A Newbie's Guide to Success
Having a bit of trouble getting into the flow of HOL? Wondering which staircases to take and which ones to avoid? Pretty sure you've got this place figured out, but want to make sure you're not missing anything? Then I've got the guide for you! Even if you've been around for a while but maybe never really wandered outside your classrooms, or just want a refresher on how to navigate this place, I'd recommend giving this guide a read to make sure you're getting the most out of your journey and making it a successful one!
1) Do your homework.
Seems a little too obvious, doesn't it? However, you'd be surprised at just how many people sign up for classes, do one or two assignments and then forget about them! Some people get distracted, some get overwhelmed and some get afraid that they can't send in an assignment for this month if they missed last month's. It's better to talk these things out with your teacher (if the information isn't already available on the class website or in the forum, which it often is) rather than miss out on this experience after one small mistake so that you can "try again later". Others simply get involved with other things around HOL and neglect their homework because they end up liking everything else more. Yes, there are a lot of fun things to do around HOL and yes, homework may get a little boring, but your first and foremost duty as a student is to do work and earn yourself (and your house) points. I promise that if you sign up for classes you carefully and honestly consider, you won't ever feel like it's work. If you really aren't into classes, why not try signing up for just one or two so that you can at least advance to next year? No one says you have to take as many as you can!
2) Consider your classes carefully.
The year is already underway and I assume you've already chosen your classes. Keep the experience in mind for next term. Which classes did you like and which classes did you not like? Why? Did you like the schedule of monthly deadlines or did you love the flexibility of end-of-term deadlines? What issues arose and were they avoidable? How is next term going to be real-life wise? Plan accordingly! If you're going to have a busy real-life next term, consider taking less classes, easier classes or classes with end-of-term deadlines. Some people enjoy taking classes by the same teacher if they enjoy that teacher's style, and others like to branch out. The biggest tip I can give you is to look over the class website THOROUGHLY before you decide you want to take it! Is it really something you enjoy? Do you like the assignments and think you'll enjoy doing them? Can you handle reading the lessons or do you find yourself wanting to look at another page half way through reading? Try a variety of classes — far too often I see people load themselves up with one type of class (i.e. canon classes or mythology classes or what-have-you) and they quickly get bored and never return to class. Chances are if you're taking 5 of the same category of class, you're going to get bored! Try all kinds of classes to figure out what you like and how much of one category you can handle.
3) Join your house common room.
Every house has a common room forum that you can find under that house's tab in the right menu of HOL. JOIN YOURS! Even if you are not at all fond of forums, this is a crucial part of your life at HOL because house common rooms will contain tons of useful information. There are no rules that say you have to post in your common room, so don't just brush them off saying, "I'll never remember to post regularly". Houses also run plenty of fun activities in their common rooms, so if you're looking for a way to meet people in your house, show off your work and just have fun, then you'll be missing out if you don't join your house common room. Please remember to sign up for your common room with your full HOL name and follow any other guidelines that may pop up while you're registering.
4) Read.
Read all of the information you can get your hands on. Read announcements in the HOL forum, read the HOL blog, read IRC topics, read house newspapers, read people's comments and posts and most importantly, READ THE RULES FOR EVERYTHING! I know, I know — "but rules are boring and a lot of reading, and I bet I know what they say anyways!" Some of them may be boring but it's better to be bored than embarrassed or warned for misbehaving. Participating in a forum game? Read the very first post, as it will always contain the rules. Read a couple of posts before you to see the format and to make sure you don't repeat someone. Read the HOL Handbook — some of the information is a bit outdated but most of it is still relevant and it contains answers to a lot of the questions you may have. Read your classrooms' info, syllabus and/or rules. Even if the class has the same teacher as another class you've taken, these might not be the same! Information and rules vary from class to class so make sure to look over all of them. A lot of the information you can find is a quick read and easy to remember, and you'll be far better off with that information than without! Rules weren't put into place to make it boring — they're created to provide a safe, happy and entertaining environment for everyone involved. Please respect that and help everyone out by getting familiar with them.
5) Be considerate.
Don't yell at someone for making a mistake right off the bat. Respect those around you and understand that people are different from you. For example, that not-so-great drawing made in paint with poor grammar? Yes, it followed a fantastic masterpiece with perfect spelling. The thing is, perhaps that not-so-great piece was made by someone who doesn't have access to fancy programs, who isn't experienced with their program and/or computers, and perhaps English isn't their first language. HOL has an incredible variety of people in it who do not deserve to be harshly spoken to just because they are different. There are some people who will take advantage of this, but really, give people the benefit of the doubt. Graphics are difficult. Writing is difficult. Did they follow the guidelines for the submission? Judge department and activity submissions carefully. This isn't the Louvre and the Library is not a publishing agency. Don't compare someone's piece to the one before it, and don't decide that one little thing isn't to your personal liking and thus the entire piece deserves a 1. Don't repeat the flaws that everyone else has already said and try not to penalize them for the same flaw as well. This goes for many things in HOL as well — sometimes people will put in a lot of effort, but as it isn't to the standard you're used to, you begin to look down upon them. You're only human, but remember that they are too. Try to always remember to praise people for trying in the first place and if there is a lot of room for improvement, tell them gently. There's no need to make them feel bad in the process.
6) Get oriented — get adopted!
Having trouble deciphering the wealth of information at your hands? Have questions or just want to make another friend? Get an adopter! There are HOL-wide adopters in the First Friend Project (found in the HOL forum) who will chat with you, teach you things and generally be a big help! There are also house-specific adopters who will do the same as well as help you navigate your house and house forum. Get both, I say! They'll help you on your way to greatness.
7) Join a club!
Clubs are a great way to meet new people, express yourself and do what you love! Like making friends? Playing games? Spreading kindness throughout HOL? Join the Pen Pal Club! The admins and assistants there have tons of small activities for you to do if you choose and you'll make a new friend or two every year! A fan of J.R.R. Tolkien — or perhaps you WANT to be one? Join the HOL Tolkien Society! The head of the club Rachel Selenia runs different activities throughout the year and often the club will read one of Tolkien's books together. Speaking of books — are you a bookworm? Love talking about books or perhaps you're looking for recommendations? Then join the book club! Prof. Opal Dragonfly runs a wonderful one here at HOL. Join one club, join two, even join them all — it's up to you! Some houses even have their own internal clubs. Give them a look!
8) Get involved in HOL-wide activities/contests.
Show off your skills or have a good laugh pushing yourself out of your comfort zone! HOL activities are a blast, earn you points (or other rewards) and sometimes introduce you to new people. They're hosted in the main HOL forum most of the time and there is a massive variety throughout the year so don't fret if the current activity isn't your thing — the next one might be! Not sure if you really want to participate? Some activities may even give you the opportunity to be a judge and see what the inner workings of an activity are like, so if that's your thing, be sure to apply!
9) DON'T OVERWORK YOURSELF!
This is the most important tip of all — know your limits! Is real-life going to be busy, or perhaps you're unsure of your schedule? Take less classes, see how they feel and work. Want to write for a newspaper but unsure if you'll have the time and ideas? Write as a guest writer instead of applying for staff positions. Maybe opt out on a contest or two. It's better to have a few "projects" you do well and do on time than to have 20 you rush and do half-heartedly — or worse, just avoid completely and never finish. Ease yourself into things — no one says you have to do EVERYTHING in one year. Try taking on one new thing each term instead of all at once. Get used to handling your current work load before taking on more. If you don't think you can handle your current work load, see what you can take off your plate for the time being — remembering, of course, that you are a student first and foremost, so try to still be taking at least one class a term. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and always be careful if you're running something or in a group where only a certain number of people can help out. Can someone else put more time into this project than you can? Ask for their help or even offer to let them do it. Sometimes it's better to focus on just a few things rather than a whole bunch and if you do your few things really well, people will respect and enjoy you as much as they would if you did tons of things. If you can handle tons of things, then don't be discouraged either! Do what you love and do it well, and if you find yourself getting stressed, remember that you aren't under any obligation to continue doing these things forever. Know your limits and work within them — and most of all, make sure you love doing what you do.