Comments on: Letters for my son: One day ’til college

By: The Boy Goes To College, Redux | Saint Louis Mo. Entertainment and Attractions

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:45:36 +0000

[...] I composed a series of posts, Letters to My Son in the days leading up to his departure. Remember this? Or perhaps you recall The Freshman Ten (Michelle, I still laugh when I read #4 and remember your [...]

By: Recent Links Tagged With "big" - JabberTags

Recent Links Tagged With "big" - JabberTags — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:19:22 +0000

[...] public links >> big Letters for my son: One day ’til college Saved by sailormoongirl2 on Mon 13-10-2008 McCain planning big rally in Ohio day after Dem [...]

By: links for 2008-08-19 « Charlottesville Words

links for 2008-08-19 « Charlottesville Words — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:02:09 +0000

[...] STLWorkingMom: the St. Louis Working mom’s blog >> Letters for my son: One day ’til colleg… So TRUE: "Grades – this is the last time in your life that when you work hard it will be directly for your own benefit." [...]

By: Formerly Known as Dwight

Formerly Known as Dwight — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:44:37 +0000

Great, GREAT advice, esp. “No 7:40 classes.” God. That was THE stupidest thing I did my first semester at college. Naturally it was an every day class, too. Jeez.

I’ll throw in two of my maxims:

1. Remember, this isn’t high school. You are not an institutional inmate. You are a CONSUMER of their educational services. Drop a class before you fail it. Don’t ride mistakes into the ground. If you show up on Day One and your prof proudly proclaims his Dick-osity, (”I’m here to flunk you out of college!” – Oh yes, you will cross paths with this teacher sooner or later) finish out the hour, walk down to registration, and fill out the paperwork to SWITCH CLASSES. This isn’t high school. You have options now. USE THEM.

2. College professors can only give out so many A’s and B’s. If you want one of those A’s or B’s, you MUST TAKE IT AWAY FROM ANOTHER STUDENT SITTING IN YOUR CLASSROOM. You are in competition with your fellow students. You can like them. You can respect them. But somewhere in your predatory limbic wolf-brain, you need to understand that you must CRUSH the kids sitting next to you by doing your projects to a level that unmistakably embarasses them for their substandard efforts. Srsly, kid. You are either a wolf, or you’re a sheep. Lots of bully dumbasses will roll their eyes when you keep raising your hand and monopolizing a classroom discussion.

Three years from now those eye-rollers will have dropped out and be sweating the latest round of layoffs at the shoe factory.

You will be on track for a sweet internship at a cooshy job where the receptionist wears dresses so short they might not be legal.

Eff the bullies. Eff peer pressure. Eff your concerns about being the kid who tries too hard, or kisses ass too much.

Look at the kid in the chair to your left. The chair to your right. Good.

Now crush them.

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:41:37 +0000

Wow! Some very insightful (and true) words from J.! Wish someone would’ve told me these things when I was going to college. Or better yet, I wish I would’ve listened.

By: abunslife

abunslife — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:32:21 +0000

Awesome advice J. Just perfect. He should print it out and memorize it. His first test.

By: Dave Donohue

Dave Donohue — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:17:23 +0000

Marijean,

I also wish someone had given me this list. It would have been equally accurate for the class of 1994, if you substituted Phish for Led Zep and took out mp3s.

Come to think of it, if mp3s had existed when I was in college, I never would have graduated.

Best of luck to your son!

By: Kathy G

Kathy G — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:10:13 +0000

I wish someone had told me this before *I* went to school!