ITT academic advice

[who_cares973]

Originally Posted by bmah

^is that how you got your username?_?.

more or less. i saw no reason to get good grades or try because they werent affecting my immediate future. that doesnt mean i didnt learn what i was taught i just didnt care to apply myself

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by who_cares973

more or less. i saw no reason to get good grades or try because they werent affecting my immediate future. that doesnt mean i didnt learn what i was taught i just didnt care to apply myself

This is still pretty dangerous. A lot of opportunities close, here. Some places won't even accept people for interviews unless they graduate from a certain type of school or have a certain level of academic achievement. It's a huge drag to have to pass up a great opportunity because you don't have the grades.

That being said, though, not all is lost. If you're truly a smart guy, you can still learn how to advance your skills by reading, researching, practicing, and getting involved. If you can immerse yourself in your craft and develop a decent portfolio to showcase your skills, you can land great jobs without having the grades.

It also helps to know people. People with brains who are in power can always give you a leg up... given that you're capable enough to actually handle the job you're after.

[Sullyman2007]

i ****ed up bad in high school. trust me, trying to half-ass your way through those four years will only serve to bite you in the ass when all is said and done. also try to be involved in at least one-two extra curricular activities because admissions LOVE that. basically the best advice is mostly stuff you've already heard a thousand times, you just got a little numb to the preaching.

[rushyrulz]

My grades freshman year were enough to land me a 3.48 GPA instead of the 3.5 needed for my $2500/yr scholarship. I got the highest grades I possibly could senior year and they weren't enough. Shame.

[cry4eternity]

How do you land an internship / co-op if you have a strong academic record but no work experience?

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by cry4eternity

How do you land an internship / co-op if you have a strong academic record but no work experience?

Internships are more easily accessible once you're in college. Getting worthwhile internships when you're in high school is almost always a function of knowing someone (referral) or having a lucky break. The first internship I ever had was at a law firm in NYC... but it was because of a referral from my girlfriend at the time, and it took place AFTER I had already gone through college admissions in the first place.

Getting internships in college is not as difficult. You don't necessarily need work experience, although it helps provide fuel for the interview process (and on-the-job skills). If you have a great record, you have a better chance of landing an interview. Then it becomes a function of simply acing the interview... and voila, internship!

[Starshot]

Originally Posted by cry4eternity

How do you land an internship / co-op if you have a strong academic record but no work experience?

Know your **** in the interview and know how to interview well.

[leonid]

In CS-related fields, interviews are basically nothing but problem-solving exams

[who_cares973]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

That being said, though, not all is lost. If you're truly a smart guy, you can still learn how to advance your skills by reading, researching, practicing, and getting involved. If you can immerse yourself in your craft and develop a decent portfolio to showcase your skills, you can land great jobs without having the grades.

It also helps to know people. People with brains who are in power can always give you a leg up... given that you're capable enough to actually handle the job you're after.

yeah i have a couple doors with a crack open i just need to take some classes to open the doors all the way. it helps if you know how to make yourself like a great asset regardless of background.

[OneHandNow]

btw..

how to balance freedom & academics in college ?_?

[Izzy]

I have to finish writing this speech and I can't find any credible sources about how genetic diversity can have medical benefits. Everything that I find through the libraries databases are way to specific and not broad enough.

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Izzy

I have to finish writing this speech and I can't find any credible sources about how genetic diversity can have medical benefits. Everything that I find through the libraries databases are way to specific and not broad enough.

Look up stuff from Dawkins -- he's got plenty to say about the medical advantages of genetic diversity without getting into nitty-gritty detail.

[Izzy]

http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/14

I found this using googles scholarly beta search. Seems to be exactly what I need even if it is a little detailed. Just need to paraphrase a little.

I had no idea google had such a feature.

Biodiversity loss diminishes the supplies of raw materials for drug discovery and biotechnology, causes a loss of medical models, affects the spread of human diseases, and threatens food production and water quality [10] . Its reduction has direct effects on the discovery of potential medicines.

My speech is actually a persuasive speech about saving endangered plants / animals and one of my main points is that it has medical benefits. This quote seems to support that.

[DossarLX ODI]

Originally Posted by Sullyman2007

i ****ed up bad in high school. trust me, trying to half-ass your way through those four years will only serve to bite you in the ass when all is said and done. also try to be involved in at least one-two extra curricular activities because admissions LOVE that. basically the best advice is mostly stuff you've already heard a thousand times, you just got a little numb to the preaching.

Originally Posted by rushyrulz

My grades freshman year were enough to land me a 3.48 GPA instead of the 3.5 needed for my $2500/yr scholarship. I got the highest grades I possibly could senior year and they weren't enough. Shame.

Originally Posted by trumaestro

rofl whoops

Really makes me wonder how this even happens, especially since I try all the time.

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by OneHandNow

btw..

how to balance freedom & academics in college ?_?

I won't get into superspecifics here, but the end result: "Study hard, play hard." When it's time to study, STUDY. Do it early, and don't let a damn thing distract you. This ensures that you keep up with the material and understand it better over time. You'll do much better on an exam if you have studied the material over the entire semester vs. cramming everything in a few nights before the midterm/final. You need to give your brain more time to absorb the info. It's amazing how doing a little bit more frequently does loads more for your performance when compared to doing a lot all at once.

But allow yourself time to play and enjoy freedom/friends. It'll keep you happier and well-focused. It's actually harmful to lock yourself in a room 24/7 as a studybot. You need to get out once in a while to clear your head and communicate with others (it's also useful to work in groups... assuming you have a smart group).

The most successful people I know from college were also some of the biggest partiers and/or enjoyers of freedom. You don't have to be a genius -- you just need to have good time management. Time is so valuable in college, and if you can force yourself to use your time wisely, you'll level out your stress to an average that is far, far more manageable.

Work hard and get your stuff done early. But then get out and enjoy some guilt-free freedom and actually have a college experience.

[iironiic]

I attend a small state university because of financial reasons, but I know I could go to a better school... If I was considering graduate school in math, what do I need to do?

I know you should take either French, German, or Russian for your foreign language requirement, so i'm doing that now. And I am trying to take as many math classes as possible trying to earn the best grades I can. Does the fact that I attend this unknown but somewhat prestigious (not as prestigious as well known universities) school will hurt my chances of me considering a private school for graduate studies in math (or economics)?

I'm also considering applying for an REU this winter and trying to score well on the Putnam Exam this weekend :/

[Izzy]

I never tried during highschool because it all seemed like a depressing amount of pointless busy work. Once I got to college though I got it together as started getting decent grades. College seems a lot easier in my opinion. Less work that is more interesting.

[DossarLX ODI]

By the way, in case my post was a bit unclear, I meant that some of the grades I get are ridiculously out of whack even when I try.

So uh, yeah, makes me laugh at the ones who are like "I didn't try DERP". What would you have gotten if you "tried"?

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Izzy

http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/14

I found this using googles scholarly beta search. Seems to be exactly what I need even if it is a little detailed. Just need to paraphrase a little.

I had no idea google had such a feature.



My speech is actually a persuasive speech about saving endangered plants / animals and one of my main points is that it has medical benefits. This quote seems to support that.

It depends on what species you're saving and why -- sometimes it's better to let a species go extinct, and sometimes it's better to preserve them.

[Izzy]

I probably would have gotten better grades in highschool if I had tried since I neglected to turn in assignments because they seemed boring.

I always seem to get B's in college now though. I don't understand why I can't get an A no matter what. I do somewhat poorly on one assignment and it drops me to a B and I can never get it back up.

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

It depends on what species you're saving and why -- sometimes it's better to let a species go extinct, and sometimes it's better to preserve them.

I see what you are saying, but that seems a little to in depth. I'm assuming the reason to let a species go extinct is so that it causes another species to live. Still the same general idea of saving species one way or another.