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Benson Yeh, associate professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering of National Taiwan University, has given ten pieces of advice to college freshmen and their parents based on his last ten years of experience. The suggestions include “the first seven weeks after school starts is the most dangerous time in the four years to come," “the equation to getting kicked out of college" and so on. He even says to stay away from the video game, League of Legends, and has sparked heated discussion.

Apple Daily reports that with the new semester starting at universities in Taiwan, Professor Benson Yeh has shared the ten pieces of advice on Facebook. He says that the first seven weeks after schools starts is the most dangerous period in the four years to come because students have just arrived and it is easy for them to neglect their studies due to the many freshmen activities. It will be hard from them to patch things up after a miserable midterm. He advises freshmen to enjoy their first seven weeks of college but also remember to study.

Professor Benson Yeh’s ten pieces of advice are summarized as below:

1. The equation to getting kicked out of college: being sensitive + no friends + incomprehension + addicted to video games + being sluggish

Make friends without shame in the first two weeks, especially those from other parts of the country. Break into the main social circles and once you make a lot of friends you will get through the four years smoothly. It is important to make friends!

2. Holding events and take part in school clubs is very important.

I want to tell parents that holding events is a crucial learning experience. Please understand that aside from schoolwork, there are other things worth learning. You should be happy to see your children doing well in these things and shouldn’t forbid your children from taking part in activities. Even if your children get good grades, they will have a hard time in the real world if they have poor working abilities and no friends.

3. Don’t take more than 19 credits each semester.

Once you take more than 20 credits as a freshman, all classes will become a kind of forced learning and you will start to skip classes. You will also forget everything once exams are over. You’re simply wasting your time.

4. Parents, don’t obsess over grades.

After graduating from high school, college students shouldn’t care too much if their children get A+ or A. If you obsess over their grades, you will only cultivate a cowardly good-for-nothing. Bs are good enough for college and if parents fail to develop their courage in the four years of college, it will be even more difficult once they start working.

5. Stay away from League of Legends.

If you haven’t touched this game yet, don’t. You won’t be able to stay away from it. So many people have been kicked out of school because of it. Beware.

Translated by Olivia Yang

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