advice

The Toronto Star

September 3, 1993, Friday, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: LIFE; Pg. D1

LENGTH: 456 words

HEADLINE: Teens off to university should pack this advice

BYLINE: BY NANCY KRUH SPECIAL TO THE STAR (DALLAS MORNING NEWS)

BODY:

Some things they just don't teach you in high school.

Like whether it's a bad idea to take organic chemistry, calculus and quantum physics in the same semester. Or how it may be a good idea to separate your reds from your whites before laundering.

As thousands of teens head for their first university and college adventures, upper-class students and administrators of student activities were asked to offer their "do's" and "don'ts." Here's a sample:

* Don't forget to bring the Monopoly. Towels, T-shirts, a stereo, sure, but did you remember to pack your favorite board game? Nothing like a stroll through Marvin Gardens to break up the grind of study, says one student.

* Quarters for the laundry, offers another student. "I've collected quarters all summer." If you don't, she warns, you're destined to "end up going door to door for some."

* Stuffed animals and family photos. "The best thing you can do for yourself . . . is to bring a few things from home."

* Other ideas: a waterproof container for toting toiletries to the bathroom; a laundry basket; a lap-top desk for studying in bed; indoor plants; a file folder for school records; paper plates for pizzas.

* Do get involved in campus groups, says a civil engineering student. There's a club for every interest, and if there isn't "you can start one."

* But don't get overinvolved. "Your primary purpose is to get an education, and it's important not to lose sight of that." No more Mom and Dad standing over your shoulder. Now it's up to you.

* Do use campus resources. It's not nerdy to ask for help. Honest.

* Do try not to pig out. Now you get to decide when, what and how much you eat. Watch out. Students tend to put on the most weight in the first year, because they bring junk food into their rooms and eat late at night.

* Do learn to live with red tape. There's a lot of paperwork and long waits for financial awards and things of that nature. If you're going to stand in line, bring a book.

* Don't forget about your laundry, one senior student says. "I know people who have left their clothes in the dryer for three days."

He also suggests that you "get the food out of your room or it will end up really gross and it will attract bugs and your roommate will hate you."

* Do keep in touch with Mom and Dad. "The process of becoming independent emotionally and physically from your folks is just as tough for parents as it is for kids. Keep them a part of your life. They do care, and when times get tough, you can call and say, 'Just listen to me.' " Then again . . .

* Don't go overboard. "I never realized how much Mom and Dad did for me," one student gushed. "Of course," she confides, "I'd never tell them that."

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

LOAD-DATE: September 4, 1993