Movies lied to us. College isn’t all beer bongs and partial nudity. There’s also boring stuff like lectures and “hanging in the quad”—whatever the hell that is. Hotblockchain is entering her Senior Year at Carnegie Mellon, and she’s amassed some seriously good tips to getting through orientation, Greek week, midterms, and beyond.
Hotblockchain’s Surviving College Tips
1. “Everyone is just as nervous as you.”
Strolling from class to class with a backpack full of books that cost as much as a used car can be disorienting, especially for students schlepping in from small towns or out of state. Undergrads, like bees, are more afraid of you than you are of them. So take it easy! At least for your first week.
Hotblockchain advocates being “the nice person,” because it’s a great way of making friends. On her first week at Carnegie Mellon, she felt out of place at orientation. Then came a scene that feels right out of a movie.
“I was like ‘If anybody wants their hair done before this…anybody wants makeup done…anybody wants to go to a party come to my dorm!’” Hotblockchain recounts. “Be that helping hand, be that person who gets the people who are scared out of their shell.”
2. “Go to lecture and pay attention!”
This one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s not terribly uncommon for new students to either rot away in their dorm or become a little too social with their fellow scholars. HotBlockChain encourages new students to not simply attend lectures, but to absorb as much knowledge as possible, and ask plenty of questions.
“I am always the student with their hand raised,” Hotblockchain says. “You’re paying for that class. If you don’t understand something, raise your hand until you do!”
3. “Go to TA (Teacher’s Assistant) office hours”
Learning can occasionally be difficult, but many schools have plenty of resources to get struggling students through even the most arduous classes. All you have to do is tap into them. Hotblockchain encourages students to leave their egos at the door and ask for help from TAs the second they find themselves falling behind.
“Do not bother to try to bulldoze your way trying to understand an assignment,” Hotblockchain says. “ Even if you get straight As, you’re eventually going to run into a class that is so out of your depth. “But they pay people to tell you what’s going on. It’s a great thing.”
4. “You’re allowed to have fun.”
Yeah, we opened this guide slamming the college party scene. But students entering college right out of high school should actually build some memories that they can look back on while sipping whiskey and looking out windows in their 40s. Fun can take many forms. It can mean spending a day at the beach with a gaggle of friends. Maybe it means romance. I hear honest to goodness LAN parties are making a comeback. Sure, that works too, we guess.
Hotblockchain remembers feeling a little overwhelmed during her Freshman year. She called home for advice from her mom, who simply said, “Get a fake ID.” It should be noted that the Playboy editorial staff cannot condone this advice, and we advise all readers to adhere to their state’s laws related to alcohol and marijuana consumption. Cough.
5. “Don’t latch yourself to someone during orientation week.”
We touched on making happy memories in one of the other tips, but you may want to hold off on falling in love for a while. Get your footing first before complicating things with potential romantic partners. Aside from waiting, Hotblockchain advises women to not settle for the all too common “Netflix and chill” line.
“Actually make him take you out on dates,” Hotblockchain says. “If you’re a guy and you ask women on dates, you’re going to stand out. Take her to coffee. Take her noodles. Be a gentleman!”
Hotblockchain is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
