| akanu,
It's normal for the strings to come extra long. And yes, they should be cut.
First, a question: Is there colored "silk" wrap on the ends of the strings, and does IT wrap around the tuning post? If not, that's okay. But the wrap does keep the string's layers from separating. what i'm getting at is to make sure they are the right size. You said 34" scale, so they're probably fine.
Here's how I measure and cut strings:
1 Pull the brand new string through the tailpiece/bridge.
2 Hold it all the way up to the post that it will wind around (actually, a tiny bit farther).
3 Lay out four fingers on the excess (in other words, 3 1/2 - 4 inches past the post).
4 Cut with a wire cutter, snipper, whatever.
5 Now you'll have just enough length to insert the string end into the slot or hole and wind a few times around the post. Those winds will push the string down close to the nut and headstock, where it belongs.
Some people, especially guitarists cut the string AFTERWORD. It depends on what kind of string post you have. But you still have to guess at how much slack to leave for those turns around the post. | 
