Survival Tips for Freshmen please :)

[diko08]

Maximize the rich library resources of the school

[stellarxplosion]

Aww. That's too bad. Another reason why I chose to apply to AB European studies is because I want to be sure that if ever I have the opportunity to have a JTA it would surely be in Europe. Thanks for all your advice!

If you wanna have a taste of living and studying abroad in select European countries like France and Germany before applying for JTA, there's the Study Tour during summer for those interested. You spend around a month touring the place while studying the language, which will be credited when you get back to school.

[missygarcia879]

If you wanna have a taste of living and studying abroad in select European countries like France and Germany before applying for JTA, there's the Study Tour during summer for those interested. You spend around a month touring the place while studying the language, which will be credited when you get back to school.

Cool! I'll check it out when I have time. I have only been to Europe once and my favorite place there is Spain because of the culture. I have never been to Germany but I hear it supposed to be nice too. I hope my grades will be high enough to join the JTA or like you say, the Summer tour

[stellarxplosion]

Cool! I'll check it out when I have time. I have only been to Europe once and my favorite place there is Spain because of the culture. I have never been to Germany but I hear it supposed to be nice too. I hope my grades will be high enough to join the JTA or like you say, the Summer tour

Grades aren't a factor for the summer tour, it's only for the JTA. Anyone can join the summer tour, as long as there are slots and if you can afford the fees.

[migz2000]

Have you decided already which track of EU are you pursuing? Because there are a lot of tracks available for you.

[migz2000]

Maximize the rich library resources of the school

Yeah. You'll pay a large chunk of your tuition for the Library.

[Luc_wind]

I'm a freshman in Ateneo, and really, it's not as easy as these guys put it Actually, it can be easy if you put your mind to it. Nakakatamad nga lang minsan kasi the subjects will be the same as in high school, except on a college level.

Hell month ko ngayon so medyo sabog utak ko. Haha! English papers, Filipino papers, Calculus long tests (you won't have calculus, but that doesn't mean algebra will be easier), Lit papers (but I like lit ). But I'm not trying to intimidate you! Everything's doable naman, pero madaming sleepless nights, especially kapag midterms and finals.

Some tips:
1. PLEASE ENJOY YOUR ORSEM! Super super fun siya! Don't be absent or else you'll feel left out once classes start. You'll also get to know the different buildings and random facts about the school. Learn to Banana and Pacific Ring of Fire. MOB MOB!

2. Don't be afraid to ask your upperclassmen! They'll gladly help you out! ...Well most of them. Don't be fooled into going to Bel if your class is in CTC. Also, try as much as possible to not ask where SEC-C is.

Again, attend and pay attention in ORSEM so you won't look like a lost puppy once classes start.

3. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR ID! Mahirap mag-ninja mode sa Ateneo, pero matututo ka rin Kapag nakalimutan mo ID mo, a strap will do. Just make sure to look for your ID.

4. As the above people said, maximize the library resources. Get your EBSCO password. You'll pay for it and it's REALLLLLY helpful.

5. I know this is stupid, but try to mind the bench people. Ateneo's VERY clique-ish. Some benches "belong" to some cliques. It's really annoying, but I don't really like being stared at.

6. As the others said nga, don't overdress (unless your everyday "casual" wear is stylish talaga). I've heard from some upperclassmen how annoying some freshies are because they try to "impress" them.

7. Consult with your lecturers/instructors/professors. Really helpful if you don't know what to do.

8. Having a laptop is useful, but not necessary.

9. Do well in your Filipino and Math placement tests. The placement tests will determine whether or not you will be transferred to basic Filipino and Math, or to the regular Filipino and Math. Ignore what they give you once you enlist. You will still take the tests. The Filipino test is REALLY difficult and almost unfinishable (I didn't finish it), but you don't have to finish it. I'm in regular Filipino and I didn't finish the test. The Math one is easy.

English will also have Basic English and Regular English, but this is already given to you before school starts. Those placed in basic English will have a test to see if they will be transferred to regular English. Only few pass this test.

Basic subjects have no credits.

10. Please please PLEASE don't block the walkways. It's mostly freshmen and our huge blocks that block the pathways. You'll notice how annoying it is once you reach the 2nd sem or even halfway through the first sem. Some other rush to their next class. Also, please walk quickly.

11. Maximize your breaks. you can have breaks as long as 5 hours. Use them wisely.

12. Join Orgs. They are really fun and you'll get to know your upperclassmen. Super useful if you want tips on certain subjects. Dadami rin connections mo with sponsors, companies, etc.

13. Learn to communicate with your batchmates. You'll probably have a facebook group for your batch. Don't be afraid to ask questions from them, too.

14. Enjoy! College is really fun and more independent. There are many events like org parties, fairs, bazaars, etc. Madami kang magagawa, I swear.

Yan lang muna. Super antok na ako
Good luck!!

[migz2000]

^don't party too much. It's all about balancing your time and priorities.

^you say you got bored during your classes? What subjects you taking?

[Luc_wind]

^don't party too much. It's all about balancing your time and priorities.

^you say you got bored during your classes? What subjects you taking?

I don't party that much naman siguro mga 2-3 times a year lang.
-walang social life-

Medyo nabore lang ako kasi yung mga subjects, English, Filipino, Math, Literature, PE, Science. Basically, halos lahat high school subjects pero taught on a college level (of course). I asked around din. Same sentiments din ang ibang freshies. Mga tinamad na sa subjects dahil parehas lang sa hs

Pero di naman masyadong tinamad. 2.7 QPI ko nung 1st sem. May kilala rin akong nag-DL na 3.35 QPI

[migz2000]

^SOSE ka? Or BS ME?

[Luc_wind]

Actually, SOSS ako. AB Management Economics, pero I'll shift to SOSE BS LfSci.

The subjects I mentioned are Core subjects, which means ALL students have to take them regardless of your course. In addition to those subjects, you also have Philosophy, Theology, Sociology and Anthropology, Agrarian Reform, Rizal, Asian/Western History, Psychology, Foreign Language Course, NSTP. I might have missed some, but that's most of it. Don't worry because those subjects are scattered throughout your college life. the ones I mentioned in my previous post are for freshmen

[shunderground]

Incoming FRESHIES! I hate to do this off-topic, shameless plugging but my group is desperate for more LIKES for our prank videos! In this video, we pulled a hilarious prank on the Ateneo Mathematics Society President Jason Escartin.

Check out also a (lame, tbh) flash mob dance we did around our celebrity schoolmate Andrea Bocobo, the "Good Morning Sa inyo girl" and pulled another prank using a Japanese exchange student as accomplice. Please LIKE them too!

YOU WILL ALSO BEG FOR FB VIDEO LIKES when you're at Ateneo in the near future. hahaha

Anyway thanks for your trouble! Hope you like them!

[migz2000]

Basta enjoy freshman year, and work hard VERY HARD. puhunan niyo na yan for graduation

[CaRaMBa]

Oh. I forgot. Spend time with your block, and attend OrSem. :>

^Listen to him.

The friends I made during Orsem became my barkada. Well, our block spent a lot of time together throughout the years din kasi dami majors and even the electives and core subjects, halos kami kami pa rin hehe.

But that was more than 15 years ago.

[CaRaMBa]

Grabe, naiingit ako dito sa mga semesters abroad ah!

[CaRaMBa]

Hindi ko na alam ang mga terms na ginagamit, gad.

Other tips that will probably still apply now:

Study well. You should study in Ateneo. That's something I'm proud of. You can't just cruise through it (unless you're super smart and went for an easy course). Mahirap maiwan, unlike other schools where it's normal to drop courses left and right, whatever the reason.

Join orgs. More often than not, you really won't use the details that you learn in school when you're working already. It's how you interact with people, how you handle org projects, etc. that you will use in whatever industry you will join.

Oh yeah, be good at excel and powerpoint, if you're planning to go corporate someday. Veeeeeeeeeery helpful with business cases and presentations.

[stellarxplosion]

I'm a freshman in Ateneo, and really, it's not as easy as these guys put it

Dude, you'll beg to be a freshie again once you reach second, third and fourth years in Ateneo.

5. I know this is stupid, but try to mind the bench people. Ateneo's VERY clique-ish. Some benches "belong" to some cliques. It's really annoying, but I don't really like being stared at.

Hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I guess the sooner you pay less attention to what others do with their lives, the more you'll enjoy yours. Yeah, there are barkadas who usually sit in the same bench. Just like the computers in the Rizal lib, if somebody got there ahead of you, you really don't have any business with whatever they're doing, kahit na nasa 9gag lang sila whereas you need to type a paper or something. Just go and find another empty spot. I see you doing your own thing, I'll go and do mine. The less drama there is, the better. But that's just me.

And besides, there are benches in school like the AMP (Ateneo Musicians' Pool) bench and the SEC foyers where student groups like Babble and the LifeSci/Bio majors always stay, where people actually do something productive. I don't think they sat there in the first place just so that people will notice them.

9. Do well in your Filipino and Math placement tests. The Filipino test is REALLY difficult and almost unfinishable (I didn't finish it), but you don't have to finish it. I'm in regular Filipino and I didn't finish the test. The Math one is easy.

Again, to each his own, buddy. The Math test is right up there with the Filipino one in terms of difficulty. Both are meant to challenge students to see if they can handle the rigors of the Regular class of both subjects.

10. Please please PLEASE don't block the walkways. It's mostly freshmen and our huge blocks that block the pathways. You'll notice how annoying it is once you reach the 2nd sem or even halfway through the first sem. Some other rush to their next class. Also, please walk quickly.

Good to know some freshmen know this by now

Quite lengthy replies, yes. But for the record, just do your thing, freshies; everything will come in time, and hopefully you'll handle them as the college students you guys enrolled here to become.

[migz2000]

Again, to each his own, buddy. The Math test is right up there with the Filipino one in terms of difficulty. Both are meant to challenge students to see if they can handle the rigors of the Regular class of both subjects.

That is so right. It'll test your capacity if you can handle the regular math programs (Ma11 or Ma18a&b) or the regular filipino (fil11). Don't be ashamed if you get the basic Math or Filipino. Sometimes, the ones in the basic program excel more than those in the regular track.

[migz2000]

^And yeah, you will beg you'll become a freshie again. There's a saying Ang Matulog Di Gagraduate.

[Luc_wind]

Okay...you guys are scaring me na Especially since I'm shifting to LfSci.

And yeah, I guess the difficulty of those tests depends on the person. But take them seriously all the same. You don't want to have to summer Math I heard from my Math prof that it becomes REALLY REALLY hot pa.