I would have lived in quiet hall, despite the supposed social hindrance or (for some people) stigma. I need peace and quiet to concentrate, at which point I'm

I would have lived in quiet hall, despite the supposed social hindrance or (for some people) stigma. I need peace and quiet to concentrate, at which point I'm MUCH more efficient. One can always walk to another venue, when one is in the mood for louder socialization or a party. I would have paid zero attention to "expert" opinions about what one "should" do. 'We don't have a geology program; just take chemistry and go into geology in grad school.' [1] Not nice people aren't nice. Trust your intuition. Related to all this, something that came up last night: When something isn't working, walk away (as soon as you reasonably can). Don't continue to support it (e.g. that nasty person) by virtue of your continued efforts. Some of this is pretty general. But if you aren't applying it by the time you're in college, it's high time to learn it (and make your college experience a lot better). 1. P.S. I have a friend who was/is one of the smartest people I know. Yet in college his grades were lackluster and he was always getting involved in crazy personal projects, some illegal (but basically non-harmful). He now in an engineer at CERN. He was smart, and he followed his passions.