Words of wisdom for freshers.

Hoku

33% God wrote: »

Link to a programme that allows you to take Cornell notes on your computer
http://notalon.sourceforge.net/

If you picked up a copy of MSOffice2007 with OneNote, then here's something to have a look at:
OneNote Notes templates
And particularly this one: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC100803771033.aspx

I have my own copy in the post :P

Chet T16

Stepherunie wrote: »

Oh I knew i'd forget something, not so much for UCD in particular but it might effect someone you know so spread it around.

Basically if you're borderline for receiving a grant (say 50/100e a month over the limit or so), if your parents can afford to, get them to put the money into a private pension.

The grant is means tested on your income, but crucially AFTER private pension contributions are taken out, so by doing so, borderline people may be able to qualify.

Particularly important in these recessionary times!

But the grant is based on the income from the previous year so if you do this now it won't apply until next year.

In my case we were both working last year but i lost my job in December so our financial circumstances are very different now, even moreso in 4 months when my wife goes on unpaid maternity leave and theres a baby to feed! I'm still applying for a grant and explaining the situation, heres hoping...

woop

say hello and talk to randomners on youre first 2 weeks, dont worry everyone does it then

if youre in science got to youre tutorials and actually try to understand(chem,physics) if you didnt do them for leaving, dont just say to youself its only 0.05% or something. because itll benefit you. doing this will have you pass as continous assement is 40%

enjoy yourself

RandomName2

On campus printing is at some point essential (probably essay deadline dates)

But to get something printed makes raiding fort knox look like a walk in the park.

UCD Connect name and password into UCD computer.
Get your document and tell it to print.
Go to printer.
Swipe your card, put in your pin number, and tell it to print.
Out of credit.
Go to the library. Swipe your card and get past security (no drinks!)
Username and pin number in kiosk, + money.
Get out of library (no unscanned library books!)
Get back to printer.
Swipe, pin number.
Print.
Gack! I didn't want double sided printing!

Red Alert

AFAIK you can collect it at any printer, so just go to the nearest one!

Don't diss duplex printing - much kinder to the trees! If only people would get sense and stop demanding assignments on one side only!

bebeebutterfly

El Siglo wrote: »

I was reading some of the posts by freshers on the forum and I thought it might be useful for those of us who've been there, done that got the degree to impart our years of wisdom and useful tips.

My advice for commencing undergrads would be:

• Learn how to budget scrupulously, budget for every single thing and stick to it.
• Learn how to write appropriate english, invest in a thesauras and a dictionary.
• Do not buy books unless they are absolutely necessary, invest in an alcid card if you really want to cover yourself.
• You'll probably never read Nietzsche, Kafka etc... out of any particular joy but do read something, and the more obscure it is for an essay or an exam, the more you are enabled to bull**** the exam and come out with a decent grade.
• Learn a referencing system off or at least have a tab minimized showing how to reference.
• Learn how the library website works and know the library itself, where books are etc...
• Attend tutorials, for the simple fact: most of your closest friends you will meet will be in tutorials and you'll only ever have them in most cases in first year, after that you're pretty much left to your own devices.
• Plagiarism, very simple system really to avoid this: if you never thought of something all by your lonesome, then you reference it, very simple. And if you by some miracle did think of something, check that it's not in something that you're reading.
• Sobreity is over rated, get used to drinking but for every hour spent drinking, at least two must be spent working (trust me, you'll make this time up by the last two weeks of any semester).
• Get used to drinking buckfast, I need not explain why...
• Be polite to the bar staff in the student bars (especially the forum bar next to Quinn, the staff tend to be pretty sound in there).
• Lecture attendance is a matter of choice, but at least make it to half of your lectures, they are really a waste of time and if I had known this I wouldn't have went to as many.
• Join a superleague team, they're great craic and good excercise.
• Never trust any political parties, SU Reps etc...
• Join Law Soc and the L&H because they get decent guests in, after that they're pretty redundant unless of course you're into debating and all that jazz.
• Get to know at least one mature student, very useful because they tend to stalk the lecturers and generally they're okay to chat to about academic stuff (i.e. not as obsessed about getting locked all of the time).
• Invest in a printer, UCD Printing is shockingly expensive for colour.
• Courtesy is free, so when you're in one of the computer rooms and it's the last fortnight of the semester, try not to waste someone elses' time by being on facebook, myspace etc... it's a pain in the balls waiting for a computer to print off an assignment when some goon is on facebook.

That's all I have at the moment, feel free folks to contribute as you wish.

a) can I put a few of these tips on my site?
b) I went to the alcid card link there, sounds handy, but not quite sure how it works?

Tom65

RandomName2 wrote: »

On campus printing is at some point essential (probably essay deadline dates)

But to get something printed makes raiding fort knox look like a walk in the park.

UCD Connect name and password into UCD computer.
Get your document and tell it to print.
Go to printer.
Swipe your card, put in your pin number, and tell it to print.
Out of credit.
Go to the library. Swipe your card and get past security (no drinks!)
Username and pin number in kiosk, + money.
Get out of library (no unscanned library books!)
Get back to printer.
Swipe, pin number.
Print.
Gack! I didn't want double sided printing!

I usually just go to the Daedalus building to print - it has printers and kiosk things. What more could a man want?

bebeebutterfly

El Siglo wrote: »

I was reading some of the posts by freshers on the forum and I thought it might be useful for those of us who've been there, done that got the degree to impart our years of wisdom and useful tips.

My advice for commencing undergrads would be:

• Learn how to budget scrupulously, budget for every single thing and stick to it.
• Learn how to write appropriate english, invest in a thesauras and a dictionary.
• Do not buy books unless they are absolutely necessary, invest in an alcid card if you really want to cover yourself.
• You'll probably never read Nietzsche, Kafka etc... out of any particular joy but do read something, and the more obscure it is for an essay or an exam, the more you are enabled to bull**** the exam and come out with a decent grade.
• Learn a referencing system off or at least have a tab minimized showing how to reference.
• Learn how the library website works and know the library itself, where books are etc...
• Attend tutorials, for the simple fact: most of your closest friends you will meet will be in tutorials and you'll only ever have them in most cases in first year, after that you're pretty much left to your own devices.
• Plagiarism, very simple system really to avoid this: if you never thought of something all by your lonesome, then you reference it, very simple. And if you by some miracle did think of something, check that it's not in something that you're reading.
• Sobreity is over rated, get used to drinking but for every hour spent drinking, at least two must be spent working (trust me, you'll make this time up by the last two weeks of any semester).
• Get used to drinking buckfast, I need not explain why...
• Be polite to the bar staff in the student bars (especially the forum bar next to Quinn, the staff tend to be pretty sound in there).
• Lecture attendance is a matter of choice, but at least make it to half of your lectures, they are really a waste of time and if I had known this I wouldn't have went to as many.
• Join a superleague team, they're great craic and good excercise.
• Never trust any political parties, SU Reps etc...
• Join Law Soc and the L&H because they get decent guests in, after that they're pretty redundant unless of course you're into debating and all that jazz.
• Get to know at least one mature student, very useful because they tend to stalk the lecturers and generally they're okay to chat to about academic stuff (i.e. not as obsessed about getting locked all of the time).
• Invest in a printer, UCD Printing is shockingly expensive for colour.
• Courtesy is free, so when you're in one of the computer rooms and it's the last fortnight of the semester, try not to waste someone elses' time by being on facebook, myspace etc... it's a pain in the balls waiting for a computer to print off an assignment when some goon is on facebook.

That's all I have at the moment, feel free folks to contribute as you wish.

a) can I put a few of these tips on my site?
b) I went to the alcid card link there, sounds handy, but not quite sure how it works?

bebeebutterfly

sorry didn't mean to post twice

Does printing from laptops actually work for anyone??

RandomName2

bebeebutterfly wrote: »

sorry didn't mean to post twice

Does printing from laptops actually work for anyone??

No!

A tentative yes the year before last IF you had windows XP.

El Siglo

You have to download a programme but they can show you that in the IT Services desk in Daedalus. Other than that you're better off printing from one of the UCD machines located all over the place.

Donald-Duck

RandomName2 wrote: »

No!

A tentative yes the year before last IF you had windows XP.

works on vista + 7 too

Red Alert

El Siglo wrote: »

You have to download a programme but they can show you that in the IT Services desk in Daedalus. Other than that you're better off printing from one of the UCD machines located all over the place.

In contrast of course to the relatively trouble-free iPrint/GPAS system

Raphael

Personally, I've taken to using the USB printing in copi print. it's cheaper, and there's no risk of accidentally duplexing things

GodR

I see tesco are selling an "all in one lexmark printer" only E29.99...... a necessity when you need to do work from the comforts of your own room. I'd buy that any day over using those printing services!:D

Bukman13

El Siglo wrote: »

Anywhere which does drink promotionals dictates your night out, not the other way around. Abandon coppers and D2, they're expensive and crap! Also, there's a pub down below tara st. station called "The Sub", €3.40 for all pints.

Abandon coppers :rolleyes:????

I distinctly remember bumping into a certain "El Siglo" at least 20times in that place. And thats only counting last year .

El Siglo

Bukman13 wrote: »

Abandon coppers :rolleyes:????

I distinctly remember bumping into a certain "El Siglo" at least 20times in that place. And thats only counting last year .

I was young and foolish!:D Also, I would have been pretty twisted and usually ended up in coppers after a while, it's kind of like boards and Godwin's Law.

Bukman13

El Siglo wrote: »

I was young and foolish!:D Also, I would have been pretty twisted and usually ended up in coppers after a while, it's kind of like boards and Godwin's Law.

Haha!! So in other words, after a night of bingeing on cheap drink you stumbling into coppers at 3am in an attempt to get a cheeky score ???

insert-gear

Be nice to everyone. You have no idea who's going to end up being the best of friends, or end up going out and any slightly catty remarks could end up backfiring

Don't score anyone in your class (at least not in the first semester). For pretty much the same reasons.

If your doing commerce, sort out your prinitng stuff asap (the lady in the copiprint place is really nice). And it is possible to print from your laptop once you sort it all out

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't be a gimp and take a space in the library that has a plug beside it if you a) dont have a laptop or b) intend on plugging your laptop in and then leaving for the next 6 hours. Plug places are a very limited resource in the library (oh how many times I've had to fight the urge to plug it into the ceiling)

Don't leave a lecture completely unsure of something. Ask your lecturer, because when it comes to going back over the notes for exams, you wont have a clue, and you will probably just go "gah i dont understand this at all, skip it"

Again if youre doing commerce, GO TO EVERY SINGLE ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTING LECTURE. Particularly if you haven't done them for the LC. Anyone that missed lectures last year had a serious shock when it came to catching up at exam time.

Write out your own copy of your timetable. I find the UCD ones to be super confusing, and contain too much info. All you need is subject name, and location (I never knew my lecturers names really)

Email your lecturers if you don't have the balls to talk to them after lectures. They will nearly always get back to you.

Get a student travel card, and find out where does discounts (boots do 10% with a travel card).

Bring your own lunches definitely! (I wish there was somewhere on campus that would let you use a microwave!)

Time Magazine

insert-gear wrote: »

Don't score anyone in your class (at least not in the first semester).

Nonsense. Just act like mature adults when you inevitably realise there's absolutely nothing going on between her ears.

That, or just ignore her for the rest of the year.

Het-Field

Dont enter the Freshers Tent until the Thursday.

Come Tuesday afternoon every bug, cold, flu (including Swine), and STD will be floating around that thing, and it will blitz you for the rest of the week. Come late, sign up for who ya want, and then slip away (healthily)

Raphael

The only problem with that, is that some societies will offer more stuff in the early week, as they only have limited supplies, and also that there are some very small socs that up sticks and leave halfway through the week.

RandomName2

I have a troubling and insatiable hunger which is publically taboo, yet shared by masses within the establishment of UCD... I hunger for wall sockets (want do you mean you want more power! I fed you two hours ago!)

In all seriousness to (new) first years...

Don't expect college to be anything like it is portrayed in movies, TV, or the media.

Frat parties, STDs, intellecutal debates, bizarre club integration rituals, casual drugs are all pretty non-existent.

They even shut down PokerSoc for pity's sake! (Although it is meant to be making a come-back... here's hoping).

I loike sat at the back of two Oirts lectures and was like- hey I've got a degree now or sumptin. Was that easy or wat?

hidinginthebush

Chet T16 wrote: »

Hang on, i'm supposed to stalk the lecturers? Any tips? Should i start with a letter or go straight to hiding in bushes etc?

yes, come to me, I shall show you the way

insert-gear

RandomName2 wrote: »

Don't expect college to be anything like it is portrayed in movies, TV, or the media.

Frat parties, STDs, intellecutal debates, bizarre club integration rituals, casual drugs are all pretty non-existent.

They even shut down PokerSoc for pity's sake! (Although it is meant to be making a come-back... here's hoping).

Lies and more lies.

But yeah, I'd defo agree, college ain't what ya expect. But it is what ya make of it

pretty*monster

insert-gear wrote: »

Don't score anyone in your class (at least not in the first semester). For pretty much the same reasons.

Ignore this advice.
Score lots of people and learn not to be awkward/embarrassed/uptight around them on future occasions, even when you're in the bar with a bunch of people and someone says 'hey, pretty*monster, you've kissed everyone at this table.'

stop

Hey n00bs, there are no buses from the 10 terminus into town after about 930 at night, so stop waiting there! head for the n11 & hope the 46a drivers are stopping.

bnt

Something that I touched on in another thread, but bears repeating here:

Nothing about UCD is compulsory, in the sense you may be used to from school. You do the things you want to do, or the things that lead to the results you want. You will not be punished directly for missing lectures, tutorials, exams, etc.: you just won't get the credits, and it will cost you in time and/or money. So: be clear about your goals, and do the things that will help you reach those goals, whatever they may be. Your "new freedom" means that you are responsible for deciding what to do, or not, but you also get to live with the consequences of your decisions. Have a nice day!

Tom65

You will see Hugh Brady twice in your years in UCD: orientation and graduation. And quite possibly not even then.

ANTIFA!

Malmedicine wrote: »

Go to a colours rugby game,

Support the soccer/gaa/basketball teams.

Go to some of the comedy gigs

Go to your faculty ball

Don't piss off the R.A's

Don't post anything on this that is liable to get you in trouble with University Authorities

Have a great time

Support flipping UCD. no chance