10 Things I Should've Known Before Starting Stony Brook University | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

10 Things I Wish I Would've Known Before Starting School At Stony Brook University

Do NOT buy books from the bookstore.

121
Friends

As my senior year is underway, I look back at the times I've been in college where I wish I could've done better. Growing up comes at the cost of making mistakes and learning from them. There are so many things I wish I would've known before I even entered college. That'll take too long. So, these will have to suffice.

Friends

Make as many friends as you can in your first year, you will see them again and again until you graduate.

Campus bookstore

Do not buy books from the bookstore. Find other places: Facebook pages dedicated for books, Craigslist, or place ads where campus allows. You'll save TONS.

Textbook timing

Do not buy books until they are needed. I have bought one too many books that were of no use during the semester.

Asking questions

Ask questions in class no matter how dumb. In fact, what I realized is, the dumber the question, the more people are also wondering about the answer.

Excuses

Do not make excuses. Don't blame the teacher for poor grades, don't blame your friends for not finishing your homework, and don't blame the short due date for incomplete assignments.

Take leadership

Group projects! Finding the person who will take charge isn't good. TAKE CHARGE INSTEAD. Your grade relies on your portion of hard work.

Learning how to fail

DO NOT give up after failing the first assignment/quiz/midterm/exam. It's not over until it's over.

Prioritizing your education

College is about studying and getting good grades. That's your primary objective and everything else should come second. Parties, friends, hanging out, club meetings, getting drunk, gym activities… all come after you do your share of being a good student.

Hard work pays off

Good grades give you an excuse to treat yourself. You've earned it.

 GPA is essential, yet not enough

GPA is of UTMOST importance. However, by itself, GPA is not enough anymore. Along with GPA, you need experience in your field that requires problem-solving. Education is only a tool needed to help with the execution.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

41
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1292
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2260
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments