The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, August 30, 2004, Image 3

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The Battalion
Page 3 A • Monday, August 30, 2004
PACE DESIGN BY JULIE BONE
Survival of the fish
Seniors, professors offer wisdom to freshmen for handling first week of college
By Kirk Ehlig
THE BATTALION
On his first day of school at Texas A&M, Keller Wall, a senior
nechanical engineering major, decided he was going to start things
n the right track by eating a healthy breakfast and taking his vitamins
efore class. He took some vitamin supplements and headed from Ho
ard Hall over to Sbisa for a good, all-you-can-eat breakfast.
He eagerly piled his tray with nutritious items, but as he found a
lace to sit he felt uneasy, and before he could take two steps toward
he bathroom, he vomited all over the floor.
Later, Wall realized that if he had read the. instructions on the vita-
INSIDER'S INPUTI
Here's some advice from
some seniors and TAMU
faculty members:
Search for used textbooks
Budget time for bus delays
Don't go home every weekend
Attend supplemental instruction
sessions
Get involved
.
n
Gracie Arenas • THE BATTALION
To prevent these symptoms, some seniors and faculty members
lave offered do’s and don’ts for getting settled at A&M.
Many students say transportation is an annoying hassle at A&M.
Vhen it comes to parking on campus. Wall says don’t even try.
“Before we had segregated lots. I’d go to the Zachry parking lot and
’d drive around for 45 minutes, maybe an hour looking for a spot,”
Wall said. “I could have ridden the bus.”
But, Wall says he has learned from experience that the bus system
sn’t always dependable.
The bus route helps, but don’t count on the bus coming,” Wall
aid. “Don’t come out five minutes before it gets there because I came
intliei mt 10 minutes before my test started once and the bus never came,
[he lights in town were out and so all the traffic was jammed up, and
missed my test. I walked in and the prof made me take it anyway,
nd 1 failed it.”
Getting your books (often hundreds of dollars’ worth) can also
x a hassle.
Ben Welch, director of the Center for Executive Development and a
linical associate professor for the Department of Management, deals
with at least 1,200 freshmen each year. Welch advises students to pur-
:hase their textbooks after the first day of class.
“Many times, there will be three sections of the same course being
Dffered and (the students) bought the wrong book, and now they’re
laving to go back to get it,” Welch said. “I always think it’s great just
o wait until the first day.”
Thomas Bledsoe, a senior English major, said it’s best to buy or use
book from a friend.
“The best thing to do is find someone who has
already taken the class,” Bledsoe said.
Betty Milbum, associate director of counsel
ing for the A&M Student Counseling Service
and an ATMentors coordinator, said it’s not ad
visable for freshmen to go home every weekend,
because it affects areas other than grades.
“If you’re going home every weekend, you’re
not getting established in the community, you’re I
not really making friends, and you’re not taking ad
vantage of the social activities that are available to
you here,” Milbum said.
Wall also recommended not going home every weekend.
“If you have to call your parents every night of the week, do it,
but don’t go home every weekend,” Wall said. “It’s hard to make
friends, and the weekend is when everything is going on. That’s
when everyone has fun, and you’re just missing out on a big part of
college if you go home.”
When it comes to budgeting work and fun. Wall’s advice is to
“study hard so you can play hard afterward.”
Welch said it’s a good idea for students to take advantage of Sup
plemental Instruction, commonly known as SI.
“The SI (instructors) chosen have taken the class that they are pro
viding supplemental instruction for and have mastered how to study
for and approach the class,” Welch said. “I always see at least a letter
grade higher for those that attend SI.”
Fatima Friday, a senior biology major, said reviewing her notes be
fore and after class has helped her remember topics covered.
“What I’ve learned that’s really important is you should always
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read your notes before you go to class, and also read your notes after
class,” Friday said.
Friday also said students don’t always need to read every chapter in
their textbooks.
“You don’t necessarily have to read each chapter,” she said. “The pro
fessor may say, ‘Read chapters one through five,’ and you have three to
four other classes. Your other profs start telling you to do the same thing,
and you’re working 20-plus hours a week. It’s impossible.”
Welch said it is important that freshmen make time for themselves.
“Often students are so committed to success in all areas of their life
that they experience bum-out,” Welch said. “Don’t get so busy that you
fail to stop and smell the roses.”
One way for students to do this, Welch said, is by getting in
volved at A&M.
“There are over 750 organizations for incoming freshman to get
involved with,” Welch said. “When we talk about the Aggie spirit, stu
dents need to experience it, and it comes from ‘The Other Education.’
Leam about the traditions that are at the heart of our University.”
Rent a washer & dryer
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www.Universityleasing.com
Come to the
Stagehand Meeting
Wednesday, September 8 th
at 7:00 PM
in Rudder Auditorium
Barns $6. OO per hour
Bring 2 forms of identification
(Social Security card & Drivers License)
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