Ok so this seemed like the "cool" thing to do so i might as well jump on the bandwagon.

Might as well start with the question on everyone's mind...where did i come up with the name "lederuvdapac"? and isn't it spelt wrong? Well firstly, i am not illiterate and it is not a typo. There is actually a very interesting story behind it. Back when AOL was still young...you could only have 15 letters in your screen name. So my name ended up being lederuvdapac2k2 (no longer in existence). So as you can see there is a reason. Come to think of it...that isn't very interesting. Moving on...

I will be 18 on July 9th and am currently completing my senior year at Monsignor Farrell High School on Staten Island. I have lived here all my life and i believe it is a great place to live. It IS part of NYC and is named "the Borough of Parks." We have a minor league baseball team (Staten Island Yankees) and will soon be getting a NASCAR Race track because people with money can do whatever they want.

I was recently accepted to American University and plan on attending due to the fact Georgetown didnt believe i was a worthy applicant for admissions (i know it confused me as well). I of course plan on majoring in something highly political and probably end up choosing a career that has to do with politics.

One thing i wanted to mention was about an activity i am in. Some may know it, others may not. But i participate in an activity called forensics (speech/debate). Basically it is competitive acting or competitive debate. The event i do is student congress which is what the name suggests...a mock congress. we submit legislation ahead of time and have about a week and half to prepare info on all the legislation sent by a number of schools. We have to be ready to make 3 minute speeches on pretty much all the material. You need speaking ability, facts, a grasp of logic, and others. I really think that being on this site benefited me in a huge way. The debating skills and argumentation used by some posters here really assisted me in my competitions. I knew what arguments were solid and which ones i could make sound nice and get away with To sum it up...i qualified for the national tournament in Philadelphia in June. I can't wait.

Me the person? Well, i am a hard-worker, always looking to take leadership positions or take on responsibilities. I am pretty reliable usually bailing people out of some jams. I am pretty nice contrary to my debating style. Charismatic, witty, conceited, (how did that get there? )....but anyway i always try to do my best at everything i do. I am more laid back and optimistic than many people i know because i don't like to worry about things.
I think too much.
I am not very outgoing, but am getting better.
I like rock music, maintsream, classic, metal, 80s...
I love Family Guy and the Simpsons.
I think 24 is the best show on television right now.
I think Bill O"Reilly is looking out for me.
I think the Democrats are more wrong than they are right.
I think the Republicans are more wrong than they are right.
I think i am a hypocrite
I think we are all hypocrites
I think the US is the best country on earth and don't care if i am being ignorant
I think the US does more good in the world than bad
I think people are mostly good and care about others
I believe in God but question some religion
I think Raiders of the Lost Ark is the perfect movie
I am too passionate
I think progressivism is dangerous
I think fundamentalism is dangerous
I think a traditional, non-religious approach to issues is the best way to do things
I am a nerd (there i said it!)
I think it's weird when people are envious of my long eyelashes
I think Bruce Willis really does kill terrorists and only does movies in his free time
I think people will vote for a true leader no matter what side of the aisle he/she is
I think democracy is hard and that it should be
I think Calculus is the worst thing on earth
I think Shakespeare was a genius
I think the New York Yankees are the greatest sports team in history
I think the Yankees are the baseball equivalent to the United States
I think just driving while blasting your favorite music is the most fun possible
I think women should tell men what they want...we don't read minds
I think my mom is the most annoying person on earth but i love every minute of it.
I think therefore i am
I can't think of anything else to say

Fin!

Edited to fix typos...thanks to Overlandsailor for the heads up

Way to go!!

HEY MIKE!!!! We need to get some Americas Debate Gear and cover this guy in it for that Competition. Free Advertising and all, plus you can guilt him into it since he all but said he would not have gotten there without this site.



Wise words my friend, wise well beyond you're years IMHO.

You and I do not always agree politically, But if someone like you, who can think like this at such a young age is an example of our younger generations, then I think there is real hope for the young to grow up and undo the childish damage done by the old.

That's a real nice thing to say overlandsailor, thanks. I think a lot of it comes from debating everyone on this forum and learning other's viewpoints.

Leder,

I went to the NFL National tournament in Student Congress as well. I had a blast. It was *cough* a few years ago though Good luck to you.

Competing in forensics when I was in high school & college truly changed my life. I have no doubt its had an excellent influence on yours.

Doc

At first glance, I find these two statements a little contradictory. Leadership roles and helping people out of jams seem to me to be roles people oriented persons take.

I was also somewhat reserved in high school, so much so that people sometimes confused it with snobbery. Like you, I've been available to help people out, especially once I started teaching special education and didn't really have much choice. Unlike you, I've seldom sought leadership roles--mainly because it usually involves extra work without extra remuneration.

I like people, but now that I'm retired, I'm not bothered by being home alone all day. If one is creative enough, they don't need other people to entertain them.

Loneliness and solitude are two different things.

Perhaps what you are really talking about is self-sufficiency.

Early in my career I taught government and history in a small town high school. I really wish that more of my students had been as capable as you seem to be.

As much as I like to argue with you and give you a hard time, you sound like a pretty cool person.

Nice introduction -- but Calculus is cool!

Ok, i don't want to be 'tooting my own horn', but tomorrow morning i am finally heading off to American University and beginning my college career. As i hold all AD member's opinions in the highest regard, i was wondering if anyone had some any suggestions/advice for this big new step in my life. Perhaps college life can expand my political horizons...maybe not.

Heya, leder. Congrats on starting college. Some advice I have:

1. Don't start with a heavy class load for your freshman year. Let yourself relax into it; have a bit of fun. Ratchet it down later.

2. Take courses from different fields; you may be surprised at your interests.

3. Don't be surprised if you change your mind (several times) about your major.

4. Remember college is more about theory than practice. So, don't be too distraught at subject matter which seems impractical.

I hear being a regular member at makes one very cool on college campuses these days. It'll get you into all the parties...I swear.

In addition to the things logo said, I'll add:

-never skip class
-meet with your professors & TAs regularly, even if you know the material
-volunteer for stuff
-keep at least one night a week open for fun
-don't sign up for any 8am classes
-walk or ride your bike at all times possible
-become a master prankster or be prepared to get them played on you
-go south for at least one spring break
-spend an afternoon in the rare books section of your library

That's all I have for now. Good luck and post when you can.

I second this wholeheartedly. Some of the best time of my freshman year was spent not doing homework.

Imagine that...

College can get interesting when you start exceeding 14-15 hours, wait and get your sealegs so to speak.

Of course, the flip side is, once you are committed to a class, don't let it slip. This is pretty easy if you can maintain discipline and it means you get to enjoy the best parts of the semester the beginning and end.

Doing a twelve page research paper overnight is not fun by any stretch of the imagination. Waking up bleary eyed to realize that you've missed the Quake tournament because of it...

that's just wrong.

From what I understand AU is like the summit capital of collegedom. At least I see them enough on C-Span to think so. If I were you, I'd keep up to date on the schedule, maybe you can question the newsmakers on North Korea or Security council reform.

See if Mike could cajole a press pass (joking, from what I understand they invite students to a lot of these events)

Live out the dream of every arm-chair diplomat.

Get to know your professors over time, ask questions, look interested even when you're not. Nod and smile.

..and never get into the petty nonsense that can happen when a bunch of young adults just out of high school can cause when they are crammed into a dorm. The stupid fights, the stupider pranks, nothings worth getting in trouble over there's enough fun to be had that won't catch you a fine or worse.

Edited to Add:

That is the gospel truth!

If you made mistake this semester, you'll see what she means.

Try and go to every concert and speaker you can. We heard Itzhak Perlman for $20, Colin Powell for free, the former head of Iraq's nuclear program/ author of "A bomb in my garden." Those are just a few off the top of my head, we had a lot. Sut Jhally's lecture and DVD Hijacking Catastrophe 9/11, Fear, and the Selling of American Empire was the first time I ever heard of Noam Chomsky and Neocons and was a big factor in pushing my interest into politics. I don't think I'd be the same person I am today if I missed that lecture.

(Watch it here for free!)

I imagine being close to DC you'll have much cooler people than we did so GO! GO! GO!

That, and DON'T GRADUATE! I took 5 years and wish I would've taken 8. The real world sucks!

lederuvdapac, I heartily second logophage's recommendations, especially #2 and #3. You want to broaden your horizons above all, learning things that you wouldn't be expected to learn as part of your major. Bounce all over the curriculum, trying some really weird things. I'll never forget the course I took in Pain. I'm not kidding, this was a Psych course and I thought it might be interesting, so I tried it. And you know what? There really was a lab in that course! And I learned a lot of very useful material that I continue to use every day as I interrogate terrorist suspects...

One problem you'll have is dealing with the little chunks of time between classes. You'll have all sorts of chunks: one-hour chunks, two-hour chunks, three-hour chunks. How you spend your time during those chunks will determine a great deal. Yes, you can hang out and socialize, and that's OK at the right times, but one of my favorite activities during the one-hour chunks was heading over to the library and just browsing the stacks. There are so many strange and interesting books and periodicals to be found! Holding it to one (or sometimes two) hours insured that I used the time well. And sometimes, after finding a really interesting book, I'd check it out and read it, even if it had nothing to do with my coursework.

Lastly, remember that college is for education, not training. Training prepares you for a job, but education prepares you for a career. Don't get hung up looking for courses that will help you get a job. Take courses that fascinate you; you'll only do well in fields you love.

One other thing: the semester before you take a course, read a popular book on the subject. The professor will make it pretty boring, and so you need to walk into the course knowing just how much fun the subject really is. Your pre-reading will insure that the professor doesn't ruin the subject for you. I had a statistics professor who very nearly ruined me for life.

Well it really depends on whether you want academic or social advice

But keeping it academic a lot of the recommendations made so far are really good and I wanted to expand on a few of them.

1. To echo Logophage, don't start with a heavy class load your freshman year and don't labor under the delusion that you are going to graduate in 4 years unless you are planning on taking summer school every year. Depending on your major a lot of freshman classes are going to be weed out classes and it is good to learn the system the first semester rather than trying to conquer the world.

2. Avoid 8 am classes and late classes on Friday like the plague. My preference was to stack up on Tues/Thurs and then get all my work done on MWF and have time for myself as well. That may not be possible until you get further into your major though.

3. Speak out in class, ask questions, get to know your professors and TAs. The one thing a lot of people don't do in undergrad is get involved with the class even if they did that in highschool. That'll get you noticed, you'll get more out of the class and the prof will be more willing to cut you slack if s/he knows you. Remember that you are paying big bucks to be there and you have to try and get as much out of it as possible.

4. Get involved with extracurricular activities early and take on some sort of responsibility or leadership position. It doesn't really matter what, just something you enjoy. Towards your latter years you should start thinking about organizations with prestige in your major though. When you graduate your grades are only going to get you in the door, belong to groups, demonstrating leadership and having social skills gets you the job.

5. Don't ever skip class... ever. Again you are paying big bucks for those classes.

I'll third or fourth that. My guess is American and my former school are comprable in price. My friend worked it out and you're paying about $35/per class. So everytime you think about skipping class, think about burning $35. And, if you're like my friend, everytime you prof cancels class, send the administration a bill for $35.

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. I am now live from DC and will be until Thanksgiving.

I have a lot of down time. So between homework,classes, and socializing, i will try to post as often as i can. Although AD seems to be the only website that loads extremely slowly on my laptop. You think someone is trying to tell me something? Also have a new profile pic in my dorm (though u cant see much of it lol)

I've got one last piece of advice: don't assume that just because you disagree, you're 'fighting the system.' I disagreed with my profs constantly in my first year, which wasn't new. But unlike High School, I was wrong quite a bit. There are right and wrong answers sometimes.

Oh, and don't forget that there is a "simple version" feature at the bottom of the page if you're having trouble loading America's Debate.

College was sort of traumatic for me. I still have nightmares about coming to class, sitting in front of a test and not knowing any of the material. I have one recurring nightmare that I'm back in physical chemistry II, taking my final, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I actually set the curve on that test, 13 long years ago, and I still have nightmares of failing it miserably. Every time I wake up I thank God I'm not in college anymore. I almost left physics II after taking the first test. My husband-to-be talked me into at least seeing what I made on it before dropping the class (I assumed it was 0 percent). Only after he pleaded with me did I have the guts to come to class the next day and pick it up. With the curve it was a B+, and only about 40 percent of the class passed it even with the curve. Hopefully you aren't as much of a stress case as I am.

To add to everyone's good advice, I'd say join a group to study whenever you can, or at least have one study partner....especially if the class is challenging. Usually each person has a different strength when it comes to various aspects of the subject. Also, you can put your heads together and take turns visiting the professor to ask him/her questions about the test material. I always did very well when I studied in a group.

Edited to add: One more thing I forgot...during the summer, if you have the opportunity to do a Co-operative Education work program through the university, I highly recommend it. The graduates I knew who obtained work experience in their fields during the summer were recession proof. They usually had very good paying jobs by graduation, often working for the same companies in which they did their summer work programs, or an affiliate.

I forgot the most important advice that you will need.

Beer before liquor, never been sicker;
Liquor before beer, you're in the clear.