Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[damnit,urist,youhadonejob]

Hi my name is George, I am a 20 year old with a GED, I was home schooled since the 7th grade.

I live near Boise Idaho. I am looking to go to college, the only problem is I have no real clue what I want to do, I am leaning towards something in the science fields, but I might go into engineering.  My family has no money, so I will be going to school on my own.
A good friend invited me to go with him to UNLV but I don't know if I want to live in Vegas.

I really have no idea what to do and I am making my self sick with worry, does anybody have any advise for me?

[Orange Wizard]

I think the best advice is "don't overthink". Because overthinking is... um...
What were we talking about, again?

Seriously, though, just pick whatever you're most interested in. You can always change later. If money is exceptionally tight, you can study and work part-time.

[MonkeyHead]

Get on the websites of as many different university departments as you can, and order prospectuses from those that appeal to you. Email them with questions if you have any - admissions tutors are knowledgeable and helpful. From there, narrow it down to 4 or 5 or so, and if possible, actually go visit - many have open days or often some kind of formal or informal interview process. Chances are you will walk in somewhere and decide that is the place and department for you, or even the opposite and rule somewhere out - I know that happened to me.

Whatever you choose, do something because you enjoy it - 3 to 5 years is a long time to be stuck doing something you are not keen on while getting into debt, and it will shape your future career.

[3man75]

I think the best advice is "don't overthink". Because overthinking is... um...
What were we talking about, again?

Seriously, though, just pick whatever you're most interested in. You can always change later. If money is exceptionally tight, you can study and work part-time.

+1 same boat. An i think my professors in community college put it best that you simply need to do what makes YOU happy. Remember that your work is not your entire life nor is college forever.

Hope these statements from my professors mouth to this thread are helpful to you.

[LordBucket]

anybody have any advise for me?

It would be easier to answer more specific questions. But:

1) Figure out what you want to do. It's more important than what other people tell you you're "supposed to" do. I mean this is a broader context than merely choice of major. "Go to high school --> go to college --> get a degree --> get a job --> get married --> have kids --> die" is not the only valid way to live a life. What do you want to do?

2) Avoid debt

[nenjin]

I feel like we need a sticky post, for all the college advice that has been given so far.

[gimlet]

I agree 100% with the "think about the kind of jobs you think you will enjoy, learn what degrees and qualifications they generally require, and try to structure your education and extracurriculars and early jobs towards that".  And when you think about jobs you'll like, think about the pay, ease of getting the jobs, and future career prospects.   You're off to a good start if you like science/engineering, be careful with "humanities" degrees.

My example - I really liked history, and math/computer science.  Now it's POSSIBLE I could have gotten a dream job as a historic researcher or archivist with a museum or something, but most grads with just bachelor's degrees in history end up teaching.  Now you might love teaching, that's great, but I didn't think I would (I had just seen how bastardly we students could be to our teachers - I couldn't imagine putting up with that for 30 years )   So I went the computer science route, I was good at it, I LOVED it, I loved solving problems and making stuff work, it paid pretty well then REALLY well.  And I read a lot of history on the side

See if you can take some aptitude tests, in HS we took this thing called the Kuder career aptitude test, bunch of multiple choice questions and it spit out the careers it thought you'd like and do well at - and I felt it was pretty spot on for me.  History, Math, Computer Science, Accounting - and I downgraded Accounting 'cause I thought it'd be a bit too boring, and Math had the same problem as history, with just a BA it's really hard to find a non-teaching job.  And I really didn't want to spend years after a bachelor's going for a higher degree, I was kind of burning out on school even then (and not exactly flush with cash).

Anway, I'd call local Community Colleges, ask for the guidance department, and see if they offer those kinds of tests, ask them what the requirements are - even if you have to take 1 course there, it'd be well worth it.  You can search for free online ones, but the ones schools pay for are usually probe deeper and give better results.

[Urist McShaft]

Gimlet is on the right track here.  You should START with a list of the things you want to do with your life.  From there you need to take many things into consideration and whittle down your choices.  Back when I was in high school, it was all about "do what you want!" and "everyone should go to college and get a degree!".  This seems to have created an entire generation(or two) of people getting degrees that they can't use and can't pay for.

Personal examples:
My sister got some sort of general degree.  She never found a job.  She went back to school and is now a teacher.  Took her many years and a lot of money to get where she is now.
My wife got a "Speech Communications" degree from a good university.  She never found work in her field, and nothing that payed well.  She is currently getting a masters in accounting and is well on her way to getting CPA certification.
Sister in law got a degree in food science.  Hasn't had a job in her adult life.  Full time mom at the moment.

When I was in high school, I researched a lot of options.  I was most interested in computers, so I chose computer science.  I was hired 6 months out of college and have been employed since.  Great salary, I love my job, and it is extremely flexible.

My point is, if you aren't sure what you want to do, don't enroll today and "figure it out".  Figure it out first, then find the university that fits your needs in terms of price, location, and other factors you may have.  If what you want to do is be an artist, or a history teacher, or study Latin, you need to rethink your choices.  If you have no money now, you will have even less with a degree in something unemployable or unprofitable.  Do what you love, as long as you can make a living at it.  Doesn't sound as glamorous, but hey, its an internet forum.

Good luck in your search.

[Eagle_eye]

If what you want to do is be an artist, or a history teacher, or study Latin you need to rethink your choices.

An artist, sure, but there are plenty of places available for history and latin teachers. Money isn't everything: some people genuinely like teaching.

[damnit,urist,youhadonejob]

  well i must thank you guys, you have given better advise than any of the people i have asked. would you recommend living in a dorm?

[MonkeyHead]

For your first year, yes, I would - but only for your first year while finding your feet living away from home. It allows you to meet a nice wide range of people, and takes care of some of the issues of truly living in the real world. I myself lived in a university halls for my first year, met some decent people, and some total douchebags. Chose to stay in one for a second year and regretted it before moving into a private house with some of the guys I met during my first year, and stayed in that house with the same people for the rest of my undergrad and postgrad time, but did experience problems with landlords.

You will hear the odd horror story about dorm living (mainly shithead room mates), but that is the exception rather than the rule - most people find it an o.k experience. The way I looked at it was that I only really spent time there to sleep - most of the rest of the time I was in lectures, in lab, socialising, playing sports etc., and there was more than enough people around to keep myself busy.

[LordBucket]

would you recommend living in a dorm?

Alternately you might consider joining a fraternity and living in a frat house, but if not that...and barring financial concerns, then definitely a dorm, yes. Fun things happen during college. And I don't mean that as some sort of sexual entendre. Yes, that happens too, but I would say a fair proportion of the "college experience" is a result of the living arrangements. If you're not there, you won't be there to participate when things happen.

I do, however, advise doing some investigation of a potential arrangement before you commit to it.  Attend the frat rush, visit the dorms, etc. Try to find "your people." For example, if you're a crazy, drunken brawler you'll have a lot more fun with the crazy, drunken brawlers than with the EECS crew in the campus dorm. If you're more a quiet study and LAN party kind of guy, you probably don't want to be tripping over frenzied cocaine orgies in the hallway.

Yes, participate in college life if you can. For some people it's the best time they have in their entire lives. But: due dilligence.

[Zrk2]

Dorms are great if you can afford to go away to school. I stayed at home while going to university (and still am) and I regret the not being able to socialize as much as most others.

[3man75]

Dorms are great if you can afford to go away to school. I stayed at home while going to university (and still am) and I regret the not being able to socialize as much as most others.

Totally agree, these days i find it hard to socialize with new people. Work is basically the only time i socizlize with non-friends and that has to be kept to a "professional" atmosphere. But hey, not everyone is born with money or options and sometimes you just have to work with what you do have and not complain about what you don't have.