard and party hard, but what is key is that you don't let partying throw off the balance of things. You are in school first and foremost to get an education. That's a lot of money to be spending just to party, you know? But its definitely a cool environment because you're around your friends all the time if you live in the dorm and its just lots of fun.

In your opinion are college professors more lenient or strict when coming to getting your work done?

I think that definitely depends on the professor. I had a lot of teachers in high school that were very lenient, but bottom line is that professors usually don't care what you turn in or the grade you get in class. They're getting a pay check either way. Its up to you to make sure you get your stuff done. I mean they're not completely jerks and will be there to help you with anything you need, but this is your grade, not theirs.

Being that college students are the leaders in counterculture, what have you done to help out? as in joining a society, club etc?

Well I've joined the school newspaper, done some volunteer work, I'm a first year advisory counselor for next year, and had a couple of pre-freshman come and stay with me to get to know the campus. I'm also a part of the Hispanic club.

Has your average GPA dropped significantly from High school or would you say that if you worked hard in high school, you're fine?

My GPA has definitely dropped but I attribute that to the fact that I was taking Calculus and Chemistry courses that I had no interest in since I came here with the preconceived notion that medical school was where I wanted to go. Soon I found out that it wasn't and my second semester here has been so much better. Play to your strengths, do what you like. You definitely have to work hard though. You don't have flimsy homework grades to cushion your grade. You only have tests and papers.

Did you take any AP classes in HS? If you did, which ones and have these AP classes helped you with your current Major?

I took Spanish, English Language, English Lit., Econ., Govt., Calculus, Biology,... I think I took more, but I can't remember. I'd like to think that the more rigorous course load prepared me much more than regular classes would have, but its ultimately about how much you put into a class that determines what you get out of it.

I think an important factor to consider is homesickness. I was very homesick my first semester, which really threw me off and made things much harder for me. I've integrated myself much more on campus now and couldn't be more in love with Duke. My advice is just to dive straight in and immerse yourself in the college experience if you're homesick. Hope that helped!

[hi-C]

^ The worst (the most dense, with the most farfetched theses) essays on literature I've ever read were written by Duke PhDs. Have fun with that.