Its one of those tough decisions of life. Its everything to you. All you want to do is not fuck it up. What will you do?
So like a lot of people I am struggling to make a decision about where I want to go to college. Don't worry I'm not going to launch into my whole personal story and bore you to death with my musings. I'm simply going to give you my perspective on how to go about looking at colleges. Even though I havent decided I think the way I have been going about it is very thorough and maybe it will help someone. Of course, part of progress is educating the masses so a good education is essential, thats why I say take careful consideration of where you want to go, but before I continue a little background.
I go to a local community college and have been going across the state of California looking at colleges I'm interested in. I'd say its fair to say that my first year of college wasnt the best of experiences college-wise. I didnt party, I didnt save the money I earned at my job, and I didnt meet many new people. I just went to class and went home all year. My grades were great but I was missing out on all the fun my friends at 4 year Universities were having and thus now when trying to decide where to go for my remaining two years, I guess I sort of want to make up for that crappy freshmen year and choose the best college. Which is why i've been looking into transferring to a school I like so much. Even though the more information has made me more uncertain I think realize most of the colleges are also really great.
And now...
Daimler's College Advice
1) When looking at colleges don't rely on their tours to figure out the campus. I've been to college tours of many of the best public universities in California and I can honestly say theyre all the same. They're all glossy and you learn a lot about the statistics that college wants you to hear. If you know someone that goes to a school you're interested in sleep over for a weekend. I've learned more about the schools I've slept overnight at than any of the other schools. You get all kinds of experiences that can show you the real college, not the glossy tour version.
2) Don't rely on Stereotypes. Last weekend I visited my friend in Berkeley and had the complete idea that all students at Berkeley were crazy. It was totally not true and I'm glad I went. Also dont go to a school just because of its name recognition. I'm sure I've learned a lot more from having an experience at a small community college and the same will hold true at a small private university too.
3) Money is very important too. Go where you can afford. It may sound obvious, but many college students end up thousands of dollars in debt. I probably will be any way I see it, but go for as many scholarships as you can.
4) Talk to the Undergraduate Advisers at the Universities. I spoke with an adviser from UCSB and he told me all kinds of things about how to get in and how the process works and what is and isnt important.
5) Dont sell yourself short. I am a really pessimistic person and for a long time I really believed I was only going to such and such a college that I thought sucked. Then I realized that my GPA was really high and that just because some schools are competitive doesnt mean you shouldnt try and apply. So at least try at a couple schools that seem a little out of reach, you never know unless you try. On the other side, DONT apply to all the most well known and prestigious colleges, apply to others that may offer more scholarships or a better college experience.
6) If you're looking for something that a big school doesnt have go to a smaller school that does. Its less about the size of the school than the education you get and the different experiences, activities, programs you want out of college. Also write out your impressions about a campus because the different colleges can run together.
7) Dont rule out community colleges necessarily. You can get a lot of scholarships and save a lot of money. Also a lot of the local teachers from larger universities sometimes also work at communitity colleges. You out what you put it.
8) Talk to teachers, parents, friends, and family who have gone to the school you are considering, but also take their suggestions with a grain of salt. Memories can deceive. And times do change.
9) Start the application early. Think hard about it. Before you send you should check it many times to see if there is anything you've forgotten.
10) Dont Stress. You've worked really hard and there's always a way to get where you want to go if you work hard enough.
Hopefully this helps some people, who may be seniors in high school or transfer students. This has been on my mind a lot and its helped me. I've still got another month to work on my college essay and continue looking around, before I apply. Good luck to everyone applying now or soon.
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These are all good pieces of advice. Going to college isn't exactly easy.
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