2. Bio
Greetings future college student! My name is Mike Swormstedt, and I am
currently a 4th year mechanical engineering student at the University of
Cincinnati. From personal experience, I know that making the transition
from high school to college is fairly intimidating. I had many questions
and I was unsure if the information I was reading online would apply to
me. In creating this Wiki I hope to answer some of the questions you may
have about engineering and/or college in general by providing tips I found
to be useful. This PowerPoint will cover information that is important for
all incoming college students, such as how to meet people, what to bring to
school, how to pick a good class/professor, and how to manage schoolwork
with social life.
3. How to Meet People
Meeting people is important, especially if you do not know
anyone at the same school. Some ways in which you can meet
many people at your school include:
• Attend organization meetings and join if interested. Most
organizations, and even colleges, will have meetings that first
week you are on campus before classes start. Attend any you
might be interested in joining.
• Go Greek. Joining a fraternity or sorority may not be for
everyone, but it can be a good way to meet a lot of people and
get involved in school activities. If interested, participate in
RUSH week.
• Meet students in your major. These are people that you may
have classes with all 4 or 5 years of school. Getting to know
these people will not only allow you to build friendships, but
also provide you with a group of people you can study/do
homework with.
• Meet people in your dorm/apartment. If anything, go around
an introduce yourself to the people you live around.
4. What to Bring to School
When moving away to school, the first
question that often arises is “What should I
bring?” College is going to be your home away
from home, so you want to make sure you have
everything you need to live comfortably, while
avoiding bringing too much. Most college
freshmen are required to live in dorms, and
the rooms in dorms are typically small. A
common 2 person room doesn’t allow for
much more than 2 beds, 2 closets, 2 dressers, 2
desks, and a minifridge/microwave combo. If
you know where you are going to live, see if it
is possible to take a tour before you move in.
This will give you a good idea what the space
available is, and how much you can bring. A dorm room similar to the one I had Freshmen year
5. Essential Items
Some items I found to be
mandatory to have included:
• Clothes and hangers • School Supplies (paper, folders,
• Shoes pencils, pens, calculator, etc)
• Shower shoes • Coat/jacket
• Bedding (pillows, sheets, comforter, • Cell phone
blankets, etc.) • Medicine (Advil, cold medicine,
• Clock/Alarm band aids, etc.)
• Desk lamp • Health insurance card
• Toiletries (toothbrush, soap, • Power strip
shampoo, deodorant, etc.) • Umbrella
• Laundry detergent • Paper towels
• Snacks • Batteries
• Book bag
6. Optional Items
Items that are nice to have around
to make your room feel like home,
but are not mandatory include:
• More comfortable chair
• Laptop (Ethernet cable if internet • Extra drawers
isn’t wireless) • Posters
• TV • Basic tools (screwdrivers, hammer)
• Stereo • Printer
• MP3 player + headphones • Office supplies (stapler, hole punch,
• Video games paper clips, tape, etc.)
• Movies • Kitchenware (plates, cups,
• Books silverware)
• Personal fan • Personal items that will help make
your room feel like home
7. Additional Items
Here is a link that includes a list of items students
should consider bringing to school. Use it as a
checklist!
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/9763.html
8. Choosing Good Classes/Professors
Obviously, the most important part
of college is the classes. In most
cases you will be required to take
certain classes for your major, and
therefore will be unable to chose a
specific time/professor if there is
only one opening. This is especially
true later in your college career
when classes are major specific.
There are times, such as choosing
electives, in which you have
freedom to pick a class you would
like to take. If there are multiple
offerings for a class, you may have
the ability to pick what time and/or A sample course offering list
professor you want.
9. Tips for Choosing a Good
Class/Professor
• Find something that interests you. Universities offer hundreds of
classes. Electives are your opportunity to get away from your major if
you choose. While you may be tempted to pick an ‘easy A’ class, try to
pick a class that you will enjoy, or that will benefit you from a career
standpoint.
• Use websites such as Rate My Professors. Websites like this allow
students that have taken certain classes or had certain professors to
share their personal experiences.
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/index.jsp
• Talk to upper classmen in your major. Again, there is a good chance
that upper classmen in your major have taken the same classes/had the
same professors as you. Ask them what to expect and/or how to
succeed in a given class.
• Sometimes you will get stuck with a poor professor! If this happens
and you find yourself struggling, seek help from other students or
learning centers.
10. Managing School with Social Life
Taking class is the reason you go to college, but it is also
important to enjoy your time there. Here are some tips to
be successful in class and enjoy life outside of it:
• Get away from schoolwork for a while! Don’t get
overwhelmed with schoolwork. Make sure to set aside
some time to do things you like such as exercising,
playing sports, hanging out with friends, etc.
• Manage time wisely, use breaks in between classes
to get things done. Getting work done during random
breaks will free up time later.
• Get most of your homework done before the
weekend. Weekends should be a time for fun and
relaxation. In order to keep up with your schoolwork
and keep weekends free, get homework done during
the week when less is going on.
11. Closing
College is a big moment in your life. Follow these tips and
you will have a great time while also being successful.
Any links I have posted in the slideshow are available on
the helpful links part of the Wiki. Good luck!
