Any Advice for 1st year students

[TNgal21]

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Hey! This is addressed to current or graduated opt students. Any advice for us newbies? Not just academic (even though that would be most helpful!), but any advice relating to student loans, classes, study habits, tricks of the trade, involvement, etc. Thanks so much! I'm trying to remind myself to ENJOY my down time before mayhem starts in about a month!! 😱

 

[FutureEyeDr]

*sigh* hopefully i'll be in your shoes a year from now... haha i know this is no help but enjoy your last month!

 

[KHE]

Hey! This is addressed to current or graduated opt students. Any advice for us newbies? Not just academic (even though that would be most helpful!), but any advice relating to student loans, classes, study habits, tricks of the trade, involvement, etc. Thanks so much! I'm trying to remind myself to ENJOY my down time before mayhem starts in about a month!! 😱

1) Don't worry about it. Enjoy your summer.
2) Take as little student loans as reasonably possible. Don't live like a hermit in some hovel but don't live lavishly.
3) Stay on top of the material. Don't count on being able to cram for exams.
4) Try to be aware of issues in the profession outside of your academic universe, even as a first year.
5) Don't worry about it. Enjoy your summer.

 

[Commando303]

2) Take as little student loans as reasonably possible. Don't live like a hermit in some hovel but don't live lavishly.

I wonder how good that advice really is. Yes, it's important to keep in mind this isn't free money, and that you'll be paying substantial interest on all of it. That said, if you plan to take out loans, after graduation, to start your business, buy a home, etc., there's reasonable likelihood those amounts will carry rather greater interest. Thus, I feel it might be acceptable to max yourself out with regard to what you can borrow as a student, even if you'll be saving/investing some of it.

Is this somehow ill-conceived?

 

[Shnurek]

That's interesting, never thought of it that way. I guess it would be advantageous to take out maximum loans especially if you wish to set up a practice immediately after graduating and have a larger working capital base. However you have to calculate that your ROI will be greater than the interest you will end up paying and that's where it becomes hard to predict.

 

[KHE]

I wonder how good that advice really is. Yes, it's important to keep in mind this isn't free money, and that you'll be paying substantial interest on all of it. That said, if you plan to take out loans, after graduation, to start your business, buy a home, etc., there's reasonable likelihood those amounts will carry rather greater interest. Thus, I feel it might be acceptable to max yourself out with regard to what you can borrow as a student, even if you'll be saving/investing some of it.

Is this somehow ill-conceived?

In theory it's a good idea but unless all of your loans are subsidized you won't be able to come out ahead.

Interest rates on savings accounts and CDs are brutal right now.

The market is far to volatile to risk investing borrowed student loan money that you will need in 3.5 years when you graduate.

 

[DawgOD]

Always make sure you set some time to yourself.. Don't hit the books 24/7.. enjoy the experience. Enjoy the new city you will be going to. Enjoy meeting new classmates/ future colleagues.

Work hard, but enjoy it.