The Georgia Institute of Technology

--What I did at Tech--
I graduated from The Georgia Institute of Technology in December 2001 with a BS in Science Technology And Culture (STAC). STAC is the undergraduate arm of The Department of Literature Communication and Culture (LCC). I'm a combination of Computer Scientist, Researcher, Writer, and Audio/Visual Specialist. I took the Engineering Core Curriculum the nasty 3qtr. Physics series (w/o 'reEmaging'), the Chemical Engineering Chemistry series, and the 3 'real' (i.e. non-Management major) Calculus classes. I began as a Chemical Engineering (ChE)major. I went through a few majors, STAC seemed like a great Do It Yo-self program. I liked they young, emerging department, the approachability of the faculty, and the fact that I would get to read, write, and work with expensive video editing equipment. Out of all the people here, I probably managed to select the most balanced degree program offered by Ma Tech. I had a great time. Looking back on the experience, I wish I had put more effort into the program and less effort into wanting to 'get out'. Now, seeing as how you might be busy, I'm going to break with the flow of my little essay, and give the advice early on.

“Words of Advice for Young People”
(a William S. Burroughs reference)
If you think you might want to pursue an advanced degree after college, and you are not highly disciplined, very organized, extremely motivated, the most bloody minded and determined person you know, and in the top 2 – 8 % of your class, don't go to GA Tech. Do not take my words as a challenge. A Tech student's graduating GPA will be likely be 5 to 10% lower than what he/she could have achieved at another school. When you begin applying to Master's and Doctoral programs, unless you have significant (6+ solid years) work experience, a GA Tech GPA is going to be just one more hurdle that you don't need to deal with. I'm not knocking other schools; I am 100% certain any solid, professional, well-constructed undergraduate academic program will have as much to teach the willing student as a similar program at Tech. Learning is the student's responsibility, regardless of the book, subject, professor, class, school, or college. Outside of the SE, GA Tech is 'just another school'. Quite a few of my learned, dear, bright, and intelligent friends have been forced to spend extra years getting work experience to shore up their 'Tech GPA'. Having provided that one warning, I will assume you have decided to attend GT.

--Don't Go Greek--
I have several friends who went Greek. I'm still friends with three of them. Don't go Greek. Don't buy your friends. Live off campus in co-ed arrangements (don't date your roommates) with your friends. Be social. Walk up and say hello to people you don't know, and then study with them after class. You don't need a Frat or Sorority, and you sure as hell won't have one at your place of work after you graduate or flunk out. Learn social skills now. All it takes is: courage; a willingness to let others talk; forcing yourself to ask questions; figuring out how to not be pushy and give people the time they need to feel relaxed around you; and being determined to meet people. Most folks have interesting stories to tell along with both valuable and utterly worthless insight to offer: they're other people that is their nature. If you don't learn how to meet people on your own at Tech, you're going to have a hard time for the rest of your life. Don't shelter yourself in something easy like the Greek System. Be brave! Suck it up! Learn, dammit, it's what you're there for! Enjoy wandering around not knowing anyone for awhile. Enjoy knowing that you can meet any person there and not give a damn about what they think! Relax, it's fun not knowing people: they all have new things to teach you. After a while you'll, come to enjoy the adrenaline rush. Have fun assembling your own group of comrades that suits your needs, desires, and denies the homogeneous, insular, khaki-clad, Boy-Toy/Stepford Wife syndrome that is all too easy to fall prey to when you're around a bunch of people that are all exactly like yourself. Too much of everyday life already involves marching in a neat little row; take charge of your own social life: don't allow others to determine it for you. Be independent. Besides, being a GDI ( a *ehem*. . . non-Greek) costs less.

Living
Live on campus for the 1st one to two years. Being on campus will allow you to meet people more quickly, and can make studying easier and attendance more likely. Get to know the people on your hall. Drink under age with them. Try to live in a dorm that has a good mix of under and upper classmen. The experience of those older than you will save you effort, and aid in your studies. Don't do Freshmen Experiment: it's a rip-off and you'll get more out of going it alone. Yes, I am advising that you take the harder route, but you'll do better in classes and gain real benefits from the small amount of personal bravado required. Upperclassmen a) have notes, b) have old homework/tests to study, c) know where everything is and what it is called, d) know the teaching habits of individual professors, and e)can buy beer and usually have cars. By not doing Freshmen Experiment, you get all of the better benefits than fraternity life offers w/o wasting time and money. After your first two years, you should be able to find men and women (don't date your roommates, boys and girls) you can live with off campus in a place that is larger and costs less than the dorms. Another benefit of living off campus is that it teaches you how to find a place to live. Make sure that the walk to campus is easy and safe. I suggest living in Home Park (across 10th St. from Ma Tech): the parties are good, most of the houses are not falling down, the rent is pretty cheap, other Tech/GSU students live there, and it's patrolled by two police departments (APD and GTPD).

Making it Through
Doing well at GA Tech is mostly about not giving up or continuing to work even after giving up, just not giving a damn what the odds are, and not not being intimidated by the perceived work load. Doing well at GA Tech is less about being smart, and more about being willing to put in the effort, put in the time, not fsck up. Be organized, I don't care if you did not have to be in High School, you have to be organized right now, or go Management. Every time that I messed up or did something wrong it was for one of three reasons: I did not plan my time well enough, I was not organized with my materials, or I was not determined enough to stick with it and do what needed to be done. Remember to have fun, and remember that the faculty, for the most part, really is not out to get you. The faculty is there to make sure that you are learning. Learning is the responsibility of the student. A professor may or may not teach well, but you MUST learn to do well and you MUST do well to get to the point where you can take interesting/fun classes.

GA Tech is really a great school because you can pretty much DIY it if you know what to pay attention to. Engineering, Math, and Science classes are going to require more lecture attendance, homework, and study than any other subjects. Some of the prof's use crummy texts and then rely on lecture, avoid those unless you like punishment. Find professors that match your learning style, but don't just go for the 'easy A'. Knock out your non-major core early, but don't be stupid like me and burn out. You need to have enough energy left to finish the course. It's not a race. 'Finishing pretty' (doing well and mastering the material) is what counts, not getting through quickly. If you need to build up your overall GPA, take some non-major electives and concentrate on one course within your major at a time. Take only a few classes within your major school each semester, as your major GPA is more important than your non-major GPA. Only take as many classes as you are certain you can handle once you get through the initial non-major core classes (Calc 1-2, Physics 1-2, Chemistry/Bio). If you get a job (something I do suggest as it looks good on a resume and keeps you rooted in the 'real world'), make sure it will help you later in life and compliments your studies or furthers your ambitions; work no more than 20hrs a week, and drop to half-time at Tech. Remember to leave enough time to decompress and be a college student, as you only get to be a college student once. Plan to spend between 5 and 7 years on your degree if you are a mere mortal such as I.

Who I am
I had a good, solid, paying job as a Web Master in Web Development @ CNN Interactive three years into my degree. I worked while going to school, took my time, got 12 hrs. of semester –I straddled the shift from quarters to semesters-- credit for my paid internship. I have worked in IT for quite sometime. I am currently a researcher, marketing writer, web developer, and DBA for a small management consulting firm (20hrs/week), as well as a server tech for small IT and billing consulting firm (50hrs/wk). Both companies are profitable and fun to work for. I graduated with a horrifying GPA of 2.6. I am deeply ashamed to admit that in my wanderings through majors, I failed: Organic Chemistry (the reason I left ChE) once, and 'Proofs' twice (I got bored, stupid, and did not do the work).

I am not a good student. I don't enjoy lectures very much and never take much away from them. I learn by reading, by messing around with the ideas until I have a solid grasp of the material, asking questions, and listening to the advice of a good mentor. I like(d) the people in the LCC and knew that I could learn a lot from them personally, that's one of the main reasons I went STAC. A few times I have regretted not going CS, but on average, I'm happy with where I am today.

Had I not gone to work for a (now failed) startup in 2000, I would very likely have a sizable nest egg in the bank. However, I also would not have learned some of the skills, habits, and attitudes I now value. I would like to think that GA Tech made me just tough enough to keep on going and Kicking Ass over the past 3 years while the economy healed itself.

I have a great set of friends, we still get together as much as possible, I travel to see the ones that have moved away (Portland, LA, DC, Raleigh), and I love them dearly. My social network has also landed me most of the jobs I've had since graduating. Not all of those positions came from Tech people. GA Tech has definitely made me the happy and excited person I am today. I wish you luck in your endeavors. Never, ever, give up. Do not quit. Do not panic. Go on to the end, no matter what the costs may be. Never surrender. Take it all on the chin with a grin and a whistle, babe.