College & Stuff.

[pooperson]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]So I'm about to enter my senior year in high school, and for the past year and a half, my parents have been pushing "the college thing". In other words, they're having me look at colleges, go to college fairs, read ALL the college mail, decide my major, decide my everything, all before entering senior year.
What I've decided is that I probably want to go to a small school, and I might possibly major in music.
So basically, my questions are:
If you're in college, how did you decide to go there? What kinds of criteria did you look at? What do you like about your college? Where DO you go?
And mostly, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL?


Thanks![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Dagger]

Recycle the college mail. Don't decide on a major yet, or at least keep more than one possibility in mind. Think about financial aid.

College is to high school as something wonderful is to something significantly less wonderful. Even if you had a good high school experience, which I did.

~Dagger~

[Sara]

[color=#ff2200]I knew I wanted to go to a big school, and one not to far from home. My college choice really came down between two schools: University of Wisconsin?Madison, and University of Minnesota?Twin Cities. I couldn't decide on which one to attend?they both accepted me and offered me pretty impressive financial aid.

I made lists of pros and cons about the two schools, and they literally came out [i]dead even[/i] every time. It was almost the end of my senior year at high school, the "tell us whether or not you're coming here" deadlines were rolling up fast, and I had [i]no idea[/i] where I wanted to go.

In the end, it was almost a coin toss. I was at an interview for a scholarship, and the interview committee asked me where I was planning to go to college. I didn't want to sound indecisive during the interview, so I made a split-second decision and told them I was going to Minnesota. They asked me why, and I gave them the reasons.

When I walked out of the interview, I realised I really [i]was[/i] going to go to Minnesota.[/color]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Dagger']Don't decide on a major yet, or at least keep more than one possibility in mind.[/quote]

Yes. If you're completely unsure about what you want your major to be, don't feel pressured to choose one and stick with it completely. You're going to have general education classes out the *** no matter what you're majoring in, so you'll have plenty of time to find something that fits. Also, if you find yourself completely despising your major, whether you're only a few classes in or halfway through the curriculum or whatever, don't be afraid to switch to something else. Better to take a while to find what's right than to quickly find something that will drive you insane.

Another thing - don't feel restricted by what jobs you think certain degrees will get you once you finish school. I'm not an English student, but I think this is a good enough example: Lots of people (including me when I graduated from high school) think the only thing you can do with an English degree is become a teacher or a writer. However, lots of employers from varying industries hire English majors for their analytical skills and ability to communicate well (ugh, I'm totally sounding like my school's English Department Web site here...). As another example, I have a friend who majored in history but got a job in NBC's sports department because they knew she could do hard research for them. Certain majors lead you down a relatively straight path, while others open up many non-specific opportunities.

One last thing... if you're considering becoming a music student, I assume you're already planning to do this as part of the school band or something similar, but find something to participate in at school. For the first couple of years of school, I just attended class and then went home, and I can't begin to tell you how freaking dull it was. This year I manned up and started writing for the school newspaper a bit earlier than I had to, and I'm kicking myself for being such an idiot the last couple of years because I've enjoyed it so much. People who have fond memories of college are the ones who actually [i]did[/i] something there besides get grades.

Join a club, an activity involved with your major, or whatever else strikes your fancy. College is incredibly boring otherwise lol.

EDIT: Haha, I didn't even answer the questions you posted. Maybe later when I am without headache.

[eleanor]

[QUOTE=taperson][SIZE=1][COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]So I'm about to enter my senior year in high school, and for the past year and a half, my parents have been pushing "the college thing". In other words, they're having me look at colleges, go to college fairs, read ALL the college mail, decide my major, decide my everything, all before entering senior year.
What I've decided is that I probably want to go to a small school, and I might possibly major in music.
So basically, my questions are:
If you're in college, how did you decide to go there? What kinds of criteria did you look at? What do you like about your college? Where DO you go?
And mostly, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL?
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[color=dimgray] I'm in the same position as you, but I like to think I know about the college application process simply because I'm Korean and we're pretty much obsessed about getting into college. P:

I'll tell you this, though. College fairs are useless if you're not prepared for them. Single out several colleges and research them, and then write down all the questions you have before you go. If you go to a fair and just look around, it's the biggest waste of time ever (because it happened to me). Also, like everyone else has said, choosing a major just to choose one is ridiculous.

I've already visited several colleges during my last two spring breaks, so the only college preparation I'll be doing before senior year is looking at the essay questions and sort of pre-writing them in my head.

Sort of OT, but my one pet peeve about applying to college is when people cop out of applying to certain schools just because they think it'll be impossible to afford it. Some of my friends are 'angry' that they can't go to their dream schools because it's too expensive. I think it's just about the lamest excuse I've ever heard.[/color]

[Retribution]

[quote name='Lunox][color=dimgray']I'll tell you this, though. College fairs are useless if you're not prepared for them. Single out several colleges and research them, and then write down all the questions you have before you go. If you go to a fair and just look around, it's the biggest waste of time ever (because it happened to me).[/color][/quote]
[size=1]Aw c'mon. College fairs are useless no matter what. Research the school, talk to current students and alumni. Anything is better than the pristine, marketed, pre-packaged version of the college they sell at those fairs.

I just urge you to keep things in perspective. Don't freak out about SATs or applications even when it's tempting to do so. Don't let the application process rule your life. Plan ahead, keep your head screwed on tight, and you should be good. Your parents are panicking unnecessarily, lol.

Oh, and don't forget to enjoy your senior year![/size]

[eleanor]

[color=dimgray] I mean, they [i]can[/i] be helpful if you have some deeply burning question that no one has been able to answer.

But yes, on the whole they are useless.[/color]

[affection]

[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=1]Well I hope you don't let this college thing ruin your senior year. Yeah, be prepared by doing your FAFSA's and get some scholarships if possible but don't stress yourself over it.

If you aren't completely sure of what you want to major, remember that you are not the only one. They have programs for students who are still confused with their major. There are a lot of students who don't know what they want to major in. You won't be the only one! Do not worry yourself![/SIZE][/FONT]

[Guest Copycatalyst]

It's different from high school because you're paying for it. And it's much more of a business than an education. And that's about all. It's worth it, though, so you can get that little piece of paper that says you went into debt (if you're middle class and didn't get scholarships) and when you have that piece of plant cells, there's nothing they can do; that cellophane is your ticket into the societyvein. If our society had its head on straight it would instead pay people to learn, learn, and endlessly learn. But it doesn't have its head on straight so we all know this isn't how it is. We all know that if we embraced that we weren't walking Darwintrons and actually decided, hey, despite all labels, or origins, we're still of the origin of human being, then maybe it wouldn't be such an every-man-for-himself herd-mentality system where you have to fight tooth and nail to not be crucified for just existing as who you are. But seeing as our society, and government, and America as it stands today has forgotten most of what the forefathers even said, and says it is all about "freedom, democracy, and liberty" (especially when they don't even know what they're saying when they say it and you don't know either but it eat it up like vomited paradise)--we all know those are pretty shattered in many ways. This isn't to say America isn't one of the highest places to live, or that it's some 3rd world country. But it sure makes itself a 3rd world country in its valuations of its people and how its entire system functions.

I have only one last thing to say.

It's pretty sad when we've made money of more worth than a human being. When a human being is secondary to paper, dead plant cells--cellophane. Well, you know, I know what has worth and value--and it isn't avarice, and it sure isn't some money, issued by fiat decree. It's my fellow human beings, their personalities, their quips and quirks, and the beauty of synchronicity--of coming together, as a people, and not acting like we're some United States of America when we know that's BS--we know the civil war is like the cold war within America's own soil, or that the War on the Youth happens by us taking them for so many pennies they have, of what little they have--we know the War on Drugs is just a sham in light of valid, scientific fact. We know that America is at war against itself, and it's high and mighty on its twisted idealism of what the forefathers even meant.

We know we're all just human beings. But who wants to truly realize that, and bridge the gaps which schism and separate us and will be our undoing lest they change?

The few who have tried are gone. Jesus? John Lennon? JFK? Malcolm X? Martin Luther King, Jr.? We killed them all. Now we've got some capitalistic education system running our children. And we wonder why they're so dispirited and violent. I mean, ask yourself: why are there school shootings? It has to be something more than Marilyn Manson or violent video games. Let's consider this. [i]It's not violence that is killing our children, it's that we're killing our children with the violence of our ignorance.[/i]

You're born middle class? That means you're supposed to stay middle class. It's how the caste system works; we're free and have so much equality, yet can't even give each other economic equality. We're free, and we're all about learning, and we're all about growing, as long as it's a [i]status quo[/i]. People need to open their eyes. Something needs to change. Or it'll change by us losing everything mankind has ever garnered through the centuries of its existence on this Earth.

They call people like me liberal, or commie, or pinko, or leftist, or progressive. I still call myself a human being. As human as you are right now. Maybe even more human because I'm not blind to the injustice, and pain, this society gives to many, for the ability for a few to be happy at the height of the powerstructure. All we have is a Master-Slave-Morality, plain and simple. All we have now is a caste system. Plain and simple. Our government right now is brimming on just being an oligarchy, and it's pretty far from being a democracy in many ways, not even a representative one. I don't know about you, but George Bush and almost all the people in our legislature do not represent what I have to say period.

I know I may be kind of off-topic, but all the things I'm talking about are pretty related. Government decides how the education system runs. That's where that's related. But yeah, I went into a bit more of a general way about it, and I'm talking about America since that's where I live. If I'm a bit too off-topic perhaps you'll forgive me and just hear what I had to say there. If not you know, you can just skip what I've said like everyone skipped what Jesus even really said, or any and all men who have died for what they knew were.

[Jiazu]

[quote name='Copycatalyst']But it sure makes itself a 3rd world country in its valuations of its people and how its entire system functions.[/quote]
uh.. have you ever lived in a third world country? Obviously not, because if you had you wouldn't say that...

anyway, about college, I did the whole planning ahead, super-research, decide everything before-i-graduate thing... and then last summer i saw an ad for a college i'd never heard of before but sounded perfect... so I applied there, took last year off, and am about to start this september (with no major). So.. so much for planning...

I say that to say this: planning is good, but in the end you're the one that is going to spend four years of your life, as well as tens of thousands of dollars, in college. Do something that you WANT to do, don't worry so much about where your degree will lead you.. so many people go to college, get a degree, and then proceed to get a job that has absolutely (more or less) nothing to do with what they learned in school anyway...

just my two copper

[Sara]

[color=#db2007]Other thoughts: If you haven't taken your ACT/SAT, stop what you're doing [i]right now[/i], and go register for a date in early fall. That'll give you a chance to retake it this winter if you aren't satisfied with your first set of scores.
[quote name='Retribution][size=1']Aw c'mon. College fairs are useless no matter what. [/size][/quote]Upside of college fairs: [b]You will [i]never have to buy another pen in your life[/i][/b]

Going to one probably isn't a bad idea if you're feeling completely lost/overwhelmed. Dozens (sometimes hundreds) of colleges have tables set up with brochures and stuff, and it's a way to have a physical representation of the options you have. You can wander around, see if anything catches your eye, and maybe get a clearer idea of what you're looking for. (Something nearby, something big or small, something with a wide range of majors, something with a focus (for example, music-specific), something in a big city or something out in a "college town" or out in the country...)

There are so many choices that you have to make some arbitrary decisions to start narrowing things down. Rude representative? Not going there. Hideous school colors? Forget it.

Have a list of questions to ask if something matches your eye. What's the most common major? What's the music/art/English/physics department like? Do most students live on campus? What foreign languages do they offer? [/color]

[Retribution]

[QUOTE=Copycatalyst]It's different from high school because you're paying for it. And it's much more of a business than an education. And that's about all. It's worth it, though, so you can get that little piece of paper that says you went into debt (if you're middle class and didn't get scholarships) and when you have that piece of plant cells, there's nothing they can do; that cellophane is your ticket into the societyvein. If our society had its head on straight it would instead pay people to learn, learn, and endlessly learn. But it doesn't have its head on straight so we all know this isn't how it is. We all know that if we embraced that we weren't walking Darwintrons and actually decided, hey, despite all labels, or origins, we're still of the origin of human being, then maybe it wouldn't be such an every-man-for-himself herd-mentality system where you have to fight tooth and nail to not be crucified for just existing as who you are. But seeing as our society, and government, and America as it stands today has forgotten most of what the forefathers even said, and says it is all about "freedom, democracy, and liberty" (especially when they don't even know what they're saying when they say it and you don't know either but it eat it up like vomited paradise)--we all know those are pretty shattered in many ways. This isn't to say America isn't one of the highest places to live, or that it's some 3rd world country. But it sure makes itself a 3rd world country in its valuations of its people and how its entire system functions.

I have only one last thing to say.

It's pretty sad when we've made money of more worth than a human being. When a human being is secondary to paper, dead plant cells--cellophane. Well, you know, I know what has worth and value--and it isn't avarice, and it sure isn't some money, issued by fiat decree. It's my fellow human beings, their personalities, their quips and quirks, and the beauty of synchronicity--of coming together, as a people, and not acting like we're some United States of America when we know that's BS--we know the civil war is like the cold war within America's own soil, or that the War on the Youth happens by us taking them for so many pennies they have, of what little they have--we know the War on Drugs is just a sham in light of valid, scientific fact. We know that America is at war against itself, and it's high and mighty on its twisted idealism of what the forefathers even meant.

We know we're all just human beings. But who wants to truly realize that, and bridge the gaps which schism and separate us and will be our undoing lest they change?

The few who have tried are gone. Jesus? John Lennon? JFK? Malcolm X? Martin Luther King, Jr.? We killed them all. Now we've got some capitalistic education system running our children. And we wonder why they're so dispirited and violent. I mean, ask yourself: why are there school shootings? It has to be something more than Marilyn Manson or violent video games. Let's consider this. [i]It's not violence that is killing our children, it's that we're killing our children with the violence of our ignorance.[/i]

You're born middle class? That means you're supposed to stay middle class. It's how the caste system works; we're free and have so much equality, yet can't even give each other economic equality. We're free, and we're all about learning, and we're all about growing, as long as it's a [i]status quo[/i]. People need to open their eyes. Something needs to change. Or it'll change by us losing everything mankind has ever garnered through the centuries of its existence on this Earth.

They call people like me liberal, or commie, or pinko, or leftist, or progressive. I still call myself a human being. As human as you are right now. Maybe even more human because I'm not blind to the injustice, and pain, this society gives to many, for the ability for a few to be happy at the height of the powerstructure. All we have is a Master-Slave-Morality, plain and simple. All we have now is a caste system. Plain and simple. Our government right now is brimming on just being an oligarchy, and it's pretty far from being a democracy in many ways, not even a representative one. I don't know about you, but George Bush and almost all the people in our legislature do not represent what I have to say period.

I know I may be kind of off-topic, but all the things I'm talking about are pretty related. Government decides how the education system runs. That's where that's related. But yeah, I went into a bit more of a general way about it, and I'm talking about America since that's where I live. If I'm a bit too off-topic perhaps you'll forgive me and just hear what I had to say there. If not you know, you can just skip what I've said like everyone skipped what Jesus even really said, or any and all men who have died for what they knew were.[/QUOTE]
[CENTER][IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/mitchlolz.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[Guest Copycatalyst]

[QUOTE=Jiazu]uh.. have you ever lived in a third world country? Obviously not, because if you had you wouldn't say that...

[/QUOTE]


Uh. . .do you even know the context in which I said that? Obviously not, because if you had you wouldn't say that. . .





Also, Ret. I love it. :)

[Retribution]

[quote name='Copycatalyst']Also, Ret. I love it. :)[/quote]
[size=1]Truth be told, it's fun to read your posts. There are usually some interesting ideas there, at least from what I can discern. Unfortunately, you also ramble and lose focus. Good times though.[/size]

[Roleni-Chan]

The reason I am in college is due to my motivation to help people in the world. Though I want to become a math teacher, I would like to make it simple for people who struggle with that subject. Where I live, they have low scores in the math area, Im actually one of the highest (Im not bragging). Though I chosed this career just this year so basically I have second year of college. Community college to be corrected actually since I cant afford to be in a four-year University. But as for Location, its in Los Angeles, California.

Don?t feel pressure at all, parents tend to do that, don?t let it get to you. But I wouldn?t also tell you to lag your choices. If you want to pursue your career in music, strife for it! Its your life and your decision. I know people take a break from school and go back later, though like I said its up to you. Just don?t panic about just yet.

In my opinion, I love College better than High School. I had four awful years of High School and I will admit I had some good times, if I didn?t I would be lying. Its hard to explain about the difference of high school in college but I can tell you that the classes can be a major change.

[Sara]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']Truth be told, it's fun to read your posts. There are usually some interesting ideas there, at least from what I can discern. Unfortunately, you also ramble and lose focus. Good times though.[/size][/quote][color=#db2007]You actually read them?[/color]

[Jiazu]

[QUOTE=Copycatalyst]Uh. . .do you even know the context in which I said that? Obviously not, because if you had you wouldn't say that. . .





Also, Ret. I love it. :)[/QUOTE]

Yes I do know the context... but the way that people in this country are valued, and the way the system works simply aren't like a third world country. Saying something like that just seems to me like it trivalises the conditions that many people in places like India or Burma, or somewhere like that live in... You talk about the caste system, and how people are "supposed to stay middle class"... the thing is, in this country, they actually CAN move up in the world if they want to.. they aren't going to be hunted down and killed if they break the mold. The status quo may be one way now, but that can, has, and will be changed over time... that's one of the great things about this country.. people can actually make a difference, if they're willing to stand up for themselves. I mean, look at the Vietnam War. All the protesting and anti-war sentiment did stop it, eventually.


Sorry about the OOC post.

[Guest Copycatalyst]

[QUOTE=Jiazu]Yes I do know the context... but the way that people in this country are valued, and the way the system works simply aren't like a third world country. Saying something like that just seems to me like it trivalises the conditions that many people in places like India or Burma, or somewhere like that live in... You talk about the caste system, and how people are "supposed to stay middle class"... the thing is, in this country, they actually CAN move up in the world if they want to.. they aren't going to be hunted down and killed if they break the mold. The status quo may be one way now, but that can, has, and will be changed over time... that's one of the great things about this country.. people can actually make a difference, if they're willing to stand up for themselves. I mean, look at the Vietnam War. All the protesting and anti-war sentiment did stop it, eventually.


Sorry about the OOC post.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, and then we got the Iraq War.

Sorry, you don't know the context. It's like harping on a crude figure of speech and taking it too literally more or less. Anyway, take care.

[quote]You actually read them?[/quote]

What did the man just say? I agree with him that I ramble at times. It really depends. I usually just throw things on the page right here, right now. That's why it's rambly. If I wanted to I could downsize and direct my posts.

Also, you know, I'm actually intelligent and challenge people so I guess I can understand why you wouldn't even read my posts. That's your loss and my gain of your loss I guess. If you want to remain ignorant that's your choice.

[Arcadia]

There's been a lot of great advice, so I only want to add this little bit more: seriously, do not worry about getting in and out in four years. If it works out that way, good for you. If it doesn't, the world will keep turning, trust me. Sometimes you realize you're not in the right major, or sometimes a class or two turn out to be completely different than what you thought, and you can get a little "behind." But really, it's your education, do what you want. As long as you're happy with what you're learning and you have some ideas for the future, you're not behind.

The only real concern you have with the four year thing is financial aid - there are some scholarships that will only provide you with aid for so many class hours (some are around 120 hours, I think), and adding on an extra year might mean less money that extra year. But there are plenty of scholarship opportunities. Check out fastweb.com for some, and also pester the living hell out of your school advisors, and see what turns up.

[Sara]

[quote name='Arcadia']But there are plenty of scholarship opportunities. Check out fastweb.com for some, and also pester the living hell out of your school advisors, and see what turns up.[/quote][color=#db2007]It's worth pointing out that you want to use a throwaway email address for fastweb. I signed up with them, and my previously pristine inbox was suddenly flooded with all kinds of spam mail. Made me very sad.[/color]

[Jiazu]

[QUOTE=Copycatalyst]Yeah, and then we got the Iraq War.

Sorry, you don't know the context. It's like harping on a crude figure of speech and taking it too literally more or less. Anyway, take care.
[/QUOTE]

Well I guess I don't... by all means, explain.

[Guest Copycatalyst]

[quote name='Jiazu']Well I guess I don't... by all means, explain.[/QUOTE]

I don't have anything to explain to you. You simply decontextualized a statement which was not meant to be taken as literally as you took it. End of story.

[pooperson]

[quote name='Copycatalyst']I don't have anything to explain to you. You simply decontextualized a statement which was not meant to be taken as literally as you took it. End of story.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"][SIZE="1"]Sweet Jeebus, if you're going to keep arguing, MAKE A THREAD FOR IT.
And yes, I already have a fastweb account. :) It works wonders and never ceases to amaze me.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Jiazu]

[quote name='Copycatalyst']I don't have anything to explain to you. You simply decontextualized a statement which was not meant to be taken as literally as you took it. End of story.[/QUOTE]

I guess I did take it too literally, but it wasn't a very good metaphor.

taperson, sorry... I'm done now.

[Guest Copycatalyst]

[quote name='Jiazu']I guess I did take it too literally, but it wasn't a very good metaphor.

taperson, sorry... I'm done now.[/QUOTE]


Well, I agree that it wasn't a very powerful metaphor as well. I was never in disagreement. But if you caught what I was really saying. . .I was saying that well, there's a lot of poor on our streets and thus forth. So what, they're supposed to be rationed by a war? Or anyway, I'm aware of how harshly we treat each other. If you go to any big city there are many people on the streets whom care little for each other and actually squabble with each other. What I simply meant in general is that American culture is fading. . .The entire Western heritage has been fading since the stagnancy of the Roman Empire, in fact--and what I also meant is that apparently it says in our constitution that all people deserve the right to happiness, property, and othersuch things--and that these are [b]self-evident rights[/b]. But do we give these to everyone? No, not necessarily. The constitution is in fact full of blatant idealism which was never made a reality. . .not even at the beginning of our country's history.

That's about all I have to say about that. ;)