Face to face

It's too easy to send a text or an email to someone when you need something. Sometimes you have to do it, like when you need a paper trail to cover your ass. Otherwise, just go talk in person or at least on the phone. You'll develop better relationships faster and truth be told, those relationships are how things get done.

Positive Reinforcement

I don't think I'm being cynical when I say that most jobs consist of dealing with other people's problems. That's just how it goes and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it can be depressing to only hear negative crap day in and day out. When you get good service from someone, tell them. Sincerely tell them, not like facetiously tell them, especially if it is someone you work with often. I'm not saying you should butter people up. I am saying that a little courtesy and thoughtfulness will help someone remember why it is they started doing whatever it is they are doing and maybe forget the jerk that was yelling at them over some self-inflicted problem a few minutes ago.

I keep seeing students do the same stupid thing

When it comes time to register for classes, which you did today I hope, you need to have multiple schedules at the ready. When I had to register for classes, it had to be done over the phone. On the scheduled date, hundreds of others would be trying to register at the same time. Once you got into the automated system, you had to get your classes or you may not be able to get back in later to do it. It's a huge pain in the ass, especially when you have to keep work schedules in mind, but it pays off in spades to have valid options available at your fingertips.

Don't have one or two second choice classes, have a whole schedule ready. You won't get locked into classes until your senior year and you can cross that bridge when you come to it. For now, don't rely on luck, sympathy stories, or charm. No one has any sympathy right now because every student has a sad story to get that one class they need. And the crappy cut backs on classes and sections situation isn't going to get any better any time soon.

If all else fails, try bribing the secretaries with doughnuts.

Tedious work counts

Everyone wants to do the new and exciting stuff. Some other suck can do the grunt work, right? Yeah, that's great except that rarely does anyone volunteer to be the suck or is dumb enough to get stuck with it twice. And yet the work is still there to do, so just suck it up and do it. Put on some music[1] you can zone out to and plow through it. It'll get done--eventually--you'll feel some sense of accomplishment, and it can be a nice change of pace.

[1] I recommend Deftones, A Perfect Circle, and Eskimo Joe. At least that's worked for today's drudgery.