So I know that most people going to college or university are pretty concerned of what is it going to be like,
so I want to make a guide to help you out.
One of the first things you need to know is that they are pretty expensive.
And you can't have the same attitude as you did in high school,
because if you fail something you just have to take it again at your own expense.
So before you go, you need to ask yourself the question:
Are you there to drink and meet girls,
or are you there to get a degree that will help direct your career for the rest of your life?
And once you figure that out,
then you can ask yourself:
"Am I dedicated enough to commit my whole day to this
for the next four-plus years,
or am I gonna set some time aside to get my degree?"
Personally, I really decided to take everything one step at a time, and the first thing you have to do is register for courses.
And you might have heard that the school work is gonna be a lot harder than high school,
and I think most of us have had thoughts like:
"What if I'm just not smart enough for this?"
And the truth is: if you could navigate their website, you're smart enough.
Now you might be wondering what's the best program to take and
truth be told, there's not really a best program.
The most important thing is choosing something that'll help you find a sustainable job that you'll enjoy.
Now you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, how do I try to get the job I'll enjoy if I don't know what I'll enjoy because I've never had the job?"
That's a good question and that I'll avoid by suggesting you use the following rule of thumb:
so when you're picking a program, imagine a slider that goes from fun, to how much money you'll make.
That's the spectrum you're sort of dealing with.
So, one thing that most people are really excited about is making new friends, and don't worry you'll get over that pretty quickly.
But if you're talking to someone, one thing I think is really important is to avoid certain trigger phrases when you're talking to people from different departments.
As an example, don't talk about the job market with fine arts students,
don't talk to pre-med or med students about student loans or how long until they graduate,
and never EVER tell an engineering student you had a lot of homework last night,
even if you're another engineering student.
If you're wondering what type of engineering has the most homework, it's the one they're taking.
On a similar note, ask for how much work you should expect to do.
When I started classes, they told everyone:
"You should be studying for 2-3 hours at home for each hour of lectures you attend."
And I remember thinking,
"Wow, no homework."
Unfortunately, that eventually backfired when we had in-class midterm, and I couldn't find the room.
So, along with that loophole that doesn't work, there are some common myths I wanted to spell right away.
So you don't have the wrong idea about college or university.
Uhh, you'll still be one of the smart kids, myth.
People are a lot more mature, myth.
You'll have a lot more sex, true!
I'll have a lot more sex, myth.
Now, completely unrelated,
but something that can really have an effect on your experience is the male to female ratio in a program.
As an example, looking at the stats from our local schools,
Computer science and software engineering is 90% male.
While the health and nursing programs are 90% female.
You might be thinking,
"Oh no, I'm a guy taking computer science, but I still want to meet girls.
What does that mean?"
It means: you fucked up.
Uhh, I took one Java program course,
and now I get an erection every time I see a gender-neutral name on an attendance sheet.
Now, of course, when people think of college: they think of college parties.
So, I'd always wonder what it would be like to be invited to one.
On a bit more serious note.
One thing that I think needs to be said,
is that a lot of students are a little bummed out that they were really good at something in high school,
but now they're kind of middle of the pack.
The truth is: you don't need to be the best at your discipline to do great things.
As an example, I never showed a lot of potential in high school,
but now I make youtube videos in my room.
Uhh... what I mean to say is that it is important to look for other avenues
to really help you stand out to employers, and help your career in general.
Like, once your skill's at a certain level you don't become a famous artist by being better than everyone else at art and music.
You get there by being better at marketing.
You don't become a chief engineer by being better than everyone at math.
You get there by being better at communication and dealing with people.
And ultimately, try to have at least a little bit of diversity,
because even if lucky enough to have the ability to be the best in the world at one thing.
In thirty years, it'll be a little more difficult to cope when we all get replaced by robots.
(outro)