What to tell a college Freshman

10 on Tuesday

Yeah, I am talking to you,! and to Ruthie and Stephen and Lizzie and Hannah, and whoever else may get sent here by a parent.

1. I have already told you this, get ahead on your reading, time goes so much faster than in High School and they assign so much more reading.
2. Go to your classes, this may seem like a no-brainer, but you are paying for this, so think of how much money you waste if you don't bother to go to class.
3. Do all of your homework. I know, the professor doesn't collect it, and you are pretty sure you understand, and it seems like a waste of time. Do it anyway. Practice is the teacher, and thinking about the questions...you will need to know it for the final, so don't ask. If they gave you homework covering the question, they want you to know it.
4. When you don't have a full course load, for whatever reason, when possible take a class for FUN. I don't care what it is, Beginning Social Dance, History of Theater, Costume Design, Softball and Volleyball, take a class out of your major that is a 1 or 2 credit class, that you can drop if the term is too hectic. This lets you meet more people and explore different or new things. You really do only get this opportunity once. My advisor gave this advice to me my Freshman year, I am glad I took the advice to heart.
5. Your professors keep office hours, go meet them. Even if you hate the class and the subject, you may decide you like the person teaching it, and it may make the class go better. If you are having issues, go talk to the professor, easier to do, if you introduce yourself before you have an issue.
6. Join a study group, yeah, there can be a lot of giggling and joking and it may not seem like productive time, but you might be surprised how laughing over a mispronounced word brings it back to you when you are fogged over by an 8 page final.
7. Get your sleep. No, I mean it, you need your sleep, if you get ahead on your reading and do all of your homework, you should not need to cram, so get your sleep.
8. Call Mom and Dad and your younger siblings. They miss you and they love you. They do care.
9. STUDY BREAK! Take a walk, go outside and blow the cobwebs out of your head. It will make more sense afterward.
10. Ask for help, if it isn't making sense, and you have done all the other stuff, find out if there is tutoring (all the accounting majors where I went to school had to work in the accounting lab once a semester...it was free, we were there.)
11. One last thing, it is going to be hard, keep at it, all of the sudden the lightbulb will flash on and you will get it. Once you get it, if you realize you really hate your major (not talking one term in, either) change it, declaring your major is not written in blood. Don't change your major rashly, talk to the older people in your life, yes parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents. Better to change your major than graduate with skills in an area you hate and don't want to do for a long time.

So the last one really is two things. There is so much to tell, I know I have missed something high on someone else's list, and I could kick myself for missing it, but I am not sure what it is. Having fun is covered in class for fun, study break and study group. Get your sleep, check, that is covered, read early and often, go to class, do your homework...oh, ok one final thing, eat right and drink plenty of non-alcoholic, preferably water, drinks.

What I am doing for Tuesday

So without a new 10 on Tuesday topic this week, I am going to go back and do a topic I have not yet done.

Finished Object is the Knotty But Nice hat from Knitty. The young man I knit this for has a rather large head, so what I ended up doing was knitting the ribbing on size 7 (4.5 mm) needles, and the first two rows of the cable chart. Then, I could not find my size 8 (5 mm) 16 inch needle, so I switched to a size 9 for the rest of the cable chart, up until I had to switch to dpn's. Actually I switched a couple of rows before I really had to switch. I switched to size 8 dpns, because I thought the ribbing was a bit looser than I liked for the fabric. Wonderful thing is, it fits him great. It is one of the few beanie type hats that actually covers the bottoms of his ears.

I used 50 grams of a 100 gram skein of Cascade 220 superwash. I actually had the called for yarn in stash. Both the hat and the remaining ball of yarn weigh 50 grams.

10 on Tuesday

Top 10 things about Bacon

1. It can be eaten on its own.
2. It can be eaten with Maple Syrup.
3. It is crunchy.
4. You can add it to a hamburger.
5. It can top a baked potato.
6. It is salty.
7. It isn't just for breakfast.
8. It keeps well.
9. You can have it in a salad.
10. You can have it in an omlette. (I can't eat eggs anymore, but an omlette with bacon is yummy.)

Quicky 10 on Tuesday list. Finished another book on the summer reading list. Did all the projects I wanted to before getting the next book, so hopefully I can get it today. Marching through the list!

10 on Tuesday

This week's 10 on Tuesday topic is what to Bring on Vacation. I am really not going on vacation, but just helped 18 year old get ready to go on vacation, so I have some ideas.

1. Camera -- got to have something to record and share the memories you make.
2. Snacks -- something for the car ride.
3. Sense of Adventure -- You have to be open to all the new experiences you may have.
4. Knitting -- In this case, the completed knit, above was taken, as friend is moving to college in Kansas, and needs something to keep his ears warm over the winter.
5. Appropriate clothing -- the last minute dash this morning was for the rain jacket.
6. Money -- always need that.
7. Sunblock -- my household of blue-eyed blonds can never have too much sunblock.
8. Music -- travel time requires music.
9. Comfortable shoes -- I have yet to go on a vacation without walking involved.
10. People you care about -- OK, probably not technically taking them on vaction, but they are a requirement to make a good vacation.

I am now on book five of my summer reading list. How are you doing on yours?