Looking for college, asking for suggestions as to approaching this decision.

[Gunner12]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or even if I should be posting this. Admins and Moderators, feel free to move/close this if this is not appropriate.

I'm should be looking at colleges and universities right now but I have very little idea as to what College/University to look at, which one suits the best(I know, pay them a visit, but that's hard when you have no idea as to which direction to look), which major/s and/minor/s to look at and so on.

If you have any recommendations as to how to approach this big decision, that would be great.

 

[KeyGrip]

I worked with a counselor that specializes in helping students choose a college. Are there any counselors at your current school who would be able to help?

 

[Dadof6]

The question I most feared in life as a senior in high school was "So, what are your plans?" Like you, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. As I look back now, I know what I wanted to do, I just was basically scared that I didn't have what it took to do it.

That was 24 years ago and many journeys ago. I wouldn't trade the journeys for anything, yet in some ways I wish that I had the confidence in myself to do what I really wanted to do.

The result of my not knowing was that I ended up working at a metal polishing factory and I was the low guy on the totem pole. While the skilled guys polished the metal, I degreased the metal once they were done or I sand blasted parts, or even worked on a bit of a conveyor belt. It was at that time I realized I was smarter than that.

I've done quite a bit of college now, and am glad because I support my family.

So, if I were in your shoes today, I would be asking myself, "what is it that you really want to do" even if the though of accomplishing it scares you because you think you might fail.

Then, see how best to accomplish that goal with lots of little goals. Find out what schools offer best what you want to do apply to them. Also, have a contingency plan.

The last thing is remember that even the best of plans might not be what God has in store for you and be open to understand that when sometimes the things you might want most don't happen in the timeframe you expect. Enjoy the challenges, you are embarking on a wonderful journey.

Rich

 

[bullfrog]

Whatever schools you do narrow your search down to, make sure you:

SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY AND NIGHT WITH A HOST STUDENT!!!

Having been through this with 2 children, this is the best way to go - it really gave them a wonderful "feel" of the school.

Lots of great schools in MA if you want to stay there... are you looking for a big university or small liberal arts school...?

 

[Gunner12]

There are counselors at my school but seeing as it is summer vacation here, most of them might not be there. I also dislike asking questions to people in person. I know that asking lots of questions would help me not just get info from people about which colleges have what and how they are like, but also make my life easier. I find it easier to ask questions and express opinions when I'm at least partially anonymous. I should change that but I'm finding difficulty with that.

Thanks for the advice Rich.

One of the big problem here is that I don't completely understand myself.

I know of at least 1 safety school that I will apply and be accepted into but besides that, I don't know much else.

As for what type of school, I'd like a good diversity but also not a huge number of students. Probably somewhere between Liberal Arts Schools and Big Universities.

I know the best way to experience a school is to be there, but seeing as it is summer and most students aren't at school and the fact that I don't know which schools to look could make this take more time then I have.

 

[LukeA]

Remember, it's never too late to switch majors or transfer to another school.

If I didn't know what I wanted to do, I would major in something marketable, at least at first. Then (depending on the timeframe) either change majors or go back and get the degree in what I figured out I wanted to do.

 

[Mike Painter]

What do you want to do and what kind of a student are you?

Almost anybody can get a good education at almost any school.
But if you have a really high IQ you should be someplace that challenges you.
If you are "normal" and can resist the temptations at the party schools it is no problem. If not find a school where the students put study first.
If you can ignore "bad" peer pressure go for the party school. Standards tend to be a bit lower there.

Another consideration is the size of teh school and your major. Big schools with popular majors frequently have an entry level class taught in an auditorium or huge class room that is *tough*.
It is designed to weed out the weaker student. (Wanting to be a Marine biologists at UC Santa Barbara used to have such a class.)

No matter what your major, try to get an education along with it.

 

[Wattnot]

If you don't know what you want to do, just go to a local college. It will save you (or whomever is paying) a LOT of money. In-state tuition is a LOT less, sometimes even less than 1/2 of out of state tuition . . . maybe even 1/4 !!

Why worry so much about which school when you don't have any major or even a minor chosen? Isn't that the main reason to pick a school? I hope it's not for the status of the school . . . that is less important than your grades and if you don't take this seriously, your grades will reflect. I'd rather have a 3.9 from WSU (whatever state university) than a 2.9 from Harvard (and so would any intelligent boss).

 

[shakeylegs]

One of the big problem here is that I don't completely understand myself.

Hi Gunner,
I suspect most students approach college without a firm grasp of their future profession. Many students, including those "going in" with specific goals, get turned on by a new subject or a charismatic teacher, change their majors, and suddenly the path is clear.

If you are undecided about a major, consider your interests and look at the most compatible schools you can afford. Please try not to rely on loans. It's shameful that so many students graduate from college owing 50k or 100k in loans. Take advantage of public schools and or scholarships to private schools. The internet is filled with info on all aspects of almost every school. With a some effort you can read about the academics, demographics, social opportunities, locale, and environment of your target schools. Match up some schools with your interests. Then ask everyone you know for their input. Select a few schools that seem right, and pay a visit. You'll be living, working and playing there for at least 4 years so view it in that light.

If at any point you suddenly have the desire and aptitude to become a doctor, lawyer, whatever professional, set your sights on the most reputable schools in that discipline. It will be a hotbed of eager, ambitious, motivated students and the networking alone will be worth it's weight in crude oil. And if the professional return is sufficient, you can borrow to make it happen.

Another factor to consider is class availability. Many schools now suffer from a shortage of funding - translation fewer classes/professors. So it can take 5 or even 6 years to graduate, simply because the classes you needed were filled and not available until the following semester or year. Another year means another year of tuition. Here's an area where conversations with students can reveal info the school would rather not.

Academically, think about where you'd best thrive. At UC Santa Cruz for instance, my daughter's first two years were filled with classes of 500 and contact only with TA's - ask KeyGrip, he knows. In a small school, you might have only 25 students per class and full access to the professors.

College is likely to provide some of the best social years of your life. Do you want a "big" school with lots of activities, fraternaties, big time sports or a more academic environment? Do you prefer urban settings and all that comes with that or smaller college towns where life is insular and revolves around the students?

Whatever school you choose, you'll find exciting temptations potentially worthwhile and or destructive. What you get out of college life depends largely on you. Bring a serious work ethic to your classes, find a group of friends with whom you can share experiences, party hardy without killing yourself, and explore every constructive opportunity that presents itself. Even if you decide on the last day of your senior year that you want to change career paths, your time will not have been wasted.

Good luck and all the best!

 

[gswitter]

I hope it's not for the status of the school . . . that is less important than your grades and if you don't take this seriously, your grades will reflect. I'd rather have a 3.9 from WSU (whatever state university) than a 2.9 from Harvard (and so would any intelligent boss).

Once you get accepted to graduate school or start your first job, no one's going to care about your undergraduate grades. There are a few exceptions, but, ultimately, the alumni network will be much more valuable than your transcript.

 

[LED-holic]

If you don't know what you want to do, just go to a local college. It will save you (or whomever is paying) a LOT of money. In-state tuition is a LOT less, sometimes even less than 1/2 of out of state tuition . . . maybe even 1/4 !!

Why worry so much about which school when you don't have any major or even a minor chosen? Isn't that the main reason to pick a school? I hope it's not for the status of the school . . . that is less important than your grades and if you don't take this seriously, your grades will reflect. I'd rather have a 3.9 from WSU (whatever state university) than a 2.9 from Harvard (and so would any intelligent boss).

+1

In fact, maybe consider a community college for the 1st year to get some of the basic courses out of the way, like Enligh, Math, etc... Then transfer to a university once you've got the the core basics out of the way. A great way to save money and give yourself time to figure out what / where you want to do.

 

[Gunner12]

I've already signed up for a full AP course schedule next year(that going to be fun, sarcasm), I might not be here that often next semester) but I'm not sure how much that will affect my first year of college. I seems like half the students nowadays have a full or partially full AP schedule(half is probably not accurate).

As for school size, I'm looking for either a school that is small enough for me to know almost everyone, or one that has lots of diversity but isn't too big. Many clubs and activities would be nice to have. I think I'd like someplace either in a big city or somewhere closer to a big city.

As for major, I've been thinking about some type of engineering because that seems to be the most stable job wise. But what section I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I'll do well as an engineer. I don't really want to go into business partially because I don't know how it works and partially because there seems to be a lot of people going into business and there might be too much competition in the future. A doctor would be nice but I can be clumsy and very forgetful.

I'd like someplace challenging academically but not so much that I can't have a decent social life. I try to ignore peer pressure unless what they want me to do is actually the smart thing to do.

Small classes would be nice but not always possible. But large classes could be interesting.

Once you get accepted to graduate school or start your first job, no one's going to care about your undergraduate grades. There are a few exceptions, but, ultimately, the alumni network will be much more valuable than your transcript.

That's what one of my teachers said too. I know that but good grades in high school help get into a better college/university which could affect the future.
-------
After responding, I don't think I'm as lost as I though I was.

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[bitslammer]

If you don't have enough clarity about what you want to do keep it open & flexible. Here's my story and why I say that.

I was 100% sure I wanted to go into medicine when I got out of high school. Enrolled in a large college and got utterly lost being only treated as a number. Did 2 1/2 years and was not really certain if medicine was it for me.

Decided to look at joining the Army or Reserves or Natl' Guard and seeing what medical stuff i could learn there while gettign some $$$ for school. Did that and found out at the end of training I had asthma so my plans on going ROTC and career pretty much ended.

Took a job at a hospital in dept. that took care of the instruments and supplies in the OR. Saw what life was really like in medicine and decided it was not for me. Switched to biology and continued to explore a few other avenues. Spent a day "shadowing" an Nurse Anesthetist and decided that was out. Same for doing some microbiology work in the labs. Finally decided on some type of researcher and figured virology sounded fun.

At this point I started the steady migration into IT but didn't really realize it. I was working with the software that we used to pull the instruments and material for surgery. Somehow when people had issues they would track me down and I'd fix them.

Although I could always get the system back on track I was annoyed that I really didn't know how it worked or what I was doing when fixing it. I felt like a monkey trained to push buttons to get my banana so I bought a PC (almost $2000 for a 486dx back in 1988) and some books and taught myself the basics of PCs and DOS.

Started helping people with other issues and started talking wight eh systems people at the hospital. In a couple of years I joined that dept. and IT has now been a successful 12 year career that I never planned on. I would have laughed back then if you told me this is what I'd be doing.

I made a few more attempts at school doing some evening and "adult studies" stuff but school took a back seat to the fact that I was getting better jobs and better $$$ way to fast. I figured why jump off the train if it's moving at that pace. I can always do school if things slow down. They never have.

I've worked in the health care, education, manufacturing, finance, and service industries. I could likely find livable work in any town as most med/large size businesses have some form of IT shop. it's a very "portable" profession. Much more so then the virology field that was last plan. In those fields you go wherever the job are.

My only regret is that I didn't find this niche sooner. I have almost 280+ hours of college credits and no degree due to not knowing what I wanted to do.

Soooo after that long diatribe here's my main points:

• Be flexible - being able to adapt to your needs as well as external forces will help. Start with general studies if you can that will apply to a broad range of fields.
• Do some "trials" - if you can coop or do some type of internship that will give you great insight to things you'll never see from the outside. It would really stink to spend 4-8 years of school getting into a field that you find you don't really like.
• Don't rush - you work on avg ~40+ a week now so it helps to like what you do and where you work. College is and expensive hobby if you don't know where you want to go.

 

[carrot]

I am at a very large university and I know a *lot* of people. I went from a small school to a pretty huge one and the best advice I can give to you is that no matter where you go, it is what you make of it. You put the effort in to meet people and to have exciting activities and college will be great.

 

[InTheDark]

Once you get accepted to graduate school or start your first job, no one's going to care about your undergraduate grades. There are a few exceptions, but, ultimately, the alumni network will be much more valuable than your transcript.

I agree 100%. Nobody even looks at or asks about undergraduate grades after your first job, the first thing they are going to look at on your resume is the name of the school you graduated from. You could have been valedictorian at the local community college, but if you're going up against someone that graduated Harvard, MIT, Yale, etc, a lot of employers will instinctively go with the "name brand". It may not be fair, but that's the way life is. The fact that those school usually have a very large and influential alumni network is a huge plus.

My advice is forget about picking a school, pick a career first, then look for schools that will help you get there. The school is just the pathway to your goal, not the destination in itself. Don't worry too much about the job market, because things change. What is in high demand right now might not be by the time you graduate, and what has a lot of competition at this moment might be in demand in the future. I remember when I was first heading into school, Computer Science was in huge demand, there was a huge shortage of computer related majors. People would often joke that you could practically walk down the street with a sign saying "CS Major", and a companies will come running after you to hire you, and that wasn't too far off. Fast forward a decade, everything is getting outsourced and programmers are having to go back to school to learn a new career. So don't worry about what the job market is like right now. Also, just because you majored in something, doesn't mean you will be doing that for the rest of your life. A lot of people work in an industry that has absolutely nothing to do with their major in college, so don't think you're going to be stuck with that career forever. Of course, that doesn't mean you should rush out and get a art history major, unless you like working at Mcdonalds (j/k).

Small school vs. large university, is really just up to personal preference. Some people like the more personal feel of a small college, you will probably have a guidance couselor to help you along, and probably have a closer knit social group. At a large university you are basically just a number in the system amid a sea of people. However, a large university will most probably have lot more opportunities, just because of the sheer number and variety of people. It depends on what you like, and what you make of it. IMO, a small college will be more like an extension of high school, whereas a large university will more closely resemble the real world.

Just remember the immortal words of Mark Twain. "Don't ever let schooling interfere with your education"

 

[prof]

1. try to decide on your general area of interest--don't need specifics just yet, but an area is good (can I sway you toward information systems? There's nothing wrong with business...but I'm biased.)
2. Find a university that has a solid program in this area.
3. If you select a community college, be sure to check the transfer agreements with universities you're considering--sometimes transferring is harder than you think (I currently chair the committee within our college of business that authorizes exceptions--be sure you check into this BEFORE going to a community college. There's nothing wrong with them, but you also don't need to take classes that do not transfer).
4. Remember that the average college student today attends 2.5 universities before graduating. I'm not making this up--students transfer a LOT. Just be sure you don't loose credits when doing so!
5. Get started. Talk to your adviser. See what options you have. Focus on the basics the first year, but try to take a class or two in your possible major. Use that to help clarify your desires.

Most of all, watch your grades. That will help you get a first job (or second sometimes) and can help with grad school. This is one thing that's completely in your control. I have a friend who says "College is the one place where people try to get the least for their money." It's a good point. Maximize what you gain from the experience.

Good luck!

 

[Sarratt]

..Things I try to go by:
Eliminate prejudice, Open Mindedness, Dare to Dream, Choose you Influence, Be positive, Kind words, Start a Chain Reaction of Kindness.
.

Your signature says a lot.

As well as your admission that you don't ''know yourself" --- I wish I had that much self knowledge when I was your age.


Universities are or were never designed to fill jobs. They were designed to make one a more complete person. (debatable.. but not now).
If I could go back and start where you are I would .... sheesh....

1. take a literature course
2. take a astronomy course
3. take a foreign language course
4. take a theater course

Small is better.

No matter what path you start out on think extra carefully if it's a narrow one.
A broader path will give you options in 18 months and you MAY want that choice then.

Best of luck

S

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Don't discount the "little things." If you get into a school with a great reputation and famous professors, that won't much help if you feel lost in gigantic classes or if climbing up the many 45-degree hills feels like a marathon (I'm talking about Berkeley here, the first university I tried). It's okay to go to a slightly less well-known university if it'll give you a much better chance of success. I'm going to Santa Clara University now, and I'm loving it. It's a beautiful, comfortable campus with small classes, and the terrain is nice and flat. It's not as famous as UCB, but I'll tell you the truth: I hated being at Berkeley (of course, if huge classes and hills were your thing, you'd love Berkeley). I'm much happier at a school that fits me better.

Basically, my suggestion is to look at the whole equation and not make compromises on things that really matter to you. If you get into a university where everything's fantastic except for the fact that it snows like the ****ens nine months out of the year and you hate snow (hypothetical example), you're gonna be miserable. Find a place where you'll learn, grow, and enjoy it.

 

[BIGIRON]

And maybe don't go right into college. Your entire future is open. Work, travel, military, -- there's lot's of options. You can always go to college, but you're only 19 once.

Most employers will look at life experience as well as formal education. Some consider a prospect with a "later in life" degree to be much more desireable than one who has done nothing but academics.

 

[nisshin]

Have you tried one of the online guides, like Peterson's?