Okay, so, I was just wondering, and I have been searching to net for good colleges. I just would like some others opinions maybe?!
Go for the one you like the most! I'm sure you won't regreat it!
My experience with college was a bit different from most, from what I understand. For example, I've heard horror stories about dealing with financial aid offices and such - but because I went to a for-profit college that cost a heck of a lot more, they did their best to keep theirs running smoothly.
What you want out of a school is the main thing to look at here. Are you focused on getting a degree only, so you'll be more employable? Is it interesting classes in particular you want? A good sense of community? A school with a name worth dropping? Something local, or something far so you can travel? Figure that out first, and search accordingly. Also keep in mind that majors differ from school to school - in name, in content, and if it's offered at all. A lot of standard ones are reliable, but some are tricky - in my case, graphic design was still uncommon when I was looking, and web design/development is still fairly uncommon. Keep your eyes open as you look, too - you may find something amazing that you'd have never thought of before.
Types of colleges are also something to consider. I went to a for-profit school the whole time, and much as I loved a lot of it, it's not something I'd recommend to most. A more expensive school doesn't necessarily mean better teachers/classes - studies put for-profit and public colleges about equal, if I remember right. One of the more money savvy (and increasingly common) ways to do things is to get all you can out of a community college, then transfer your credits to a state college or university to take things further. Of course, it's always good to make sure the transition will be smooth (and "promises" can sometimes change), and one of the good ways to boost that is to choose both from about the same area (so they're already used to working with each other a little). Even better if it's in a place where you can live with family, so you can save on housing and food. (And scholarships, lordy, apply to as many as you can!)
As you're looking, never doubt the internet's love of listing, categorizing, and rating things. Once you know what's important to you, there's a decent chance you can look for a comparison of that/those aspects.
And don't pick a school without visiting it first! Find out what things are really like there, not just what they want you to think of it.
What you want out of a school is the main thing to look at here. Are you focused on getting a degree only, so you'll be more employable? Is it interesting classes in particular you want? A good sense of community? A school with a name worth dropping? Something local, or something far so you can travel? Figure that out first, and search accordingly. Also keep in mind that majors differ from school to school - in name, in content, and if it's offered at all. A lot of standard ones are reliable, but some are tricky - in my case, graphic design was still uncommon when I was looking, and web design/development is still fairly uncommon. Keep your eyes open as you look, too - you may find something amazing that you'd have never thought of before.
Types of colleges are also something to consider. I went to a for-profit school the whole time, and much as I loved a lot of it, it's not something I'd recommend to most. A more expensive school doesn't necessarily mean better teachers/classes - studies put for-profit and public colleges about equal, if I remember right. One of the more money savvy (and increasingly common) ways to do things is to get all you can out of a community college, then transfer your credits to a state college or university to take things further. Of course, it's always good to make sure the transition will be smooth (and "promises" can sometimes change), and one of the good ways to boost that is to choose both from about the same area (so they're already used to working with each other a little). Even better if it's in a place where you can live with family, so you can save on housing and food. (And scholarships, lordy, apply to as many as you can!)
As you're looking, never doubt the internet's love of listing, categorizing, and rating things. Once you know what's important to you, there's a decent chance you can look for a comparison of that/those aspects.
And don't pick a school without visiting it first! Find out what things are really like there, not just what they want you to think of it.
Thank you both for that! I have considered going to school for music/ perhaps a rade school in stead of college.
However, my parents both seem to think I'd be a great Mortician.
So, I am in a loop now, more so than I was yesterday.
However, my parents both seem to think I'd be a great Mortician.
So, I am in a loop now, more so than I was yesterday.
It's normal to be unsure of what to do. My suggestion is that you should apply to a school where there is more than one opportunity so that if you change your mind you can use what classes you have as elective or, alternatively, somewhere you could transfer credits to another school. We have a technical college in town and the main university, plus of course we're connected to other Canadians cities with our distance education. If I can't take it in the classroom, I could probably find an online class if it's required.
Oh, and it's completely normal to change your mind. You're young and it's hard to know exactly what you'll be interested in. I took a few years off of school and I started with the goal of becoming a counsellor, but in the end I found myself moving towards linguistics. At the moment I'm finishing pre-education and hopefully I'll get into Ed next year. If not I'm getting a degree in Art before I try to get into Ed again. That was two changes and now I'll be almost 30 by the time I start teaching.
Oh, and it's completely normal to change your mind. You're young and it's hard to know exactly what you'll be interested in. I took a few years off of school and I started with the goal of becoming a counsellor, but in the end I found myself moving towards linguistics. At the moment I'm finishing pre-education and hopefully I'll get into Ed next year. If not I'm getting a degree in Art before I try to get into Ed again. That was two changes and now I'll be almost 30 by the time I start teaching.
Thanks! You guys helped! I'm just filling out some things for a teacher and my parents so they can see what I'll be doing. Thank you thank you thank you!
I highly recommend visiting the campus of any college you want to attend. See if you can attend a class, get a feel for the campus, the professors and the student-body.
For myself, I visited only two colleges: Virginia Tech (giant university) and Randolph College (tiny college). I knew I wanted to pursue Veterinary Medicine, but what ended up drawing me to RC was that they offered Latin AND had a much more intimate setting. I prefer smaller classes and only having a few friends, rather than being surrounded by tons of people. Of course, I had no idea that I would wind up discovering my senior year of college that I wanted to be a Latin teacher until I had the opportunity to volunteer to teach Latin once a week at a local elementary school. I graduated in 2011 with my BS in Biology and as of August 2014, enrolled in an online Master's program to get my teaching degree.
Just keep in mind the opportunities that the college/university/trade school offers to current students and students who have graduated. Also, take advantage of making connections with everyone you meet--fellow students and especially the professors. They'll have contacts that can help you get experience and/or a job after you graduate.
But I highly recommend going to a school where you feel excited to be. Home is where the heart is.
Best of luck!
For myself, I visited only two colleges: Virginia Tech (giant university) and Randolph College (tiny college). I knew I wanted to pursue Veterinary Medicine, but what ended up drawing me to RC was that they offered Latin AND had a much more intimate setting. I prefer smaller classes and only having a few friends, rather than being surrounded by tons of people. Of course, I had no idea that I would wind up discovering my senior year of college that I wanted to be a Latin teacher until I had the opportunity to volunteer to teach Latin once a week at a local elementary school. I graduated in 2011 with my BS in Biology and as of August 2014, enrolled in an online Master's program to get my teaching degree.
Just keep in mind the opportunities that the college/university/trade school offers to current students and students who have graduated. Also, take advantage of making connections with everyone you meet--fellow students and especially the professors. They'll have contacts that can help you get experience and/or a job after you graduate.
But I highly recommend going to a school where you feel excited to be. Home is where the heart is.Best of luck!
Ack, I'm a bit late on this, but you can never have too much info 
I think Pen and Nova have already said everything worth thinking about. There is just SO much stuff that goes into trying to pick a school. I remember one of my old teachers in high school told me to watch out for the Three C's: Cost, Class size, and Campus.
Cost: Before you even start looking at any campuses, I would reeeeeaaaally recommend sitting down with your parents or a Financial Adviser and figure out what kind of tuition you will be able to afford. That right there can make picking out a school WAY easier. If you are in the States financial aid is very easy to sign up for through FAFSA, but if you go to a higher end Private College or University, there is a good chance you're going to end up taking out student loans if your parents can't help you out.
Class size: Depending on your degree and your style of learning, you're going to have to kind of gauge what is right for you. One thing I always tell people is to be wary of class sizes are upwards of 40 students. When I got my first degree I was at a Community College where my Graphics Core class was 18 students and we basically lived together for 2 years and we knew our professors like friends. When I graduated and started on my Bachelors, I tried out The University of Minnesota where some of my classes were 40+ students. It was incredibly frustrating, because when Professors have multiple classes of that size it's hard to get help when you need it. I got sick of that in a quick hurry and transferred to Temple University in Tokyo.
Campus: This one boils down to how good you are at time management lol. Most Tech/Community colleges and trade schools have small campuses, where at most you have to dash across a courtyard or down a few long halls. Some private colleges and universities can be downright awful. Another reason I began to dislike the U of M is because it is a massive multi-complex University and it spreads across miles of walkways. Sometimes you even have to drive to different buildings if you want to make it to class on time. Large campuses can be a headache. Also, how far is it from where you live? Are you going to live on campus or at home? I had an apartment in Tokyo about an hour and 45 minutes away from campus. One of my classes started at 9:00... I usually had to be up about 5:30 and out the door by 6:30 just to give myself a half hour for 'just in case' circumstances like train problems. I can tell you now, there was not enough coffee on the planet to make that morning commute even remotely fun lol.
Now, trade schools can be different. You have to look at a different set of criteria. Like Pen said, you need to look at the opportunities that the school offers current students and their employment rate after graduation. You can actually go online and find great websites like https://colleges.niche.com/ and see all sorts of stats on different schools.
If you are waffling about what degree you want, there are toooons of sites online for career tests. I would suggest sitting down and doing a few of them. Even if they don't give you results you think are accurate, they still help get your brain churning. When you think you know what kind of degree you want, research it. See what goes into it, what kind of field is out there. Is there a demand for the position. Etc, etc.
It's pretty daunting, but don't let yourself get discouraged.
Cheers!
I think Pen and Nova have already said everything worth thinking about. There is just SO much stuff that goes into trying to pick a school. I remember one of my old teachers in high school told me to watch out for the Three C's: Cost, Class size, and Campus.
Cost: Before you even start looking at any campuses, I would reeeeeaaaally recommend sitting down with your parents or a Financial Adviser and figure out what kind of tuition you will be able to afford. That right there can make picking out a school WAY easier. If you are in the States financial aid is very easy to sign up for through FAFSA, but if you go to a higher end Private College or University, there is a good chance you're going to end up taking out student loans if your parents can't help you out.
Class size: Depending on your degree and your style of learning, you're going to have to kind of gauge what is right for you. One thing I always tell people is to be wary of class sizes are upwards of 40 students. When I got my first degree I was at a Community College where my Graphics Core class was 18 students and we basically lived together for 2 years and we knew our professors like friends. When I graduated and started on my Bachelors, I tried out The University of Minnesota where some of my classes were 40+ students. It was incredibly frustrating, because when Professors have multiple classes of that size it's hard to get help when you need it. I got sick of that in a quick hurry and transferred to Temple University in Tokyo.
Campus: This one boils down to how good you are at time management lol. Most Tech/Community colleges and trade schools have small campuses, where at most you have to dash across a courtyard or down a few long halls. Some private colleges and universities can be downright awful. Another reason I began to dislike the U of M is because it is a massive multi-complex University and it spreads across miles of walkways. Sometimes you even have to drive to different buildings if you want to make it to class on time. Large campuses can be a headache. Also, how far is it from where you live? Are you going to live on campus or at home? I had an apartment in Tokyo about an hour and 45 minutes away from campus. One of my classes started at 9:00... I usually had to be up about 5:30 and out the door by 6:30 just to give myself a half hour for 'just in case' circumstances like train problems. I can tell you now, there was not enough coffee on the planet to make that morning commute even remotely fun lol.
Now, trade schools can be different. You have to look at a different set of criteria. Like Pen said, you need to look at the opportunities that the school offers current students and their employment rate after graduation. You can actually go online and find great websites like https://colleges.niche.com/ and see all sorts of stats on different schools.
If you are waffling about what degree you want, there are toooons of sites online for career tests. I would suggest sitting down and doing a few of them. Even if they don't give you results you think are accurate, they still help get your brain churning. When you think you know what kind of degree you want, research it. See what goes into it, what kind of field is out there. Is there a demand for the position. Etc, etc.
It's pretty daunting, but don't let yourself get discouraged.
Cheers!
Wow! I can't believe i never thought about the cost! Or infact what made me feel comfortable! You're all right. I actually just applied for Jefferson State Community College, I may not really live near there, but I looked at the cost and what they had to offer.
Turns out, they have a Mortuary course! Thank you all! I am sure, I will still have time to grow in that field, so, thank you!
Turns out, they have a Mortuary course! Thank you all! I am sure, I will still have time to grow in that field, so, thank you!
DragonStallion wrote:
Wow! I can't believe i never thought about the cost! Or infact what made me feel comfortable! You're all right. I actually just applied for Jefferson State Community College, I may not really live near there, but I looked at the cost and what they had to offer.
Turns out, they have a Mortuary course! Thank you all! I am sure, I will still have time to grow in that field, so, thank you!
Turns out, they have a Mortuary course! Thank you all! I am sure, I will still have time to grow in that field, so, thank you!
I'm sure everything will work itself out. Baby steps! I hope you get accepted.
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