Time-honored advice steers newcomers away from collegiate ruin

Back when I was in college…

It has a nice ring to it. And I definitely said the phrase more than a few times in my first few weeks after finishing off the last few classes that were between me and that golden diploma.

I wasn't your typical college student. You know, straight out of high school, spending one last summer of freedom before plunging back in to the books for a good four or five years on the way to whatever career was pre-ordained for myself.

Instead, I didn't begin my college career until I was 23 years old, I took seven years to finish, and in that time I figured out a lot about myself, the people around me and what I think should and shouldn't occur on a college campus such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Granted, the fact I was already an old man when I started attending classes should be an indicator, but consider this.

When we're going through that awkward stage that extends from middle school until we're through with college, most of us think we already have it figured out.

I think the most important thing I learned in college was that I didn't have much of a clue before I got here. Some of you will figure that out in your time here, others won't.

In any case, here are a few tips and tricks that I learned in my time here. They're unconventional, some are obvious but still not attended to and most of what I'm about to say is not covered in the Undergraduate Bulletin or in the go-get-'em speeches that parents offer before they drive away from your dorm during that first weekend on campus.

First and foremost, college is obviously what you make it. You can sit in your dorm room playing Halo for hours on end, or you can actually go out and make some friends. You can chat with kids from high school on Google chat, or you can join a campus group and meet some new friends that might become lifelong buddies.

For some of you, studying will be the only thing on your mind, for others studying will be the last. This second group of students usually is absent from class altogether one or two semesters later (as the university tends to kick out underachievers), but a few of us figure out the system well enough to graduate with a 2.5 GPA (as I did).

Communication with teachers is key. If they know you have stuff going on in your life, they're more likely to work with you on late assignments or attendance problems. If you keep your mouth shut, the F-grades are more likely to pile up quickly.

Class isn't as important as attendance policies seem to suggest. If you have good study habits and stay on top of when assignments are due, attendance offers up a time for reinforcing the stuff you've already learned. Then again, people who skip class all the time aren't usually on top of the whole studying concept.

Since it's a given that we have to come to class from time to time, I'll tell you about a huge pet peeve for many of us on campus: texting during class.

It might not seem like a big deal, but what it says about you is that you could care less about respecting the professor or your fellow classmates. I've sat next to people in class that have literally sent more than 100 text messages in a single class.

Granted, perhaps I should just grow a pair and ask politely that he or she knocks it off, but I tend to be passive, and the anger stays on the inside. Just know that people grow to develop a hatred for the texts in class, and when we get together outside of class, we mostly talk about how much you suck.

Another thing that usually annoys the masses are the students who come to discussion classes and dominate the discussion. It's awkward when no one speaks up. But it's equally awkward when one person does most of the talking. It usually means that person thinks they know a lot more than they do, and they don't even notice that the other students are rolling their eyes because they're too busy listening to themselves talk.

And if class is a place you go to sleep, just stay home. Some professors will make an example of you. For others it will just ruin their day because they're as passive as I am. I usually pull off an occasional really loud sneeze to scare the bejeezus out of the sleepers. Feel free to steal that one.

In any case, have fun in your time here. It can be the time of your life if you let it. Let it.

jeremy buckley is finally a college graduate. but since he continues not to be motivated enough to enter the real world he is still editing for a college newspaper. reach him at jeremybuckley@dailynebraskan.com