College

Ricky

Ricky

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Well, it's becoming quite stressful getting ready for college and such. I know I should have some sort of plan in place right now, but I don't, and that's why I'm asking for help now. I need help from the real world.

It feels kind of scary to be expected to grow up so fast... And it doesn't help that I turn 18 in 7 days. :( My dad is putting me under severe pressure to start now, but I don't have any idea where to start. We don't have any plans of action in place. What should I do to prepare for college? How am I going to be able to pay for it all?

What am I going to do? Argh! ::sleepy::
 
*cough* JC *cough*

I'll look into some more resources for college students and get back to you.
 
doesn't your school have guidance counselors to help with this kind of info? try checking with a college financial aid office to find out more about the money aspects.

first don't sweat the specifics. better tog go to college and start getting the required basics out of the way than to rush into something you don't want. not that you can't change your mind half a dozen times anyway, but the best way to figure out what you might want to study is to take intro courses and get a feel for what interests you, or what you have talent in. one of the advantages of large universities is that they have lots of departments and offer an exposure to a much wider range of subjects. small colleges are very good if you just want a liberal arts education or a specialty that the college offers. but if you want to have the widest range of opportunity for exploration - look into the largest state university in your area. (going to school in-state is almost always cheaper)
 
First, you have to fill one of these out each year after Jan 1st ASAP, by Feb at latest, if you'll be applying for any financial aid. Yup, the great FAFSA!

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Second...as others have said, talk to a guidence counselor ASAP. They'll point you in the right direction, and should help with any questions...it is their MAIN job after all.

If all else fails, then there's always:
http://www.marines.com
http://www.gocoastguard.com/
http://www.airforce.com
http://www.navy.com
http://www.goarmy.com
 
Hehe, military is actually a great way to get through college! I'm not going to say anymore than that. :D

What are some of the best schools for graphic artists? Or creative design? I heard Seattle was a really great choice for those fields.
 
First off chill out. Dads allways pour on the pressure, when they start comparing their life to your own. there's nothing they would like more than to see you excede their life. which to them, means working harder, faster, etc.

Truth be told, everyone finds their own way. Eventually. I hope! :p

It is nice to go directly from high school to college - you don't have to get all bored inbetween, and you don't have to loose interest in college. I took some time off, and I think it was helpful.

But, everyone's different.

Parental pressure is one of the worst forms of stress in the world. Try and relax, and as dumb as it may sound, don't look at the big picture.

Just look at the next year, max. If you start thinking... "I can't get this job if I take these classes.. I have to take this other class..." any of that stuff, you'll get depressed.

Anyway, just my three cents.

If you're ever feelin' down, just let us know.
 
Originally posted by kilowatt
First off chill out. Dads allways pour on the pressure, when they start comparing their life to your own. there's nothing they would like more than to see you excede their life. which to them, means working harder, faster, etc.

Parental pressure is one of the worst forms of stress in the world. Try and relax, and as dumb as it may sound, don't look at the big picture.
Click to expand...

Sometimes what looks like pressure from the parent is actually your own pressure to measure up. Your folks have been nurturing you, actively and indirectly but always consciously, for 17 years. Yes, they want you to suceed and excede their own accomplishments but I'm sure that in those 17 years they have understood that what they really want is for you to be happy.

You need to talk to them about the nature of the happiness that you want to achieve and their own definitions of happiness as they have come to understand them through their lives.

Don't take for granted that their pressure is what you think it is, because I garantee you, they see it differently.

Talk
Think
Talk again

As Kilowatt also says,
everyone finds their own way. Eventually


Good luck.
 
Ricky,
UCCS. I know it's extremely local for you and every kid wants to get away for college, but trust me. UCCS is a great school. It's still small so the profs know you by name (a good or a bad thing, depending on the student you are...)

I went there and just loved it. My wife went to a large university before we married, and then she spent a semester at UCCS. she wished she'd done UCCS the whole time. There are some top notch profs there.

give it a thought. I'm sure you won't be dissapointed should you go there.

just a thought - but it's a great way to start.
IM me if you have more questions.

quik
 
Just watch the time off bit. I had to do that, mainly cause of not getting everything done when it should have been. It's going on 7 years now...

I was accepted to UC (Cin)'s DAAP (Design/Art/Architecture/Planning). Went through orientation and all, but had to drop a week before classes started...no money. Problem was out-of-state tuition was $12K a year x 5 years...parents made too much for any real financial aid, and the company my dad worked for went under in Feb of my Senior year. Not to mention the car loan and other payments I had at the time...plus part of their program limited you to only being allowed to work a max of 10 hours a week. 10hr x 4.3 x 7/hr (after tax) = $301 That didn't even cover the car and insurance.

So, don't get the buy bug (new car, computer, etc.) and be sure to do everything on time...will save you alot of headaches. AGAIN, counselors...USE THEM, ABUSE THEM even!

As far as design school, dunno. When I last looked, for Architecture that is, they were Cornell, Washington (St. Louis), Miami (Coral Gables), and Cincinnati.
 
I've got a large file full of college brochures I could send you...

Take the PSAT (even if you plan on taking the SAT), and check the box that asks if you want colleges to send you info.
 
ACT as many times as possible, as they keep your best score. Plus, you can go to any college on an ACT score (if high enough)...SAT isn't as widely accepted, or at least not from places I've talked with. SAT II tests are wanted by some Colleges. Best bet is to get a list of your top 5, then check their requirements.
 
I actually took the ACT in my Junior year and got a 24 on it.. I looked at an admissions chart for CSU (a tough school to get into) and that coupled with my current GPA give me a pretty strong chance of getting in.

However I am not really satisfied with the score I got on my ACT (I wasn't nearly prepared for how long they give you on each question, I really lagged behind) so I may just take it again. :\
 
That's a good idea. I got a 32 on my ACT and a 1450 on my SAT I, so I got some good scores for colleges to notice me. If you can get as high as I did, then that'll work even better in your favor. (I'm not trying to brag, I'm just trying to give you a basis of reference... even with my high test scores, I'm still in a junior college. :rolleyes:)

MD: Are you sure about that? I haven't heard about anybody taking ACT scores but not SAT scores. AFAIK, everybody at least looks at your SAT scores.
 
A lot of schools over here in the midwest will accept either the ACT or SAT, they don't care which. Some prefer the ACT over the SAT too. College! I need to decide where to go!
 
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