College Guide - College do’s and don’ts
Some of ATL’s finest, and a couple of professors, offer words of wisdom
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| ??? “I would never had gone to college without knowing exactly what I wanted to do. A lot of people go just because that’s what society tells us that’s what you do after high school. I’d say not to go unless you have a clear, set plan. Make sure you only go for yourself, and not because of your parents and pressures from your family and whatnot ... I’m not saying college is a waste, but I think a lot of people put way too much on college in the first place.” — Jay Envy, Atlanta DJ, Clayton State University????? | |
| ?? | ?? “It’s an important time in your life; don’t take that lightly, but also don’t leave with any regrets. This is your time to be selfish, because later on in life you’re going to have people who can’t afford for you to find out things about yourself. So college is definitely that time to figure it out.” — Rob Haze, Atlanta comedian living in NYC, University of Georgia?? |
| ??? “A lot of students are surprised at the end of the semester when they realize they’re going to get a poor grade, almost like they didn’t know it happened. Part of it is you get caught up in the college experience, so enjoy it, have fun, try new things, meet new people, but rein it in and just don’t go too crazy, that’s easy to happen. I’d also tell myself to not cram, because it doesn’t work. Study a little bit every day, and space it out.” — Audrey Duarte, associate professor of psychology at Georgia Tech, PhD from University of California — Berkley?? | |
| ??? “One thing that I have told other college-aged kids is to not be afraid to visit your professors and department heads. Respect their position and their experience, but just say, ‘This is what I’m interested in, and this is a way that I’d like to get more out of my classes.’ Also, student loans are real! It’s a necessary evil; at least for me it was, so maybe start saving up right away, even before you have to pay. It will come around one day, unfortunately.” — Amanda Mills, executive director at Murmur Media, Georgia State University?? | ?? |
| ?? | ?? “Number one, get engaged with civic and activist organizations early in your college career. Bit of advice number two: experiment in engaging in communities that are different than the communities in which you grew up. Spend time with people who don’t look like you, don’t sound like you, and have experiences in life different than yours. Practice makes perfect, and the last thing I would say is do something revolutionary, be a radical, and don’t settle.” — Chris Appleton, executive director at WonderRoot, Georgia State University?? |
| ??? “My main advice would be for folks to resist the pressure to declare a major immediately. The pressure will come from all sides and it seems logical to go ahead and start on a path toward a career from the beginning. But all universities have general education requirements, and it is best to focus on these first — review all of the options within the gen ed requirements and take those that seem the most interesting to you ... once you find a class that ignites your own interest, pursue it.” — Amira Jarmakani, associate professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University, PhD from Emory University?? | ?? |
| ??? “I guess the big thing for me, as far as advice goes, is to start getting into whatever your degree is. Whatever you see yourself doing, just start doing it now. Don’t wait until you graduate to do the thing you want to do now. I’d say (to my past college self), ‘Take more improv classes.’ If something looks interesting and it’s not necessarily going to give you all the credits you need, take it anyway and just do it because it looks fun and enjoyable.” — Jon Carr, comedian, and marketing director at Dad’s Garage Theatre, Georgia Military College?? | |
| ??? | ?? “Colleges typically bring in authors, artists, and other experts to give free talks to the students. Go see these people! You’re paying for these people to be there with your student fees, might as well get something out of it. Skip class on nice days, but not all the time. It’s no fun trying to take a final you know nothing about, take my word for it (sorry, mom). ... Don’t schedule 8 a.m. classes. They never ever ever work out.” — Catlanta, Local artist, Georgia State University? |