Advice for freshmen entering college
gdp: Don't lose your passion for the subject.  I nearly did, because I got really, really bored near the middle of my degree (thankfully, my interest and love for CS was re-gained), mostly because I didn't follow the advice that I provide in the next paragraph.  On the coding/academic side, apply what you learn early and don't feel like you should be constrained by what is being taught.  Take every opportunity to code, learn and experiment.And remember there is more to life than just academics.  They are important and all that, but cut yourself some slack and remember to have fun occasionally.  If you treat the academic side of things as your job, then you need to have things outside of that to keep you sane and balanced, and to prevent your job and your hobby from becoming totally indistinct from one another.This also feeds into the basic notion that most future employers or grad school admissions committees will appreciate the fact that you are actually a well-adjusted person.  Learning how other people in the world operate is valuable.  Learning to be social with lots of different people is important.  Having hobbies that you actually enjoy are important.  Learn public speaking!  All of these things will work to your benefit in interview situations and in any kind of later academic or industrial career.