Secret Weapons

Knowing when to say “when”.

• If you can’t walk a straight line.
  
• When you’re talking gibberish.
  
• When it starts going down like water, it’s time to switch to water.
  
• When people around you are getting uncomfortable with me being around them.
  
• Standing up is a good test — if you wobble too much, it’s time to stop.
  
• Walk around. If you have trouble, slow down.

Date rape drugs: protect yourself.

• Watch your drink.
  
• If you accept a drink from a guy, get it from the bartender.
  
• Have a buddy to look out for you.

Dealing with pressure to drink.

• After a while you’ll know who your real friends are.
  
• You’ll learn your own threshold.
  
• It’s your decision, not anyone else’s.
  
• Be confident in your answer or they’ll keep pressuring you.

Know how you learn.

• Are you a tactile, visual or audio leaner?
  
• If you’re an audio learner, get a voice recorder and plop it on the professor’s desk and take notes later.
  
• If you’re a visual learner, make maps and charts and use cue cards.
  
• They are supposed to tell you in high school what kind of learner you are.

Secrets to taking notes.

• Write that down. Write everything down.
  
• Work out your own shorthand.
  
• Find keywords or acronyms.
  
• If the class uses slides, you can usually print them out beforehand and write notes in the margins.
  
• Other classes are from the textbook, highlight the book.
  
• The professors will tell you what’s on the exam, either by repeating it often or saying “this is important”.
  
• If you do miss a class, try not to rely on the book too much. Go to a friend.
  
• Also if you warn your friend that you’ll miss a class, they may be more apt to take better notes than usual.